Morning sunlight spilled across the land.
Raizo awoke beneath his tree, rubbing his eyes. The air was cool, the world both foreign and familiar.
He began walking again, following the roads he once knew. Familiar stalls and shops greeted him. Familiar faces.
The marketplace buzzed with chatter.
"Hey, look at that boy," one woman whispered, eyes wide.
"He's so handsome," another giggled. "Like an actor!"
Raizo's eyes flicked away, uneasy. He muttered under his breath, "When I was Johnrhey… nobody ever looked at me like this."
He stopped when a crowd gathered near a television set outside a store. The screen flickered with breaking news.
A reporter spoke sharply:
"Last night, a vehicle exploded in the forest. We have the driver here. Sir, can you tell us what happened?"
The man trembled as he clutched the microphone. His voice shook. "I… I thought it was a person on the road. But no… it had horns. Teeth like a shark. Its eyes glowed red and yellow. Like a demon from the myths. I tried to reverse… but it grabbed my car and threw it into a tree. I… I barely got out alive before it exploded."
"Thank you, sir," the reporter said solemnly. "That's all for now, folks. Stay tuned for updates."
Raizo's blood ran cold. His heart thumped in his chest.
"…Gladion."
His eyes narrowed. The demon had made it here, too.
Ding… ding.
A bell rang twice behind him.
Raizo turned. His breath caught.
A school. His school. SVS.
Memories surged like a tidal wave—him as Johnrhey, walking these halls, laughing with friends, sharing lunches.
Without thinking, he ran. Through the gate, into the yard, to the corner where he and his friends used to gather.
But it was empty.
The place was the same… but the people were gone. They had grown, moved on, graduated into adulthood.
Raizo stood still, heart heavy with longing.
He clenched his fists. He was no longer Johnrhey, the unnoticed boy. He was Raizo, lost between two worlds—carrying the weight of both.
"Hey, Mister. What can I do for you?"
A voice came from behind. Raizo turned, a bit startled, and saw a man in a teacher's uniform. His ID card dangled from his chest. Raizo squinted and recognized the name—Tyrone.
Memories stirred. Back in his old high school days, Tyrone was one of his classmates—always mischievous, always sneaking off to the restroom without asking permission, often getting scolded by teachers.
Raizo blinked.
"Hello… Tyrone. Do you remember me?"
The teacher looked puzzled, studying Raizo's unfamiliar face.
"Nope. Should I? Do I know you from before?"
Raizo froze for a second. Ah, right… my face is different now. Even my eyes aren't the same anymore. He forced a smile.
"No, I guess not."
"Are you lost, sir?" Tyrone asked politely, his tone far more mature than Raizo remembered.
Raizo's thoughts whispered: So polite… so composed. Not like the naughty kid I once knew. They really do change.
Shaking his head, Raizo replied softly, "Nope. I was just walking."
"Alright then, sir. I'll be going now—I have a class to attend." Tyrone smiled and walked away with the calm confidence of a teacher.
Raizo nodded and watched him leave. Slowly, a faint smile crept onto his lips.
So… he has a job now. A real future. What about the others, I wonder…?
---
His steps led him near a church. Out of impulse, he entered. The scent of candles and faint hymns embraced him. He knelt, bowed his head, and began to pray.
But as he prayed, a strange sensation washed over him—like his body was growing lighter, drifting away. He opened his eyes and gasped. His physical form was still kneeling below, hands clasped in prayer… but he was floating above, his soul unshackled.
And then he saw them.
Two radiant figures stood before him—the very gods who had reincarnated him into the other world. Their divine presence filled the chamber.
Raizo's voice trembled.
"H-hey…"
The gods turned their gaze upon him. The one holding a scroll spoke first, his voice heavy and resounding.
"Are you… Johnrhey?"
Raizo hesitated, then nodded.
The god's eyes narrowed.
"What are you doing here, on Earth?"
Raizo clenched his fists.
