Reincarnated as a failed hero?! Watch me Defy Fate!

"Hello, Ayase-san. I happened to be in the area and saw you walk into this room. I'm sorry to intrude, but it seemed like something serious. May I ask what's going on?" I replied with a polite smile, pretending not to know anything.

"Excuse me, but who are you exactly?" one of the bank employees asked, clearly suspicious.

"Oh, he's my brother-in-law—Takahiro Natsuki. It's alright if he knows about this," my mother quickly answered.

After hearing that, they let me into the room.

Once inside, they began explaining the situation regarding my mother's debt.

"Takahiro Ayase currently has an outstanding loan of ¥661,124, and the repayment deadline is today. However, she is unable to make the payment."

As those words filled the air, my mother lowered her head in shame and pleaded, "Please… grant me an extension. I'm willing to pay it off within five months, even with a 20% interest rate."

Her voice was soft and trembling.

I clenched my fists tightly. The anger rising inside me was almost uncontrollable.

One of the bank officers raised his voice, "We've heard this from you too many times. This is your final warning. If you fail to pay, we will seize your apartment!"

He even pointed his finger toward my mother as he said that.

"Don't you dare point your filthy finger at her!" I snapped, grabbing his hand and pushing it away.

Everyone in the room froze in shock. The atmosphere instantly turned heavy.

My mother panicked and tried to calm me down.

"What is this behavior?! You're getting angry at us now?! It was your sister-in-law who borrowed the money from this bank!" the man yelled, glaring at me.

"What the hell are you saying? You leeches prey on older people like her! You keep lending more just to squeeze every last yen out of her, don't you?" I fired back, glaring into his eyes.

Two other employees started to look uneasy, but that man walked toward me, ready to punch.

My mother instinctively stepped forward to protect me, but I gently stopped her and whispered, "Leave this to me."

She hesitated for a moment, then nodded and stood behind me.

"You poor trash, acting all high and mighty," the man said furiously, swinging a punch at me.

THUD!

His fist landed on my cheek with full force, knocking my glasses off. But I didn't even flinch.

Compared to the brutal attacks I'd faced in Aetheria, this was nothing.

The man looked shocked that I hadn't reacted.

I calmly grabbed his wrist and yanked him forward.

I tightened my fist, making sure to restrain my strength so it would only feel like a normal human punch.

"This is called self-defense."

BAM!

I slammed him into the ground with one punch, knocking a few teeth loose.

He groaned in pain but was still conscious.

"You bastard! This is how you treat the people who lent money to your family?!" he spat arrogantly.

I crouched down and grabbed his hair, forcing him to look up at me.

"Oh, so you think you're being generous? Fine then. Let me show you generosity. Listen carefully, scumbag. I, Takahiro Natsuki, will pay off Ayase's entire debt… and I'll add ¥50,000 to cover your medical bills."

His eyes widened.

"Wha—how could someone like you afford that—"

Before he could finish, I pulled out my pitch-black bank card with golden lettering and a gold chip. It clearly said 'VIP'.

Everyone's face turned pale.

One of the men stammered, "That's… that's the VIP card from this bank… Only clients with over ¥100,000,000,000 in savings can get that…"

"I heard someone opened a new account today and deposited that exact amount… So it was him?" a woman added in disbelief.

The arrogant man could only stare at the card, frozen in place.

"You called my family poor? You dared to point your finger at Ayase-san? Bastards like you need to be taught a lesson."

I was about to punch him again when my mother grabbed my hand.

"Please stop, Natsuki-san… no more violence," she said softly, tears brimming in her eyes. "I… I truly appreciate you wanting to help me pay off my debt. But I can't accept this. You've already done so much for me."

"This is my responsibility. I need to resolve it myself…"

Her words were firm, but kind.

I released the man, letting him collapse onto the floor. He was trembling, barely conscious, and had clearly wet himself in fear.

I adjusted my clothes and turned to my mother.

"I'm sorry, Ayase-san. But I can't stand by and let this happen to you. You, Nana, and Naki—you're my family. Your problems are mine too," I said while gently holding her hand.

She looked touched by my words.

"But Natsuki-san…"

"Please, just accept my help, Ayase-san. Let me support our family. It's what I need to do."

Hearing that, she finally nodded.

I proceeded to negotiate with the bank staff to rewrite the debt contract under my name. The full amount was deducted directly from my account, and I also gave ¥50,000 in cash to the man for his treatment.

After that, the employees apologized to both me and my mother.

She, being the kind person she was, forgave them and even apologized herself for not being able to pay earlier.

My mother… she's too kind. Sometimes, I worry she'll be taken advantage of by people like them.

Once everything was settled, I walked out of the bank with her.

She kept thanking me over and over, which made me feel a little awkward. To change the mood, I invited her to the café where Envi and Runa were waiting.

When we stepped inside, the two immediately stood up.

"It's so nice to meet you, Auntie Ayase-san!" Runa said cheerfully and suddenly hugged my mother.

"Eh? Auntie? Natsuki-san, you have a daughter?! Oh my, she's so adorable!" My mother was clearly delighted, patting Runa's head as she laughed happily.

"Yes, that's right. Her name is Runa."

"Runa-chan, nice to meet you, sweetie."

Then, my mother turned her attention to Envi.

"Natsuki-san… is this lovely woman Runa's mother?"

With a devilish grin and a dramatic pose, Envi proudly declared, "That's right, Ayase-san. I am Naoki… I mean, I'm Naoko! Natsuki-kun's beloved wife~"

My mother was shocked by the way Envi introduced himself—herself?

In my head, I was screaming, "ENVI YOU DAMNED SYSTEM! WHAT THE HELL ARU YOU DOING?!!"

I had no idea how I was going to explain that to my mother…

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