Shun's POV
"What did I get, Tsukihime-san?"
I watched her expression carefully. She looked… disappointed?
"I'm sorry, Shun…" she said with a sigh. "Looks like you lost your 50/50."
Wait. What.
"…50/50?" I repeated slowly. "You didn't tell me this skill gacha had a 50/50!"
"Uh… oops? I forgot?" She awkwardly scratched her cheek. "But hey, look on the bright side! Now that you lost, you're guaranteed to get what you want next time!"
I stared at her, unamused. "Yeah, totally makes me feel better."
"Great! Now let's see what you got."
A screen popped up in front of me.
Pulled at 37 rolls:
Bronze Coin (F) x5 Cloth (F) x1 Quick Swap (D) Speed Boost (E)
I frowned. "Quick Swap? What does that do?"
"Oh, that's a good one!" Tsukihime nodded. "By touching anything lighter than you, you can swap places with it instantly."
Whoa. That actually sounds pretty cool. I could use this to dodge attacks, maybe even teleport around like a ninja.
"How many pulls do I have left?"
"Uh… 26?"
"Alright, let's push my luck and get that Area Scan!"
Tsukihime sighed. "I swear, you're addicted to pulling."
A flickering light appeared again, and the results popped up.
Pulled at 26 rolls:
Paper x3 Unique Passive: Weapon Mastery (E)
I blinked. "Another unique passive?"
Tsukihime crossed her arms. "Yup. This one's good, though. It'll make your weapon handling more efficient."
Nice. I'd have preferred Area Scan, but this was still a win.
"I'll just get more pulls tomorrow," I mumbled, flopping onto the bed. "I'm going to sleep. What about you?"
Tsukihime sat by the window, looking out at the night sky.
"You should rest, too."
She didn't respond right away. Then, in a serious tone, she said, "We shouldn't let our guard down. In this world, we don't know who or where the enemy is."
…She had a point.
"Alright. But you better rest tomorrow, okay?"
She gave a small nod.
"Good night, Shun."
"You too."
Tsukihime's POV
Something felt… off.
It was like a tiny alarm bell ringing in the back of my head. As if someone—no, something—was watching us.
Maybe I was just being paranoid. Or maybe not.
I glanced over at Shun. He was already fast asleep, his breathing slow and steady. Good.
Silently, I opened his status screen. My eyes scanned through his skills until they landed on something… strange.
Alter Ego (E).
No description. But it has a rank.
I frowned. I had analyzed every monster we'd fought so far, memorized their abilities, strengths, weaknesses… But this skill—I had never seen it before.
That meant only one thing.
This skill might be from Mime.
She is hiding something from us.
But I shouldn't assume something easily. To get a skill, I need to analyze the skill first. Maybe this alter ego just slipped away from my mind...
Morning – Shun's POV
I woke up to the sound of rapid knocking.
"Shun-chan! Wake up! I have something for you!"
Still half-asleep, I groggily opened my eyes, rubbing the crust from them. My body felt sluggish, still adjusting to this world's stupidly early morning schedule.
Wait… wasn't someone supposed to be keeping watch?
I turned my head and—yep. Tsukihime-san was slumped over on the chair by the window, completely knocked out. Her silver hair fell over her face as she breathed softly, her arms loosely crossed.
So much for keeping guard.
With a sigh, I forced myself up and shuffled to the door, cracking it open just enough to see Mime's beaming face.
She looked way too energetic for this hour. Worse, she was holding something long and wrapped in a fancy cloth.
"Good morning, dear~!" She practically shoved the thing into my arms. "Look! I got this from a… uh… loot last night! It's my gift to you!"
I blinked at the sheer enthusiasm in her voice before slowly unwrapping the cloth. A golden, expensive-looking sword gleamed under the morning light. The craftsmanship was impressive—the hilt was wrapped in fine leather, and the blade itself looked ridiculously well-forged.
There was just one problem.
"Uh… Mime-san, this is great and all, but…" I scratched my cheek awkwardly. "I'm not really into swords. I prefer katanas."
The shift in her expression was almost comical. Her bright, expectant face crumbled in an instant.
"Oh…" She looked like I had just told her Santa Claus wasn't real.
