As humans, I believe everyone has a dream, a hope, or an ideal of their own. These things, though beautiful, are extremely fragile, and their shattering will leave psychological cracks that can never be mended, or even worse...
...
While I was deeply asleep, a cold and rough sensation spread throughout my body, and as a normal reflex, I opened my eyes. But strangely, the scene before me was not my familiar bedroom, but a strange city sinking into the faint night and the newly dawning light.
"Where... is this?"
Before I could gather my thoughts, a sudden, splitting headache struck, as if my brain was being "roasted" by a large amount of information being downloaded at once. From one headache to another, they kept coming, making it impossible for me to stand up.
"My name... Watano Genso?!"
"So this is what they call 'Isekai'?"
After those continuous headaches, I realized that I had reincarnated into someone named 'Watano Genso.' Of course, my previous memories were still intact; they were just layered with the memories of this body.
"And this city is... Tenguu?! It sounds somewhat familiar."
Thinking back to the city name, I finally remembered it was the name of the city in the anime Date A Live, which I loved. This realization somewhat eased my fear of being transported to an unfamiliar place. It was fortunate that I had the memories of the person here to confirm my somewhat 'delusional' thoughts.
Honestly, I am a big fan of the Date A Live series because the anime has taken me through many different emotions, from fun and humor to touching moments; especially the romantic relationships between Shido and the spirits, which made me feel sweet and warm while evoking my feelings of love. Moreover, Shido's character, who is both brave and gentle, gave me more courage to face the difficulties in my life, helping me to always stay optimistic about the future and serving as a strong hope that I wouldn't give up in any situation. Therefore, thinking about being transmigrated to the Date A Live world, I was genuinely happy.
"Oh right, I need to find my phone."
Holding my phone, I saw that today was April 10th, the first day that "I" was supposed to attend the second year at Raizen High School, the same school Shido attended. This was indeed a lucky start for me, as I could have the chance to approach him so early.
Following the memories of this body, I quickly returned home, hurriedly changed into my school uniform, and prepared for my first steps.
It was 6:55 AM when I reached my class, 2-4, the same class Shido was in. Naturally, I met him right after, and the excitement of seeing "the real person" for the first time made me somewhat unable to believe my eyes, but I quickly calmed down to think about my next move.
Instead of focusing on the lesson in class, I spent time thinking about what I had to do in this world, and naturally, making friends with Shido had to be a priority. I thought this was the easiest way to get involved in future events since he was quite kind-hearted, making it easy to befriend him… Or maybe not…?
*Ting ting ting*
The school bell rang, signaling the end of the class. The students hurriedly packed their bags to prepare to leave. Meanwhile, I calmly tidied up my bag and approached Shido.
"Hey, you must be Itsuka Shido, right?"
"Ah, yes, but how do you—?!!"
As Shido turned to respond, he suddenly stood up in shock and backed away a few steps, looking as tense as when he first met a spirit. His reaction left me puzzled; was there something strange about my face? Or did he mistake me for someone else?
"Sorry, did I scare you?"
"What's the matter, Itsuka? Why do you look so tense? He's just here to say hello."
"Ah, it's nothing, Tonomachi. I might have been seeing things."
"Sorry for my reaction earlier. I got a bit startled. I'm Itsuka Shido, and you are?"
"I'm Watano Genso, just call me Watano."
"Alright, Watano, did you need something from me?"
"Not really, I just wanted to make a new friend."
"Oh, I see."
"An upcoming spacequake is detected in the area. This is not a drill. Please proceed to the nearest shelter... I repeat..."
"A spacequake alert?!"
"It's coming already?!"
"Is it coming soon?! Quickly, let's go down to the shelter."
And then we quickly headed to the school's shelter. Looking over at Shido, he seemed worried while holding his phone, probably because he couldn't reach his sister, Itsuka Kotori.
"What's wrong, Shido?"
"You look tense."
"Ah, I'm fine."
"You haven't been able to contact your sister, have you?"
"How did you know that?"
"For now, let's quickly go outside and look for her. Even though it's dangerous, we have to do it."
"You're right."
"I'll look for her with you, don't worry."
