Nightmare (2)
Nightmare (2)
"Show me your breasts."
"......What?"
Raize asked back with an absurd expression. Show her breasts? It was ridiculous. He'd turned away from her in the reality she'd so desperately wanted?
"......My breasts are small and nothing to look at."
That's why Raize threw Dojin's words from reality right back at him. Hearing that, Dojin stared at her chest for a moment, then nodded as if to say, yeah, that checks out.
"Aw, it's true. Tsk... alright then, never mind."
"......That kinda pisses me off a little."
"So, what, you gonna let me touch them?"
"─No."
"Fine, I don't wanna touch them anyway."
Dojin rejected Raize as if he were the one in charge, all bold and unapologetic. It was ridiculous, but Dojin put her out of his mind and gripped his sword.
And he swung it.
In the backyard where unauthorized people couldn't enter, a stranger had appeared and piqued his interest for a bit, but even that had worn off.
Dojin swung his sword diligently to complete the homework his father had assigned. Without rest, over and over.
10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes.
After watching him swing for a full hour, Raize freaked out and asked him,
"Aren't you bored?"
"Bored."
"Then why don't you take a break?"
"If I stop, I won't finish my homework."
Bored was true enough, so he chatted with Raize. As they talked, Raize easily realized just how much abuse this young boy had endured.
'That's too much.'
A schedule too packed for even 30 hours a day, brutal training and education that was just abuse by another name.
The only place he could rest was mandatory elementary school. At least there, no one yelled at him for just sitting still.
Studies were tough to keep up with, but at least it didn't hurt enough to make blood flow or bruises form—he could barely hang with the other kids.
"No one, no one says anything?"
"They do."
"Then why......."
"My dad's kinda famous."
It wasn't like no one noticed his bruises. But who in the area would dare go against his father, the local bigshot?
In this region, his father was like a Samurai with the right to summary execution. No one dared upset him. Child abuse? They could turn a blind eye.
It wasn't their kid, after all.......
Hearing all that, Raize was furious enough to lose her reason. But she didn't show it outwardly. She wasn't that undisciplined.
A mage always had to fully control their mind.
"That's too much."
"Yeah. Everyone's too much. Oh, except one person."
"Who?"
"Mom."
Mom, huh. Come to think of it, she hadn't seen her once in this mansion. If she cared about Dojin that much, she would've shown up ages ago.
Raize asked where his mother was. But Dojin couldn't answer. It wasn't that he didn't want to—it seemed like he really didn't know.
"Mom's not well. She's always at the hospital."
"Which hospital?"
"Dunno...... But she comes to see me once a week. If I haven't finished my homework by then, I can't see her. That's why I'm working so hard."
"Homework?"
"This."
Hwiik, Dojin spun his sword once and stepped into footwork. Even to Raize's eyes, it was exquisite swordsmanship unfolding, but when he lost strength midway and his footwork tangled, dropping the sword, that's when he finally stopped.
"Perfecting this is my homework."
"That's some tough homework."
"Easy."
"Easy? Then why can't you do it?"
"'Cause I'm lazy...."
Dojin's face looked seriously downcast as he said it. Lazy? This kid who swung his sword without a single whine?
If he was lazy, then 99% of humanity had some mental illness related to sloth. Just in case, Raize asked,
"Who said that? That you're lazy."
"Everyone. Dad too, and that sister earlier."
"The Attendant?"
"Yeah."
"Ha, this place is full of... total lunatics."
The building itself was a birdcage to confine and raise him. Realizing that, Raize understood why he couldn't go beyond 3km from this place.
Dojin had never been outside. Earth's land area: 510 million km². In this vast world, all he knew was this 3km radius.
One in tens of millions. That's all the world he'd experienced.
"Want me to scold him for you?"
"Huh?"
"Your dad."
"You said you couldn't earlier."
"I can't kill him. Scolding him? That I can do."
"How?"
"─What are you muttering about all alone."
That's when Dojin's father appeared. Dojin froze stiff with his sword in hand, and his father frowned at the sight.
"Practicing well?"
"Y-Yes, sir."
"Show me."
"Y-Yes, uh, got it."
Realizing his suddenly appeared father wasn't even acknowledging Raize, Dojin felt something off, but still raised his sword tensely.
And he swung. But it was a sword technique he failed even with a fresh body and mind. No way he could pull it off exhausted and nervous.
Cheolpudeok, seeing Dojin trip over his own feet, his father bellowed loudly.
"What have you been doing all this time─!"
Ccheok, Dojin's body went completely rigid. Like a frog before a snake, he couldn't move an inch.
