My 'System' Is Myself!?

Amid the gray-white ruins, Genichi stood ten paces away from Kanade and Yuri.

Wind swept through the wreckage, stirring a cloud of gray-black dust that drifted between the three of them.

Kanade remained expressionless. Her hollow eyes rested on Genichi as though she were looking at something utterly insignificant.

Yuri's gun was still pointed at him, but the muzzle had dipped slightly. It was not because she had lowered her guard. She had simply realized that if this man wanted to harm them, they had no hope of resisting him.

"Do you want to return to the world of the living?"

Genichi's quiet words fell like a stone into a still lake, sending ripples through both girls' hearts.

They froze.

Yuri nearly dropped her handgun. Her lips parted as she tried to speak, only to discover that no words would come out.

For the first time, a glimmer of light appeared in Kanade's empty eyes. It resembled the faint ray of hope seen by someone drowning in darkness.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Yuri finally found her voice. It was sharp and trembling.

"That's impossible! We're already dead! How could dead people ever return to the living world? You're lying to us!"

Genichi looked at her without anger or mockery. His eyes held only a calm, almost indifferent scrutiny.

"I'm still alive. I believe both of you should have noticed that already."

Yuri felt as though something had lodged in her throat.

Of course she had noticed.

She had sensed it from the moment Genichi appeared.

This man was alive.

He had warmth, a heartbeat, and breath. His body radiated every sign of life.

In this World of the Dead, filled with decay and lifelessness, his presence was like a blazing beacon, brilliant and completely out of place.

Kanade had sensed it as well.

She studied Genichi, and the light in her hollow eyes grew steadily brighter.

His soul was intact, vibrant, and overflowing with life. It was fundamentally different from the souls of those who had already died.

He was telling the truth.

It really was possible to return to the world of the living.

Yuri lowered her gun.

Her fingers trembled, her eyes reddened, and her breathing quickened.

She remembered how she had died. She remembered the accident that had taken everything from her.

She remembered the confusion of awakening in the hospital, the despair of realizing she could never return, and the countless days and nights she had spent struggling to survive in the World of the Dead.

She wanted to go back.

She wanted to return to that world, see the people she thought she would never meet again, and finish everything she had left undone.

"What's the price?"

Kanade's voice was so quiet it was almost inaudible.

Yet amid the silent ruins, every word was perfectly clear.

She was not naive. She knew there was no such thing as a free lunch.

If this man was willing to take them back, then he must have a goal, a condition, or something he wanted in return.

The corners of Genichi's lips rose slightly.

He liked intelligent people. They understood what he meant without forcing him to waste time explaining everything.

"Find the core of the World of the Dead."

His voice remained calm, as if he were discussing something perfectly ordinary.

"Once you find the core, I'll take you back to the living world."

Yuri's pupils contracted sharply.

The core.

Of course she had heard of it.

A legend had always existed in the World of the Dead. Whoever discovered the core hidden in the depths of this world would gain control over the entire realm and become its ruler.

Every vengeful spirit, frenzied spirit, and native inhabitant had searched for it, yet no one had ever succeeded.

"You want to control the World of the Dead?"

Yuri's voice sounded dry.

Genichi looked at her, neither confirming nor denying it.

"You don't need to concern yourselves with what I intend to do. You only need to find the core. Once you do, I'll fulfill my promise."

Kanade fell silent.

She shifted her gaze from Genichi to the distant gray-white horizon.

There was nothing there but endless emptiness and eternal silence.

Yet somewhere in that direction, the core of this world was hidden. It was a place countless people had searched for without ever finding.

Yuri looked at Kanade, then at Genichi, her thoughts locked in a fierce struggle.

She did not know whether she should trust him. She did not know if he would keep his promise or what would happen once they found the core.

But she knew this was their only chance.

In all the time she had spent in the World of the Dead, she had never heard of a living person entering this realm.

If she let this opportunity slip away, she might never return.

"How can we trust you?"

Yuri's quiet voice trembled slightly.

A faint glint passed through Genichi's eyes.

"You don't need to trust me. You only need to trust your own judgment. I'll give you enough time to see for yourselves that I truly possess the power to bring you back."

He raised his hand and lightly snapped his fingers.

Crimson light flared beneath their feet.

It grew brighter and brighter until everything around them was drowned in red.

Yuri instinctively closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, the ruins were gone.

She stood on a familiar street, surrounded by familiar buildings and beneath a familiar sky.

It was no longer gray-white. It was blue, filled with drifting clouds and warm sunlight.

"This is…"

Her voice trembled.

"The world of the living."

Yuri crouched and gently touched the ground.

It felt real beneath her fingertips. She could feel the rough asphalt, the warmth of the sunlight, and the faint vibrations passing through the road.

She could smell exhaust fumes in the air. She could hear children laughing in the distance and feel the gentle breeze brushing across her cheeks.

Tears spilled from her eyes, and she could no longer hold them back.

Kanade stood beside her. Her expression remained calm, but something powerful stirred in her eyes.

She extended a hand and caught a leaf drifting down from a nearby tree.

The leaf was green, its veins filled with life as it trembled gently in her palm.

There were no leaves like this in the World of the Dead. There were no colors like this and no life like this.

"We accept."

Kanade's voice was quiet, but every word was clear.

Yuri raised her head and looked at Kanade, then at Genichi.

She nodded.

"We accept. We'll help you find the core."

Genichi looked at them, the corners of his lips curving upward.

"Good."

Crimson light enveloped them once more.

When it faded, they were standing amid the gray-white ruins again. The colorless sky stretched above their heads, while gray-black rubble lay beneath their feet.

But something within them had changed.

They now had a goal, hope, and a chance to return.

"Where is the core?"

Genichi asked.

Yuri shook her head.

"No one knows. The legends say it lies in the deepest reaches of this world. Some claim it's at the world's edge, while others believe it's at the center. Some even say it's hidden in a corner of the real world. There are countless theories, but none have ever been proven."

Genichi remained silent for a moment.

Of course he knew the core would not be easy to find. If it were, someone would have discovered it long ago.

But now he had them.

They were the protagonists of this story, the ones favored by destiny. They might even possess some form of protagonist's luck.

"Do you have any clues?"

Genichi asked.

Kanade considered the question before answering.

"There's one place I've always found strange."

Genichi looked at her and waited for her to continue.

"Somewhere in this world, there's a school."

Kanade's voice remained calm.

"It's identical to the school we attended when we were alive, but there are no students or teachers. There are only empty classrooms and silent hallways. I went there once. I felt as though something was calling to me, but I could never find out what it was."

Genichi narrowed his eyes slightly.

A school identical to the one they had attended, along with that inexplicable sensation.

It certainly sounded like a clue.

"Take me there."

His voice was calm, but the command allowed no argument.

Kanade nodded and began walking in a particular direction.

Yuri followed her, while Genichi brought up the rear.

The three of them crossed the gray-white wasteland in single file, their footsteps steady and purposeful.

Genichi could feel it.

Perhaps the core truly was waiting in that direction.

(End of Chapter)

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