Even More Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren't They?

Prologue: Celebration

"...so? What's the plan now?" I asked Jin.

Now that we had defeated that Demon Lord and her minions of the Hamelin River, our community of no names has been celebrating our success. And rightly so, I couldn't really blame them. After all, the Demon Lords were forces to be feared in the Little Garden.

In my opinion though, they aren't all that tough.

"What do you mean? Plan?" Jin just gave me this quizzical and clueless look as he tore a bite from his grilled meat.

I couldn't help but sigh in response.

"You're supposed to be the leader of the No-Names, he who led the charge and defeated Perseus and the Demon of the Legend of The Pied Piper, Jin Russel! Don't tell me that you have forgotten about this legendary conquest that no other community of our rank could have accomplished!" I spread my arms and extended them towards the sky as I spoke, feeling the aura of a grand accomplishment seeping into my arms.

"Please don't give me such a grand introduction. It will make things harder to live up to in the future." Jin replied with a troubled smile before he took another mouthful of barbecue.

It's already been three months after all that had happened.

The No-Names have been taking it easy and living peacefully. Thanks to the fame that we had gathered from defeating Perseus, smaller communities have sought to establish connections with the No-Names. Slowly, our community had begun to rise higher and higher from its current position. From being a small community that formerly traded for water and other necessities just to survive, we now had a large amount of citizens that kept working to raise our economy and living standards even further.

Things were looking up for us, I had to admit. And Jin would definitely say the same since he was the leader of the No-Names.

Since the defeat of the Demon Lord and her minions, the No-Names were really making a name for themselves. As the newly christened President of the No-Names' community's government, he usually spent every day speaking with the townsfolk about problems their problems.

But in my personal opinion, things have begun to get boring. I couldn't even fool around with Black Rabbit anymore, who was acting in as Jin's Vice President and foremost adviser. Like Jin, she was kept busy with work. But instead of the meetings, she was cornered to the wall with loads of paperwork.

She was also the manager for the Gift Games that I, Izayoi Sakamaki, had to participate in. Asuka Kudou and You Kasukabe were no exception to this either.

And she is the reason that I am stuck several stories underground, boring my mind out of my skull as I dodged training dummies and practice partners with ease.

Ever since she put us on a constant training regimen, I had changed my old outfit. Thanks to the repetitive battling, my blue and yellow clothes had been ripped to shreds. Now, I wore a navy blue long-sleeved cotton shirt and a pair of slacks that was a shade lighter than my shirt. Over it, I wore a long cobalt leather coat that flowed to the ground.

Thankfully, Shiroyasha had made it for me, so it was reinforced by powerful magic and comfortable material as well.

I was also donning dark blue fingerless leather gloves that had metal-studded knuckles on them. My sneakers that I had brought from my old world had been wrecked in the last battle, so I was now using a pair of blue boots. The only thing that had survived the months of battle was my pair of headphones, attached constantly to my head.

"Hey, hey. Can't you guys give me a challenge?" I asked them mockingly as I sidestepped one person's sword swing. Casually swinging my arm, I struck his chest and sent him flying. He shot past his allies and slammed into the hard rock wall, shooting dust and fragments of the hard rock wall flying. The enemies around me began stepping back in hesitation and fear before turning attention to my other comrades. Without a word, they bolted and dashed towards their next target.

Boring guys.

I decided to lower my fists and place them in my pockets, and I began walked towards the rest of the battle. And I watched.

Asuka Kudou.

A girl with a background that reeked of power and money, but didn't reflect in her unexpectedly kind and sensitive actions. Asuka is a commanding, strong and blunt girl who isn't afraid to get in a fight if it means defending her friends and her beliefs. An unexpected personality for a rich girl, in my opinion.

She was garbed in the same dress that Black Rabbit had given her months ago, which was a beautiful and elegant scarlet. Her brown hair fluttered down to her waist, complemented by a red bow. She also bore red and white gloves and crimson high-heeled shoes.

She certainly looked the rich-girl part, that's for sure.

Like me, she also fell from the sky into Little Garden. Unlike my favorite fighting style, which consisted of beating the enemy up with my own fists and kicks, she fought in a more roundabout manner.

Her Gift, Authority, was capable of forcing other people to obey her commands, whether they like it or not. This can extend to animals and even things that are not alive. She also had a rapier for close quarters combat, but I hardly ever see her use it nowadays.

That's because of the Gift that the lost community Rattenfanger had bestowed upon her has been her favorite weapon to use against her opponents recently, no matter how unfair it was for her enemies.

"You weaklings can't really be thinking that you have a snowball's chance in hell against Deen, do you?" I could hear her sneering and gloating on the top of her living weapon as it devastated the men below with punches and kicks that broke and upturned the earth with terrifying ease.

