Chapter One: The Isthmus of Regret and the Bloody Pact
The rain in Tokyo that night wasn't just drops of water; It was a cold wash of the sins of a city that never sleeps, and heavenly tears that fell on the edifice of justice that collapsed in a moment of treachery. In the dark back alleys, far from the lights of the podium and the dazzle of the cameras, Ryoma Kazami was breathing his last. His body, which had long been considered a masterpiece of refinement and ruthless training, which had led him to win the World Mixed Martial Arts Championship only hours before, was now lying like a rag. Dark blood flows from a gaping wound in his flank, staining the wet asphalt floor, mixing with the cold rainwater. The stab was not just an ordinary knife strike; The blade was poisoned, and the poison ran through his veins like acid, burning every living cell and gradually paralyzing him. Before his misty eyes, two people stood. Kenji and Sato. Childhood friends. Training buddies. Brothers in arms who shared with him every moment of pain and joy, every sweat and sacrifice for many years. Ryoma thought that his success was their success, and that the summit would expand for all of them if they worked hard. How naive he was. Kenji (in a trembling voice, mixing fear and blind hatred): "Why do you never fall, Ryoma? Why do you always get all the praise? We trained together, we suffered together, but in the end, the world only sees (the genius Ryoma)... the (broken blade) that does not bend! We only wanted to be behind you, but you made us look like dwarves!" Ryoma (coughing up blood, his voice weak but with a hoarseness of psychological rather than physical pain): "Kenji... Sato... Were... all those years... a lie? The training... was not for glory... it was to protect... each other..." Sato (laughing sarcastically once, holding in his hand the knife stained with Ryoma's blood and strange black magic, which is the only unnatural thing in their world): "Protection? We don't need protection from someone who makes us die of jealousy every day. With your death now, Ryoma, We will inherit the sponsorship contract and millions of dollars, and we will become world champions. The world will forget you tomorrow, and will remember us. Betrayal is the quickest path to the top." The blade plunged again, this time directly into his chest. Ryoma did not die immediately; His mighty physique resisted the poison and stab wounds for a few seconds. And in those eternal seconds, while his soul was preparing to leave, he had only one feeling: not fear of death, but regret. Regret because he was naive, regret because he gave his trust to someone who did not deserve it, and regret because he wasted his effort and life in a world that does not value honesty. He closed his eyes, and the darkness swallowed him. In his secret, he shouted a bloody vow: "If I had a second life... I would be stronger. I would be the unbreakable blade, and I will never allow betrayal to touch me again. I will protect only those who deserve protection, and I will exterminate traitors to the last." (Isthmus of Regret: Meeting the Regime) Ryoma woke up in the middle of nowhere. An endless white void, with no earth below it and no sky above it. He was physically and psychologically naked. Before his eyes, a translucent screen flashed cold blue, like a piece of ice floating in nothingness. [Alert: A perfectly compatible 'Vessel' has been observed.] [Status: Deceased (Treachery, Betrayal, Extreme Regret).] [Compatibility with the 'Transversal Rescue System': 99.9%.] There was no robotic voice, just electromagnetic pulses translated directly into his mind as absolute commands, non-negotiable and non-negotiable. As if the laws of the universe themselves were speaking to him. Ryoma (with his lost soul, trying to gather his thoughts): "Where am I? Is this hell? Or the isthmus?" [System: You are in the transitional void. You have been chosen by a "mysterious entity" to be the savior of the dying worlds. Rejection is out of the question. Rejection means the eternal disappearance of your soul and soul from existence entirely.] Ryoma (laughing with a broken spirit): "Save? Savior? Who will save me? I died in my world because I was trying to raise them with me! I will never save anyone again." [System: You have no choice. Your survival is tied to the survival of the worlds you will visit. I will grant you (Legendary Power: Absolute Void Sovereignty). Warning: Due to your current spiritual body being weak and unadapted, 99% of the strength has been sealed. To break the seals, the "Purge the Realms" quest must be completed successfully.] [First Quest: World (Edenia - Magic and Swords). Status: In the process of falling under demonic invasion. Consequences in case of failure: The world is erased, and the host's soul is erased forever.] Before Ryoma could utter another word of objection, a bright white light engulfed him, and he felt an enormous pressure, as if his spiritual body was being squeezed and reshaped. The final orders sounded from the system, like a cold whisper in his ear: [Starting the space-time transition... 3... 2.. 1... Do not die in the first world, for the secrets behind it are heavier than you imagine, and nothingness awaits you if you fail.] (Landing in Edenia: Incarnation Shock) Ryoma opened his eyes to find himself lying in the middle of glowing blue grass, exuding a sweet yet strong scent, similar to the smell of ozone and lavender. The air was incredibly fresh, imbued with a strange energy that made his skin tingle. He looked at his hands; They were intact from any wound, but they were no longer his earthly hands. His muscles were denser, and his senses were heightened dozens of times. He could hear ants crawling meters away, and see details of giant tree leaves that resembled green umbrellas. But he also felt invisible "shackles" pressing on his chest, on his heart, on his soul. The 99% seals set by the system. As if he was carrying a mountain inside his thin body. Suddenly, the system displayed a screen in front of his eyes: [System alert:] Available power: only 1%. Active skill: "Void Analysis" (Level 1 - See enemies' weaknesses and energy level). Passive Ability: "Mana Storage" (Your body is now able to absorb the magic of this world). Ryoma (in secret as he examined his body): "Magic? Mana? Dying worlds? Am I really in a fantasy novel? Damn... The poison in my world was burning, but this pressure from the seals... It's a thousand times worse. It's like I'm living in a pressurized bottle." His train of thought was interrupted by a feminine battle cry, followed by the sound of a powerful magical explosion that shook the ground beneath his feet. Ryoma ran with pure fighting instinct. Despite the shackles, his athletic skills and martial arts that he had honed while alive were still alive.