Chapter 8: To You, My Pair

[Encounter]

The scene where the protagonist and heroine meet is undeniably important. Whether dramatic, ordinary, vivid, or boring, without this encounter, their story cannot begin.

Whether it's a chance encounter in an everyday scene, or a fateful meeting in an unforgettable, extraordinary moment, there's no right or wrong answer when it comes to the scene of the encounter, even though individual preferences may vary. I understand that premise, and I wholeheartedly agree.

However, if I may take that into consideration and still declare my preference—I think the ideal encounter between a sickly heroine and the protagonist should be exceptionally fateful, vivid, dramatic, decisive, and truly life-changing for both of them.

★★★

The baby was abandoned. Whether his parents died or he was abandoned for some other reason, the truth remains unknown to anyone, even to the baby himself.

But what is certain is that he was abandoned at the age of a newborn.

This world is not so kind as to allow a being who cannot even speak its own name to survive.

Unfortunately, there was no kind person to help him.

Normally, he would have simply withered away as an unnamed baby, unnoticed by anyone.

That's what should have happened.

However, fortunately... or rather, unfortunately, the baby was—not an ordinary being.

The crying baby was surrounded by an overwhelming amount of Yang energy.

The opposite of Yin energy, which symbolizes death, is Yang energy, which is none other than the symbol of life.

Therefore, it was only natural in this world that the baby, lacking a balanced amount of negative energy, would not die...

That the baby simply could not die.

Yin energy is negative energy. Without exception, excessive negative energy slows down, weakens, and stagnates the life and physical activity of its owner, ultimately leading to death.

Its opposite, Yang energy, is positive energy. Without exception, excessive positive energy makes the life and physical activities of its owner infinitely sharper, more active, and faster, and as a result, it continues to give life.

The baby's cries grow louder and more intense. His five senses, amplified by the Yang energy, are tormented by everything he perceives.

Light, wind, heat—everything is being given to him in quantities and qualities far beyond his young body's capacity to process.

But he cannot die.

His body is enveloped in the positive energy of yang, a symbol of goodness.

In stark contrast to the Yin energy that brings death from the moment of birth, Yang energy continues to give life. 

Even if he did not wish for it.

The cries continued to echo. But no one ever came forward to answer them.

★

From the moment of birth, the baby continued to live, his body ravaged by life itself.

Blinded by light, trembling in the wind, frightened by sounds, everything he felt in this world tormented him.

Yet, clad in rags to protect himself, drinking muddy water, licking dirt, and eating weeds, the baby continued to live.

Before long, the baby had grown to the age of a boy. His body, overflowing with Yang energy, was remarkably strong, agile, and robust for his age.

He could easily snap the necks of beasts taller than himself, shoot down birds in the sky with pebbles, and sometimes even clash with demons.

Yet, just like when he was a baby, the boy did not die.

Just as when he was a baby, he simply continued to live.

Even as his body was burned by this world, he never tried to die, just as he had when he was a baby.

Was it because he had already given up on dying, or because he did not want to die?

Even the boy did not know.

He lived, lived, and lived.

The boy continued to live alone.

The Yang energy that enveloped him, the body that had been corroded by that energy, prevented him from walking with anyone.

He spent his days alone, never having his name called by anyone, simply in agony.

During these days, the boy began to notice something strange about himself. A desire for something, something he lacked, began to overflow uncontrollably.

Unbeknownst to the boy, this was a premonition of his transformation into a monstrous being called 'Stranger'. An anomalous entity in this world, constantly seeking the complementary energy it had lost. The ultimate fate of those who could not die within the natural order.

Normally, one would die before reaching this point.

No matter how much Yang energy one possesses, one will die if they do not eat.

One will die if they cannot breathe.

One will die if they suffer an irreparable injury.

One will die from old age.

The three elements—Qi, body, and soul—are merely components of a living being.

Qi is not the power of dreams or magic.

Even if it seems like a dream, it is not a dream itself. Even if it seems like magic, it is not magic itself.

Therefore, the boy should have died.

He should have died.

But the boy continued to live.

Was it by chance, or by sheer determination?

Either way, the outcome remained the same.

The boy descended the mountain where he grew up, following his instincts, and ran relentlessly in the direction of what something within him desired.

And so, one boy was on its way to become what he was meant to be. 

He, soon, will become a Stranger.

The being who constantly seeking what he lacked, the Yin energy. 

A cruel ending awaited him at the end of his desperate struggle to survive amidst suffering.

However, just as when he was a baby, there should have been no one to answer the boy's cries....

...... That was supposed to be the case.

"Are you alright? You look like you're in a lot of pain."

The boy jumped into a place where there was white.

Not the intense, burning white that had filled his life up until then, but a gentle white that enveloped him for the first time in his life.

The boy would never forget this moment, even if he were to become a mindless monster.

"First, let me introduce myself. Nice to meet you, I'm Onjōji Chitose."

That day, the boy met his pair.