The figure stepped forward, known not for any physical resemblance to a dog, but because of the translation of her title—"Tengu." While the Kanji for "Tengu" could be directly interpreted as "Heavenly Dog," it more accurately described her role as a "Heavenly Sentinel."
Tengu are supernatural beings, ancient youkai who are sometimes revered as deities in Shinto. Their defining feature is a pair of black wings, and they are always seen wearing crow masks affixed to their heads. At least, that's how it is in this world which great sage called "Genshin Impact".
From beneath the crimson crow mask resting askew on her forehead, the woman spoke in a low, almost imperceptible voice, "It seems you've only just acquired that Vision."
Her sharp gaze flickered to the faint glimmer of a gemstone peeking from Riko's skirt pocket. Despite the decoy Vision strapped to her waist—the one she had received from Kazuha—this woman, the one Haiiro had identified as Kujou Sara, effortlessly saw through the ruse, recognizing the real Vision hidden within an instant.
"I shall make this quick..."
This world, unfamiliar and strange, was supposedly based on a game. The plotline grated on me, if I'm being honest.
*Thud* *Thud* *Thud*
The shogunate troops finally regrouped after scattering in search of Thoma, their target for the Vision Hunt. As they closed in, we found ourselves surrounded. One by one, they spotted Thoma resting against a nearby wall and muttered, "Found him." But when their gaze shifted to us, they hesitated, confusion spreading across their faces as they murmured, "Lady Kujou Sara?"
"Under the mandate of the Vision Hunt Decree..."
I wasn't too keen on getting involved—except for the Vision. That was the one thing I wanted.
"Hand over your Vision!" She ended her words, causing the shogunates to hold their polearm firm. Ready to comply with her words.
But something kept tugging at my mind: the system. The same system that had been eerily silent since my arrival in this world. Suddenly, it flooded me with notifications.
[Celestia has acknowledged your ambition. In response to your call, you will be rewarded with the Electro Vision.]
Thunder
A feeling of unease swept over me as the downpour intensified. My thoughts scrambled until everything felt like a blur. I'd never been decisive, not about anything. All I wanted were the skills—the power. For a moment, I even considered letting go of the Vision, retreating to reorganize my thoughts. Maybe I could regain control over the group when I returned home.
But now, it was too late to turn back.
Along with that notification, my clutching right hand felt a cold sensation of that very gemstone. I can feel it, in my hand was that vision the system gave me.
But...
That message, it wasn't Celestia who sent it.
*Thud*
I took one step forward, then another, and another, until I passed all my groupmates. Their wary gazes, once fixed on the woman, now shifted entirely to me. Their unease was palpable, yet I barely noticed. By then, even Kujou Sara had caught on to the shift in my demeanor.
The amethyst glow in my hand burned brighter than any ordinary Vision I'd ever seen. Its radiance was unnatural, almost overwhelming—a phenomenon beyond the bounds of reason. And with that, the conclusion settled in my mind like a thunderclap:
This wasn't just an awakening.
The system wanted me to claim the Vision.
But... curiosity stirred within me, a tantalizing question rising like smoke:
What will happen next if I do "that"?
«Answer: Additional response may come from the system once more.»
The Great Sage's voice echoed in my mind, cryptic and unhelpful. It offered no clarity, only teasing ambiguity.
"Heh..." A smirk tugged at my lips, but it soon cracked into uncontrollable laughter. "Ha-HAHAHAHA!" The sound spilled out, sharp and unhinged. Kujou Sara's eyes narrowed at my outburst, while the others looked on as if I'd lost my mind entirely. My teammates weren't exceptions; their expressions mirrored disbelief, as though the idea of a Vision awakening at this precise moment was some sort of cruel joke.
But Kujou Sara? Her reaction was sharper. More focused.
"You want this, don't you?" My voice cut through the tension like a blade, deliberate and strong. I raised the gleaming Vision in my hand, its light casting jagged shadows across the ground.
"Then take it."
Thunder roared as I tightened my grip. My fingers pressed into the gemstone's smooth surface with relentless force.
A loud crack split the air.
Kujou Sara's eyes widened in shock. "S-stop her!" she barked, her voice laced with urgency. Her wings unfurled in an instant, electricity crackling around her as she launched herself forward. The soldiers flanking her barely had time to react as she darted past them, her movements swift and precise.
