Satoru Gojo listened as Subaru Natsuki answered his questions with total honesty. Before long, Gojo had gathered a fair amount of information about his new companion. However, after processing the details, Satoru Gojo fell into deep thought.
He had realized something significant. Although both he and Subaru Natsuki claimed to come from a country called Japan—complete with landmarks like Tokyo and Hokkaido—there were stark discrepancies. These weren't just regional differences; they were massive, contradictory gaps in history and culture.
This implied only one thing: the Japan Subaru came from was not the same Japan Satoru hailed from. Furthermore, their timelines didn't align at all. Satoru had crossed over in the year 2006, whereas Subaru had come from 2016. A full ten-year gap existed between them.
This revelation slightly rattled Satoru's worldview. He became even more curious about the "System" that had dragged them both to this world. To be able to manipulate both space and time on such a scale was staggering—it was as if a door to a completely new reality had been kicked open.
While he pondered, Satoru continued to rapidly finish the berry cakes in front of him. When the brain is working overtime, sugar is the most effective fuel.
"Excuse me, I'll have another berry cake!"
"One more berry cake, please!"
"Sorry, could I get another..."
Subaru Natsuki, sitting across from him, watched his companion relentlessly swing his spoon and devour one cake after another. He couldn't help but chime in.
"Satoru, did you skip breakfast?"
"Of course I ate," Satoru replied without looking up, looking completely immersed in his dessert.
"But you've eaten several servings of berry cake already."
"Haven't you heard the saying? Desserts go into a separate stomach."
"Saying things like that is exactly why you're weird, man."
Before long, after polishing off the final bite, Satoru finally stopped. It wasn't that he didn't want more of the sweet treats; it was simply because the silver coin he had "borrowed" from Reinhard had finally run out. A respectable stack of small plates now sat before him.
"Phew, I'm full. Let's go for a walk. Sitting right after eating isn't good for the body."
Satoru stood up, stretched, and signaled for Subaru to join him. As they left the shop, Subaru scratched his cheek.
"Satoru, is it really okay for us to just wander around like this?"
"What else do you think we should be doing?" Satoru asked casually, keeping a light pace.
"Well, you know, like in light novels. We should form a party, become mercenaries, or something."
"I visited a tavern before you arrived, you know. There weren't any 'quests' being posted—just a bunch of demi-humans who looked like they wanted to spit on you. I didn't see any quest boards or wanted posters either..."
As they spoke, sudden screams erupted from the street nearby. Both turned toward the source of the commotion. A child had tripped in the middle of the road and was crying. Not far off, a carriage pulled by a lizard-like creature—known in this world as a Ground Dragon—was barreling toward them.
At this speed, even if the driver tried an emergency brake, inertia would carry the heavy carriage right over the child.
"...Could this be it? A 'Special Ability Trigger Event'?!"
Ever since he arrived, Subaru's life had been disappointingly mundane for an isekai protagonist. Now, seeing this critical moment, his imagination caught fire. In the novels he read, this was exactly the scenario where a protagonist would awaken their hidden potential and manifest unimaginable power.
"Alright!"
"Watch me! I'm going to save them!"
Subaru let out a loud shout and suddenly dropped to one knee, extending his hand toward the child in the street. His form was a bit much, but his intensity was undeniable.
"Oh?"
"Partner, don't leave me out!"
"Let the world witness our talent right from the start!"
Seeing Subaru strike a pose, Satoru Gojo found it amusing and immediately joined in, standing slightly behind him. He pushed up his sunglasses with one hand and extended his other hand toward the child.
The two of them stood there together. In the middle of a bustling street during a life-or-death crisis, they looked like a pair of eccentric weirdos who had no sense of the atmosphere! However, at that moment, no one was looking at them; everyone's eyes were fixed on the endangered child.
In that split second, Subaru saw the child who had fallen on the ground begin to wobble slightly. Then, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the child was lifted by an invisible force and began flying rapidly toward Subaru and Satoru.
"Whoa!"
The crowd gasped at the sight. For Subaru Natsuki, his heart felt like it was going to explode with excitement!
"It worked!"
"I did it!"
"Satoru, did you see that?! It really was a Magic Manifestation Event!"
Subaru shouted in joy, the plastic bag in his hand rustling loudly as he moved. The floating child flew past the path of the speeding carriage in the nick of time and headed toward the sidewalk.
As the child drew closer, the excitement in Subaru's eyes reached a fever pitch. He even tossed his plastic bag aside, preparing to catch the child in a gentle, heroic embrace. He had already planned his victory pose. The crowd was going to go wild for him!
As Subaru prepared to receive his glory, the child reached him. He reached out his arms—but the child didn't stop. The kid kept flying, right past him, toward the person standing behind him.
"Huh?"
Subaru watched as the child zipped past. He froze, staring blankly at his own hands, even giving them a experimental wave as if trying to pull the child back through the air. It was useless. Everything he had just felt seemed like a hallucination.
With a complex mix of emotions, Subaru Natsuki slowly turned his head.