Chapter 1: The Day Everything Burned.
The sky wasn't supposed to be red.
Kaito Yamada stood in the middle of the school courtyard, bag slung over one shoulder, earbuds in, mind somewhere else.
Math exam later. Convenience store on the way home. Maybe ramen tonight.
Then the world erupted in fire.
A deafening shockwave ripped through the school, blowing out windows, hurling students into the air like rag dolls. Heat slammed into Kaito's chest. He didn't even have time to scream.
Just… light.
And pain.
And then—
Silence.
---
He woke to darkness.
Not the comforting black of sleep, but the crushing, empty dark of the void.
"Kaito Yamada," a voice echoed, neither male nor female.
"Wha—who's there?!"
[Soul confirmed. Compatibility: 92%][Initializing System Transfer…]
[Welcome, Kaito. Origin: Japan.]
A glowing screen floated before his eyes.
[You are dead.]
"...what."
[You have been selected for transfer to World Designation: EL-107 'Eldaros.']
[Status: Rebirth. Class: Undefined. Guidance System Installed.]
"I don't understand! Where am I? What happened to my school?"
[Unknown. Explosion Origin: "Anomaly." Spiritual residue suggests intentional interference.]
Kaito's breath caught. "Wait. You're saying... someone caused that?"
[Possibility: 81.2%]
Rage bubbled beneath his skin. His friends. His classmates. Gone.
He wasn't just dead. He was *murdered.*
"Then let me find them," he whispered. "Let me find who did it."
[Affirmative.]
[Survival Protocols Online.]
[Initializing Rebirth Sequence… Now.]
Kaito gasped awake as cold, wet grass brushed his face.
He was lying in a forest, the sky overhead glowing orange from a dying sun. Birds shrieked in the distance. Strange howls echoed through the trees.
He sat up slowly. His body felt... lighter. Stronger. But unfamiliar.
[System Activated.]
[Status: Level 1]
[Class: ???]
[Skill Acquired: Adaptive Instinct Lv. 1]
[New Quest: Survive the First Night.]
A distant roar shattered the air.
Kaito turned — and saw glowing eyes in the dark.
A wolf, massive and unnatural, stepped out of the trees. Its fur shimmered like liquid shadow. Its teeth dripped green venom.
Kaito picked up a broken branch.
[Warning: Threat Level = "Moderate Death"]
[Tip: Run.]
"I gathered that already!" he shouted, spinning and sprinting into the woods.
He ran until his lungs burned, until his legs ached, until—
He tripped.
Fell hard.
The wolf snarled behind him. Closer.
He reached for a stone, a stick, anything.
Then—
CRACK.
A greatsword, glowing with faint embers, slammed down from above, splitting the beast in two with a single swing.
Kaito blinked up at the figure standing over him.
A girl.
Tall. Fiery red hair in a loose ponytail. Light armor. Warm, kind eyes.
She grinned.
"Looks like you owe me dinner, mystery boy."
[New Companion Detected: Lyra Flameheart]
[Danger Level: Unclear. Personality: Chaotic Good. Clothing: Questionable.]
Kaito groaned.
This was going to be a very weird afterlife.
"My name is Lyra, and yours?" She ask him with a big smile.
"My name is Kaito" he says and try not to look her not show cover boby.
[New Debuff Unlock: Lyra clothes.]
[Effects: people will look at you]
"I gonna die,so hard" Kaito says under his breath.
"Did say something?" Lyra ask to Close and grab his clothes and being dragning him.
"I said nothing"
[System found a lie]