Chapter Text
“Come on…Come on!” “Ren, you have to listen to your muscles. If they can’t move, then you shouldn’t force them.”
I looked down at Iroha, my childhood friend, now in her school uniform looking worriedly at me as I tried to do another pull up. After a few more minutes trying to make one more pull up, I hung on the pull up bar, having to admit defeat. I let go, dropping to the ground easily before starting to do my cool down stretches.
Iroha quietly waited for me as I dressed myself before we left the middle school campus. We walked in silence though our small town in the countryside. There was no need to talk. We walked past the buildings that had been built a century ago, past high school students eagerly talking about their plans to move to the cities, some old folk talking about the good old days, the chirps of birds and the rustling of wind. She pointed out a cloud that looked like a star, I could see how the cloud looked like it.
We walked through all of that, until Iroha spoke up.
“27 pull-ups, Ren. I think that’s a new record.” She said, smiling as she looked back at me. I didn’t smile back as I nodded, my expression placid.
“Yeah.” I simply said, briefly thinking about how to better pace myself before forcing myself back in the moment. “I’ll aim for 30 next time.”
“Sometimes I wish that you just have a little pride in yourself.” Iroha sighed, a thousand sayings like this in the past before.
“You know where I am going to go. Stuff like this is just gonna be a warm-up, especially where I plan on going.”
Iroha paused, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk. “You are still planning to go to UA.”
“Yes.” I said, undaunted.
UA was the best hero school in Japan, where such heroes like All Might and Endeavor graduated from, heroes at the very top. While I had other options, UA was number one. If I could make it there, I could make it anywhere.
Iroha was quiet, no doubt thinking about the very thing that made my choice seemingly impossible.
In this world, 80% of the population had a power called a ‘Quirk’, ranging from simple to strange, weak to powerful. I looked at Iroha.
Her Quirk, Photosynthesis, gave her the ability to process sunlight into energy, letting her substitute it for food or use it during physical activity. It didn’t grant her increased strength or physical prowess. The other thing that it gave her was light green skin and lethargy when the sun was hidden by the clouds for multiple days.
Meanwhile, I was part of the 20% that was quirkless. I had no powers, and the world was very eager to remind me of that. At least, it felt like that some times.
I appreciated Iroha for at least not saying it.
“So… what about you?” I said.
Iroha blinked as she looked back at me. “What do you mean?”
“Are you still thinking about working towards that Environmental Science degree?”
“Oh…Dad was hoping that I would stay around here and help with the Inn. And you know… I’m sure that I can still get a lot of sunlight around here.” She said as she stopped at the corner where our paths home separated.
I wanted to argue with her. If I was going to try out for UA, then I thought that it was only right that Iroha should have the chance to try for her own dreams. I knew all the books she had in her room, the wonder in her eyes as she took in nature, the rightness she seemed to have when she could stay outside just a little longer.
There are many things I saw from that man, many mistakes. I made sure to learn from them.
I would never put down a dream.
But now was not the time. We still had some time before she really had to start applying to the high schools.
“Alright, see you tomorrow, Iroha.” I said.
Iroha realized that she was at the corner. She stared at me like she wanted to say more. I wondered if she knew what I was thinking.
“Alright, see you tomorrow, Ren.”
—------------------------------------------------------
“Ren, come on down. Time for dinner. Mom made curry.”
I looked up from the last of my homework at my little sister Ayumi and nodded to her. I had seen the ingredients in the kitchen as I entered the home, but it was nice to confirm it. I neatly closed all my books and followed her downstairs.
“Got him, Mom.” Ayumi said as she entered the dining room. I followed and saw everyone seated at the table.
“Thank you for the curry, mom.” I said, saying our thanks for the food before I gathered a spoonful and took a bite. I smiled as I felt the perfectly steamed rice, the soft yet firm carrots and potatoes, the moist chicken, and the spices all mixed together wonderfully. As I got another spoonful, I took a look at the vegetables again, noticing just how perfectly they were cut.
“Ayumi, did you help Mom with dinner today?” I asked, to which she beamed.
“Yep, Mom wanted me to cut up the veggies! They look great, right?”
“Yep, Ayumi.” “They sure do.” My twin brothers, Haruto and Hinato, said with a smile, making Ayumi beam.