Deen.

A massive red golem that was extremely tall and was made of something I couldn't really identify. Either it was metal or really shiny rock, and I couldn't tell which. He was built like a wrestler without a neck, large and burly, and his fingers were the size of men. He was equipped with a single red eye that glowed in the darkness of his bulky helmet, which was also capable of firing an extremely powerful laser that could melt and blast through rock and metal with frightening speed and power.

And for some reason, the only thing he could say was his name.

I could see Asuka on Deen's shoulder as she surveyed the battlefield with a smug smile. I could swear that she's a sadist, except that she only adopts that behavior when she fights.

"At least she's having fun." I decided to ignore her for now and focus on the other member of our team.

There was a large crowd of men circling her, but she was eliminating them one by one with speed and power that they couldn't hope to match.

You Kasukabe.

A quiet girl who never really stands out much, but has a strong will and resolution unlike most. Her love for her friends is what usually gives her strength, and I'm honestly surprised at how effective it becomes for her as a source of power in battle.

Ever since she had started undergoing her harsh training regimen that had been initiated a month ago, Kasukabe had started wearing a full leather suit that was white in color. She had goggles strapped to the top of her head, and her necklace was implanted into the middle of her suit. She also wore sky blue leather gloves and boots. The looks was complete when she had dyed a few streaks of her short hair white as well.

As she dispatched a large werewolf in a single blow before taking down a well-built ogre single-handedly, I couldn't help but admire her gift.

Her Gift, Genome Tree, was not an inborn skill unlike mine and Asuka's. Instead, it was bestowed upon her by her father in the form of a carved wooden medallion. With it, she had the power to speak and understand animals. Which is why her constant companion is a cat.

But she is also capable of duplicating the abilities and traits of the creatures she befriends and use them for her own. The ability to travel through the air, for example, was one that she had obtained through her defeat of a mighty Griffin that the Demon Lord Shiroyasha had conjured up.

Thanks to the massive amount of strength that she had copied from an elephant she has supposedly befriended back in her world, she easily took down the rest of the men around her with little difficulty. As we locked eyes, she smiled and waved.

Looks like we're done here.

"Hold it right there, Izayoi!" Suddenly, Asuka's voice boomed across the room and reached my ears through my headphones.

"What do you want, sadist princess on cloud nine?" I shot back at her, giving her a sneer.

"Don't give me that, Izayoi. Why did you stop fighting? We fight as a team, you know. I won't have you slacking off in the midst of a battle."

"It's not like that at all. They ran from me and decided to pick you guys as targets instead. We promised not to interfere with each other's individual battles, right?" I picked out a few words and hurled them at Asuka, waiting to see her response.

"While that might be true, those practice dummies were for you to defeat! Why did you let them pick on us when they were your prey, you truant!"

I felt my eyebrow tense a bit.

Damn, this girl's really trying to get on my nerves.

And it felt like it was working.

As difficult as it felt, I reined in the irritation I was feeling and replaced it with calm. As much as I hate to admit it, Asuka and I were most practically intellectual equals. And if she ropes me into one of her schemes, then I'm just playing the fool.

"Calm down. If I'm not careful, then I might disrupt the flow of battle and change it into one that you might not be happy with. You seemed to be enjoying your mindless slaughter from a moment ago, you sadistisc rich girl. Didn't wanna ruin it."

That oughta do it.

And indeed it did.

Instantly, I felt her rage explode for a moment as it was sent through the air. It waved through the tense atmosphere like tentacles. Kasukabe stepped back a bit, as she could clearly sense the killing intent that Asuka was overflowing with.

And just like that, it stopped.

Oh, she's good at plugging the cork.

"...well, it'll waste time to argue over something that you can fix easily next time. Just don't get too full of yourself, Izayoi. It can be bad for you and for both me and Kasukabe." She said unexpectedly calmly, and then smiled.

"Now, shall we see what Leticia is making for us?"

Ah, I see. She's looking forward to seeing her favorite blond maid, so she's not too mad.

She skipped giddily towards the staircase, humming a cheery tune that I could tell came from where she used to live. I had already gotten used to how much she adored the little vampire maid, but sometimes I wonder just how sane she is.

"Well, I am hungry. Might as well see what's to eat." I resigned myself to it and began walking towards the stairs as well. Placing my hands behind my head, I sighed tiredly.

A tug on my shirt.

I turned around, and Kasukabe smiled at me.

"It's fun, isn't it?"

I couldn't help but smile back. Reflexively, I began petting her head as if she were a cat or my sister.

"Yeah. I guess."

