I open my eyes, thinking that I will be back in the real world since stage 4 ended.
But instead, I arrive in a void... A white void.
!!
Wait, this...
I'm in Sakura's dimension?
The tree in the distance has turned healthier, unlike last time, and started to grow some leaves.
I try to search for Sakura when someone taps on my shoulder.
I turn around to find Sakura.
"Why...am I here?" I ask.
"I want to talk to you for a while..." Says Sakura.
Oh yeah. Her revenge target is in Stage 5. Is it about that guy?
Now that I think about it...
"Yeah... I have things I want to talk to you about too." I say.
Sakura's eyes widen in shock. She did not expect that.
...
"You can ask first." I decided to say.
"...I...well. I'm curious, who are you?" Says Sakura.
...
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"Well, I have been secretly spying on other players and realised no one is as strong as you. And you looked as if you know everything in the future." Says Sakura.
... No surprise there.
Sakura has been all along beside me after all. It's about time she noticed.
"... Alright, I will say it," I say. "Sakura, you do know that you are not real right?"
She nods.
"Hmm well... I don't even know if my existence is even real or not too at this point. I don't even know if all of this is real but I was reincarnated back." I say.
"Reincarnated?" Sakura tilts her head.
"Mhm. I was betrayed by a group of players whom I trusted very much in the final stage and died. After I woke up, I was back in the past with the memories of the future."
Sakura gasps. "You reached the final stage?!"
"Well yes, in the past..."
Sakura then lowers her head. "Then out of every converter, why choose me?"
Oh? She knows she's a converter.
A converter is NPCs that are converted into a weapon. Usually due to a tragic event and the NPCs have regrets and grudges they have not settled, they turn into weapons and borrow players their power in exchange for vengeance.
Sakura is one of them. I even know her full name, Sakura Edgel.
Of course, there are also other power converters. That's why Sakura asked me that question.
"Well... That's because I'm your partner in the past. Though we did not particularly have a good relationship because you hated my naivety... I hated my naivety back then too..." I say.
"I see..." Says Sakura.
Sakura is oddly expressing more emotions than usual. Although she is not as emotionless as En, she still has the same poker face as En. But now... I can see that she is surprised and sad.
I sigh. "Alright, my turn. I'm curious as well. That guy who caused you to turn into a converter... Rodger Edgel. He is your brother right? What happened?"
Sakura widens her eyes when she hears that name and she starts to tremble.
!!!
I...
I reach out my hand and wanted to comfort her but retrace it. "Nevermind, it's okay if you don't want to answer."
"No, it's fine. I will say it." Says Sakura.
-------
After some time
-------
I see... No wonder Sakura didn't mention anything about her death in my previous life. Although her death is not uncommon, it is still tragic nonetheless.
Sakura has two older brothers and a few cousins. Sakura was the youngest.
One of them is Rodger, the other is Heidern.
Heidern is a caring brother but Rodger is different. In fact, he is the exact opposite of Heidern.
Rodger is also the oldest in the family so he supposedly was the heir but due to his misconduct, he was banished from the family of Edgel and was called the black sheep of the family.
Fueled with flaming rage, he gathered his group of thugs and attacked the family.
They weren't even given a chance to resist or call for help, he attacked at night after all.
Every single family member was not spared.
In a final effort to save Sakura, Her mother lock her in the basement for safety.
And then, trapped under the basement, Sakura was forced to watch every horrifying thing Rodger and his buddy did, from raping their mother to brutally killing the males and beheading them.
Unfortunately, they found the basement hidden under and the same fate falls onto her.
She eventually met her demise in a way similar to her mother and their corpse were all burned.
...
As I said, it's not uncommon, but her death is tragic.
...
"I suppose I need to go now," I say.
"Ah! Uh okay... One more thing."
?
Sakura takes my hand.
?!?
Woah her hand is soft!! This is my first time holding a girl's hand-
"Karma."
"Ah yes?!" I snap out of it.
"If possible, can I take care of Rodger myself after you find him?" Says Sakura.
Despite her smile, her eyes tell a different story:
It's filled with hatred and madness like what I see in myself.
"Sure." I simply reply and Sakura's smile becomes wider.
After that, my consciousness starts to fade...
---------
Logging user out...
---------
I open my eyes and see my bedroom's ceiling. I am back in the real world.
"Oh? You are awake." Says a voice behind.
I turn around to find Aki's sister, Yuri.
"Yeah..."
"As thanks for what you did, I made breakfast." Says Yuri. "That's the least I can do..."
I got up from the bed and nodded at her.
After eating breakfast, which is unsurprisingly good, Yuri left the apartment and went back to Aki to check upon him.
