Magic, Hozuki Nozomi had discovered, possessed far more applications than he'd initially imagined. The ability to perform remote operations through attached spiritual power was something he'd only recently begun to master under Frieren's guidance—though "guidance" might be overstating it. The ancient elf had merely mentioned the theoretical concept, and to her genuine bewilderment, he'd actually managed to make it work.
Remote control of magic required exceptionally strong spiritual power combined with precise magical distribution. The ratio between the two couldn't be off by even a fraction. Currently, even Frieren herself couldn't achieve this level of control. Perhaps only the ancestors of her elf race from another world might have possessed such capability.
Hozuki Nozomi suspected this ability was a derived effect of his God's Hand skill. After all, he could now freely use any divine artifact at will—including the Infinite Corridor artifact documented in his illustration book.
Returning home to Sakura Dormitory, Hozuki Nozomi's first order of business was to tease Suigintou as she drifted past him. This earned him a near-miss with her feathers, which came close to turning his outfit into a lacework of holes once again.
He'd learned to gauge her temperament by now—knew exactly how far he could push before she truly lashed out. After placating her with offerings of coffee and sweets (which she accepted with poorly concealed reluctance), he retreated to his room and closed his eyes.
Time for remote viewing.
Focusing his mind, he began to manipulate the magic attached to Asada Shino. His spiritual power activated simultaneously, and instantly, his perception shifted.
He found himself in a room decorated with distinctly feminine touches—soft colors, neatly arranged items, the gentle fragrance of a girl's personal space. Sounds of movement came from the bathroom. On the bed lay a discarded set of clothes, including what appeared to be soft pink undergarments.
As his spiritual power swept through the room, it immediately detected an anomaly in the game helmet resting on Asada Shino's desk.
The game's open beta was scheduled to begin in a few days. That was why Asada Shino had asked Shinkawa Kyouji to help her purchase the helmet—he was, after all, her only friend.
What Asada Shino didn't know, however, was that her isolation at school was largely orchestrated by Shinkawa Kyouji and his accomplices working behind the scenes.
The root of her trauma ran deep. As a child, Asada Shino had accompanied her mother to the bank, only to walk into an armed robbery. Her mother was taken hostage. In the chaos that followed, young Shino had accidentally picked up the robber's discarded handgun and, in a moment of desperate terror, fired—killing him in self-defense.
That single act had branded her forever. Classmates labeled her a "murderer." Teachers looked at her with pity mixed with unease. Even her own mother began to unconsciously keep her distance, finding something frightening in her daughter's eyes.
Poor little Shino's heart had grown cold. She developed an intensely introverted personality, finding solace only in solitude.
The emergence of full-dive virtual reality games offered her an escape—a place where she could leave her painful reality behind.
Shinkawa Kyouji's brother worked for the game company. During development of the ASO virtual world, they'd considered adding a gun combat theme, which was currently in testing. Asada Shino, desperate to overcome her childhood trauma with firearms, found herself irresistibly drawn to such games. This gave Shinkawa Kyouji the perfect opportunity to insinuate himself into her life.
On the surface, Shinkawa Kyouji presented himself as gentle and warm—a kind friend in a lonely world. In reality, his heart beat with a twisted, obsessive rhythm. He viewed Asada Shino as a hero for her childhood actions and had schemed meticulously to become her only friend. Now, he'd used the game helmet delivery as an excuse to plant both a tracking device and a wiretap inside it.
Hozuki Nozomi destroyed the wiretap immediately upon detecting it. There was no way he'd allow this deranged pervert to monitor Shino unchallenged.
After finishing her bath, Asada Shino emerged wearing simple white pajamas. She toweled her short hair dry—a practical length that allowed ease of movement while accentuating her adorable face shape. With her glasses on, she possessed a unique, understated charm.
Her gaze fell upon the game helmet on her desk, and a flicker of genuine gratitude toward Shinkawa Kyouji warmed her chest. Without his help, obtaining the helmet would have been nearly impossible.
Her phone rang.
Shinkawa Kyouji.
"Hello, Asada? I'm terribly sorry to bother you so late, but could you bring the helmet back tomorrow? I just learned it needs debugging before it can be properly used."
"It needs debugging? Is it really that complicated?"
"Yes, I only found out myself a moment ago. I'm so sorry to get your hopes up for nothing. You haven't put it on yet, have you?"
