In Japan—specifically in the city of Tokyo.
A two-story house in a middle-class neighborhood.
Inside one of the bedrooms...
The room is quite simple: just a bed, a wardrobe, and a study desk.
Lying on the bed is a boy of about eleven years old. He has long black hair with light violet tips, and golden eyes devoid of emotion.
Although he is male, the boy looks more like a girl than a boy.
However, if one looked closely—and if he were to cut his hair—he would appear to be an attractive young man, albeit with slightly effeminate features.
This boy is our protagonist: Yotsuya Rin.
He is the twin brother of Yotsuya Miko, the protagonist of the anime *Mieruko-chan*.
Rin's Point of View:
I am Yotsuya Rin, and I have been eleven years old ever since I reincarnated into the world of *Mieruko-chan*.
I was born as the twin brother of Miko, the protagonist of this world.
I don't know if it's because I'm Miko's twin, but for some reason, I bear an uncanny resemblance to her.
However, that doesn't bother me; it is merely a body that happens to have a somewhat effeminate appearance.
As long as I remain alive, I can adapt to anything that is adaptable.
After all, human beings are adaptable creatures.
And, like every reincarnated soul, I possess a special ability—though I cannot use it.
My special ability is Mahito's [Idle Transfiguration].
Furthermore—for some reason—I possess the knowledge of how to modify the human soul (specifically the part linked to the brain) to grant access to Cursed Energy, as well as how to create Cursed Techniques.
However, I have absolutely no Cursed Energy within my body.
It is a pity, as that renders the ability practically useless.
But that is not what matters. I had never possessed any power before, so I feel neither frustrated nor distressed by my lack thereof.
That, however, is not the main point. Along with those memories came other information.
In exchange for being granted this reincarnation, I have been assigned a lifelong mission: I must kill every [Traveler] or [Reincarnator] hailing from other worlds who attempts to disrupt the destiny of this one.
Though these reincarnators remain unaware that, by their mere existence, they fragment the world's destiny and drain its vitality—the very *Origin*—from the planet itself.
And on that list, I, too, am included.
The only difference is that I merely *divert* destiny; I do not sever it at the root.
It is similar to a theory positing that if you were to travel a hundred years into the future and prevent one of your ancestors from marrying their destined partner, the final outcome—their very existence—would remain unaltered.
A simpler analogy to grasp is this: if, for instance, you wished to travel from one country to another situated on the opposite side of the globe, it would make no difference whatsoever whether you traveled by boat, by plane, or by swimming. Sooner or later, you would inevitably reach your destination.
What this implies is that, no matter how far the path deviates from its course, it will always—in the long run—return to its intended trajectory.
For the vast majority—if not *all*—of these reincarnators are, unbeknownst to them, apostles of the Outer Gods.
The Outer Gods grant them the ability to absorb the world's *Origin*, endowing them with power and bestowing upon them unique and special abilities.
A process that causes the planet to perish long before it would have done so naturally.
And my task consists, quite simply, of locating them and annihilating their souls through [Inactive Transfiguration]. *Knock, knock, knock.*
—Rin, wake up. It's time to get out of bed.
The sound of my sister Miko's voice—the voice of the protagonist—abruptly tears me away from my thoughts.
—I'm already awake, Miko—I reply, in a flat voice devoid of all emotion.
"Alright, I'll use the bathroom first," says Miko as she walks down the hallway.
I sit up in bed, then stand up.
My long hair reaches halfway down my back.
I leave my room with a towel draped around my neck.
As I head downstairs, I see my mother—Touko Yotsuya—and my father—Mamoru Yotsuya.
"Good morning, Dad. Good morning, Mom," I say as I walk toward the refrigerator.
"Good morning, Rin. How are you feeling today?" my father greets me.
"Good morning, sweetie. Did you sleep well?" my mother asks.
"I'm fine, Dad. And yes, I slept well, Mom," I reply as I grab the water pitcher and pour some into a glass.
"Where's Kyosuke?" I ask either of them.
"Kyosuke is still sleeping; he doesn't have classes today," my mother answers.
"I see. That's nice. It's a shame that *I* actually have classes today." My indifferent tone doesn't surprise my parents.
Ever since I learned to speak, my voice has always sounded this way.
