Chapter 64: Conversation with the future self

At 11 PM...

"Yawn~" - Akira woke up feeling refreshed after a restful sleep.

"..." - Akira glanced at Mashiro, who was sleeping naked beside him, and reached out his hand towards her but quickly withdrew it.

"Sigh~" - Akira sighed, questioning his actions.

"Sorry," Akira mumbled, gently kissing Mashiro's forehead, and carefully got out of bed, ensuring not to disturb her.

After leaving the bed, Akira went to the closet, put on a black tracksuit, and quietly slipped out of the window.

Akira walked aimlessly, contemplating his relationship with Mashiro.

He was undeniably in love with Mashiro, but he hesitated to take things further. He yearned to kiss her and engage in more intimate activities, but he couldn't bring himself to do so.

Mashiro was innocent, and Akira felt that he would be taking advantage of her, especially when his desires were overwhelming and difficult to control.

Although Akira acknowledged his flaws and cruelty, Mashiro was different. She held a special place in his heart, and he didn't want to harm or exploit her.

Akira recognized that he was not entirely human, whereas Mashiro was an ordinary human who wouldn't be able to handle his intense desires alone. He needed to find a way to quell those desires to avoid losing control and hurting Mashiro.

Thus, Akira pondered two options. One was to date Mashiro exclusively and seek companionship from otherworldly slaves to satisfy his cravings, which were beyond Mashiro's capabilities.

The other solution was to establish a harem, but Akira knew that this would hurt Mashiro. He wasn't ready to date other women discreetly, and he understood that even though Mashiro was naive, she would be hurt seeing him with someone else.

"Even before all of this, I don't know if she loves me or if she simply sees me as a childhood friend," Akira muttered in frustration, his heart aching at the thought of Mashiro being involved with Sorata or another man.

While Akira had loved his wife in his past life, he never confessed his feelings to her. She was the one who expressed her love first. Hence, this was the first time he had confessed his love to a girl.

Naturally, the prospect of being rejected by the girl he loved filled Akira with melancholy.

Ding!

At that moment, Akira felt his phone vibrate, indicating a new message.

Rimuru: "Is it a good time to talk?"

Akira: "No problem."

Akira responded, pleased to receive a message from Rimuru as it diverted his thoughts from the confession. However, he was perplexed since Rimuru was reaching out to him privately.

Rimuru: "You might not believe it, but you are currently in front of me."

"???" A puzzled expression formed on Akira's face as he tried to comprehend Rimuru's words.

Akira: "What do you mean by that?"

Rimuru: "I honestly don't know, but the 'you' standing in front of me claims to be from the future."

Akira fell silent upon reading Rimuru's message, deciding to investigate further to uncover the truth.

"Akane, why am I unable to travel to Rimuru's world?" Akira inquired, as the chat group refused to facilitate his journey to Rimuru's realm.

[I'm uncertain about the exact reasons, but it seems the chat group is preventing you from accessing the Tensura world to avoid creating a time paradox.]

"How troublesome," Akira muttered, employing his ability {Clairvoyance} to observe Rimuru's current state.

TheEX-grade {Clairvoyance} was no joke; it allowed Akira to pierce through dimensional barriers and perceive other realms. However, activating {Clairvoyance} consumed a tremendous amount of energy. Akira's eyes emitted a mysterious aura when he used it, captivating anyone who gazed into them. However, he closed his eyes to concentrate and conserve his magical power.

World of Tensura...

"It appears that he has arrived," Akira (?) said, looking up at the sky, sensing Akira's use of {Clairvoyance}.

Upon hearing Akira's words (?), the group of women behind him followed his gaze and smiled softly.

"..." Akira observed himself and the group of women behind him, feeling a sense of awe at their auras, especially his own, which emanated the strongest.

'Goodness, did I truly manage to gain control over all these women?' Akira wondered to himself upon recognizing the group of women behind Akira (?).

"I don't see anything," Rimuru murmured, staring at the direction Akira (?) was looking, even using his magic sense and detecting nothing.

"It's currently beyond your perception," Akira (?) responded, shaking his head with a smug expression.