She was proud of her knifework. Her quirk gave her perfect balance throughout her body. Straight cuts were a given with her. Yet I could still see in my mind, Ayumi concentrating as she cut each piece slowly and carefully.
I smiled because I knew that meant a lot to her. “It is definitely good work.”
“Do you really mean that?” Koki, my littlest brother asked, his mouth still full.
“Koki!” My mom said, “Don’t talk with your mouth full, and what do you mean by that?”
Koki swallowed before saying. “Do you really mean that, Ren? You don’t sound like you do.”
It looked like Koki finally noticed. Eventually everyone in the family noticed. We had to talk with Haruto and Hinato, with Ayumi, and now with Koki.
Dad cleared his throat. “Koki, Ren is… different in a way. But he still notices, he still cares. But it is just the way your brother is.”
Koki thought about it hard in a way that kids only five years old thought about things.
“Then can we get him fixed?”
“KOKI!” My mom shouted, horrified. Everyone stopped eating as they looked at Koki. He looked at everyone else confused.
“Why is everyone acting like nothing is wrong with Ren? He sometimes says stuff he doesn't mean, like he thinks Ayumi did good work or how he's gonna be a hero. Ren doesn't have a Quirk, everyone knows you can't be a hero without a Quirk.”
“I did mean that, both of them.” I said as I looked at Koki. “I may not be able to feel pride for Ayumi, but I know that it means so much for her work to be noticed, and as for being a hero…”
For a brief moment, That Man flashed in my head.
“I know that it is possible for ordinary people to do extraordinary things, and that's what I'm planning to do.”
I won't do it like him though.
Koki thought about what I said before saying. “Tai's brother said stuff like that is a load of crap, and you might as well get a rope and get lost in the woods if you know what's good for you.”
My mom gasped. Haruto and Hinato grimaced. Ayumi started crying.
“Koki!” My dad said as he stood up, his quirk acting up as his eyes started to glow red. “You're coming with me.”
Koki looked confused as my dad came over. “What did I do?”
“I'm going to tell you. Come.” “No, I want to eat!” “Dinner time is over for you. I'm going to talk to you in your room.” “NO! WHAT DID I DO!?” “I will tell you when you follow me into your room.”
Koki yelled as he pushed his plate off the table, spattering rice and curry all over. “IT'S NOT FAIR! EVERYONE KEEPS TELLING ME THAT REN IS WEIRD AND ACTS WEIRD! I JUST WANT A NORMAL BROTHER!”
My dad simply grabbed Koki's arm and pulled him out of the dining room with Koki fighting him the whole time.
Haruto and Hinato started to clean up the curry that was spilled on the floor as my mom rubbed Ayumi’s back. I frowned before helping to clean up. Dinner was over already.
I couldn’t help but feel shame that I helped cause this.
—----------------------------------------------------------------
The backyard porch light was on, illuminating our backyard in the moonless night. Taking a couple deep breaths as I adjusted my grip on my wooden sword. I began to slip into my training mode as I began to imagine a scenario.
All around me, small reptile humanoids surrounded me. They only loinclothes with daggers and slingshots, but there were 10 of them and 1 of me. I held my sword out in a standard guard.
It was like how That Man was once asked to clear out a basement, only to stumble into these things called Kobolds.
In my mind’s eye, some charged forward, waving their daggers in the air, while others stayed back, putting rocks into their slings. I charged into the weakest part of their group, my sword biting into one and punching another unconscious.
Slowing backing away, I weathered their clumsy yet eager stabs, making sure no one of them got behind me. I slowly cut them down one by one, until only the sling wielders were left.
Running at them, I dodged and parried their stones away. Cutting them down as I got into range with them, I saw one of them managing to get away. I pulled out of one of my hand axes in my other hand-
I didn't have hand axes. I wasn't fighting kobolds in an empty space I found in the basement. I was in the backyard of my house, breathing hard with my wooden sword still in my firm grip.
I wasn't that man.
“How many times have you done this?” My dad said as he leaned against the door frame.
“Ten.” I held the wooden sword as I got into my stance. “Going to be eleven.”
“Take five.” He said. Recognizing the command, I lowered my wooden sword and came over to the steps, where my dad got a water bottle waiting for me. As I sat down, I allowed myself to recognize the fatigue.
I still only allowed myself to slump my shoulders a little.
