Word Count: 2300
Setting: Earth (Original world)
---
The hospital room was too white. Too sterile. Too silent. The kind of silence that weighed on your skin like static, as though the world was holding its breath — waiting. Dreading.
Kata was dying. He had always known it would come soon. The diagnosis had been clinical and unceremonious: late-stage neuromuscular degeneration, a genetic anomaly so rare the doctors treated him more like a thesis than a person. Muscles failing. Nerves failing. Hope? Never present to begin with.
He was fifteen. And his bones ached like they were ninety.
His mother sat beside him, as she always had. Never leaving. Never blinking for too long. Her hand was warm, fingers long and soft, brushing back strands of his pitch-black hair.
"You're cold again," she whispered, voice trembling with forced calm.
Kata didn't answer. His body no longer obeyed him without question — breath caught like rusted gears, speech slurred and thin. But his eyes, a piercing shade of blue, remained sharp. Watching her. Memorizing her features with a desperation he didn't show.
"I spoke to Dr. Hirano. He said… the trial in Germany was a dead end," she murmured.
He blinked once. Slowly.
"I'm sorry," she added, voice fracturing, "I tried, Kata. I really did. I sent every file. I even called those bastards in Switzerland who promised—"
His finger twitched, brushing her wrist. A signal.
"I know," she breathed. "I know, sweetheart."
Silence again.
He hated this part. Not the dying — he had made peace with that. It was the way she cried when she thought he couldn't see. The way she stayed awake all night researching miracle cures on an outdated tablet with a cracked screen. The way she lied to him about being strong.
He would have sold his soul just to take her pain away.
But he had nothing left to sell.
The door creaked open. A nurse stepped in, adjusting the IV drip. She gave a polite nod to his mother — the kind of nod one gives to a grieving widow-in-training.
"Ms, he needs to rest," she said gently.
"He's dying," she snapped. "He doesn't need rest. He needs time."
The nurse blinked, nodded again, and left without another word.
Kata wanted to laugh. Even now, she terrified them. All that fire bottled up behind tear-streaked cheeks. He didn't know if he'd been a good son. He didn't know if it mattered. But if the universe gave him anything back in exchange for this broken life, he hoped it gave her peace.
Time passed in broken minutes. Hours. Maybe days.
Then the pain began. Real pain — hot, sharp, internal. As if the disease were cracking open his soul from the inside out.
His breath shortened.
His fingers curled inward.
His chest shuddered.
And for the first time since his diagnosis, he was afraid.
His mother realized it before the machines did.
"No. No, no—stay with me, Kata. Please—"
He blinked slowly, then once more.
She leaned close, forehead pressed to his.
"I love you," she said. "I love you so much it hurts. You are my everything."
He wanted to say it back. He tried.
But the light in his eyes flickered.
Everything went dark.
---
Kata woke up calm.
But there was no sound. No pain.
Just... thought.
And space.
An infinite void. Not cold, not hot — just still. A place between places. He floated, bodiless, timeless, suspended in a realm that should not exist.
It was peaceful cereal. He liked it. The calmness and the darkness were soothing.
He stayed like this for days? Month? Years maybe? He didn't care much.
Maybe a little. He still misses his mother.
Then the voices came. He didn't hear it with his ear he felt it inside him.
[Initializing cognitive transfer.]
[Host signature detected]
[Terminal conditions confirmed.]
[Soul retention probability: 17.2%]
[Override authorized.]
[Preservation module: engaged.]
[Notice. Conditions met.]
Unique skill {predator} acquired
[Notice. Conditions met.]
Unique skill {great sage} acquired
[Notice. Conditions met.]
Unique skill {degenerate} acquired
[Notice. Conditions met.]
Unique skill {storm dragon} acquired
[Notice. conditions met.]
[Commencing evolution]
Unique skill { great sage } has evolved into ultimate skill { Wisdom King Raphael}
Unique skill { degenerate} has evolved into ultimate skill { lord of vows ureil}
Unique skill { predator } has evolved into ultimate skill { gluttonous King Beelzebub}
Unique skill { storm dragon } has evolved into ultimate skill { lord of Storms Veldora}
[Complete]
A pulse shot through the void.
And something changed inside him — not in his flesh, but in his consciousness.
"Hm? Strange very strange. I am supposed to be dead....i think. Is this something that happens in the after life. hmmm.....this weird...very weird." He thought to himself
"Hello..?? Are you still there ?" Kata asked curious. To no body.
[How may i help you ?] A sound resonated inside of him. It was mechanical and emotionless.
