Ugly Bastard System

A few minutes ago...

Gojima Kenzaburou hummed a song as he tried to come up with an apology speech for tomorrow. It had been a while since he had taken part in a press conference—well, not in this life, to be exact. Still, journalists were journalists no matter which world, and you should not give them any material worthy of scoop.

Ubs was hovering around him, which was quite unusual. Was it bored or something? Gojima was not knowledgable on the psychology of floating boxes.

'Well, it's a good thing both the kids returned safely.'

HM, THAT THEY DID.

'And they could have been found sooner if you had let me use a few APs.'

YOU ALREADY USED ALMOST ALL OF YOUR AP'S TO LEARN OF THEIR SAFETY. WHY DO YOU NEED TO SPEND MORE? YOU SHOULD SAVE THEM FOR MORE EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, OR GO KNOCK UP SOME LADIES BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT THOSE AP'S ARE FOR!

'O-Okay! Calm down, will you? What is wrong with you today? And why are you speaking in bold letters... wow, I never thought I'd ever think something like that.'

IT'S MY BODY, SO IT'S MY CHOICE WHETHER I WOULD USE BOLD LETTERS OR NOT!

'Ubs... are you okay? Is everything alright?'

WHO KNOWS?!

Gojima frowned. He knew that Ubs had it's rules, but it had also been around for a while, and he was able to pick up some stuff from it's behavior. Something was bothering it a lot. But what?

Dhum!

Gojima heard some sound from the upper floor. What the hell was that brat doing now?

 

---

 

Takeshi was silently sitting in the hot water his mother prepared for him. It had already been a while and he should probably get up, but he did not move. He was upset.

He really wanted to make up with Ruri, but... a man had his ego! Okay, maybe he was a little rude, but he did not deserve a slap! It was Ruri who was in the wrong!

If there is anyone who should be apologizing, it was Ruri!

Tap Tap Tap—

"Hm? What was that?"

Takeshi heard a sound coming from a wall where Ruri would usually communicate with him in Morse. He walked towards the wall and tried to determine what she was trying to say.

"Damn, I missed the first one or two letters... what is she saying? L? P? LP? What does that even mean?"

He also tried to send a message in return.

"WHT?"

But there was no reply from the other side of the wall. Weird.

He finally decided to get out of the bath. Well, maybe he would ask her directly on his smartphone—

He only connected it to the charge and never switched it on!

He finally switched on the phone and noticed that the battery had already increased to 42%. He saw that Ruri had already sent a message.

Hey.

Takeshi's eyebrows twitched. That's how she was going to start the conversation? What's with that tone?

He also sent a message in a rather unfriendly tone.

What is it?

He waited a few seconds, but there was no reply.

First bathroom, then phone. What the hell was she playing at?

 

---

 

This time, Gojima directly heard a sound from the ceiling directly above him.

"What?"

He just heard four taps and then everything was silent.

'Hm? H? Is she calling me an H (Pervert) again? She sure has a lot of energy.'

OR IT COULD BE SOMETHING ELSE! THERE ARE COUNTLESS OTHER WORDS THAT ALSO START WITH H! MAYBE YOU COULD THINK HARDER?

'Nah, what else would it be? This is what she usually does. Ogre, Loser, Fatso, Pervert—these are the words she usually sticks to anyway.'

THERE IS A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHI—

At that moment, his smartphone received a message.

"Hm? Who is it... Takeshi kun? I already told him that there won't be any lesson unless—"

It was not exactly a message asking for more lessons or tips. Rather, it was something weird.

Shishou, what does 'LP' mean?

Gojima frowned. LP? Did he stumble upon something weird on the internet?

I do not know. Where did you find those two letters?

The kid replied immediately.

Ruri sent them to me in Morse.

I am trying to figure them out, but I can't!

We kinda had a fight...

I asked her but she is not replying!

Shishou, does that mean anything or is she pulling my leg?

Well, I kinda missed a few letters in the beginning probably.

Gojima did not send any reply. Gears were turning inside his head.

'She sent me H, and sent him LP... There should be some letters in the beginning...'

'Wait... what if they are part of the same word...'

H L P! THERE IS A WORD THAT CONTAINS ALL OF THEM! HELP! SHE MIGHT BE ASKING FOR HELP! SHE MIGHT BE IN DANGER! –1.2 AP! KEN, TO HER! NOW!>

Gojima felt the world slowing around him. Ubs had already started accel thought? Was this the thing it was agitated about? Was she in serious danger? He had to move!

He immediately dashed towards the door.

Ken! Taking the stairs might be slower! Grab the ledge of the veranda above!

Gojima jumped and placed a foot on the railing in front of his front door. Ubs was right, he had no time to go around the long veranda, take the stairs to the third floor and then reach the front door of the above apartment, when he could just climb up to there directly!

He pushed on the railing with both of his legs and kicked as high as he could, directing his momentum upwards. Usually such an action would result in a person falling directly to the ground below, but Gojima with his accelerated senses knew how to use his momentum.

While in midair, he extended his hands backwards and grabbed two vertical iron bars of the railing of the above floor. The iron bars felt cold, but they were sturdy—and that was enough.

He used his whole strength to guide the forward momentum he had to propel himself upwards, using the iron bars and his hands as the pivot. This resulted in him flying upwards with his whole body flipped upside down, as he let go of the two bars.

In his inverted view, he felt as if he were falling towards the sky, and he had to save himself by getting into the gap right in front of him—which was the veranda of the third floor. As gravity started to win over him, he finally started to slow down. All of this was happening in the freaction of a second, but to him, things were slow enough to decide on his next move.

He wasted no time and grabbed the top of the railing bar and pulled himself closer. It simply resulted in him getting over the railing, directly on to the veranda of the third floor. He used that opportunity to realign himself, finally allowing him to put his feet on the third floor.

Normally, he would be impressed with the Hollywood-sque stunt he pulled off, but he had no time for that.

He immediately ran up to the door to Ruri's apartment and slammed it with his shoulder.

There was a loud sound and the dooe creaked, but it still held.

"Again!"

He bashed the door with his shoulder again. The door creaked louder, but it still held.

"What was—Shishou?!"

Gojima did not have the time to pay attention to Takeshi in his bath towel, who came out to check what was happening and Miki, who peeked behind the door.

'Ubs, boost me a little!'

You are already down to 5 AP's! Be careful!

Gojima felt power coursing through all over his body. He readied himself and slammed the door again.

The time, the door did not hold and broke down.

Gojima huffed as he stood. Even with his APs, those were some taxing moves. His lungs were on fire!

Takeshi simply ran up to him.

"Shishou, why are you—"

Then they both saw what was happening inside.

Ruri lay on the floor with blank eyes, covered in vomit and blood; as another person much bigger than her had his hand around her neck. The man—who Takeshi recognized as Ruri's uncle, stared astonished with his bloodshot eyes.

"Ruri!"

Takeshi screamed and tried to move foward, but a hand stopped him from going forwards. Gojima absentmindedly stopped him, as he stared at the motionless body of the girl.

Her eyes were devoid of any light.

Just like Sachi, when her body was found.

 

---

 

He remembered.

Just when did he forget everything?

When did he become such complacent?

Why did he let go of the one thing that drove him forward, when everything failed?

The only emotion he was capable of feeling?

He felt it flowing through his veins again.

The one thing his enemies cowered in front of.

The one thing his daughter's killers had asked mercy from, when he eliminated them one by one.

And now, this man in front of him would experience it.

 

His Wrath.