"It's too dangerous. This is my responsibility, you don't need to..."
"We don't have much time, Shido."
"It's okay, it's my decision."
"I owe you this time, Watano."
And then we rushed out of the shelter despite Tama-chan-sensei's attempts to stop us. We split up to search the areas near the GPS location. Although I knew Kotori was on the Fraxinus, if I had stopped Shido then, everything would have been turned upside down. Moreover, helping Shido like this would help increase my credibility in his eyes.
At this point, I was a bit worried about facing a spacequake, especially since I wasn't in a shelter, but seeing how Shido remained calm in the film, I thought everything would be fine. And then, while I was running on an empty road, suddenly...
*BOOM*
A distant explosion resonated towards me, accompanied by the appearance of a gigantic black hole, swallowing everything within its range; along with gusts of wind and sound waves reaching where I stood. I felt like a mere blade of grass in front of such a massive spacequake, it knocked me back with its aftershocks, pinning me against the wall of a nearby building. The impact nearly took my life.
After a while, I struggled to stand and moved closer to the center of the spacequake to find Shido and the first spirit, Tohka.
I found Shido, and in front of him was Tohka.
"Hey, Shido, are you okay?"
"I'm fi—"
Once again, when Shido turned to look at me, he was still very scared. I didn't understand why only Shido saw me differently while others like Tonomachi didn't.
"It's me, Shido, Watano."
"Oh, it's you. Sorry for being so tense."
"More importantly, over there, that's..."
"Do you know what she is?"
"That's a spirit, Shido."
"A spirit? Is she the one who caused the spacequake?"
"Yes, that's right."
"I can't believe it."
While we were discussing, Tohka drew her Sandalphon sword and charged at us. Reflexively, we both backed away and started running.
"WHY IS SHE COMING AT US??"
"I DON'T KNOW, JUST RUN WHEN YOU CAN."
But ordinary people can't outrun a spirit. Tohka caught up and leaped in front of us. As Shido and I were about to speak, Tohka suddenly pointed her sword straight at me. Whether by luck or quick reflexes, I managed to dodge the attack. It felt like she really wanted to kill me.
"Wait, what did I do to make you attack me?"
"SHUT UP, YOU MONSTER."
"Huh???"
She yelled with wide eyes, stomped, and accelerated towards me again, this time faster than before. I couldn't dodge the attack, resulting in a slash to my waist, blood gushing out. My body became weak and unresponsive. Just as Tohka was about to deliver the final blow, the AST team arrived and attacked her. While I was slowly losing consciousness from blood loss, I witnessed the true devastation caused by the spacequake. Nearby were countless bodies crushed under debris. Fortunately, I was too weak to react, or I might have vomited. Then, I completely blacked out.
When I woke up, I found myself in a hospital in Tengu City. A few people in suits entered my room, holding a file in front of me.
"Watano Genso, that's you, right?"
"Yes, what do you want from me?"
"Because you left the shelter during a spacequake alert, by law, you must be detained for 1-3 years."
"Huh??? Is that true?"
"But since you are a minor, the final punishment is house arrest for one month."
"Are you kidding me? How can leaving the shelter be so severely punished?"
"You should study the law more."
"If you don't believe us, here's a government permit. Is this enough?"
"Unbelievable."
"When you're discharged, contact us. Don't go home on your own."
"Understood."
I couldn't believe such laws existed here. I didn't know about this because the film never mentioned it. Although the government hid the truth about the existence of spirits, I didn't expect such severe penalties for violating warnings. Perhaps the government is hiding more than just the existence of spirits.
As I pondered these thoughts, the image I saw before fainting flashed in my mind. I was losing consciousness then, so I wasn't sure if what I saw was real. I decided to ignore it for now. As for Tohka, I knew that spirits instinctively attacked humans, but why did she specifically target me, calling me a "monster," with a reaction similar to Shido's?
I looked at myself in the mirror but saw nothing unusual. Could it be that because I was transported here, both Shido and Tohka sensed something different about me? Maybe I should investigate further. There are more secrets here than I initially thought.
