Reborn

"Hanto Kiyomeru shouldn't be alive," was what my teacher thought as I murdered her child in front of her. Yet here I was, with blood splattered on my face, feeling more alive than I had ever been, even before the day I died.

To truly explain my story, we have to go back 5 years in the past.

(2017, Shyota, Japan, Population: <2,500)

I was just the typi13-year-old old boy, for the most part, is what I would like to tell you, but my snow-white hair and emerald eyes made me stand out from the other boys of this small island off the southern shore of Wakayama.

The Japanese government could give less of a shit about our lives. They were too busy focusing on what really matters, turning those with systems into walking ATMs.

As a result, I doubt there were even 25 police officers on the entire island. Not that it makes a difference. I doubt a million of them could kill the colossal man-turtle, yet it was hundreds of children that tormented our community since the start of the summer, 3 weeks ago.

That's what it took for the government to finally send a fleet of five operators (what they call those with systems) to take care of our misfortune.

By the time they got there, my father was fighting one of the weaker kappas (man-turtles) to stop it from raping our mother and eating the brains of me and my little brother. He was winning, until one of the operators decided to jump in and get an extra confirmed kill.

"Frostbite: Quake." The operator said, unleashing an array of icicles from the ground that killed the kappa and impaled my father in the process, "Yikes! Ah, shit." He said as he surfed away on a wave of ice.

What we suffered with for almost a month took them five minutes to deal with.

The casualties were 107; 30 injured; and 25 women were raped.

As retribution for their "hard work," the village chieftain threw them a party.

That was two days ago. In that short timeframe, they've managed to eat more of our food and steal more of our women than the kappas had.

My mother was popular with the village's men and hated by the women, for reasons you could probably guess. That had all changed when she met my father and gave birth to me.

The same one that had killed my father found out about my mother's past and made his way to my house. Upon arrival, he barged his way into the house and told our mother to have sex with him.

When she denied his advances, he became hostile. He pinned our mother to the bed. In retaliation, I charged him in an attempt to tackle him.

"No!" My mother screamed at me to stop, but it was already too late.

"You little shit!" He said as he threw me off to the ground and stuck his hand out, shooting an icicle out of his palm, which I just barely managed to dodge, although I was left with a scar on my left eye.

My mother pulled out her hairpin, allowing her long white hair to fall out of her up-do ponytail.

"Oh, you want me to grab your hair then?" The operator said with a smile as he began unbuckling his pants only to be met with a hairpin to the face, blinding him in his left eye, "AAAAAH! You stupid slut! My fucking eye, damn it!" He screamed out as he began generating power his body turned icy blue.

The commotion woke up my little brother, and he began crying.

"Kiyomeru, grab Kame and run! Run and don't come back!" My mother yelled.

"But mom!"

"Now!"

I ran to the nursery, grabbed my little brother, and ran away. Once I reached a good distance, I looked back at my house, and it was more of an igloo that had cracked and burst into a million pieces. The operator, now a body of ice, surfed away on his tide of ice.

The next day, the operators left the island.

The day after that, I moved, along with my brother, into our aunt's house.

(5 years later)

Just like me, my brother both inherited our mothers' snow-white hair and our father's emerald-green eyes; a unique look that got me bullied throughout most of my high school life.

My brother had just started grade school and I had him join after-school clubs that had to do with food so he could eat more than the two 'meals' a day I thrived on.

I started trafficking goods for this small-time criminal empire that decided to spread its influence over to Shyota, just so I could get an extra bite in at dinner time.

Our aunt hated us. She hated that we 'elves' shared the same eyes as her. She hated that our grades outshone her son's grades.

So, she tried to poison our food every chance she got. It's a good thing I always finish eating before Kame does. He saw me having a seizure on the kitchen floor and dropped his spoon. From that day forward, we never ate at Auntie's

The only thing Auntie liked about us was the fact that we were weak and systemless, unlike her son and all the popular kids at school.

This only added to our suffering. Sure, we weren't the only systemless children in the village, but pair that with the fact that we're orphans and look like elves, and we were the town's laughingstock.

Every day I would get bullied by my cousin and his friends. My teacher never gave a shit, probably because one of my bullies was her son. I was eighteen and about to graduate in a week, which was the excuse she had always given me.

Funny how she acts like she's stood up before, even when I was a 13-year-old 'elf-boy' with no system who had just lost his parents.

*Whack*

"Oof!" All the air in my lungs quickly excited as my bully's foot drove itself into my stomach.

"Yea! Get 'em Katsou! Haha!" His friend Osada yelled.

