"That's because the world will end!" Erick blurted out, his voice cracking with panic.
The room fell into a stunned silence. Reginald's eyes widened, caught off guard by the outburst. Emilia gasped, her hand flying to her mouth, while Nikolas felt his heart sink.
"What!?"
[What have you done, Erick?] Nikolas thought, trying to think of a way to salvage the situation.
"What did you just say?" Reginald asked, his voice dangerously calm, as if daring them to repeat it.
Nikolas quickly stepped in, trying to defuse the tension. "Erick's just joking, Dad." He forced a chuckle, hoping to lighten the mood. "You know how kids are these days."
But Reginald wasn't buying it. His sharp gaze flicked between his sons, searching their faces for the truth.
Erick, feeling the weight of his father's scrutiny, panicked and pushed the burden onto his older brother.
"Well, the world isn't actually ending… but things are going to get really bad! Right, Nik?" Erick looked at his brother with a slight shrug, as if to say: You're the older brother, deal with it!
[Don't throw this mess on me, damn it!] Nikolas inwardly groaned, realizing there was no way out now.
Reginald's face flushed with rising anger, his breathing growing heavier as he struggled to keep his temper in check. That was never a good sign.
"Son… explain it!" This time, it wasn't a request; it was a command.
Nikolas hesitated, his mind racing as he tried to figure out how to explain the impossible. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you… it's complicated." Unfortunately, he could not find any rational explanation for the problem.
Reginald's expression darkened, but before he could press further, Emilia stepped in, her voice soft and calming. "Nikolas, is this something you found online? You know not everything on the internet is true, sweetie."
"You better start explaining, and I mean the real reason," Reginald demanded, his voice low and firm.
Before Nikolas could respond, Erick, still reeling from his father's intensity, blurted out the truth without thinking. "It's actually pretty simple: Nikolas came back from the future! Tell them, bro!"
Their father really scared them and Erick always spilled the beans for fear.
"WHAT!?" Now Regi and Emilia turned to Erick, disbelief written all over their faces. He couldn't believe such a blatantly lie, right?
[Here we go again…] Nikolas sighed inwardly, realizing the mess he was now stuck in.
"I wish it were just an internet hoax, Mom. But it's not. I've lived over ten years in the future, and I know that a great disaster will strike Earth in two weeks!" Nikolas met his parents' eyes with a firm, unyielding gaze, speaking with conviction. He knew this would be an uphill battle—there was no physical proof he could offer them like he had with Master Yuemura. But if logic couldn't convince them, perhaps he could appeal to their emotions.
Before his parents could react, he pressed on.
"I know it sounds like the craziest thing you've ever heard, but can't you trust me for just two weeks? If nothing happens, I'll be the happiest person in the world! I wouldn't wish for any of this to be true. I don't want to go through all that hell again!" His voice rose with the last words, emotions spilling over. The memories of those ten years, the losses, the near-death experiences, and the constant shadow of despair flooded his mind. The pain was still fresh, and the thought of reliving it was almost unbearable.
His parents stood there, stunned. They had never seen Nikolas like this. He was usually so calm, even a bit withdrawn at times. After a long silence, Emilia was the first to speak, her voice trembling.
"H-How is that possible?" She searched her eldest son's eyes, looking for some explanation. "You know this is hard to believe, right?"
"I know, Mom. It's hard to believe, even for me. I don't fully understand how I'm back, but I know it's real." Nikolas admitted, realizing that he had never stopped to consider why he had returned. It was a mystery that might be tied to the system, but he was just as clueless as his mother about the specifics.
"This doesn't make any sense, son." Reginald shook his head, his anger dissipating into a heavy disbelief. He stared at his children, struggling to wrap his mind around what he was hearing.
"But Master Yuemura believed him!" Erick piped up, trying to back up his brother after causing the mess.
Nikolas nodded. "I told Master Yuemura first because I had a way to prove it to him. He became my mentor in the future, and I knew things about him that only someone who had lived through those years would know."
"You should have seen them fight, Dad. I dare to say that brother almost won that swordfight!" Erick added, his pride in his brother evident.
Reginald looked between his sons, torn between skepticism and the unmistakable sincerity in their voices. He was a man who believed in what he could see and touch, but his sons' earnestness was starting to chip away at his doubt.
Emilia, sensing her husband's uncertainty, spoke softly. "I think we should believe him, dear. Nikolas has never lied to us before…" She trailed off, but the trust in her voice was clear. As a mother, she had noticed the subtle changes in her son over the past few weeks. He was more mature, more composed, not the same boy he had been. Perhaps it was just maternal instinct, but she felt in her heart that he wasn't lying.
Reginald sighed deeply, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. Whether this was the truth or an elaborate prank, it was clear that his sons believed every word they were saying.
"Alright, Nikolas," he finally said, his voice firm but tinged with caution. "We'll give you those two weeks. But if this is some kind of joke, it's gone far enough. Damn, is that why you've been acting so weird? I even thought it might be because of a girl…"
Nikolas couldn't help but chuckle, relieved at the slight shift in tone. "Yes, Dad! Everything I've done these last few weeks has been because of this—especially the diet! There's no girl involved, I promise."
"That's so unfortunate, right, Father?" Erick chimed in, trying to lighten the mood even more.
Reginald nodded dejectedly, playing along.
[Now you're siding with him? Traitor!] Nikolas shot his brother a mock glare, frowning in feigned disapproval.
