Austin leaned against the crumbling walls of the abandoned church, letting out a long sigh. Across from him, Lucy yawned, clearly irritated by the absurdity of everything that had happened.
Finally, he spoke, exasperated.
"So let me get this straight. The cosmic being that kills—I mean sends—main protagonists to other worlds is now after me... because of a poorly worded opinion? Isn't that just a little overdramatic?"
Lucy stared down at him, her sapphire eyes narrowing. With a slow shake of her head, she muttered as if explaining basic math to a toddler.
"You idiot. You really think it's just that? Mortals have always joked about isekai. Some get reincarnated as beast-kin, some as vending machines, swords, even slimes. You all think it's funny. But you... You went and insulted his latest masterpiece."
Austin's expression froze. He laughed nervously, hands raised in mock surrender.
"Hey, they asked for an honest review. It's not my fault the story made no sense. And wait—if all isekai are real, does that mean... that guy who got reborn as a condom... he's real too? Poor bastard. He's got it worse than me."
Lucy groaned and brought her hand down sharply on his head with a karate chop. He yelped, rubbing the spot with a wince.
"Yes, he's real. And probably suffering in silence somewhere. Not that I give a damn," she muttered flatly. "Anyway, you're marked now. The God of Isekai—Truck-kun—is going to hunt you through this world, and the next, and the one after that. No peace. No safety. Just... endless chaos."
She turned to leave, brushing the dust from her cloak.
"Oh, and I'm Lucy," she added without looking back.
Before Austin could ask another question, she vanished like smoke on the wind.
He sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead.
"Yeah... figures. My life just got an upgrade to nightmare mode."
---
Meanwhile, back at the school, inside Miss Ceasar's office, a knock came at the door.
Before she could respond, it creaked open and a young man strolled in. His once long, purple hair was now cropped short, and he wore a grin that danced between charming and chaotic.
"Ayy, boss, what's good?" Lorenzo said casually, waving. "Got myself cleaned up, figured I'd register as a student. Always wanted to try high school life. Might be fun, ya know?"
Miss Ceasar's emerald eyes flicked up from her paperwork, narrowing with a sigh. She leaned back in her chair, arms folded.
"You never were one for small talk—even when you're bored." She eyed him for a moment. "Fine. Be a student. But remember: you're still my right hand. That hasn't changed. So what do you really want?"
Lorenzo shrugged, then stepped closer with a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Well, since you asked... I'm curious. Why're you so soft on my little bro Austin? I mean, sure, he saved your neck—but still."
Ceasar sighed, one hand rising to her forehead in visible irritation.
"Why are you asking me that now?" she murmured, almost to herself. "My father always told me to rely on no one, to trust no one. But... that day in the warehouse..."
Her voice faltered. She looked away, staring blankly at the desk.
"He didn't hesitate. Even though we kidnapped him by mistake—he dove in and shielded me when the ceiling was about to collapse. Got himself hurt in the process. It didn't make sense. Why would he do that?"
She paused, voice softer now.
"My chest feels... odd every time I think about it. Like static under my skin. It's not fear. It's not gratitude. It's—"
She suddenly stopped, covering her mouth as a blush crept across her cheeks. The feared Russian leader of the Port Mafia looked genuinely flustered.
Lorenzo chuckled.
"Well, damn. I guess that answers that. Just don't let the cops catch wind of it. Still illegal to date someone who's underag—"
Before he could finish, a chair flew across the room. He dodged it with a smooth sidestep, laughing as he backed toward the door.
"Ah, come on! I was joking!" he called out, still grinning as he ducked into the hallway.