I sigh...
Things are going to get hectic now that everyone knows my identity.
I check my mailbox, expecting a lot of mails but the only thing I receive is an invitation to a gaming expo, a reunion from my classmates in my middle school and a letter from that fucking bastard who trained me in the mountains.
Ugh... Another reunion.
What do they even want? I barely even communicate with everyone during my first year of middle school and for the remaining years, I was dragged back to the mountains to train and homeschooled so technically I don't have any relationships with them.
I barely even remember them.
Tch.
When I was one year old to six, I was with my grandfather's brother who is a really strong swordsman and martial artist. That crazy geezer even attempted to "train" me when I was two years old!! TWO!!
Those traumatic events... Fuck.
I then move on reluctantly to read the letter that geezer sent me.
!!!!!!
...
...
Crap... I'm in deep shit.
The letter read:
----------------
Dear Karma,
Hey boy! It's "that fucking geezer" here!! Haha!! Missed me? Missed my sadistic training in the mountains? Of course not. But guess what?
After you secretly escaped and left for Tokyo or somewhere years ago, I started taking in some vengeful orphans to train. Their parents were murdered by loan sharks when they refuse to pay up.
And now, all grown up, they want to venture out and seek vengeance. But to repay me for everything, I ask them to bring you back to the mountains... Alive of course.
Anyway, unlike you, who only mastered 4 sword art forms, they mastered all 10 in such a short time!! I know right? I'm surprised too! Their anger for revenge fueled as their motivation and they can fight so well now!!
Good luck with escaping the three of them!!!
With best regards,
The fucking geezer you hate so much.
----------------
...
I crashed the letter in my hand, trying to suppress my anger.
That...fucking...BASTARD.
He just has to add more to my list of troubles.
I remember this. Last time, because of the three idiots who that geezer trained, I have to live like a caveman underground. My only source of food and water came from bugs and spring water.
... I feel myself wanting to puke when I remember that experience.
I never want to go through that hell ever again.
Besides, because of those three orphans, I also skipped 2 stages in BOG.
Players are allowed to skip a maximum of 5 Stages in BOG. This rule is implemented after consideration that some may have an urgent and sudden schedule.
But there will be a penalty. It will affect me as well because the penalty is not issued by the system but by the game account itself.
Tch.
Why is Life so unfair...
I decided to push that problem to the back of my mind first and went to the reunion. Today, my schedule is packed. I also have to go back for a shift in the convenience store at midnight and meet Reina and the two in a restaurant in the evening.
Wearing a simple black hoodie and a sling bag, I took a bus and arrive at my middle school.
Damn, things here have changed a lot...
My middle school is currently hosting
A sports carnival and alumni like me are invited for a reunion and to the carnival.
"Ummm... Sir, what is your business here?" Says the security guard.
!!
Oh, I realised I'm staring at the school while standing in the middle of the entrance.
"I'm an alumni," I say.
"Oh! Here, take this. The alumnus will be waiting in the hall in the seats at the back." Says the security guard.
He presented me with a map of the school.
... It looks different.
I mean, of course, it is, things have changed since I am here years ago after all.
I brace myself for nostalgia and go in.
I turn right towards the cafeteria and went behind the building.
!!
Oh!! It is still there!! The mini bench I used to sit on in loneliness is still intact!!
I attempt to sit on it. It can still support my weight despite growing heavier.
"All alumni, students and parents, please report to the hall, the sports carnival will be starting soon."
Groups of parents and young students start to flock together, aiming for the stairs.
Some of the parents see me and smiles before nodding at me. I return the nod and smile.
"Is that guy an alumnus?!" Whispers a young mother. "He looks young and handsome!"
"That boy is handsome? Jeez, you need to fix your weird taste. He looks poor too, no point talking to him." Says another young mother.
... I try to suppress my anger as veins can be seen in my head.
Those bitches...
!!!
Wait... Since when was my hearing that good?!?!! It's about as good as my hearing in BOG?!
I was able to listen to the gossiping mothers so far away... What the...
I look at the staircase nearby. It is filled with people slowly walking up like a traffic jam.
If my hearing is improved, does that mean...
I look at the wall beside me and try to reenact a simple, rank C, climbing skill in BOG.
Though I failed at first, after several attempts, I somehow got used to it and my body responded as if I have done this climbing technique so many times and I easily climbed to the fifth floor.
Phew!!
I climb over the railings and brush the dirt off myself.
I received some shocked expressions from passersby but they did nothing.
I didn't think this was possible because I didn't try it!!
Although I can't reenact it completely, if I train my body more, I might be able to unleash realistically harder and better skills.
