Parallel Archive Route F 23: Glass Mentality

After writing this chapter late at night, and re-reading it the following morning, I considered this to be a drama chapter, reflecting my goal of writing a fun, adventure, light-romance novel.

Anyway, don't read this if you haven't read the past chapter 22 yet.

I will not write the continuation of this until I am pushed to the brink of writing it, which may be a long time from now.

Therefore, this chapter will be kept in the Parallel Archive.

Think of this as a chapter to dig in Rein's characteristics and Ceri's character? Idk.

———

As much as I panicked over this skill, I saw its potential.

'Through [Kitsune], I can stay true to my desire without being broken by my fear,' chilling above the roof of a building, I thought while scanning the area with [Blossoming Clairvoyance]

'Found you,' entering my eyes were pairs of two who walked alongside the road, attracting glances from men.

Apart from her adorable face, she was still unknown to others. However, the person next to her was as famous as it was possible to be in The Beginner Village.

Gushavus Tilda. She was one of the leading figures in the war against the monster outbreak. Not only did she split into half one of the most troubling units: Wormhole at the moment,

Assisting Reinhardt in defeating the Dark Orc, she slew the multiple buffers behind it. Not to mention, she had the face of beauty, and even this world isn't lacking in men loving beautiful women.

Well, I hadn't figured out how her situation has been so far since I just woke up.

My goal wasn't for Tilda but for the girl beside her.

'Are fox-humans a rare species?' In a blink of an eye, I appeared before the two of them.

"Kitsu...ne? another weird skill..." Tilda murmured to herself.

My long hair still fluttering from the momentum, I opened my mouth, hidden under the mask of kine.

"My dear Ceri. I'm so obsessed with you. Would you like to marry me?" Pushing out confidence from nowhere, I asked Ceri.

"Who may you be? Oh~ Rein-san!" Ceri pondered for a while before figuring out who I was after petals intertwined around her irises.

Meanwhile, I was waiting for her answer. No matter how much I changed or my confidence increased, I was, after all, a virgin with zero experience.

"That's right! Rein-san, p-please accept this," Ceri said before bowing her head, pushing forward a neatly designed notebook.

'Is she diverting the conversation? Or is that her other way of telling me that she rejects me? Impossible!' a strong urge of nausea overwhelmed me as I accepted the notebook.

"O-okay..." I struggled to take hold of the notebook as I swiftly escaped the scene without bidding the two farewell.

Trauma that I sealed in the back of my head has just emerged and destroyed the false self-esteem created by my fox personality.

***

It only made matters worse when I dissolved my transformation. During the transformation, I hadn't really considered it very deeply, but this action of mine could cause the party to become much more diverse.

What if because of my action today, Ceri began feeling uncomfortable and the atmosphere within the party took a worse turn?

I imagined every possible cost I would have to pay for today's action.

'Please...'

'Don't outright reject me....'

'I can give you happiness...'

'Please take it as a joke...'

'I will dedicate myself to you...'

'Or you can ignore me for the rest of my life...'

'Please show me hope...'

My mind grew full of chaos as I panted heavily.

***

"Haa~" walking down the road, Ceri's sigh of relief could be heard.

"Tilda-san was that the right response?" Ceri asked her friends

In response, Tilda just bitterly laughed.

"I wonder why Rein-san suddenly proposed to me do you think? Sure I was a princess once, but now I am nothing! Marrying such a girl is not a good idea, do you think?" Ceri's lips curled upward as she spoke to her friend.

While Tilda recognized that Ceri was speaking what she thought, the smile that failed to conceal happiness could only be interpreted as her bragging.

"So would you accept it?" Tilda asked, annoyed.

"I... will decline it..." Ceri pondered hard before answering, the smile from before disappearing.

"Oh, why? You were smiling like crazy just now." Tilda still annoyed questioned further.

Upon hearing Tilda's question, Ceri struggled to open her mouth as her face reddened.

"I... If I'm going to lose someone important someday... I shouldn't just make someone..." Ceri's face teared up.

A sudden realization struck Tilda as she rushed and hugged Ceri gently. 'She may look normal these days but she was a mentally fragile girl who just lost her father.'

'It was careless of me to ask her a question that would dig up her trauma.'

"You don't have to say anymore, I'm sorry," Tilda whispered to Ceri.

***

Standing alone, Rein gazed off into the distance.

In a short time, after contemplating how not to be hurt, he looked refreshed.

'I had an answer all along.'

My hair began turning white

Under the night sky, shadow obscured half of Rein's face as profound changes took place within his body.

His hair grew at an alarming rate and stopped when it extended to his back, like a waterfall.

'This hair is too long,' Rein thought as he gripped his hair and cut it with a dagger.

In just a matter of seconds, Rein grew two tails, completing his transformation; he looked like a half-yokai.

'The better I is complete! Bring me whatever insult you have, no mental attack can damage me anymore!' Rein thought as he dived into the sky, showered by moonlight.