"Right, synchronization..."
To think that the possession perk they threw at me was a process of forcibly merging my consciousness with Raiden's.
It was a moment when I truly yearned for death.
With Raiden's obsession and self-loathing added on top of my already fragile mental state, I felt like I was about to burst with depression.
As I tried to manage my emotions and organize my thoughts,
-Ding!
[Skill 'Iron Will' nullifies the user's negative emotions (depression, lethargy, suicidal urges, etc.).]
-Ding!
[The user's negative emotions resist 'Iron Will'.]
[The effects of 'Iron Will' are partially reduced.]
[The user's depression and suicidal urges are weakened but not eliminated.]
What's this now...?
I frowned at the blue screens that appeared before me.
"Status window. Explain 'Iron Will'."
-Ding!
[Iron Will]
Category: Skill
Rank: EX
Description: A special skill directly bestowed upon the user by ○○, boasting the highest performance among mental barriers.
Effect: Blocks 99% of mental status ailments (suggestion, intimidation, brainwashing, negative emotions, etc.) directed at the user.
However, status ailments that exceed 'Iron Will' cannot be completely blocked.
"..."
No wonder I felt refreshed and clear-headed.
Some unheard-of skill was suppressing my lethargy and suicidal urges.
It was nice not to feel depressed, but... it felt a bit strange.
'More importantly, an EX rank skill...'
An EX rank skill.
Even in the novel 'Sorrow-erasing heroes', an EX rank skill never appeared.
It was only mentioned in passing, saying that such a rank existed after SSS rank.
Even the highest-ranked skill the protagonist possessed was only SSS rank.
[However, status ailments that exceed 'Iron Will' cannot be completely blocked.]
I chuckled at that message.
There couldn't possibly be a status ailment that could break through an EX rank mental barrier...
[The user's negative emotions resist 'Iron Will'.]
[The user's depression and suicidal urges are weakened but not eliminated.]
"...There is?"
It seemed my condition was more serious than I thought.
No, even with the combined depression of two people, could it be this bad...?
An obsession that pierces through an EX rank mental barrier.
'Now I understand why I received this skill...'
If it weren't for 'Iron Will', wouldn't I have tried to bite my tongue and commit suicide again the moment I woke up in the forest?
Actually, thinking about it, I think I really tried to do that at first...
"But I'm glad."
I wasn't sure if it was thanks to this skill, but my mind was much more peaceful compared to my previous life.
It felt a bit precarious, but I could consider this state to be good.
It was much better than being consumed by thoughts of death every day.
"Hmm."
With my improved mood, I continued reading the status window.
Among the numerous blue screens, one message stood out.
[The possession perk 'Synchronization' has been successfully completed.]
Seeing that, my excitement seemed to subside.
I quietly pondered the words on the screen, lost in thought.
Raiden, whom I had simply considered a "one-time refreshing development sacrificial lamb", was a character with a story.
A boy whose life was twisted by trauma and obsession.
I felt a sense of kinship with him.
'Raiden... You must have been through a lot...'
It was a completely different type of pain from what I had experienced.
Unlike me, whose life was ruined by a crazy father,
Raiden had ruined the world he loved with his own hands.
Of course, I felt that Raiden was foolish, but
My sympathy for his pain and loneliness was greater.
It was ironic that I, of all people, was sympathizing with someone else...
"Mmm..."
As I was lost in self-deprecation, the girl who had her head buried in the bed let out a faint sigh.
Realizing that it was a sign of her waking up, I stopped thinking and looked down at her.
Soon, the girl's eyes opened, revealing hazy brown irises.
They blinked weakly for a moment before focusing on me as I sat up.
I spoke softly to those transparent glass beads.
"You're awake."
What expression would Raiden have made here?
Not the Raiden wearing the mask of a delinquent, but the real 'Raiden'...
With that thought in mind, I gently curved my lips upward.
It felt awkward.
Smiling was indeed difficult.
"Good morning, Rachel."
A gentle greeting.
The girl stared at me blankly for a moment, then let out a deep sigh and slumped back down.
"What... It's a dream."
Rachel mumbled, burying her head back into the bed.
I tilted my head at her reaction.
Why was she acting like that? Was my smile that awkward?
"It's not a dream."
"It is a dream~ There's no way the Young Master would smile at me like that..."
The girl's eyes looked inexplicably sad.
"Maybe three years ago, but the Young Master now..."
Her darkening complexion seemed to represent her sadness.
The blue pupils, filled with affection and compassion, shone brightly.
My heart ached at her dejected expression, so I reached out to her without thinking.
And then.
"Huh?"
Squeeze...!
I pulled on her plump cheek.
"Eeeeek!!"
A soft, squishy sensation lingered on my fingertips.
I felt a twinge of nostalgia.
Rachel used to love it when Raiden pinched her cheeks like this.
"Y-Young Masteeer...?"
As I was lost in the memories I had absorbed, I felt the stretched cheek mumble something.
Confused brown eyes stared at me.
"Huh? It hurts? It's not... a dream...?"
"I told you it was me. Are you deaf, Ray?"
Rachel's pupils widened once again.
Ray was Raiden's nickname for her when he was young.
It must be surprising to hear the name he hadn't uttered since becoming a delinquent.
I chuckled at the dumbfounded expression on the girl's face.
And then I greeted her once more.
"Good morning, Ray."