LIGHTNOVELWORLD chapter 71
71. A Match Pump of Love and Desire
When the video ended, I was surprisingly calm and collected.
The content of the prediction was unexpected, but it was probably less shocking than the intense fear I felt in the future with Nightingale earlier. More than anything, I might be secretly relieved that the fact that my physical disability isn’t due to an accident or illness, but rather something that was artificially created.
Or maybe, the anger towards Nightingale who hurt me in order to have me is boiling deep down in my heart, and it’s just making my other emotions feel dull.
“You don’t seem very shocked. Or are you so surprised that you’re just stunned?”
Seeing that my expression hadn’t changed much, the doctor asked me with a slightly worried look.
“I was surprised, but, well, I was able to understand it somehow.”
“That’s good, it’ll be easier to talk.”
“But I have one question. The video I just saw was a prediction of my future with Peach, right? I didn’t appear in it at all, but is that possible?”
In all the predictions up until now, there had always been a video of just me and the woman in question. Up until now, the names of other heroes had come up, but this was the first time that a third party had clearly appeared.
“When I saw this video, I also thought that I had made a mistake in the settings. However, it seems that this future prediction is correct. Actually, even in the video, you can see Peach making remarks as if she’s dating Sky King That’s the result of Nightingale’s rampage in the future where Peach and you became lovers. It’s not impossible that an overly strong affection could affect an unrelated future. Even ordinary people sometimes harass others out of spite for being dumped, and if a hero were to be in the same situation, the future would change drastically.”
I had thought that I would only be troubled by the hero who I ended up with, but thinking about it carefully, it’s not necessarily going to be that simple. Unlike the day I first saw the prediction, I’m already deeply involved with Himawari and Nightingale. If I were to make a woman with a yandere nature feel attracted to me and then date another woman, it’s only natural that she would feel betrayed and become aggressive.
Because of the proposal, I became too close to Nightingale, and she probably gained such a large amount of love energy that she can interfere in any future. If I don’t do something about this, it’s going to be impossible for me to date anyone, not just heroes.
“I have already seen the future with Himawari as well. The content is almost the same as with Peach. And perhaps, it’s reasonable to think that those futures will converge into the world where Nightingale takes care of you, and you love Nightingale as your only trusted wife.”
“Nightingale uses her ability to destroy my body… and maybe even temporarily exacerbated my mental state, and threatens my lover who became my girlfriend to withdraw if she wants to help me, and she nurses me back to health after I think I’ve been abandoned by my lover. If my body suddenly became unable to do anything, then it wouldn’t be unreasonable to open my heart to the only woman I can rely on. I can imagine myself becoming serious about Nightingale.”
Hurting me myself and then saving me myself. She probably used this self-produced pure love story to win my heart. Honestly, I’m devastated of Nightingale, who could come up with such a horrible plan and actually carry it out. If Nightingale’s ability can affect memories and the mind, then it would be pointless for me to firmly resolve here and now that “I won’t be fooled!” In fact, even though I saw the video and learned about Nightingale’s plan, there haven’t been any changes in the future video.
“That’s why you knew about this and stopped me from breaking up with Nightingale, right?”
If Nightingale’s rampage is triggered by the engagement being broken off, then breaking up with her without any countermeasures would only hasten the outcome of the future prediction.
No, but if I think about it that way, something doesn’t sit right.
“That’s right. It’s unclear whether there’s any point in delaying it, but the possibility that Nightingale will resort to drastic measures if you dump her is very high. For now, we should stall for time and think of a way to deal with it. “
“Is that so…”
I was supposed to be the one who proposed, but I’m the one who betrayed her. Was that really Nightingale’s landmine?
“Something feels off.”
The Nightingale in my head and the Nightingale that appeared in the prediction feel different somehow. But I don’t know what it is.
“No, I’m sorry. It’s nothing after all.”
I couldn’t figure out what this feeling of incongruity was, whether it was overthinking or a sixth sense.
“Hmm…Sky King.”
