Chapter 1
I was in the middle of class when I couldn't help but just stare at the ceiling. People talking around me, I heard my teacher lecture about something irrelevant, but my mind was completely unfocused. Even as everyone got up and left, I was still stuck in a daze.
It felt like I had foreign thoughts in my head. I don't know when it started, sometime recently, but I would catch myself thinking of something I had no idea about, in too vivid a recollection to think them mere daydreams.
Was I going crazy? I knew what schizophrenia was, but didn't that come on gradually, not just out of the blue? Maybe I took some really bad drugs…..without knowing? I know I haven't been sleeping well, but it's not like I've missed out on that much sleep… weird things just kept popping into my head. What did vampires have to do with anything? And it didn't' stop there…..why did an image of a red moon keep showing up as well?
"Shimoda-san."
My thoughts were broken as I heard someone call my name, only for my expression to darken as I saw the person.
"Kaichou." I answered automatically.
Souna Shitori, the student council president, she basically ran the school, and everyone knew it. Hell, there were times when she could 'convince' the principal of certain matters. There were rumors that her parents actually owned the entire thing.
But….why did something about her suddenly feel off?
I just ignored the funny feeling I had in the back of my head and pushed down all these strange images that sprang up.
"I need to speak with you, Shimoda-san, please follow me to my office."
With a sigh, I gestured for her to lead the way. I don't really know what this about, but generally people don't like being called to 'her office'. It wasn't exactly far but for some reason I felt a bit of unease with every step I took, though that could be attributed to my current mental state.
"Please have a seat, Shimoda-san." She gestured.
I could only blink as I realized we were already standing in the student council office, and I didn't even notice another member to the side going through some stacks of paper, and a chess board off to the side that caught my eye. I just feel completely disconnected from myself right now.
"What exactly—"
"We need to talk about your school trip application." She cut me off and I could only just shut my mouth at her authoritative tone.
My school trip application…..oh, yeah the Drama Club was going to Kyoto to see a play with the proceeds we earned the past couple years from various school plays we put on. That was…next week I think…sounds about right.
"Your guardian did not give permission for you to attend."
"Pardon?" I blurted out.
"I contacted your guardian after you submitted your application as you are a special case and permission was not granted. I'm afraid you will not be permitted to attend." She said plainly.
Wait what? There was a lot to digest there but I started with the most obvious question.
"What do you mean my guardian?" I had a strange feeling bubbling in my chest. I hadn't 'met' my guardian in the years I lived in this shitty town.
"The one who enrolled you in the school, we contacted him, and he revoked your application." She once again said it as a matter of fact.
"Who?"
"Excuse me?"
"Who is my guardian." I pressed.
"That…is private information, I'm afraid I can't divulge." She replied.
"You can't divulge to me my guardian's information….that sounds like bullshit."
"Shimoda-san, I advise you to watch your language." She narrowed her eyes. "Regardless, you will not be attending the Kyoto trip with your club."
"As the Vice-Director of the Drama club, you're not allowing me to go?"
"The decision is not mine; my hands are tied. I'm sorry Shimoda-san." Her reply didn't sound very convincing.
"Whatever." I spit out, gritting my teeth and balling my fists. I spent a lot of time with my club working hard to raise the money for this trip and suddenly it was all shot to hell.
"Shimoda-san—"
I didn't want to hear anymore; I didn't want to lose my temper, so I just got up and left. Thankfully the school day was over so I didn't have to sit around here anymore, I was supposed to go to my club after class but…..fuck it.
I'm in no mood nor mental state to deal with any of this right now.
I just grabbed my stuff and headed home.
I was angry, even as I walked through the door and threw my stuff on the table. I wasn't worried as I let out a shout of frustration, it's not like anyone was here to scold me.
All alone in this empty house.
I had a 'caretaker' that would come every once in a while, I think it's been about a month since her last visit where she merely walked inside, took note of things, and made sure I was still living before leaving again.
The contemptuous gaze she always gave me was very memorable. I was under the assumption that she worked for my 'father', my illustrious 'guardian' that Souna mentioned earlier. That fact that she dressed as a maid gave that theory more credence. After my mother passed away, I was suddenly whisked away here and set up with a living place and my needs taken care of. I don't even have a name to go with his nonexistent face, I've never met the man, nor do I have even the inkling to anymore.
