WebNovels

Chapter 5 - Chapter 5, Across the realms

Across the Realms

The night was heavy.

The sky above Ruko shimmered like a broken mirror, fragments of light scattering in every direction. The air grew still—too still. He stood at the edge of reality, his heartbeat echoing louder than the world itself.

Then, a voice reached him.

Soft. Ancient. Familiar in a way that felt older than existence itself.

> "Ruko Jizuko… your soul has wandered long enough."

He turned, and there she was—the Sealer. Her hair flowed like liquid moonlight, her eyes carrying the weight of time. A single seal burned faintly on her palm, glowing with restrained power.

Ruko froze.

"Who are you?"

> "A witness to what lies beyond the veil," she said calmly. "You are not bound to this world anymore. You've outgrown it."

Before he could reply, the world cracked open. His surroundings folded in upon themselves, forming a corridor of endless reflections. Each shard of light became a window—a glimpse into another universe.

He saw heroes and demons locked in eternal conflict, magic circles, swords, and worlds unlike his own.

A flash of fire

A glowing sigil

A monstrous grin

Then a godly aura before fading into shadows.

Each world flickered before him like a memory of visions, calling to something deep within his soul.

> "These are fragments of the multiverse that u went to awhile back," the Sealer said. "Worlds where power takes form, where the strong shape destiny… You will walk among them all but won't be meeting them again in different time, Ruko."

He clenched his fists. "Why me?"

> "Because your soul carries balance and chaos alike. You will inherit fragments of each realm that you once had—and in doing so, awaken what was sealed inside you."

The seal on her hand flared bright, and suddenly Ruko's body began to dissolve into light. His consciousness tore through dimensions, spinning between chaos and silence. His heart burned, and he felt every memory—every pain—begin to fade.

Then, warmth.

Soft sunlight.

A quiet breeze.

He gasped and opened his eyes.

A wooden ceiling greeted him. He blinked, disoriented. His body felt smaller—lighter.

Footsteps echoed.

A familiar male voice groaned nearby, half annoyed, half confused.

> "Ugh… what the—where am I? Wait, why do I have a brother!?"

Ruko turned and saw a young man staring back at him—Kazuma Satou.

And for the first time in countless lifetimes, Ruko smiled.

"Guess I made it… huh, brother?"

Outside the window, the world of Konosuba waited.

But deep within his soul, the Sealer's voice lingered:

> "This is only your first world, Ruko. Nineteen more await you. Grow stronger… and when you're ready, the shadow will rise for me to take and transgend to something far beyond."

The wind carried faint laughter—the kind that came from another realm entirely.

Somewhere, beyond sight, the Sealer watched with quiet curiosity.

More Chapters