The dazzling golden light was so intense that Hayakawa Aki couldn't open her eyes. She instinctively raised an arm to shield herself. Slowly, the radiance began to fade, and as her vision adjusted, the silhouette before her became clear.
A tall, slender figure stood proudly in gleaming silver-white armor that shone with a holy brilliance. A flowing blue skirt rippled gently in the breeze, adding a regal air to the mysterious warrior.
[Ding~ Role-Playing Transformation System has been activated.][Current Role: Fate - Arthur Pendragon (Saber), 3-minute Experience Card][Weapon: Excalibur – 3-day Experience Card][Skills Acquired:]Magic Resistance ARiding BInstinct ACharismatic Journey EXMana Burst ACharisma BGiant Beast Hunter A (3-day Experience Card)[Noble Phantasms Acquired:]Anti-Fortress: ExcaliburAnti-Unit: Invisible AirBoundary: Avalon (3-day Experience Card)
"So this is real…" Renji Kuroda murmured, his voice trembling with awe. "I really transformed into Arthur Pendragon…"
He clenched his fists, feeling the surging energy within. The System didn't change his physical body—no sudden muscle gains or gender swaps. At most, it altered superficial features: his eye color was now a deep, vivid emerald, and his hair shimmered slightly with a golden hue, just enough to sell the illusion of cosplay-grade transformation.
When the system was active, it gave him all the powers of the character he played—without altering his core identity.
Behind him, Hayakawa Aki struggled to comprehend what she was seeing.
"W-Who are you?" she finally asked, her voice trembling—not with fear, but with something far more unfamiliar.
Renji turned to face her. Their eyes met.
For a moment, time stilled.
Emerald eyes clear as a glacial lake, a face so beautiful it straddled the line between divine and delicate. It was a face that radiated grace but also a subtle, inexplicable magnetism.
To Hayakawa Aki—and in fact, to every person in this female-only world—Renji was simply assumed to be a woman. There were no men in this world. Not anymore. The idea of "male" was so foreign it wasn't even taught in history books—it was mythology.
And yet…
There was something about Renji that pulled at the deepest instincts. Something completely unfamiliar, something that made Hayakawa's heart race and her thoughts scramble for meaning.
It was the scent. The silent, unseen presence of male pheromones—something no woman in this world had ever experienced, let alone understood. To Hayakawa, it was like catching the smell of spring after a lifetime of winter.
She couldn't describe it, only feel it—intensely.
Before Renji could respond, his instincts flared like an alarm bell. He turned sharply.
"Grrrrrrrrr!"
The Bat Devil had recovered. Its massive wings flapped furiously as it roared, lifting dust and debris in a vortex of rage. Blood oozed from its neck where Renji's light had struck, but it wasn't dead yet. Far from it.
It was pissed.
Renji didn't flinch. He adjusted his stance, both hands gripping what appeared to be air.
From Hayakawa Aki's perspective, it was madness. "What are you doing?! The Bat Devil's charging! Move!"
"It's fine," Renji replied coolly. "Let it come. Saves me the effort."
What Hayakawa couldn't see was the invisible weapon in his hands—Invisible Air, one of Saber's Noble Phantasms. The blade was concealed by high-pressure wind, its refracted light rendering it entirely invisible. An unseen sword in a world where no one had learned to look for one.
The Bat Devil dove with fangs bared, thick saliva slinging through the air. Its massive jaws opened wide—
And Renji moved.
His body flashed—a streak of blue and silver light.
He vanished from Hayakawa Aki's line of sight and reappeared behind the Bat Devil in a single blink.
He flicked his wrists. A fine red mist sprayed the ground behind him.
The Bat Devil froze mid-air.
A dark line appeared across its thick neck. A second later, blood erupted like a fountain. Its head dropped from its shoulders, bounced once, then twice, rolling to a stop with its glassy eyes locked onto Hayakawa Aki's stunned face.
"Phew." Renji exhaled. "That was easier than expected. Looks like 'Giant Beast Hunter A' has a real effect. Treats these things like oversized wild boars… or, in this case, oversized flying rats."
He kicked the fallen corpse for good measure. No movement. Confirmed kill.
Turning back, he walked over to Hayakawa Aki and offered his hand.
She was still shell-shocked. The look in her eyes wavered somewhere between awe and confusion.
As Renji helped her to her feet and supported her toward safety, his gaze inadvertently fell on her torn uniform. At some point during the battle, the fabric over her shoulder and waist had ripped, revealing smooth, fair skin beneath.
He quickly looked away, but his ears turned slightly red.
"…Ah. That's dangerous. You should get that treated," he said, trying to stay composed.
