Kuro stared at the three portals a few seconds longer.
No change.
No flash of weapons.
No rain of Noble Phantasms as he had imagined.
Just three empty "holes" hanging in the air.
"…At least give a starter pack or something," he muttered flatly.
He exhaled once more, then snapped his fingers lightly.
The portals rippled and vanished, as if they had never existed.
Silence once again blanketed the forest.
Kuro lowered his hand.
"…Well, that makes sense."
He glanced up at the sky, hidden behind the leaves.
"…If it came fully loaded right away, that wouldn't be a system… that'd be an admin cheat."
He turned around.
His steps began moving away from the tree he had been leaning against.
"…And usually, if something is too good at the start…"
His steps were slow but steady, following a faint path through the forest.
"…it means you'll pay dearly later."
The night wind blew gently, carrying a faint chill.
Kuro slid his hands into his pockets.
"…And I'm pretty sure… the bill won't be small."
He walked in silence for a while.
The sound of his footsteps became the only thing audible.
"…It's late too."
His tone remained flat.
"…Might as well go home first."
He let out a small sigh.
"Even though I'm curious, experiments can wait. Dying stupidly in the forest because of too much curiosity isn't a good choice."
He paused briefly, then continued walking.
"This world is too dangerous. One wrong step… and you're just a name, with a gas leak as the excuse for your death."
His steps continued, moving out of the forest and toward the city.
The dim lights of Fuyuki began to appear in the distance.
Midway through, Kuro suddenly remembered something.
"…Oh, right."
His gaze focused straight ahead.
"…Status."
Ding!
A transparent screen appeared before him, visible only to him.
The soft glow from the screen reflected in his eyes.
Kuro kept walking, but now his attention was divided.
__________________
Name: Kuro Tokitou (Cain Ainsward)
Race: Human
Title: Reincanator
Job: Magus
***
Strength: 2
Vitality: 2
Agility: 2
Charm: 200
***
Level Circuit Quality: 1
Magic Circuit: 3
OD Capacity: 20
Mana Absorption: 5
__________________
"Hmm, like an RPG game."
Kuro's steps slowed.
His gaze fixed on the status screen before him.
Silence.
Several seconds passed… without a reaction.
"…Oh."
A single word came out flatly.
His eyes moved slowly, rereading each number.
[Strength: 2]
[Vitality: 2]
[Agility: 2]
[Charm: 200]
"…Weak."
His tone remained flat, emotionless.
"Even by normal human standards… this is almost pathetic."
His gaze dropped.
[Level Circuit Quality: 1]
[Magic Circuit: 3]
[OD Capacity: 20]
"…Low-class Magus."
He exhaled slowly.
"If I enter the war like this… I'd die first, even before my Servant could be summoned."
A brief silence.
His eyes lifted again.
[Charm: 200]
"…"
Kuro didn't speak immediately.
His gaze was blank.
Completely blank.
"…Wait."
He blinked once.
"…How much?"
He leaned his face slightly closer to the screen, as if the numbers would change if he looked closer.
"…Two hundred?"
Silence.
Then he stared straight ahead again.
"…Alright."
His tone remained flat.
Too flat.
"…Now it all makes sense."
He let out a long sigh.
"…Physical stats are trash."
"…Magic circuits are mediocre."
"…But charm… absurd."
He rubbed his temple again.
"…So that's why my life as Kuro has been a mess."
A brief pause.
"…Not just a failure."
"…But a failure with a strange specialization."
He looked at the screen again.
"…Charm this high… this isn't a normal number."
His tone remained calm, but his mind was clearly working fast.
"…This isn't just about being 'liked by people.'"
"…This is the level that can cause problems."
Silence.
Then the corner of his lips moved slightly.
Not a smile.
More like… the realization of something unpleasant.
"…No wonder."
He exhaled again.
"…I became a playboy."
Pause.
"…Or more accurately—"
He closed his eyes briefly.
"…the most troublesome man with a natural talent."
He opened his eyes again.
His gaze was now slightly sharper.
"…And with physical stats like this…"
He glanced at his right hand, as if recalling the empty portals from earlier.
"No wonder the system gave me the Saringan and Gate of Babylon… not as bonuses."
Silence.
"…That's compensation."
His steps resumed.
More steady than before.
"…Because without them…"
He stared straight ahead, at the city lights growing closer.
"…I wouldn't even be worthy of being a player in this war."
The night wind blew again.
Kuro slipped his hands into his pockets.
"…Well."
His tone remained flat.
"…At least now I know."