My one month of house arrest finally ended today. During this time, I was not allowed to contact anyone (except family members) or go anywhere beyond the house. Everything had to be done at home, including studying. I feared that Shido might forget my face after not seeing me for so long. So today, on my first day back at school, I hurried to class just like on the first day.
When I arrived, everyone looked at me, probably because they knew I was under house arrest and hadn't been to class for a while. To break the awkward atmosphere, I decided to greet everyone.
"Good morning. It's been a while since I last saw you all."
Everyone waved back and returned to their conversations. Fortunately, they didn't seem to have a bad impression of me after everything that happened. In my focus on everyone's gazes, I missed another gaze fixed on me, one that could only be described with the word "kill." Now that Shido had sealed Tohka's spirit power, she was attending school like a normal person.
"You again, monster?! Tell the truth, what do you want from me and Shido?"
"Sorry, but I haven't done anything."
"Calm down, Tohka. He's not a bad person."
"But... If Shido says so..."
"Sorry for the trouble, Watano."
"Don't worry, I don't mind."
"Uh... okay..."
After that, the teacher entered, and we started the lesson. I was curious why Tohka reacted to me that way, and it seemed like Shido was avoiding eye contact with me. Was there something wrong with me? The more I thought about it, the more confused I became. I decided to ask him directly after class.
*Ting ting ting*
The bell rang, signaling the end of class. I quickly ran to Shido's desk.
"Hey, Shido, can you wait for me at the school gate? I have something to ask you."
"Me? Uh... okay."
"I'll stay with Shido."
"It's okay, Tohka, you can go home first."
"But what if..."
"Don't worry. I'll be fine."
Hearing their conversation, I felt like Shido was about to face a supervillain, but it was just a simple talk with me. Why was Tohka so worried?
After we both reached the school gate, I went straight to the point.
"Why are you and Tohka always on guard around me?"
"What do you mean?"
"I hope you tell the truth, Shido. If you insist it's just my imagination, I'll believe you."
Honestly, I didn't want to admit that Shido was wary of me. I just hoped he could see me as a trustworthy friend.
And then his answer left me speechless.
"No, seriously, what are you, Watano?"
"..."
"So in your eyes, I'm a mysterious and scary thing?"
"No... that's not what I mean-"
"It's okay, I understand."
At that moment, my heart sank with an indescribable sadness. The person I trusted most in this strange world saw me with such fear, as if I were a real demon. Could it be that my appearance was so repulsive that even someone kind like him couldn't accept me? I couldn't understand. The more I thought about it, the more confused I became. My initial excitement disappeared into nothingness. Nevertheless, with the last bit of respect I had for Shido, I still wanted to help him achieve everything without anyone getting hurt, so I wouldn't have any regrets.
"Shido, I have something to say before we go."
"It will rain later, and you will meet the second spirit, Yoshino."
"Remember, don't confuse her with the puppet on her left hand, or you'll be in trouble."
"How do you know about the spirits?"
"And you speak as if you know everything beforehand."
"What are you really, Watano?"
Faced with Shido's questioning, I turned away, hiding my rising despair, unable to face the harsh truth.
Then, the spacequake alert sounded, separating us. To avoid being detained again, I decided to hide in the shelter with everyone else. But deep down, I knew that whether I went outside or not, Shido would still be fine. It seemed my existence held little significance in this world. I sat there, feeling dejected, next to the vending machine.
The temperature in the shelter suddenly plummeted. People panicked, unsure of what was happening. Only I understood that this was a sign of Yoshino, the second spirit Shido will meet. From what I had seen on the news, the government claimed this shelter could withstand any disaster, including extreme temperatures and spatial quakes. Yet now, here we all were, trying to stay warm, battling the encroaching cold.
Suddenly, a resounding boom echoed from above the shelter's roof—a spatial quake erupted right where I was hiding. The entire shelter shook violently, walls and ceiling threatening to collapse. I felt the panic and fear of those around me, screams and cries echoing everywhere.
Light from the explosion cast eerie, flickering beams through cracks, illuminating dust and debris flying in the air, making it hard to breathe. I tried to stay calm, but my heart pounded relentlessly in my chest. Each passing second felt like an eternity.
