In a secluded mountain village, a warrior wielding a blade clashed with a demon sprouting pitch-black bat wings.
But in the next instant, the very space between them suddenly twisted and warped.
As a baby appeared, cracks of collapsing space swept past both of them. Their bodies were erased as if rubbed out by an eraser, more than half annihilated in an instant, reduced to broken chunks of flesh.
Plop!
The baby fell into a pool of blood, his little face showing a puzzled expression.
At that moment, a message popped up before his eyes:
[Ding! Trait Plundering System successfully loaded!]
[Ding! Random plundered traits: Descendant of Heroes (White), Demon Bloodline (Green)]
Before Takumi could even process the fact that he had just transmigrated, the sound of hurried footsteps reached his ears.
"Over here! There's a child here!"
…
"Kanagawa Prefecture, Chiba City, Kuoh Town. What a real hodgepodge of a world."
Takumi looked toward the small town he was about to arrive at, a handsome smile curling with excitement across his face.
It had been more than ten years since he came to this world. From a newborn who had just crossed over, he had now grown into the form of a young man.
The ones who found him were villagers from the Hero Tribe. Discovering his Hero lineage, they adopted him and raised him. But ever since his demon bloodline awakened five years ago, he was banished from the village and began his life of wandering.
As the train approached its stop, Takumi opened his panel:
[Name: Takumi Akabane]
[Level: Intermediate Demon]
[Traits: Transmigrator (Rainbow), Protagonist Killer (Red), Power of Beasts (Blue), Demon Bloodline (Green), Descendant of Heroes (White)]
[Transmigrator (Rainbow): An anomaly that should not exist in this world. Unbound by causality, with neither past nor future. Grants the power to traverse worlds and one random Red trait.]
[Protagonist Killer (Red): A being that hunts protagonists, capable of completely plundering their existence, traits, and fate.]
[Power of Beasts (Blue): Integrates the strengths of countless beasts and monsters. One man embodies the king of a hundred beasts.]
[Demon Bloodline (Green): Inherits the bloodline of an ordinary demon, with average potential.]
[Descendant of Heroes (White): Offspring of the Hero Tribe, with very ordinary aptitude.]
Trait qualities were ranked: White, Green, Blue, Purple, Gold, Red, Rainbow.
From the very beginning, he had possessed [Transmigrator (Rainbow)]. The trait [Protagonist Killer (Red)] came as a direct result of it.
[Power of Beasts (Blue)] was something he had forged not long ago, integrating every trait he had obtained after tirelessly hunting beasts and monsters day and night. This trait gifted him with a resilient body and beastly abilities, making his true combat power far exceed the level shown on his panel.
Takumi closed the panel as he stepped off the train.
The moment he set foot in Kuoh Town, he checked the progress bar of his "World-Crossing Gate." Seeing it tick upward ever so slightly made his smile deepen.
The traversal ability granted by [Transmigrator (Rainbow)], he had discovered after years of research, required absorbing something akin to "fate." Killing those brimming with fate—or having "intimate" interactions with them—caused the bar to rise more quickly.
"69% already. If I hadn't been exiled five years ago, I would've filled it up on Yuki long ago."
He mulled it over while efficiently handling his tasks—his transfer application, the house he had bought… a long list of chores that demanded his attention.
Even though he worked fast, bureaucracy was never something that could be solved in a single day.
"My grades have always been near the top. Kuoh Academy recently switched to co-ed, so my transfer application should be approved soon."
"Good thing I managed to save up a bit these past years. I can buy a new house outright instead of renting some dump where countless others have lived."
"And later, I'll need to open a little odd-jobs agency. Gotta find a way to keep food on the table."
Counting his funds, Takumi realized the house had devoured all his savings. Buying it felt far worse than a robbery—his nest egg was completely gone. Even someone indifferent toward money like him felt a sharp pang of pain.
"Guess I'll have to borrow some spending money from punks or gangs. At the same time, I can survey Kuoh Town firsthand."
The scale of this world and its population was far greater than he had imagined. Even though Kuoh Town was technically just a town, its size rivaled a provincial capital from his old memories.
Under the glow of the setting sun, he explored the area near his new home.
Unfortunately, Kuoh seemed to have pretty decent security. After wandering for a while, he hadn't run into a single delinquent.
Buzz~~~
Just as he was about to head home, a ripple of magical energy caught his attention.
"A Repelling Barrier?"
Having spent nearly ten years in the Hero Tribe's village, Takumi had at least mastered this much basic magical knowledge.
"Though a Repelling Barrier is simple, anyone who can deploy one has to be at least a Low-Rank Mage or Demon. Kuoh really is a treasure trove. I've been roaming outside for years without running into many decent monsters or demons, and now on my very first day here, there's movement already."
Delight surged within him as he hurried toward the park.
Inside the park under the setting sun, Issei Hyoudou had been wandering in circles, unable to find a way out.
"W-what's going on? Why can't I leave??"
The bizarre situation filled him with fear. Looking around, he suddenly spotted a man in a heavy overcoat and bowler hat standing by the trees.
Issei's face lit up. He waved and ran toward him.
"Hey~~! Hello, I'm lost—"
Before he could finish, the man unfurled a pair of pitch-black wings.
"A human host to a Sacred Gear. To us, you're a dangerous variable. Even though killing you won't earn us a divine reward, you'll die all the same!"
Donaseek's cold gaze fell on Issei as he delivered his judgment.
Though he couldn't understand a word, Issei instinctively sensed death descending upon him.
Run! Run!
His body moved on instinct, bolting in the opposite direction. But with a single flap of his wings, Donaseek instantly closed the distance.
Falling black feathers rained down, announcing Issei Hyoudou's approaching end.
"Light Spear!"
Gathering the power of light, Donaseek conjured a radiant spear in an instant. He hurled it, and in a flash it pierced straight through Issei's abdomen as he ran.
Squelch!
The searing pain knocked him to the ground. His head spun, vision blurred.
Fear of death made him stretch out his hand, desperately seeking a chance to live.
Thump, thump, thump!
Footsteps approached, pulling him back from the edge of unconsciousness. Raising his head, he saw a boy even younger than himself standing there.
"S-save me!"
Issei weakly stretched his hand out, pleading.
The boy seemed to hear him, striding closer.
But before Issei could even feel relief, a shoe sole filled his vision—then came down hard.
Smash!
His head burst like a watermelon dropped from the third floor.
...
If we reach 100 Power Stones this week, I'll release a mass drop of 10 chapters as a thank-you for your amazing support!