dkrc Chapter 1844 Youth is a lie, a sin! The approach of two lonely souls.
Chapter 1844 Youth is a lie, a sin! The approach of two lonely souls.
Chapter 1844 Youth is a lie, a sin! The approach of two lonely souls.
in the chat group.
Human-Headed Dog and True: "@The Genius Among the Lonely, I have claimed my rewards and completed my job change."
Kazuma and the Head-Dog: "How are your preparations going?"
Kazuma and the human-headed dog: "You didn't secretly use the [Enhancement Function] or the [Enlightenment Function] to improve yourself, did you?"
Kazuma Sato's tone was exceptionally "sunny" and "open," as if he were genuinely just confirming the rules, but his words conveyed a sense of "I'm declaring first that I didn't cheat, so you'd better not cheat either."
A genius among loners: "I should be the one saying this."
A prodigy among loners: "Are you sure you only 'claimed the reward' and didn't use the [Enlightenment Function] to accelerate your adaptation to the new profession?"
Hachiman Hikigaya also spoke, extremely calmly, without a trace of guilt in his tone.
Kazuma Sato: "Of course! I, Kazuma Sato, have always been known for my integrity!"
Kazuma and Headdog: "The [Just a Fate Thief] class is practically tailor-made for me. I don't need any extra adaptation. The moment I start using it, it feels like I've been using it for over a decade!"
Kazuma Sato said it in a serious tone, as if it were really true.
A genius among loners: "Ah, I hope so."
To this, Hachiman Hikigaya chuckled and said, "Does he look like Aqua to you?"
Kazuma Sato: "Hey! What do you mean by that? Are you doubting my talent, Kazuma Sato?"
Kazuma: "Luck is also a part of strength! And mastering luck is my innate talent!"
Human-Headed Dog and True: "In short, I swear on my luck in love for the next ten years, I absolutely did not use the [Enlightenment Function]!"
A genius among loners: "It is meaningless to swear an oath with something so vague and unreal."
A genius among loners: "Forget it, there's no point in continuing the argument."
A prodigy among loners: "Let's see who's the best in the virtual arena; then everything will be clear."
Kazuma and the Headhunter: "Alright! See you on the battlefield!"
Kazuma and the human-headed dog: "Let me show you what true 'destiny' really means!"
"Ding, group member [The Genius Among the Lonely] has activated the virtual battle arena."
"Ding, group member [Headdog and Zhen] has entered the virtual battle arena."
As the chat group chat started buzzing, Kazuma Sato and Hachiman Hikigaya both entered the virtual battle arena.
An ordinary group admin asked: "Neither of them really used the [Enlightenment Function]?"
An ordinary group admin: "Why do you all speak with such confidence?"
An ordinary group owner said: "Originally, I didn't really believe in Kazuma Sato, but since he dared to gamble with ten years of his romantic luck, I'm starting to believe him a little."
Su Yunqing looked at the chat history between the two and said in disbelief.
She thought the two of them would do more preparation, but it seems neither of them did anything and they were both "keeping to their own business".
She wasn't surprised that Hachiman Hikigaya was like this, but she just couldn't believe it when Kazuma Sato did the same.
But since he's already betting everything on his luck with women, this must be the biggest gamble for Kazuma Sato, right?
Himouto! Umaru-chan: "It seems like that."
Himouto! Umaru-chan: "This feels a bit unexpected."
Umaru felt the same way.
She thought that, given Kazuma Sato's personality, he would make some extra preparations.
But it seems that's not the case now.
Umaru felt that she might have developed a slight prejudice against Kazuma Sato because of the memory copy.
Erina Nakiri: "But, for some reason, I feel like something's not right."
Erina felt that something was wrong, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
It seems they were wrong.
However, just because they didn't notice it doesn't mean that others didn't.
The richest man in the lighthouse said: "You can trust Kazuma Sato a little. Doing nothing is not his style."
The richest man in the lighthouse said: "I don't think you would think of Kazuma Sato as someone who likes to defeat his opponents in a 'fair and square' way, especially when you're unsure of their strength."
The richest man in the lighthouse said, "Without a doubt, he definitely made preparations, as did Hachiman Hikigaya."