Fortunately, the shelter held firm until the spatial quake subsided, leaving behind a massive hole in the ceiling that connected to the sky. As everyone breathed a sigh of relief, a giant rabbit-like figure suddenly descended from the sky.
I could be certain this was Yoshino, the second spirit that Shido would encounter next. Despite being a spirit, she was timid and never attacked others, not wanting to cause harm. She was genuinely kind-hearted. But now why was she now acting as if she's about to attack us??
"What on earth? A monster rabbit??"
"Stop kidding around! Is this some kind of movie shoot??"
"Oh Mom... I'm scared... huhu..."
It rushed towards me without a word, instantly freezing the air, creating a rain of sharp ice shards. Everything happened too fast; I barely had time to react for myself, let alone warn others. Ice shards began to rain down, sharp and cold, claiming the lives of unfortunate souls who couldn't find cover in time. Screams mixed with the sound of ice crashing against the floor and walls, creating a chaotic and harrowing scene.
I hid behind the vending machine, trying to stay calm amidst the chaos. The brutal reality unfolded before my eyes, making me realize the harsh truth. The beautiful things in the movies only revolve around the main character, Shido, and those close to him. As for the fates like mine and those around me, no one would care even if we were killed. We are forever just extras, the redundant pieces of this world.
The people here also have emotions, also have thoughts, but no one pays attention or cares. Their existence brings no meaning, just like shadows passing by in a larger story, a story where neither they nor I have a place or a voice. I felt myself being engulfed by the meaninglessness. Just as Yoshino was about to use her angel to strike the last person, which was me, the AST team arrived just in time. Thanks to their efforts attacking Yoshino, she was finally forced to flee.
I stood up, looking around the devastated shelter to make sure this wasn't a dream, more precisely, a nightmare. The hopes and ideals I had from them, all now turned into fury. I clenched my fists so tightly that my hands started to bleed, silently vowing to myself that I would change fate, so no one would be redundant pieces in this world anymore, and everyone would live in happiness. To achieve that, the target that must be eradicated is Ratatoskr, an organization that rescues spirits. Now I find it amusing how they prioritize the lives of spirits over the innocent people living in Tengu City and elsewhere. Those spirits, even after being sealed by Shido, are like ticking time bombs, ready to explode at any moment due to what Shido encounters. Therefore, nothing is absolutely safe except for eliminating them all. Beside, there are other forces we need to target, such as the D.E.M organization, and especially the Spirit Origami, the source of all the disasters this world has endured.
I suddenly realized that my current ideals somewhat resembled Origami's, wanting to destroy all spirits to prevent anyone from dying because of them. So, a thought popped into my head—should I ask Origami to join AST?
Knowing that approaching Origami wouldn't be easy, I made up my mind. With the information I had about Efreet, I would approach her and convince her that I could be a trustworthy ally. From there, I would join the AST team to start my path of 'BLOODY JUSTICE.'
The very next day, I began finding a way to approach Origami. During class, I sent a note with the message: "I want to talk to you. Can we meet on the rooftop after class?" As soon as the class ended, I hurried to the rooftop, but Origami seemed to be even faster. She was already there, but that was good because it gave me a chance to talk.
"So, why did you call me up here?"
"I know you're in AST, right?"
Though her face always maintained a calm expression, her words seemed to show a bit of surprise.
"How do you know that?"
"You don't need to worry about that. More importantly, I have what you've been looking for."
"Information about the fire spirit that caused the fire in Tengu City five years ago, right?"
Hearing that, she grabbed my collar, starting to seriously question me.
"Why do you know so much about me? What is your goal?"
"If you're really interested, help me with something."
"Okay, what is it?"
"Help me become a member of AST."
"No problem."
"Really? It's great talking to you."
"And what about the information on the fire spirit?"
"I'll send you a detailed email tomorrow, so let's exchange emails for contact."
"Got it. Thank you for the information."
"No, we both benefit."
I never thought I would succeed so easily. Choosing Origami and AST as a stepping stone for my plan was indeed correct.
Wait for it, Ratatoskr, D.E.M, spirits, and even the origin spirit, I will annihilate you all, for the ultimate goal of BLOODY JUSTICE.