Satsuriku no Tenshi trudged through his days, burdened by the crushing weight of his own existence. Life in the mundane world had long since dulled, his once-bright dreams now little more than ashes. Every morning, he woke with the same question: Why bother?
The darkness within him wasn’t just an abstract feeling. It gnawed, whispered, taunted: You’re nothing. You’ve accomplished nothing. No one will miss you. Each passing day chipped away at whatever remained of his will to live.
If I disappeared... would anyone care? he mused bitterly, the thought a familiar companion. His fate, as far as he could tell, was sealed.
Then, on a day like any other, the world shifted.
He was walking along the city streets, lost in the haze of his thoughts when a sudden screech pierced through his mind. Tires skidding, a blaring horn. He snapped out of his reverie just in time to see a truck barreling down the road—straight toward a young girl, frozen in terror.
Time slowed.
Without thinking, without hesitation, Satsuriku sprinted forward. For the first time in years, his body moved with purpose. His own pain, his failures—none of it mattered. Not anymore. In that single moment, he wanted only one thing: to save her.
The impact came before he even registered pushing the girl out of the truck’s path. A wall of pain slammed into him, white-hot and unforgiving. Then—nothing.
The Void
Floating in the darkness, Satsuriku expected the end. But instead, there was a light. Blinding. Warm. And then, a voice. Calm. Ethereal.
“Your life is not over yet.”
What? He recoiled, confusion flooding his mind. Not over? But I’m dead... right?
The light wrapped around him, pulling him away from the pain, from everything. When he opened his eyes again, he wasn’t in heaven or hell—he was somewhere else. A realm of nothingness. But he wasn’t alone.
A figure approached, draped in a black and golden shawl. Shadows clung to its form, obscuring its face, yet its presence was undeniable. The air itself seemed to hum with power.
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“You are not done yet,” the figure said, its voice resonating in the stillness. “You have another path to walk. Another life to live.”
Satsuriku blinked, still disoriented. “Another life? But I... I died.” His voice was soft, unsure.
The figure nodded. “You did. But death is not the end for you. There is a world beyond this one—a world that needs someone like you.”
Satsuriku felt something stir within him—something more than the numbness he had grown accustomed to. “A world beyond?” His voice was barely above a whisper. Curiosity. A foreign emotion to him now, yet it flickered faintly.
The figure’s next words felt like an impossible truth. “A world filled with magic, danger, and ancient forces that have shaped its fate for centuries. You, Satsuriku no Tenshi, have a role to play.”
“Magic?” He frowned. In his world, magic was nothing but a fantasy, a fleeting dream. “That’s... impossible.”
The figure raised a hand, and the void around them shifted. Like a dream unfolding, images danced before Satsuriku’s eyes—a land of towering castles, of warriors wielding enchanted swords, of mages casting spells that split the sky. Creatures of legend—dragons, griffons, chimeras—soared through the heavens.
“This is where you will be reborn,” the figure continued, “in a world where light and darkness are locked in an eternal struggle. The Rulers of Light command purity and order, while the Monarchs of Darkness seek to unravel it all.”
Satsuriku’s breath caught in his throat. This wasn’t just about escaping his old life. This was a chance for something more—something greater. Could this really be happening?
“I... I don’t understand,” he murmured. “Why me? I’ve done nothing. I don’t deserve this.”
The figure’s gaze seemed to shift, its tone elusive. “I have chosen you because... you survived.” There was a pause, a hesitation that gnawed at him, but before he could ask, the figure moved on.
Suddenly, the perfect stillness of the void fractured. The air trembled, and cracks formed in the space around them, as if reality itself was breaking apart.
“What’s happening?” Satsuriku’s voice rose, panic creeping into his words as the dimension continued to collapse.
“The time for words is over,” the figure replied, its form flickering, fading. “You will be reborn. We shall meet again when you have grown stronger.”
The cracks deepened, glowing with a light too bright to look at. As the void tore apart, Satsuriku felt his consciousness dissolving, pulled into the chaos. The last thing he heard was the figure’s voice, echoing through the blinding light.
“Go now.”
Rebirth
The next sensation was warmth. Gentle. Soothing. He opened his eyes, blinking against the soft light. His vision was blurry, but slowly, the world came into focus. He was cradled in someone's arms, his tiny limbs weak and frail. He blinked again. Tiny?
A man’s face came into view, eyes full of pride, a broad smile across his lips. My father? The thought was distant, hazy. It felt foreign, yet strangely familiar.
Beside the man, a woman appeared, her expression soft with love. She leaned down, brushing a gentle kiss against his forehead. “He’s perfect,” she whispered, her voice like a lullaby.
Satsuriku—no, this newborn child—felt a strange mixture of emotions rise within him. Confusion. Curiosity. And something else—something he hadn’t felt in so long he barely recognized it.
Hope.
This was his new beginning. A life completely reborn.
