Nothingness… that expression is outdated.
In this seemingly bustling world, besides barren land.
As soon as his consciousness returned, Yuu looked around.
The first thing he saw was the sky divided into three parts.
The Sunlight Sphere occupied one-third of the area. The strong sunlight drove away the cold and dead atmosphere, though its intensity seemed poorly controlled, and the ground exposed to the strong light was clearly cracked.
The Rainlight Sphere also occupied one-third of the area. The slanting wind and gentle drizzle felt refreshing and cool on the skin. However, the rain seemed never-ending. As far as the eye could see, most of the land under the dark clouds had turned to mud.
As for the reward obtained last time—the Nightlight Sphere, it calmly repelled the sun and drizzle from its territory. Not a single dark cloud, summer constellations hung high in the sky, and a cool breeze blew as if from a river surface.
And Yuu stood precisely at the center of the intersection of the areas emitted by these three light spheres. To the left was the sun, to the right was the drizzle, and behind him was the summer night.
One side hot and one side cold, with wind constantly blowing from behind. This strange feeling made Yuu unable to help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
"This barren world that should have nothing, why has it become so ridiculous…"
Sighing helplessly, Yuu, who didn't want to endure the Triangle Attack any longer, chose to step into the Nightlight Sphere area that felt most comfortable overall, then sat cross-legged.
He didn't know if it was just his feeling, but the Nightlight Sphere hanging high above like the moon seemed to sway happily twice, then shook its round body at the other two light spheres, as if showing off.
This successfully provoked the Sunlight Sphere.
The light in the left area suddenly shone brightly. Rays full of light and heat baked the earth, even the air began to distort and blur.
In contrast, the Rainlight Sphere seemed indifferent, continuously dropping its never-ending drizzle in its territory—but if observed carefully, the rainwater was slowly infiltrating the Nightlight Sphere's summer night territory. The cool, comfortable air also became slightly more humid, and over time, the wet traces on the ground clearly expanded.
…How strange.
Regardless of whether these light spheres had self-awareness or not, for Yuu, the most important thing was the bastard controlling this space.
His gaze focused on the old screen in front of him.
But this time, there was no hatred, no sorrow, no escape, no despair. He just stared straight at the LCD screen representing the system's existence, leaned back relaxedly, and suddenly smiled.
"Hey, buddy, do you remember what I said last time?"
Knowing it wouldn't pay attention, Yuu answered in his heart.
—See you when the fourth mission is completed. I'll definitely greet you with a smile.
So now, he was keeping his promise.
"Damn System, because you came to me, I had the chance to meet a unique girl like Yukino, date her, and do things I need to take responsibility for my whole life…"
He looked sincere, with a grateful smile on his face: "Although I really want to pull out your (censored) and stuff it in (censored) then kick you into a boiling hot pot to burn the (censored) you shouldn't have, then beat you until your intestines come out, but I'm not a hot pot restaurant owner, and you're not a parent and naughty child either, so I can only say this to you—"
This sentence, he no longer said sarcastically, but spoke from the heart:
"Thank you, for letting me encounter such beautiful love."
"..."
Facing the always silent Damn System, Yuu naturally received no answer.
So, after his monologue, he stretched relaxedly, waved his hand, and asked it to start the procedure.
System: "Mission completion begins."
"Oh oh oh! Everyone, it's started!"
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻!
This was the first time he welcomed mission completion with such a relaxed mood. Yuu couldn't resist his bad sense of humor. He clapped with a mocking tone, as if watching a clown show.
System: "Mission objective: Become Yukinoshita Yukino's ideal boyfriend. Rewards issued based on Host's performance. Mission completed."
Yuu shrugged: "Although I basically didn't do anything. If not for Yukino being so gentle, I think dating two girlfriends simultaneously would have made me fail this mission immediately, right?"
The system completely ignored him, like an emotionless broadcasting machine: "Reward statistics obtained: ..."
What followed was a series of money, skill, and status reward statistics.
A dazzling and eye-catching list scrolled down. Yuu watched the system finish its list boredly, then jump to the next stage.
"Time spent: Thirty-seven days."
"Completion finished."
"Congratulations to the Host for obtaining the reward: Snowlight Sphere."
"Next objective—no hints available, please wait patiently, Host."
Yuu sighed, his tone showing disappointment: "Wait patiently again! I'm telling you, Takagi… no, System Brother, this is the last time, why are you still using this old trick? Even Judai wouldn't keep using Elemental Hero against enemies…"
Hmm? Wait a minute.