Of course, skills like clones and teleportation are not possible in real life.
Pretending as nothing happened, I ignored the amazed stare of everyone and went to the hall.
------------
"And with that, I thank all the alumni for joining us today and the sports carnival will begin!!" Says the principal.
After a long and boring speech, I am finally free!!
I look around to see if I can find anybody familiar but nothing comes to mind.
Until someone taps on my shoulder.
?
I turn around to find a group of boys.
"Sup Karma! Long time no see!" Says a guy wearing glasses.
Behind him is a few other boys waving at me.
!!!
Wait! I remember now!
"Daisuke!! And Ummm... Hiroshi, Ichiro and Koji!!" I say.
"That's right." Says Ichiro.
Damn!! I remember now!!
I was bullied in the first year of middle school but I am not the only one being bullied.
These four are also victims and we decided to be friends with each other because we face the same problem.
"You still look as nerdy as always Daisuke," I say.
"Says the guy who disappears in the second year." Says Daisuke.
Daisuke has a frail body and wears glasses but he is not the studying type.
Ichiro used to look fat, now he looks quite slim and I can see his looks improved a bit.
Hiroshi looks the same as always, lazy as hell. His slight moustache under his chin enhances his lazy image of not shaving it.
Koji is still as quiet as always but at least he is brave enough to stand in this crowd of people in the hall with us now.
Damn...
These four are the only reason why I enjoy middle school more than in high school.
"I thought you wouldn't attend." Says Daisuke.
"I thought YOU wouldn't attend. This place is nothing but bad memories anyway." I say.
"Nah, not entirely bad." Says Ichiro.
"Say... Is everyone here? Everyone in our class I mean." I ask since I came a bit too late.
"I think so..." Says Koji.
!!
"Then those bastards are here too?" I ask.
Hiroshi clenched his fist as he bites his lips. The others look angry as well.
"Karma, I don't know what happened but I don't blame you for suddenly leaving in the first year. We honestly thought you might have succumbed to the bullying and committed suicide but here you are standing. Anyways, after you left, the bullying became worse. Their method of bullying becomes more dangerous for us." Says Hiroshi.
Hiroshi nods to Daisuke and he folds his long sleeves up, revealing a huge scar on his wrist.
!!
"What the..." I mumble.
...
"Oh? Look! The group is here! Even Karma." Says a familiar voice.
"Tch." Daisuke clicks his tongue in frustration.
"Speaking of the devil..." Says Hiroshi.
I turn around to find a muscular guy who looks straight up like a thug wearing a fancy business tuxedo. Beside him is some female classmate which I don't remember but they look familiar. Behind him is also a few other male classmates...
I sigh at the sight of them. Pitiful.
"What? You gonna punch us here?" Says Ichiro.
"Of course not. I'm not that childish to do it in front of everyone and cause a nuisance anymore. Besides, we are people of two different worlds. Look at your poor outfit versus mine."
The five of us are wearing hoodies.
"So you will eventually do it huh." Says Koji.
"Woah. The quiet guy is talking back, since when did you have the backbone to do it?" Says Tomiichi.
Tomiichi is the main reason why we are bullied. He also comes to us with his group of friends a lot in the past to "distress".
Looking at them pisses me off.
Hiroshi places his arm on my shoulder and shakes his head. " I know you want to punch this guy, I do too. But we can't do it here. We will be thrown out for causing a nuisance." He says.
I smirk. "Don't worry, I won't punch him."
I walk up to Tomiichi and he whistles.
"Oh! So you are not dead, Karma. I thought you were. So what are you going to do now? Punch me? Kill me?" Says Tomiichi smirking.
I lift my hand and flick my fingers at his abdomen near the waist.
??
I then step back and wait for the show to happen.
"Huh? What was that for-"
Suddenly, Tomiichi is seen grasping his stomach as if he has a stomach ache.
"Y-You bastard! What did you do?"
"Hmm? I did nothing. Why are you acting so pathetic?" I say, smirking.
"Y-You definitely did something-"
A loud fart can suddenly be heard from Tomiichi followed by a foul smell.
"Pfft!! Did you shit in your pants? How old are you?!" Laughs Hiroshi.
"HAHAHA!!" Daisuke started laughing along.
All parents and children around Tomiichi start to walk away and give him the disgusted look.
"You bastard!! I will get back at all of you!! Just wait- *fart* "
He quickly runs to the toilet after another fart is heard.
"Hahaha!! That was amazing! But still, what did you do?" Asks Hiroshi.
"I just mess with his rectum a bit, well, he probably needs to go to the hospital after this but it's not my problem." I simply reply.