Me and my dad sat on the stairs, enjoying the quiet. I could already tell that my dad wanted to talk about Koki, about how I already let it go. For me, it was clear that he was a five year old parroting stuff that I already ignored.
He understood that, but he didn’t like it.
As much as my family and Iroha did their best to accept me, I could see how they believed that I was a late bloomer. Maybe I was just stunted, maybe it just needed a bit more from me. Maybe there was a way for me to genuinely feel pride.
My dad was the only one who accepted that I genuinely had no ability to feel pride.
I knew from everyone that 27 pull-ups from a 14 year old is still impressive. 10 intense sessions of shadow fighting with barely a break in between is still impressive. I know that if my schoolmates could do the same, they would brag about it nonstop.
I merely saw it as a task that I did adequately, just one more thing that needed to be done.
I drained the water bottle before putting in the nearby recyclable bin. Picking up my wooden sword, I started to walk back to the middle of the backyard. I looked back at my dad.
“I’m gonna do three more sets, then I’m done for tonight.”
My dad nodded, though I could tell he wanted to say something. Like everyone else, I could tell he wanted to try to take me out of it, of trying to be a hero. Unlike everyone else, I saw that part of him believed. He knew that I could do it.
He simply thought that I shouldn’t.
And that was why he simply nodded and watched as I began to imagine another scenario, this time in a grassy field, facing down some winged Kobolds.
I dreamed again, just as I had for the past several years, of that man.
Slowly, I saw his life.
Growing on the farm.
A Father, a Mother, three brothers and a sister.
Rachel.
A nearby community, the tavern where travelers came and went.
People seemingly larger than life, wielding forged steel and great magicks.
The yearning to be one of them, to be someone great.
Friends and Family not ‘encouraging’ him, him stewing in his bitterness as the years passed him by.
That yearning slowly turning into hatred for being average.
“I'd rather die than be average!”
Set to inherit the farm, to marry his childhood friend. His misery utterly consuming him.
Some adventurers stopping a demonic plot in town, a last bit of excitement before accepting mediocrity.
A deal was struck. That Man would become great.
The day of the wedding, a storm giant falls on the house. No one could have survived.
That Man takes the equipment and walks away. He feels no right to mourn.
He travels, killing monsters, solving quests, being the great one he imagined he could be, all with a flaming sword he found on the body of the storm giant.
It doesn't last. The family of the fallen storm come find him. Sister, aunt, mother, it doesn't matter. She challenges him to a duel, towering over him with a rage made solid.
His ill-gotten life ends there. The deal is collected.
Then… that place.
A library like no other. A library that haunts him. Books upon books upon books.
He awakens with three others. Eric. Varnash. Tomo Yah.
They find their books, that man refusing to acknowledge the name on the spine of his. They try to leave, find a way out.
They find a rat, a person. Hickory dicktory dock, hickory dicktory dock, the mice must hide or the cat will find, hickory dicktory dock. They learn to navigate, where is safe, where is not safe.
The more they uncover, the more they learn. How many deals, how many people, lended out, rented out, to be used again and again until they are all used up. He and the three are saved by virtue of being uninteresting.
The library demands quiet. He and Varnash are clad in armor. Eventually, he decides to take it off.
They fight the guardians of the library. Golems made of books, using the very stories inside to hurt them.
One of them, he is meant to pass it on, pass on the hurt. He refuses, he tries to keep going. He refuses to be average. He fails, he is offered a deal.
In exchange for not feeling that pain, he gave up pride.
The library haunts them, finds ways to hurt them.
Eric trying desperately to save his unicorn patron before she turned into obsidian dust in his hands. Varnash seemingly turning back into a book multiple times in their journey through the library, seemingly his own trials to endure. Tomo Yah. Tomo Yah. Fricking Tomo Yah.
And him, his brothers and sister, trapped behind a shifting wall of obsidian dust, fed by spewing faucets he had to clog up with his long sword and throwing axe. Two of his siblings fell silent before coming out with glowing eyes and magic powers. The youngest one, he put too much force into his blow. His sister, he was able to control his strength. His oldest brothers, he managed to pull out. It all meant nothing as they too turned into obsidian dust.
A final insult as he pulled out his long sword and axe, solidifying into a combat scythe and a handheld hoe, the Disparaged Farmer’s Toolset.
