Step step step
The sound of footsteps echo in the silence.
The noise belongs to three figures- Three lesser devils with their horns cut and their bodies on verge of a breakdown.
Together they march forward, black blood flowing down their mouths. They trudge onwards, passing over corpses of numerous other lesser devils, a glint of fear appearing their eyes.
They were currently on the outskirts of clover kingdom, a kingdom they have long conquered since the opening of gates to hell, however even in their wildest dreams they didn't expect to get ambushed by mere survivor-
Suddenly they felt a jolt go down their spines and turned, their sight falling on a single figure in the distance, causing them to recoil in terror.
"Three of you made it through huh? I guess the front line have fallen then." The figure spoke in a saddened tone, his hands slowly going towards a silvery gladius sword on his waist.
Then a wave of blood lust bombarded the devil's, their eyes failing to react as the figure vanishes from their vision. However their raw instincts screamed at them turn and turn they did while raising their arms to block.
But... There was no one there.
The figure blurs to their side, the gladius pointed straight at neck of one of them, he looked at them with a ruthless cold glare, then he stabbed through the devil's neck, "One down"
The Devils panic, their instincts have fallen victim to the opponent's trap. The two remaining ones slash their claws at the figure, only to watch them cut through nothing but air.
"Rage m- Cough!!!" Blood spurted through a devil's mouth as he tried to cast magic.
In his shock the lesser Devil looked down, finding a hole in his chest where his heart previously was. Without even realising what had happened he died, his vision fading to black.
Seeing his last companion fall, the last Devil ran with its tail tuck between it's legs. It didn't even care about looking back, only escaping. But-
"Now where do you... " The figure's voice whispered into his ears, " Think your are going??"
Without as much as warning, the Devil's vision tilted sideways until it was spinning like a spinning top. The world seemed to slow down to him, and in his final few seconds he saw the figure's face and cursed him from the bottom of his heart.
Thud! ...
The figure took a deep breath, watching the sun slowly rise up in the horizon. Watching even through the withered trees gave him no shade as the morning light lightened his cloaked face.
With a swing of his sword, the figure cleaned his sword of the black blood, his eyes still hopeful yet full of sadness, " So even you left me alone.. Yuno."
A gust of wind throws back the cloak's hood revealing Ashen coloured hair raised up like spikes while a black headband comes into vision. The figure has green eyes filled with sorrow and his body is full of muscle. but he had not a pinch of magic in his body, only his weapons had it.
[Asta, Ruined world variant, Age 19]
Asta looks at his shaking hands and slowly put back the gladius in the storage pouch he had. "This marks the 211th day."
As cold as he appeared, deep down Asta was crying tears of pain and regret, nevertheless there were things he couldn't do so he could only lament himself.
Without a change on his facial expression he turned, walking back towards Hage village which was his base of survival.
Everywhere he looked was a barren wasteland, dark and devoid of any life all thanks to the devil's siphoning off the kingdom. The illusion of the green lushful forests of the past and the blue radiant sky covered his eyes, only to ripped away by the realisation that there is no going back.
Walking forward, Asta eventually reaches the edges of Hage. The sight of the familiar broken houses and hundreds of graves he had made for the villagers filling him with loneliness.
"I won't forgive them.. Those demonic piece of shits will pay for this!" He mutters to himself.
His fist was clenched, covered in bandages as he strode right through until he reached the church and entered it. Throwing his spacial storage to the side, he stumped back into a wooden chair, his eyes locked towards the broken statue of the goddess.
Memories flooded into his mind, the moments of family he shared with his siblings and the church father. However he had no time to waste, every moment he was here was bringing him closer to death.
He turned his head and raised his arm, a transparent screen only he could see popped up above his palm. " It's all because of you. You broken garbage!"
Asta tried to punch but his fist just passed through the panel, however when he pulled his arm back, the broken cracked panel did nothing more than get on his nerves.
Silently he stared, remembering how he got this garbage long ago. He also remembered how he lost his Grimoire seconds after obtaining it, "How I wish I can kill that scumbag again."
Asta was obviously referring to the owner of the panel who tried to take over his body. His blood boiling with rage as he remembered how his Grimoire lifelessly crumbled to dust after protecting him from becoming possessed.
"And all got was this broken crap which doesn't even work and a bunch of fake future visions." Asta grumbles under his breath.
Little did Asta know, the possessor was a reincarnator and the memories of the future and the Anti-magic Grimoire he had countered the possessor's takeover and damaged the system.
He had no way of knowing that knowing that the fragmented memories he ended up receiving were what was actually supposed to happen. But nevertheless, now he could only look at the panel in rage and glare.
The panel had the words 'World Walker guide" Written on the top with several other things like Host name and details written underneath but glitched and broken beyond comprehensive words.
But amidst them a single sentence was still working, a sentence that gave the position of his current world.
[World Status: Devil takeover ending]
Looking at panel Asta contemplates closing it, 'Should I just forget this thing exists? It's not like it's helpin-.. Huh? "
Beep
The panel gave out a sudden alert, startling Asta as he fell from his chair.
"What the heck was that!" He yelled after falling, finding the panel blinking in flashes with a new message he never saw before.
[Protagonist found: Asta
Killing the protagonist will allow temporary host to become a official host]
"Eh?" Asta raises a eye in confusion, "but i am the host! Did this thing break down or so-"
Before he could finish speaking, Asta felt a loud crash outside. His eyes grew cold as he barges out, holding his storage bag in his hand and his sword in another.
However what he saw left him gasping for air. A sight he could have never expected.
He walks forward, looking down upon the half-dead person in front of him who had several swords punged through his chest. " Is that... Me?"
The person had a unquestionable resemblance, even having the same ash colour hair and green eyes and even the same hairband. Almost as he was a younger version of Asta.
Yet despite the state he was in, Asta watched his duplicate cough blood and speak with barely open eyes.
"I can't.. Die. cough yet. I won't.. Give up." He mutters, yet his body was beyond repair. "Is anybody.. Cough. there?"
Asta instantly squatted and grabbed his duplicate's hand, "I am! Who are you? Where did yo-"
Pop
The panel pops up in front, a single message written over it. 'Kill the protagonist to receive host privilege.'
...
"Why the heck would I kill him!? You crappy broken bastard!" Asta screamed at the panel, finding his mind conflicted.
The panel changes, answering back for once.
[Host can travel to the protagonist's world.]
"I-I can g-go to his. World?" Asta stuttered, his eyes stuck on his other version before him. "Hey... Mind if I say something."
... The duplicate raises his head with effort, answered with a pale voice. "What is it?"
Opening his mouth, Asta sat there silent for a second, his expression was one of pity before it changed to determination, "I can go to your world... But you will have to die for it.. Forgive me."
The other version of Asta had no response. However as he processed the words he heard, he smiled through the pain, "Just help my friends. Smiles just promise me that."
....
" I will."
Then with a quick strike to the neck, Asta released the other Asta from pain. He watched as the cut head fell to the ground, yet inside he felt a burden weighting on his heart.
[Congratulations on becoming the new host. Commence world travel?"
... Asta wiped away his tears. He was a fighter but he surely not heartless. He had taken a responsibility upon himself and he was going to see it through. so he slowly placed dead body of his other version back on the floor and turned back at the panel.
"Yes." He said, clutching onto his bag as witnesses a portal form before his eyes. "New world... Here I come."