Fuck him, he wasn't there when mother was passing, he doesn't get to be a part of my life.
'Hands tied' my ass. I was looking forward to that trip for a long time. I love the theatre; it was one of the few things my mother and I did together as a child. We weren't exactly 'wealthy' but any stretch of the imagination, money was extremely tight so she would often find some activities that were cheap or free. Finding theatre groups that had free admission was something we did several times.
No, her hands are tied unless you're a pervert with a dragon in his soul. The Idiot and his friends literally break not just school rules but the fucking law, yet she sweeps it all away. Hell, most the school thinks him, and his group are blackmailing her in some way, even if that is a load of bollocks.
Fuck off Sitri.
I just snorted, at her voice still echoing in my mind again.
…..wait what? Where did that come from, a dragon? And her name is Shitori.
I just sat down, rubbing my temples in confusion.
Fuck me, I am not in good shape at the moment. Where is all this nonsense coming from. I leaned back in the chair I found myself in, staring at the ceiling again.
It was easier to focus on my anger than on anything else.
I didn't even want to go to Kuoh Academy, stupid acceptation letter came after I was denied at another school in the next town over. Kuoh Academy was one of the most exclusive private schools in the prefect, but I had my eyes set elsewhere….now that I think about it, why wasn't I accepted where I wanted?
Kuoh Academy is objectively better, but it hasn't been a coed school for long, which is why I didn't want to go there. I didn't know if there would be any weird favoritisms towards the female population. Considering I got into the 'better' school, why wasn't I considered for the others? I sent out several applications but all of them were denied…..
No...It started to make sense now.
So this wasn't the first time….I took a deep breath to calm myself. Why wasn't I allowed to go to Kyoto, why was I forced to attend Kuoh?
Why is a 'father' I don't know forcing me to stay here? What else was being manipulated about my life from behind my back, what else don't I know!?
I refuse to follow your plans.
I can't go to school I choose? You won't let me even leave the town? Fuck it, I quit. Do something about that you asshole. Trying to control my life after being absent for eighteen years, good riddance.
I felt the need to get away, something about this house was suddenly very stifling. Without even thinking I stormed out the front door and hurriedly made my way down the street, not even bothering to take note of the direction I went.
Even as the sky turned dark, I kept moving my feet. I don't really know where I was, it's not like I memorized the entire layout of Kuoh, it was a rather large town. But as I kept going, I got strangely drawn to something, it was a feeling that was nostalgic, but also somewhat foreign. A few turns down an alley and I came upon a scene that was hard to describe.
"The hell?" I heard a shout from a white-haired man, a foreigner? He was standing over the corpse of a…..I don't know how to describe it, a monster? He turned to look at me. "How the fuck did a normie get past my barrier?"
The 'thing' on the ground started to squirm, and without even taking his eyes away from me he held up a weird looking gun and shot it a few times in the head. I couldn't help but take a step back as he eyed me viciously.
I don't know what surprised me more, the fact that he was carrying a real gun or the fact that the corpse of the monster started glowing from the shots and began decomposing at an alarming rate.
"Hmmm…." He rubbed his gun against his head. "I don't really feel on my A-game tonight, usually I got bunch of one-liners ready, but I don't really go out of my way to kill normies." He shrugged and after a blink, he was no longer standing a few dozen yards infront of me but was at my side and a buzzing sound next to my ear.
IS that a fucking lightsaber!?
"I know what you're thinking, is this a fucking lightsaber?"
Wait, what?
"And the answer….is a bit of a letdown. Just know that George Lucas is one litigious motherfucker. And now—" He stopped, the 'lightsaber' pushed against my skin slightly and I felt an almost unbearable pain permeate my body. "Oooh, ooooooooh, oooooooooooh. And just like that, Father Freed is reeling to go for round two."
I couldn't hear him, I fell to the ground clutching the small wound on my neck, the pain left quickly, but the aftereffects left me almost breathless. Was I screaming for a few moments there? I couldn't even focus properly, whatever that lightsaber did messed me up.
