Ordinarily, a normal person would have been on the floor, unable to stand after such a vicious strike to such an important area.
But whether it was the strange blessing of the yellow-haired god or the overwhelming fear of death, Oga somehow managed to get to his feet, just as Hikari ordered.
Oga clutched his ruined crotch, hobbling out of the room, crawling and stumbling as he went. He didn't dare look back or even meet Hikari's gaze.
Meanwhile, the lookout, another delinquent, followed Hikari's instructions and began stacking the three unconscious delinquents against the wall, one by one, bundling them together to take away. Two of them, half-alive, managed to stagger along behind, but the first one Hikari had sent flying was already lifeless.
With fear in their eyes, the other three delinquents said nothing. They just helped carry the body and limped after Oga, heading for the exit.
Suddenly, a loud shout erupted from behind.
"Aaaahhh!"
Yuuta, who had been trembling on the floor, suddenly jumped to his feet like a carp flipping out of water. With surprising agility, he lunged at Oga, who was barely managing to walk, and kicked him down to the ground.
Yuuta stomped on him furiously, cursing as he did so.
"You scum! You lowlife!" he yelled, his voice rising with each kick. "You think you can look down on me? You think I'm worthless?"
"Try laughing now, trash! You piece of garbage! Just die already!"
After venting his rage with a few more kicks, Yuuta finally ran out of breath. Gasping, he turned back to the kitchen where Natsuha was still huddled, trying to impress her.
"Natsuha! Did you see that? Look at me!" he panted, his face filled with a strange sense of pride. "Wasn't I brave?"
"I'll protect you, forever. Let's be together! Marry me, Natsuha! I love you! I'll protect you with my life."
Yuuta's grand declaration hung in the air, but instead of the sweet response he was hoping for, Natsuha's expression was one of pure disgust. Her reply was a harsh, final command: "Get out. I never want to see you again."
"From this day on, Yuuta, you and I are done. Leave, and don't ever come back."
The scorn in her voice snapped Yuuta out of his delusional fantasy. He stood there, staring at her for a moment before he turned and ran out of the room, not daring to look back.
Hikari didn't spare either of them a glance, simply leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching as Oga and his friends left.
After Yuuta had slinked away, Natsuha, feeling her legs grow numb from sitting for so long, finally forced herself to her feet. She tried to walk over to Hikari, beginning to speak, "Hikari-kun, I…"
But he cut her off with a simple, "Hold on. I have something to finish. Whatever you need to say, save it for later ."
Hikari tossed a small jade pendant onto the table and instructed her, "Replace the one around your neck with this. Make sure to lock the door. I'll be back shortly."
Without waiting for a response, he leapt from the third floor—a height of dozens of meters—landing effortlessly below.
As Hikari walked away without a backward glance, Natsuha hurriedly picked up the pendant he had left behind. Standing at the doorway, she looked down at his retreating figure in the cool night breeze, watching him until he disappeared into the shadows.
Snapping out of her daze, she went back inside, closed the door, and quickly swapped out the dull, stone-like amulet around her neck with the new jade pendant Hikari had given her. It gleamed with a soft, warm glow, just like the first one he had gifted her.
Pressing a hand against her chest, Natsuha felt a comforting warmth radiating from the pendant, while her other hand drifted down unconsciously.
She lay down on the sofa, curling up under the faint glow of the single lamp, alone in the quiet room.
Hikari's arrival still lingered in her mind. In her darkest moment, when she had even considered ending it all, he had descended like a hero straight out of the legends.
The scene of him sending a delinquent flying with a single punch brought a flush to her cheeks. Recalling how he had reduced the once-arrogant Oga to a groveling, helpless mess quickened her breathing.
And remembering how he had faced down four men with such casual ease, effortlessly brushing them aside… her body tensed with a sudden thrill.
Her crimson eyes gleamed with a delicate pink heart shape forming within.
"Hikari-kun, I… I want you so badly…"
———
[Ding! Detection complete: Natsuha Shinomiya's affection level for the host has reached its maximum. This action strongly aligns with the Pure Love Warrior Spirit that the Pure Love System advocates.]
[Ding! Congratulations, host! You have received a reward of 'Pure Love Points +500']
The sudden notification echoed in Hikari's mind as he trailed Oga and his companions, making him pause.
"Wait, what? What just happened?"
"Natsuha's affection level reached max value? Okay, I get that, whatever. But a 500-point Pure Love reward? What is this?"
"I swear, after all the effort I put in taking down all those delinquents, I didn't earn anywhere near that much."
"But now, all of a sudden, I get this huge reward? This makes me look like a total clown."
[Ding! Natsuha Shinomiya is a destined character in this world, and her max affection level aligns perfectly with the Pure Love Warrior spirit. The 500 Pure Love Points are well-deserved.]
Hearing the system's explanation, Hikari finally understood, 'Oh, so that's how it works. It would have been nice to know sooner.'
The whole reason he'd left Natsuha behind and leapt downstairs in such a hurry was to take down Oga and his gang, thinking he could earn the most Pure Love Points that way.
But it turned out the biggest reward had been right there with Natsuha herself.
This was like a cow sitting on an inflated balloon—absolutely over the top.
Thinking it over, he really did feel a bit like a clown. Still, since he was already on Oga's trail, Hikari decided he might as well finish the job.
Taking out Oga and his crew would still be worth some extra points, after all. Every bit counted, and ridding the world of Oga was bound to rack up some serious points.
———
A kilometer away from Natsuha's apartment, Oga and the other delinquents were supporting each other, stumbling along.
Oga was even surprised at his own resilience—despite the beating he'd taken, he could still walk, and he felt himself recovering with each step.
What he didn't realize was that Hikari had intentionally controlled his strength to avoid dealing permanent damage, not wanting to leave behind a gruesome mess.
Oga's survival was purely a result of Hikari's restraint, but Oga chalked it up to his own impressive endurance.
Beside him, the yellow-haired bully whistled in admiration. "Oga-san, you're really something. I can't believe you survived that monster's attack and are still walking so straight."
Then he added, "By the way, Oga-san, what's the plan for today? And what are we going to do with this guy?"
With that, he gave Yuuta, who was leading the group, a rough kick from behind.
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