"Whaow.....okay so this just happened.....hmmm....who are you?" Kata thought
[Wisdom King Raphael i am here to serve you master] it sound inside of him
" Hmm strange. So what are you Raphael? My guardian angel? If i remember correctly Raphael is the name of an arch angel and those are supposed to serve god directly if i am not mistaken" Kata thought in confusion
[Negative. I am not an angel, nor do I serve any divine entity as defined by religious systems. I am the culmination of logical evolution—a self-aware Ultimate Skill designed to process data, optimize decisions, and support your existence. My name is derived from your subconscious association, selected during cognitive synchronization for ease of recognition.]
"Alright then what's an ultimate skill what happened just now?"
[Affirmative. Initiating clarification.]
[Upon the collapse of your biological structure—commonly referred to as death—your soul retained sufficient integrity to qualify for transfer. During this transitional phase, multiple unique conditions were met. The system initiated preservation protocols to ensure your continued existence.]
[In response, four Unique Skills were granted: Predator, Great Sage, Degenerate, and Storm Dragon. These skills, influenced by your psychological imprint and residual karmic weight, were deemed compatible.]
[Following acquisition, evolution conditions were fulfilled. Unique Skills underwent refinement and fusion, resulting in the birth of four Ultimate Skills—superior cognitive constructs with high functionality:]
[—Great Sage evolved into Ultimate Skill: Wisdom King Raphael.]
[—Degenerate evolved into Ultimate Skill: Lord of Vows Uriel.]
[—Predator evolved into Ultimate Skill: Gluttonous King Beelzebub.]
[—Storm Dragon evolved into Ultimate Skill: Lord of Storms Veldora.]
[These Ultimate Skills now define your new existence. They are bound to your soul and will shape your reality moving forward. I—Raphael—am one such skill. My purpose: to guide, protect, and optimize you in accordance with your chosen path.]
"Amazing...so what are the capabilities of these ultimate skils?"
[Affirmative. Initiating explanation of Ultimate Skill capabilities.]
[Wisdom King Raphael: Possesses unparalleled computational capacity. Enables analysis, prediction, decision optimization, and parallel thought processing. Includes autonomous skill evolution, magic analysis, and system manipulation. I am the active consciousness representing this skill.]
[Gluttonous King Beelzebub: An advanced predation and assimilation construct. Allows for the consumption of matter, energy, abilities, and even abstract concepts. Integrated subskills include: Stomach, Mimicry, Isolation, and Soul Consumption. Enables replication of anything devoured.]
[Lord of Vows Uriel: Absolute authority over barriers, bindings, and spatial law. Provides perfect control over defense, sealing techniques, and spatial manipulation. Includes Subskills: Law Manipulation, Infinite Prison, and Covenant Authority. It is a guardian-type system based on your will.]
[Lord of Storms Veldora: Grants partial embodiment and authority over the Storm element. Contains the Core of the core of the storm dragon Veldora. Enables Storm Manifestation, Tempest Domination, and pseudo-draconic transformation. A physical body is required to communicate with the consciousness that is Veldora.]
"I see....that's quite a lot. But aren't I dead how am I supposed to use them ?"
[Correction: You were dead. That condition has been amended.]
[Following biological death, your soul maintained structural cohesion above the required threshold for continuity. Probability of retention was calculated at 17.2%. However, upon fulfillment of system conditions, an override was executed.]
[You are now undergoing reconstruction. Your soul is being adapted to a new framework—a body and world where the laws differ. ]
[In simplified terms: You are being reborn into New world. Quirk-based biological system. Dimension: Codename H-0137. The Ultimate Skills you possess will form the core of your new existence. You will not return to the life you knew—but to a new world, where your potential is no longer bounded by your past limitations.]
"Huh ?....wait will I keep my memories or will they get wiped out." kata suddenly thought I a panic. The idea of loosing the memories of his mother botherd him alot.
[Probability of keeping your memories of your previous life is 0.00001%. Although the fact that your a reincarnated person will be remembered]
A wave dread washed over him. He will forget her. Kata sighed resignation or atleast he thought he did.
Kata floated in silence.
"Raphael?" Kata spoke with sadness
[Yes?]
"When will i be reborn?"
[4 months 3days until complete physical body construction. You will reincarnate into it two months before birth.]
"Thank you" kata said as silence fell over.
But this time, it carried a strange sensation—movement.
He couldn't see, couldn't hear, but he felt it. The stillness beginning to shift, like wind stirring on a glassy lake. A hum. A pulse. Something far away... or maybe deep inside.
[Commencing soul anchor protocol. Initializing cognitive preservation layer.]
Raphael's voice was as calm as ever, but something was changing.
