Blinding white light. The pain is everywhere, a searing heat burning through my veins like fire. Then—nothing.

I gasp for air, my lungs burning as if I'd been holding my breath for days. My eyes fly open, but the world around me is not what I expect. Instead of sterile hospital walls or the chaos of battle, I'm surrounded by… warmth? A cramped, dark room, lit only by the faint moonlight filtering through the cracks of a window.

Where…?

I sit up, my heart pounding. That's when I see them—children, sleeping peacefully on thin mattresses, huddled together for warmth. They're small, fragile. Too familiar.

And then, it hits me. This isn't my body. These aren't my memories—except they are.

I'm Yuichiro Hyakuya.

....

"Why? Just… why?" I thought death would be the end. So why am I here, reborn—of all people—as my least favorite character?

"Yuu? Why are you up so early again?" Mika's voice broke through my thoughts.

I turned and saw Mika rubbing his eyes, watching me with concern.

"It's nothing, Mika," I muttered, trying to sound casual. "I was just heading to the bathroom."

Mika smiled softly. "Oh, okay. Just make sure to get enough sleep. Today's the day they take blood from us again, so don't be too tired."

As I walked toward the bathroom, I could still feel his eyes on me until I finally reached the door.

"Yuu's a bit different lately… probably just grumpy again," Mika murmured to himself, turning over to fall asleep once more.

Inside the small, dimly lit bathroom, I leaned against the sink, staring at my reflection in the cracked mirror. Yuu's face stared back at me—young, pale, and all too familiar. His sharp green eyes, now mine, seemed to reflect the confusion swirling inside.

I splashed cold water onto my face, hoping it might shock me out of this nightmare, but the icy sensation only confirmed what I feared. This wasn't a dream. It was real. I had been reborn as Yuu Hyakuya.

Of all the characters… I groaned inwardly. Yuu was the last person I would have ever wanted to be. Too stubborn, too angry, always jumping into things headfirst without thinking. But now I was him. Trapped in his body, in his world—a world that was about to fall apart.

I gripped the edge of the sink tightly, trying to steady my breath. Was that it? Was I just here to watch it all unfold again? To live through Yuu's pain and loss as if it were my own? Or could I change things?

But… how? How was I supposed to stop the inevitable?

I could feel panic rising in my chest. The weight of my situation pressed down on me like a suffocating blanket. But in the back of my mind, one thought whispered louder than the others: You have a chance.

If I was here, if I knew what was coming, maybe—just maybe—I could change things. I didn't have to follow Yuu's original path. I didn't have to let Mika and the others die.

But changing fate isn't that simple. One wrong move, and everything could unravel.

I turned off the faucet and stared at the water slowly swirling down the drain. My hands were trembling, but I tightened them into fists, forcing myself to breathe slowly.

"I have one chance, if I still have that," I murmured to myself. I closed my eyes, trying to center myself, when suddenly a golden light began to glow around me. As the light dissipated, a broken katana appeared in my hands.

"Old friend," I said softly, lifting the sword and inspecting its damaged blade. "Why are you in this state?"

I traced a finger gently over the sword's edge, feeling the weight of its history and the burden it carried. "Killing that beast of a demon king was too much, even for you," I murmured, a tear slipping down my cheek. The sword had once been a symbol of great power and sacrifice, and now it seemed as broken as I felt.

"Don't worry, I'm going to fix you once again. Can you show me the status?" I asked the sword, my voice steady despite the turmoil within me.

Two blue screens appeared in front of me, hovering in the air.

[Status Window]

Name: Yuichiro Hyakuya

Age: 12

Race: Human / Seraph

State: An honorable hero who sacrificed himself to save a broken world.

"An honorable hero," I said bitterly. "Maybe 'a failure of a hero' would be more accurate. What good is a hero who couldn't save his friends and family? You're giving me too much credit, my friend."

Now, let's see in which state you are, old friend.

[Status Window]

Name: Eternal Holy Sword

State: It should have been destroyed with its owner in an honorable way, but it was able to survive within the soul of its owner. Currently broken, unable to regain its original power without being repaired.

Looking at the information, I sighed and closed the screens. My shoulders slumped as I murmured, "Old friend, I'm sorry that you're in this state. If only I had been stronger during that final battle, you might have been in better hands after my death."

[Popup]

Do you wish to let the Eternal Holy Sword absorb Seraphic power to repair itself to 1%?

"Yes," I said firmly, selecting the option with a resolute tap. "I'll use my power to help you. We both need this."

The golden light surrounding the sword intensified as it began to absorb my Seraphic energy. The broken katana started to shimmer faintly, its jagged edges smoothing out just a little. It wasn't fully restored, but the blade now gleamed with a glimmer of its former might.

The popup vanished, and the screen reappeared with an updated status.

[Status Window]

Name: Eternal Holy Sword

State: Partially repaired. Current restoration at 1%. Requires additional Seraphic power and time to regain full capabilities.

Although I felt a bit weak on my knees from the exertion, it was worth it to help my old friend. I gripped the hilt tightly, the familiar weight grounding me. I slowly eased the blade into the wall, and it sliced through with surprising ease, embedding itself as if the wall were butter.

"The sharpness is still okay, but it's better than nothing," I murmured, assessing the sword's edge. "Okay, old friend, it's time for you to go back now."

As I spoke, the golden light appeared again, and the sword vanished. I sighed and looked into the cracked mirror once more, seeing both the familiar and unfamiliar face staring back at me.

"It seems I'm accepting this faster than I thought," I said, a bittersweet smile touching my lips. "Okay, now's not the time to be sad." I slapped my cheeks to chase away the melancholy. "Now we need to act like Yuu. I can't let myself be exposed for now. In the future, I have to show growth, not be viewed the same way Yuu was by others."

With a deep breath, I turned and walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind me.

[To be continued]