Chapter 18

As Ryūji searched for Akudama, the people around him began throwing trash and hurling insults at him. The barrage of garbage made Ryūji feel lost and overwhelmed. They screamed, "You monster! You freaking monster! I hope you go to the underworld and perish forever! Why do monsters like you exist? Demon, demon, demon, demon!"

Growing increasingly angry, Ryūji shouted, "Stop!" Miraculously, everyone ceased their actions and returned to their homes. Ryūji was left bewildered, questioning, "What the hell just happened?" It seemed that his command had compelled everyone to stop and resume their normal lives. However, Ryūji didn't dwell on it and continued running in his search for Akudama, desperately calling out, "Where the hell is he? Akudama!"

While in his haste, Ryūji accidentally bumped into a girl. Instantly, he apologized, saying, "Oh, sorry, my bad..." But as he looked up, he was captivated by the sight of a beautiful girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. It was as if he had fallen in love at first sight. The girl got up and asked, "Are you alright, mister?" Ryūji quickly regained his composure, standing up swiftly and replying, "Yes, but I need to keep going and find someone. Do you mind if you excuse me?" The girl nodded, and as Ryūji hurriedly ran off in search of Akudama, the wind gently blew through her hair, and she watched him with a gaze filled with curiosity and perhaps something more.

As Ryūji ran, he spotted Akudama being beaten by a group of people, appearing helpless and whispering in pain, "I guess I truly lost my powers..." Enraged, Ryūji clenched his fists so tightly that the two buildings beside him crumbled into pieces. The people, shocked by the destruction, turned around and raised their bats, ready to attack.

Ryūji lifted his hands, swiftly breaking the arms of one of the attackers and sending them flying towards a wall. Witnessing this display of power, the others hesitated, questioning whether Ryūji had used some kind of magic. Slowly approaching them, Ryūji spoke, "I guess you people really want to die so badly that you think this is justice. This isn't heroism; it's just stupidity. All of you NPCs... dieeeeeeeee!"

With a swing of his hand, the bodies of the attackers were split in half from their hips, blood splattering across the walls, floor, and nearby buildings. Ryūji touched his head, gazing at the sky, and remarked, "What a beautiful sunset..." He then walked up to Akudama, seeing the bruises on his face, his broken left leg, and broken right arm. Despite his rage, Ryūji placed his hands on Akudama's torso and somehow commanded, "Be revived right now." Instantly, Akudama's body began to heal rapidly.

Wearing a perfect smile, Ryūji reassured Akudama, "Good thing you're safe and alive." However, at that moment, someone struck Ryūji on the head with a metal stick. To their surprise, the stick bent upon impact. Holding his head, Ryūji turned around and uttered, "You should have taken the chance to run, but instead, you came all the way here to die in the most painful way..."

The person lowered their weapon but pointed it at Ryūji, saying, "Is that an order? Sorry, I don't listen to monsters like you. Besides, you should die right on your feet." Without a word, Ryūji unleashed a blast that tore a hole through the person's torso. Slowly coughing out blood, the person fell to the ground and perished. Ryūji looked down at them and remarked, "That must suck when you're at your weakest."

Ryūji walked up to Akudama and saw that he was unconscious. Deciding to carry him, Ryūji continued walking through the city as people gazed at them, their eyes drawn to the blood covering Ryūji's body. One person exclaimed, "What the hell...?" However, Ryūji reached the edge of the city, turned around, and addressed the city, saying, "Damn, I guess being in that place felt like trash..." With those words, he walked away from the city, seeking another destination.

But just as he did, he spotted the blonde girl with blue eyes once again. Seeing her, Ryūji took the opportunity to approach her and asked, "Could I ask you something?" The girl was taken aback but quietly nodded. Ryūji began, "What is your name? Your beauty has caught my interest." Blushing, the girl replied, "Uh, uh, my name is Doremi...? Uh, what's yours?" Lost in her thoughts, she murmured, "Beauty? Why do I feel like nobody has ever called me that before, not even my family..." She placed her hands on her cheeks.

Ryūji smiled and responded, "Well, that's a beautiful name. My name is Ryūji." The girl whispered, "Ryūji?" Ryūji confirmed, "Yeah, Ryūji. But anyway, I'm going to keep going right now..." As Ryūji started to walk away, passing by the girl, Doremi called out, "Wait, wait! Could I join you?" Ryūji hesitated, thinking, "But listen, girl. I'm covered in blood. You should consider me a murderer..." However, he replied, "Well, sure...?" Doremi ran up to Ryūji, beaming with a smile, and said, "Thank you very much, Ryūji-kun..."

Ryūji whispered to himself, "Kun?" Doremi questioned, "Oh, you don't want me to say that?" Ryūji assured her, "Nah, nah. It's good." As they continued walking, Doremi asked, "Who is that boy in your arms?" Ryūji smiled, looked at Doremi, and replied, "Well, this is my friend. His name is Akudama." Doremi inquired, "Akudama?"

Ryūji asked, "Do you have a house?" Doremi nodded and replied, "Yes, I do have a house." Ryūji smiled and said, "Can we live in it?" Doremi blushed and stammered, "Uh, uh, well, sure, Ryūji-kun..." Ryūji smiled, his thoughts filled with amazement, "Damn, is this a dream? Living in a girl's whole house. This is amazing."

As Ryūji raised his hands towards a crowd of women, he exclaimed, "You are all my wives!" The women let out joyful screams as Ryūji smiled brightly. "Come on, this is my cherished harem life," he added, savoring the moment.