I Really Don't Want a Girlfriend Anymore

Chapter 620 620: Becoming His Hero

"A collection of death scenes, huh..."

As if never having thought of such a term, Sora was stunned for a moment, then suppressed her laughter and covered her mouth, "...Good grief, even though this is a serious matter, you can still joke. Is this the composure of the person involved?"

"Serious?" Yuu furrowed his brows, clasped his hands together, and said in a calm tone, "I just feel this doesn't make sense. Even if I'm destined to die, why do I always involve you? The first time, my mental state collapsed so you had to take care of me. The second time, I couldn't calm your emotions, making you run away from home during a typhoon... If it were the current me, I wouldn't be so stupid as to let situations like that happen!"

"That's what you're concerned about..." Sora sighed helplessly while propping up her cheek, "As expected, Yuu doesn't value your own life and death at all... Although I don't want to say it, I used to cry every time I watched those scenes, the empathy I felt was very strong."

"Even though he did what I would do, he's still not me, and not as smart as me. After knowing that, of course there's no more empathy."

Without realizing her arrogance in the slightest, Yuu said naturally, "On the contrary, even though I know the you in the video isn't the real you, for me, Sora from any world is my little sister, the most familiar face I see every day—of course I'll care more about you than a me who isn't really me."

"Ngh..." Covering her cheeks with her hands, her pale skin quickly reddened. Sora somehow felt embarrassed and looked away, saying with a slight stutter, "D-don't use that serious tone to say things like that... It's really embarrassing."

"I'm just stating the facts." Yuu smiled faintly, then returned the topic to its proper track, "So, does every world line after that end with my death?"

"Yes, you die once, Kanade repeats it once. That's how hundreds of world lines were created with different processes but the same ending."

The corners of Sora's lips curved slightly. She didn't know whether she wanted to mock Kanade's foolishness or admire her persistent spirit.

She said in a very calm tone, "Although your ways of dying are less than a hundred, there are some that repeat... However, without exception, no matter how Kanade tries to change fate, you could never live past high school graduation. As if the entire world was targeting Tenkuji Yuu, and had already set an ending where you could never be happy."

She sighed again, "This is more like a law than a curse."

"A rule destined not to live past eighteen... This isn't Parallel Heaven..."

Lightly pinching his chin, Yuu murmured, "But I shouldn't have provoked any witches or great mysterious figures, could it be because of my status as a world traveler..."

"Don't guess wildly there. If you have no objections, I'll continue to the next video, okay?"

Not listening to his murmuring, Sora swung her wand, and the darkened screen displayed images again.

This time, before playing, she still asked Yuu one question.

"Have you remembered a bit about Kanade now?"

"...Unfortunately, even though I'm already very impressed by her, the memories of being with her haven't returned for now."

"...I see."

Of course Sora understood.

Her friend had erased her existence from this world, not using the lowly method of altering memories to make everyone forget her. So naturally, it was impossible for Yuu to remember her existence just by watching videos and being moved.

But in this Science classroom, the video playing on this projector screen was the other Kanade, the most original one that she couldn't erase.

Simply put, this was a backup, and also a key that bypassed the rules.

Although it might take a bit of effort, Sora believed from the bottom of her heart that even with just a backup like this documentary, her older brother would definitely be able to remember her friend's existence.

After all, Yuu never disappointed when it came to matters related to girls.

In any world line, he could always overcome all difficulties, win girls' hearts in his own way, accomplish some great achievements that could be considered miraculous to others, and make them fall unconditionally in love with him.

Kanade, who already loved Yuu, if she knew that Yuu still remembered her even though her existence had vanished.

She would surely be very moved and fall deeply in love again with this annoying man who has a girlfriend but still flirts everywhere.

Thinking of such a scene, Sora couldn't help but chuckle while looking down. She very much looked forward to seeing her friend's pale and elegant small face crying tears of emotion.

Although that was impossible, what if she did cry? She had to be ready to record it anytime...

"Sora?"

"Ahem, ahem, it's nothing." Sora immediately cleared her throat, dismissed her evil intentions, and signaled for Yuu to seriously watch the next video, amid his confused gaze.

The screen lit up, but it was no longer that familiar summer, but rather several TV screens flickering with cold light in the darkness, like security monitor screens.