"Okay," Rimuru nodded, feeling like a young child learning from his elder.

The Akira (?) in front of Rimuru possessed familiar golden hair, albeit longer and tied in a ponytail, blood-red eyes with slits, and was enveloped in a wild dragon's aura.

'Even Veldora reacted upon seeing him,' Rimuru thought, recalling the intensity he felt when facing Akira.

This Akira (?) stood taller than the Akira Rimuru knew, measuring 190 cm, and his body appeared well-toned.

While Rimuru contemplated Akira's appearance (?), Akira, who had been using {Clairvoyance}, cursed himself in front of Rimuru.

"Damn it, did you just want to show off with all those women behind you?" Akira seethed, frustrated with his future self for fulfilling his dream of having a harem, complete with maids.

"That's partly true," Akira (?) nodded with a teasing smile, as if he could hear Akira's thoughts.

'Can he read my mind?' Akira wondered, puzzled, as Akira's words (?) seemed directed at him.

"I can't read your thoughts," Akira (?) denied, shaking his head with the same smug smile. He continued, "But remember when I told you that I am your future self."

"..." The group of women behind Akira (?) shook their heads helplessly, aware of Akira's desire to scold his past self as much as he did his future self.

"You're probably wondering why I allowed Rimuru to communicate with you, right?" Akira (?) asked, his smug smile now carrying a sense of accomplishment.

"..." Akira, having observed everything with {Clairvoyance}, felt his veins pulsating as his future self teased him.

"Well, don't get angry," Akira (?) said with a taunting smile. "Although I wanted to show off, that's not the only reason."

"I wanted to inform you that when you receive the Orc Lord's quest, ask Akane to send you back in time, not just to the past, so you can evolve. Do not set the time yourself; Zafquiel will guide you," Akira (?) explained, his annoying smile replaced with a serious expression. "Once you teleport, evolve into a Saint before merging with Dragon Slayer Magic and acquiring the Hero's Egg and Demon Lord's Seed. Be sure to choose the unique skill: Above Law. It's crucial for the fusion of the Hero's Egg andthe Demon Lord's Seed."

"In addition, when facing 'Don't Kill Yuki and Save Shizuo,' don't hesitate to eliminate 'her' in Hell," Akira (?) continued with the same solemn tone. "And, in the end, don't hold back. This is not like me, but if I refuse, then step forward."

Akira (?) wore a more serious expression now, revealing the true reason for contacting his past self—to encourage him. "Furthermore, if you desire a peaceful place at school, I advise you to go to XXX Street and rescue Yukino-senpai. Take her with you to the world beyond the door, and you'll have a guaranteed spot for leisure."

He added, "If you bring her to the world beyond the door and help her become stronger, she'll be able to indulge in laziness even more," looking at his past self with an expression that said, "You should thank me for enabling your idleness amidst the upcoming turbulence."

"Take care of yourself," Akira (?) concluded. With a snap of his fingers, he forced Akira to deactivate {Clairvoyance}.

"Rimuru, could you arrange a place for us to stay until we face the Orc Lord?" Akira(?) turned to Rimuru with a smile and requested his assistance.

"Of course," Rimuru nodded, unfazed by the request since the battle with the Orc Lord wasn't far off.

Akira's World...

Sighing heavily, Akira felt a throbbing headache from the overwhelming information he had just received.

"Now is not the time for this," Akira muttered, realizing the urgency of the situation. He swiftly made his way towards the location his future self had mentioned to rescue this girl named Yukino-senpai.

Akira had no prior knowledge of who Yukino-senpai was, but it seemed that his future idleness depended on her to a great extent. Without hesitation, he rushed towards the designated place.

After a brisk sprint, Akira arrived at the location mentioned by his future self.

"This must be the place," Akira murmured, gazing at the apartment building in front of him. He stood in front of a small shop that overlooked a charming garden—the same garden where he had first encountered Mashiro when she moved to Japan.

Akira decided to purchase some fast food from a nearby convenience store and settled down in the garden, patiently waiting for the arrival of Yukino-senpai, the girl who held the key to his future laziness.