The world is cruel. That much, I've always known.
Even as a child, I never belonged. I was the shadow in the corner, the extra piece no one knew what to do with. And when people did approach… it was only so they could shove me further away.
They'd pretend to care. They'd smile, offer warmth—just long enough for me to believe it was real. Then they'd rip it away.
Just like tonight.
My so-called friends invited me to a party. They told me she would be there—Chīsai. The only person I'd ever loved.
I spent days preparing. Imagining every word I'd say. Tonight, I was finally going to tell her.
She was standing by the firepit, her hair catching the light. I stepped forward, my heart pounding like it wanted out of my chest. I opened my mouth to speak—
—and Gizō stepped in front of me.
"I love you," he told her.
She laughed softly, almost shy. "I… feel the same."
The only person I'd ever trusted. The only one I'd ever loved.
Her smile wasn't for me.
His hand rested on her shoulder, curling like it belonged there. My heart lurched—then went hollow, scooped out with ice. Music and laughter swirled around us, but I couldn't hear any of it over the pounding in my ears.
I'd spent days imagining this moment, rehearsing every word. But now my confession lay in pieces on the floor, trampled under their joy.
Betrayal tastes like copper. Like blood in your mouth when you bite down too hard to keep from screaming.
I left without a word, the cold night air burning my lungs.
"If there's a god out there," I whispered to the empty street, "then take me away from this world. Anywhere. I don't care where—just not here."
The air shifted.
"Your prayer has been answered."
The voice rang inside my mind—neither male nor female, but heavy with something divine.
"I am Solmerra. I will grant your wish. I will give you another chance… in another world."
I thought I'd finally broken. But when I closed my eyes—
—then opened them—
I was on a battlefield.
Flames roared, smoke turned the sky black. Humans and creatures from myths clashed in chaos—elves with silver blades, beastmen snarling, demons roaring, dragons screaming fire into the sky.
Then—thwip!
An arrow slammed into my shoulder. White-hot pain exploded through me. My legs gave out. The world went black.
When I woke, I was in a cage, suspended above a yawning ravine.
An uneasy alliance of monsters and humans surrounded me, their eyes sharp with suspicion.
"Who are you?"
"Where did you come from?"
I told them my name—Yuki Aoba—and that I had no memories before waking on the battlefield. A lie. What else could I say? That a god pulled me here?
They didn't believe me. I could see it in their eyes. So they locked me away like an animal.
Days blurred together. Then, one night, I overheard voices in the tent nearby:
"He reeks of the banished god. We should execute him."
"No—he could be useful. If he becomes an apostle, we could study him."
"Silence. He could be a great ally… or a greater enemy. We watch him."
I fell asleep with those words carved into my mind.
And then I was standing in an endless white void.
She appeared—her presence so heavy it felt like the world leaned toward her.
"I am Solmerra."
She was the one who had answered my prayer. A banished god, once close to becoming Oppergod, ruler of the divine—but betrayed, sealed away, and forgotten.
Now she needed someone. Me.
Her offer: a power called Fractured Echo—the ability to glimpse possible futures. The cost? Every time it saved my life, the backlash on my body would grow worse.
"Become my apostle," she said. "Kill the gods who banished me. In return… I will grant you any wish you desire."
Broken. Hollow. Desperate. I agreed.
When I awoke, my cage was on fire.
Smoke choked the air. Screams filled the night.
The ropes burned through and snapped. I fell. The ravine swallowed me.
Darkness.
The next time I opened my eyes, I was in a damp cave, shadows crawling along the walls. For the first time since arriving, there was silence.
I tried everything—clapping, chanting, every magic trick I'd seen in anime. Nothing.
I was powerless.
I slept. And in the void, Solmerra waited.
"I will grant you magic," she said. "You'll need it soon."
"What do you mean?"
She only smiled. "When the time comes… focus. Feel the energy within. Push it out. And shout: Flame Pistol."
When I woke again, something was wrong.
A hiss slid through the dark. Low. Wet. Hungry.
From the shadows, it uncoiled—scales slick with cave moisture, catching faint light like shards of glass. Eyes burning gold. Fangs dripping venom that sizzled when it hit the stone.
Then—movement. Too fast.
It struck. Pain exploded in my shoulder like molten iron. Coils tightened around me, crushing.
I gasped for breath. Solmerra's words echoed—Focus. Feel the energy.
Nothing. Only my heartbeat. Only the sound of my ribs groaning.
Then—white-hot agony. My right hand was gone.
The scream that tore out of me didn't sound human. My mind splintered.
Something answered.
I wasn't in control anymore. My body moved with savage precision I didn't recognize. Bone snapped. Flesh tore.
When my vision cleared, the snake was nothing but shredded meat and silence.
I didn't know how I'd done it. Or what had done it for me.
But one thing was clear—
This world was far more dangerous than I imagined.
And my journey had only just begun.