After what felt like an eternity, Kami finally crashed into the waters of Earth. His body refused to move. Darkness crept in at the edges of his vision, swallowing everything. He fought to move, to breathe, to rise — but the sword had stripped him of every shred of power.
I can't die like this… After everything I've done — to be brought down by the Supreme gods? They weren't even my greatest challenge. I need to live. I need revenge. I'll kill them all. Every last one of them!
The world went black. From the void, a small light glimmered far ahead. Kami moved toward it, each step making it grow brighter. Desperation surged; he leapt into it, clinging to the hope it was his way back.
Light dissolved into blur. His eyes opened. He was in an old barn. People lay sprawled and piled on top of one another, breathing shallowly. The stench was thick and sour, like rotting corpses. Flies swarmed his face. He swiped them away and pushed himself up.
A shadow crossed the doorway. "Rise and shine, everyone! Time to work. Don't make me come back or I'll be in a bad mood."
The man in the doorway wore clothes similar to Kami's but far cleaner. Before Kami could speak, the boy beside him stirred, blinking in surprise to see him awake. He tapped Kami's shoulder — and instinct took over. Kami grabbed his finger and twisted.
"Ow! Ow! Ow! What are you doing?!"
"What were you thinking? Who told you to touch me?"
"I'm sorry! I'm just surprised you're alive!"
"Of course I'm alive. Can't you see that?"
"Okay! Okay! Just let go!"
Kami released him and looked around, confusion twisting in his chest. The last thing he remembered was the ocean's depth. His hands were smaller now, his feet frail. His hair, once long, white, and silky, was short, black, and tangled.
But the greatest change was inside. His body was weak. Powerless. No trace of the divine force that once rivaled the Supreme gods.
Did I… reincarnate?
The boy noticed his confusion. "Do you even remember what happened? I found you unconscious at the river and when I was getting water, I thought you drowned to death. Master said to put you here — in case you survived."
Kami's gaze dropped to his chest. A burned mark marred his skin, throbbing with pain. He fought the urge to scratch — the sting was unbearable.
Is it me… or this body?
"You can't scratch that off," the boy said quietly. "It's burned into you until you die. Means you're a slave to this family… forever."
The word slave hit like a blade. To die refusing servitude, only to awaken branded as one — it was a mockery. He knew that this was the works of the Supreme gods. His anger burned.
"Not much of a talker, are you—"
"Hey! You two! Stop standing around and get to work!" The man from earlier tapped his wrist in warning.
The boy beckoned Kami, leading him toward the fields. But another voice barked: "New boy! Over here."
Kami approached. The man looked him in the eye — and slapped him.
"Don't look at me, insect," he snapped. "Keep your eyes on the ground, especially when the master's around. You'll follow Giovanni — the boy you met earlier — and he'll teach you what to do. I don't care if you're tired or sick. You finish your job. Am I understood?"
Kami stayed silent. Another slap, harder this time, rattled his skull. "You answer 'Yes, sir.' To the master, you say 'Yes, master.' Am I understood?"
"…Yes, sir," Kami muttered.
"I can't hear you!"
"Yes, sir!"
"That's better. Now go."
Kami joined Giovanni in the fields. The sun blazed overhead, his frail body aching.
What's the point of reincarnating if I end up like this?
Giovanni worked beside him. "How's it going?"
Kami ignored him, mind locked on escape. He'd wait until nightfall and run.
"If you're planning to escape," Giovanni said, "you'll die."
Kami froze. "How did you—"
"It's my Pulse Power," Giovanni explained.
[Giovanni's Pulse Power: The ability to read the minds of those weaker than him.]
"Many try to run. They all die. See the mark on your chest? It's dark magic. Cross the fence, and your heart explodes. No one escapes… unless they die."
"Well, I'm not dying. And I am leaving this place."
Giovanni chuckled, mocking the hope in his voice. Kami ignored him and kept working.
"I'm Giovanni, by the way. What's your name?" He offered a hand.
Kami hesitated but shook it. "Kami Van Hellsin."
Giovanni's smile faded into something uneasy. "Who gave you that name?"
"My parents… Why?"
"It's just… you don't know? Kami Van Hellsin is the name of a demon who roamed the earth 500 years ago. He battled the gods, brought calamity to humans. We've suffered ever since because he angered them."
Kami's mind reeled. "You said… 500 years?"