Osada was my teacher's son, so he was always left off the hook. Despite him being the same age as me, 18, he would always act like a spoiled brat, as if he thought he was above the law, fitting speaking, the fact that he had the bird system, which allowed him to soar above us all. There's one person he genuinely respects: my cousin Kanai Katsou's 'Japan's Dragon' is what he called himself and his stupid dragon system.

"AGGGHHH! KANAI YOU BASTARD! " I yelled as I ran at him with my fist out ready to punch, only to be side-stepped and tripped to the floor.

"I can't believe an ugly ass elf like you shares my blood! What girl would want to have sex with this!" He said as he emitted a green flame from his hand, preparing to burn me with it.

Kanai had the same colored eyes as me, but he lacked the characteristic snow-white hair that made me seem like an elf straight out of some isekai anime.

Kanai began kicking again and again eventually I couldn't take it anymore and reached for the knife in my pocket.

"That's enough, Katsou!" a beautiful young woman walking down the street with lavender twin braids and aquamarine eyes said.

Yamane Yuki was the only person left in this treacherous world who stuck up for me. She's been my friend since grade school and always helped me when I was feeling down. Truth be told, I am way in love with her. I never asked her out though. After all, who would date an elf like me?

After Kanai found out about my feelings toward Yuki, he started dating her. When she told me about it it sounded like she was truly in love, but I can tell they grow distant each and every day.

I always found it weird how Kanai would call Yuki by her last name even though Yuki calls him by his first and they're dating.

"Shut the fuck up, Yamane! Or I'll-"

"C'mon babe, forget about that loser. Let's go to my place so we can continue where we left off." She begged, holding his hands, "Please? My parents aren't home." She said, licking her lips.

"Sure"

After they had left I laid in the grass clenching my stomach. Until it was time to pick up Kame.

~Kanai Katsou's Perspective

"Lay back." Yamane said as she lifted her shirt, revealing the purple lingerie underneath.

"Take your panties off." I asked as she pulled my penis out of my boxers.

"Okay," She complied then began jerking her hand up and down my penis, "you like that?"

"Yea-, ahh! Wait!" I said as I ejaculated all over her hand.

"..."

"Now turn around." I demanded.

"...N-no."

"Damn it, Yamane, if you don't let me fuck you, then I'll do it with your mother again."

"She's out of town, dumbass! You would know if you listened to me! You insult Kiyomeru for not having a system but at least he treats me like a person!"

"SHUT UP! DAMN IT! YOU STUPID BITCH YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING RIGHT!" I said as I grabbed her by the neck and pinned her to the bed.

*Smack*

"Get out!" She yelled, smacking him, forcing him to let go.

"Yamane, I-"

"Get out of my damn house, you bastard!" She said as jolted up and began walking toward me.

Every step I took back is a step she moved forward until I ended up outside her bedroom.

"Yamane, listen, I love you.

"Go to hell!" She screamed as she slammed her door locking it.

"Damn it!" I yelled pounding the door with the butt of my fist.

*Thud*

~Kiyomeru's perspective

"Big bro?"

"Yea, Kame?"

"How come I only eat food at school? Everyone else eats at home with their mommies."

"Because auntie hates us."

"Why does Auntie hate us?"

"...Because we're weak and look like elves."

"Big bro?" Kame said staring at me with innocent eyes.

"Yea... Kame?"

"Where's mommy and daddy?"

"..."

"Bro?"

"I-I don't know, Kame! I don't know..." I said with tears trickling down my spine.

"Don't cry, bro!" Kame said as he leaned in for a hug.

As I felt Kame's twig-like arms embrace me a fire settled within my heart.

"Kame, one day we'll be rich and then you can eat all the food you want, I promise Kame."

"Okay, big bro, I'm counting on it!" He said with a warm smile on his face.

Later that night, I put Kame to sleep. Since we only had one futon, I had to sleep on the couch that was barely big enough for two people and watched television awaiting my time to pass out, so I did just that until I heard creaking at the door and Kanai had forced himself in and sat next to me.

"..."

As he sat there in silence the only thing that made a sound was the stock laughter emitted from the television which only intensified the eerie sensation down my spine.

*Ding*

My phone sounded off a notification probably from Yuki as she's the only one who would ever text me.

"You know... Yamane broke up with me tonight?" He said in an annoyed but bone-shaking voice, "You want to know what really pissed me off about it though?" He asked as he clenched his fist.

*Ding*

"She said she always liked Kiyomeru better, tell me Kiyomeru why do I always have to compete with you?" He asked, taking his shirt off to reveal scars on his backside, "These are the scars my mother gave me after you moved in, see, she hated your guts and she hated me even more for not being better than you, unIil I got my system. You couldn't beat me physically so you took the woman I love?!"