"Thought you were some fucking normie, but looks like you some devil bitch. My night just got a lot fucking better. The other bastard stray didn't even say anything when I cut it up, just screamed like a cunt, but you look all put together still." He smiled wide, clearly out of his mind.
I heard what he said, but it basically passed through one ear and out the other. I only had one thought in my mind; was I going to die?
He started swinging his sword all over the place, cutting up a nearby wall and looking at me with his strange smile.
I don't want to die.
As his sword of light hovered above me, I felt something indescribable. It was like, a dam in my head that had been slowly leaking had collapsed. I let out a scream I had been holding in, clutching my head. The world around me seemed to disappear, the only thing left were a multitude of colors that I could only describe as a Kaleidoscope.
Chapter 2
As the cascading colors faded from my vision, I noticed the familiar ceiling of my home. Even without getting up, my hands started to roam my body, making sure I was still in one piece. There was light peeking through the windows already, had I fallen asleep…. was it all a dream?
I brought my hand up to my neck where there was a faint burning sensation. My stomach dropped as I realized where it was from.
Memories of a previous self had flooded my mind.
There was no thunderous awakening, the heavens didn't part to bestow this enlightenment upon me. There were no earth-shattering effects that came with my newfound wisdom.
I simply remembered a life before this one.
Last night, the high stress situation was more or less a catalyst. A lot of questions I had previously were now answered. Standing up and looking in the mirror, I couldn't help but run my hand through my hair. My red hair that I inherited from my father. I do truly look like him.
I touched my neck again, there was no scar but the phantom sensation was still there. Holy power, practically poison to my 'kind', I'll need to be careful in future.
Who even am I?
My feeling towards my father didn't change, even after knowing who he was now. These newfound memories, I could close my eyes and see the progression of this world-line, secrets became my domain, I now knew things I couldn't possibly have known previously.
I stretched my back slightly and felt something I hadn't in eighteen years of my life. Two bat-like wings exploded out behind me.
What a refreshing feeling.
Wings, how comical. They in no way allowed for the physical sensation of flight. They were almost frail-like in their aesthetic, but their power didn't come from their manifestation. They were more conceptual in nature than physical.
I have wings – therefore I can fly. It's the same with Angels and a lot of other races that have wings. Shifting through my memories, and there were quite a bit to look at, I was apparently a half devil. It explained why I was just now realizing I had wings in the first place, even though normal devils come into them as children. They were magical, and previously I had such a pitiable amount of 'magic' be it magical energy or the devil's equivalent of demonic energy, that they simply couldn't manifest.
Was it perhaps because of my Magic Circuits? No magical energy would leak out from my being because of the pseudo-magical organ so I was thought of as almost a cripple.
I sat down and hummed to myself for a moment. Half Devils in general were looked down on, they usually got the short end of the stick when compared to normal devils. Considering most Half Devils came from a human parent, they usually inherited the talent, or rather the lack there of, from them. No noticeable activation of my 'bloodline' nor magical energy on the surface.
I guess there was no surprise that I was tossed to the side.
Even as I rationalized my situation, it didn't abate my anger. Maybe if they dug any deeper, they would have discovered my Magic circuits? No, it didn't matter, they chose to not be a part of my life, so I don't care about that side of my family. I've been alone for a while now, I'll just keep trudging on as I am.
Though I was curious about my bloodline, even as I tried, I couldn't find anything but the tiniest speck of the exalted 'power of destruction' that my bloodline boasts about. I couldn't even bring it to the surface, what a shame, it would have been a wonderful boon.
It made my feel just ever so much weaker. I was almost killed by a psycho exorcist. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
I was lucky I activated my Magic out of habit. I've lived in this house enough that I was able to overturn space and pop into my bedroom on pure instinct using the Kaleidoscope.
I feel so weak, and I hate it. It went beyond just almost being killed like that. I was pushing away my anxiety about almost dying but there was more to it. I didn't feel in control of my life. I hated it; I didn't want to be this 'me' anymore.
Takao Shimoda, that was my name. The name my mother gave to me, but I couldn't be this person anymore. Even as I thought my own name, it seems like the 'older memories' were taking precedence. Family names come first in Japanese society, and I was starting to think in western terms.
