Prologue: Nightmare Mode
"Welcome to The Crucible, Ryuusei Sakai!"
The voice was loud, cheerful. Too cheerful. Like someone had been waiting their whole life to say that line.
Ryuusei blinked.
He stared.
Then blinked again.
In front of him stood a tall, muscular elf woman, blonde ponytail swishing behind her like a whip of golden fire. She had ears sharp enough to slice air and arms that looked like they could fold steel. Her black and red martial arts outfit hugged her body like it was afraid to let go. Despite looking like she could crush boulders between her biceps, her smile was… bubbly. Bubbly and blinding.
[Thiccc Elf]
"Uh…" Ryuusei opened his mouth. Nothing came out.
So this is what culture shock felt like.
The elf clapped her hands together, snapping him out of it. "Hellooo? Earth to Ryuusei! Oh wait, wrong world."
She laughed. Like she'd made the best joke ever.
He didn't laugh.
Dying wasn't funny.
"No wonder you were unresponsive, you're still in shock!" So he said that aloud, huh?
"You did!" The elf nodded cheerfully, giving him no sympathy whatsoever as she continued with the same energy. "Anyways, don't worry too much, most people who get Truck'd take a minute, and we have orientation videos to help."
"Truck'd?" Ryuusei just stared.
"Yup!" the elf said, cheerfully popping the p. "Truck-kun's technically freelance, y'know. Real professional. Works with dozens of omniversal organizations—great record, top-tier aim, always gets the job done." She tapped her chin thoughtfully.
That… explained absolutely nothing and somehow made things worse.
"Freelance hit-truck?" He muttered.
"Not hit-truck, soul-transition logistics specialist," the blonde corrected with mock offense, raising a finger like a schoolteacher. "Very important distinction."
"…Right." Why was he here again?
As if hearing his thoughts, the martial elf moved onto more important matters.
"So, The Crucible, think bootcamp-slash-proving ground-slash-masochist theme park for people with potential. People like you!"
"And you?" He questioned, eyeing her muscular, thicc frame.
"And me!" She beamed, seemingly oblivious to his wandering eyes.
"I'm just a university student." Ryuusei pointed out.
The woman's smile didn't dim in the slightest.
"Exactly. Which means you've got the perfect foundation—sleep-deprived, caffeine-powered, borderline nihilistic, and capable of enduring horrifying amounts of stress. TextbookCrucible material!"
The young Japanese man gave a dull stare.
The elf didn't even blink. She just bulldozed through his apathy like a bull in a china shop.
"Anyways, just know you've got potential. Not physical, not magical, but narrative! The Crucible's got algorithms for this stuff—scrying spells mixed with cosmic personality scans, pattern recognition based on karmic weight, narrative tropes, and trauma index readings—"
"Trauma index?"
The erufu blinked at his interruption, an open folder appearing in her hand. After taking a glance, she looked back at him with a pitying expression, giving him a pat on the shoulder that almost knocked him off his feet.
"…."
Ryuusei staggered back, feeling like his soul almost left his bod—soul?
"Sorry, forgot to scale down. You're still flagged as a Tier-0 organic." She cleared her throat, then held up the folder, flipping through the pages with growing dismay.
"Let's see here… ah. Yep. Figures. You're from Japan, alright. Overworked parents. Emotionally distant father. Overbearing cram school schedule. Ah—bullying, of course. The good old Japanese social hierarchy grind. Aaaaand… yep, there it is. Chronic isolation, suicidal ideation by age fifteen, combined with a severe disassociation from reality via escapism and anime power fantasies. Hooo boy." She whistled low.
Ryuusei felt an imaginary scalpel dig into his dignity, "You're reading that like it's a resume."
"It is a resume," she said brightly. "Your soul's resume! The Crucible scans for prime candidates, and all Japan's in the multiverse are watched carefully—honestly, it's one of our top recruitment zones."
Totally understandable. Ryuusei could still remember that one group project where he did 98% of the work while Tanaka got credit.
If that wasn't trauma fuel, he didn't know what was.
The elf nodded sagely, as if reading his mind again. "See? Japan's a multiversal paradox. You guys are walking contradictions. Fragile but durable, cynical but hopeful, depressed but delusionally determined. You break down crying at 3 a.m. over test scores, then fight eldritch horrors the next day because a cat girl smiled at you."
