A Night of Betrayal
The neon lights of Shinjuku flickered like dying stars, barely piercing through the relentless downpour. The air reeked of cigarette smoke, cheap liquor, and broken dreamsāan aroma Renji Arata had long since stopped noticing.
His cheap leather shoes splashed through puddles, soaking his already-worn socks. The cold bit into his skin, but he didn't shiver. The hunger gnawing at his stomach didn't bother him either. Nothing did.
Because at the end of the day, none of it mattered.
He had Akari.
His beautiful, perfect wife. The one person who saw him. The one who loved him, despite everything.
Or so he thought.
As he climbed the rusted stairs of their tiny, one-bedroom apartment, he heard it.
A rhythmic thudding. A woman's moans.
Renji froze.
His fingers clenched around the plastic bag filled with instant ramenāhis dinner for the fourth night in a row.
His mind screamed at him to walk away. To not open that door.
But his body moved on its own.
He reached for the handle. Turned it slowly.
The door creaked open.
And his world shattered.
Akari lay sprawled across their bed, her naked body tangled in sweaty sheets. Her nails dug into another man's back. Her lips moaned another man's name.
"Takeshiā¦"
Renji's breath hitched. The plastic bag slipped from his fingers.
The manāTakeshi Kuroganeāturned his head and smirked.
"Oh, shit," Takeshi said casually, running a hand through his sweat-drenched hair. "You're back early, huh?"
Renji couldn't move.
His ears rang. His vision blurred.
"Akariā¦?" His voice came out hoarse, barely above a whisper.
She didn't flinch. Didn't scramble for the sheets.
She justā¦ sighed.
Like he was an inconvenience.
"Renji, stop being so dramatic," she said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
Renji's stomach twisted. His lips trembled.
"Butā¦ you said you loved meā¦"
Akari laughed.
Cold. Heartless.
"I settled for you," she said bluntly. "You were the only idiot who would take me when I had nothing."
His heart stopped.
"You're pathetic, Renji," she continued, her voice razor-sharp. "Broke. Weak. Ugly. A nobody."
She turned to Takeshi, her fingers trailing down his sculpted chest.
"Unlike you, Takeshi actually has ambition. He actually makes money. You? You're just a loser who got lucky I stayed this long."
Takeshi chuckled. His deep voice oozed arrogance.
"She deserves a real man, bro. Not some lowlife who eats instant noodles every night."
Renji stopped shaking.
His hands loosened. His breath steadied.
Takeshi stood up, towering over himā6'2", lean, muscular. A superior specimen.
"You should thank me, honestly," Takeshi sneered. "Now she knows what a real man feels like."
Something inside Renji snapped.
Before he even processed what he was doing, his hand movedā
CRACK!
The bedside lamp shattered against Takeshi's skull.
Blood splattered across the bed. Takeshi's body collapsed.
Akari screamed.
"T-Takeshi?! TAKESHI?!"
Renji stood over him. Silent. Breathing slow.
Takeshi's blood dripped from his fingers, but he feltā¦ nothing.
He wiped his cheek. Smirked.
"You're right, Akari," he murmured. His voice eerily calm.
"I was pathetic."
Akari pressed herself against the headboard, her breath hitching in terror.
For the first time in his miserable existenceā¦ Renji felt powerful.
And he never wanted to lose that feeling again.
---
A New Beginning
He didn't remember leaving the apartment.
He walked through the empty streets, the rain washing the blood from his hands.
His mind wasā¦ silent.
No regret. No fear. No sadness.
Only clarity.
"The world only respects power," he murmured, staring at his reflection in a storefront window.
His dull, lifeless eyesā¦ were no longer his own.
Thenā
DING!
A cold, robotic voice echoed in his mind.
---
[SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
"Ultimate Life Domination System binding to hostā¦"
Renji's breath hitched. His pulse quickened.
A glowing blue screen materialized before him.
---
[SYSTEM WELCOMES THE HOST]
You have been chosen.
Do you wish to rule this world? [Y/N]
---
Renji stared at the screen.
Most people would hesitate. Would question reality.
Renji simply smirked.
"You're giving me power?" he whispered. "How generous."
Without hesitation, he pressed YES.
---
[WELCOME TO YOUR NEW LIFE]
First Mission:
Destroy Takeshi's life. Ruin his reputation, finances, and existence.
Reward:
+10 Intelligence
$50,000
First Skill: 'Psychological Manipulation'
---
Renji exhaled slowly.
"System, explain my reward."
A second screen appeared.
---
[Psychological Manipulation ā LVL 1]
ā¢ Grants the ability to influence and control others through words and actions.
ā¢ Enhances charisma and deception.
ā¢ Allows the host to instill fear, loyalty, or admiration.
---
Renji laughed.
"Perfect."
He tilted his head back, letting the cold rain wash over him.
This wasn't just about revenge anymore.
This was about absolute domination.
"The world played with me for too long," he murmured, his voice laced with dark amusement.
"Nowā¦ it's my turn."