My name is Rachid.
Yes, it's not Japanese, but I'm mixed-race. Before I die, I want to tell what really happened — because even now, it feels unreal.
Since I was a child, I had nurtured an almost obsessive fascination with magic. Ancient grimoires, forbidden rituals, legends of heroes reincarnated in other worlds… all of it captivated me. I could spend hours deciphering incomprehensible symbols, attempting to perform rituals that even my teachers called dangerous.
Yet, in my world, magic was not a myth.
After World War II, something changed. Rifts began appearing across the planet. From those rifts came monsters, dungeons, and humans capable of wielding magic. We had entered a new era, a world where the impossible became reality.
But unlike others, I never got to enjoy it.
After my awakening class, a rare, incurable disease took hold. A silent poison, eating away at my body and weakening me day by day. Doctors tried all sorts of experimental treatments. One year in hospitals. One year of pain. One year of hope extinguished in the cold of white rooms.
Then the final verdict came: my operation had a 99% chance of failure.
In other words: I was doomed.
With an inheritance left by my parents, I had amassed a small fortune. In my dying madness, I used part of it to buy a strange artifact: an old scroll engraved with a magic circle in the shape of a six-pointed star. At first, it was just a whim, an object to observe to remind me of my magical dreams.
But on the eve of my operation… I was ready to try anything.
I took the scroll from its case. The letters, written in an ancient language, seemed to vibrate under the light of my room. A shiver ran through me. I was half-dead, barely conscious of my own movements, but an irresistible force urged me to whisper the words:
"At this point… I might as well try."
And I recited them:
> "Rav'Zem Ordoel, Shai-Venra, Reka'mor Aeternum."
A cold wind swept through the room.
The light bulbs flickered.
The circle on the floor glowed faintly, pulsing like a living heart.
Then… everything went dark.
"Even this… doesn't work…" I murmured, my lips trembling.
The next day, as expected, I died on the operating table.
Nothing.
Silence.
Heat.
A buzzing in my ears, like a distant drum.
And a short, uneven breath, telling me that I was… alive?
My eyes opened with difficulty. My vision was blurred but enough to make out shapes. I was no longer lying in an operating room. My body… was not that of a sick teenager. My hands were small, my body that of a child around four years old. But I had the clarity of an adult mind.
"W… what…?" I mumbled, my voice high and foreign to my ears.
Around me, everything seemed unreal. A wide bed covered with golden embroidered sheets. Walls decorated with magical frescoes, runes sparkling with energy. And next to the bed, a woman in white-and-gold armor, kneeling, watching my awakening with a serious expression.
"He… he's breathing!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with controlled authority. "By all the heavens… he's awake!"
A man then approached. His long hair, white as silver, shimmered slightly in the light, and his blue eyes seemed to pierce into my soul. He placed his hand on my forehead with a paradoxical gentleness for someone who carried such an imposing aura.
"Zenko… you're awake."
Zenko.
The name resonated in me like a key. Memories of my previous life surged: the illness, the hospital, the scroll, the last breath… and the incantation. Everything was real. Everything had worked.
Then, a translucent screen appeared before my eyes, floating in the air as if it had always been there. A monotone, almost divine voice echoed in my mind:
[ECLIPSE SYSTEM – ACTIVE INTERFACE]
Name: Zenko Taikyoku Valerith
Race: Human
Physical Age: 4 years
Mental Age: 19 years (External Origin ✓)
Origin: Extra-dimensional reincarnation detected
Status: Stabilization successful
Magic: ♾️
Skills:
1. Behemoth – Ability to copy the magic or abilities of others, unlimited potential.
Activation: By physical contact with the target or by perceiving their energy/magical flow through the Primordial Eyes.
2. Draconic Body – Primordial body with massive regeneration, extreme resilience, and capable of channeling immense magical power.
3. Primordial Eyes – Absolute perception of reality, able to detect magical flows, presences, and anomalies invisible to ordinary senses.
Notes:
Certain ECLIPSE functions remain sealed and can only be unlocked through major events or Zenko's evolution.
I froze, unable to look away from the screen.
"…A system?" I murmured. "This… is real?"
My heart raced. This body, this world, these stats… everything was too unreal. But the most incredible part was that I had no weaknesses. None. I was… untouchable, invincible.
"If all this is true…" I breathed, a smile rising despite myself. "…then I won't waste this new life."
A silent laugh rose in my throat. After a life of suffering, loneliness, and injustice, I had returned. Stronger, freer, and above all… alive.
Thus began the story of Zenko Taikyoku Valerith. Not as an heir or a prince, just a child in an unknown world, but already overwhelmingly powerful, ready to explore, discover, and challenge the limits of this new universe.
The door suddenly slammed open.
A woman appeared in the doorway, almost running, her dress flowing behind her. Her violet eyes were red from tears, and her voice trembled with each word:
"My… my son! Zenko! How… how are you?!"
I froze, unable to move my lips. My heart was beating so fast I felt it might explode. My adult mind analyzed the situation, but part of me felt the warmth of panic and maternal love.
She knelt beside me, gently taking my hands in hers. Her tears flowed freely.
