Behind him followed a shy girl, pure and adorable as the girl-next-door.
She had shoulder-length black hair and wore a pristine white sundress. A small cat nestled in her arms. Those clear-as-water eyes held curiosity and nervousness at the unfamiliar environment.
She was like a snow lotus about to bloom—pure, beautiful, inspiring protective instincts at first glance.
"Allow me to introduce!" Kyo's face beamed with pride as he pulled the girl beside him, arm around her shoulder. "This is my girlfriend, Yuki! Pretty great, right?"
Cloud looked at Kyo's smug expression, then at Yuki beside him—blushing from being held so close—and his lips curved slightly.
"Yeah, really great," Cloud said with genuine appreciation.
He could tell at a glance: this girl called Yuki had no energy fluctuations whatsoever. Just an ordinary, kind, adorable girl-next-door.
Only someone this pure could tame the wild stallion that was Kyo Kusanagi.
Mai, Yuri, and the others gathered around, chattering away as they greeted Kyo's girlfriend. The scene was perfectly harmonious.
However, beneath the surface harmony, a complex flicker of pity passed through Cloud's eyes—too subtle to notice.
Because he knew.
This girl, Yuki.
In the original storyline, she was the reincarnation of "Kushinada-hime," chosen for the "Orochi Revival" plan—a sacrifice meant to be offered to Orochi to amplify its power.
Her fate, from the very beginning, was destined to be a tragedy.
Watching Kyo happily recount his "glorious achievements" (mostly bragging) while Yuki gazed at him with adoring eyes—the sickeningly sweet, pure love radiating between them almost blinding everyone present—Cloud quietly made a decision.
"Tragedy? In my script, that doesn't exist."
"So it's Orochi, huh? You want to touch Kyo's woman—did you even ask me first?"
He resolved to change Yuki's fate.
Even if it meant making an enemy of that terrifying existence known as "Earth's Will."
[System Notice: Strong "bleeding heart"—correction, "brotherly loyalty" detected in Host. Hidden world-line quest triggered—"Save the Sacrificial Girl"!]
[Quest Description: As a loyal man of honor, how can you stand by while your bro's girlfriend becomes the final boss's "experience pack"? Go forth—use your heaven-defying power to rewrite this tragic destiny! Show Orochi what "fire prevention, theft prevention, Cloud prevention" really means!]
[Quest Reward: ??? (Based on final rescue completion level. Unexpected surprises possible~)]
"Perfect." Cloud watched the young couple in front of him, currently "showering everyone with dog food," a mysterious smile playing at his lips.
An unprecedented "script modification" plan targeting Orochi had quietly begun taking shape in his mind.
...
Just as Cloud was pondering how to "scientifically raise snakes starting from childhood"—no wait, how to protect Yuki—his private phone rang.
The caller ID showed a familiar name—Athena Asamiya.
"Hello? Athena-chan." Cloud answered casually. "What's up? Missing me? Or do you want another new song? My rates are expensive now! You'll have to pay with your body... ahem, I mean, you'll have to go on a date with me."
From the other end came Athena's slightly shy yet melodious voice: "C-Cloud, it's not about a song. Um... I... I actually want to meet... with you."
"Oh? Meet with me?" Cloud's gossip radar immediately blazed to life. "Our great idol has finally seen the light and wants a passionate date with this champion? Got a location in mind? Movie theater? Amusement park? Or maybe... hehehe..."
"No no no! That's not it!" Athena on the other end was practically stamping her feet in frustration. "It's... it's my master, Chin Gentsai, and... and another senior who wants to meet you... We're at Mount Wutai in China."
"Mount Wutai?" Cloud blinked. "Why'd you guys go all the way there? International team-building exercise?"
"I... I've hit a bottleneck in my training." Athena's voice dropped. "I feel like my psychic powers can't improve anymore. Master says you're well-traveled with unfathomable strength, and maybe... you could help me find a breakthrough."
"Oh, so it's technical assistance. Should've said so earlier." Cloud's understanding dawned. "Sure, no problem. I've been wanting to visit China anyway. Wait for me—I'll be right there."
Hanging up, Cloud waved at Kyo and the others, still "showing off their love."
"Everyone, I've got some business to handle. Make yourselves at home. Kyo—watch over your Yuki. Lots of bad guys around lately."
Without any visible motion, his form transformed into a streak of light that shot skyward, vanishing beyond the horizon in an instant.
The whole room stood slack-jawed, staring at the sky.
Yuki covered her mouth, face full of disbelief. "K-Kyo... Did Cloud just... Is he Superman?"
Kyo watched the sky, expression complicated, shaking his head with a wry smile.
"No. He's even more ridiculous than Superman."
...
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