My 'System' Is Myself!?

Although the members of the Astraea Familia had been dead for several years, most of them were Level 4 adventurers. Even in Orario, they would have ranked among the city's second tier.

They had confronted death, fought countless battles, and repeatedly risked their lives in the Dungeon.

They believed they were strong.

At the very least, they thought they could exchange a few moves with Genichi.

But who were they facing?

They were facing Genichi.

Judging solely by his adventurer level, Genichi had already reached Level 6 during his time in the DanMachi world.

Beyond that, he now possessed Satan-class strength. Although he lost the throne's blessing after leaving the afterlife, the Boosted Gear contained enough Satan-class power for him to crush anyone below the level of an Ultimate-class Devil.

Compared to the adventurers of this world, an Ultimate-class Devil would be at least Level 9.

Furthermore, Genichi still possessed trump cards such as the King of Shadows, the Seven Deadly Sins, and the Magical Index.

Before him, the members of the Astraea Familia were no different from ants.

Then again, that comparison was not always reliable.

Some adventurers possessed absurdly powerful abilities and skills, such as Alfia the Silence.

But there was only one Alfia, and none of the people before him were her.

Genichi walked to the center of the courtyard and surveyed his surroundings.

The members of the Astraea Familia had completely encircled him.

Kaguya stood at the front, her katana already drawn. Its blade gleamed coldly beneath the sunlight.

Alise stood to her left with a sword in hand, leaning slightly forward like a leopard ready to pounce.

Ryuu stood to the right, holding a wooden sword. Her expression remained calm, but her eyes were filled with vigilance.

The other members had also assumed combat stances, surrounding Genichi from every direction.

Genichi looked at them, the corners of his lips rising slightly.

He lifted his hand and crooked a finger at them. The gesture was casual and provocative, as though he were teasing a group of unruly children.

"All right. Come at me with everything you've got."

His words were like a spark dropped into dry tinder, instantly igniting everyone's anger.

Kaguya's face turned bright red. Alise ground her teeth so hard they creaked. Even the normally composed Ryuu showed a flicker of anger in her eyes.

They knew Genichi was a Level 6 adventurer.

They knew he was far stronger than any of them.

But knowing he was stronger was one thing. Being so openly looked down upon was another.

They were adventurers.

They had their dignity and pride.

They could not tolerate such humiliation.

"In that case, we'll attack together."

Kaguya's voice was cold and resolute.

She was not stupid. She knew she could never defeat Genichi on her own.

But Genichi had given them an excuse. He had told them to come at him with everything they had.

He could hardly blame them for overwhelming him with numbers.

Alise nodded, and Ryuu inclined her head slightly.

The other members voiced their agreement. In the next instant, more than a dozen figures charged at Genichi simultaneously.

Blades flashed, and killing intent filled the courtyard.

Their coordination was seamless, and they attacked from cunning angles, sealing off nearly every possible escape route.

Genichi remained perfectly still.

He did not even raise a hand. He simply gave a casual, unconcerned yawn.

Then the shadow beneath his feet moved.

Countless black figures emerged from the darkness like a surging tide, instantly sweeping toward the charging adventurers.

The shadows had no faces or features, only indistinct humanoid outlines. Yet they radiated suffocating pressure.

Their speed was astonishing. Under the sunlight, their movements were almost impossible to follow. All anyone could see were streaks of black lightning flashing across the courtyard.

Kaguya's katana struck one of the shadows.

The blade passed through its body as though sinking into a swamp, meeting no resistance and inflicting no damage.

Before she could react, another shadow seized her wrist and twisted it sharply.

The katana flew from her hand, spun several times through the air, then embedded itself in the ground with its blade humming.

Alise thrust her sword into another shadow, only to receive the same result.

The blade passed harmlessly through it.

A second shadow wrapped its arms around her from behind and pinned her arms in place, leaving her unable to move.

She struggled, but the shadow possessed astonishing strength. She could not break free.

Ryuu's wooden sword carved a graceful arc through the air, sweeping toward Genichi's neck.

When the blade came within an inch of its target, a shadow lunged in from the side and knocked the weapon off course.

Several more shadows immediately wrapped themselves around her limbs and hoisted her into the air like a butterfly trapped in a spiderweb.

The other members fared no better.

Some were pinned facedown against the ground with their cheeks pressed into the dirt. Others were suspended upside down, their skirts falling to expose the undershorts beneath. A few had their hair pulled by the shadows so painfully that their eyes bulged.

Screams, startled cries, and pleas for mercy echoed throughout the courtyard.

Genichi stood at the center with both hands in his pockets. His expression remained calm, and he even appeared somewhat bored.

