Frowning, Gongcheng Yuandu sat back down at his desk. Just as he was about to speak, Juggler handed him a slip of paper. Taking it with a puzzled look, he read the message written upon it: "Meet me on the rooftop during the lunch break."
Nodding in agreement, he accepted the invitation. Just then, the mathematics teacher walked into the classroom, instantly quieting the noisy students.
While knowledge might be extremely important to others, Gongcheng Yuandu had the comprehensive high school knowledge database provided by the System. Every concept and problem the teacher presented was clear to him at a glance, so he spent the entire morning spacing out. Juggler was much the same; although he did not possess a cheat-like system, such academic knowledge was of little use to him either.
As the final bell for the morning classes rang, the two of them left the classroom one after the other.
A blonde girl watched them leave with a look of dissatisfaction. "Aren't these two transfer students a bit too arrogant? They just walked right off when people tried to talk to them."
After the first period, many students had planned to approach Gongcheng Yuandu and Juggler, but since both boys had left the classroom back-to-back, everyone else assumed they wanted nothing to do with them.
"Alright, Yumiko. They probably really do have something to attend to, so it's better not to bother them." A blonde boy in the surrounding circle smoothed things over. As the legal counsel for the Yukinoshita Family, Hayama Hayato's father had met Gongcheng Yue and his brother a few times when they first arrived at the Yukinoshita residence, so he had shared certain details with Hayama Hayato.
And Hayama had already guessed Gongcheng Yuandu's true identity.
"Fine. Since Hayama says so, I'll drop it." Miura Yumiko seemed very inclined to follow Hayama's lead.
Hikigaya Hachiman, who was just about to leave the classroom, turned his head slightly and cast a DNA-laden deadpan glance at the group before walking away.
Normies are truly better off exploding!
***
On the rooftop.
Juggler rested his hands against the railing, quietly letting the cool breeze wash over him. The wind sprite gently ruffled his hair from time to time, imbuing him with an aura that felt simultaneously righteous and wicked.
Gongcheng Yuandu walked up to him at that moment, looked at the figure before him, and asked slowly, "So, what exactly are you?"
A light chuckle echoed as Juggler turned around, fixing his gaze intently on the boy's eyes. Slipping his hands behind his back and making sure there were no hidden security cameras nearby, he spoke in a low voice that instantly broke Gongcheng Yuandu out in a cold sweat: "Should I call you... Ultraman Nexus? Or... Dark Lugiel?"
The Dark Spark materialized in his hand. Gripping it tightly, he pointed it at the person who had exposed his identity and demanded sharply, "What on earth are you trying to do?!"
"I'd advise you not to point that thing at me."
A swirl of black fog emerged, and a towering Fiend stepped slowly out of it, clutching a samurai sword in his right hand.
"Before you transform, you're just an ordinary human being, and I can easily kill you before that happens." Gently stroking the blade of the Snake Heart Sword with his left hand, the Fiend spoke with chilling indifference.
Ever since he had received the information regarding the Dark Spark, Gongcheng Yuandu knew that transformations could be interrupted. Terror gripped him fiercely, yet he refused to back down.
"If you wanted to kill me, I would already be dead the moment I came up here, wouldn't I?" He figured it was necessary to salvage the hair-trigger atmosphere.
And indeed, he succeeded. Juggler reverted to his human form, the corner of his mouth curving upward. "You're smart. No, among all the human hosts I've ever seen, you're easily near the top."
He stepped forward, pushed down the hand holding the Dark Spark, and tilted his head slightly. "At least, you're much easier on the eyes than Ultraman Tiga's human host."
Stowing the Dark Spark back into the System space, Gongcheng Yuandu looked at Juggler with a puzzled expression.
As for why he put the item away? Well, since the other person had laid their cards on the table, he had to show some sincerity in return.
Seeing the confusion on his face, the other merely shook his head. "It was a battle, yet I clearly stopped that battle from happening..."
To put it simply, two villains invaded a planet for the sake of an ultimate treasure. In the end, the planet's queen—who transformed into the War Deity—and one of the villainous sisters fought, and to prevent the war from escalating, he—Juggler—simply slashed the ultimate treasure to pieces.
And then, Ultraman Tiga's human host had blamed Juggler, claiming he didn't understand the light.
"..."
Gongcheng Yuandu fell into a long, profound silence. What was he supposed to say to that?
Well, he couldn't really say anything; strictly speaking, he wasn't even a true Ultra Warrior yet, but merely an ordinary human wielding dark power.
"I think... you didn't do anything wrong."
He had no idea whether these words went against his true feelings, but saying it like this should be right, shouldn't it?
"Do you really want to... become an Ultra Warrior?"
The question came rather abruptly, but curiosity won out.
Juggler did not answer, turning instead to walk back to the railing to continue gazing into the cool wind.
"Here."
Juggler looked at him with a puzzled expression, while Gongcheng Yuandu declared, "The Dark Spark. As long as you have a Spark Doll, you can transform."
"In the days to come, things beyond ordinary comprehension will descend intermittently, and I will need to fight when that happens. But I know my own limitations, and I sincerely hope you'll help me."
Gongcheng Yuandu knew very well what kind of person he was.
Plagued by an inferiority complex due to his disability, easily prone to violent emotional fluctuations triggered by others' opinions, yet always putting up a facade of nonchalance while harboring darkness within.
Or rather, he was an escapist.
As for why he wanted Juggler's help? Ever since his first battle, he had a lingering feeling that the System was trying to turn into a bond of light, and he believed that if he kept stumbling forward blindly on his own like this, he would sooner or later end up choking himself to death.
In his current understanding:
System = Bond of Light
System Quest = Choke himself to death.
Therefore, he felt an urgent need for self-preservation.
"I'm not from this world, you know. The moment I find a way back, I'll drop you without a second thought." Juggler didn't take the Spark immediately, replying with a teasing smirk.
"I know, but... right now, aren't you still here? When the time comes that you can truly go back... we'll talk about it then."
With an irritated click of his tongue, Juggler snatched the item from Gongcheng Yuandu's hand.
"Oh right, the only Spark Dolls I currently have are three: Golza, Melba, and Galactron. Which one do you want?" He produced the three dolls.
Juggler stood on no ceremony, directly snatching Galactron away.
"Then... I look forward to working with you."
No reply reached his ears. Standing alone on the rooftop, he found himself the sole occupant.
Smiling, he lifted his foot and left the rooftop, heading toward the cafeteria all by himself.
***
Nishimiya Yuzuru had a headache.
A transfer student had arrived in her class today, and as luck would have it, the teacher had assigned the girl to sit right next to her.
At first, she had been welcoming enough, but... why on earth was this girl getting so hands-on with her?!
She had clearly disguised herself as a boy!
Give me a break, you jerk!!
It's our very first time meeting, why are you acting so familiar?!
Yet Nishimiya Yuzuru's only response was a cheeky, "Ehehe."
Ehehe your head!
Later during the lunch break, she had originally planned to go find her older sister to eat together, but this girl had actually tagged along behind her. How annoying.
"Hold on, where do you think you're putting your hand?!" Nishimiya Yuzuru flushed crimson as she grabbed Gongcheng Yunling's hand, which had been slowly creeping upward across her abdomen, glaring at her in a mix of shame and anger.
The girl pressed close behind Nishimiya Yuzuru and giggled. "An angry Yuzuru is super kawaii too~"
"You..." The tomboyish Nishimiya Yuzuru was consumed by fury. "Stop following me!"