The Otherworld Was Way Too Brutal – After I Healed the Mutilated Girl, She Turned Into a Completely Obsessed Yandere Guard Dog - Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Wrapped in light, my consciousness melted away.

At the end of the death match with Genzou Sumeragi.

I’d definitely used up all my power in exchange for victory.

But what waited wasn’t nothing.

It was a deep, mud-like darkness.

I sank down.

Deeper and deeper, endlessly.

The pain was gone.

No sense of my body at all.

Just my consciousness floating in black water, like that unpleasant drifting feeling.

(…Is this, like, the world after death?)

In my hazy thoughts, I asked.

But no answer came.

No.

Something was there.

At the bottom of the darkness.

In this empty space where nothing should be visible, there was a single white shadow.

My consciousness got pulled toward it, like it was sucking me in.

There was a low dining table.

An old wooden one, like the kind you saw a lot in Showa-era Japan.

A teacup sat on it.

And on the other side, it was sitting there.

“Hey. You really went all out wrecking stuff, huh, Jin-kun.”

It was a boyish voice.

But mixed in was this raspy old man vibe too.

I looked at it.

It had a human shape.

Wearing white kariginu-like clothes.

But no face.

Not totally blank, though.

Where a face should be, there was TV static-like noise running across it, expression always shifting.

Looked like a man sometimes, a woman other times, an old guy, a kid.

“…Who the hell are you?”

My voice came out.

Did I have a body?

I looked at my hand—only a translucent outline.

“Me? Yeah… guess you could call me the administrator of this world? Or, in your terms, God?”

Felt like the noise face twisted into a grin.

“I’m the [Present God]. The observer who’s been staring at this stagnant little garden world without getting bored.”

“Present God…?”

Never heard the name.

But its presence was overwhelming.

On a whole different level from the evil magic power Genzou put out.

Just being here felt like it’d shave away my soul, this primal terror.

“What does a god like you want with me?”

“Want? Nah, you called me out, y’know.”

The Present God picked up the teacup, slurped it loud with a zuzz sound.

Inside wasn’t tea—looked like thick black goo.

“Your skill… <Repair Evolve>. That’s power that rewrites the rules I set. Reaching level 4… means you started messing directly with this world’s source code.”

The Present God set down the teacup, leaned its noise face close to me.

“Rejuvenating a dying old man, regrowing lost limbs, even making that chimera self-destruct with over-regeneration… Heh, hilarious. Totally blasphemous, and fun as hell.”

“…I just wanna live. Just wanna protect the important stuff.”

“Protect, huh.”

The Present God shook its shoulders like it was mocking me.

“You think you healed her, but really? The body you gave her, the nerves you connected… are they really back to normal?”

My heart pounded hard.

“What do you mean?”

“Evolve means change. Change means becoming something else. Your cute little doll… Tsugumi-chan, right? Her limbs are made of your magic power. Your will, your ego, it’s physically part of her now.”

The Present God’s words stabbed my chest like a cold wedge.

“You’ve noticed her mind changing, right? Is that her own growth, or erosion from your foreign crap mixing in… which do you think?”

“Stop…!”

I yelled.

But my voice got sucked into the darkness and vanished.

“Eh, whatever. Not gonna stop you. Actually, I recommend it. Level up more. To 5, beyond… Can’t wait to see how much you wreck this world.”

The Present God stood up.

Behind it, countless eyes opened.

In the darkness, thousands, tens of thousands of pupils floated up, all staring right at me.

“Just a warning, maybe.”

Its voice echoed heavy and low.

“Regeneration’s cost isn’t just magic power. Every time you twist the rules, the world’s distortion bounces back at you. Karma cycles, Jin-kun. …The deeper you step into god territory, the less you can stay human.”

The world started shaking.

Cracks ran through the darkness, white light pouring in.

“Whoops, wake-up time. Your role in the real world is calling.”

The Present God waved.

Its fingertips melted away like crumbling, turning to black mist and gone.

“See ya. When you’re at the edge of despair, learning the real truth.”

My vision went white.

A laugh like ringing in my ears echoed forever.

“…!”

I snapped awake, like I’d been shocked.

Covered in cold sweat all over.

Heart pounding like a mad bell.

White ceiling.

