The rain poured.
As if a hole had torn open in the sky, the rain ceaselessly poured down.
Thick fog, obscuring all visibility, lay heavy in places, leaving the roadside shrouded in an impenetrable gloom.
In such a place, a young girl stood alone.
A small child with disheveled, snow-white hair, clad in an oversized gown that swamped her tiny frame.
And before her eyes, merely five or six paces away.
There, a man, seemingly on the cusp between boyhood and young adulthood, lay sprawled and lifeless.
His clothes were nothing short of rags.
His shirt was stained with blood, his hair soaked by the rain, presenting a truly horrific sight, as if he had been in some terrible accident.
The small girl—no, I—approached him with light, unhurried steps.
Splish-splash.
Treading through the puddles that had gathered on the ground, I drew out my words languidly.
“…It’s rather dangerous to be collapsed in a place like this, you know.”
There was no reply.
Squatting down for a moment, I unhesitatingly poked his shoulder, once, then twice, with my finger.
“You might just croak from hypothermia, you know…”
Of course, if he were already dead, that would be rather unfortunate.
Poke, poke.
Perhaps annoyed by the continuous prodding of his shoulder, his slack lips finally moved, slowly.
“…It doesn’t matter.”
Oh, he’s alive after all.
“Is that so?”
A brief silence fell.
The rain began to fall even more fiercely.
Tilting my head slightly, I asked quietly.
“Wouldn’t it be a shame to simply die like this…? Do you, by any chance, harbor any thoughts of revenge…?”
Only then did a flicker of interest spark in the man’s eyes.
He lifted his head to look at me, then asked in a low voice.
“Revenge?”
When I smiled faintly and nodded,
“…I want it.”
A small, affirmative sound soon followed.
A mischievous impulse seizing me, I deliberately pretended not to hear, tilting my head slightly.
“Hm…?”
At that, he raised his voice.
“Revenge, revenge… I do want it.
I want to make all those hypocritical bastards taste the very same pain I’ve endured.”
He stared directly into my face, his gaze sharp and fierce.
His expression was utterly chilling, as if ready to drown someone.
Excellent.
We’re nearly there.
“Then, why not join an organization…?”
A faint smile.
Presented with this gentle, smiling offer, he was momentarily speechless.
“…An organization?”
Against the backdrop of the falling rain, I slowly continued my explanation.
“It’s a place commonly referred to as a ‘Villain Organization.’ I’m not forcing you, of course, but the revenge you seek? I can guarantee you’ll achieve it…”
The man furrowed his brows, then fell silent for a moment, as if trying to suppress his anger, before finally opening his mouth.
“…Then, are you also a member of this ‘organization’?”
Why was he asking that so suddenly?
My head instinctively tilted, but I decided to answer the question nonetheless.
Nod, nod.
I gave a short nod.
He lowered his head for a moment, gazing at the rain-soaked road, then lifted his eyes again to meet mine.
“Then, I’ll join.
That ‘organization’.”
Okay.
I appreciate how quickly he grasps things.
Indeed, a short tutorial is always preferable.
“Excellent! Let’s depart right away then!”
I casually tossed the umbrella I was holding to the side, then reached out both hands to help him up.
The man glanced at the umbrella for a moment,
“Hey…!”
He was about to say something, but seeing the umbrella floating in mid-air, still shielding us from the rain, he lost his words completely.
“Pfft.”
Amused by his reaction, I let out a short laugh.
What an amusing fellow.
My inventions are hardly so shoddy.
Thinking this to myself, I extended a hand.
“Consider yourself lucky… It’s not every day one catches the eye of this genius doctor.”
The man frowned, questioning me.
“…Doctor? You’re a doctor?”
I clenched and unclenched my hand, nodding to convey that he should hurry and take it.
“It’s good to be suspicious, but shouldn’t you seize an opportunity presented right before you…?”
I just want to go home and lounge around.
Just listen to me quickly.
“…Alright.”
Though still wearing a dubious expression, the man seemed to realize he had only one choice, and soon grasped my hand, rising to his feet.
‘Oh… what an impressive grip.’
I quietly marveled to myself.
Even at this early stage, his hand felt remarkably firm.
As expected of an eroge (TL Note: A Japanese-style erotic video game) protagonist, he truly is different from the others.
“Ugh.”
The man stumbled briefly as he got to his feet, but he didn’t seem seriously injured, quickly regaining his balance.
Then, he began to stare intently at me.
His gaze, heavy and piercing, descended from behind his rain-soaked hair.
He’s quite tall, by the way.
He appears to be nearly twice my height.
“Let’s go.”
As I turned with light steps, the umbrella moved with me.
As the umbrella, which had been slowly floating and blocking the rain, departed from its spot, the man, who had been standing there blankly, was instantly drenched with a loud *whoosh*.
He received the full brunt of the rain’s baptism.
Cold rainwater streamed down his clothes and hair, drenching his already soaked body once more.
“W-wait a minute! Where are we going?”
The man, having hastily scrambled back under the umbrella, asked.
At his question, I halted my steps and slowly turned back to face him.
My blue eyes curved into thin crescents as a gentle smile spread across my face.
“Where else? We’re heading to the base, of course…”
That day.
That very day, when the torrential rain poured down.
I picked up the protagonist.
The male protagonist, who would later possess such formidable physical prowess that he would conquer all heroes and more.