At the same time, the girl's gentle but somewhat low voice was heard accompanied by a sigh.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

"Failed again."

"Even though I've tried modifying the system, I still can't make Yuu live past high school graduation..."

"Lowering the task difficulty so he could easily get rewards, but after getting a sum of money, he ignored the system and built a career with his own abilities... Then his romantic relationship had problems, and he died."

"Increasing the task difficulty, deliberately giving him many obstacles. Although he successfully overcame them perfectly, in the end, in order not to let the system control his emotions, he tried to find a way to resist the system... However, before finding it, he died in an accident."

"I've tried ninety-nine times. I've used all sorts of methods I know, and also changed the original Girlfriend Development System until it's completely different..."

"However, I'm still spinning in the same place, not finding even a bit of hope that could save Yuu."

The girl's tone became increasingly gloomy. A hand emerged from the darkness, holding a remote control, and turned off the screens emitting various cruel scenes.

If looked at more closely, it could be found—those were all the bloody endings that the young man named Tenkuji Yuu would face sooner or later, before high school graduation.

Whether it was being hit by a large truck while saving someone, or willingly dying together because his girlfriend had emotional problems, or sacrificing himself to save his little sister, or his girlfriend being too yandere so he was poisoned and cut into dozens of pieces before he could do anything...

It was like a cheap script destined to be a tragedy, this world's malice toward Yuu.

"So, I've decided to change my approach."

However, the screen lit up again, the familiar city appeared once more, and the girl's voice radiated an aura of firmness and determination.

"I've come to understand very well that I can't do anything alone."

"So, to save Yuu, I must seek help."

Help that, like herself, was willing to overcome all difficulties for Yuu, and cared about his safety more than what was reasonable.

There was no other choice, in the entire world, perhaps only that person was most suitable.

So, after Yuu was bound to the system, Kanade immediately used her increasingly proficient power to build a virtual entity on the internet, and for the first time in Light Orb form, she made contact with Sora in this world.

Initially, there were many difficulties.

For instance, Sora was shocked to the point of nearly destroying her computer, then ran to seek Yuu's help.

For instance, after successfully calming her down, she was asked to show magic tricks or something to prove herself.

For instance, after being forced to hack her computer and extract all the incest novels she'd written, she nearly made her destroy the computer and call her older brother for help.

For instance, after finally being able to discuss serious matters and showing the recordings she'd saved, she was accused of fabrication, and could only reveal small secrets known only to the two of them, which embarrassed her to the point of nearly destroying the computer, but finally made her believe her a little.

Kanade never thought that convincing someone was so difficult... She ultimately didn't have the emotional intelligence and cunning of her lover. She could only rely on sincerity and evidence to gain trust.

Fortunately, things after that went more smoothly.

After spending several days, Sora, having watched the ninety-nine replay recordings she'd saved, fell silent for a long time with reddened eyes. Finally, she clenched her fists, wiped her eyes, and only uttered one sentence in a low voice without audible emotion:

"I'll help you."

For the sake of changing the tragic fate of the person they loved most, two girls who had once been best friends finally stood on the same side.

At the moment the contract was reached, it wasn't an illusion—Kanade saw a glimmer of hope. She knew she had found the right way.

Thus, from that moment on.

She provided power and knowledge, and Sora provided ideas. The two united to modify the system again, and worked hard to help Yuu so he could date girls in this world more smoothly, like millions of other couples.

Although Sora was very dissatisfied with this, she could barely restrain her possessiveness and got angry at Yuu many times, warning him that he would be in danger if he continued like that—so at times like these, Kanade would replay scenes where Yuu sacrificed himself to protect his little sister, and her collection of scenes where Yuu ignored his girlfriend for his little sister.

This tactic was very effective. Sora, moved yet feeling guilty, immediately lost her anger and no longer cared which woman Yuu dated outside. She devoted her full attention to the greatest endeavor in this world.

Modifying the system, reversing fate.

Unfortunately, good times didn't last long, or as Kanade had suspected. Even before the second year of high school ended, Yuu in this world jumped from the rooftop together with his girlfriend and his girlfriend's best friend, to prove their love, after getting involved in a complicated relationship, having relationships with both girls, and being unable to make a decision.

Very strange. She thought so too.