Tony spoke with absolute certainty, without the slightest hesitation.
An ordinary group admin: "Huh? It can't be that bad, can it?"
An ordinary group admin said, "Didn't he use ten years of romantic connections as a price?"
Su Yunqing found Tony's words somewhat unbelievable.
Didn't Kazuma Sato guarantee it with his luck with women? Does he not even care about that anymore?
In the chat group, he probably cares about this more than most people do.
The Magician Under the Moonlight: "Sato Kazuma only used his luck in love as a wager, he didn't mention any consequences, what is he afraid of?"
The Magician Under the Moonlight: "He only said he dared to swear on his romantic luck for the next ten years, instead of actually swearing on his romantic luck for the next ten years. You should know the difference, right?"
Kaito Kuroba glanced at Kazuma Sato's words and couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head.
This method might fool people from another world, but Hachiman Hikigaya isn't so easily fooled.
This is also why Tony said that Hachiman Hikigaya was also prepared.
Knowing full well that Kazuma Sato would "make a move," would he simply do nothing and wait for Kazuma Sato to finish his "preparations" before starting?
He naturally needed to be prepared.
Hachiman Hikigaya failed to fool them, but to their surprise, Su Yunqing, Umaru, and Erina Nakiri actually believed them.
In other words, they are no match for Kazuma Sato. If they were, Kazuma Sato would definitely be in a terrible situation.
After all, the difference in their strength is so great that they probably wouldn't even be able to initiate the theft; going up would just mean certain death.
The ordinary group owner: "???"
An ordinary group owner said: "Holy crap, he really only gambled on his luck with women, without mentioning the consequences."
An ordinary group admin: "How can this guy be so cunning?"
After seeing Tony and Kaito Kuroba's words, Su Yunqing scrolled up and looked at the chat history, and found that it was indeed true.
Is Kazuma Sato really that cunning? He thought of this right away?
Even when fighting Hachiman Hikigaya, you have to plan ahead?
An ordinary group owner said, "But in that case, wouldn't Hachiman Hikigaya be at a huge disadvantage?"
An ordinary group admin: "By the way, @LighthouseRichestMan, why did you say that Hachiman Hikigaya was also preparing in advance?"
An ordinary group admin said: "Teacher Da is not a person who likes to lie."
The richest man in the lighthouse: "Are you sure?"
The richest man in the lighthouse said: "In the lie that he defined as youth, he eventually came to enjoy it."
The richest man in the lighthouse said: "It's impossible that out of so many relationships, only he is the one that is true love and the one that is real, and the others are not?"
The richest man in the lighthouse: "And the self-destructions in the memory instances."
The richest man in the world said: "He is not a person who likes to lie, but he doesn't mind doing so if he can achieve the best results at the lowest cost."
The richest man in the city said: "Although it's a bit strange to use this kind of thing in this context, the meaning is the same."
The special thing about the relationship between Hachiman Hikigaya and Yukino Yukinoshita is that it sprouted and grew in the context of the "youthful love" that Hachiman Hikigaya was most opposed to, and even went so far as to expose its hypocrisy by "self-destruction".
But it ultimately transcended this framework and reached a more essential state, which Hachiman called "the real thing".
The initial attraction stems from a resonance and a pang deep within the soul.
Yukino Yukinoshita, a girl who is like a flower on a high mountain, perfect and flawless, yet lonely and stubbornly adhering to her own "correct" principles, is another version of herself in Hachiman Hikigaya's eyes.
A loner who fights against social "lies" in a more dazzling, yet more clumsy way.
Her uncompromising pride, her almost acerbic bluntness, and the vulnerability and gentleness hidden beneath her cold exterior are like a mirror, reflecting Hachiman Hikigaya's own unwillingness to admit his yearning for and protection of "truth."
Their approach to each other occurred slowly but inevitably through the activities of the Service Department, in the process of resolving seemingly trivial but actually complex requests that reflected the intricacies of human nature.
There was no deliberate ambiguity, but rather a clash of ideas, friction of values, and a gradual deepening of understanding and consensus through debates on "what is right" and "what is helpful."
