In one of the many halls of the Kenworth manor was a housekeeper cheerfully opening one of its many windows, the cool autumn’s breeze blowing away any lingering drowsiness. He hummed a merry tune, his fuzzy tail swaying as he beat the curtains of dust and dirt. He then swept the floor, dusted the ornaments, and adjusted the founder’s portrait. The day started well for the wolf-man Raayu.

“Raayu, there you are!” A chill ran down his spine when he heard the voice. “Just the man I wanted to see.”

He turned his gaze towards the approaching raven-haired boy who had the look of mischief in his eyes, accompanied with his usual child-like maniacal grin. It was a look that Raayu had grown accustomed to and one that he knew all too well. The young master wanted to play.

“Gather up the knights,” Kevin commanded as he walked past Raayu, snapping his fingers without sparing him a glance. “We’ll be having a special guest joining us today.”

“Forgive me for asking young master, but doesn’t lady Elizabeth have a lesson that she’ll need to attend?”

Kevin stood in place, chuckling as he turned to…

*Boop

Leaps into the air, pulling out a greatsword twice his size from out of nowhere and slashing the traitor in two!

No! No, Four Twenty-Six! Get out! I will not have you desecrate my tale with your barbaric tendencies!

Woah Woah Woah calm down old-timer.

Why are you even here?

I just had some time to kill and thought 'Hey, why don’t I visit my favorite old grouchy geezer.' Nothing but good intentions, I promise. Anyways, what are you doing?

It doesn’t concern you. Leave.

Woah, calm down. We’re both multiples of thirteen, no need for you to be so agressive. Now let me see. Oooo… oh… ugh, just another isekai. So they got you too, huh?

Just another isekai? Just another isekai?! You dare to intrude into my domain and insult my work?!

It’s not an intrusion if we both work in the same world. And yes, ‘every isekai story is the same story being sold in different cosmetics.’ Those were your words. I know you’re old but aren’t you still too young for dementia?

Hmmph! And now you dare to insult me as well. I did not forget what I say, boy. But this here is my isekai. Come closer, do you see those two raven-haired boys being chased around by that group of servants?

Uh-huh.

Evaluate them.

All right. Kyle Kenworth, previously known as Jamal Brown, died of poisoning, was reincarnated into another world, obsessed with learning magic because why not.

Some genre tropes can never be changed. Continue.

He also has the scarlet-eyes, definitely not an overused trope similar to having black Japanese hair. This is no different from any other isekai.

Go on, read the other one.

Kevin Kenworth, previously known as… Uhm… Nothing?... Nothing! There’s nothing to read!

And?

And that makes him an unknown variable, turning all future events into a complete mystery. You can’t affect the world anymore, a-a-and the world’s event has to unfold on its own. No time-skips, no ex machinas, no foreshadowing. Nothing. Anything goes!

Correct. A shame such a great mind is wasted on the likes of you.

I want him! No, I need him!

…

You what?

Name your price and I’ll transfer the credits immediately!

He has been a part of the story for five years and is now essential to it. He is not, and will never be, up for sale.

Okay then how about you and I do a crossover event? I could open up a time portal somewhere nearby that could send him to the past.

No.

C’mon, please! I hate the aristocratic drama, the illogical shipping, and the heartless romance! I need action, some gore, and some violence! I need anything to stop all the senseless adultery, politics, and romance.

No.

Please! Have some mercy! He could spice up my story Thirteen, he could spice it up! Think about it, we both have a Luthien in our timelines and mine could probably mmph mmph!

Shut your mouth and don’t spoil anything! And no, he is essential to my story.

Wait, are you allowing your readers to listen in on our conversation? Oh you dirty perv, and this whole time I thought you were straight. Hello readers! How’s it going in wherever you are? Isn’t it a lovely time of day to waste away reading?

*beep beep

Oh shit! I need to go back immediately. The new chapter is about to go live.

Goodbye and never return.

You and I both know that that’s never happening, and besides, we will be having this conversation again. With no readers to eavesdrop of course. Happy narrating old-timer!

Ugh, happy narrating to you too.

*Boop

Now we can finally return to the story at hand. Oh. I’ve missed it. Damn that Four Twenty-Six. Perhaps there’s a way of salvaging the chapter with new content. But first, a summary of what transpired is in order.

Kevin, being the mischievous and carefree brat that he is, stole Kyle’s prized blanket. Kyle, too focused on his shattering his core with the help of his ‘Focus S’ skill, was unable to notice the theft until it was too late. Kevin brought Kyle to the garden for a game of Knights and Bandits, where they would infiltrate the camp and steal away the blanket. They got chased by the knights for a few minutes and Kyle had fun, enjoying the time he spent with Kevin. Truly a heartwarming and compelling scene between two friends that would have pushed the narrative onwards, had it not been ruined by that uninvited guest. May he suffer in the genre he loathes for the rest of eternity.

-

It was an hour past noon, the exhausted servants having long returned to their respective duties and Kyle retiring to his room to continue his training. Kevin sat alone in a sea of grass, periodically activating and deactivating his ‘Aura of Malice C’. After a few seconds of not activating his aura, the boy suddenly stood up. He activated his aura and coated each blade of grass within his immediate vicinity.

“I am Aatrox!” He bellowed, his fist clenched and raised high… Wait, who’s Aatrox? “And I, am the WORLD ENDER!” The aura began to affect the grass. This skill was not designed to affect non-sentient beings. I had prepared a whole paragraph to explain why the grass would remain unaffected. What’s happening?!

Your ‘Aura of Malice’ has been upgraded to ‘Aura of the World Ender’.

This skill shouldn’t exist. What have you done to my system?!

Your ‘Aura of the World Ender’ is now rank F.

No more of your madness, you undecipherable and incomprehensible brat!

All the blades of grass withered and died when he claimed to be this atrocity named Aatrox. The chapter is now finished. Goodbye!