At the karaoke place, they got a small room, dim lighting with colorful LED strips around the ceiling. The usual cheap-but-welcoming vibe. They paid at the counter, and after being led inside, Eishi picked up the mic first.
He felt it again.
That gentle thrum in his chest. A yearning.
The urge to sing.
He glanced at the glowing system screen.
Status:
Main Class: Martial Artist – Mastery (3%)
Subclass: Singer – Mastery (7%)
He thought for a moment.
Switch Class?
Main → Singer – Mastery (7%)
Sub → Martial Artist – Mastery (3%)
[Confirmed.]
Immediately, he felt the difference. It was subtle, like switching dominant hands. A natural comfort settled in his throat and posture, like every breath knew how to control pitch, every word wrapped in rhythm.
"So this is how main class works…" he murmured.
It was like switching between native and learned language. Subclass gave access, but main class gave intuition. Experience points gathered faster, too, if the action matched the equipped main class.
He smiled.
Level 7 already. He'd been singing a bit in the hospital, mostly to kill time—but it had real effect. And he'd picked up quite a few fans among the older patients.
He chuckled at the memory.
One nurse had pulled him aside after he sang.
"Can I get your autograph?" she'd asked with a wink.
He was flustered, of course. "Uh… seriously?"
"I want the first one before you get famous," she'd said.
Still flustered, I grabbed the pen and scribbled my name on the paper she handed me.Before I could say anything else, she snatched it away with suspicious speed.
That's when it hit me."Wait… You're not planning to sell that on eBay someday, are you?"
She gasped — way too dramatically."Whaaat? How could you accuse me of such a thing?"
I narrowed my eyes.
She giggled, shrugging."I mean… if you do become a superstar, maybe I'll consider it. Just a little."
Standing up from the booth seat, Eishi scrolled through the karaoke catalog and picked a ballad—something with emotion. The intro started, a slow piano buildup.
"So, what song will you choose?"
"Yup. Just listen."
He took a deep breath.
As he began, everything else faded. Notes flowed effortlessly from his lips. His tone, the control—it wasn't perfect, but it had soul. The kind that grabbed you gently by the chest and made you listen.
Issei blinked. "Dude… you're good."
Eishi smiled softly as he continued to sing. The lyrics pierced him as much as they poured out. Memories of his past life, the violin, the pressure—it all curled in the back of his mind like shadows dancing along the edge of the melody.
When he finished the song, the room was silent for a second.
Then—
"Okay seriously. WHAT was that?" Issei blurted. "I thought we were just goofing off, but you sounded like one of those K-pop soloists. Man's got vocals."
Eishi shrugged, still catching his breath. "Thanks. I've… always liked music, I guess."
Issei flopped back in the seat. "Alright, now I gotta step up my game. I'm not gonna get left behind in my own karaoke session."
As Issei queued his own overly dramatic anime opening, Eishi leaned back in the booth, glancing at his status screen again.
This world… this system… it still made no sense.
But for now, it felt good to sing.
As we kept singing, I noticed something.
Status:
Main Class: Singer – Mastery (9.5%)
My level had gone up quite a bit. I could feel the difference too—every note felt easier, more natural. Like my voice was being tuned in real time. Each time I sang, something shifted. Like my technique was sharpening on instinct alone.
We were almost done with our hour, and I glanced at the room door. There were shadows outside.
When we finally exited, we were greeted by a small crowd—mostly girls. A group of college students, judging by their uniforms and mature aura, standing near the vending machines. One of them waved.
"Hey, you boys in Room 8?" she asked, smiling. "We heard your singing. You've got a great voice! Wanna join us?"
My eyes widened slightly.
College girls. In groups. Dangerous territory.
I glanced at Issei.
He was already breathing heavily, eyes wide and unfocused.
…And drooling.
I grabbed him by the collar. "Nope. Abort. Let's go."
"Wha—WAIT! I want to join! I want to join themmm!!!" he wailed as I dragged him out of the karaoke place.
The girls giggled behind us. I didn't turn back.
"Damn it!!!" Issei shouted as we rounded the corner. "We could've had it all!"
"Yeah, or we could've been eaten alive," I muttered. "Pretty sure one of them was a predator."
He didn't reply, just groaned dramatically as we walked through the dimming streets. The sun was setting, dyeing the sky with streaks of tangerine and purple. We cut through a shortcut by the riverbank, heading toward home.
Our houses were next to each other—had been since I moved into this neighborhood eight years ago. My father had snagged the place on a discount when someone nearby needed to sell quickly. Turned out to be a good move.
As we reached the corner near our houses, I slowed my steps.
"Hey, Issei," I said.
He looked over, still pouting. "Yeah?"
"Have you ever thought about the future?"
He blinked. "So suddenly? Nah. I mean, we're still students. I wanna take it easy first—enjoy youth, get a girlfriend, and maybe some… you know." He wiggled his eyebrows, clearly imagining something indecent.
I smirked. "Classic Issei."
He laughed. "But seriously, man. You always look like you're chasing something. You should relax sometimes. Life's not a race."
I sighed.
Relax, huh… I wish I could.
My thoughts drifted to Mom—coming home late every day, bags under her eyes, but still smiling as she greeted me with dinner. The exhaustion she hid. The sacrifices.
She's all I have.
At the very least, I need to be successful. For her.
I shook the thoughts away and smiled. "Yeah. Maybe someday."
Issei gave a nod and turned toward his gate. "See ya tomorrow, man."
"Later."
I watched him disappear inside, then stepped into my own house.
The lights were on. Warm. Familiar.
And for the first time in a while, I felt like things might just be okay.
[Third Person POV – Unknown Location]
Two figures stood on a rooftop overlooking the quiet town of Kuoh.
The first—a girl with long black hair and cold, calculating eyes—wore a cloak that fluttered in the breeze. Her arms were crossed, and her gaze fixated on the glowing skyline of the city. Beside her stood a tall man in armor, a fallen angel with a dark presence.
"Have you surveyed the area?" she asked.
Dohnaseek nodded. "Yes. We've just arrived, but I've gathered some intel. This region appears to be under the control of two heiresses—Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri. Most of their forces seem to concentrate around Kuoh Academy."
She narrowed her eyes. "And any unordinary humans? Anyone who stands out?"
"None so far," Dohnaseek replied. "Just the usual spiritual fluctuations. We'll know more once we observe closer."
The girl turned, her expression unreadable. "We don't have much time. The longer we wait, the more likely they'll detect us."
"We are here to destabilize the balance of power, Dohnaseek," she replied coldly. "The Devils have grown too comfortable in this place. He wishes to establish dominion here—and if possible, retrieve the fragments sealed in this town."
"Fragments…?" he echoed.
"Sacred Gear," she whispered. "If they not worth the effect, we eliminated."
She grinned, her gaze fixed on the horizon.
"All for the lord" She whispered.
"Watch the academy. And if anything stirs… report immediately also have the other two to help find the human with the potential"
The wind picked up as the two disappeared into the shadows.