Yuuto sat cross-legged on the floor of his room — even though Merlin had told him it wasn't necessary, he felt this position helped him focus better.
In front of him, the Touko doll stood upright, like a human body missing its soul.
His flip phone vibrated again.
[A new video from Merlin-sensei has been received]
Yuuto pressed play.
On the screen, Lady Avalon appeared sitting on a stone chair inside the Tower of Avalon, snapping her fingers and summoning a training doll.
"Alright, my pupil," she said in the video with a satisfied smile, "Touko's dolls don't move with 'voice commands,' but through mana flow and an internal command system.
Focus your mana on three points: the doll's chest, the back of its head, and its spine — those are the key cores in Touko's construction."
Yuuto followed the motion carefully.
"Then, insert the Persona Format — a sort of personality template. Use the memories and sensations you had from your old self.
If it's difficult, imagine how you felt before your transformation: afraid, awkward, anxious, shy… yes, all of that."
Yuuto sighed softly.
"…Doesn't sound too hard, actually."
The video continued:
"After that, transmit a short mana pulse — three beats.
This marks the doll as your 'host' for commands.
This part is important; don't get the rhythm wrong.
If you mess it up, the doll will probably… explode."
Yuuto jolted.
"Wait— explode?!"
Merlin laughed softly in the video, far too lightly for the situation.
"Relax~. That only happens to extremely stupid beginners.
And you're not one of those… right?"
Yuuto rolled his eyes. "Sensei…"
---
He began practicing.
Mana flowed out from the Dragon Core inside his body, spreading to his fingertips, and into the doll.
The doll trembled slightly, like a corpse receiving its first breath.
Then slowly—
klick
klick
klick
Its fingers twitched.
Its right arm lifted a little.
Its dull eyes fluttered once.
Then…
The doll looked at Yuuto.
Yuuto swallowed.
"…It really moved."
---
When the sky had grown dark, a call from Merlin-sensei came in.
"Yuuto, are you done?"
"Yes, Sensei. I can move everything smoothly now. Even the walking pattern's stable."
"Hoh~!" Merlin's voice brimmed with pride.
"As expected of my gifted pupil! With your talent — and my magnificent teaching, of course — mastering this quickly is natural!"
Yuuto rolled his eyes again. "Sensei, stop praising yourself."
"Hmph! Let me be proud~. I am a great teacher, okay?
Besides…"
Her tone changed, becoming a bit more serious.
"The doll now fully carries your old personality traits. It can go to school without anyone getting suspicious."
Yuuto looked at the doll again.
It felt like staring at a version of himself buried in the past.
"Later," Merlin continued, "I'll add a light hypnosis spell.
So even if the doll slowly changes to match your new Arthur body, people will accept it. They'll think it's a natural change."
"…Like slowly redirecting the water flow of a river?" Yuuto asked.
"Yes, exactly~." Merlin sounded pleased he understood quickly.
"Now you don't have to worry about school anymore."
Yuuto nodded.
"Thank you, Merlin-sensei."
"For my pupil, I'll do anything."
Then with a playful tone:
"Now go check the Chat Group. They've been blowing up with messages — I'm sure there's a new disaster~."
The call ended.
Yuuto stood, staring at the Touko doll that now smiled faintly… like the old him before everything changed.
---
Yuuto looked at his phone screen filled with notifications.
"…What's going on? Why are there so many messages?" he muttered as he sat at the edge of his bed.
He opened the Chat Group.
And immediately saw dozens of messages from Kuroneko — all typed like someone experiencing a personal crisis.
---
[Kuroneko]:
ARGGHHHH WHY DID I HAVE TO GET THIS DISGUSTING GIFT?!?!
I DEMAND A REFUND!! THIS IS WORSE THAN MY CHILDHOOD NIGHTMARES!!!
[Hatsune Miku]:
Eh? Kuroneko-chan, what happened? 😨
Is your gift that bad?
[Yamato]:
What did you get?
Don't tell me it's a bomb or a cursed weapon...
[Irene Belserion]:
Child, why are you panicking like a drenched cat?
Explain.
Yuuto raised a brow and scrolled.
Kuroneko was still ranting like someone who'd just seen her own ghost.
