A/N: Big chapter 2!!!!! So a quick note people. I may have subtly changed chapter 1 because I found some inconsistencies with my first chapter. Particularly how he just ignored his appearance, so I went back and fixed that. 😌
Also, If I ever mess up anything Tensura wise, please let me know so I can fix it. This is our novel, I'm just the one writing and posting. So if you see anything. Let me know.
ENJOY THE CHAPTER
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After a long while, Haru let out a tired, exasperated, "WTF."
He had been sitting alone in the cave for… he didn't even know how long.
Why, you ask? Because it seemed this world had no real concept of night or day. The sun didn't matter. And his own sense of time had shifted in ways he didn't understand. But strangely, he no longer valued it as he once had. It was like a subtle change he hadn't noticed until now — a shift in perception that felt oddly natural.
Realizing that waiting for the sun was pointless, he stood up and headed toward the cave entrance.
Mind you, he was naked. He had no idea why he had been reincarnated without clothes, and the cave offered nothing to cover himself. He decided he would fix that problem once he stepped outside.
When he emerged, the moon hung bright in the sky. It wasn't dark, but the landscape… was terrible.
No greenery in sight. Just endless sand stretching as far as he could see. The environment itself seemed harsh and barren. Was it the result of war, he wondered? Because there was no other explanation for why this world looked so utterly desolate.
There was still nothing around he could use as clothing, so he resolved himself to being called a pervert if he ever ran into any women.
Haru walked for what felt like an eternity, sand crunching underfoot, until he spotted a figure in the distance.
Finally, someone to talk to. He smiled to himself. Information had been his biggest concern since reincarnating — he had no idea where he was, or what this world expected of him.
He hurried toward the figure.
What he saw made his stomach twist. The figure was devouring a meal. Specifically… what looked like its own kin.
The being had dog-like features and horns — features similar to his own. So we're kind of the same thing, Haru thought.
And the one being being eaten… it looked almost the same as the predator. Dog-eat-dog world, huh…
Haru cleared his throat and called out.
"Sorry… can I ask you a question if you don't mind? It won't take long."
The beast looked back at him and snarled — an inaudible, growling snarl that carried menace.
Before Haru could react, it leapt from the ground and shot a fireball straight at him.
He stood there as the fireball engulfed him.
The beast made more of those strange, inaudible noises. Then it noticed — the fireball hadn't done a thing.
Haru sighed. Two rounds of beastly vocalizations later, it was confirmed: a mindless beast.
"What a waste," he muttered. He had traveled far across this harsh land, searching for information, and his first interaction in this new world was with… this.
The beast, realizing its magic attack had failed, fired three more fireballs — all useless. None of them harmed him.
Seeing its attacks do nothing, it charged for hand-to-hand combat. Its left claw swung toward Haru, claws extended.
Haru sidestepped smoothly to the right, letting the strike pass harmlessly. With a fluid motion, he delivered a spinning kick with his left foot to the beast's right side, sending it flying to its left and rolling to a stop.
In his past life, he had been a prodigy swordsman. That didn't mean he had neglected hand-to-hand combat in his Jujutsu practice. His close-quarters skill was more than sufficient for a mindless beast of this size.
The beast charged again, claw raised. Haru easily dodged. Another strike, another dodge. Then another. And yet again, easily avoided.
He unleashed a torrent of punches and kicks — rapid, precise, unrelenting, much like Gojo Satoru bullying Miguel in close quarters combat during that Jujutsu movie.
Yet the beast barely seemed affected. Haru knew his attacks were landing, but the demon simply brushed them off with terrifying ease.
Do mindless beasts have pain resistance too? he wondered.
Haru exhaled, leaning back slightly. This was… such a pain.
What do I even have in my arsenal to end this pointless fight?
Haru's mind raced as he considered his options. He scanned through his attack-based abilities, and the conclusion was obvious: he only had one.
Soul Scholar.
The power to see, manipulate, and reshape souls. He could mangle the soul of a being until it ruptured completely. Yet… his arsenal was far too small.
Opponents of equal or greater strength naturally have stronger souls. To penetrate them, I'd need a moment of extreme emotion — fear, happiness, sadness — anything to make them drop their guard and unseal their soul.
Of course, this limitation didn't apply to weaker opponents like the dog beast in front of him.
I really need a sword, Haru thought.
He watched the beast preparing to attack again. Frankly, he was growing bored. He had always enjoyed a good fight — a few blows to excite the blood — but this one? It was irritating more than thrilling.
Just as the beast charged, Haru vanished from its line of sight. Seconds later, he appeared directly in front of it, suspended slightly in the air.
He raised his hoofed palm, placing it on the beasts face and slammed the creature to the ground with insane force, his legs lifting in a perfect upside-down arc to drive even more pressure into the impact. Sand exploded outward from the sheer force of the strike.
A touch was all it took. His palm pierced the beast's soul.
Three words imprinted themselves in his mind:
Demon. Consume. Evolve.
It was minimal information — yet it revealed a terrifying truth.
This being and he were demons. To evolve, they needed to consume each other. The harshness of this world became suddenly apparent.
So I am indeed a demon, Haru thought.
He realized that the beastly instincts of other demons were embedded into their souls. The reason he lacked this instinct could be tied to his reincarnation. Still, the information was incomplete.
Within the beasts soul he found a skill called magic sense. Apparently this skill allowed him to "see" magicules, heat, sound, and spiritual energy directly, effectively giving him 360° awareness.
He then used this skill to look at his appearance and ohh boy was he hideous. Let's just say Hima would definitely turn him down. His only defining feature was his eyes. They had golden pupils and the rest was purple. What a unique eye design Haru thought.
With precise control, Haru reshaped the beast's soul, leaving it on the brink of death. The words Consume and Evolve repeated themselves in his head, a constant reminder of the brutal logic of this world.
I can't be like… "ew, I'm not eating demons." If I cling to my past reality, I won't survive long here.
Earlier, he had assumed he might already be among the strongest in this place. How wrong he had been. He was still far from powerful enough.
Without hesitation, he proceeded to consume the demon he had just dispatched.
Until I evolve, I must stay clear of any seriously strong people, he reminded himself.
With that resolved, Haru resumed walking across the barren landscape, the sand crunching under his hooves.
Haru traveled for what would be 2 years. Of course Haru himself had no idea how long he had traveled. No day and night cycle made it impossible to keep time.
In his travels he had killed and consumed multiple lesser demons. He could feel his power growing stronger. He had not met a single demon with intelligence throughout.
With his current power, how would he fair against opponents slightly stronger than him he thought, but he wouldn't have to wait long because as he approached he saw a lone figure with his palm on his chin seemingly deep in thought. This demon looked human. He had yellow hair and a seemingly punky look with a black leather jacket and stuff.
For some reason a name came to Haru. "Venom", who the hell is that, I don't know a person named "Venom".
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