Still, camaraderie. Eric promising to help sell Tomo Yah’s books when they get back to the living world. Him helping Eric, igniting his spirit as it threatened to be crushed under their unrelenting circumstances.
Eventually, they couldn’t sneak forever. The library security activated, lockdown happened, and the guardian, this giant cat made of that obsidian dust descended.
The guardian used the past to haunt them.
Eric could only apologize as he set a man he didn't know on fire.
Varnash had to apologize to an earnest soldier before cutting him down.
Tomo Yah… honestly, he thought that it was messed up that he made a deal to make a best seller and to bring his characters to life.
As for him, Rachel was there, begging him to stop fighting and to come home with her.
As gently as he could, he took her hand off his wrist, and told her that she deserved better before he ran back into the fight.
He didn't know when her crying stopped.
Slowly, they reduced the guardian to nothing, a tiny little thing extinguished by Eric's magic.
From the dust, a pair of scissors. Tomo Yah says something to Eric. Eric takes hold of the scissors.
He cuts something on Tomo Yah's book. The book falls apart. Tomo Yah disappears.
With some difficulty, he is able to cut something on Varnash. The book falls apart. Varnash disappears.
He is the last one. He puts his hand on Eric, wishes him luck wherever he is going. One last nod before Eric cuts something on his book. Everything turns to black.
Nothingness. Formlessness. Then hands on his. A small voice, kind words. A city before him. A resolve to be better. To earn a name rather than bargain for it.
One last thought.
‘His name, not Badger, -’
From now on, Ren Tanaka will walk a different path.
As the dream ended, and I started to wake, something in front of me appeared.
Congratulations, due to your past life, you have been chosen for the Chaos Gacha. Perform great feats to obtain tickets. The greater the feat, the more valuable the reward! Three Random Gold tickets have been given to you to start! Simply rip them in order to roll for your reward!
What…
In front of my eyes, three gold tickets appeared with a giant slot machine before them appeared. Unsure of what was going on, I decided to play along, and reached out. I took hold of one ticket and tore it in half.
The bars spun quickly before all three stopped, displaying a message across them.
[View Air]
|Uncommon Ability|
Allows you to share your senses with the air around you, allowing you to map the world around you through the wind. The base range is 1km but it can be improved with training and base stats.
As I read this, I felt my awareness grew, my senses seemingly able to pick up more around me. I took hold of another ticket and ripped it.
[Fire Breathing]
|Rare Skill|
Demon Slayer - Fire Breathing is a specialized swordsmanship style and breathing technique that mimics flames and replicates them with the user's movements, techniques and abilities. Most, if not all, known techniques and forms involve extremely powerful singular strikes which 'burn' their opponents, with most attacks being initiated from a high stance. With magical power, fire can be manifested to further augment the power of the style.
Suddenly, my mind and body were bombarded with images and memories. Forms and techniques were downloaded into my mind. My muscle memory immediately adjusted, hundreds of hours of drilling and practice imprinting themselves on my body.
Taking a couple deep breaths getting used to this new normal, I reached out and took hold of the last one. Ripping it, I watched the slot machine start to spin only…
Everything began to turn this… red. Every instinct started to scream, I was in danger, I needed to get out. A groaning noise made me turn back to the slot machine. The spinning slots had grinded to a halt because…
The slots began to slowly weep the obsidian dust. I felt that I wasn’t alone.
Ȁ̷̛̬̭͍̘̈́̈́͂͜h̵͔͍̤̳͒h̵̦̐̽͊̑͛̓̚ ̶̈͊ͅs̷̨̱̙̣͉̮̥̊̔o̸͕͙̓͛ ̷͙̫̿̾͆̽̅͘̕t̴̲̠͓̓̂̂h̵̢̗͍̯͉͂̑̓į̵̫͖̬̠͂͌̎s̶͇̗̠̫͖̥͖̈́̑̓̑̐̕͘ ̵̧̳̪͗̈̂͠i̵̛̻͕̊͌̄̎̽̕s̵̜͍͇̪̪͍̼̋̅̿̀̽̓ ̸̞̻͕͈̙̣̑̈́́͂w̷̙͖̣̄͑̏͛͘h̸̡̢̯̳̐ͅe̶̘̹̗̤͊͜͠r̶̢̖̦̙̥͍̐̓͒̀͐͝e̸̞̦̬͔̘͜͝ ̸͔̩̻̎y̴̨͓̤͖̗͙̿͂̈͝o̷̲̩͉̮͎̪͑û̵̹̲̞̬͉̄͝ ̵̩̗̬̯͖͇́̾̕w̶͇̲̓è̷͈͉̘̘̀͛͠ͅn̸͉̈̽͌̚͜t̴̹͇͙͖̱͓̐͑.̴̙̺̦̃̐̓̈́̿̚ ̴̧͚͚̜̳̲͖̈́̈́̔̅̇̚
The presence seemed to look over the machine.