It isn't a birth defect; it's something I do entirely on purpose.
As for the reason...
"Can you see me? Can you see me? Can you see me?"
I look at the malevolent spirit peeking its head out from inside the refrigerator.
That's right: ever since I was born, I've been able to see malevolent spirits.
They are so hideous that, even if you are mentally prepared to see them, their ghastly appearance still startles you when they suddenly appear out of nowhere.
With an expressionless face, I close the refrigerator door.
"Mom, Dad... I'm going to take a shower."
"Miko is in the shower right now; don't go in until she comes out," my mother says.
"Got it, Mom." As I walk down the hallway toward the shower, I feel a sharp, electric pang in my foot. A fun fact is that—much like Ram and Rem from *Re:Zero*—Miko and I share a telepathic bond. This connection allows us to share sensations and emotions directly through our minds—a skill we both possess. Both Miko and I can perceive emotions and physical sensations as phantom feelings.
Because of this, we have always felt very close—so close, in fact, that we used to shower together until we turned ten.
However, Mom and Dad decided that boys and girls shouldn't bathe together once they reached a certain age.
I walk up to the shower and knock on the door.
"Miko, are you okay? You hurt your foot," I say, sounding outwardly indifferent, though inside I feel a pang of worry.
"I'm fine, Rin; it was just a minor bump." Thanks to our telepathic bond, Miko senses my unease.
"Got it. Hurry up and take a shower; we have to get to school early today."
"Yeah, yeah."
I lean back against the wall and wait for Miko to finish her shower.
An hour later...
"See you later!" (x2)
Miko and I say our goodbyes as we head out of the house.
"Bye, Onii-san! Bye, Onee-san! Come back soon!" Kyosuke calls out to us.
"Thanks, Kyosuke!" Miko says, turning slightly to wave.
I simply wave back without saying a word.
"Hey, Rin... Tomorrow is our birthday. What kind of gift do you think Mom and Dad will give us?"
"I don't know. Anything is fine, really. What about you? What do *you* want?"
"Well, *I* want a cell phone! All the girls at school have phones!" Miko says, her voice cheerful and brimming with excitement.
"In that case... I want the same thing," I reply calmly.
We walk side by side.
The sound of our synchronized footsteps feels quite comforting and pleasant.
A short while later, we reach the bridge we cross every day.
Curiously, this bridge—which is usually teeming with malevolent spirits—is completely free of them today.
"Miko... how much can you see through my eyes right now?" I ask, seizing the opportunity now that I know there are no spirits blocking our path.
"I just see the air shimmering a little... I can't even make out the smallest ones," she replies, her voice tinged with sadness.
"Don't be sad, Miko," I tell her, giving her head a gentle pat.
"I hope you never have to see those malevolent spirits."
"But, the way things are going... it seems that, sooner or later, you'll be able to see them too." "Just remember this, Miko: when you *start* seeing them, ignore them. They can't hurt you as long as they don't know you can see them."
"I understand, Rin." Miko's expression didn't change much, yet her feelings—her *emotions*—felt deeply melancholic.
After all, for as long as she could remember, she had occasionally felt the waves of fear radiating from me.
And Miko had always wanted to see the things that—time and again—filled me with such dread. Just as we were both approaching the midpoint of the bridge...
"Beep-beep! Beep-beep!"
The loud blare of a horn rang out behind us.
I looked back and saw a Suzuki Carry—a light van model—loaded to the brim with silver-colored aluminum pipes, each as thick as a human arm.
The pipes, held in place by straps, came loose when one of the straps snapped.
The driver panicked and swerved sharply toward the edge of the bridge.
And, unfortunately, the spot where the van was heading was exactly where Miko and I were standing.
By the time I realized what was happening, the aluminum pipes were already raining down upon us.
"Duck!" Without a second's hesitation, I shoved Miko with all my might to push her out of the pipes' path.
But... it was all in vain.
The pipes rained down on us like spears.
The last thing I saw was one of the aluminum pipes piercing through Miko's chest, before feeling something strike me in the head.
Author's note: Honestly, I don't know how to get my story to appear in Webnovel's view or popularity rankings. I would be very grateful if any author or reader who knows how could explain it to me. Thank you very much. One more thing, please give me power stones; that would make me very happy.