Hayakawa Aki, still clutching her side, didn't respond right away. Her eyes were locked on him.
She didn't know what to ask first: Who are you? What are you? Or why her heart was still beating so loudly it was drowning out the sound of the sirens in the distance.
From Renji Kuroda's angle, he couldn't help but catch a glimpse of Hayakawa Aki's exposed chest where her uniform had torn. His gaze instinctively drifted downward.
But his face didn't turn red, and his heart didn't race. He acted like he hadn't seen a thing, casually tugging her uniform back into place to help cover her.
Hayakawa Aki only realized what had happened after the fact. The moment her eyes dropped to her chest, her cheeks went scarlet. She quickly turned her head, looking flustered and uncharacteristically shy.
So cute, Renji thought.
[Ding~ Detected Hayakawa Aki's shy emotion. System rewards 15 points.]
"What is up with this Roleplay Transformation System?" Renji muttered internally. "It can scan emotional states now? I need to dig into the system later…"
"Hayakawa Aki-senpai! Are you alright?!"
Voices called out from the distance. Several members of the Public Safety Devil Extermination Special Division were approaching, having arrived just a little too late.
"I'm okay!" Hayakawa Aki shouted back, her voice slightly higher-pitched than usual. Then, more softly to Renji, her face still flushed, "This is far enough. Thank you."
"Alright then."
Renji gently helped her sit down against the large, broken pillar nearby.
"I'll be going now."
He turned to leave when her voice called out urgently.
"Wait! Wait a moment! Can you tell me your name? I haven't seen you before in Public Safety. Are you… with a civilian Devil Extermination group? I—I'd like to repay you sometime."
Renji paused, glancing back over his shoulder. He rubbed his chin, considering for a second, then said with a half-smile:
"My name's Renji Kuroda. As for my affiliation—well, I'm neither part of Public Safety nor a civilian devil hunter. Let's just say I'm a mercenary."
He gave her a wink that was casual yet oddly charming.
"So that's it. Take care out here. Don't go getting eaten by giant flying rodents again."
[Ding~ Detected Hayakawa Aki's shy emotion. System rewards 15 points.]
Hayakawa Aki's expression shifted from red to scarlet. She clutched at her uniform and watched as Renji stepped back, then effortlessly leapt away.
"Renji… Kuroda…"
She murmured his name under her breath, as if tasting unfamiliar syllables.
The rest of the Public Safety team arrived in a flurry.
"Hayakawa Aki-senpai! Are you hurt? The ambulance is on its way!"
"Where's the Bat Devil?!"
"Everyone, stay alert! Check the perimeter!"
Hayakawa pointed at the severed corpse lying in the ruins.
"It's already been dealt with."
One of the junior agents blinked. "Eh? You don't look like you fought it alone…"
Another leaned in. "Senpai, your face is super red. Are you sure you're okay?"
Cough cough! "It's nothing! Must be from blood loss! Stop dawdling and get back to work!"
——————
Meanwhile, Renji timed his escape perfectly. With the borrowed power of Arthur Pendragon still running through his veins, leaping across rooftops felt almost like walking.
As the system's countdown reached zero, a soft ding echoed in his mind.
A final burst of golden light shimmered over his body, and then it dissipated—his armor fading, strength settling, and his form returning to its original state.
[Ding~ 3-minute Arthur Pendragon experience card has ended.]
Renji exhaled long and slow, then coughed twice, dramatically.
"System, you're ridiculously overpowered," he muttered, a faint grin tugging at his lips. "Let's take a closer look at you."
He focused inward, mentally calling the system's name.
And sure enough, a sleek, transparent interface appeared before his mind's eye, as if projected into his consciousness like a personal HUD.
It displayed glowing menus, floating icons, and several system prompts waiting to be explored.
System Interface: Roleplay Transformation SystemHost: Renji KurodaSystem Level: 1Available Points: 68Active Roleplay Experience Cards:[Arthur Pendragon (3 mins) – USED][Excalibur – 3 days remaining][Avalon – 3 days remaining][Skills: Instinct A, Mana Burst A, etc. – 3 days remaining]Main Storyline Integration: In ProgressDetected Plot Characters Encountered: Hayakawa Aki (Favorability: 12 / 100)Emotion Sensor Calibration: ActiveNext System Feature Unlock: 100 Points
Renji raised a brow. "Favorability score system too? And what's this about a main plotline? Is this world running on a preset narrative?"
He tapped his temple with one finger, grinning. "Alright then. If this world runs like a game, I might as well play it like one."
His eyes sparkled with anticipation.
"Next step: earn more points, unlock new roles, and find out just how deep this rabbit hole goes."
... thoughts readers?