Judgement

[General POV]

In the orphanage, two kids are having an animated conversation. One of them is persistent, the other doing their best to avoid any further involvement. The scene is comical, with the younger boy practically hanging off the older one's leg.

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[Iruma's POV]

Astro: "Please show me! I swear I won't tell anyone!" He clung to my leg like it was the last thing keeping him from falling into an abyss.

Astro: "I'll even get you those cookies you always wanted! And, um... maybe a few extra sweets?"

I stared down at him, half-exasperated, half-amused. The kid never quit.

Iruma: groans "Urgh, fine! But I'm doing this as a favor to you. You've been pestering me like a fly around a candle, and I need a test subject." I rubbed my temple, annoyed but resigned. "You owe me big time."

Of course, I ended up showing him my discovery, my soul. He was too curious for his own good. The little guy couldn't leave me alone about it. So, in a moment of weak resolve, I caved. In exchange for cookies every morning for three weeks, I'd let him peek at the inner workings of my soul.

Hey, it's not like I'm just giving this stuff away. Nothing's free around me.

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[Iruma's Inner Thoughts]

The whole thing about souls felt weird. Like I'd stumbled upon something new that was just... different. I felt more determined sometimes, or like I actually cared a bit more about helping people. It was almost like channeling my inner Self. I mean, come on, the guy knew how to deal with stuff—snarky humor and all. Why else would I even care about making sure Astro doesn't end up as villain-fodder?

I've been keeping an eye on the timeline too. From what I saw, there's a good chance I'll be a third-year by the time those UA kids show up. Nejire Hado, Mirio, all of them—upperclassmen. And if the stars align, I might just be in the Big Three. Fingers crossed.

But there's always that nagging feeling, that mysterious thing going on. I'm a little behind. So, I'm taking matters into my own hands. Protecting the future, rewriting bits of it. And if that includes a bit of self-indulgence—like a little harem, maybe? Who am I kidding, I can't just leave that option off the table.

Back to Reality:

Iruma: "Onee-san! Can Astro and I go play in the park?" I flashed my best puppy-dog eyes, using the ol' charm. Worked every time.

Lucy's heart melted. I could practically hear it, all pitter-patter-pitter. She scooped both Astro and me into a hug, and, yeah, I didn't mind it. I was actually getting a bit attached to this 'big sister' thing.

Lucy: "Alright, but don't forget: look both ways before crossing and watch out for villains." She pulled away, giving me the usual warnings. As if I'd forget.

Iruma: smirking "Look both ways, don't stray too far, be on the lookout for villains, and always keep an eye out for the untrustworthy. Yeah, yeah, we'll be fine, Onee-san."

With a wave, we were out the door, and just as we approached the gate separating the orphanage and the park, I grabbed Astro's shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.

Astro: "Huh? What's up?" His voice sounded confused.

I grinned. This was gonna be fun.

Iruma: "Let's take a shortcut." I snapped my fingers.

Fwoosh!

In a flash, we were somewhere else entirely.

Astro blinked a few times, clearly disoriented. I mean, who wouldn't be when they're suddenly teleported out of the blue?

Astro: "Uh, where are we, Sans?" His voice came out with that curious note I knew too well.

I leaned against a tree, twirling a bone in the air. Oh yeah, I was feeling extra mischievous today.

Iruma: "My training ground. Time for some fun with experimentation." I flicked the bone into the air and watched it spin before I sent it flying at Astro.

It hit him on the arm with a dull thud, and I didn't even bother holding back the tiny chuckle at his surprised face.

Astro winced slightly. He glanced at the small purple bruise that spread out across his arm. The bones I summoned? They weren't just bones—they carried the Karma Poison I'd been studying.

Iruma: "So, what's it feel like?" I asked, genuinely curious.

Astro winced, obviously feeling it. "It's like my arm's on fire, but worse," he said, his voice tight with pain.

Iruma: "Yeah, when it really kicks in, it'll feel like burning alive. But that's good to know." I muttered to myself before tossing him a look. "C'mere, buddy."

I focused and laid my hand on his arm. Green energy pulsed from my palm, flowing into his bruised skin. I watched as the purple tint faded, healing the area in seconds.

Astro: "Whew, that's better!" He stretched, cracking his joints. "My muscles feel a lot better now."

Iruma: smirking "I'm no Toriel, but hey, it gets the job done."

Astro raised an eyebrow. "Toriel?" He scratched his head. "Onee-san mentioned that name before. She said someone named Toriel used to be a nurse here."

Iruma: eyes widening "A nurse, huh? I'll have to ask her about that later." My mind was already racing. It seemed like a little bit of Undertale was creeping into this world, and I wasn't sure how I felt about it.

I summoned a few bones again—this time bigger and sharper, the sun reflecting off their white surface like they were shining weapons in the air.

Iruma: "Alright, let's see how these bad boys perform."

I flicked my wrist, mentally commanding them to shoot. They fired like bullets, tearing through the trees effortlessly. Boom boom boom! In mere seconds, the trunks had holes big enough to throw a baseball through.

Astro: "What the—?" I glanced over and saw him hiding behind a tree, eyes wide as saucers. He was speechless.

I couldn't help it. I flashed him a smirk.

Iruma: "Oh Astro~" I called out, teasing him.

And of course, he ducked back behind the tree, as if that was gonna help.

I shrugged. "Well, at least I'm getting some good data. Two birds with one bone."

Focusing my magic, I tried reaching for Astro's soul. I opened my eyes, and the world around me turned gray, like an old TV set with static. But amidst the dullness, I saw his soul glowing—a beautiful combination of red and yellow, like a flame burning with fierce determination.

Iruma: grinning "He's got some strong traits, alright. Proud of my bro."

I continued my little experiment, focusing harder to grab at his soul. I made a gesture, and just like that, Astro was yanked out of his hiding place, completely under my control.

Astro: "W-what's going on!? Where are we going, Sans!?"

Iruma: "I dunno, but you're gonna love this one."

I snapped my fingers, and Astro was suddenly rocketing into the air. He screamed, but I didn't stop there—this was gonna be fun.

Astro: "SAAAANS!" He was now screaming from what had to be a mile in the sky.

I couldn't help but laugh at his panic. "You're not afraid of heights, right?"

I brought Astro back down, the wind still whistling through the air as his feet finally hit the ground. The sky was now a beautiful orange as the sun started to set. But Astro had other things on his mind.

Astro: "Sans! Onee-san is coming!" His face was panicked, and I glanced at my watch.

6:24 PM.

Damn, I'd been out here all day.

I snapped my fingers again, and we were back at the orphanage in a flash. I pulled on my jacket casually, stretching a little as I did. No harm done, right?

Iruma: "Alright, let's get going—quickly!"

Astro: "What should we call it?" He asked, looking at his glowing soul like it was the most magnificent thing he'd ever seen.

Iruma: grinning "Judgement," I said thoughtfully, ruffling his hair as we walked back.

[IMAGE]

Astro smiled, and I knew he'd be ready for whatever came next. After all, a kid with that much potential—he was gonna be fine.