A brief pause.
"…I'm weak."
His steps didn't stop.
"…But at least…"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…I've been given a few tools so I don't die immediately."
A moment later, Kuro pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his pants pocket.
He took one cigarette, placed it between his lips, struck the lighter, and lit it.
He inhaled the smoke slowly.
Thin smoke drifted slowly from his mouth, blending with the chill of the night air.
For some reason, despite having a different personality, his past self and his current self shared one habit—smoking.
Kuro didn't know… whether that was something to be grateful for or to regret.
"…At least consistent," he muttered softly.
He exhaled.
"Heh…"
White smoke billowed out.
***
Some time had passed, and Kuro had arrived at an apartment barely fit to live in.
It was the place where he had neglected his niece, while he himself lived comfortably in his late brother's residence.
Now, he stood in front of a little girl, eight years old.
The girl was small, far too thin for her age. Her long black hair was tangled and unkempt, with strands sticking to her pale face.
Her eyes were dark, heavy, with faint circles beneath them, as if she had endured too much fatigue and fear.
Her skin looked dry, and both of her arms showed reddish rashes that hadn't been treated.
The white clothes she wore were extremely worn, full of wrinkles and faint stains, clearly long overdue for a change.
This was Yuki Tokitou.
Yuki looked at Kuro, her body trembling slightly.
Her reflex was to curl inward, her shoulders tensing, as if bracing herself for something terrible.
Kuro stared back at her, expressionless.
For a few seconds, he said nothing.
"…"
He drew a slow breath.
"…I'm home."
His voice was flat, though not as sharp as it might have been.
Yuki didn't respond. Her gaze remained wary, her hands slowly rising to cover part of her body.
Kuro noticed the movement. His eyes lowered slightly, catching the wounds on her small arms.
"…Those haven't been treated?"
Yuki reflexively pulled her arms back, hiding them.
She shook her head softly.
Kuro stayed silent for a moment, then exhaled.
"…Alright then."
He didn't move closer.
Nor did he force anything.
He simply stood where he was, keeping his distance.
"…Listen."
Yuki flinched slightly as he spoke again.
"…I'm not going to hurt you."
His tone remained flat, but softer than before.
Yuki didn't immediately believe him. It was clear from the way she still curled inward, her eyes filled with doubt.
"If you want to be afraid, fine," Kuro continued, unchanged in tone.
"Fair enough."
He tilted his head slightly.
"…But from now on, I won't repeat the same mistakes."
Silence.
Yuki slowly lowered her hands a little, though her body remained tense.
"…Uncle…?" her voice small, hesitant.
Kuro looked at her.
"…Yeah."
A short answer.
But this time, it wasn't cold.
Yuki didn't move closer, yet she also didn't fully shut herself off anymore.
Kuro let out another breath.
His gaze swept briefly across the narrow, neglected room.
"…This place isn't fit for living."
His voice remained flat.
He paused for a moment, as if confirming his own thoughts.
"…We're moving."
Yuki flinched slightly.
Her eyes widened, looking at Kuro with hesitation.
"…Moving…?" she whispered.
Kuro didn't look at her immediately.
"…To the old house."
He finally turned slightly.
"…Your mother's house."
Silence.
Yuki's body tensed, but not from fear like before.
More like… uncertainty.
"…Can… we?" she asked softly.
Kuro stared at her for a few seconds.
"…Should've been like this from the start."
His answer was short.
Without excessive emotion.
But it was clear enough.
Yuki gently gripped the edge of her clothes.
Her gaze dropped, then rose again, as if still trying to make sure this wasn't something that would suddenly change.
Kuro let out a small sigh.
"…For tonight, we go there."
He turned fully toward the door.
"…Sleep there."
His steps paused briefly.
"…This place… we won't use it anymore."
His tone remained flat, but this time there was a definite sense of decision in it.
Yuki didn't move immediately.
But after a few seconds, she slowly stood.
Still hesitant.
Still awkward.
But this time… she stepped forward.
Slowly.
Following Kuro from behind.
___
Author's note:
Hello again~
Welcome to Chapter 2!
This chapter is still part of the opening phase, so things will continue to build up slowly—characters, atmosphere, and a bit more insight into what's going on behind the scenes. Think of it as laying the foundation before everything starts to escalate 👀
I know it might feel a bit calm right now, but don't worry… that won't last forever 😏
Thank you so much for sticking with the story so far! Your support really means a lot—so if you're enjoying it, feel free to leave a comment or add it to your favorites!
See you in the next chapter~ ✨