How strange, I didn't even notice until now. Not only that, if I recall correctly, Devils can speak and understand any language fluently, was that also having an impact on my mental state? Those racial abilities should be blooming now….
Small victories and all that.
I looked myself over in the mirror one more time, letting my wings disappear.
"Sorry mom, I can't be this anymore." I quietly apologized.
I wanted a new name, for a new beginning. I would take a page out of my previous self's book. Who was I now?
Wilhelm Henry Schweinorg.
As I name myself, my name defines me. This is who I would be for now on, the powerless boy I was previously is gone.
Looking at the morning sun, my thoughts drifted back from the more whimsical ideas. What was I going to do in the immediate time frame?
Hell, what even time was it right now?
I moved my hands around my pockets and couldn't even find my phone. Did I seriously leave my house last night without my phone? I don't know what I was thinking. Well, I wasn't in my right mind if I were to be honest. I think a lot of stuff just all came boiling to the surface and I had a small episode. Having more context to look at my life now, I wouldn't get so caught up in myself like previously.
Going downstairs, it was sitting on the table. Oof, school started an hour ago, whatever. I'm done with that nonsense anyways. My attitude didn't change much I still didn't care to go back under the thumb of people I don't like.
Sona Sitri, she was probably just following orders from her sister or my father. Still….fuck them.
What to do what to do. I need some things to get started, my Circuits weren't even properly open yet, only a few were forced to activate last night which allowed me to run away. I need….materials, hmm.
But right now, I am limited.
I don't possess my favored Mystic Code.
My jeweled sword, the beauty that went into its creation…..how dearly do I miss it right now. It helped me channel the neigh-infinite power that I could draw from parallel worlds, It was an amazing tool to overcome many of the limitation that Magic Circuits imposed. Not to mention It did a lot of the heavy lifting with calculations. Despite what people may think I can't just rip open a portal and jump from one world-line to the next. Last night was a fluke that I doubt I could do consciously without prior preparations.
Having to calculate the trajectory of the planet in relation to the stars to determine a fixed point in space while also considering both the 'Y' and 'Z' axis. That was barely even scratching the surface. My beautiful old sword could do that in moments.
Bleh.
Now though, I would have to rely on the meagre amount of mana I can channel myself and do all the calculations by hand, lest I overstep my own bodily means and accidently kill myself.
But I can manage until I find some materials to craft myself something capable of synergizing with my Magic.
I have no delusions about making something on the same level as my old sword, I would need to find my way back to my previous dimension to even begin that endeavor, no, I would just need something to propel me over the limitations of my current body.
I have some meagre funds available, an allowance provided by my caretakers. A good plan of action, but there was one important question that needed answering before I departed.
What exactly do I wear?
I seemed to inherit my previous-self's tastes in fashion, and I couldn't help but cringe at my current attire. I wasn't even sure I had any clothing that could meet my standards, and I lacked the funds to properly address my current grievances.
Regardless, I did my best to uplift my normal dress to something that passes as reasonable.
Now, where to go?
Someone my age may just dart right towards the nearest shopping center, but my current needs require something a bit more 'unique'.
Hmm.
Perhaps there is one boon for living this far east, the residents of this country place a bit more truth into the 'old ways'. That is to say, they have a healthy appreciation for legends, myths, and traditions. Even in a more modern town like this, there are places that sell the stranger variety of goods.
I could vaguely recall a district that had things like antique shops and traditional medicines.
That would be a good a place as any to begin.
On the eastern side of town, where more shops and stalls pop up, usually the 'stranger' side of commerce appears here. Not to say that I found some mystical treasure trove, the vast majority of things here are knick-knacks or scams. It was like a tourist trap, without the touristy part. I could see hawkers trying to sell their 'miracle cures' that came from various animal body parts. Or people shouted on the corners about warding away evil spirits with such and such charms.
Though there was one truth about this area that made me feel relaxed, I could feel some mystical elements in the air, perhaps not any blatant displays, but more the presence of thicker mana.
More…..Mystery.
If that is even an applicable term for this world-line. Though contextually speaking it should be about the same regardless.
Even with the high concentration of magical energy that permeates this world, such things were easy to sense when you were close.