Amid his mockery, he suddenly realized something was wrong.
Closing his chattering mouth, he frowned and carefully recalled. With the perfect memory he possessed, Yuu was absolutely certain it wasn't his illusion—
Why didn't the special Emotional Adjustment reward given last time appear in the system's reward list?
Although this damn system often had bugs, like memories that should be deleted returning, and things that should be erased still existing, when it came to rewards given to him, this system had always been very reliable and never lacking.
There's something strange behind unusual occurrences. He couldn't help but ask: "Damn System, you…"
Seeing the LCD screen suddenly light up with snow, and the black-and-white images slowly being colored, Yuu unconsciously closed his mouth and grinned.
He hated this part: the replay of dark history and the bad taste humor show of sprinkling salt on wounds was about to start again!
"Even though my mentality is different, I still have psychological trauma…"
He clicked his tongue in disgust, and the question he wanted to ask was also stuck in his stomach.
However, upon second thought, Yuu felt somewhat grateful he didn't utter that sentence.
First, saying it might not bring benefits, instead giving the system a chance to fix itself, equivalent to giving salt to the enemy.
Second, the woman's voice that announced the reward still echoed in his ears. He also carefully recalled the description of the Emotional Adjustment status. Combining both, Yuu suddenly had a bold speculation.
Although baseless, his instinct told him—if he utilized it well, he might be able to use it at the most critical moment!
As he thought this, the screen began playing the fourth animated film centered around him and assisted by several girls.
Yuu immediately sat up straight and watched himself on the screen attentively.
After returning from Kyoto, the confusion about the mission and future, and Yuigahama's initiative.
"Tsk, tsk, I was really pathetic back then… Truly amazing that Yui could like a useless man who's only handsome."
Yuu shook his head and couldn't resist commenting.
Next, he witnessed Yuigahama working hard to get along with Sora for his sake. When he saw her home, he couldn't resist telling her what was hidden in his heart.
"This was the beginning of everything… If Yui hadn't said the sentence As long as you love me too, no matter how many problems we face in the future, I believe we can overcome them together when I was most vulnerable, I might have sunk deeper, right? I also wouldn't have been able to date Yukino."
Yuu touched his face and sighed. He once again had a deep awareness of how useless he was at the beginning of the fourth mission.
Thankfully, people always change.
The weak appearance he first showed his little sister after returning home signified that he had shed the pretense of being a reborn youth pretending to be strong at the beginning, and started opening up to others like an ordinary person.
"At that time, I found it really embarrassing, but now, a real man isn't an existence that's always perfect and strong, that's just a robot…"
Watching himself lying on his sister's lap, Yuu folded his arms and nodded in agreement, "Being able to adapt, being able to be soft and hard, being able to be strong and gentle—that's the quality a real man should have!"
Many subsequent scenes flashed across the screen.
Although this was Yukino's stage, Yuigahama's shadow was everywhere in his life. He laughed, argued, and hugged with her. He was supported by her gentleness from beginning to end, enabling him to keep moving forward until now.
There were also scenes with Haruno and others. Although not many, while watching, Yuu realized that those who met him rarely showed sincere smiles, with sad and confused expressions being most common.
"I really want to drag that guy on screen out and beat him up…" Yuu muttered guiltily.
If not for his feelings towards Asuna and Masuzu not having returned yet, his guilt wouldn't be this simple.
Looking further down, there were many scenes with Sora, Iroha, and Kanade, even the faces of those two housewives appeared on screen, though their numbers drastically reduced and passed quickly.
Finally, there was Yuu's girlfriend, his exclusive Truth Detector Princess, Yukino sleeping in an adorable pose.
The screen was filled with scenes of her. Such memories and experiences certainly contained no pain or sorrow—evidenced by the gentle smile unconsciously appearing on his face.
Yuu still remembered, in the special building corridor, she restrained her action when Yuu pressed her palm against his face, just because Yuu showed a rare vulnerable expression.
Yuu still remembered, facing his sudden dating request, Yukino's cold and elegant eyes quickly saw his helplessness and accepted the mission without hesitation.
Yuu still remembered, Yukino's increasingly easily embarrassed reactions after they started dating, and her fear that telling Yuigahama about their relationship would affect their friendship, yet she never thought of leaving him.