*Ding*

"You're delusional Kanai."

"Oh really, pick up your phone."

"..."

Don't pick up the phone, Kiyomeru.

"Pick up the phone."

Don't pick up the phone.

"Pick up the phone, Kiyomeru!"

Kiyomeru, don't pick up the phone!

"O-Okay." I replied as I reached my hand out for the phone.

"Read the texts you got." He demanded.

"Yea, sure."

"Out loud, Kiyomeru!" He said with his voice growing annoyed.

"I miss you, Kiyomeru."

"..."

"I broke up with Kanai, can you come over, please? 15 missed calls."

Kanai jumped up from the couch and began making his way to the bedroom.

"Hey! Where are you going?!"

"You take something from me I'll take something from you."

"NO!" I screeched as I rushed at him attempting to tackle him but not butting an inch.

"Ugh! You fucking weakling, I don't know what she sees in you anyway!" He said rolling his eyes, kicking me off of him.

"Umf!" I said swiftly getting up, running into the bedroom.

"Draak!" Kanai exclaimed as a green dragon-theme dagger appeared in his hand

"Kane! No!"

"Huh? Brother?" Were the last words Kanae said before having his throat slit.

"What are you going to do, you systemless bastard?" He asked as I drew a knife too quickly for him to dodge, so he ended up blocking by sending the blade through his hand, "You piece of shit!" He said as he kneed me in the gut sending me to the floor.

As I tried to crawl away, he grabbed my ankle and pulled me toward him.

"C'mere" He said, getting on top of me and stabbing me through the heart countless times.

You would think I would be happy to die and leave this pathetic life of mine. I thought so too.

I opened my eyes to find myself floating in a pitch-black abyss the only other thing there as far as I could see was a woman with long blonde hair and deep purple eyes, surrounding her a small crowd of deers.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I am Ouna devil of the hunt and the cleanse.

"Am I dead?"

"No, not yet at least. You are in the interstice between life and death, the reason why you're not dead is that I have come to offer you life."

"Lady my life sucks, now let me die."

"Wait, let me explain the terms and conditions, not only will I offer you life, but I will offer you my power."

"And what exactly is that?"

"I am the spirit of the hunt and cleanse I'll offer the power to hunt those with systems, and those cleanse them of their power, whatever you want to do with their lives is up to you."

"Why did you offer me this?"

"You share the same burning passion as me, and I am dying. I need a body to occupy to enter your world, as I have had to flee mine."

"So, you'll take over my body?"

"No, my soul will live inside yours, but you will not be able to hear me or see me. I will simply be spectating from within."

"You talk about this passion. What passion do I share with someone like you?"

"The desire to kill them all, I can smell it radiating off your avatar as it is mine. I will lend you my power under one condition, you add the names of all the evil that lies within the interstice onto your reign of vengeance. "

Now that I think of it she's right. My whole life took a turn for the worse when my parents got killed by an operator who prioritized abusing his power over protecting lives.

"I can't, not all system users can be all bad."

"Oh, really? Kiyomeru, look beneath you." She said with a smirk on her face.

"Okay." I said looking down only to see a large sum of monsters trapped in between the walls some of them seeping into it, being absorbed.

"You see all this, this was all caused by the first operator ever the 'Divine Chaos' user upon death generated countless of creates that flooded the interstice knowing it would cause chaos in the realms between life in death, creatures created by him have flown into my world and your world, kappa's pillaged your home and a Chimera pillaged mine, countless of lives have been lost due to one man with too much power, does that seem fair to you?"

"N-No it doesn't."

"Then take my hand, Kiyomeru, and accept my power."

I placed my hand forth and she held them ever so gently and with a kiss, she and I had become one.

The next morning I awoke in a pair of boxers, lying on a bed of leaves in the forest near the village with a white and green futuristic-esque katana next to me.

I bathed in the river and noticed my reflection in the lake, but something was different. I had the chiseled physique of a Greek god and where the scar on my left eye had been there was an emerald-green tattoo in the shape of an arrow.

I grabbed the weapon and began marching toward my school.

I slipped past security and made it in time for my last class of the day, the class I shared with Osada and his shitty mother.

As I walked into the classroom everyone's eyes shifted toward me and the girls in the class who had once called me an elf stared at me like I was some god.

"Kiyomeru? Is that you?" Osada said laughing, "Nice sword, what you think that's gonna save you from this ass whooping?".

"Shut up!" I said as I uppercut him in the jaw, sticking him to the ceiling. As he landed on the floor I stood above him and pummeled in his skull until his blood splattered on my face.

His eyes glowed amber as his system's interface appeared, then disappeared after my punch, Osada laid there cold and dead.