She controlled the winds with practiced ease, angling herself midair to deliver a devastating kick. Her right foot glowed with electro energy, the strike powerful enough to shatter stone.
But she was too late.
PRANG!
The Vision shattered in my hand, its radiance dissolving into a cascade of glimmering dust. The fragments danced in the air like fireflies, scattering across the battlefield.
Kujou Sara hovered before me, her expression frozen in stunned disbelief. Her wide, unblinking eyes locked with mine.
And I? I met her gaze with a wild, triumphant grin.
It was then that Kakashi stepped between us—between me and the Tengu. The tension crackled in the air like a drawn bowstring, but he cut through it effortlessly, his presence commanding and resolute.
Our intense stare-down shattered as his eyes locked onto the battlefield, the swirling pattern in his Sharingan igniting with a deadly precision.
It was his Kamui.
he spiraling vortex in his eyes unleashed its power, twisting the air around us as if reality itself was being reshaped by his will. The atmosphere trembled under the force, charged with an unspoken warning.
Boom!
Kujou Sara's kick landed with an explosive force, her foot slamming into the ground with a resounding impact. She felt the jolt travel up her leg—the solid, unmistakable sensation of a blow delivered with deadly precision.
For a moment, she was certain her target had been struck. But as she turned, her sharp eyes searching for the figures who should have been reeling from her attack, a chilling realization set in.
There was nothing.
No bodies, no traces, no lingering presence. The entire group had vanished without a sound, leaving only the silence and the aftermath of her strike behind.
.
.
.
Ding.
A quiet chime echoed in my mind.
Sincerely, I had gotten exactly the response I was looking for from the system.
It didn't speak. It didn't need to. Its silence was more telling than any words could ever be, confirming what I had suspected all along. The system wasn't just some mindless tool—it was sentient. No, more than that. It was sapient.
The thought settled over me like a revelation. This wasn't a one-sided arrangement; it never had been.
It was that, wasn't it? The "I'll let you use me, so let me use you." kind of thing.
Anyway, I dismissed it briefly to look around the situation.
It was a vast wilderness, empty and surreal. The ground stretched endlessly in a stark, unbroken white, while the sky above remained shrouded in impenetrable darkness. This was no ordinary place—it was a new dimension, one born from Kamui, a creation entirely of Kakashi's making.
Here, his world stood separate, severed from Obito's dimension. No threads of connection remained, no shared vision to link them. Kakashi had claimed full mastery over his Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan. This realm was his alone, a reflection of his will, unbound and absolute.
"At least, that's what Great Sage told me," I murmured.
"O-oi… Admin, are you okay?" a voice called out. Surprisingly, it was Rimuru.
I raised an eyebrow at his concern, unsure what to make of it. Nearby, I noticed Riko marveling at the strange, ethereal landscape we'd been transported to once again. Kakashi, meanwhile, steadied himself, his hand briefly brushing his eyes as he composed himself from the sharp pain that had lingered there. It wouldn't be long before he noticed the oddity of this place, too.
"Huh? What's up, Rimuru?" Riko asked, turning toward him with curiosity.
I squinted at Rimuru. "You… look worried," I muttered, half-guessing at his emotions. Without reading his thoughts directly, I couldn't be sure what was on his mind. My paranoia of not being able to read the members minds was still there.
Rimuru hesitated before responding. "Uh… it's just something Great Sage mentioned, but—"
He trailed off, but the explanation followed soon enough.
It seemed that a person separated from their Vision could suffer consequences far worse than anyone might imagine. They could lose the very ambition or purpose that once drove them forward, and in some cases… even critical pieces of their memory.
To add to that, Visions are supposed to be indestructible. They cannot be broken, let alone obliterated.
And yet, I had just crushed one into dust before their very eyes.
As I suspected all along, it wasn't a true Vision. It never had been.
"As you can see, I'm fine," I said calmly.
It wasn't like I had any grand ambitions to begin with. My only real concern was ensuring that no one in the group ever became a threat to my position as admin.
Ding.
Huh?
[But I was just trying to help though?]
This... for the first time since my reincarnation, the system spoke with a message that carried true sapience.
.
.
.
To be continued