Yuu still remembered, her cute expressions during their amusement park date. Sometimes shy, sometimes excited, sometimes pretending to be serious. Although liking him more and more, Yukino still used the mission to hide her tsundere feelings.
After that, Yukino became more honest, more proactive, even secretly kissing him in quiet corners.
The appearance of willingly continuously changing because of loving someone—no matter how many times he saw it, Yuu couldn't help but be captivated by her.
The final scene was the night he spent with Yukino in the luxury apartment—adult scenes didn't appear, which made Yuu feel relieved.
Good, the Damn System still knew how to protect their privacy.
The animation quickly spun. Before stopping at the scene of them sleeping embraced, the camera suddenly switched.
Yuigahama in her pink wool hat stood in front of the door, gently placing two paper bags.
Her face had traces of tears not yet dried, but she smiled very warmly, as if speaking to Yuu in front of the screen.
"Merry Christmas, Yukinon, Yuu-kun!"
"..."
Yuu suddenly fell silent.
Although there was much dark history he didn't want to remember in the fourth life review, Yuu, with his changed mentality, watched it relaxedly and smiled throughout, even occasionally mocking himself.
However, after this scene appeared, his smile froze on his face and slowly disappeared.
Yuu slowly lowered his head, unable to say anything, his fists clenched tightly.
Deep apologies clogged his throat, but he felt that he, feeling guilty towards her, was a scoundrel and had no right to apologize verbally.
While he was making love with his girlfriend inside the room, another girlfriend brought the Christmas presents she prepared, placed them in front of the door, and blessed their relationship to go smoothly.
This scene painful for others, for Yuu, was like a blunt knife continuously cutting his heart back and forth. His heart ached until he started choking.
"What have I actually been doing…"
Even so, Yuu himself knew very well.
Even if he knew Yuigahama was standing outside at that time, he couldn't pull her in, destroying the Christmas Eve date Yukino prepared to help him complete the mission.
Therefore, watching the girl turning and leaving on screen, the heartache and guilt flooding him made him even more confused.
"Although she might not remember tomorrow, but…"
Taking a deep breath, Yuu suppressed the turbulent emotions in his heart. His gaze was firm and calm.
"Yui, I won't hesitate anymore."
From now on, he would never let the people he loved cry from sadness—if it were the current him, he could do such a thing.
Soon after, the image stopped at the scene of him and Yukino sleeping embraced. Afterwards, the screen slowly flickered with snow again. The cold, emotionless broadcast voice of the system sounded again:
"Timeline collection completed."
"Mission execution period: November 19 to December 25."
"All connections with the target during this period will be retrieved by the system. The remainder will be altered in a natural way, ensuring the occurred results remain unchanged, and everyone except the Host will not retain relevant memories."
"After restoration completion, the system will automatically send the Host back to the real world."
"Confirming removal of Host's love emotions towards target…"
"Not allowed!" As this sentence fell, Yuu reached out his hand, staring sharply, "Did I say I wanted you to take back my love emotions? You want to interfere with my feelings without confirmation, am I the Host or are you the Host?"
"..."
The system made no sound, but seemed to silently express disbelief.
Yuu stood up from the ground, brushed off the little dust on his trousers, and looked down at it with a cold expression.
"System, this time, not only will I not let you take back my feelings, I also demand you return the feelings I let you take in the past."
The system finally spoke: "Emotions that have been detached cannot be restored. The Host has confirmed this."
"I also confirmed that Haruno and others' memories wouldn't recover. What was the result, you should understand without me saying, right?"
Yuu snorted in disgust and pointed to his chest: "Besides, you said emotions can't be restored, here's one—Could all the dreams I experience every day be Haruno using the bracelet as a medium to hypnotize me with superpower, ultimately making me fall in love with her again unconsciously?"
Facing the system, words he couldn't say to Yukino could finally be vomited out quickly—
"Do you know, if Yukino hadn't taken me home tonight, tomorrow on Christmas Day I was prepared to meet Haruno and explain everything? I've been suppressing these feelings from the Culture Festival until now, suppressing them very hard, and then you say they can't be restored?"
He rudely raised his middle finger at the system and for the first time spoke his native language: "Idiot, fuck you."
"..."
Seemingly not expecting this situation at all, the system remained silent for a long time. The snowy screen kept flickering with dazzling light.
Just when Yuu thought it was just the system's calculation process taking time, and the system was preparing to give him a reasonable answer.
