I Became a Time-stopping Narrow-eyed Character

Chapter 5

Eris Betelgeuse.

In the game settings, she is 17 years old, 150cm tall, flat-chested, and has golden hair, making her look like a little kid.

However, contrary to her small appearance, her magical skills were not to be underestimated.

As one of the three main heroines, her settings and specs were top-notch.

In fact, as an early-game character, she was stronger than the protagonist until Episode 3.

Eris Betelgeuse is one of the rare seers in the "Apocalypse Love Comedy" universe who communicates with constellations.

She is a magician who has awakened the stellar power of the Orion constellation and is also a disciple of the Great Mage.

Among the three main heroines, she is the only one who can be deployed as an immediate combat asset.

Up until the 100th bad ending, I often relied on her to get through the early episodes.

'Although she took the longest to awaken and was later unused, for now, she is excellent.'

There were doubts about whether she was beautiful enough to attract followers, but there was no disagreement about her being an outstanding magician.

Yes, at the age of seventeen, being at this level is quite remarkable.

As such an exceptional magician, perhaps she sensed the incongruity of the recent incident.

"......You just......huh?"

Eris Betelgeuse frowned and tilted her head in confusion.

It seemed like she noticed something had happened, but she wasn't entirely convinced.

She likely felt the incongruity through a faint sense of energy rather than seeing my movements with her naked eye.

It was enough to make anyone confused.

'How could one explain the sensation of time slowing down for a moment?'

Personal time is inherently inconsistent.

When doing something boring, it crawls like a snail, but when doing something enjoyable, it speeds by faster than a Shinkansen.

If you close your eyes and count to ten minutes, it's rare to get it exactly right.

Somehow, it feels like time slows down when you turn your head, or the distance to someone down the hallway suddenly shrinks.

Usually, such sensations are dismissed as illusions.

And in many cases, they are.

However, the golden-haired kid in front of me was a curious magician with a skeptical mind, and she soon squinted her eyes and glared at me.

"What did you just do?"

Oh dear, I clearly performed a good deed by saving someone, but now I'm being interrogated.

To be precise, I should say it feels unfair.

Feeling a surge of injustice so strong it made my chest tight, I shrugged and replied.

"Oh, what could I have done? I simply rushed to catch our fellow student who seemed about to fall. I was really worried something serious might happen!"

"......You don't look surprised at all. Be honest, are you perhaps one of our associates......"

"Ugh."

The golden-haired magician, Eris, who was interrogating me, suddenly stopped speaking at the sound she heard.

As the tension slightly eased, it seemed the pain finally caught up with her, as the female student grabbed her ankle and groaned.

It seemed she had twisted her ankle while coming down the stairs, staring at the back of someone's bright yellow head.

The lackeys, who seemed to already know her, fussed over the groaning female student.

"Oh dear, Sawako. Are you alright?"

"Sawako, are you in much pain?"

"Goodness, so clumsy...... Shouldn't you stop by the nurse's office and get some ointment?"

"......No, I'm fine."

Was it not a serious injury, then?

The female student frowned and grabbed the stair railing to barely steady herself.

Then, she immediately bowed her head to me.

"Thank you. I was momentarily distracted, but thanks to you, I only ended up spraining my leg. Truly, thank you."

My goodness, is there such a kind-hearted young lady?

From now on, I decided to call her "Sawako" instead of just a lackey.

Waving my hands, I said.

"Oh no, why would you say that! It's only natural to help each other as fellow students."

"Still......."

"If it bothers you that much, just greet me warmly the next time we meet."

"Ah."

Hearing that, the female student, who had been in pain, suddenly smiled brightly.

I, too, brushed off my inner frustration and smiled softly.

When the atmosphere becomes this heartwarming, it's hard to continue interrogating someone.

"......Hmm."

The golden-haired magician and boss of the lackeys, Eris, hesitated for a moment, then cleared her throat and subtly bowed her head to me.

"......Thank you for saving our Sawako."

"Haha, it's nothing."

At last, order was restored.

Nodding in satisfaction, I graciously accepted her thanks.

'Thankfully, it went well.'

As if it wasn't already troublesome, the pink-haired yandere had been clinging to me.

For the time being, dealing with just Sawamura Sento was overwhelming enough, so having Eris suspect me too would have been problematic.

Still, thanks to Sawako's timely assist, I avoided a dangerous moment.

'The only one without any suspicion is Hotaru.'

