76 Ren VS Riku

Riku and Ren both looked super serious. In fact I had never seen the face Riku was putting on. His brows were forming peaks on his face and I could feel killing intent which made me shiver. Ren on the other hand swung his sword a few times I watched as the blade looked as if it had a mind of its own in Ren hands.

They are both really skilled.

[ I hope they are not planning to hurt each other ]

" Maybe this wasn't such a good idea." I said to Setsu.

" I think they are going to be fine!" Setsu replied as he watched on.

A cloud of this black mist formed over Ren making him look terrifying as he face began to skew. Riku on the other hand clapped his gloved hands and slowly pulled them away from each other as if they were magnets a deep blue arc of electricity formed.

" I'm gonna make you mince meat! " Ren shouted before he ran up to Riku.

" It's "going to" not gonna." retorted Riku with a look of concentration on his face.

" What was Riku like back in school?" I said to calm my nerves.

Setsu had a gleam in his eye as he replied " Oh big bro? Mom said he was a real rescal in school and picked a lot of fights."

" Riku was? Are we talking about the same person?" I said confused.

" Yeah he got the name thunder clap cause he slapped a senior who had said some mean stuff about our family with his arc magic" Setsu said as a cheeky grin washed over his face.

" I honestly couldn't imagine it." I replied as I looked over to watch the battle.

Ren had just made it to Riku's side as it looked like he teleported behind him.

Ren suddenly threw his sword to the side with a loud thump and tapped Riku on the shoulder.

" 1 Point!" Ren replied with a cheeky grin and back flipped away.

" Curses!" Riku replied and the electricity that was giving me goosebumps went away.

They both smiled at each other and started using movement techniques to try and grab at one another.

Riku was on the defensive at first as he tiptoed backwards as if he was walking on water. Ren then made a mistake and before he could correct it Riku grabbed his arm to stop him from tripping.

" 1 Point " Riku said and laughed.

I couldn't help but hold in a laugh as my face started to grin.

Both Ren and Riku looked over and smiled.

" Are you two going to duel with us or not?!" Riku said to both Setsu and I.

" What do you mean duel! You are playing tag!" I said unable to hold it in.

" Tag?" Ren, Sestu and Riku all said in unison.

" Yeah tag" I said blushing.

" Is this another fist bump like activity?!" Ren said excitedly.

" Uhh I guess." I responded trying to cover my tracks.

[ No tag here? Really!? ]

I ended up being the first person to be " It" I felt like I was cheating as I willed one of the plants to grab Riku's foot before I tagged him.

Riku then used his thunder near Ren and spooked him before Ren was then tagged. This game when on for a few incense sticks of time before Ki and Riku's mother called us in for food.

Ki was smiling happily watching us all act like children (although technically I was a child) and we made our way inside sweaty from playing.

We took turns washing up and was presented with a rank 3 Boargan spirit beast that had been cut to perfection. The spirit beast was a type of pig looking creature which was black in color with blue and white spots. The meat when raw was apparently the color of a deep red while.

It had been roasted with seasonal vegetables that were grown on Riku's farm. The drink we had was apparently called Morning Dew and it was extracted from a plant that only bloomed in the morning time.

It was sweet and very cooling.

It reminded me a little of lemonade, it even was a little bubbly.

We all sat around and ate not caring too much about manners. I watched as backs began to slouch and conversations where about as light and airy as whipped cream. Even Ki and Ren had their elbows on the table at one point.

To me it felt less like I was sitting around subordinates and more like I was sitting around with family. Watching everyone smiling I thought of my parents in this world and I couldn't help but have to excuse myself from the table.

I sat outside and let the cool breeze hit my face. I knew that next year was going to be a very difficult situation.

I knew the basics of of the female characters in the game that I was going to school with but I knew nothing of the males. I had idea of certain events happening like a peace treaty but I had no idea if anything would be changed.

I have realised more and more that this was not Romance Fantasy ++ just a world based on it.

Nothing that has happened so far since I have been in this world happened in the game I played. Romance Fantasy ++ started with the protagonist going to high school. There was not even a name or picture given for the boy you played as.

The game felt so foreign to this world even it wasn't for the names matching the women and the academy in this game, I would never have guessed where this was in the first place.

The fact that I hadn't, as Yuki, played around with women was proof that the timeline was at least different. What happened with my father and my mother was probably different from what was in Romance Fantasy ++ but the information that was given about Yuki's character to begin with was very minimal.

Romance Fantasy ++ would tell you where female characters were during the day at the magic academy and the different life events they would have while there. The princess arguing with Yuki during a school ball, Ki being found sneaking around for Yuki's safety among other things could all very well happen but would they?

[ How would any of this be useful to me though? ]

Playing a game as an outsider with no real emotional connection was so different to actually being in it. I wondered if I could use any of this information to actually help me.

I missed my mothers shitty cooking and my dad trying not to cry when he was proud of me.

I missed not having to worry about being useful or not.

I missed my shitty apartment on Earth and only having to worry about getting enough rent money and some microwave meals.

I missed instant coffee.

I held my hands over my face and took a deep breath out. I knew everyone was doing their best to cheer me on and I was grateful but it only made me realise that I wasn't good enough. That I hadn't done enough to protect them all and my stupidity and naivety in this world was going to not only destroy me but the people I cared about.

My responsibility felt heavy like a bolder sitting on my shoulders.

If I failed everyone I loved Ren, Riku, Ki , Kibbles … Everyone I loved would suffer and I with the power to do something about all of it would be the cause of it.

Three months until I started high school.

Two months before Yuki Akiyo's birthday…

One chance to make sure no one suffered.

[ I'm tired ]

There was some footsteps from behind me followed by a slim arm that wrapped around me. I looked up to see it was Setsu and Riku's mother.

Both her sons looked a lot like her.

She looked at me before she grabbed me and placed my head in her lap.

I was shocked at first but it felt very comfortable.

" Sit here a moment, no one will come" She said quietly.

She began to hum while she stroked my head.

The wind blew as I listening to her humming as she ran her hand through my hair. This happened for a while as I listened to the insects chirp and the grass sway.

" You know, when my husband died. I thought it was going to be the end of the world. I had two small children and nothing but this land." Riku's mother said in a soft voice.

" It was hard raising two boys on my own. I honestly didn't know how we would survive. All you can do is do your best and that is what I did. I was sad and I felt alone in a lot of ways but I knew that if I didn't carry the burden the people I cared about would suffer. Riku told me that something very unfortunate has happened to you. It must have been very hard pretending to be strong so that no one would worry" She said in a quiet voice.

[ Is she a mind reader? ]

" Mm" I quietly replied.

" Thanks to Riku teaching you, Setsu is now able to go to school and Riku has become a lot more mature. I am sure they have both grown just as much as you have. I am not your mother and I can never replace her but my home will always be open to you." She said before she began to hum again.

Tears formed in my eyes as I listen to her words.

She ignored my sniffles as I laid in her lap or voice drowning out the tears I shed.

We sat their together for a while till my arm felt numb.

After a while I slowly sat up and wiped my eyes.

" I can do this" I said quietly as I clenched my fist.

" Yes you can" She replied.

Riku's mother used her cool hand to help with the puffiness on my eyes.

She stood up and then helped me up before she straightened my clothes for me.

" Ahhh seems like you are missing something" Riku's mother said with a frown.

" What?" I said confused.

" A smile" She replied.

[ A smile huh? ]

I grinned broadly.

" Perfect" She said as she smiled too.

" Thank you" I said quietly.

" You're welcome anytime" She said before she grabbed my hand and walked me inside.