"It's because… when I was fighting a demon—one of the generals, named Gladion—he had an ability to read minds. He dug into my memories… and somehow, he teleported himself here."
The god with the golden staff's expression hardened.
"What? You mean to tell us… you released a demon into this world? Do you understand the danger you've brought? This world—this Earth—could be thrown into chaos!"
Raizo's chest tightened, but he met their gaze firmly.
"Don't worry. I'll find that demon. I'll finish him here. And when it's done, I'll return to that world… the world where I truly belong."
The god with the scroll stepped forward, eyes stern.
"Very well. But hear this, Johnrhey. Never—never—reveal your true name to anyone in this world. That truth must remain hidden, even from those closest to you. Promise us this."
Raizo lowered his head and whispered, "I promise."
In the next instant, the vision faded. His soul slipped back into his body. He blinked, finding himself still kneeling before the altar. Slowly, he rose to his feet, the weight of his vow pressing upon his shoulders.
---
Exiting the church, Raizo walked back toward the road. But then, something caught his eye—a street corner, eerily familiar.
He froze. His chest throbbed with memory.
"This place…" he muttered under his breath. His eyes traced the lines of the road, the faint echoes of screeching tires filling his mind.
His throat tightened.
"This is… where I died before."
The world seemed to fall silent around him, as if the past itself lingered in the air, reminding him of the fragile thread between life and death that had brought him to this path.
Raizo stared at the road—the same road where he once died.
Silence weighed heavily on him, until it was broken by the blaring sirens of a police car.
He turned back and saw a black car drifting across the road, with a police car hot on its tail.
Without hesitation, Raizo opened his Item Box, pulling out a red coat and a hoodie with white stripes.
He cast Wind Magic: Boost.
His speed exploded, and in an instant, he leapt over a wall, appearing right in front of the road as the car rushed toward him.
The driver slammed the horn repeatedly—
but Raizo only raised his hand.
Psychic Magic: Telekinesis.
The car screeched to a halt, its wheels refusing to obey no matter how much the driver tried to accelerate.
Raizo lifted his other hand.
Wind Magic: Wind Needle.
A white circle formed beneath the tires. A sharp gust of wind shot out, piercing the rubber. All four tires burst with a loud pop.
The car doors slammed open. Four men stepped out—
two holding guns, one with a bat, and one with a knife.
One of them pointed his gun at Raizo.
"What the hell did you do to our car?!"
Another sneered, "You some kind of cosplayer or something?"
The man with the bat suddenly charged forward, swinging down with full force.
But to Raizo, his movement was sluggish—
he sidestepped easily and struck with a sharp elbow uppercut.
The man collapsed instantly, his bat clattering to the ground.
"Shoot him!" one of the gunmen yelled.
They fired.
But the bullets stopped midair, bouncing off a shimmering shield.
Barrier Magic.
"What the hell?! How did the bullets not go through?!" the gunman screamed.
Before they could pull the trigger again, Raizo teleported.
In a flash, he appeared in front of them, knocking both out cold with precise strikes.
The man with the knife, now trembling, gathered his courage and charged.
He thrust the blade—
—but Raizo calmly caught the edge with two fingers.
With his other hand, he delivered a brutal punch.
The man staggered back, blood spraying from his mouth, before crumpling.
Raizo tossed the knife aside.
Just then, a police car screeched to a stop behind them.
Two officers stepped out.
One officer rushed to the four downed criminals, handcuffing them.
The other officer raised his gun at Raizo.
"Freeze!"
Raizo's eyes narrowed.
Wind Magic: Wind Barrier.
A powerful current of wind spiraled around him. The officer shielded his face, unable to keep his eyes open.
When the gusts finally died down—
Raizo was gone.
"What the hell?!" the cop shouted, bewildered.
High above, Raizo watched from the rooftop of a nearby house.
After a moment, he dropped into a nearby alley, quietly storing his cloak back into his Item Box.