Clarity X Complexity X Departure

Kurama had heard of that name before.

Back then, he was still in the Demon World, still that infamous and wicked thief who, having realized he could never return home, decided life must go on and gradually regained his spirit. To be honest, Kurama never seemed to mind his identity as a thief; in fact, during that period when he was just starting to recover, he still felt a bit lost and uncertain. He didn’t know where he should go, what he should do, or what reason he had to keep persevering.

But his original profession—a thief—gave him a direction in which to continue and a channel through which to vent all the emotions he’d bottled up for so long.

So Kurama carried on with that profession, except he didn’t kill indiscriminately or deliberately destroy others’ lives—even in the Demon World, where the law of the jungle reigned and there was no such thing as social morality or legal restraint, Kurama still held fast to his final bottom line.

During that time, he and Yomi worked together quite harmoniously.

For someone as rational, intelligent, and for a demon, unusually even-tempered and good-natured as Yomi, Kurama had truly considered him a close confidant for a time. In the end, though, for the sake of the story’s progression, he still chose to “break” with Yomi as fate originally dictated.

Fortunately, when everything was over, he and Yomi returned to their old, easy camaraderie as friends—though, in the interim, the world had changed beyond recognition.

…Wait, now’s not the time to be nostalgic!

The reason Kurama recalled such distant memories was because the first time he heard the name “Gift of the World” was not long after he had taken up his old profession, resuming life as the infamous thief.

Yomi, somehow, had gotten wind of some news: a certain demon lord in the eastern region of the Demon World had recently obtained a treasure of inestimable value. Its name… was “Gift of the World.”

Although none of the demons really knew what extraordinary thing could possibly deserve such a grand name, that didn’t stop them all from coveting it.

Kurama and Yomi devised a foolproof plan to steal the “Gift of the World.”

Everything had been going smoothly—until, at the last moment, King Enma of the Spirit World unexpectedly intervened, snatching the treasure away in the middle of the heist!

Kurama had always kept this incident in his heart. It was one of the things that spurred him to grow stronger—lacking strength, even the things you fought so hard for could slip from your grasp. Only with true power could he protect everything he cherished.

“…All in all, it’s a rather bitter memory.”

Now, Kurama could smile wryly at it, poking fun at himself.

Yuuko’s gaze upon him turned subtly meaningful.

“What is meant to be yours will always be yours,” she said, her words laden with implication. Then, not giving Kurama the chance to ask further, she continued, “So you actually don’t know what that thing does?”

Seeing her intent, Kurama could only nod.

“Exactly. Yomi and I never even touched it, so how could we possibly know what it’s for?”

“Still, judging by how the Spirit World was determined to acquire it even through the hands of demons, it must be a truly precious treasure, don’t you think?”

He sighed, a hint of regret for the past lingering in his heart.

Yuuko gave him another of those subtly meaningful glances.

“It is, of course, an extremely precious treasure,” she replied, as if answering Kurama and speaking to herself at the same time. “After all, it is the Gift of the World itself.”

Now Kurama began to catch her drift.

“Miss Yuuko, you mean…”

Could it really be as he suspected?

“You’ve guessed it?” The witch’s lips curled into a bold, unrestrained smile. “The reason it’s called the ‘Gift,’ the ‘Gift of the World,’ is that it is, in essence, a drop of essence left behind by the world—the planet—or rather, by the rules themselves.”

“In every parallel world we know, or rather, in every layer of the multiverse, at the very genesis of the rules, such a thing is left behind.”

“Their form varies—sometimes a gemstone, sometimes a concentrated liquid essence, sometimes an unremarkable stone, or perhaps, in the end, a living, intelligent being. But they all share the same name—the Gift of the World.”

“They are the closest things to the source in their respective worlds, containing the purest energy—but that’s not the main point.”

“The real point is that the power of the rules is condensed within them.”

“With this, the people of a world can deepen their understanding of the rules; those without power can gain power, those with power can go further and glimpse the truth of the world.”

“And for someone from another world who acquires the Gift of a different world…”

“They can break free of the restrictions the rules place on outsiders, and thus gain the ability to freely learn and master the powers of other worlds.”

Yuuko paused here, observing Kurama’s utterly stunned expression, her smile seeming particularly delighted.

“My, judging by your face, you’re thinking—is it really that incredible? Of course it is.”

“Know this—the Count’s gift to you is truly extraordinary. Even in one’s own world, the appearance of such a thing leads to fierce competition, and only those at the pinnacle of the world can finally possess it. To obtain the Gift of another world is an even greater challenge. Do you think it would be easier?”

She snorted, still sounding a bit disgruntled over the Count’s generosity toward Kurama.

“That’s why I say you’re a lucky one. Even for the Count, getting something like this is no easy feat. Who would have thought he’d give it to you without a second thought?”

“So you needn’t worry about it harming your body. It won’t directly grant you more power, but once it fully fuses with you, the benefits—well, I think you know without me saying.”

“Treasure this gift, Kurama.”

