Chapter Text
Streets crumbled as the once clear blue sky was painted a dangerous red in seconds
People did what humans do best, fled when there was danger. Some struggled, stumbled, panicked, physically struck with fear that overrode all other senses. They all tried running from the ominous entity that already claimed countless lives
The world they lived in was in a turning point from average to chaotic, all because of an advancement that was anything but manageable, a challenging entity of destruction for society
Gates - a literal door that opens to dimensions of what could only be described as the deepest parts of hell emerged only a few years ago, yet wiping hundreds of thousands of civilizations at once with cruelty and precision
Sights like monsters with indescribable liquids leaking from all kinds of intestinal gaps throughout grimy, moldy, and rotten flesh almost covered the intensity of disfigurement in limbs that twisted in gruel movements that made many vomit at the sight. They flew, crawled, and claimed earth as their own through overpowering force that was unstoppable
Until the emergence of "saviors" - Espers
With powers ranging anywhere from elemental to sheer superhuman strength, the “saviors of the world ️" rose above the atrocious state of the planet and are now the revolutionary symbols of peace for all of humanity!
A cut from videos of gates changing colors and Espers exiting them in victory then cut to the strongest Esper in recorded history, Noel Noa, stoic and serious as always
"Get evaluated today and save a life tomorrow.”
The NSMB (National Savior Management Bureau) catchphrase that was plastered on every crevice of the world marked the end of the newest advertisement released since the newest Esper rankings. Officially number 1, it was expected for Noel Noa to be the face of the Bureau until the next rankings were released by the system. As chaotic as the introduction of a system was, humans had adapted and readily welcomed this change that gifted a select few to destroy the monsters, clear gates, and establish peace once more. Researchers primarily educated on this evolution raised in numbers by the absurdity of a system solely for the awakened, but advancements didn't hinder recognition for heroes
Those awakened referred to the transparent screens, hidden inventories, and mana calculations as the Omnipotent System, Omni System for short, and just Omni for extra short
Isagi had to blink repeatedly after the commercial ended to snap out of his dazed state. With a cute round face, big doe eyes, and silky hair, you'd think he was a model if not for his torn clothes and scarred skin from manual labor. He had just taken said awakening evaluation (influenced by his idol no doubt) about two weeks ago and already joined a raid group for extra cash by the age of 14. His parents had gotten killed in a monster spill from an Esper group that couldn't clear a gate near his house, and he made it his life mission to never let that happen again for anyone else
Although he was only D-rank, Isagi did everything he could do to feel like he was making a difference in this vastly changing world so no one would suffer the way he did. Sure, he was a little bratty from time to time making him a pain in the ass to his late parents, but without them around there was a gaping need of comfort he had no way of filling. Everything happened all at once, leaving him utterly hopeless with nothing but his pathetic self to live with
Shaking those bad memories away, Isagi continued his departure from his deteriorating one room apartment towards the designated raid group meet up spot. He knew those guys were only pulling his leg with compliments and friendliness in order to keep him interested in going into gates, but from time to time the teasing especially hurt realizing how lonely his life had turned out
The people who recruited him claimed to believe he would “one day change the world” and is “making so much change” by going with them into low ranking gates, but would leave him lying around completely mana depleted when he wasn't useful anymore. They would call him pathetic behind his back and take cuts from the money he was illegally making, knowing he didn't have it in him to really care
Sometimes, he really did wonder if there was any point in continuing this meaningless routine of convincing himself he was doing the right thing
[…Whatever. I'm already here.]
Knocking twice, Isagi stood with a slight hunch standing in front of a rusty door just on the outskirts of a bustling city and an abandoned storage unit only a few bothered to acknowledge in passing. Every time he faces this door, he sees himself in it. So ugly, so rusted, basically useless
Crr- creaak
The door opens without much care, loudly announcing the arrival of his current employer, a skeezy older man who only cared about money and dungeon rewards
“Ah, Isagi. About time you arrived, let's go.”