̶̛̺̦À̷̳͍͚̮̺̾͜n̴̗͓̰̱̹̏̒d̸͓̲͍̗̭͔̄̎̾̏̕ ̴̫̮̈́͝t̶͓̞̦́̒̉̽̑̂͠h̴͕̰͆͋̓̕i̶̮̞͙̗͉̓̏͜ś̶̠̹̳̕ ̴̧̺̒̂̕m̵̧̏̒̀͑ủ̶͓͕̹̰ś̶̟̫̫̲̥̻ť̷̛̟̲̻̻͓̬̿͗̽̽̂ ̷̡͖̮̼̪͑̃̓̂̉̉͝b̵̗̟͖̠͔͌̐̈́ḙ̴̜̹̯̀́ ̸̪̥̖̋̿ȳ̷̧̪̟͈̥́̔́ͅŏ̵͙̲̣̙̥̌̏u̸͈̞͕͙͍̞̲̓̓͆̌͊̄̆ŕ̸̜͚̪̄͆̚ ̸͙̺̺̓r̵͖̤͛̇̓͘͜e̷̤͓̰͇͖̫͐͛̂͑̚ẁ̸̗͍̥͈̱̬̀a̸̭͓͓̦̙̜̔̇̊̾͜r̴̩͍͚̘͛̽ͅd̷̛̗͉̖͕̃̅̍͝.̷͈̲́̈́̈́
I felt it turn its gaze back to me, clearly enjoying my unease. How could it be here? How did it even get here?
̵̞̝͋̊͐̒̚Ö̵͖́̍̎̈́͒h̸̗̞̖̩̣́̈́͒͊,̴̡͙̗̘̬̿̃͝ ̴̨̖̭̩̠̂̄͛͝d̶̨̥̋͋̈́o̸̖̪̲̣̲̼̦͆n̶̡̧͈̙͍̗̘̽̎̿́̽̅̿'̴̡̻̰̫̤̈́ţ̸̲̭̱̹͛̒̐ ̶̡͈̦̼̖̾͛̅́͋̕͝b̷̥̩̜̂̄̊̍̈̓e̷̦͙͐͠ ̷̨̧͈̟̝̮̈́̀̏͝ş̴̥̥̗̥̟̏͑̚͜c̶͓̀a̸͚͈̥̳͆͗̂̏r̷͎͓̲͇̰̈̋͋̊͘ḙ̷̳̻͓͍͋́͋̈́̉d̴̙̓͊̕,̸̡̘̠̗̂͒̄̋ͅ ̴̛͇͈̼̭̋̃͋͠Ŕ̵̨̳̩̮̣e̴̼̠̬̘̺̰͋̐̎͋͝͝ṉ̸̡̰̈́̄̍̒̔͛͊.̶̲̻̏̑ ̶̜̤͕̖̲͐ͅY̶̫̠͌̓͒̓ͅŏ̵̖̞̞̻̰͎͎̓͊̓́͝͝u̵̺͇̭̻̅̾̾ ̴̗̹͛̌̃̒̀̚͝ě̴̖s̸͖̯̼̖̅́͆́̓ç̷͉̖̖̹͊̈́͋̄̓ȧ̷͈̻̘͎̰͙̆͑p̶̗̝̈́̃͗̉͝ë̷̹̣́́̀̍̈d̶̪̞͖̦̖̩̅͛͂̇̀̎͝ ̸͍̱͖̟̯͠f̵̛̛̤͇͕͇̙̪͆͒ͅa̸̼̅͗̿̾̈́i̶̧̪̮̲̹͇͎̐͆̈r̴͓̭̳͙͖̖͆̉̽̕ ̷͙̝͐̏a̷̳̎̈́̃͗ň̶̜͆̈́̚̚ḓ̶̛̛̤̳̼̼̬͒ ̵͚̉̽͑͐͆͘͝s̷̢͇̼̻͕̐͂̈ͅq̴̧̛̼̄̓̈́̃̋ú̴̯̟̋͒ͅã̶̻̳̀̊́͛͜ŗ̷͈̰͊e̵͖̱̲̤̺̻͒͘͜͠.