"Not yet. I'll bring it over tomorrow."
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Asada Shino ended the call.
On the other end, Shinkawa Kyouji exhaled in relief. "It seems Shino hasn't discovered the bug. Well, how could she possibly notice something so subtle?"
He muttered to himself, a twisted smile spreading across his features. "Shino-chan, you're destined to be mine. I'll make you shine even brighter—and only I will witness it."
His words revealed the depths of his derangement.
Through his lingering magic, Hozuki Nozomi perceived this entire exchange. His mood shifted to something between disgust and dark amusement.
He'd seen and heard everything clearly.
Shinkawa Kyouji's plan was insidious: tomorrow, he would instruct the delinquent students who served as his tools to confront Asada Shino. They would mock her about the "murderer" incident, bully her, and rob her. Then, at the critical moment, Shinkawa himself would heroically intervene—just in time to chase them off after they'd already accomplished their theft.
A classic hero-rescuing-beauty scenario, staged by the very villain orchestrating the attack.
It had to be said—Shinkawa Kyouji understood the game he was playing.
Hozuki Nozomi's lips curved into a cold smile.
But a proper hero-saving-beauty scene required a genuine hero, didn't it?
And who better to play that role than Hozuki Nozomi himself?
He felt he had a natural talent for heroics.
That night, as he prepared for sleep, he deliberately set aside the soul-binding rope. This would prevent his soul from swapping with Miyamizu Mitsuha tomorrow. His actions while inhabiting her body had already created ripples of change in her life—it was time to give her space to adapt to those changes on her own.
...
The next afternoon arrived with clear skies and a gentle breeze—perfect weather for villains to execute their schemes.
Asada Shino walked along the familiar path toward her meeting point with Shinkawa Kyouji, the game helmet secure in her bag. She kept her head down, as always, hoping to avoid attention.
She didn't succeed.
"Ara, isn't this the famous Miss Murderer?"
A boy named Endo stepped into her path, flanked by two thuggish companions who grinned with practiced malice. Endo's voice dripped with cruel amusement.
"Hard to believe, isn't it? She looks so cute, but underneath that innocent face beats the heart of a twisted killer!"
"Haha, exactly!" one of the others chimed in. "Who knew murderers could be so adorable?"
Asada Shino's delicate frame trembled. She instinctively lowered her head further, trying to step around them, but they moved to block her path. The word "murderer" echoed in her mind, dragging her back to that traumatic childhood memory—the gun, the robber, the shot that changed everything.
"Weak," she thought. "I'm so weak..."
"Hey, Asada! A murderer like you ignoring us? That's pretty bold!"
Endo gestured subtly, and his two companions immediately flanked her, cutting off any escape route. His eyes raked over her with barely concealed interest, but the memory of Shinkawa Kyouji's payment tempered his impulses. For now.
"Asada, you're coming with us. Unless you want the whole school to know every detail of your murderous past?"
He reached into his pocket and produced a realistic handgun replica, pointing it at her with theatrical menace. "Bang~! Remember this? This is what you used to kill someone, you murderer!"
The sight of the gun—even a fake—sent Asada Shino reeling. Dizziness washed over her, nausea churning in her stomach. She staggered, barely keeping her feet, teeth clenched against the rising panic.
They forced her into a deserted alley, where Endo finally revealed his true objective.
"Now then, Asada. You've got money, right? Hand over ten thousand yen, and we'll keep your little secret safe. Otherwise..." He let the threat hang. "Wouldn't want everyone at school knowing what you really are, would we?"
Trembling, Asada Shino reached for her wallet. If everyone found out, she truly wouldn't be able to face school again.
Hidden in the shadows, Shinkawa Kyouji watched with barely contained anticipation. This was his moment—the perfect hero's entrance. He'd let the bullying go just far enough, then step in and rescue her. She'd be grateful. She'd trust him completely.
He took a breath, ready to make his move—
"Hey! You over there! What do you think you're doing?"
A voice rang out, righteous and commanding.
Shinkawa Kyouji's head snapped toward the sound. His face went ashen.
It was that handsome guy from the convenience store—Hozuki Nozomi—striding toward the scene with the confident bearing of a true hero.
The carefully orchestrated rescue was about to be stolen right out from under him.