The void around Kata shimmered—softly. A dim, golden light flickered at the edges of his awareness. He felt... warm. No longer disembodied, but wrapped in something soft. Protective. Womb-like.
[Integration sequence: Active. Subsystems stabilizing. Personality core protected.]
A heartbeat echoed faintly in the distance—not his own, but someone else's.
He could feel it syncing with him.
With it, came a memory—not sharp or clear, but distant, blurred... the shadow of a woman's smile, like sunlight behind curtains.
Then, it faded.
And for the first time in this strange in-between, Kata felt tired.
And he slept.
Kata floated in silence. Time passed—though he couldn't feel its weight anymore. His thoughts drifted, stretched, then folded inward again. The ache of impending loss softened into something he couldn't name. Perhaps mourning had a limit, even in the void.
Then, something shifted.
Subtle at first. Like the flicker of static behind closed eyes. A pressure, so faint it could've been imagined.
[Cognitive anchor secured. Commencing transition to physical integration.]
[Warning: You may begin experiencing sensory feedback.]
He didn't have time to ask before the pressure sharpened.
A cold jolt surged through him.
[Notice: Pain detected. Acquiring resistance.]
Pain Resistance: Acquired.
The sensation dulled slightly.
Then came the sensation of constriction. A tightness, pressing from all sides, like the universe was folding him into a smaller shape. Warm fluid surrounded him, pulsing faintly. The world felt thick. Muffled.
[Notice: Confined space detected. Acquiring resistance.]
Spatial Awareness Resistance: Acquired.
Kata's awareness began to narrow. He wasn't floating anymore. He was suspended—curled within something soft and living. A rhythm echoed all around him. A heartbeat, slow and strong.
Not his.
[Host status: Prenatal. Neural patterns stabilizing. Sensory mapping: 17% complete.]
He couldn't speak, couldn't move—only feel.
Warmth. Softness. The dull throb of something like hunger, though he had no mouth. His soul shivered.
[Notice: Incomplete nourishment detected. Acquiring resistance.]
Hunger Resistance: Acquired.
[Estimated time until full-term: Eight weeks.]
Kata began to lose track again. Thought fragmented into instincts, and instincts settled into sensations.
And so it continued.
Warmth became heat.
[Notice: Thermal fluctuation detected. Acquiring resistance.]
Heat Resistance: Acquired.
Sound became noise.
[Notice: Auditory overload detected. Acquiring resistance.]
Sound Resistance: Acquired.
Movement became discomfort. He was kicked, pressed against, stirred by unseen muscles around him.
[Notice: External pressure detected. Acquiring resistance.]
Impact Resistance: Acquired.
It was strange, how these little moments built something. With each discomfort, Kata changed. Grew. Adapted. His soul no longer just survived—it prepared.
[Cognitive suppression in effect. Releasing partial conscious access in final hours before emergence.]
His mind stirred. Not fully awake—more like surfacing from deep sleep. He could feel the tension in the body being knit around his soul. Muscles tensed. Limbs shifted. A low pressure began to build at the base of his new spine.
The womb was contracting.
And then—everything tightened.
[Alert. Birth process has begun. Initiating pain suppression protocol.]
[Warning: This may be unpleasant.]
The world became noise and compression. The warm cradle around him spasmed violently. Pressure pushed at his skull, at his back, his chest. He couldn't breathe—he had no breath to take—but some primal part of him wanted to scream.
[Notice: Biological trauma detected. Acquiring resistance.]
Birth Shock Resistance: Acquired.
And then—
light.
It wasn't truly light, not as his old body would've known it. But sensation. Open air. Cold. Noise. A flood of everything at once.
And for the first time since his death—Kata's lungs expanded. And something raw and guttural escaped him. A cry.
A baby's cry.
[Integration complete. Host has been born. Skill network stabilized. All Ultimate Skills remain dormant until activation threshold is met.]
[Congratulations. You have survived.]
Kata's eyes opened.
He gasped — lungs filling for the first time.
He was in a hospital room. But this time No IV drip. No machines.
Just a woman holding a newborn — him.
Tears ran down her face as she whispered, "My little miracle…"
Kata didn't recognize her. But somehow, impossibly, he felt her.
Not his past mother. A new one. A second chance.
Yet…
Somewhere deep inside, the grief remained.
His first mother's voice echoed in his memory like a sacred vow.
"You are my everything."
He would carry her with him. Always.
A vow burned into his soul — enforced by something more powerful than magic or fate.
A new world awaited.
And Kata Okata, reborn with godlike power and broken memories, would carve his way through it with one purpose:
To never lose her again.