̸̺͋͋͋̔̓͒͝ ̴̨̺̠̻͙̄̉̇Y̶̛ͅǫ̵͍͙̙͑̐̋̐̂̊u̵͔̳̇̽̔̐̈́̕ ̶͍̩̗̳̘̍̌̎́̚͜c̵͙͉̦̈̍ͅa̵̡̦̝̖̭͉̋͂͌̄̕n̷̨̢̜̖͎͇̈ͅ'̸̡͔͇̓t̵̰̩͊ ̶̯̤̩͇̱̉̓̍g̴̰͚͉͙͇͓̫̊̄̓ǫ̸̛̝̳̙̼͎͚̓̂̈͌͝ ̵͎͕̠̫̺̠̌b̸̠̲͉̎͑̀̐ą̸̛͍̫̼̺̞͌͘c̴̲͎̖̱͈̊̎͗͝ḱ̴̰̺͉͎͋̈̎̆͝ ̶̲̻̭̗̰̞͕͑̿t̵̯͍̰̿̈́ͅh̵̨̠̩̼̥̻͗̈́̌̈́͜͝͝e̷̠̺̿̈́̎̐̓̋̑ŕ̷̨̻̫̝͉͕̏e̴̠͆̊͘͠,̶̠́̍ ̶̘̟̼͉̰̺̂̋̍͂̚͝͝n̷̹͕̪͆õ̷͔̱͚͌̈́̂͘̕̚ͅṱ̶̢̨̹̳̣̻̓ ̷͍̏̿͘͠a̷̹̍͋͛͜͠ǹ̷̺̟̱̳͑́͆̑͂y̸̤̽̊̔̃̈́ṃ̶̱͎̅ŏ̶̡̰͚̱̫̳̫͂̉͆͝r̸̥̲͕̘͍̼̝͒̑e̴̜̣̅̌.̵̧̱̣͚͍̩͓̃́͐̇
It slowly surrounded me, its gaze still on me.
̸̖͊I̴̦̯̓̔̋̅t̸̢̝͓̮̘̀͛'̵͇͉̺̞̎͆s̶͓͍̙̬͂͂͐͑ ̶̰͕̤̱̣͙͚́j̵̤͘͘͠u̷̱͙̠͎͉͖̇̃̐̈̋̋͑ş̶̰̼͍̭̟̅͋͋͘ͅṫ̵̨̜̩̖͕̣͉̒,̵̟̽̑̕ ̷̹̺͕͇̎͑b̷̻͔̱͖̳̣̽̓̇̄̕ę̷̡̹͕͋͝i̸̞̥̒͋n̴̛̖͔̪̬͌̌̓̈́̕͘ğ̸̤̯͐́͝s̷͚͖̔ ̴̡͓͔͒̏̓̐̑ļ̸̳͈̣̳̦̅̇ͅi̴̧̤̙̽̉̇̀́̿k̶̢̛̒̓͠ḙ̸̝̻̓̇͂̿͝ ̶̖̮̝̿͋̄̇͜u̴̡͖̫̙̯͋̾̆͜s̵̱̠̦̜̥̫͛̓,̸̖̮̱̟͈̟̓̈̅͑̕ ̵̖̱̤̿͛̍̈́ͅẅ̵͔̱̘̤͚͘͜ę̸̞̜̥̉̋̑̉̃͝ ̴̗̜̃̌͋͊͝c̶͙̘͖͉̮̈́̎͌͆̈̚a̶̘̳͎̦͌̽ͅn̶̜͓͉̂ ̴̺̱̎̀̈́̇́̓͝ͅb̷̛̲̣̰̄̌̈́ȩ̵̰̪̺̒̾̍̂̀̒̅ ̷̜͉͚͙͐͗ṣ̵̬͊́̉̒̄o̴̡̾̄͘.̴̡̪͎̰̝͔̩͒̅.̴̫̱̹̜̃͐̈́̐̈́͊͝.̶̨̠̳̐̒̆̔̕͝ ̷̛̹͔̠͚̖̫̰p̸̢͉͔̖͒̑e̸̱͌̽̏́͗͝͝ẗ̴̛̜̹̜͍̜̙̹́̀t̵̯̬͍̦̗̕y̶͉͙͆̇̆̓̀̆.̷͙̤͙̯́̾̄̿́
Going back to the slot machine, I could feel it smile.