"You… you scared me so much…" Lysandra sobbed. "When you were found after the fall… I… I thought I had lost you…"
A flash of memory returned: me, falling off a horse during training. The ground approaching too fast. And then darkness. And now… this unknown world.
"You… I… I feel… strange." I stammered, surprised by my own voice, soft but firm, with the clarity of a nineteen-year-old in this four-year-old body.
"Strange…?" Lysandra repeated, tears lingering in her eyes. She examined me as if trying to understand. A mysterious energy seemed to emanate from me, but she didn't yet grasp its nature.
Aramis, my father, approached slowly, observing the scene with gravity and a mix of restrained curiosity.
"Selene…" he said in a low but firm voice, "he is… different."
Lady Selene, standing rigidly by the bed, nodded, her posture disciplined.
"Your Majesty, this is not an ordinary child," she murmured. "Even observing his aura… there is something I have never seen before in this kingdom."
Lysandra sobbed more, pressing my small hands against her heart.
"Zenko…" she said, her voice broken but determined, "what happened? Why… why do you feel this energy?"
I frowned, looking at my hands, then the entire room. My body was that of a child, but my memories… my power… all of it was real.
"I… I don't know exactly…" I said, my voice trembling, "but… I can feel… certain things…"
"Certain things?" Aramis repeated, surprise and fascination in his eyes.
"Yes… magic… energy flows… certain presences… but I don't understand everything yet." I answered, still hesitant.
Lysandra broke into tears of relief. She held me as if to prevent me from disappearing again.
"I promise… I will never leave you again." she murmured. "You are… special, but you will remain my son."
For the first time since the accident, I felt a mix of awe and fear. This body, this world, this energy… everything was new. And it was all in my hands, even if I didn't yet understand its full extent.
Lady Selene slightly tilted her head, arms crossed behind her back, observing each reaction with unwavering professionalism.
"He must be closely monitored," she said, her voice cold but firm. "This power… if it manifests fully… could surpass anything we know."
My father took a deep breath, placing his hand on my shoulder. His imposing stature felt almost protective, but I already knew no protection would truly be needed for me.
"Zenko…" Aramis murmured, his blue eyes gleaming with an intensity that chilled me, "you survived what should have destroyed you… and yet, you are here. Whatever your fate… you can shape it yourself."
I blinked, absorbing his words. A strange and powerful energy pulsed inside me, but I could not yet measure its full extent.
And for the first time since my fall, since my death… I smiled.
Footsteps hurried in the hallway, followed by the light clinking of metal. The door opened again, and a teenager entered, pale-faced and panicked. His light brown hair was slightly messy, and his light armor reflected the torchlight.
"Zenko… I… I'm sorry!" he exclaimed, his voice trembling. "If I hadn't let you get on that horse… if I…"
He froze, unable to continue. His hands shook as he rushed to the bed, kneeling beside me. His green eyes shone with anxiety and guilt.
I frowned, surprised by this torrent of words. My voice came out firmer than I expected:
"Alex…" I said softly, "it's not your fault."
The boy shook his head violently, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"If… if I hadn't persuaded you… none of this would have happened!" he sobbed. "I… I put you in danger…"
I placed my hand over his, feeling his anxiety and fear. Even in this child's body, my understanding of human emotion remained intact.
"Alex… I'm alive. That's what matters most. And… I can forgive you." I murmured. "Just promise me you'll never take such a risk again… for me."
He nodded, sobbing more but with a mixture of relief and gratitude.
Lysandra, still by my side, watched, her eyes still red from tears, and took a deep breath:
"Alex…" she said softly but with maternal authority, "you must understand that sometimes, even when we make mistakes, there are forces… greater than us… that watch over us."
Aramis, standing near the bed, crossed his arms and observed his eldest son with gravity and expectation:
"Alex, you were reckless," he said calmly. "But your brother is safe. Learn a lesson from this experience."
Lady Selene, still attentive, added seriously:
"This incident shows how crucial it is to know your limits… but your brother showed courage in returning and taking responsibility."
Alex lowered his head, ashamed, but a small smile appeared as he met my gaze.
"Zenko…" he murmured, voice trembling but sincere, "forgive me… I didn't mean for this to happen."
I smiled slightly, a strange warmth flooding me. Even if I didn't fully understand this world or the limits of my new body, I already felt that family bonds were a universal constant.
"Alex… I forgive you. But in the future… always listen to your instincts, and never take unnecessary risks."
The boy nodded, his green eyes shining with a newfound emotion. He seemed to understand that a long and dangerous road awaited us all, but that family unity would always be our strength.
And as the light in the room fell across the faces of my loved ones, I realized that this new life, though mysterious and powerful, would also be filled with human connections to protect and cherish.
I let myself relax for a moment, gazing at my hands. So small, so fragile… and yet, I could feel the whole world. Every gust of wind, every heartbeat around me… it was as if life itself was revealing itself before my eyes.
I must understand this world… I thought. How does this magic work? Who am I really here? And what limits… or adventures await me?
A shiver ran down my spine, mingling fear with excitement. This life… this incredible chance… I had no excuse to remain passive.
Everything I do from now on will define my destiny in this unknown universe.