"So... let me get this straight. You're telling me I've officially kicked the bucket, and now I've transmigrated?"
In a void of pure, blinding white, a space that felt uncomfortably like a high-tech police interrogation room, Noah asked the question with a level of calm that surprised even himself. He sat on a non-existent chair, staring at a floating holographic interface that seemed to be tethered to his consciousness.
Just two minutes and thirty seconds ago, he had been a healthy, twenty-something youth of the modern era, enjoying the simple pleasures of life. Now, he was... well, he wasn't sure what he was.
Noah rubbed his spectral hands together. Mhm. Ice-cold. There was no pulse, no warmth of blood, just a static-like hum vibrating through his essence.
[Ding! Bullseye, Host! You've officially vacated your mortal coil in the real world. But don't look so gloomy! It's not like there's zero chance for a glorious resurrection~]
The System's voice was cloyingly sweet, like syrup poured over high-voltage electronics. On the floating screen, a blocky, digital face composed of ASCII dashes and solid lines flickered into existence, sporting a pixelated, cheeky grin.
"Honestly? It doesn't matter," Noah replied, waving a translucent hand dismissively. "I wasn't exactly planning a long, fruitful retirement anyway. Just consider this me finishing my life's work ahead of schedule. Let the dead rest, and the living... well, keep living."
He had always been a bit of a fatalist. If the universe decided his time was up, who was he to argue? He certainly wasn't going to become one of those desperate protagonists who begged for a second chance just to go back to a 9-to-5 grind.
The System's digital mouth pouted, the ASCII lines curving downward. Its voice immediately shifted from its sugary pop-star tone to a manipulative, "damsel-in-distress" vibrato.
[Is that really how you feel, Big Brother? Think about what you're leaving behind. If you help me fill up my energy reserves and complete my upgrade, I could do things you can't even imagine. I could even turn back the clock... back to the very second before you entered that bathroom.]
[Of course, I wouldn't want to be a burden to Big Brother. If you really want to pass on, just walk through that gate of light over there. Your soul will be processed, and your memory will be wiped clean for the next cycle.]
A massive, ornate gateway of shimmering white light rose silently from the floor of the void. Faint, ethereal sparks drifted from its opening like falling snow. It looked peaceful. It looked like the end.
"No need for the sales pitch," Noah said, standing up and adjusting his spectral collar. "My mind is alrea--"
[Are you truly okay with the legacy you've left behind?] the System's voice dropped an octave, sounding like a demon whispering a dark secret. [Because right now, in your world, the paramedics are about to find you. You'll be the talk of the town, the guy who died on the toilet, stark naked, with a look of pure confusion on his face. Is that the 'innocence' you want to leave behind?]
Noah froze. His foot was inches away from the gateway of light.
Logically, as a dead man, he shouldn't have been able to feel a chill. Yet, at that moment, he felt as if someone had dumped a bucket of liquid nitrogen down his spine. The image of the news report flashed in his mind: Local Youth Found Dead in Compromising Bathroom Incident. His parents' shame, his friends' stifled laughter at his funeral... it was too much.
Chilled. To. The. Bone.
"Ahem! You know what? Change of plans!" Noah spun around, coughing loudly to cover his sudden panic. "You're absolutely right. How can a man of my stature die such a pathetic, surreal death? It's an insult to the human race!"
He pointed a dramatic finger at the System screen. "I've decided to come back to life. But only because I have to die properly next time! I don't care about being ground to dust, fighting gods, or shattering my bones, just as long as I leave this world with my dignity intact!"
[In that case, let's get to work, Host! Work hard, and your wish shall be granted~]
The System's voice shifted again, this time into a sultry, "big sister" persona. It gave Noah a digital wink and blew a playful kiss that manifested as a heart-shaped icon.
Mwah!
Suddenly, the white void shattered like a glass mirror hit by a sledgehammer.
THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.
The sound was primal. It was an intensely oppressive heartbeat, roaring like a heavy-duty diesel engine through the concrete canyons of Z-City. The air itself seemed to vibrate with the frequency of terror. Hundreds of citizens were scrambling in every direction, their faces masks of pure panic as they fled toward the outskirts of the district.
But amidst the chaotic sea of people, there was a strange, hollow pocket of space. The fleeing crowd avoided one spot with an instinctive, animalistic fear.
There stood a man. He was tall, with a mane of golden hair and piercing blue eyes that seemed to stare through the very fabric of reality. Three jagged, terrifying scars ran down the side of his face, marking him as a veteran of a thousand battles. He stood perfectly still, his hands in his pockets, confronting a nightmare.
Opposite him was a Giant Rabbit. But this wasn't a forest creature; it stood nearly ten feet tall, its fur matted with grime, and its lips painted with a disturbing shade of human-blood crimson. Its red eyes burned with a mindless desire for slaughter.
Cowering behind the tall man was a mother and her young daughter. Their clothes were tattered, and both had deep, bleeding gashes on their legs. They were paralyzed by fear, unable to move, looking at the man's back as if he were their only god.
As the standoff reached its breaking point, a streak of white light, invisible to everyone but the two beings involved shot through the sky and slammed into the tall man's chest.
