This time, Jhin's Star Deck actually drew a bug-level ability: Stand - The World. The Stand of the famous villain Dio, it possesses incredible destructive power and the ability to stop time. Although its precision can't compare to Star Platinum, its range is a full ten meters.
"Master, what is that special energy form behind you?"
"Nymph, can you see the Stand behind me?"
"Yes. It appears to be an energy form created through a special method. There are no corresponding records of it in Synapse."
After some discussion with Nymph, Jhin came to understand that she didn't perceive the Stand's existence with her eyes. Rather, she detected energy fluctuations and, after initiating a scan, discovered a special energy forming behind Jhin, which is how she became aware of the Stand.
It seems Stands can still be detected by more advanced technology. Jhin wasn't too disappointed; even if it can be detected, I still have an outrageous ability like time stop.
Jhin smirked and, full of chuunibyou spirit, shouted, "The World! Stop time!"
A gray, rippling field spread out from Jhin's center. Before he could even properly experience what it felt like for time to be stopped, the world around him quickly regained its color. It looked like he couldn't pull off a nine-second time stop like DIO right from the start.
I'll have to practice more when I get the chance, Jhin thought, retracting his Star Deck. He pointed to the chain still bound to his right hand. "Nymph, can you hide this?"
"Yes, Master."
He had to admit, Synapse's technology was truly incredible. The cold, heavy chain that had just been wrapped around his hand vanished without a trace in the next second, as if it had never been there at all.
In truth, it would reappear in his hand whenever he wanted it to, but he had no interest in such a perverse hobby as holding a chain attached to a girl.
"Come home with me. You don't have to be so formal with me. Starting today, we're family. Uh... you probably don't really understand that right now, do you..."
Jhin scratched his head, looking at Nymph who clearly didn't comprehend the concept of family. He decided to let her get used to it bit by bit through daily life. "Let's not talk about it anymore. We're going home."
Seeing Jhin extend his right hand to her, Nymph tilted her head and asked, "Master... what is this?"
"Holding hands. Put your hand in mine."
"Yes!"
"Nymph, can other people see you like this?"
"Please rest assured, Master. I have already activated my Stealth and Anti-Cognition System. No one can perceive my existence. If you require it, Master, I can maintain it 24/7."
"You don't need to keep it on all the time. I'm just afraid that if I lead you out of the school holding hands like this, someone will call the police and have me arrested. After all, you're wearing such a big collar around your neck, although I guess that could be considered a moe point."
"?"
Jhin smiled. "You still have a lot to learn. I'll tell you all about it after we get home."
"...Okay."
...…
"Nymph, I'm going next door to play games with someone. Want to come?"
"Master, please allow me to refuse. In order to serve you better, I need to collect and analyze information about this world through the network, as well as study the knowledge you mentioned."
Seeing Nymph's insistence, Jhin didn't force her. "Alright. If there's anything you don't understand, call me."
"Yes."
On the way back, Jhin had Nymph use her hacking skills to link with his phone, allowing them to contact each other anytime, anywhere. Nymph had originally stated that this world's technological level was far too primitive and that she could develop technology far surpassing this era's whenever Jhin required it.
Unfortunately, Jhin rejected this proposal, because he just wanted to live a peaceful life.
Gabriel was having a great time playing games with Jhin when she suddenly heard the sound of a soap opera coming from his room. She frowned and looked at him. "Is someone else in your apartment?"
"Yeah, a kid who's going to be living with me from now on."
The game on the screen instantly lost its appeal for Gabriel. The furiously clicking controller in her hands fell silent. "Boy or girl?"
"...A girl. She's an angel."
In the blink of an eye, the names of every angel she knew flashed through Gabriel's mind.
Raphiel? Or my junior, Tapris? It couldn't be my sister, could it!?
No, no, no, she's a very busy person. There's no way she'd come all the way down from Heaven just to live with Jhin.
"Take me to see her."
"Eh? But we haven't finished this match yet?" Jhin pointed reluctantly at the TV screen, where his ninety-ninth victory against Gabriel was imminent.
Gabriel rolled up her sleeves. "If you won't take me, I'll go myself!"
I'm going to see for myself which angel came all the way down here to steal... to steal my best friend!
Afraid she'd kick his apartment door down, Jhin had no choice but to painfully forfeit his ninety-ninth victory. He figured Gabriel must be using this as an excuse to weasel out of her shameful record.
"Here. My angel, Nymph."
Jhin led Gabriel into the room and pointed at the little angel who was supposedly studying but was actually multitasking, surfing the web while watching a soap opera.
"?"
"?"
At the sound of Jhin's voice, the two angels—from different worlds, of different kinds, with entirely different power systems—stared at each other in bewilderment.
This special, high-energy individual... can see me even with my anti-cognition system active?
This is an angel? Why are her wings so weird? It's like some kind of cosplay. And what's with those ears?
"Alright, you've seen her. Let's go back and play. Today's the day I reach one hundred wins."
Jhin thought they were both good kids at heart, so just meeting each other shouldn't cause any problems. He never expected Gabriel's reaction to be much bigger than he'd imagined.
She grabbed Jhin's collar with both hands and questioned him loudly, "Jhin, stop kidding around! You kidnapped a little girl and brought her home, didn't you!"
This action thoroughly enraged Nymph, who took pride in serving Jhin. She leaped up, her fairy-like wings unfurling to let her hover in mid-air. Her right hand became encased in a high-tech, compact hand cannon, its glowing muzzle aimed squarely at Gabriel.
"Let go of Master, you insolent brute!"
Gabriel was stunned by this sci-fi scene and subconsciously let go of Jhin's collar. Before Nymph could fire her cannon and completely annihilate the high-energy individual who had assaulted her master, Jhin quickly stopped her.
"Nymph, calm down. Put away your weapon. Gabriel is my friend. She was just messing around with me."
"Yes, Master."
Nymph reluctantly retracted her weapon. She didn't approve of Gabriel, who had been so rude at their first meeting.
Gabriel didn't seem to care at all about having a cannon pointed at her. She was far more interested in the unique technology Nymph displayed, perhaps because it closely resembled some of the concepts in the sci-fi novels she often read.
Just as he'd resolved the minor friction from their first meeting, Jhin's phone rang. He took it out and saw it was a call from Hitori Gotoh. For some reason, he had a bad feeling.
"Hello, Bocchi-chan, what's up?"
"J-Jhin, I'm s-s-s-so sorry! Can we postpone tomorrow's date for a while?"
Jhin put a hand to his forehead, feeling conflicted. His words had really come back to haunt him. "I understand."
"I'm really sorry! You must be so disappointed to have a girlfriend like me... I can't even go on a normal date without things going wrong..."
"Bocchi-chan, I'm not blaming you. Don't go thinking strange things."
"Sniff... Okay." It sounded like Hitori Gotoh was so upset on the other end that she had started to cry.
___
🔥 New stories are available now! 🔥
We're handing out that '25% bonus' that makes your wallet smile. 😄
✅ Access up to 40 advanced chapters of ALL stories!
✅ Receive exclusive content and updates!
Help us hit our community goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone
🚀 140 MEMBERS = +5 extra chapters of ALL STORIES!
👻 P - Walnutchan