S̶̡̫̥̟͙̔̏́̌͆o̷͙̱̘̻̼̐͘͠ ̷̬̗̣̋̏͝͝ṯ̷̹͖̑͌̈́ḧ̸̢͍͕̖́̏̕͜͠ͅe̵̖͈̥͈͚͐́̊̓̆͝ň̷̙̑,̸̨͉̮͖̻̓̔̉̄̒̀ ̶̭̄͐̀̃͘͘͝a̷͈͚̱̦̕l̴͕̅̓̉͝l̶̥̲͗̄̃ō̸͇̱̜͈w̴̛̼̟̙̺̲̜̬͌̏̅̍ ̸̮̘̠̑͐̒̀͋̃m̴̬͕̠͓͛̈̑͊̐ę̷͖͈̻̟̒̋̀̓͊͠ ̴̙̓͑t̷̗̲͛ő̸͒̇̍͜ ̷̪̻̇̈́̀̑̐͘̕ȧ̷̡̲̭͓͕̫̏͘l̸̝͝t̶̺̳̞̰̭̗̐̿̐e̶̼̼̙̾͗͐̍̌͗r̸̯̮͠ͅ ̴͓̆̍ẗ̶̪̱̺̻́h̸̙͌̓͝ị̸̞̗̮̹̪̿̽̀̆s̵̫͚̬̯͓̪̮̽̉͌ ̸̳̱̙̦̺̠̂͘ö̴̡͚́̈́̿́ṋ̶̛͕̄͑̆̊̓͝e̴̛̹̟̓̊̔́͐ ̵̢̗̭͇̺̾̒̔̇ ̶̧̳͍͕̽̐̊͑͂́͜a̴̱̒͐̃̾́ ̸̧͍̠̱̮̂̄̋̃̔͊ͅl̸̢̬̩̤͔̾͗i̸̠͓̘͘t̸̬̂̆̃́t̷̜̪̦̪̃̋̇̒l̶̻͔̫̥̫̱̄̉̐e̸̩̾̎̉̒̆ ̷̧̳͙̜̣̬̽̆̽̒̓̏b̵̲̤̫̈̏́͐i̵͓͈͇̮̯͂͑̒̅̑̚t̴̘̘̓̔͆̓̌.̴͈̖͗̀̓̅
̵̧̫̰͔͠
̵̀̅̎̀͠͠D̵͎̥̥̟͈́̊͌͘o̸͍̳̳̣̔̿͝n̸̨̹̬͚͍̦͆̓͊̿͘'̸̡̉ţ̴̢͖̝̼̗͌̀̄ ̴̘̮̭͚͓̦̊̌̒̋̍̾̃w̷̯͇̎̓͑ô̵̺̘̱̻̬̿̆̾̅̚r̶͖͍̪̘̲̉̒͐͊͘͝r̸͕͉̱̲͆͒͆̕y̷̛̹̅̃̔̉͘.̸̣̺̐́͝ ̴̰͇̣͕̤̈́̀T̴̥̭͇̥͗̆̀͐̈́h̴̜͖͇̲̪̙̲͒̆͌́i̶̝̮̗͓͖͔͉͗̈́̀͌̃̍̑s̴̱̹͎͕͔͋́͐́͂͘ ̴̣̝̖̯͎̆̂͐̓̃î̷̭̖͙̩̗̺̝͊̾̃̆s̷̳͉͉͕̯͕̒̒̾ ̵͎͐͌̽͝a̷̢͕͗̓͠s̸̮̅͊̄ ̴̦̺͉̯̰̐̉̽̒͘f̵̜̹̳̺̝̼̈́̓̀̈́̌͊̋å̶͇͇̯̥͖̖̹̓̒̓͝r̵̭̱̿̒́͋ ̷̭̦͔̍ą̷̠̱̗͉̠̃̇͛͗s̸̭̪͙̐̅͒̃̅̎̕ ̵̨̧̙̘̇̃̒͋̓͘I̶̠͂̐̋͝͝'̵̡̼̤͔̾̒m̶̙͓̝̔̎̌̇̇̐ ̴͖̳͖̺̭̙̀̆̇͋́̏a̴̟̘͉̒̀͂͆̉͂ĺ̵̢̙̟̭̝̜̜̌̽̀l̴͚̪̬̪̟͎̭̋̈́ỏ̵̧͇̊̇̀̾͒ͅw̶̯̑̈͋͌͝͝ḙ̴͉̮̦͓̙́̚d̵͎̻͙̂͑̍͊̀̽.̵̡̼̹́̌̑̋̔͠
The slot machine began to grind, the three slots slowly rotating until they landed on one.
