Haru woke to a strange weightlessness, as though his body had been pulled from one world and dropped into another. His eyes snapped open, greeted by a sky streaked in deep purples and fiery orange, smoke curling lazily from the ruins below.
'…Where am I?' Haru thought, rising cautiously to survey his surroundings. 'This isn't my room… or anywhere I know. And yet… some part of me recognizes this place.'
The air was thick with the smell of burning timber and scorched earth. Around him lay shattered walls, toppled towers, and debris scattered like toys in the dirt. Faint screams and the clatter of metal echoed from a distance. He touched the rough stone beneath his hands, testing his reality.
'This isn't a dream. It's too real.'
As he tried to gather his bearings, a translucent interface appeared before his eyes, glowing softly.
[System Initialized: Welcome, User Haru. World: Kuroinu – War of the Fallen. Objective: Prevent tragedies of key heroines before they occur.]
[Quest #1: Rescue Olga Discordia from imminent capture. Reward: Skill Copy (Lv.1) – Granted only upon quest completion.]
Haru blinked, staring at the interface. '…System? This feels like one of those game or story mechanics, but… it's real? And I'm… inside it?'
He closed his eyes briefly, recalling everything he knew from his previous life: the adult game, the stories, the infamous tragedies that had become notorious online. '…This is the Kuroinu world. The hentai world I read about. That explains the tragedies, the brutal wars, the corrupted nobles… the helplessness of the heroines if no one intervenes.'
He took a deep breath. 'Okay… so I'm not here by accident. The system exists, and it's giving me objectives. That means there's a reason I'm here. Probably… to prevent tragedies. To rewrite fate. And maybe… to survive.'
Haru spent several minutes surveying the area. Smoke drifted from burned-out barracks. In the distance, figures scrambled between ruins, some armed, some running. He observed quietly, noting the uneven ground, the positions of enemy and civilian alike, and the general chaos.
[System: Skills, Rewards, and Bond Mechanics are observable. Use each quest to save heroines and gain power and assistance. Rewards are not given until the quest is fully completed.]
'So every reward is earned only after completing the task… good. That makes sense. I'll have to fight with what I know and adapt as I go. Skill Copy will come later, once the quest is done.'
He moved cautiously through the ruins, testing his reflexes and instincts. From his previous life, he had fighting skills—basic martial arts, situational awareness, strategy—but he was not invisible. 'If I make a mistake, I die. I have to be careful and smart.'
Suddenly, a group of terrified villagers appeared, being cornered by a band of raiders. His first instinct was to intervene—but he paused, analyzing the situation.
'If I jump in without thought, everyone dies. Observation first. Learn the enemy, their numbers, weaknesses. And… who else might be here?'
From the shadows stepped a young woman in dented armor, her dark hair tied back. Her sword was ready, posture defensive but poised.
"Who are you?" she demanded, voice steady despite exhaustion. "Why are you here?"
'…Olga. She's strong, experienced, and cautious. Her original fate: captured by raiders, enslaved, forced to suffer. I can't let that happen.'
"My name is Olga Discordia," she said, eyes narrowing. "I've faced strangers before. Most die quickly. Why should I trust you?"
Haru met her gaze evenly. 'I need a reason to join her that makes sense… not just "I'll save you." Survival. Strategy. Mutual benefit.'
"You fight to survive," he said calmly. "And so do I. These raiders won't spare anyone. Together, we can minimize casualties. Alone… we might not make it."
Olga's eyes flickered, assessing him. 'He's not boasting… he's calculating. Perhaps… useful.'
Haru reflected quietly: 'Valid excuse to travel with her. Logical. Trust will come gradually, but for now, this is enough to keep us both alive.'
Suddenly, Volt's soldiers appeared, glinting armor catching the firelight. Haru moved instinctively, defensive yet measured. He followed Olga's lead, stepping in when a weakness appeared.
'Skill Copy… not yet. I can't rely on that. I have to adapt with what I know, use my experience. I will earn real power here, step by step.'
The fight was brutal but manageable. The raiders fell back, allowing the villagers to escape. Olga turned to him, exhausted. "…You fight differently. Careful, precise… almost calculating."
'She notices my thought process. That's good. I need her trust, gradually.'
"You survived… and helped them. Why risk yourself?" she asked.
Haru kept his expression neutral. "Because if I don't, they die. And because if you fall, I can't complete my objective."
Olga's brow furrowed. '…Objective? He knows more than I thought.'
By nightfall, they reached a temporary safe zone. Haru observed the ruins, noting other locations: Celestine's fortress to the north, Alicia tending refugees nearby, Maia watching silently from afar. 'All the heroines are in plausible positions. I'll need to move to each one eventually, but for now, focus on Olga.'
Olga sat near him, posture relaxed but still alert. 'I don't know if I fully trust you… but tonight, I'll rely on you.'
Haru reflected silently: 'This isn't about liking anyone yet. My reason to start this journey is clear: prevent tragedy, survive, and learn this world. Any affection will develop naturally. First, I ensure survival and gain trust.'
As firelight flickered across the ruins, he finally understood the world he was in. Kuroinu was a dark, violent land of warring factions—humans, dark elves, and corrupted nobles. Tragedy awaited the heroines if no one intervened, and the gods themselves seemed indifferent to mortal suffering. Every life was a gamble; every bond could be the difference between life and death. And he was here to tip the balance.
'One heroine saved tonight. Next, Celestine. Then Alicia. Then Maia. Every step, every choice, every bond matters.'
For the first time since waking in this strange world, Haru felt a small measure of control. One step, one decision, one bond at a time—and maybe, just maybe, he could rewrite the tragedies that had defined this land.