The Secret Revolution

I jumped out of my seat, dashed to the stage, grabbed onto her, and then… I woke up in a bed.

It's not my normal bed so the first thing I make sure to do is make sure I didn't get kidnapped. Which would be real fucking annoying. I got too much stuff going on right now to deal with this creepy ass room.

I hear the door open to the room and I get ready to beat up whoever comes through but thankfully it's someone I actually know.

It's Kenos. Wearing some weird outfit.

"Hi, I got you a cookie." He says indeed, holding out a cookie.

I decided to take the cookie but put it aside for now, I couldn't really care for a cookie right now. I don't even know where I am.

"Kenos please explain to me what the heck happened." I look at his outfit. "And what the hell you're wearing?"

Kenos takes a bite out of his cookie. "Oh right, well you basically freaked out when the two heroes showed up and you kinda went wild on her beating her up and stuff."

"Did I win?"

"Oh, definitely it was completely a one-sided massacre. I mean you absolutely pulverized her."

"I see… In that case, where am I?"

"Hmm, I guess you really don't remember anything. Well basically after you were done beating the hero up you passed out right then and there so we decided to take that moment to help you before those wrongdoers on the hero's side got to you

"Wait, who are 'we'?" I ask but in just in time the door that's still open invites other unwanted attention as well.

"Heya Ren…" Rudy says as she enters the room.

I can't help but notice she is wearing the same outfit Kenos has on.

"Ok, you better give me a quick answer for what on earth is going on here."

"Sure thing, basically I'm the local leader of this covert revolution that plans to overthrow the government. As it turns out when you're a war-mongering nation you get a lot of enemies real fast."

"Umm ok and why am I and Kenos here then?"

"Oh Kenos has been here forever and demons don't like this country it would seem. We would just like some of your help with taking down the heroes. Since they are this country's strongest cards and you and Akari are our strongest."

I give Kenos a mean glare.

"What? Is this about the whole not telling you I was part of a different friend group? If you're that mad about not having an outfit we can make one right away."

I ignore his blabbering.

"What? So are you telling me the heroes are still?"

"Alive and well it would seem. You definitely did a number on one of them though, they're basically useless. It does however put plans on hold for trying to swad them to our side"

That female hero is still alive? For a moment I expect a banging headache. It seems however I brace for nothing. Was it that hero that caused my headaches? But why? For the first time in a while, I feel able to actually think clearly about it but nothing is coming up.

"What? So you want our help to take them down for good?"

"Basically…"

Another weird thing is I'm much more easily able to remember what happened before I died. Before I never thought about it but now…

"That's fine then, I'll get Akari to get his ass up and agree to"

"Y-You will? Just like that? I mean we didn't even have to bribe you with an outfit."

"I'm having a hard time remembering right now but I think me and this female hero know each other."

"You do? But when did you ever have time to meet her?"

"I had plenty of time in another world. Anyway, where the heck is Akari at?"

"Oh right well we were actually able to-"

"Oh, no way did I get kidnapped? Sick!"

 I look around the unfamiliar room with a bit of excitement. Me get kidnapped? I mean that has to be on my bucket list. Yes unconventional but people also fantasize about being the hero and defeating the robber so why can't I fantasize about escaping a kidnapping.

"You hear that Persistence, wanna figure out a way to get out of here?" I ask but get no response.

My impatience grows as Persistence continues not to make himself known. 

Well, I can do this without him. So how should I go about this? Escape from a vent? Maybe take someone down and steal their weapon seeing how…

I reach down to my side where my sword should normally be. Normally during one of these scenarios, they strip you of all your items and you have to use your wit to survive, picking up useful items as you go.

But my sword is still here and since I was able to reach it easy enough. I look down and see I'm not restrained at all…

Uhh, maybe they're just really dumb?