"Is Master Yuemura the only one who knows about this?" Reginald asked seriously, needing to understand the full scope of what they were dealing with.
"Yes, I trust him with my life," Nikolas replied with conviction.
"Hmm." Emilia nodded thoughtfully. "But… shouldn't we tell the authorities?"
"And make a joke of myself? No way!" Nikolas shook his head firmly, already imagining the consequences. At best, they'd dismiss it as a wild conspiracy theory; at worst, he'd end up in a psychiatric hospital.
"But won't many people die if we do nothing? At least if we could warn them…" Reginald added, his sense of duty as a cop compelling him to do something.
"Not now, Dad. They just wouldn't believe it. How many times have people predicted the end of the world? And how often have we actually listened? Besides, telling the authorities would only put our family at risk." Nikolas tried to reason with them, a bit surprised at how quickly they were accepting the situation. "Don't worry, I already have a plan to warn the world—just trust me."
"You're right, son." Reginald studied Nikolas from head to toe, noticing the changes in him. He wasn't the same boy he used to be—he had become a man, more mature and composed. "I'm going to trust you for these two weeks. Until then, what can we do to help?"
"While I know what's coming, I can't predict everything. Society as we know it will crumble, and we need to become stronger! In the near future the mightiest fist will dictate the rules!" Nikolas answered passionately. He knew that planning ahead would be far easier with his family's support. "Unfortunately, I think your retirement plans will have to be put on hold, Father. The things you dislike most will become the norm, and there will be no room for traditional justice!"
Reginald sighed, absorbing the gravity of his son's words.
"If justice will be determined by those with strength, then I'll have to become even stronger!" Reginald declared, his fists clenched tightly, his eyes burning with determination. "Are politicians going to meddle in this matter?"
That was his father! A man who never backed down from difficulties, accustomed to facing dangerous situations head-on.
"In the beginning, yes, but you know how most politicians are—weak-minded and cowardly by nature. They won't last long!" Nikolas smiled, encouraging his father. "Ah, and before I forget: firearms won't be enough. In fact, they'll become useless once people start getting stronger!"
"W-wait, I thought you were speaking figuratively. Are people really going to become like... superheroes?" Reginald asked, his eyes widening with a mixture of skepticism and curiosity. His favorite movie was Superman, and he couldn't help but draw comparisons.
"I suppose that's one way to think about it..." Nikolas nodded, understanding his father's reference. Erick, who had seen his brother's abilities firsthand, took it more seriously.
"Awesome!" Reginald's eyes lit up with excitement. The prospect of becoming stronger seemed to ignite a fire within him. Now he desired it!
"Men..." Emilia chuckled softly, shaking her head with a warm smile.
With that, Reginald and Emilia helped Nikolas and Erick unpack the items they had bought. As they settled down for dinner, the family gathered around the kitchen table to discuss their uncertain future, trying to make sense of the coming challenges and how best to face them together.
The planning took longer than Nikolas expected and after a few hours they decided many things. After hours of discussion, they had decided on several key actions. One of the most significant was Reginald's decision to join his sons at the dojo. However, unlike his sons, Reginald wasn't interested in the samurai style of martial arts. His eyes lit up when he found a rusty sword and matching armor among the items the siblings had bought earlier that day. With a grin, he claimed them for himself, deciding to take a more medieval approach to his training.
Despite the late hour, Reginald felt a surge of determination. Sleep could wait. He set to work, carefully removing the dust and polishing the rusted parts of the armor and sword. As he worked, the metal began to gleam, revealing small red lines etched into the armor and along the groove of the sword. The transformation was remarkable; by the time he was done, the armor looked almost new.
The gray steel took on a bright sheen as the moonlight streamed through the window, casting an ethereal glow over the polished metal.
Although the steel armor was somewhat gray, as the moonlight streamed through the window it cast an ethereal glow over the polished metal.
Nikolas watched his father work, admiration mingling with a sense of deja vu. As he gazed at the restored armor, a name suddenly flashed through his mind.
[Balfur….Shiny armor….Dammit! How could I forget about the Shiny Knight Balfur!?]
The Shiny Knight Balfur was a legend in Santa Catarina during the early years of the apocalypse. The knight was renowned to be one of the strongest men in the state. However, the man became famous not because of his strength, but for his unwavering kindness, Balfur had saved thousands of people, his gleaming white medieval armor becoming a symbol of hope in a dark time. No one had ever seen his face—always hidden behind a helmet—but his heroic deeds were known far and wide. Sadly, Balfur had met his end during a C-grade spawn, sacrificing himself to protect hundreds of innocents.
Nikolas had seen Balfur from afar during his previous life, and it was hard to reconcile the memory of that gallant knight with the humble old man he had met in the shop earlier. The two seemed as different as night and day—one a heroic figure, the other a frail, unassuming elder with kind eyes.
[Wait, did I buy his weapons?] A disturbing thought crossed Nikolas' mind. What if his actions had inadvertently changed the course of history, leading to the old man's death? He quickly glanced at the items they had purchased, trying to recall what Balfur had used in the past. [Hm, looks like your white armor is not the same as this one. Maybe he didn't display all of his items in the shop?]
"Smart old man… He'll definitely be part of my group," Nikolas muttered to himself, lost in thought.
"Who?" Erick, who was still beside him, caught the comment.
"Balfur… that old man from the shop." Nikolas replied, a knowing smile tugging at his lips. "That old silly man…"