The voice that sounded gentle but without any emotion sounded again: "Timeline collection completed, world correction procedure finished… Correction halted."
"Detected Host possesses status—Injury Time. Does it need activation?"
"Huh…?"
Yuu couldn't help but hold his forehead. The corner of his mouth moved as if both surprised and mocking.
"Turns out choosing to avoid answering… System, the more missions I complete, the more your functions regress? Where's the cold, perfect, authoritative mission-giving machine from before?"
System: "Detected Host possesses status…"
Alright, this guy can't answer questions and started repeating.
"Whatever. Since it's like this, I'll rely on my own methods to recover those lost things… I hope you won't hinder me."
Although he didn't know how yet, Yuu no longer planned to pin his hopes on this useless system that only knew how to give rewards.
If they have no memories, he'll help them recover them.
If they have no feelings, he also won't neglect his girlfriends, or even actively avoid them.
Because what he promised Yukino, no matter how troublesome or difficult, he would do it.
Step forward, no matter how many thorns he must step on, he won't stop just because of mere pain.
Over these past few months, his girlfriends have told him many things.
Haruno told him the conviction in making choices.
Asuna told him the courage to advance.
Masuzu told him the meaning of trust.
And…
The efforts once made, the pain once felt, were not in vain at all.
Because he suffered so much, he now knows the sweetness of current happiness.
Because he kept losing, Yuu now knows how beautiful possession is.
Because he was a coward and escaped, he now understands how important they are to him.
—Yukino told him the purpose of change.
"I still don't know which choice is the most correct and perfect."
Yuu slowly sighed, walking towards the ancient stone gate standing quietly nearby.
"But at least, I know what treasures I don't want to lose, and what responsibilities I must bear."
"From now on, worldly morality and conscience limitations have nothing to do with me—The only thing I'll do is pursue possibilities that can make everyone who loves me happy. Speak like a real man that I can give happiness to all of you."
He stretched out both hands, pressed his palms against the rough stone gate, closed his eyes, as if carefully feeling its texture.
"Throughout my life, I've always made decisions I thought were correct, but I never considered whether what correctness brought was truly what I wanted… So, this time, no matter what mission you give me, no matter whose boyfriend you want me to become."
"I will selfishly decide my own future, and walk on the bright path I choose myself."
Thus, Yuu shouted loudly—
"System, open the gate connecting reality and this world!"
He ignored Injury Time and directly asked the system to let him return.
The snowy screen disappeared, and the old screen seemed like its plug was pulled, standing still in place.
"Confirmed. Starting release program."
As the voice sounded, white light began overflowing from within the gate. The thick stone gate, as if stuck, slowly opened a crack, gradually widening until wide enough for one person to pass through.
At this moment, Yuu lowered his head with a focused expression, uttering a sentence in his heart:
"—"
Then, he wiped his nose that suddenly bled, held his head, and with unsteady steps, his face showing a winner-like smile, crashed into the white light-filled world behind the gate.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Four light spheres split the sky. The land that should be barren and gray instead showed various different forms.
Too much sunlight, too much humidity, stars twinkling in the sky…
Right after the only living being left this world, a pure white light sphere slowly rose from the sky, coldly and arrogantly forcing itself between the Sunlight Sphere and the Nightlight Sphere.
The Sunlight Sphere seemed somewhat helpless and proactively gave way, but the Nightlight Sphere wasn't that easy. The constellations suddenly shone brightly, as if wanting to project summer night beauty across the entire sky of the barren world.
Then it got beaten up together by the Sunlight Sphere and the Snowlight Sphere.
Light and snow mixed instantly, and the land covered by summer night became damaged, so it could only obediently retract the manifested natural phenomena and consciously reduce its coverage range.
The Snowlight Sphere successfully gained territory from both and quickly piled thick snow layers on the ground, bringing boundless white snowy scenery to the barren world.
As for the Rainlight Sphere, it still enjoyed its drizzle and slanting wind in its territory, leisurely watching the good show.
"Destiny Chapter setup completed. Loading final trial…"
No one could hear the system's cold prompt voice.
However, before finishing sounding, the four light spheres suddenly shone brightly. Then, blazing sunfire, giant water cannons, dragon star clusters, and snowstorms simultaneously bombarded the pitch-black screen. Various manifested natural phenomena completely submerged it.
*CRACK!*
The sound of screen cracking was faintly heard.