RE:START
The train station smelled of rust and spring rain. Ren Aizawa stood under a flickering streetlamp, its light stuttering like the final breaths of a dying man. His school uniform was damp, collar sticking to his neck, and his earbuds buzzed with static from the downpour.
Another missed call from his sister. He'd been ignoring them all day.
He wanted silence.
Wanted the world to just pause—just for a moment—so he could catch his breath.
But the world didn't wait for broken people.
There was a screech. A high-pitched tearing sound like fabric being ripped from existence. The air bent.
And then—black.
---
Pain surged through Ren's chest like a blade twisting inside him. His eyes fluttered open to a blinding white sky. No clouds. No sun. Just a void, smeared with swirling gray patterns like brushstrokes on a canvas no one finished.
He wasn't on Earth anymore.
"Another failure," muttered a voice. "We tore through the layers again. This one… isn't compatible."
Ren gasped, jerking upright. There were three figures in front of him—hooded, faceless, and tall. Not human. Not alive.
"What… What the hell did you do to me?" Ren spat, his throat dry like sand.
"You weren't meant for this realm," said the one in the center. "The Ritual of Descent failed. You are a reject."
The ground below Ren cracked. Blood-red symbols pulsed beneath him, forming a summoning circle. Then—without warning—it shattered.
Reality warped. Ren screamed as he was sucked downward, every nerve flayed open. His body twisted. Broke. Reformed. A second time. A third. The pain wasn't pain anymore—it was being.
He hit the dirt hard. The taste of soil filled his mouth. He gagged and spat, rolling onto his back. The sky was no longer white.
It was blue.
A real sky.
Birds chirped. Wind howled through gnarled, dying trees. He was in a forest. Alone.
Alive.
And then the system voice rang out.
> [You are an Illegal Summon.]
[You have been cast into the world of Kaigen as a Celestial Aberration.]
[Due to summoning interference, you are incapable of using mana.]
[Yatsu unlocked.]
[Innate Celestial Abilities Unsealed: 1. Reforge | 2. Divine Wrath]
Ren staggered to his feet. "What the hell is this…? Mana? Yatsu? What the fuck is going on!?"
A strange pressure pulsed within him. He could feel it, burning like coal behind his ribs. That must be Yatsu—the skill energy this world used. And if he couldn't use mana, then… he was basically useless here, right?
No spells. No fireballs. No healing.
He cursed. This was a nightmare.
But before he could collect his thoughts, a voice called out.
"Help! Please—someone!"
It was faint, desperate. A girl. Ren didn't think. He ran.
Branches clawed his arms. Blood slicked his palms as he tore through the brush. And then he saw her.
A young girl—wolf ears, tail, dressed in tattered rags. She knelt beside an older woman, her hands glowing faintly with orange magic.
But it wasn't working.
The woman's chest had been pierced by a spear. Blood bubbled from her mouth as she tried to speak. Behind them, armored men closed in, grinning.
Bandits.
"Another beastfolk slut. Guess we'll have to finish what the guards didn't," one sneered, raising his axe.
Ren stepped forward.
He didn't know magic. He didn't have a weapon. All he had was pain.
And rage.
Something inside him cracked open. His vision bled red. The fear in the girl's eyes triggered something deep in his soul.
> [Divine Wrath triggered.]
[Strength temporarily increased by 30% | Fear Level of enemies: Medium]
He didn't understand the mechanics. Didn't care.
He moved.
The axe came down—and Ren caught it with his bare hands. It sliced through skin, into bone, but he didn't stop. Blood sprayed his face.
He slammed his forehead into the bandit's nose with a crunch.
The man screamed.
Ren tore the axe from the man's grasp and swung wildly, cutting down another. His vision tunneled. He became fury itself.
Steel met steel. A sword slashed his side. He didn't even flinch. He spun, buried the axe into the attacker's gut, then pulled it free with a wet, sucking sound.
The last man turned to run. Ren hurled the axe.
It split the man's spine.
Silence followed. Birds fled. Blood soaked the earth.
The girl was staring at him, her ears flattened, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"…who are you?" she whispered.
Ren collapsed to his knees. His body ached. His vision faded.
And before he lost consciousness, he heard it.
> [You have slain four sentient beings.]
[Skill unlocked: Divine Learner]
[You may now acquire 1 Skill from each soul claimed.]
[Skill Acquisition Rate tripled.]
Then darkness.
---
Ren awoke in a crude wooden shack. His wounds were bandaged, his body shaking with fever. The wolf-girl sat beside him, eyes red from crying.
"I'm Lyra," she said softly. "Thank you… for saving me. My mother didn't make it. But… you did something I've never seen. You fought without magic. Without fear."
Ren turned his head toward her. "No. I fought because I was angry. And if this world wants me dead for being born wrong… I'll tear it apart."
She looked at him, silent.
Then nodded.
"There's a town nearby," she said. "Ruval. They won't welcome you. You don't smell like us. But… I'll help you hide. At least until we figure out… what you are."
Ren chuckled bitterly. "I'm no hero. I don't even know what's going on. But I know one thing…"
He sat up slowly. Every muscle screamed in protest.
"…I'm not dying in this world like a discarded experiment."
Outside, the wind carried the scent of fire.
And something else.
Steel. Blood.
More were coming.