[Fiend]
|Elite Trait|
Race Change - You are a Fiend, a high rank infernal demon. As Fiend, you have considerable physical and magical abilities. You also have a greater affinity towards Unholy, Darkness, Infernal and Fire, being able to master abilities and spells related to them much faster along with the ability to naturally create Hell Flame(Rare Rank Ability). But as a High Rank Demon, you are rendered incredibly vulnerable to Holy, Divine, Light and Exorcisms.
̶͕̾̒̊͗G̷̨͖̝̺͇̲̝̉͘o̴̗̣̞̞̹̯͂͊̐̌́̅ͅő̸̢̲̗͍͙d̵̹̻̝̱͊̈́͗̔ ̵̢̥̘̖̘͌̚͜ļ̴̭̥̒̀̓̓̌͝ú̵̙͙̮̥̱̈̋̚ć̸͓̹̝̭k̴̦͔̯̫̳̝̗͛̔͒̈͗̄͐.̷̨̛̈́̽̍̈́̈́͝
Everything started to hurt, everything started to hurt. I didn’t know when I didn’t feel the presence anymore, but the red began to burn brighter and brighter. I shut my eyes as I tried to turn away, to stop the burning. The Burning-
“REN!”
I was pulled away from the burning, pulled into the real world. I realized I had been screaming before finally quieting down. I found it hard to open my eyes, my face having scrunched up so tightly that I couldn’t relax.
All around me, I heard my family talk, whisper, worry. Something had happened. What happened? I forced myself to relax as I tried to ground myself.
“What’s everyone screaming about?” “Koki, go back to bed, you don’t need to-” “REN! YOU GOT A QUIRK! YOU’RE NORMAL NOW!”
…What?
As I assumed Koki and Ayumi were taken out of my room, I did my best to get up from the ground. I waved off Haruto and Hinato as I began to push up from the ground. Looking down, I stopped before looking at my hand.
My skin was light red. It didn't even look like I was sun burned. It looked red with someone turning down the opacity part way.
As the twins tried to help me up again, I let them get me to my feet. Making sure I was upright, I immediately made my way to the bathroom. I turned on the light and looked in the mirror.
The first thing I noticed was that I had no pupils. My eyes were completely milky white. It was only when I looked closer when I realized that my pupils were now white and it took effort to see where the pupil and sclera separated.
Looking up, I reached up and felt one of the horns that now protruded out of my forehead. They were black and ridged, curving into points that ended just short of the top of my head. I felt the base, where my skin met the horns. Rubbing at it, I looked down at the red dust that was on my fingers.
Looked like my red skin hid the dried blood.
I took another look at the person that stared at me in the mirror. I could see the me before in my hair, and the shape of my face and body. Actually… I reached up and felt my mouth. Something felt weird about my mouth.
Opening my mouth, I spotted my sharper canine teeth. Feeling the more sharper points, I closed my mouth and stared at me.
At the me that was right now.
Looking away from the mirror, I idly knew that the twins were watching me. I looked back into my room, realizing that the sun was shining through the window on my bed where my face was. Before the twins could interfere, I stuck a finger into the sunlight.
Immediately, I hissed as it felt like my finger was on fire. Pulling it back, I saw that it looked darker, almost like black. As I could feel my mother immediately rushing into my room to look over my finger, I could only think one thing.
Things have changed.