I mean after my fight with that wizard I was practically bleeding out of everywhere, also…

I try stretching but my muscles refuse to. Instead, they make me feel some horrible pain. Ya, I'm also really sore right now it would seem. Even in places, I didn't get hurt. This might be some side effect of the persistence skill that Persistence talked about.

Hmm, it's kind of funny how both my skill and the person are both named the same thing. I mean I don't know if he is the skill or if he's like some protector of it, maybe he's just some guy with a really unfortunate name.

"Master or you ok?" I hear someone speak in the room.

Now it's not like I was purposely ignoring perceiving them or something, it's more like I was thinking of the best way to introduce myself to them. Seeing how I'm not entirely sure who they are.

After Persistence took over my body for that bit I was able to gain his memories but it's still not very clear. I mean I know this girl is important but like is she some slave or something. The whole 'Master' makes me feel weird yet important.

She seems fine enough with nice blue hair that reminds me of the same color as slimes. She's wearing this weird shady yet important-looking uniform. It seems a size too big for her though. Overall 8/10.

"Greeting little girl and who might you be exactly?" I say taking the direct approach.

I watch the little girl about to cry. The direct approach was not the right one!

"Master don't tell me you have forgotten about me…"

"Me forget? No I mean come on! It's you… Uh, the little girl I always have around." You know now that I say that out loud why did persistence have this girl around? I pray for the best.

It seems like I have chosen the incorrect route as the girl's tears only become more evident. However, it's almost like there is a different thought inside her that changes her sadness. Thank god.

"Master, please keep speaking!"

"Um, sure? I love swords, manga, and pizza. You know back in my day we didn't have those fancy toys. I to enjoy the sacred practice known as 'picking up girls'." After saying whatever junk could come to my mind the fastest it seems to brighten this girl's day.

"Oh, it's really you, the real you. I mean I knew you were acting weird for the longest time but now I mean I'm just so glad you're back." She says hugging me.

Before I can even ask who this girl is some more people I have known come in.

"So is he awake yet or do we have to wait another day? Oh, you're up." Another person I have a faint memory of.

A third peeks their head in enough to get a look in. Her most striking feature is her animal ears.

"He is?" They just keep spawning!

The little girl gets out of my bed and stands confidently.

"Guys it seems Akari's memory is foggy so don't try to overwhelm him." She says, making me confused by her seemingly authoritative tone.

Hmm, I think I recognize one of them…

It's the girl with the pink hair. I guess she's a 6/10. I don't really feel like explaining my reasoning to myself.

I point to the one with pink hair. "Are we dating?" I ask a simple question.

The girl I pointed to becomes visibly flustered by my question. She looked around her to see if I was talking to anyone else.

"Well I mean, we umm, I guess I never thought of it like that. Well, not never, I just never thought." Jade's antics get questionable exasperations from all of us.

"Yes, yes we're dating" She finally says.

I see. So she was dating Persistence. Man, I hope he doesn't mind me taking his girl. Seeing how my character arc is finished, one of the benefits of that is that I'm cool with dating now.

"What no you are not! You can't date him! I was going to get married to Master!" The little girl says breaking her once authoritative attitude.

Persistence I won't lie your court case isn't looking strong.

"You are not, Eira help me out here!" Jade says to the fur- I mean hybrid standing next to her.

For a second this hybrid looks at Jade not knowing what to do.

You know out of all three of these people she's the one I think I know the least about. From what I can tell so far she's like Jades, assistant? Slave? Don't know yet.

"Oh right!" Eira says seemingly finally understanding what Jade wanted from her. "The truth is that you and I were actually hitting it off Akari." She says giving the pink-haired girl a wink which is then reciprocated with a shoulder bump from the now annoyed girl.

I can feel a tear fall off my face.

"Akari? Are you ok?" The concerned group asks.

What they didn't know is that I was better than ok. I was so incredibly happy. Happy for what Persistence had been doing.

I get it now. So, all this time you were building a harem.

I shed another tear.

You beautiful bastard.