---
[Yuuto Kido]:
Is it… really that bad?
---
[Kuroneko]:
DON'T ASK ME TO SHOW IT!!!
I can't even go NEAR the hologram of the reward!!
[Lady Avalon]:
Fufufu~ just send a picture. I want to see. 😏✨
This must be interesting~
[Kuroneko]:
NOOO!! If I send a picture, NONE of you will sleep tonight!!
I refuse to be responsible for that trauma!
---
[Hatsune Miku]:
It sounds really scary 😰
Kuroneko-chan… what exactly did you get?
[Kuroneko]:
…
My login reward is…
[Kuroneko]:
A Matou Crest Worm.
Silence.
The Chat Group went completely silent for three seconds.
Then—
[Lady Avalon]:
Oh.
That gift.
May fortune be with you, dear. 🙏
[Irene Belserion]:
W—WORM?!
What do you mean WORM?!
[Yamato]:
I… I don't know what that is.
But from your reactions…
Is it bad?
[Hatsune Miku]:
I don't know either, but it sounds terrifying… 😨
---
Kuroneko's reply came instantly.
[Kuroneko]:
No. It's not terrifying.
IT'S PURE TERROR.
ABOMINATION.
NOT FOR NORMAL EYES!!!
[Kuroneko]:
Thank goodness I haven't pressed [YES].
If that thing appears in front of me,
I'll die on the spot.
---
Yuuto frowned, confused.
---
[Yuuto Kido]:
It seems… really serious.
Just now you said this is your second-worst reward?
What was the worst one before this?
---
[Hatsune Miku]:
Ah right!
Kuroneko's previous worst reward was "Personality Appraisal Eyes."
She yelled at the system for an hour because of that. 😅
[Kuroneko]:
YES! THAT used to be my worst gift!!
Now it has been replaced by that hell-worm!!!
---
Yuuto grew curious.
---
[Yuuto Kido]:
'Personality Appraisal Eyes'? What's that?
---
[Kuroneko]:
Simple.
It lets me see…
how "broken" someone's personality is… just by looking at their name or face.
[Yuuto Kido]:
Isn't that useful?
[Kuroneko]:
Useful for someone who actually has combat power.
But for me? I'm basically powerless.
Aside from the Uzumaki lineage I got from my first login,
I have nothing that makes me strong.
I… am the weakest in this group.
In the upcoming One Piece mission…
I'll probably just be a burden.
Silence fell across the chat.
No one answered for several seconds.
Then—
A new message from Yuuto appeared.
The aura of the text itself felt different.
Heavy.
Firm.
Full of conviction.
---
[Yuuto]:
Kuroneko.
Listen to me carefully.
I've gone through almost all the chat logs before I joined,
so I know.
No emojis.
No hesitation.
Every word felt like a gentle punch to the heart.
---
[Yuuto]:
You're not a burden.
Not now.
Not ever.
Yuuto continued before anyone could interrupt:
---
[Yuuto]:
Strength, magic, bloodline…
those are tools.
But your knowledge of different worlds?
That's a weapon.
[Yuuto Kido]:
You know more than anyone here.
You read patterns, predict outcomes, foresee threats.
You understand characters, timelines, dangers.
[Yuuto]:
You're not the weakest.
You're our brain.
A navigator we cannot replace.
Then, like a vow carved into stone:
---
[Yuuto]:
And listen, Kuroneko—
As someone who has seen the memories of a king…
I know very well who has true worth.
A final message arrived —
a declaration that felt like it shook the very sky:
---
[Yuuto Kido]:
Believe in yourself…
the way I believe in you.
If you doubt yourself—
then I'll make sure the entire world remembers who Kuroneko truly is.
The Chat Group exploded.
---
[Lady Avalon]:
Hahaha! As expected of my pupil.
[Hatsune Miku]:
Waaah… that was… so cool…! 😳🔥
[Yamato]:
Kido… your aura suddenly changed…
like a war commander…
[Irene Belserion]:
Hmph.
Not bad.
Kuroneko didn't reply for a long moment.
Finally—
---
[Kuroneko]:
…Thank you.
[Kuroneko]:
Kido.
Right now…
you seriously sound like a shounen protagonist.