Wait for me
Being weak is a sin.
Isao understood that yet why had the strong always been arrogant?
As long as they had power, they thought that they would be forgiven and all of their actions were accepted.
Did they ever think that they might be bitten to death by the weak they looked down upon?
While Isao was strong, he also had been at the place of the weak, so he had never tried to look down on anyone. Even if the protagonist was weak and their value had been gone, he had never caused them trouble.
Or rather, even those small fries or side characters, he had never looked down on any of them as each was an individual with a personality.
At the same time, he wondered why he was often underestimated.
'Even though I just want to become a good person.'
Yet, being a good person in this situation definitely wasn't good.
If he just let go of their provocation and accepted their rudeness, then they would think that it was okay for them to do that to him, thinking that all he did was just stay in silence, letting them trample his dignity.
'It's hard...'
Isao realized how animalistic this world was.
Unlike the world of the "Highschool of the Dead" or "Kimetsu no Yaiba," where everyone mostly respected each other, and only the minority would do something that was out of the law, this world where it was only the strong could maintain their dignity and right, he knew that he couldn't be gentle.
He had to go back to his old way even if he tried not to since this was the only way for one to be able to stand straight. He thought the Loki Familia would be different, but he knew they were all the same.
If Finn hadn't noticed something strange about him, then would Finn have apologized to him? No.
Isao closed his eyes and hardened his will, and at the same time, he shouldn't judge something bad or good since everyone has their own evilness and goodness. While some were evil, they also had some of those that made them great, but his emotions still lacked control.
If he had no emotions and became a good person who wouldn't get angry no matter what, then it was fine, but it seemed that he couldn't.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, he became even more irritated—not only because of hunger, thirst, lack of sleep, and everything else. Yet this was good. He had to keep this anger and then release all of it when the fight came.
'It's not good. It's not good.'
At the same time, he also wanted to erase this gloomy feeling since it reminded him of his past when he was still a bad person, yet frankly, even if he had said many things, everything was the same, whether it was this world or another world.
The strong could trample the weak, and the weak had no right.
So, he knew that he had to be strong, or else he would only bow down, begging without dignity.
'As expected, violence is the only way.'
However, Isao wouldn't fall so low to become someone who would solve everything with violence, but to beat a rabid dog, violence was the only way.
Still, while Bete was like that, it would be unfair if he treated everyone in the Loki Familia like Bete, as they did nothing to him.
Still, when he left the dungeon, ready to visit Hephaestus, someone stopped him.
"Isao-kun!"
Isao looked at the familiar short-haired girl with pointy ears and glasses. Even though they had parted for quite a while, it was impossible for him to forget this young woman. Still, he didn't have time to face her and decided to leave.
"Don't leave!"
Even if Isao appeared like a vagabond, Eina leaped to him and hugged him tightly so he couldn't escape.
Yet, there was no doubt that their appearance attracted everyone as they couldn't believe that the beautiful half-elf that became the goddess of everyone hugged the man who appeared homeless.
"...what are you doing?" Isao wondered whether the talk about elves being prudish and always treasuring their chastity was nothing but a lie.
"If I don't do this, you will leave again."
The thought of not meeting him again made her unable to sleep for the past six days. She had always wished to meet him, wondering what she should do, and thought about him all the time.
At the same time, his last words, telling her to leave, made her angry. She wondered whether he thought of her feelings as insignificant, that she would leave him when all troubles came to haunt him.
Her feelings weren't so cheap that they could disappear just because he had met such trouble!
Yet, when she had many complaints and something to talk to him about, her lips quivered as she was unable to say the words she wanted to say and just hugged him quietly when she saw his current condition.
While she wasn't sure what he had done for the past six days, she was sure that he must be tormented there, trying to win this impossible battle. His muscular body, which could tempt anyone, had become so thin that she could feel his bones when she hugged him.
"Isao-kun..."
While she had previously doubted that Isao could win against the Apollo Familia, she closed her lips and couldn't express her thoughts, especially after his body clearly expressed the struggle he had for the past six days.
He was trying to win, and she had to support him instead of pouring cold water on the top of him, telling him the impossible reality.
"You should leave me."
"I won't."
"You will be targeted."
"I don't care! As your advisor, let me support you!"
Isao looked at Eina, who said those words with determination and said, "But your action exceeds more than a mere advisor."
Eina blushed, feeling shy because of his words, which told her that her action wasn't something that should have been done by a mere advisor. Yet she also understood that, and she knew that her feelings had exceeded the relationship between a mere advisor and an adventurer.
Still, she didn't let him go and hugged him tightly. "I... I don't mind..."
"You don't mind?"
"Don't make me say it!" Eina felt her face was so hot, especially when she could see all the eyes on her. She pressed her head closer to his back and said softly, "I... don't want any regrets."
"If you don't say it, then I am not clear."
"...."
Eina was quite resentful by his words, but while she was embarrassed, she said, "I-I want to have a relationship that exceeds a mere advisor and an adventurer."
While Isao didn't really want to and wanted to joke around, he knew that he couldn't, especially to a woman who could hug him like this when he was being targeted by the Apollo Familia, and he appeared like a beggar like this.
"But I can't."
"Huh? Why?"
"I want to make a harem, so I can't accept your feelings."
"....." Eina.
Still, even so, Isao didn't intend to accept Eina since he didn't want to play with a good woman. It was enough to play with a bad woman, and unlike the goddess that he slept with, Eina could get pregnant. And he, who had become a father, knew how troublesome it was to become a father, so he didn't intend to—
"....."
Isao looked at Eina, who kissed his lips at a loss. He wondered why those who were being pushed away tried to become closer.
"...even so, you can't push me away."
As their lips parted, Eina said those words with a reddened face. Still, it was embarrassing, and she knew that she forced her feelings upon him. Frankly, she wanted to run away, but his hands held her waist softly, closer, pressing their bodies together.
"I can't take responsibility for you with how I am now..."
"Isao..."
"So, wait for me. When everything is cleared up, I will answer you."
"Um."
Eina tightly hugged him, but for now, those words were enough since she knew that Isao had something that he had to do, and this was more important than her feelings.
Yet, when everything was over, she wasn't going to let him go and would press him further until he couldn't escape anymore.
Watching his back, Eina could see the back of a man who was ready to fight. While she felt nervous, she knew she could only wait as she hoped he could win.
On the other hand, Isao no longer lingered and went to the abandoned church, but he realized that Hestia wasn't alone.
Or rather, there were so many people!
"...what are you all doing here?"
"Isao-kun!"
The moment they saw him, their feelings overflowed.