My eyes darted around; a content smile plastered my face as I noticed many things I had to stop myself from impulse buying. A few gems hidden among the trash in the area, but nothing that would immediately help my circumstances.
I had a decent amount of pocket change readily available. An amount I had saved up over the course of a decade or so.
If my math was correct, it should be about 347 pounds, or roughly 37000 yen.
My mind still defaults to pounds, the years spent in London taking precedence. I wonder if that nifty little food cart is present in this world? I usually visited it every time I returned to the Clock Tower, only being a few minutes' walk from the entrance.
Thoughts for later.
My eye caught a nice little prize in the corner.
A woman selling various ginseng. I looked over a handful of them, admiring the health and age. Thankfully I had a couple circuits open, enough to cast a few minor cantrips such as Structural Analysis. While I couldn't immediately know all the information of what I was looking at, I could more or less estimate the age of these herbs within a couple decades. Most were less than twenty years old, but one stood out.
The woman didn't even bat an eye as I picked it out of the basket, she clearly didn't know it's worth. She probably thought I was a sucker, but I kept a straight face as I paid a decent price. A hundred years or so ginseng was worth its weight in gold or more.
Those years of learning eastern magics was paying off already. There were several concoctions I could brew that would help forge my body with readily available ingredients, an older Ginseng being the hardest to procure.
Even those old stuffy magi in the tower knew that a healthy mind resides in a healthy body. While my body wasn't exactly in bad condition, I was a bit of a shut-in teenager, I could stand to be in better physical shape.
A good find regardless, and something that probably made this trip worth it.
Wandering around a fair bit more, I stumbled upon an antique shop.
A creaky door met a small bell at the top to alert the owner that I entered, he only gave me an inquisitive eye as I nodded in his direction.
I suppose a young man would be a rare sight for his shop, especially this time of day. I'm glad I took the effort to alteast appear somewhat well-kept as opposed to a normal student.
In that small exchange, I didn't sense any magical capabilities from him something easy to discover with a little flaring of mana in the immediate vicinity. That being said, I could immediately sense several objects in the shop pulse with slight waves of magical energy as I did so.
My eyes drawn to an old revolver inside a case.
This thing was extremely out of place, besides being a gun in Japan, it had a very strange design and what looked like Aztec…..no, Mayan, sigils carved into it. There didn't appear to be a way to even dislodge the chamber to add bullets, no wonder he was able to put it on display.
My attempts to Structural Grasp it was met with resistance.
Some kind of anti-scrying spells attached on? The 'magic' of this world was much more ambiguous, attaching an 'anti scrying' concept probably fought against my spell as it did something similar.
I could probably brute force through the protections, but I had no idea what the outcome would be.
But, regardless, I want it..
If nothing else, my curiosity was piqued.
Unfortunately, the price tag was a bit too steep for me.
85,000 Yen.
Sad day when my funds were so miniscule.
There were some other, odd items.
A hairclip that protected against the weather, a goblet that would gradually duplicate mundane liquids over time if supplied with a steady stream of mana.
A...what?
Who would make something like this?
I stared at the strange object before remembering what world I lived in. The age and accessibility of magic had suddenly hit me, a bit of culture shock.
A butter knife that can't cut anything.
Just…..why?
Probably a learning instrument for Mystic Code craft, or even a gag gift.
I was leaning towards the latter after observing it's make up. It was a bit too expertly made to be an apprentice's work.
How wasteful, even if its outward design was beautifully done.
Something like this would never be created back home. I could only sigh in resignation at how easy the magic-users of this world had it.
Well, technically, I am now one of their number, if a bit constrained by my circuits.
I quickly pushed the knife out of my mind, lest I lament more than I already have.
My eyes finally landed on a new prize.
A hat and cane combo.
The price tag made me frown.
20,000 Yen for both.
I noticed their quality immediately, Victorian Era and made with sterner materials than what laid on the surface.
The price was worth it from what I gleamed from the items, not to mention they fit my tastes.
"See anything that caught your eye?"
I snapped out of my thoughts as the owner stood next to me. "Yes, I'm curious about this cane and hat."
The older man just nodded, picking them up to inspect them. "If I recall correctly, they were owned by an old stage magician who moonlit as a thief back in London England, roughly two hundred years ago."
