My 'System' Is Myself!?

The atmosphere in the laboratory was heavier than usual.

Genichi stood at the center of a magic circle. Beneath his feet, crimson lines intertwined into an intricate pattern, flickering with an eerie light beneath the dim lamps.

Kirari stood to his left with her arms crossed. Her signature smile played across her lips, and her eyes shone with barely restrained excitement.

Ririka stood behind her sister, nervously twisting her fingers together. Despite her unease, anticipation gleamed in her eyes as well.

Haruno stood to Genichi's right. Her expression was calm, but the way her fingers lightly tapped against her side betrayed her excitement.

"I called you here today because there are three important things I need to tell you."

Genichi calmly swept his gaze across the four people before him.

"More precisely, it's time to test what you can do as Ghost Wielders."

As the creator of the Ghost Wielder profession, Genichi naturally wanted to see how they would perform in the afterlife.

Would their abilities work against vengeful spirits, feral spirits, and the native inhabitants of the afterlife?

Could Ghost Wielders survive there?

Could they locate the afterlife's central nexus?

The answers to those questions could only be found through actual combat.

Genichi also wanted to see whether Haruno and the Momobami sisters could find that nexus.

The odds were slim, but there was always a chance.

"No problem."

Kirari answered without the slightest hesitation. A trace of madness flashed through her eyes.

Someone who constantly pursued excitement like her had wanted to visit the afterlife for a long time.

Vengeful spirits, feral spirits, and other beings that existed only in legends fascinated her. She could hardly wait to see them with her own eyes, touch them with her own hands, and tear them apart herself.

Genichi's request was exactly what she wanted.

Haruno nodded as well.

She wanted to discover how she would perform against vengeful spirits.

She needed an answer.

"Genichi."

A tentative note entered Haruno's voice. "Could we bring Yukino with us? I want her to see those vengeful spirits for herself."

Genichi raised an eyebrow as he looked at her.

He knew exactly what Haruno was planning.

She wanted Yukino to witness the vengeful spirits, see Ghost Wielders in battle, and experience the cruelty of the afterlife firsthand.

Only then would Yukino truly take that final step. Only then would she willingly drink the Blood Wine and become part of his power system.

Haruno understood her sister too well. She knew Yukino needed a push. She had to be backed into a corner before she could make a choice.

"I don't mind, as long as you can protect her."

Genichi's voice was calm and slightly cold. "But I'm not going to babysit her."

The corner of Haruno's mouth twitched.

He claimed he would not babysit Yukino, but Haruno refused to believe Genichi would actually stand by and watch her die.

If Yukino encountered genuine danger, he would definitely intervene.

He was all sharp words and a soft heart.

"Fine."

Haruno nodded and left the laboratory.

She returned a few minutes later with Yukino following behind her.

Yukino wore a simple tracksuit, and her long hair was tied into a ponytail. She had no makeup on, but her eyes were much brighter than before.

Her expression still held some nervousness, but beneath it was a far stronger sense of resolve.

"Are you ready?" Genichi asked.

Yukino took a deep breath and nodded.

"I'm ready."

Genichi snapped his fingers.

The magic circle beneath them instantly erupted with crimson light. It grew brighter and more intense until the entire laboratory was bathed in red.

The light swallowed all six figures, surrounding them with a warm, gentle crimson glow filled with mysterious power.

A moment later, they vanished.

When Yukino opened her eyes, she found herself staring at a gray-white sky.

There was no sun, no moon, no stars, and not a single cloud. There was only an eternal, deathly gray.

Gray-black gravel covered the ground beneath her feet. The air carried an odor she had never encountered before.

It smelled of death, decay, and despair.

"Is this the afterlife?"

Her voice trembled.

No one answered.

Kirari had already eagerly stepped forward. She crouched, scooped up a handful of gray-black gravel, and crushed it in her palm.

The fragments slipped between her fingers, releasing a cloud of gray dust.

Her eyes shone brilliantly, and her smile grew wider.

"Interesting," she murmured. "How very interesting."

Ririka stood behind her sister and surveyed their surroundings with curiosity and vigilance.

She could feel dense magical energy permeating the air, far more than existed in the living world.

That magical energy was mixed with a power she had never encountered before.

It was the power of death, souls, and vengeful spirits.

Haruno stood beside Genichi with one hand resting on the short blade at her waist, carefully watching their surroundings.

Her shadow writhed faintly beneath her feet, ready to answer her summons at any moment.

"Now, begin."

Genichi's voice remained calm. "You may act independently or form teams. My shadows will follow you and record your performance. If you encounter danger, they'll protect you, but only if your lives are truly at risk."

Kirari nodded, took her sister's hand, and started walking into the distance.