Smell of disinfectant.

“Jin! You’re awake!?”

Tsugumi’s teary face jumped in from the edge of my vision.

She clung to the bed edge, peeking at my face.

“Tsugumi… where are we…”

“One of the Sumeragi family mansion’s rooms. You were wandering between life and death for three days, y’know.”

Cattleya said it with a relieved sigh, arms crossed at the door.

Ray stood next to her, bandaged up.

“Three days… yeah, that long, huh.”

I pressed my heavy head.

What was that dream.

[Present God].

Just a nightmare, or…

I looked at my hand.

The hand that healed Tsugumi.

Healed Ray.

And finished off Genzou.

–You won’t be able to stay human.

The ominous prophecy flashed in my mind, but I just shook it off for now.

Tsugumi was right there, tears streaming as she gripped my hand.

“Good… thought you were gonna die… ugh…”

“Sorry, made you worry.”

I stroked Tsugumi’s head.

The feel was definitely warm.

Didn’t wanna think it was fake.

Right then, the room door opened.

“Oh, you’re up. Couldn’t move the talk forward without the star of the show awake.”

In came a pretty boy with flowing silver hair.

Saijo family head, Saijo Minato.

The killer vibe from when he held the ice bow? Gone. He stood by the bed with an elegant smile.

“Minato… san. Genzou’s…”

“Erased. Not a trace left. Thanks to your over-regeneration trick, the darkness eating the Sumeragi family got totally purified.”

Minato opened a fan, hid his mouth.

His eyes narrowed sharp.

“Anyway, Jin-kun. Gotta have you work now.”

“…Work?”

“Yeah. Sumeragi family’s done. But with one of the five Guardian Houses gone, the city’s… hell, the country’s balance can’t hold. Need a new <Guardian>.”

Minato pointed the fan at me.

“Jin. I’m nominating you as the new Guardian House head.”

The room air froze.

I was speechless.

“Wh… what’re you saying? I’m just a healer… no family, total outsider?”

“Family comes later. Need power, results. And a story to sell to the people.”

Minato counted on his fingers.

“Mad Bear takedown, stopping the stampede, smashing the big frog. Hero who offed the corrupt Guardian House head… Got anyone better?”

I tried to argue, but words stuck.

Yeah, our power got way too big.

If we stayed loose, other forces’d target us, or wipe us as a threat.

To protect ourselves, had to take a proper position.

“No choice to refuse, huh.”

Minato laughed, looking amused.

“Don’t worry. For the actual work, former knight captain Cattleya-san here, and him… Ray-kun? They’ll back you up.”

I looked at my buddies.

Cattleya nodded serious, dropped to one knee right there.

“Jin. No, my lord. I haven’t ditched my pride as Sumeragi knight, but I picked the wrong master. This time, let me swing this sword for the right power.”

Ray grinned wide, thumbs-up.

“I’m a merc. Boss becoming Guardian House head? Solid promotion. Use this right arm for you.”

And Tsugumi.

She wrapped my hand in both hers, stared straight at me.

“Wherever Jin goes, whatever he becomes, I’m with ya. Right by your side, I’ll protect you.”

That light in her eyes—was it the change that god in the dream talked about?

Dunno.

But right now, her warmth was the only truth for me.

“…Got it.”

I steeled myself.

“I’ll take it. That role.”

Minato snapped his fan shut.

“Deal done. From now on, you’re the first head of the [Sakurai family].”

Sakurai family.

I got a new family name.

I raised my left hand.

The status window popped up.

――――――――
Name: Jin Sakurai
Age: 18
Title: Guardian House Head
Skill: Healing Magic <Repair Evolve> Lv4
――――――――

The title section grew.

I wasn’t just a healer anymore.

Now in the position to protect and lead this city.

Looked out the window.

Sunrise lighting the city.

That light looked like hope, or maybe a spotlight on the bloody path ahead.

[Present God]’s words flashed in my mind.

”When you’re at the edge of despair, learning the real truth.”

Bring it.

Whatever truth waits, I’ll carve my way with these hands.

As long as I don’t let go of Tsugumi’s hand, my buddies’ hands, I won’t lose.

“New life’s starting now. Gonna get busy, everyone.”

At my call, the three answered strongly.