At least, I resolved once again to never let the Priestess of Fire, Hotaru Ichinose, discover even the smallest secret.

After lunch ended, I returned to the classroom, sat next to Sento, attended class, and chatted with Kenichi and Hotaru, who sat in the front row, during break time.

Surprisingly, Sawamura Sento, who had seemed ready to cause trouble, attended class without any issues.

"Ah, sorry. The eraser fell over there... Could you pick it up for me?"

"Haha, of course, I'll pick it up since my deskmate asked for help!"

"Oh, and the pen that rolled over there too."

"Haha, my deskmate seems to drop things quite often!"

"Ah, another mistake."

Perhaps wanting to talk to me, she kept dropping things on the floor, but thankfully, nothing else happened.

'I was worried something might happen, but it's a relief.'

Ancient Weapon, Sawamura Sento.

Her abilities are not entirely under her control and are influenced by too many unpredictable variables, making her dangerous.

She's like a nuclear bomb that could explode at any time, anywhere.

Since I unknowingly lit the fuse, I needed to keep a close watch on her.

'Although she doesn't contribute much to the episode progression after the protagonist awakens.......'

It's better to stay cautious and one step ahead rather than relying solely on the protagonist (laughs), who might trigger a bad ending at any moment.

"Oops, I dropped it again."

Sawamura Sento, the habitual stationery dropper. She required careful observation.

"Still, this is the real priority."

Did we grow closer today?

After school, I walked home with Kenichi and Hotaru, who sat in the front row.

Eventually, we parted ways later on......

"Shiki! See you tomorrow!"

"Ichimaru-kun! See you at school tomorrow!"

Protagonist Kitagawa Kenichi and the Priestess of Fire, Hotaru Ichinose.

Under the shade of the setting sun, they waved goodbye to me with bright smiles.

I also smiled and waved my hand above my head.

"Alright, see you tomorrow, everyone!"

No matter how insignificant they seem, they are the protagonist and his childhood friend from the original game.

They are extremely important figures in this soon-to-be-destroyed world.

I always thought about it, but since there's no rehearsal in this disastrous game, I was secretly worried.

"I'm really relieved."

Building intimacy with someone you just met today has its limits, but this much should be considered a success.

If we ate meals together and walked home together, we're friends, right?

Yeah, it's an achievement worth celebrating.

"Should I buy a cake as a way to praise myself for my hard work?"

Feeling good in no time, I headed to the bakery on the way back to what I call my home, or rather, my hideout.

Since the money I had saved up was quite sufficient, this level of celebration should be acceptable.

"Whipped cream... No, would a chocolate cake be better? Or maybe a cheesecake?"

While I was happily pondering this, my sharp senses suddenly caught an unpleasant sign of birth.

"Hmm."

When I raised my head, I saw the sunset disappearing in the distance and the sky gradually darkening.

Evening and night are the times when ghosts and monsters run rampant.

At least, that's how it is in this world.

"Well, it seems I've got something to deal with."

If incidents like disappearances happen in the neighborhood I live in, I can't sleep well because I feel uneasy.

With no other choice, I entered the alley to resolve my selfish discomfort.

Into the shadowy darkness that couldn't even properly catch the sunset's light.

The deeper I went into the darkness, the thicker the sense of murderous intent I felt.

If an ordinary citizen felt this pressure, they wouldn't even be able to breathe properly, but no one seemed to notice.

"As expected, was it in the realm of consciousness?"

In the 'Apocalypse Love Comedy' world, ghosts and monsters are real, but ordinary people can't sense them.

Only those who are innately endowed with spiritual power or those who have awakened supernatural abilities, the so-called 'related parties,' could recognize monsters.

Well, if everyone passing by on the streets could see them, it wouldn't be special at all, and the game progression would be difficult.

As a gamer, I think it's a convenient setting.

"Well, thanks to that, it makes my work easier too."

Is this what they call a win-win?

If I had to nitpick, I've been unilaterally entrusted with saving this world, but it doesn't matter.

Honestly, these days, each of these dangerous moments is rather enjoyable.

"Still, if I go home late, the landlord will worry, so let's deal with this quickly."

Taking out the small blade from my pocket, I approached the monster deep within the alley.

There were many gyukatsu and grilled beef specialty restaurants nearby—could it be the grudge of those who gathered here?

A monster with a cow's head—well, I guess I'll just call it a Minotaur.

As soon as it spotted me, it immediately shouted.

─Uwoooooooh!!!!

It roared.