"Come on, Ririka."

Ririka stumbled when her sister pulled her forward, then quickly followed.

The sisters gradually disappeared beyond the gray-white horizon.

Genichi turned to Haruno and Yukino.

"What about you two? Are you splitting up or staying together?"

Haruno glanced at her sister before answering.

"We're staying together."

Genichi nodded without another word.

His body gradually turned transparent before disappearing into the air.

His shadow remained behind, silently following the sisters like a wordless ghost.

Yukino stared at the place where Genichi had vanished, complicated emotions rising within her.

Had that man really abandoned them here?

Was he truly going to leave them to fend for themselves?

"Stop looking. He's already gone."

Haruno took her sister's hand and led her in another direction. "Come on. We still have a mission."

The sisters crossed the gray-white wasteland with gray-black gravel beneath their feet and the ashen sky stretching overhead.

Everything around them was deathly silent.

There was no sound, no life, and no hope.

"Haruno."

Yukino's trembling voice was barely above a whisper. "This place is terrifying."

Haruno tightened her grip on her sister's hand.

"Don't be afraid. I'm here."

After walking for approximately ten minutes, they finally encountered their first vengeful spirit.

It had a humanoid form, but its entire body was pitch-black. It had no facial features, only a vague human silhouette.

It floated in midair with its feet suspended above the ground, radiating a sinister chill.

Against the gray-white landscape, its body stood out like a drop of ink on a sheet of paper.

Yukino's pupils contracted.

Her body went rigid. Her legs seemed nailed to the ground, leaving her unable to move.

Her lips trembled as she tried to scream, but no sound escaped.

The vengeful spirit appeared to sense their presence. It slowly turned toward them, staring through empty sockets that contained no eyes.

Haruno stepped in front of her sister.

"Gospel."

An invisible blast struck the vengeful spirit.

It was instantly torn apart and reduced to ash.

Yukino's legs gave way, and she collapsed onto the ground.

Her face was as white as paper. Her entire body trembled as tears spilled from her eyes and silently streamed down her cheeks.

"That was a vengeful spirit."

Haruno crouched in front of her sister. "That's what Genichi is trying to fight. This is what we're working against."

Yukino looked up at her.

Her eyes were filled with terror and shock.

"Haruno… Aren't you afraid?"

Haruno shook her head.

"No, because I have power. I have the power Genichi gave me. Those vengeful spirits can't hurt me."

Yukino lowered her head and stared at her hands.

They trembled helplessly.

She could do nothing.

She remembered everything she had once called Genichi.

A murderer.

A demon.

"You've killed so many people."

She remembered his expression when she said those things. There had been no anger or sorrow. He had simply watched her calmly, as if he were looking at an ignorant child.

She had been the ignorant one.

"Haruno."

Yukino's voice trembled softly. "I think… I want power."

Approval flashed through Haruno's eyes.

"Are you certain?"

"I am."

"Even if it means drinking the Blood Wine and entrusting your life to Genichi? Even if it means placing your body, heart, and future in his hands?"

Yukino fell silent for a moment.

Then she nodded.

"I'm certain."

Haruno extended a hand and pulled her sister to her feet.

She embraced Yukino and gently patted her back.

"I knew you would make the right choice."

Yukino leaned against her sister and closed her eyes.

Genichi's face appeared in her mind: his profound eyes, the faint curve of his lips, and the trace of gentleness hidden within his otherwise calm voice.

Now it was her turn to choose.

Several dark figures appeared on the distant gray-white horizon.

They were vengeful spirits.

There was not merely one of them, but an entire group.

Haruno released her sister and moved in front of her, raising one hand.

The shadow beneath her feet surged outward. It transformed into countless dark figures that lunged at the approaching spirits.

This was the second ability Haruno had received after forming her bond with Genichi.

The Shadow King.

"Watch carefully, Yukino."

Haruno's voice was resolute. "This is the power you're about to receive."

Standing behind her sister, Yukino watched the shadows battle the vengeful spirits.

A feeling unlike anything she had ever experienced surged within her.

It was not fear or disgust.

It was desire.

She wanted that power. She wanted to protect others and do what was right.

Yukino took a deep breath and clenched her fists.

From this day forward, she would no longer be the naive, foolish, and self-righteous Yukino she had once been.

She would become a Ghost Wielder.

She would become Genichi's partner.

She would become someone capable of saving the world.

Genichi stood in the distance and watched, the corners of his lips rising slightly.

His shadow silently followed Haruno and Yukino, recording everything.

He knew Yukino had finally taken that decisive step.

(End of Chapter)

[Get +30 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]

[Every 300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]

[Thanks for Reading!]