"That's good. It's better that way." She said with a softness that reminded me vividly that she was a girl. Patting me on the back, she rushed ahead of me and ran up the steps energetically. Her cat Calico meowed in complaint and leaped up the stairs after her.

I couldn't help but sigh as I saw that before I began traveling up the steps myself.

I found myself wishing for things to get more interesting.

"Ah. You've finished your practice duel, my lady?"

Every time I see Leticia in her maid outfit, I couldn't help but smile inwardly. The proud vampire, once a powerful member of Little Garden's fighting force, was now catering to our daily needs.

It was almost as if she had wanted to become a maid in the first place. That thought disturbs me a bit.

"Yes, Leticia. Please serve our breakfast." Asuka replied in kind, a satisfied twinkle in her eyes as she watched the graceful demon gently set our plates on the table.

I eyed my own food, bacon and eggs, very hungrily as Leticia placed it in front of me. Off to the side, I could see the hand of another maid placing a glass of water to my left.

"Please enjoy your meal, Sir Izayoi."

The person who had just handed me a beverage was none other than the Demon Lord that we had defeated months ago, Pest. After her loss, she had become a maid at our household alongside Leticia. The vampire welcomed the other demonic presence with warm acceptance, and took kindly to teaching her how to handle the chores and other tasks around the establishment.

However, she seems to have taking a liking to me. I could tell by the suspicious glint in her eyes every time that they she looked at me, whether or not I was paying attention.

"Mm. Thanks." I showed my genuine appreciation by rubbing the top of her head like a cat's. She began purring in response, even nuzzling against my hand like she enjoyed it. From the looks of things, she did.

"Izayoi. I would prefer it if you refrained from doing such things at the table." Asuka instantly reprimanded me, pointing her finger at me as she did.

"I don't know why you seem so against it. After all, it doesn't seem like it'll affect you any." I responded, and I couldn't help but wonder as if this was similar to the relationship between a younger brother and older sister.

"It's bad manners, especially where I come from. I suggest you don't."

"I don't see why you should be getting in my way." I don't know why, but a burning sensation began to rise up in my chest.

I felt really irritated.

"And anyway, where do you get off?!" I suddenly realized that I had stood up, and my voice had risen to a shout.

"...why are you so upset? I'm the one who's supposed to be mouthing off he-"

"I don't want you reminding me about every single thing I'm supposed to be doing! We had an agreement from day one, Kudou! Each of us live by our own rules. Just together, but not bound. But now, you've been on your damn high horse for a few months now. I'm actually getting pretty damn si-"

Suddenly, I felt a really strong tug on my sleeve.

"Please. Don't fight." Kasukabe's quiet voice pleaded through the hall, her tone desperate. The dining hall was filled with quiet, nothing but the sound of our breathing.

My eyes locked onto Asuka, but she faced away. Her eyes were averted as well, facing the ground. Her hands found their way to her back, meeting there.

"...sorry." Was the only thing that she said. Her voice was wavering, and filled with guilt. It felt completely unexpected, something I never thought would happen. The proud Asuka Kudou, with the Gift of Authority, guiltily apologizing.

I couldn't stay mad at her when she was even beginning to tear and her face was reddening, although I couldn't quite comprehend why.

"Ah, forget it. Just remember our agreement, and we'll be peachy." I let her off, and I took the glass of water off its perch. I downed it in one gulp, and I walked off. I traveled to the door and threw it open.

I think I need to let off some steam.

I turned to the direction of a very important place. One I couldn't forget, even when I tried.

The lake I fell into when I first came to Little Garden.

"Ha!"

I let loose a punch laced with the energy and emotion I had built up under the past few months. I felt a whistle fly through the wind as my fist flew through the air. It struck the tree in front of me with devastating ferocity, the wind blow-back alone being able to snap branches off. My hand broke the solid wood as easily as a pencil punches through a sheet of paper. The bark fragments sailed amidst the air like shotgun pellets, striking other trees and digging holes five inches deep.

I felt a feeling of relief shoot through my system as I demolished the vegetation with ease. I shook my hand in refreshment as the branches and leaves struck the ground, making an explosion that could be heard for miles.

I figure that oughta attract some attention.

Breathing a sigh, I turned around and stared at the lake. The serene water surface, clear and spotless like a sheet of glass, brought calm to me. Gazing at it actually began to bring back the nostalgia of when I had first come to Little Garden.

Right...I fell here. And when I did, we encountered-

"Izayoi." A familiar voice spoke out to me from behind, and I smiled.

"Well, I didn't expect for you of all people to follow me here. Black Rabbit."

I turned around and she was standing in front of me. The Judge Master of the No-Names, Black Rabbit. She stood with her feet planted apart, her hands on her hips and her ears swaying from side to side in the air.

