Chapter 15: Six Months Later, Hikigaya Returns Home
Time is the least marketable thing because it can't be traded, but it's also the most valuable for the exact same reason.
If time could be traded, then probably the entire inventory of the universe would be wiped out by the next day.
What does half a year mean? One can only say that in a specific timeframe, it's enough for a person to undergo a complete transformation, and embark on a completely different life.
The door was still the same door, unchanged, yet in Hikigaya's eyes now—something that should have been familiar—looked utterly unfamiliar.
Some people can't even disappear for a second in the eyes of the world, while others, even if they never show up again, it wouldn't matter, because they were never in the eyes of the world to begin with. Hikigaya belonged to the latter.
But there's no doubt that there are still people in this world who care for and love him.
Unfortunately, the efforts of those few people over the past six months were destined to be in vain.
The extreme martial arts organization "Yomi" was something an ordinary family like the Hikigayas couldn't even begin to comprehend—it was a behemoth.
It is a monster fed by blood and profit, with tentacles reaching into every aspect of numerous nations. Its intelligence network surpasses that of any single country in the world. It is both part of these nations and separate from them. Saying it's as rich as a country doesn't even begin to describe it.
Naturally, there are other organizations of all shapes and forms in this world, but in terms of economic and political resources, none can match "Yomi."
There's no mistake—Hikigaya now clearly understood where he had been for the past half-year.
The extremist group "Yomi," which claimed to restore martial arts to its rightful form and return martial artists to the top of society, was the main antagonist in the manga Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple.
And the two chuunibyou boys he met at the candy store six months ago—their identities were now obvious.
Unfortunately, Hikigaya's memory of that manga's plot only extended to the Death Island arc, up to the part where Sho defeats Kenichi and dies by gunfire while trying to save Miu.
Now, Hikigaya Hachiman was officially a disciple of the Dark faction's giant: the Demon Fist God. As one of the "One Shadow Nine Fists," Hikigaya had no reference to understand him.
Everything had to come from personal experience.
And the result of those experiences? That guy was truly a devil in human skin.
Hikigaya didn't even want to recall the process, but there was no denying it: the One Shadow Nine Fists, as a super boss in the manga, was not a character that could be understood with common sense. Six months later, Hikigaya had almost become a different creature.
He didn't even know how obsessed the Demon Fist God was with pharmaceuticals—over the past six months, Hikigaya could barely remember what food tasted like.
Pills, ointments, and martial arts training—that was all his life had consisted of for the past six months.
The Demon Fist God called it "cultivation," and judging by the results, it certainly was.
Hikigaya had, within this short six-month period, built a foundation in martial arts—or rather, it's better to say he had met the Yomi standard.
The reason he could now stand at the front door he hadn't seen in half a year was because he passed the test. Maybe you could even call it a graduation.
What the test entailed… better not to think about it.
What comforted Hikigaya was that six months, while not short, wasn't long enough to twist him into someone like the Tidat people—inharmonious, distorted individuals out of sync with modern societal values. Although, after leaving the Yomi base in Japan, walking through the streets gave him an odd, unfamiliar feeling, he wasn't repulsed by it deep down.
Perhaps, the real "cheat" of a transmigrator is the psychological ability to maintain one's values regardless of the changes around them.
He was still wearing the same clothes he had on when he was taken, still carrying the same bag, inside of which was a ceramic jar— Taphosiris.
It was an item treasured by a group of Egyptians. According to their agreement, he would likely be meeting them again soon.
But before that, he wanted to confirm the well-being of his family. Anyone who lets their family worry, no matter the reason, is not a qualified family member.
This is the world's most selfless and pure form of emotion, and for any reason to damage it means one can no longer be considered human.
His current master, the Demon Fist God, clearly did not meet that standard.
Ding dong...
Hikigaya rang the doorbell, then took a step back.
The past six months of "unmentionable" experiences had deeply ingrained Pencak Silat into both his body and mind. It's a martial art known for its speed and technique. The Demon Fist God, as the ultimate master who had absorbed and synthesized every school of Silat, had further emphasized its ruthless and vicious side.
Hikigaya didn't want something inappropriate to happen in front of his own house due to some kind of so-called "involuntary body reaction."
He wasn't one of those Tidat lunatics who worshiped the Demon Fist God and turned themselves into something neither human nor ghost, filled with murderous intent. To him, that was neither the way to live nor the way to train.
He waited for a long time—no one opened the door.
It took a while before Hikigaya remembered: of course no one would be home.
The Hikigaya parents were rarely home, and both he and his sister were students.
It wasn't a weekend, and school was still in session.
"She went to school, huh…"
The lack of the dramatic, tearful family reunion scene was a little disappointing, but Hikigaya wasn't so delusional as to expect it.
He couldn't expect his family to abandon their own lives for six months just because he went missing.
If that were the case, his parents would have been too irresponsible.
So… should he go to school?
Thinking that, Hikigaya realized he had mixed feelings about the idea.
There was anticipation, but also some indescribable emotion.
He hadn't realized how important school actually was to him—it made him feel a bit uneasy.
With a wry smile, he turned and began heading for school.
But in that instant, his gaze sharpened and his body shot up like a flash, landing on a nearby wall.
"I did recommend you try martial arts, but I didn't expect that lunatic to pick you up."
At the end of the road, an Egyptian man in a red robe appeared.
It was Seth. After six months, he looked the same as ever, now calmly watching Hikigaya, who made no effort to hide his hostility.
"But what surprised me even more," he said, sizing Hikigaya up, "was that in just six months, he trained you to this level. You're no ordinary Japanese student anymore—you've already killed someone, haven't you?"
"You came to take it?" A ceramic jar had already appeared in Hikigaya's hand.
He met Seth's gaze—not cold, but certainly not warm either.
"What a transformation…" Seth didn't answer directly, almost as if just making a comment. "I'm really jealous. Whether it's sorcery or martial arts, we've already fallen behind. Even a small nation like Tidat can produce someone like your master. His methods of training disciples are terrifying."
At this point, he paused, then smiled and said, "But it's of no use to me. Why don't we find a place to talk? You want to know what happened too, right?"