Dojin felt his head throbbing. His stomach churned, ears rang. Even a twitch made him feel like puking.
And then.
"Hey."
"......?"
"Watch closely."
Raize called to Dojin. He'd been hanging his head, listening to the lecture, but looked up instinctively—and saw Raize throwing a punch at his father.
Raize took a stance and slugged Dojin's father with all her might. But her punch, from someone far from athletic, wasn't that powerful.
Still, it was enough to sink into his cheek. Peok, the man's face caved in under the fist, turning comically distorted.
"Yooou little...... if you don't behave from now on......."
Mumbling with his face smashed by the fist, it was a hilarious sight no matter how terrifying the guy was.
Dojin burst out laughing without thinking.
"Ahahaha!"
"......What's so funny?"
"Hahaha, heup, ugh! W-Wha...?"
"Still haven't come to your senses, I see."
The man approached and grabbed Dojin's arm. Big trouble. Dojin knew exactly what was coming now.
"W-Wait a sec! Your face, your face......!"
"My face what?"
"Th-That sister punched your face...!"
"Sister? You don't have any sisters."
"That's not......!"
"And you were alone this whole time—what nonsense is this."
"......What?"
As Dojin wondered if he'd gone crazy, his father dragged him to a secluded room. The so-called Punishment Room.
"Reflect in there for a day."
"D-Dad!"
Kuwung! The door shut. Total darkness descended. Not a sliver of moonlight. The room was perfectly soundproof—no sounds from outside.
A world cut off from light and sound. Dojin walked to the corner like it was routine, hugged his knees, and curled up.
This position was the warmest and best for staying conscious. This godforsaken room would eat away at his mind quick.
"What the hell...... it was real...."
Am I crazy? Dojin recalled Raize in that perverted outfit. Yeah, what girl walks around in clothes like that?
Gotta be crazy. What happens if you're crazy? Hospital? Would that dad send me? Really? He'd probably love it.
As he muttered and sank into random thoughts, hwarak, fire ignited before his eyes.
"Came to find me?"
"Wh-What!? ......Sis?"
"Yeah yeah, Dojin lil' bro."
It's real. She's real. Dojin reached out in panic, touching her face. Warm. Texture. This was real. No way insanity felt this real.
"......I got locked in here 'cause of you, sis."
"Why's it my fault?"
"You did weird stuff, made me laugh......."
Dojin knew it was just an excuse. He was the one who laughed; Raize hadn't meant to be funny.
But if he didn't blame someone else, how else to vent being stuck here? He'd just arrived—12 hours at least till morning......
"I'll take responsibility."
"......For what."
"You said it's 'cause of me you're in here? Then I'll get you out."
At that, Dojin eyed her like, sure, if you can. If she was his imagination, a fake from his madness, it'd be impossible.
"Here, hand."
Raize reached out. Dojin slowly took it. Moments later, the world flipped.
"Wh-Wha?"
Hwaaaaaak─!
Dojin felt intense wind battering his ears and gravity pulling his body.
This was the sky. He was up in the sky now.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
Trained not to flinch at most things, but plummeting from the sky? He couldn't help screaming.
Raize appeared late and grabbed him. Dojin halted midair.
"Aaaaa...... Huh?"
"Calmed down?"
"Wh-What? Huh? What, what is this?"
"Told you."
Raize slowly set Dojin down. But unlike before, he didn't hit the ground. Dojin realized he was walking on air.
Hwiik, Raize flew before him with a fresh smile.
"I'm a mage."
The city center sparkling with neon signs at night was breathtaking. From the sky, it looked like a painting on silk.
"......I wanna go there."
"Where?"
"There."
Dojin pointed at the city center. He'd never been at this hour. Raize granted his wish.
The two slowly landed in an alley between buildings and started walking the night streets. Dozens of times more people than morning filled the streets with life.
Here or in the Otherworld, humans who survived the night partied through it.
"Wowww......."
Dojin gawked at the city center, mouth agape. Dazzling LED signs, shops drawing crowds like moths to flame, all doors wide open for business.
"Sis, that. I want that."
"Eat up."
"No money though?"
"Oh......."
Right, Dojin was a dream resident. Unlike her, who could do anything without interference, him touching stuff would interact with others—easy to predict.
No choice. Raize pickpocketed wallets from passersby. Seeing her steal from people's pockets, innocent Dojin asked,
"Isn't stealing bad?"
"Stealing's bad, but they didn't refuse, right? So it's not stealing."
"That so?"
If they don't refuse, it's not bad. Learning this new wisdom, Dojin bought fried snacks from a street cart with Raize's stolen cash.