With a sullen expression, Dr. Gentian suddenly started to stroke my head as I tilted it in confusion.
“Why, what is it?”
“Today’s Sky King is very understanding and calm. You’ve gotten used to dealing with heroes with strong personalities, and you’ve started to lose sight of how to handle your own emotions.”
“Eh, is, is that so?”
What is he talking about now? Dr. Gentian continues to stroke my head fluffily with a somewhat lonely expression.
“Doctor?”
It’s like he’s trying to soothe a young child. We’re not that far apart in age, though.
“…No, I’m sorry. I just realized once again that I’m putting Sky King in danger for my own research and desires.”
“Desires? That’s not true. Dr. Gentian is the commander working towards peace, you don’t need to blame yourself. Your research is also for the sake of making it easier for heroes to work, and no one thinks it’s just for your own selfish desires.”
“Peace, huh. That’s right.”
Dr. Gentian suddenly pulled his hand away from my head and returned to his usual carefree smile.
“I’m a researcher before I’m a woman. There’s nothing more honorable than my beloved research leading to world peace. I’ll continue to make full use of you, Sky King.”
“Y, yes.”
A hero with talent as a yandere. And me, with the talent of a yandere maker who brings out the abilities of heroes. us, who became heroes because it was our destiny, Dr. Gentian’s genius-level intellect would allow him to succeed in any other industry. Why is Gentian Violet a doctor for heroes?
“Kukukuku.”
I was about to ask a detailed question about the Doctor when I heard a laugh familiar.
“What are you laughing at?”
“Oh, I just realized how immature I am to be comforted by you, Sora-kun.”
He seemed to have completely returned to his usual self. There was no need to pry into the Doctor if he wasn’t being a hero. It wouldn’t be good if he got into a bad mood because I asked him something strange. Let’s end this conversation.
“Um, so, you said it, right? That there’s bad news and desperate news.”
“Yes, that’s right. There’s been another change in regards to the future prediction. This time, I’ll tell you the desperate news.”
Ever since I got involved in this matter, my predictions have never been wrong in a positive way. After all, Uguisu-san’s was matter “just” bad news, so is there something even worse coming up?
“But this matter is just for sharing information. Honestly, I thought about keeping it from you, Sora-kun, but since I don’t know how things will turn out, it’s better for you to know everything, even if it’s a bit of a burden.”
Is this coming from the person who was just agonizing over putting me in danger?
“So? What happened?”
“I can see Akane’s future now.”
“What!?”
The first time I used future prediction, only my future and Akane-san’s future were errors. According to the Doctor, it was strange that the future wouldn’t be displayed for acquaintances who had feelings for each other, but has something changed that now allows me to see Akane-san and my future?
“That’s something I’d like to see.”
“No. To be precise, I can’t see it. The screen that I thought was an error was actually the future of you and Akane.”
The projector was already showing the future prediction screen. However, even when Dr. Gentan clicked play, the video didn’t play and the screen remained pitch black.
“I think it was like this the last time I saw it, too. The video with Akane-san just wouldn’t play, so it was giving an error.”
“Ah. I thought so too. But this video itself seems to be your future with Akane.”
“Huh?”
I looked at the dark screen again, but I still couldn’t see anything. It could be a malfunction of the equipment, so I peered directly at the Doctor’s laptop, but the dark screen only said “Playing”.
“Come on, look at this.”
The Doctor fiddled with the PC settings and turned the brightness up to the maximum.
“Th, this is!”
Then, something faintly appeared on the pitch-black video.
“Debris? A, and a building?”
The blurry video was drawn in dark monochrome. I couldn’t see any moving human figures, but I could see something that looked like a collapsed building. In front of it was something that looked like debris. There was something that looked like an overturned car. A video of what looked like a major disaster site gradually emerged.
“Do you remember the first day you met Akane? … This video probably shows the Shadow’s Nest.”
I remembered that world covered in black shadows that appeared out of nowhere somewhere on Earth.