Ryuusei raised a finger to deny her words only to pause, and nod in agreement, "So I'm here because I'm emotionally unstable and socially stunted?"
"No, no," she said, wagging a finger. "You're here because you're emotionally unstable, socially stunted, and possess latent narrative inertia. That's the trifecta!"
Ryuusei wasn't sure whether to feel confused, insulted or flattered. So he did what Japanese people do best,"Thank you."
He gave a smile.
"And there's practiced that smile," Why was she looking at him in awe? "That tired little upturn of the lips that says 'Please don't notice how dead I am inside.' It's in your blood, y'know. Centuries of honed emotional suppression. Truly admirable."
Ryuusei kept smiling.
It twitched slightly.
She gave him a thumbs-up.
"Let's move on to the matter at hand," she said, suddenly businesslike. "You, Ryuusei Sakai, have been selected as a Candidate for The Crucible. Congratulations."
Gone was the bubbly air headed elf. In her place stood something else.
Ryuusei swallowed.
Something primal inside him screamed.
"I suppose I should introduce myself properly," she said.
"I am Lyris Elcariel, Crucible Adjuicator of the Nightmare Division, Tier-10 Entity."
"I am your handler."
Ryuusei tried to speak, but all he could manage was a shaky breath.
Lyris took pity on him as with a shoulder pat—which was thankfully not soul destroying—whatever he was experiencing vanished.
"Sorry!"
Ryuusei blankly stared at the elf giving him a sincere apology.
Is this what it meant to be a woman? Was this that kind of day for Lyris?
To be honest, he didn't want to know, and made the thought clear.
He gave her the smile that every underpaid, overworked, emotionally constipated Nihon-jin had worn since the Meiji era.
Lyris blinked, then nodded solemnly, mirroring his expression with a little bow of respect. "We'll keep things… casual."
"Appreciated. Can we just get this over with?" Ryuusei asked, rubbing his temples.
"Of course! Right—initiating entry protocol. Prepare for status confirmation." She clapped her hands, and reality shuddered for a moment. Gold light formed elegant kanji, glitching slightly before stabilizing into English characters that he effortlessly understood.
_____________________________________________
Welcome, Candidate Ryuusei Sakai!
Challenge Level: NIGHTMARE MODE – [Irrevocable]
Origin: Earth-313, Japan
Cause of Transition: High-Velocity Divine Transport Unit ( a.k.a. Truck-kun Special)
Vital Status: Deceased (Body), In-Transit (Soul)
Selected Forge: DanMachi (Variant)
Eligibility: Qualified via Crucible Induction
Classification: Soul Migrant (Tier-0)
Sanctioned Advantage: DanMachi CYOA + Jump
Handler: Lyris Elcariel (T-10)
_____________________________________________
"Nightmare Mode? Irrevocable?" Was it in his blood to suffer? Did God truly create everyone to be equal? Were Japanese a whole different species?
Seemingly oblivious to Ryuusei's existential reflection, Lyris beamed happily, ready to answer his questions.
Though before she could, her long ears twitched as the unmistakable sound of a ringtone echoed across space and time.
Lyris pulled out what looked like a glowing crystal iphone.
"—Yeah? Mmhm. Yeah, no, he's all set. Yes, fully briefed. No he didn't cry at finding out he's on Nightmare Mode—yes I toned it down this time!…Okay I went a little Zaraki. But he's fine. Yes. No. Yes. Alright. Bye."
She ended the call, then looked at him with a sheepish grin.
"Well, duty calls for both of us I suppose. Go on now, into your new life. We'll catch up later!"
"Wait—"
Lyris didn't say any more. She just reached out to his chest and—
Pat.
The void broke.
Reality peeled away like paint under boiling water. Stars bled into rivers, colors inverted, and sound fell silent.
The last thing Ryuusei saw was Lyris giving him a thumbs-up, her smile radiant and encouraging as she mouthed words that seared into his very soul.
"To suffer is to grow.
To struggle is to shed weakness.
Comfort is a cage.
Chaos is the chisel that shapes growth.
This is the philosophy of The Crucible.
Survive. Evolve. Transcend… or Die trying—Ryuusei Sakai."
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