Honestly, Shin had zero interest in getting dragged into this mess. He had just arrived in this world and was still completely in the dark about how things worked.
He had already killed a man over this girl, and he certainly wasn’t looking to make a daily habit out of it. It just wasn’t necessary. Money was important, sure, but it wasn’t a strict necessity. With his vast arsenal of crossover abilities, surviving in this world was going to be a walk in the park.
Still, he couldn’t just leave this version of Lucy to fend for herself.
"Tell me what you’ve been through. If it’s really that tragic, I can bring your butler back to life."
Because of that loophole, his Samsara of Heavenly Life Jutsu had basically become a spammable ability—a power that could genuinely rival the gods.
While Lucy trusted Shin, she still couldn’t wrap her head around the idea of bringing the dead back to life. Was that even humanly possible?
Looking at him with wide, uncertain eyes, she asked, "Big Brother, can you really bring my butler back? He worked for my family for decades. He loved me the most... but he died trying to protect me."
As she spoke, the tears started flowing again.
"Oh, for the love of—can you please stop crying??" Shin groaned, rubbing his temples. "Seriously, what is your endgame here?"
"I’ve never met anyone like you. Just spit it out—tell me what happened, and give me the rundown on this empire’s intelligence. I don’t have all day to waste here."
"I have no idea who taught you to act like this, but you don’t even know my name!" he continued, exasperated. "And drop the ’Big Brother’ act. I don’t know if you’re playing dumb or what, but I’m only around fifteen myself. Having you constantly call me ’Brother’ is just awkward. You’re fourteen or older, right? Stop acting like a toddler. Seriously, how did your parents even raise you?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Shin wanted to slap himself. It was too late to take it back. He remembered the golden rule of poking around in people’s pasts: never bring up the parents. If you didn’t know the full story, you could easily rip open their deepest emotional wounds.
Seeing Lucy fall dead silent, Shin knew he had screwed up.
"...."
"Hey, look, my bad," he muttered awkwardly. "I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry. Just... please don’t cry anymore. It really gives me a headache."
"N-no... you don’t need to apologize," Lucy whispered, her voice trembling. "I really am just a child who refuses to grow up. It’s no wonder my mother left me. I’m nothing but a useless, spoiled rich girl. If it weren’t for you, I’d probably be dead right now."
"And even after all this, I haven’t been able to have a proper conversation with my father today."
Hearing this, the puzzle pieces clicked into place in Shin’s mind.
’So this Lucy’s mother suffered a similar fate to the one I know,’ he thought. ’Seriously, is the Heartfilia bloodline just cursed to be motherless for three generations? What a joke.’
Shin muttered under his breath, keeping his voice too low for Lucy to catch. Wiping her eyes, she looked up at him. "If you want to know what happened to me, could you please resurrect my butler first?"
"I know you’re a good person. I don’t have anything left, but if you bring him back... I’ll do anything you want."
’Here we go again,’ Shin thought, rolling his eyes. He wasn’t the least bit thrilled by the cliché offer.
"Look, I’m not that kind of guy, okay? Give me a break," he sighed. "If you have something to say, just say it. I’m just a guy who likes sticking his nose into other people’s business and helping out."
"Let me be totally blunt with you—stop talking like that. Sure, you’re pretty, but you’re way too young, and that cutesy voice is a bit much. If you just want to be my little sister in this world, I can live with that."
Shin was basically giving her a polite, roundabout rejection. Yes, he was handsome and insanely powerful, but instantly turning into a drooling mess the moment he saw a pretty girl? That wasn’t his style.
Lucy stared at him for a second before bursting into laughter.
"Oh my god, Big Brother... wait, are you still a virgin? That is so funny! You’re that old and you’ve never been with a girl? I never would’ve guessed!"
Shin instantly bristled. What do you mean ’that old’ and still a virgin?? Is it a crime? If he actually wanted to, he could have any gorgeous woman he laid eyes on!
But she had hit the nail right on the head. He was a virgin. It was a genuine personality flaw—deep down, he was actually incredibly awkward around women, even if he usually hid it perfectly. When he first saw Lucy, his initial instinct had literally been to run away.
Refusing to back down, he puffed out his chest. "So what if I am? Are you trying to tell me you aren’t? People in this world sure move fast. Don’t act all high and mighty with me!"
The counterattack completely blindsided Lucy. Her face turned beet red, and she didn’t know where to look.
After a long, awkward pause, she stammered, "O-of course I am! I am..."
Her voice trailed off into a squeak. Shin chuckled; this kid was actually pretty fun to mess with.
"W-what’s your name, anyway?" she asked, trying to recover her dignity. "Even if you’re super strong, I’m not scared of you! And since you already promised to help, you can’t back out now!"
Shin gave her a wicked, half-smile. "And what if I do back out? You’re a big girl, yet you’re still calling me ’Brother’ and bossing me around. I honestly don’t know how you do it."
"What are you talking about?? I’m the one begging you for a favor!" The previously timid Lucy was now boldly bickering with him. "I’m a prestigious young lady, you should be honored I’m calling you ’Brother’!"
Seeing her snap back with such fiery energy was a first. With someone as ridiculously strong as him around, any boyfriend she got in the future was going to have a seriously hard time.
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