Guilt hit me like a truck. Crap, I made her sad.
"But, uh, don't get me wrong! I really appreciate the gift!" I hurriedly added, waving my hands. "It's just… a katana is like a sword, but with a curved edge. It suits my style better, you know?"
She perked up immediately. "A curve, huh…?" Her face suddenly lit up with determination. "Alright! I'll have my best weaponsmith modify this! Just wait for me!"
"Eh? No, you don't have to—"
Too late. She had already sprinted off, her long hair bouncing behind her.
I stood there, speechless.
…That woman moves way too fast.
After Mime's dramatic exit, I decided to grab some breakfast. My stomach had been complaining since I woke up, and honestly, I was curious about the food in this world.
I headed on the living room, and I was stunned when the maids welcomed me.
"Good morning, Shun-sama," one of the maids greeted me as I entered the dining area. "Our lady has ordered us to serve you breakfast. If the food is not to your liking, we will prepare something else immediately."
Wow. Fancy service.
A second maid approached, setting down a tray in front of me. My curiosity turned into caution the moment I saw what was inside.
"Uh… what is this?" I asked, pointing at the steaming bowl.
"Fish with slime soup," she replied with a polite smile.
…Excuse me?
Slime. Soup.
I stared at the dish, my appetite suddenly reconsidering its life choices. But hey, this was another world, right? Gotta be open-minded.
With a deep breath, I scooped up a spoonful and shoved it into my mouth.
…
…Holy crap, this is delicious.
I blinked in shock. "Whoa! This is amazing!"
The maids exchanged glances before bowing. "We are delighted to hear your praises, Shun-sama."
I grinned. Nice food, nice people… ahh, life is good. Hopefully, there wasn't some weird catch to all this.
I had barely finished eating when someone grabbed my hand.
"Shun-chan!"
It was Mime-san, slightly out of breath. She was holding something long and carefully wrapped in cloth.
"Ah, don't lean forward like that!" I panicked, trying not to look at certain… uh… things.
She didn't seem to notice my distress as she unwrapped the cloth and presented the weapon with an excited smile.
"Your katana is finished!"
I froze.
The blade was sleek, slightly curved, and well-balanced. Golden details ran along the guard, and the hilt was wrapped in soft leather, fitting snugly in my grip. It wasn't just a weapon—it was art.
My throat dried up. "…This is amazing."
Mime's smirk widened. "I knew you'd love it! I made sure it was tailored exactly to your preferences!"
I glanced at her. Wait, she worked on it personally? No way. There's no way she made this and got it done this fast. I should probably thank the actual weaponsmith.
"Also, I embedded a skill stone inside," she added casually.
That snapped me out of my awe. "A what now?"
"Skill stone!" she chirped. "It's a crystal that holds a skill. Once embedded into a weapon, the weapon gains that ability. You can also swallow them if you want the skill for yourself."
I cringed. Swallow? A stone? That sounded like a terrible idea.
"Uh… isn't that super rare?"
Mime waved a hand dismissively. "Eh, don't worry about it! These can also be made by people with skill-engraving abilities."
(A/N: She looted it from that noble she killed. But she'll never tell Shun that.)
I decided to just roll with it. "Okay, so what skill does it have?"
"Unique Passive: Sword Mastery (D)."
My eyes widened. A D-rank skill?! That was insanely lucky! Just from the name alone, I could tell it would boost my swordsmanship.
Mime clapped her hands together. "Now that you have a weapon, it's time for training!"
I gulped. Something about the way she said that made me nervous.
"Uh… training?"
She grinned.
"Yes, dear~ It's time to put that Quick Swap skill to the test!"
…Why do I feel like I'm about to regret this?
STATS SUMMARY
Shun Kirisaki
Pull counts remaining: 0
Skill: Unique Passive: Physical ability boost. (E) ~ Night vision (E) ~ Unique Passive: Weapon mastery (E) ~ Weapon skill Passive: Sword mastery (D) ~ Alter ego (E) ~ Quick swap (D)
Equipment: Katana
Summons: Tsukihime (Null)
Skill: Unique Passive: Physical ability boost. (E) ~ Roaring beast (D)