Hachiman Hikigaya can see the loneliness and cost behind Yukino's insistence on "being right," while Yukino can also see the tenderness and despair behind Hachiman's "self-destruction" sacrifice.
This kind of "seeing" transcends appearances and reaches the core.
When Hachiman Hikigaya expressed his disgust for "fake things" and was willing to sacrifice himself to destroy the false harmony, Yukinoshita was one of the few who could understand his resolute determination.
Even if she doesn't agree.
Hachiman Hikigaya also deeply empathized with Yukino's struggle to break free from her family's expectations and insist on her own path.
He understood that beneath her seemingly unbreakable icy shell lay a sensitive soul yearning to be truly understood.
He didn't try to melt her heart with sweet words, but rather supported and protected her in his own unique, thorny yet incredibly genuine way, even standing with her against external pressures.
Their relationship was built up little by little through countless clashes and tacit cooperation, through countless quiet afternoons spent together, and through facing difficulties together and witnessing each other's most vulnerable and authentic sides.
It is a mixture of understanding, recognition, pity, competition, and an ineffable, soul-level bond.
When Hachiman Hikigaya finally confirmed that this feeling was "real," it wasn't because it conformed to any beautiful imagination about "love."
On the contrary, it is because it contains all the imperfections, all the conflicts, all the clumsiness and pain, yet it still exists tenaciously, and makes them all become better and more complete versions of themselves.
They accepted each other completely.
But as Tony said, if "youth" itself was a "lie" in Hachiman Hikigaya's early definition, then in a sense, he was indeed "fallen" into this "lie" that he had tried so hard to resist.
However, what he fell into was not the lie he initially criticized.
What Hachiman Hikigaya detests is the kind of performance that involves faking a smile to fit in, giving up one's individuality to avoid being ostracized, and conforming to the expectation that "youth should be like this."
He saw through the hypocrisy, compromise, and self-deception involved, and in an almost self-destructive way, he tried to maintain his "authenticity" and independence.
However, what he and Yukino Yukinoshita experienced together was precisely a subversion of this "youth".
Their stories contain no frivolous banter, no deliberate pandering, and no pointless lamentations about youth for its own sake.
What exists is only the contradiction of confronting problems head-on, the fierce clash of values, and the mutual recognition and clumsy approach of lonely souls.
Youth is not just a false celebration; it can also be a journey where two independent individuals find each other amidst confusion and pain and explore the "true things" together.
From then on, he was no longer an outsider but a participant in youth, personally immersing himself in and experiencing a completely different kind of youth.
It is undoubtedly true that Hachiman Hikigaya is a person who detests lies and pursues "truth"; however, to conclude that he "does not lie" or "never uses lies" would be a huge misunderstanding of him.
On the contrary, he didn't mind using "lies" as a strategic tool in order to achieve the outcome of "minimizing the cost and ensuring no one gets hurt".
When he judges that a temporary lie can prevent greater harm, he will not hesitate to choose to be the "liar".
Whether it's fabricating reasons to take the blame alone or deliberately creating misunderstandings to protect others, such "white lies" are commonplace in his actions.
Therefore, although it may seem strange to use this as an analogy for preparing for a virtual battle arena, the underlying logic is the same.
Tony was absolutely certain that Hachiman Hikigaya had used abilities such as the [Enlightenment Function] and [Enhancement Function] to enhance himself in order to ensure that he would not lose in this battle.
It's not a big deal to lose, but who wants to lose when they can win?
Furthermore, Hachiman Hikigaya needs to use these chat group functions to improve himself; he can't just leave those points there unused.
Cursed spirits and evil spirits will never disappear. Even if they don't appear for a short time because of Bai Xuan, they will continue to be born under the ever-present negative emotions of humanity.
Therefore, he doesn't need to worry about points at all; he only needs to plan how to maximize his points during this period.
Although he is powerful, that's only within his own world; he's much less capable in a chat group.
To put it bluntly, Gojo Satoru only has the ability to destroy a city, but in Hachiman Hikigaya's worldview, no one can stop him, so given enough time, he can destroy even a country.
Hachiman Hikigaya could also do something like that, but his strength wouldn't be considered as strong enough to destroy a country.
(End of this chapter)