I mentally nodded, that was about the timeframe I concluded. "Anything interesting about the original owner?"
"Hmmm." The man looked thoughtful for a moment. "Supposedly, the magician got caught after robbing a museum and stealing a rather priceless gem, but when the authorities caught him, the gem was nowhere to be found."
I reached my hand over and ran my finder along the cane, pulsing a little bit of mana and casting a minor alteration. "Unfortunately, it seems as though the cane as become rusted."
The old man raises and eyebrow and picks up the old item, desperately trying to pull the pieces apart.
I held back a small smile. It wasn't just a cane, it was a cane sword. I slightly altered the mechanism to stop It from pulling out.
"So, it seems." The shopkeep gave up and set it down.
"I don't mind getting it fixed later, so how about 18,000 yen for the pair?" I inquired.
"Very well, I'll ring you up at the counter."
Maybe I should feel bad about cheating the man out of a couple thousand yen? I still think I gave a reasonable price, all things considered, and I was taking a couple of magically imbued items off his hands. Truthfully, I'm doing him a favor in case anyone else discovered what was hidden in these little beauties.
My funds were drastically low at this point, the little bit I saved in my….'bartering' had allowed me to procure a few more necessities without becoming destitute.
The market from before had almost everything that skirted what was considered mundane, I only had to spend a couple hours to find everything else within my price range. I had to make a few alterations to my concoctions I was going to brew due to availability, but overall, it should turn out alright.
I was a bit giddy at my finds.
Arriving home and placing my items on the counter, I removed the ingredients first.
My lovely Ginseng, I set aside carefully, along with some other ingredients.
Strangely enough, what stood out the most was the small container of blueberries.
For some reason, the recipe called for something that the taker dislikes. Not the exact wording, but that's the gist of it and I never bothered to experiment enough with these things, they were rather finicky as it were.
Cutting everything up, throwing it into the blender.
I couldn't help but stop and appreciate modern conveniences. I left a little bit of the ginseng to the side, to use in another formula to help awaken the remainder of my circuits.
Lastly, I added a bit of my own blood to bring it all together and invoke the inherit mysteries within my little potion.
Yes, an old recipe from China, I believe.
If I recall correctly, it was rather common for cultivators back in the day, something to start them on their paths of cultivation. It clears the body of impurities and jump starts certain physical growths that help build muscles and such. The only reason it wasn't more widely used was because western and eastern 'magical arts' weren't compatible, at least in my old world and I had no time to research here. If I had already embarked on the path of Magecraft to a certain extent and tried this, it most likely wouldn't have worked.
Technically, this body was still 'immature' in the mystical side of the world even considering the couple circuits that opened the other day.
It tasted awful, as it was supposed to. Something philosophical about not liking the taste.
Well, regardless, I moved onto my next little project. The concoction would work its way through my body and I should see results when I wake up in the morning.
For now, though, I stare at the two items that cost me the majority of my funds.
I pick up the cane, undoing my slight alteration, and withdrawing the blade hidden within.
Marvelous.
The weapon was of much higher quality than what one could see on the surface. It looked like ordinary steel in its making, but a quick grasp of its structure showed quite a bit of silver went into its forging. Not only that, but it was also not a mundane weapon either, as there were a few runes carved at its base.
Nothing too fancy, I could easily deduce their purpose to strengthen the sword. Were they Celtic in origin?
Almost like a primitive reinforcement.
It would be perfect for my purposes in creating a temporary mystic code.
The hat though….the hat had surprised me when I first saw it.
It looked completely mundane at first glance, but that was far from the truth.
Who would ever suspect that this little accessory had a small pocket dimension attached to it?
Flaring my couple circuits, I reached inside as my arm disappeared into its depths to withdraw what was hidden within.
I couldn't help my eyes widening as I practically dumped the contents onto the table.
First off, there were several bundles of paper, old bills from the era that probably weren't worth much, especially this far east.
A few pieces of jewelry that I could easily find uses for.
And finally, a large gem that could fit into my palm and haphazardly fallen down with everything else.
It's ghastly green reflecting my wide smile.
Wonderful, but I will need some way to sell this thing off without attracting attention.