"And just what do you think you're doing here, Izayoi?" She addressed me like a mother with her finger pointed accusingly at my chest, as if I had done something I shouldn't have.

"Is there anything wrong with going all the way out here to enjoy the scenery?" I replied, placing my hand on my waist.

"We both know you're not usually the type to do things like that. You're usually far more barbaric." She threw some pretty accusing words at me, but I let them slide off my ears like water.

"That's pretty shallow of you. Even I have my quiet and nostalgic moments. Surely you of all people would remember just exactly where we are."

She stopped glaring at me and took in the scene around us, slowly absorbing the moment. Eventually, her eyes lit up and her mouth opened slightly. Her cheeks blushed a bit and her lips contorted into a smile.

"...to think that you'd remember."

"Of course I would." I shot back, placing a hand on my waist as I tore my eyes away from her form to look up at the sky. "The three of us fell from all the way up there, for god knows why. We ended up landing in this massive lake and trying to kill you. Afterwards, we ended up becoming part of the No-Names. And we all know the rest."

"It sure brings back memories. Back when I wasn't flooded with loads of work, and when we were just a small community. Jin was trying to keep it all together, and we had no idea how long we would last. Galdo was really trying undermine us back then, before the three of you defeated him." Black Rabbit added, looking up to the sky as well.

We stood there in silence, basking in the quiet of the forest and the stillness of the lake. My eyes closed, and I saw nothing but the incidents of the past repeating through my mind. The duel with Perseus and Algol, the defeat of Galdo, the duel of Kasukabe and our victory against Pest. They all filled me with a sense of satisfaction, that I had could look back on them with a certain fondness. Memories that I could be proud to call mine.

"Hey, Black Rabbit."

"Yes?"

"...will there be more people with Gifts that will fall from the sky like we did?"

My eyes were shut, so I couldn't see anything that she might have done. All I heard was her reply.

"...only time will tell, Izayoi."

Suddenly, a bright flash painted the whole forest around us white. I shielded my eyes that were forced to squint through the light as I tried to get a good handle on the situation. Black Rabbit, beside me, was watching the sky as well without trying to go blind.

The wind around us began to pick up and escalate, becoming faster and faster as it rotated around the lake. I could hear a light hum in the air as the light began to die down.

Slowly, the brightness faded away and returned the world to its normal colors. Nothing but the sound of the rustling leaves dominated the silence.

"Hey, Black Rabbit. What was that supposed to be?" I felt completely dumbfounded, for once. I had never expected such a thing to happen, and out here of all places.

"...unbelievable. I didn't think..."

I took a good look at her face. Black Rabbit was staring really high into the deep blue of the sky, a look of astonishment on her face. Her ears twitched and jerked in agitation, and her tail was standing on end. Her eyes were wide and so was her mouth.

What's wrong?

I had no idea what she was looking at, so I decided to look back up. The sky was the normal light blue it always was. There were a few clouds to the west, and the high rising buildings of the Eastern section of Little Garden could be faintly outlined if one looked closely.

I looked higher up, where there was nothing but the sky, until I was craning my neck really hard.

"I don't see..." I began, then I felt my words stop in my throat as my eyes fixed on something.

I could barely make out two small dots that were clearly out of place amongst the canvas of the sky. I squinted a bit, and I could make out that they were moving. They were very slowly inching their way across the sky, and I didn't yet understand what exactly was happening.

"Black Rabbit, what's going on?" I turned back to the Judge Master next to me, walked up to her and grabbed her shoulders. That seemed to snap her out of her daze, as she began to blink and her eyes no longer seemed unfocused.

And she reacted.

"I-Izayoi, what do you think you're doing?!" Suddenly, Black Rabbit cried out and reflexively slapped me across the face. She then proceeded to plant both legs onto my chest and jump off, kicking me into the ground at the same time. I felt my back smash violently into the grass, and then dig hard into the solid earth below.

I groaned in pain and picked myself up. I jumped out of the hole my body had made and stared at Black Rabbit. It's utterly inconceivable for Black Rabbit to lose her cool like that, even when she's been mad at me.

"Hey, what's your deal?" I felt like she had finally gotten a few screws loose in her head.

"Oh! M-my apologies, Izayoi! I was just- wait, this isn't the time to be fooling around. Quickly, bring Kasukabe and Asuka here!"

I was about to reply with another question, but the look in her eyes stopped me. I wanted to know what was going on, but I was forced to halt the words. Black Rabbit's eyes were widened in surprise and anticipation, as if she were warring with herself on the inside. It was as if...

It was as if she were happy and sad at the same time and didn't know which was more important.

Without another word, I turned in the direction of our Community and running.

I don't know what's happening...but I have the feeling that things are going to get more interesting from here on out.