“And be glad you didn’t use it to restore your demonic power. If you had… I’d gladly have given you several treasures to make up for it.”

With that, Yuuko, not waiting for Kurama’s response, cut off their connection unilaterally.

At this point, Kurama no longer cared how much demon power he might have gotten for such a treasure from Yuuko. He simply stood there, expression complicated and mood impossible to describe.

The Count…

To present such a gift upon first meeting—what exactly are you thinking…?

Raising a hand to cover his face, Kurama’s thoughts were more tangled and chaotic than ever.

＊＊＊

No matter how tumultuous Kurama’s feelings, his journey and life in this other world had to continue.

So when Jin finished his work for the day and returned to camp in the evening, the tent and campfire were already prepared, and Kurama had returned to his usual self, sitting by the fire with Mokona in his arms, preparing food.

Seeing Jin return, he greeted him with a cheerful smile.

The dark-haired man raised an eyebrow, said nothing, and came straight over to dig into the meal.

Sated and content, he lay on his back by the river again, gazing up at the vast expanse of starry sky revealed through the sparse trees along the banks.

“My exploration will be finished in a few more days,” he said suddenly.

“That rare beast does still survive here, deep within the forest.”

Though his deduction was confirmed, Jin’s tone wasn’t particularly excited.

Kurama glanced at him sideways. “You’re not planning to publish this discovery, are you?”

This time, Jin looked a bit surprised.

“You know?”

Kurama chuckled softly.

“If you don’t make it public, those creatures can continue living and multiplying quietly in this forest—which, to humans, is practically a death zone. Someday, when their numbers are sufficient, they’ll migrate, and naturally reappear in human sight.”

“But if you spread the word…”

“No matter how dangerous, the peace of this forest would inevitably be shattered, wouldn’t it?”

—No danger could outweigh the greed inherent in human nature.

Jin turned his head away, chuckling quietly.

“No wonder you’re Kurama.”

That was indeed his plan.

“So really, I just meant to say—we’ll be leaving soon.”

He made no further comment on the subject, instead turning his gaze to the glittering stars, feeling inexplicably at ease.

“In the meantime, you’d best solidify your foundational training in Nen.”

“Because once we leave…”

We’ll be entering G・I soon enough.

And the current G・I… will not give any rookies much time to adjust.

Though Jin wanted Kurama’s help in testing the game, Kurama was also his friend—he didn’t want to see him suffer.

The fox demon tilted his head and smiled softly. “Don’t worry, I’m not as useless as you think.”

Though he said this, his expression was utterly relaxed and cheerful. Together they lay back, gazing at the brilliant stars of a clear summer night—a scene, strangely enough, reminiscent of a certain moment in the original story…

＊＊＊

Jin’s prediction proved accurate.

On the afternoon of the third day after discovering traces of the rare beast, the seasoned hunter, well-versed in survival, tracked them to their lair. After confirming their numbers and condition, he packed up, ready to depart.

During those three days, Kurama once again demonstrated astonishing learning ability. He had nearly perfected “Ten” and, with occasional guidance from Jin and his own exploration, had begun training in “Ren.”

“You really are a monster! A prodigy!” Jin exclaimed.

Kurama, however, remained calm as ever.

In fact, the methods for cultivating all forms of power are, to some extent, interconnected. Master one, and with a skilled guide in another, it’s not especially difficult to learn.

And because Kurama progressed far beyond expectations, Jin’s plan to bring him into G・I could be moved up.

So, after leaving the forest, they found a city, cleaned up, enjoyed a delicious meal, and in a room at a local inn, Jin, looking very serious, produced a game console from who-knows-where.

“Let me confirm—are you sure you don’t… regret this?”

He hooked everything up, plugged in the cartridge, and, just as he handed Kurama the controller, hesitated for a moment.

Kurama rolled his eyes, snatching the controller from Jin’s hand.

“If I were going to regret it, I’d have done so long ago. Why hesitate now?”

Without waiting for Jin’s reply, he activated his Nen, and just before being absorbed into the game, tossed Jin a quick, “I’ll be waiting for you inside.”

And then—

With a dizzying spin, Kurama found himself in an entirely new place—

Hello, G・I.

Author’s note: So, the gemstone is a very important plot device! Even if Kurama’s demon power hasn’t fully returned, he can now strengthen himself by fusing with powers from other worlds—no more worrying about being bullied! …Though I never intended for him to suffer, anyway _(:3∠)_

And wow, are there really so many people supporting the Kurama/Count pairing? Covering my face, I truly didn’t expect that… Well, don’t rush to pick sides yet! The candidate for the next world’s pairing is coming soon—let’s see how his chemistry with Kurama goes before deciding, okay? But don’t ask me who it is—if I tell you now, I’ll spoil the next world! [rolls]

Next up, here’s a little cameo of Kurama’s dear friend Yomi, from the flashback—

Sigh, I really do like Yomi from that era! Gentle, rational, wise, a handsome uncle…>