Without so much as a second glance at the child's bruised and thin face, the older man and some other recruits began the departure back into Saitama prefecture, where Isagi had just come from
[They do this every time, so annoying. We could've met somewhere with less walking]
Following along with nobody to talk to, Isagi let his mind wander as muscle memory kicked in for his spot in the back of a van next to moldy fruits and spilled alcohol. Nobody else seemed to mind the smell but it always suffocated him during car rides, making his eyes tear up and hold back gagging. He felt a little itchy, slightly anxious, but dismissed it as hunger. No use voicing his thoughts to people that didn't care to listen
Vrrtt
The van door that trapped them inside the cramped car swung open, the older man from earlier smiling with expectancy to hurry up. Isagi looked behind the man and saw there was a light rain settling. He thought something was different since earlier, the wind felt stronger and kept swaying his hair during his commute
“Alright guys, let’s go clear this shit. Isagi, start guiding to give us some energy, yeah? Promise you’ll get a break after this gate”
Snickering at his own joke, the raid team leader moved without waiting for a response. They were in a fairly nice part of Saitama Prefecture, a C-rank gate had suddenly popped up into an alleyway and they got rights for clearance in some sketchy ways that probably involved blackmail
Feeling cold, Isagi began guiding the Espers around him. For some reason, it seemed everybody else was being normal except for him today. That tingling sense he felt in the car lingering and bothering him despite there being barely rain
[Whatever this is, I just hope this gate clears easily so I can buy some food on my way back]
Just as Isagi was about to finish using some of his mana, the area around them began growling with dissatisfaction. Gaining intensity, the area around the gate seemed to start turning a devilish color and give off a predatory aura the low ranking Espers backed away from with fear
As Isagi was also trying to back away, he heard a breath hitch and whipped his head to the side of the gate where there seemed to be another raid group they had failed to notice further away. Judging by the embroidery of their white and red issued uniforms and good quality weapons, there was no doubt they were sent from the NSMB to clear the gate. There were rumors of the Bureau cracking down on illegal raid groups, but to think they were actually true was a complete shock to Isagi’s innocent mind
[Shit !! What do I do - do I run ?! There’s only 3 of them, but one looks way younger? Wait, why- ]
“FUCK !! We were set up, RUN !!!”
The skeezy man was frantically shoving past his group to run back towards the car, catching the attention away from the increasingly darkening gate and now towards them from the Bureau employees. In the midst of his running, Isagi was shoved to the ground and landed in a puddle of water from the stronger rain. Turning his head up with intense dizziness from the blow, he saw some of the raid group getting detained while others were getting away
[Idiot…]
Left with nothing to fight for, Isagi just simply tried shifting his weight while on the floor knowing he was bound to get caught too. Looking up, he saw backup had been called and only the younger person he saw was in front of the evacuated gate.
[He looks…. my age?]
Although the other - now revealed to also be a boy- back was turned away from him, there was no doubt the other’s small and slightly shaken frame could be mistaken for an adult. Pink hair tussled with the wind from the rain and sunk into his uniform that was a couple sizes too big for him. From their distance, pale skin and long lashes were barely seen if Isagi had not been looking up on purpose.
[Who is tha-]
Before anything else could be thought or anybody could grab the two stranded boys, the dungeon had given its last warning and violently lashed out its suppressed power, striking the other boy that was left standing just a little too close
“NO !!”
To this day, Isagi doesn’t know why he moved when he did or even cared as much as he did back then. He didn't know the other boy, he knew he would be punished if he didn't run, and was aware how useless he was only being a D-rank guide. As much as he knew all of this was true, he got up. He ran past debris and blood, searching for someone that looked just as scared as he was
People tried stopping him, probably for less casualties to be reported, but he ran as if he didn't know how to stop. He saw things, the landscape, emotions, and a new reality he never knew was possible to experience. Somehow, by god or his own grace, he found the boy who was stuck under rubble and unconscious
With some kind of deep and genuine power within him, he released all he had to offer for the other boy. Before, he had never taken things lightly in dungeons, but right now he felt a compelling power he had never experienced before to do more than he ever thought possible. Breaking himself, but also rebirthing as something - someone- like never before