Unfortunately, out of those ninety-nine times, many were strange ways of dying like this. Kanade was already used to it, even felt somewhat numb.

After all, whether Yuu was faithful or flirtatious... As long as he could live until the end, even if he dated ten people at once, Kanade would be very happy to wish for his happiness.

As for Sora, although already mentally prepared, she still needed a long time to recover from her shock, accepting the fact of her older brother's death.

She didn't cry hysterically. She just set aside all emotions from that moment on, burning herself in the work of modifying the system. Ignoring Kanade's prohibition, she completed a new system at the cost of her own life, working day and night.

Then, after realizing she could live if she took care of her body, she swallowed poison without hesitation.

Kanade couldn't stop anything. She could only watch helplessly as Sora lay in bed, gradually unable to move, and her face became pale gray.

This wasn't the first time she witnessed her death.

However, this was the first time she watched her best friend leave her helplessly.

She wanted to cry again, but the Light Orb couldn't cry. She, accompanying Sora through the phone, didn't even feel the presence of tears.

She could meet her again just by reversing time—Kanade comforted herself like that, although her emotions remained unconsciously suppressed.

At that moment, Sora opened her dry lips with a weak voice, struggling:

"Kanade..."

"Yes, I'm here."

"Actually, I really hated you..."

"Eh?"

"You're the one who caused Yuu to become like this, I once thought so... I wanted to take revenge on you, I also once thought like that."

"I-I'm not..." Kanade hesitated, and finally honestly admitted her mistake, "Yes, forgive me, this is all my fault."

Sora smiled bitterly, "Don't admit it... Honestly, I also hate this side of you."

"Then, what should I say?"

"Promise me, we'll save Yuu together... from that damn fate."

"...Yes, I promise!"

Turning her head toward the phone, her glasses slipped from her face. Sora laughed soundlessly.

"This is my revenge... Yuu's hero is me, I won't give it to you."

Leaving the phone and transforming into a Light Orb watching over her exhausted friend, Kanade also chuckled softly.

"You will be his hero. Always."

"Ha... Thank goodness."

Her voice gradually weakened.

Her fingers trembled slightly, as if wanting to raise her hand to touch the Light Orb faintly visible in the air, but she couldn't even lift a single finger, and fell helplessly on the bed.

The girl slowly stopped breathing, as if falling into a deep sleep. After entrusting hope and the future to a reliable friend, she slept peacefully.

Kanade stared at her deeply for a moment. After copying all the data on the computer and deleting it in a way that couldn't be recovered by humans, she slowly rose into the air.

The hundredth cycle's failure.

The hundred and first repetition would soon begin.

"Wait, there's one more thing."

Kanade: "???"

In her disbelieving tremor, Sora struggled to open her eyelids, fighting to speak in the last flash of consciousness:

"Tell the me in the next world... Better for Yuu to be a scoundrel than for him to truly leave nothing behind."

The system modified by her own hands, its name was precisely—Scoundrel Development System.

Sora believed that in this era, a scoundrel-type protagonist would have an easier time surviving than a pure love-type protagonist.

After all, good people don't live long, and disasters last a thousand years.

Kanade still didn't quite understand, "I-I get it..."

"Good then... Goodbye."

*THUD!*

The girl collapsed again. The flame of her life was completely extinguished—this time, she truly couldn't get up again.

The Light Orb floated in the air for quite a while. After confirming that her friend truly had nothing else to request, only then did she pierce through the ceiling, heading straight for the vast blue sky.

Then, carrying the new system, she crossed the boundary of emptiness, and once again reversed against the current of the river of time.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

The screen dimmed.

Yuu stared at Sora who looked slightly awkward, pulled at the corners of his lips as if wanting to laugh but not daring to, and said in a mock-surprised tone:

"My hero, turns out you still have Battle Continuation?"

Sora retorted with a flushed face, "Even though she did what I would do, she's still not me, and not as smart as me!"

Directly imitating his words, Yuu didn't mind. He looked at the clock and furrowed his brows.

"Ngh, an hour has already passed so quickly..."

"Yes, it seems we won't have time to watch everything."

Sora thought for a moment. The video method was indeed too time-consuming. It would be better for her to directly tell him the gist, so he could quickly understand the cause and effect...

But that way, the impact wouldn't be strong enough. Then how could she make him remember Kanade?

This is difficult...