Darkness.
That was the first thing Renjiro felt after his body gave out in Asuka's trembling arms. The sounds of the street faded, the warmth of her lips lingered faintly, and then everything dissolved into a boundless void. It wasn't painful—only cold, quiet, and infinite. He thought, fleetingly, that this was death.
But then a voice, ancient and resonant, stirred within the silence.
> "You fought against fate for her, even when your body could not endure. You were weak, yet you still resisted. Why?"
Renjiro blinked, and suddenly he wasn't floating in the void anymore. He stood in an endless white expanse where a vast throne rose into the heavens. A figure cloaked in light sat upon it, its form indistinct, like shifting clouds. Though Renjiro could not see its face, he felt the crushing weight of divinity.
His body trembled, but his voice emerged steady. "Why? Because she matters more to me than my own life."
There was a pause, and then the figure's laughter rolled like thunder.
> "Even in the moment of death, you speak of her. Bonds between mortals are frail things, fleeting as spring blossoms. Yet you… cling to it as though it were eternal."
Renjiro's fists clenched. "It is eternal. I don't care what happens to me. I just want to see Asuka smile again."
The throne shook faintly, as though the being shifted in thought.
> "Mortals seldom defy the order I have woven. Life, death, reincarnation—these are threads I control. But you… you would oppose even gods, if it meant protecting this bond?"
Renjiro met the divine gaze without hesitation. "Yes."
The silence that followed seemed endless, until the figure leaned forward, its presence wrapping around him like chains of light.
> "Then hear me, Takahashi Renjiro. The world you knew is not the only one. Beyond this veil lie countless realms—kingdoms ruled by divine law, worlds shaped by celestial hands. But not all gods are kind. Some toy with mortal lives, breaking bonds, scattering souls for their amusement. If you would truly protect her, if you would make your love eternal… then step forward. Challenge the fate even I have decreed."
Renjiro's breath hitched. "You mean… I can see Asuka again?"
> "Yes… but not without struggle. The girl you love, Kobayashi Asuka, carries a light older than either of you realize. Her soul has crossed worlds before, touched by reincarnation. And because of that, she has already caught the eye of gods who would use her as a pawn."
The words struck Renjiro like lightning. Asuka… part of something greater?
The figure's voice deepened.
> "You may walk a new path. Reborn in a world where the gods' game unfolds, you may seize power to protect her and bind your fate together. But know this: the gods will not allow mortals to oppose them lightly. They will break you, again and again. Do you still accept?"
Renjiro closed his eyes. The memory of Asuka's tears, her trembling lips, her whispered confession—all of it blazed inside him. When he opened them again, his gaze burned with determination. "Even if I have to fight gods themselves, I'll never let go of her. Give me that chance."
The divine presence shuddered as though amused.
> "Very well. Then let your journey begin."
Light erupted, engulfing him. His body dissolved into sparks, carried across the void. Yet as he drifted, he heard one last whisper.
> "Remember this, mortal: Bonds are tested not by tenderness, but by struggle. When love opposes divinity itself… it may either shatter, or become eternal."
---
When Renjiro awoke, he was no longer in the endless white void. Instead, the scent of earth and grass filled his lungs. He gasped sharply and sat up.
He was lying in a meadow beneath a foreign sky. Two suns hung above, one golden and one pale blue, casting strange hues across the land. Mountains pierced the horizon, and vast forests stretched endlessly beyond. The air hummed faintly, as though alive with magic.
Renjiro staggered to his feet, bewildered. His hands no longer bore the bruises and blood of his final fight; instead, his body felt renewed, stronger. A faint warmth pulsed on the back of his hand, and when he raised it, he saw an emblem etched into his skin—a glowing sigil shaped like two interlocking rings.
Before he could comprehend it, a voice echoed in his mind.
> "This mark binds you to your vow. Protect the bond you cherish, and it shall grow stronger. Fail, and it shall consume you."
He clenched his fist, heart racing. Asuka… are you here too?
As if answering his thought, he felt it—a faint tug, like a thread connecting him to someone far away. It was delicate but unbreakable, pulling him toward the unknown.
Renjiro took a deep breath, steadying himself. He wasn't just a broken boy from Tokyo anymore. He was someone chosen by fate, someone reborn to defy gods.
But he was not alone. For somewhere in this world, Asuka had been reborn as well, her soul marked by secrets even she did not know. Their bond stretched across the boundary of death, across worlds, glowing faintly against the designs of gods.
And Renjiro vowed then and there:
"No matter where you are, Asuka… I'll find you. Even if I have to fight heaven itself, I'll bring us back together."
The winds of the otherworld swept across the meadow, carrying his words into the distance.
Far above, unseen in the heavens, divine eyes watched with silent amusement.
The game had begun.