The man, known to the world as King, trembled slightly. He subconsciously raised a hand to his chest, searching for the source of the impact, but his fingers found only his shirt.
That tiny, casual movement sent a shockwave of terror through the Giant Rabbit. The monster's fur stood on end, and it scrambled backward, its claws screeching against the asphalt as it tried to put distance between itself and the "Strongest Man on Earth."
To the observers, it was impossible to tell who the real monster was. The Giant Rabbit watched King warily, convinced that the simple hand movement was the precursor to a world-shattering attack.
Meanwhile, Noah, who had just successfully merged with King's presence as a "Stand" slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was the Rabbit's mangled face and the smell of ozone and fear in the air. He blinked, the reality of the situation hitting him like a freight train.
Wait a minute... is King currently under attack?! Noah screamed internally, directed at the System.
He knew King's secret better than anyone. The man was a fraud - a lucky, gaming-obsessed shut-in who happened to be at the scene of Saitama's kills. King had no superpowers, no combat training, and his physical fitness was probably lower than that of a sedentary middle-schooler. He was currently facing a Disaster-level monster with nothing but a scary face and a loud heart.
[Correct, Host! King's current situation is... let's call it 'delicate.' He's like a complex piece of software that only runs because of a series of lucky bugs. One slight lapse in the 'King Legend,' and the whole system crashes. Permanently.]
A shimmering translucent panel snapped into Noah's field of vision, providing a summary of the situation.
"So he really did just go out to buy a limited-edition romance sim and stumbled into a monster attack," Noah muttered. A small, confident smile played on his lips. "Well, I guess I arrived just in time."
He knew that with King's legendary "Luck Haki," the man would likely survive by some miracle. But Noah wasn't here to be a spectator. This was his first mission, his first chance to farm the energy needed to save his own "innocence" back home.
"System, open the panel. Let's see what kind of heat I'm packing."
Noah rubbed his hands together as the interface updated with his specific Stand attributes.
[Character Panel]
- User: Noah
- Stand Name: Emperor Engine
- Stats:
Destructive Power: C (Currently suppressed)
Speed: D (Lethargic, but steady)
Range: B (The roar echoes far)
Persistence: C (As long as the heart beats)
Growth Potential: B (The legend is still growing)
Precision: D (AoE focus)
-Abilities:
Emperor's Heart: King possesses a heart unlike any other. In the presence of high-level threats, it emits a thunderous, rhythmic roar. As the "Engine" revs, the Stand's total attributes increase exponentially based on the enemy's fear.
Emperor's Treasure: Drawing from King's mastery of all gaming genres, every time a significant enemy is defeated or frightened into submission, a "Loot Box" is generated. Rewards range from permanent stat boosts to reality-warping gadgets.
"What an absolutely broken kit," Noah chuckled. "If I play this right, I'll be standing over the S-Class heroes in no time."
With a single thought, Noah detached himself from the core of King's shadow.
To the rhythm of the deafening thump-thump of the Emperor Engine, a knightly figure began to manifest behind King. The Stand was draped in heavy, ornate armor, a majestic mix of royal gold, crimson, and polished silver. Its helmet was shaped like a crown, and its eyes glowed with a steady, ethereal blue light. It looked like a guardian deity birthed from a deck of high-fantasy cards.
"Time to see if this rabbit is as fast as they say," Noah said, limbering up his armored arms.
Just as he was about to make his move, three figures in flamboyant outfits vaulted over a nearby car, landing between King and the monster.
"C-Class Hero: Mecha Chief, arriving on the scene!" shouted a man in what looked like a suit made of cardboard and kitchen appliances.
"B-Class Hero: Hoop-Star Kun!" A young man with a trendy middle-part hairstyle and designer overalls stepped forward. He flipped his hair, and with a practiced flick of his wrist, a basketball appeared in his palm.
"C-Class Hero: School Uniform Girl!" A girl in a high-school sailor fuku held a glowing wand aloft.
Hoop-Star Kun did a lightning-fast between-the-legs dribble, his eyes locking onto the Giant Rabbit. "Hey, you! Long-ears! You're about to get schooled by the MVP!"
"Mecha Chief, Uniform Girl, on my mark! Triple formation!"
The youth spun clockwise like a whirlwind, building incredible centrifugal force before launching the basketball with a roar.
"Violent Hoop-Star Slam!"
"Mecha Ray!"
"Youthful Lightwave!"
The basketball, which was actually a high-tech explosive, streaked through the air alongside a flickering laser and a burst of pink energy.
BOOM!
The combined attacks slammed into the Giant Rabbit, resulting in a spectacular explosion of smoke and fire.
Hoop-Star Kun stood tall, smoothing back his gray hair with a cocky grin. "Hmph. Just another day at the office. These monsters really need to learn who runs these streets."
He was incredibly proud of his "special move." Years of lifting 180-pound dumbbells and practicing his "Kun-style" dribbling had made his throws more powerful than a tank's main gun. With the smoke thick and the monster silent, he was certain the fight was already over.
Noah, standing behind King, simply crossed his arms and watched the smoke clear. "If only it were that easy, kid..."