"Hey, you want the cap?"
The rain was pouring heavily, and unfortunately for Cad, he hadn't gotten himself a coat, an umbrella, or anything.
He was getting drenched down to his pants as he cursed beneath his breath when he suddenly found himself face-to-face with an older man, a few gray hairs visible, offering him a cap.
At first, he wanted to say no, but since the man himself was holding an umbrella and giving him his cap to help, it wouldn't have been nice to refuse.
"Oh, appreciate it, sir."
He said, taking the black face cap.
"Nah, you good, son."
The man said, and Cad could swear he saw a grin of held-back laughter on his face as he quickly sped away.
"Oh, why he running though?"
He thought quietly to himself, but then shrugged it off, continuing forward toward an alleyway that served as a shortcut to his house.
He had not walked far in when he noticed four guys, all dressed in black, running forward toward him.
"There he is! The guy in a hat!"
They shouted, and Cad froze.
"Huh?"
"You hat-head motherfucker…"
They cursed, and before Cad could try to argue, he saw them pull out guns from their pants.
"Holy shit."
He cursed, turning back instantly to flee.
BAAAANG!
A heavy noise rang out, and pain shot through him as Cad was instantly sent face-first onto the ground, rolling a couple of times before coming to a stop.
A terrible pain came from his butt.
'I got shot in the butt!'
"You had your laughs, motherfucker. Now you pay."
One of them said, having already arrived before him, with the gun pointed at Cad.
"Hey, hold on. I don't understand what you,"
BAAANG!
"Hey!"
BAAANG!
"Hold on!"
BAAAANG!
"What you doing?"
BAAAANG!
The last shot hit him in the chest, and three more shots quickly followed before the guy shooting was pulled off by the others.
"That's enough, Quinn. Nigga's dead as a motherfucker!"
SPIT!
One of the guys spat on his face as the four quickly turned and ran down the alleyway.
All that remained was Cad, drowning in his own red blood.
His eyes were blurry as the rain fell harder, but then, he heard the sound of footsteps, and turning his head up, found that familiar face.
It was the face of the man who had handed him the cap.
"Damn, you ain't looking good, son."
"Them… dem… niggas. They shot me!"
Cad said, watching the man suddenly burst into chuckles.
And that was when it all clicked.
The hat!
It was the hat those guys had seen and mistaken him for the one they were after.
The original target was this man.
"You… you…"
"Look, son. You ain't surviving those shots. But imma do you a favor and grant your last wishes, so… you got any last words?"
"FUCK YOU!"
___
And that was Cad's last words on Earth.
Seems like quite the bitchy way to go, but… fate (or author-sama) had other plans.
___
FLICCCKKERR
It was a flicker of light he saw first.
"What… where?"
He muttered beneath his breath as he slowly opened his eyes.
Blinding it was, and he raised his hand to his face, but in the next moment, the memory quickly pieced together, and his eyes snapped open as he jumped to his feet.
Fortunately for him, he was just in time to avoid a sword that pierced straight toward him, nailing itself into the ground.
"Holy fickoly."
He cursed as he quickly took in the sights, and it was beyond anything he had ever seen.
An extra-large stadium.
All over the seats were people completely different from anything Cad had ever seen before.
But even more importantly, the stadium wasn't hosting a football match.
Nah.
There were just two people on it.
Him, and a two-meter-tall dude holding a broadsword burning with golden flames.
Anyone from Earth would have been lost about what was happening, but not Cad.
I got reincarnated!?
As a master otaku with over 120 isekai web novels, and uncountable number of xianxia and westernfantasy, under his belt, he quickly pieced things together.
And looking at himself in the stadium, in front of all these people, it showed one thing.
This was his chance to show the world that the rightful MC of this world had descended.
"You dare to get distracted in our fight, you accursed peasant!"
SLASSSSSH
The flaming golden sword slashed straight toward his head, but Cad quickly rolled away.
Jumping back to his feet, his body moved with surprising agility as he ran toward where he could see an iron dagger buried in the sand.
Quickly grabbing it, he swerved back with speed just in time to find a golden boot smashing toward his face.
Raising the dagger, he slashed forward, yet when the boot and the dagger met,
CRAAACK
BAAAAANG!
The sound of bones cracking resounded, and then the dagger in his hands shattered into pieces.
The resultant explosion sent him reeling backward like a broken doll, smashing him into the wall.
BLEEEERGH!
Blood burst from his lips as he slid down the wall.
'So… so heavy.'
Even breathing felt difficult as Cad breathed through his mouth and nose, blood trickling down his face.
He could see the boy walking toward him, dragging his golden sword.
His expression was neutral and cold, carrying that tinge of heavenly genius arrogance Cad had read about hundreds of times.
Lose to some genius on his first day here? Hell nah!
Cad, with his remaining broken arm, forced himself back to his feet, crouching slightlly.
His actions obviously surprised the golden-haired young man, who paused in quiet shock before breaking into a grin.
"You might be weak, but… your will is something else."
"Good. Then I will be merciful and show you an arcane move…"
Arcane… move?
Cad muttered in quiet surprise, but his eyes soon widened when he noticed the boy slowly raise his right hand to his face, his other fingers coiling around the middle one.
'No… no way!'
"Arcane Expansion!"