Takanashi Rikka had been different since she was a child. When other kids were still being kids, she could see things that ordinary people couldn't.
For instance, things like numbers or three-dimensional panels above people's heads.
Most people had a '0' above their heads, and the panels allowed Rikka to know a person's basic information.
But great power often comes with a side effect—her right eye had turned into a golden eye.
This extraordinary eye, combined with Rikka's tendency to say strange things, such as calling other children '0s',
led to her being seen as an outcast and a monster by her peers, who ostracized and bullied her.
They called her an idiot, a lesbian, a chuunibyou, a liar.
In such an environment, unless one had the resilience of Naruto, an ordinary person would have likely turned to darkness, their story probably ending with them being defeated while muttering about creating a new world.
But Takanashi Rikka was ultimately too kind-hearted to hold a grudge against a bunch of kids.
The main reason was that Takanashi Rikka, an avid manga reader, gradually had an epiphany: she was a superpower user, a hero protecting peace from the shadows. Why should she lower herself to the level of mortals?
Someone like her was destined to be a chosen one, shouldering a great mission. Others were merely NPCs, stumbling blocks, background characters, destined never to understand her.
They were not worthy of being her friends!
Her suffering was just a necessary trial on the path to success. One day, she would find the demon lord who threatened the world, eliminate him, and become the savior of all.
Then, those who had mocked and looked down on her would be proven wrong and would come fawning over her, and she would just offer a cold smile.
You ignored me then, but now I'm out of your league!
Holding onto this belief, Rikka used the ability she named the Tyrant's Eye to scrutinize every person in her sight.
It's worth mentioning here that besides the offensive abilities shown earlier, Rikka's Tyrant's Eye also had minor skills like True Name Revelation, Clairvoyance, X-ray Vision, and Contract.
Of course, for Kanzaki Saku, they were all useless.
Takanashi Rikka continued her lonely observations day after day, until Kanzaki Saku appeared in her line of sight.
In her eighteen years of life, he was the first being whose true name she couldn't see, and the first person she encountered who was also a suspected superpower user.
From that moment on, she incessantly spied on Kanzaki Saku with her Clairvoyance and X-ray Vision.
She watched when Kanzaki Saku ate, she watched when Kanzaki Saku slept, and she watched when Kanzaki Saku engaged in intimate acts.
She couldn't watch that, however, as Kanzaki Saku would deploy a [Reversal] field during such moments.
In short, Rikka secretly observed Kanzaki Saku and confirmed that he was not the gentle, frail older brother he appeared to be on the surface, and that he was always performing some kind of invisible ritual with different people.
After each ritual, the girl with Kanzaki Saku would be left completely drained and would become obedient to his every word.
This must be the demon lord absorbing the souls of those mortals!
I, Takanashi Rikka, must stop this demon lord Kanzaki Saku from harming the world!
So, Rikka used the contact information she had obtained through spying to add Kanzaki Saku.
And issued a challenge.
In her fantasy, Kanzaki Saku was the final boss hidden in the mundane world, and she was the hero about to slay the demon lord!
Their duel would be an epic battle between good and evil. She would endure a hard-fought battle and finally, under the setting sun, plunge her holy sword (an umbrella) into the demon lord's heart!
As long as she defeated Kanzaki Saku, she could prove herself. All her grievances and loneliness would be soothed, and the world would return to its proper course because of her heroic deed.
In short, defeat Kanzaki Saku, and everything will be alright!
And, with her invincible Tyrant's Eye, victory was her destiny.
That's how it was supposed to be, but...
Why is this boss on a Souls-like difficulty level?!
His cheap, repetitive moves were monstrously strong; she couldn't win no matter how hard she tried.
This was completely different from the hero's journey she had imagined, where she would fight a tough battle and ultimately shine!
Along with Kanzaki Saku's final [Reversal], the belief that had sustained Takanashi Rikka, that self-comforting narrative of 'hero' and 'demon lord,' was shattered at this moment, along with her clothes.
Grievance, shame, unwillingness, despair... all these emotions converged, overwhelming the psychological defenses she had long built.
"Why... why can't I do anything..."
At first, she tried to hold it back, but it soon turned into uncontrollable sobbing. Tears mixed with dust, tracing two clear paths down her pale little face.
She was no longer the wielder of the Tyrant's Eye, just a pitiful girl whose dream had been shattered.
Watching the bawling Rikka, Kanzaki Saku's mind was on something else entirely: 'Losing a battle results in clothes-ripping. That fits my understanding of a defeat CG.'
"My, my, that was a truly satisfying battle," Kanzaki Saku said as he comforted Rikka, extending a hand.
Not to help her up, but to touch Rikka's chest, which was trembling slightly from her sobs.
If you were to ask why, it's because it was there!
"Among the superpower users I've met, I'd call you the strongest!" Kanzaki Saku said with a straight face, his words completely at odds with his actions.
Although he had only met one superpower user—her—could you say she wasn't the strongest among those he'd met?!
Because this was a reversed world, and Rikka was very innocent, she didn't react to Kanzaki Saku's groping.
Her focus was mainly on Kanzaki Saku's latter comment praising her as the strongest.
"R-really? Am I really... the strongest superpower user you've ever met?" Takanashi Rikka asked, wiping her tears.
"Of course. The reason I, Kanzaki Saku, am where I am today is all thanks to my own rigorous daily training, like a rooster hearing the morning crow. It's all thanks to hard work and sweat."
And you have to admit, certain activities require effort and sweat, right?
Those activities can be quite tiring and require technique, you know? Kanzaki Saku even had to perform certain preparations himself and create a specific substance. In short, it was hard work.
As Kanzaki Saku spoke, he was no longer content with petty theft. He directly pulled the disrobed Rikka into his arms and began a more thorough 'evaluation'.
"Don't be discouraged!" Kanzaki Saku said, continuing to spin his tale while feeling the softness in his arms.
"I only won through extreme skill. But you're different. Your 'Tyrant's Eye' is a real stat monster! Its potential is limitless!"
He paused, then summarized in the tone of someone who had seen a future peerless warrior:
"I only barely beat you. Give yourself another two years to develop, and I'm afraid I won't even be able to see your back!"
"In short, I am merely the setting sun, while you are the rising sun of tomorrow!"
_____
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