His gaze swept over the adventurers restrained by his shadows. The corners of his lips rose into a mocking smile.

"That's it?"

His voice was quiet, yet reached everyone's ears with perfect clarity.

"That's all you can do, and you still dared to threaten to drive me away?"

A shadow held Kaguya facedown against the ground. Her cheek was pressed into the dirt, her hair was disheveled, and she looked utterly miserable.

She clenched her teeth, her eyes filled with anger and resentment.

"You cheated! You told us to come at you, but you didn't even fight us yourself! What kind of victory is it if you only use these shadows?"

Genichi crouched and looked down at her.

"Does it matter whether I personally made a move? What matters is that you can't even defeat my shadows. With strength like yours, are you really worthy of being Astraea's children? Are you capable of protecting her?"

Kaguya's face turned even redder.

She wanted to argue, but found herself unable to say anything.

Genichi was telling the truth.

They could not even defeat his shadows.

If he had personally attacked, they probably would not have survived a single move.

Alise knelt on the ground with her arms locked behind her by a shadow. Her hair was disheveled, and she panted heavily.

She looked up at Genichi, her eyes filled with complicated emotions: anger, resentment, humiliation, and a trace of awe that even she had not noticed.

"Just how strong are you?"

The corners of Genichi's lips lifted slightly.

"Take a guess."

Alise clenched her teeth but said nothing.

Ryuu remained suspended in midair, her limbs bound by the shadows and completely immobilized.

Her expression was still calm, but something turbulent churned within her eyes.

She stared at Genichi in silence for a moment before speaking.

"Genichi, that's enough."

He looked up at her.

"Enough of what? You were the ones who demanded a fight. I'm merely granting your request."

Ryuu pressed her lips into a thin line.

She knew they had been the ones to propose the fight. Still, she had never imagined they would lose so badly, so completely, and so humiliatingly.

Genichi had not even acted personally.

He had defeated every one of them using nothing but his shadows.

That humiliation wounded them more deeply than any words could have.

Astraea stood beneath the covered walkway, watching the scene with the corners of her lips twitching slightly.

She wanted to intervene, but she did not.

She merely stood there with her arms crossed and a calm expression, as though watching a performance that had nothing to do with her.

Genichi may have gone too far, but his actions were not without reason.

Ever since their resurrection, her children had enjoyed nothing but success. They had not suffered any true setbacks or defeats, nor had they faced a genuine trial of life and death.

They believed they were powerful.

They believed Genichi's resurrection magic allowed them to act without restraint.

They believed things could continue this way forever.

But Astraea knew better.

The Dungeon would not show mercy simply because they had already died once. Monsters would not spare them merely because Genichi possessed resurrection magic.

If they continued acting so arrogantly, they would eventually die in the Dungeon again.

She could not ask Genichi to resurrect her children every time they got themselves killed.

Genichi stood and waved his hand.

The shadows immediately released their captives and retreated into the darkness beneath his feet.

The members of the Astraea Familia collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath as their bodies trembled.

Their clothes and hair were in disarray, while dirt and grass clung to their faces. They looked as though they had just suffered a crushing defeat on the battlefield.

Genichi stared at them, his eyes utterly devoid of emotion.

"Remember today's lesson."

His voice was calm, but carried unquestionable authority.

"You are not the strongest, and you are not irreplaceable. If you don't want Astraea to lose you again, then train harder, become stronger, and do everything you can to stay alive."

No one spoke.

No one dared to speak.

They merely lowered their heads like children who knew they had done something wrong. None of them dared to look at Genichi, much less Astraea.

Astraea stepped forward and stood beside him.

She looked at her children, complicated emotions rising within her.

She felt heartache, helplessness, and a trace of relief.

It hurt to see them humiliated. She was helpless because they truly were not strong enough. Yet she was also relieved that Genichi was willing to teach them this lesson for her sake.

"Get up."

Astraea's voice was soft and gentle.

"Go clean yourselves up and think carefully about what happened."

The Familia members rose one after another, their heads lowered as they gradually left the courtyard.

Kaguya was the last to leave.

She stopped and glanced back at Genichi.

Most of the anger and resentment had faded from her eyes, replaced by an emotion he could not quite identify.

Genichi watched her leave, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.

Astraea walked to his side and gently took his hand.

"Thank you."

Genichi looked at her and shook his head.

"There's no need to thank me. They're your children, and I don't want to go through the trouble of resurrecting them again."

Astraea smiled, her expression gentle and warm.

She rose onto her toes and lightly kissed his cheek.

(End of Chapter)

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