The Morning sun pierced through the window curtain, illuminating the face of Hayato Hayama as he slept. Slowly, his heavy eyelids opened.
A vacant gaze, blue like the deep sea, stared at the white ceiling. His breath was calm, still carrying the lingering intoxication of sleep.
His body felt weak, as if he had just struggled against a raging current. With a heavy movement, he forced himself to sit up, a hand pressed against his slightly throbbing forehead.
'Has it been… a full day?' His mind was foggy. He rubbed his face, hoping the sensation would erase any remaining illusions.
With slow steps, he walked to the sink in his bathroom. The cold water he splashed on his face felt real, stinging his skin and bringing a sliver of awareness. He stared at the mirror before him.
A young man with blonde hair was reflected there, with sharp blue eyes that held fatigue. A handsome, harmonious face, yet it felt foreign. This was not his face. Not the life he remembered. But somehow, this body was now his.
Hayato Hayama. That was his name now. An ordinary high school student in a world that should only exist on screens and comic pages.
"It's been a full 24 hours I've been asleep," he murmured to his own reflection, his voice hoarse. "I'm still hoping this is just a prolonged nightmare. Or a hallucination from sedatives."
He let out a long sigh, surrendering to the reality that was beginning to crystallize. After drying his face with a towel, he returned to his room. The tidy, impersonal atmosphere of the room felt suffocating.
On the study desk, a smartphone lay. He picked it up, his fingers quickly opening a search engine.
"Sobu High School…" He typed.
The results appeared immediately. Information about Sobu High, its location, even some pictures of the building. His heart pounded hard, then sank into a cold certainty. This wasn't just a coincidence.
"This world… is an anime world," he whispered, his voice almost inaudible. A deep sense of absurdity enveloped him. He, who couldn't remember his own previous name beyond pain and betrayal, was now living inside a fictional narrative.
His mind wandered. Was this a light romance world? A school comedy? Or something more… dark? Magic, perhaps? Since first waking in this body, he hadn't felt any strange energy, no magic flowing at his fingertips.
This body was merely the body of a supporting character, an "NPC" named Hayato Hayama. Handsome, popular at school, but having no important role in the grand plot he suspected was unfolding.
All he remembered from his previous life was a bitter end. A piercing cold from behind. Not the cold of a knife, but the cold of betrayal. He died at the hands of someone he considered a friend. A high school student who turned out to be a drug dealer in the Kabukicho area. A bitter irony.
---
Flashback: Bloody Dusk
The evening sun hung low in the Kabukicho sky, casting an orange, piercing light onto the narrow alleys. He was walking home, his school bag slung over his shoulder. That day was like any other—ordinary.
No bad premonitions hung over him, no warning whispers. Just fatigue after a day of studying.
His footsteps echoed softly on the gradually emptying sidewalk. His shadow stretched, merging with the shadows of the buildings beside him.
Then, came the feeling.
A cold, sharp, deep jolt pierced him from his back, right between his ribs. Not an explosive pain, but a deadly shock, followed by a quickly spreading warmth.
His breath caught in his throat. His eyes widened, seeing his surroundings suddenly become hyper-focused yet blurry. His body lost strength, his knees buckled, and he fell onto the hard asphalt. The smell of dust and gasoline filled his senses.
With his last bit of strength, he forced his head to tilt. From the corner of his darkening vision, he saw a pair of school shoes he knew very well. Black, ordinary style, with a slight stain on the left side. Then up to the uniform pants, the white shirt…
That face.
The face he once considered a friend since middle school. Now, expressionless. Empty. Only stared at him for a moment before turning and walking away. Those footsteps receded, blending with the sound of traffic that suddenly sounded very distant.
"You…" he whispered, but only bloody air came out of his mouth.
No answer. No regret. Just departure.
Darkness began to creep from the edges of his vision, sweeping away all colors until only pitch black remained. His last thought wasn't anger or hatred.
Just a deep sorrow, and a bitter acknowledgment: I just stayed away from all conflict. I just wanted to live peacefully. But it turns out… even that wasn't enough to survive.
---
Back to Reality
Hayato jolted, sitting bolt upright on his bed. His breath came in gasps, cold sweat dampening his brow. His fists clenched tightly on the blanket, his knuckles white. The phantom pain still lingered in his ribs.
"Calm down… calm down…" he regulated his breathing, forcing himself to relax. Slowly, his racing heart began to slow.
"Better… forget it. That's the past life. I need to focus now."
He looked towards the desk. Textbooks were neatly arranged. Only three days remained before the new school year started at Sobu High.
"I have to prepare mentally. What kind of world will I face? Romance? Comedy? Or…" he murmured, uncertain.
Suddenly, without warning, a transparent blue neon screen appeared right before his eyes, filling his field of view.
[ SYSTEM REBOOT DETECTED ]
Consciousness Status: Reincarnation Confirmed
Vessel: [Hayato Hayama]
Location: Japan – Combined School Area (Sobu/Sainan/Bonyari)
Psychic Status: High-Level Trauma (Category: Betrayal by Friend)
[ LOADING PERSONAL INTERFACE… ] ████░░░░░░ 42%
[ ALERT ]
⚠️System detects damage to host's morals & human trust.
Active Features:
· ✅ Inventory [Locked]
·✅ Skill Tree [Locked]
·✅ Timeline Awareness [ERROR: Fragmented]
[SYSTEM NOTE]:
Host was not selected for potential power,
but for the ability to trust no one.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
[THINK ANYTHING TO CONTINUE]
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Hayato was stunned. His eyes widened, staring at the holographic letters floating in the air. A system? A real cliché isekai system? But something was odd. The note… stung. He felt like he was being observed, diagnosed.
Carefully, he focused on the word "CONTINUE". The screen vibrated faintly, then its loading bar jumped to full.
[SYSTEM LINK ESTABLISHED]
Terminal: Hayato Hayama
Access Level: Reincarnated Host – Tier 0
Soul Sync: 92.3% – Stable
Life expectancy: low but stable.
Beginning summon of companion entity…
Summoning Cognitive AI Interface…
A shimmering light emanated from the center of the screen, forming a three-dimensional figure. A woman with long, silvery moon-like hair, crystal blue eyes full of intelligence, and a cute yet dignified face. She wore simple futuristic clothing that emitted a soft glow.
"Hello, Hayato Hayama," her voice was clear, like the ringing of a bell, yet felt warm and synthetic.
"My name is SERA, short for 'Sentient Emotional Response Assistant'."
Hayato could only stare, his brain trying to process. An AI? A companion? Was this a new blessing or a new curse?
"Welcome," SERA continued, a faint smile gracing her lips.
"You were not chosen for your extraordinary strength, or your hidden talent…" Her blue eyes seemed to stare directly into Hayato's soul.
"...but because you are the only one who still remained—still breathing, still thinking—after losing everything, including your trust in humans."
Those words pierced. Hayato frowned. "So, you're a system that will bind me? Give me impossible missions, punish me if I fail? I'd rather die than become a system's slave."
SERA shook her head, her virtual silver hair swaying. "Of course not, Hayato. My purpose is to help you adapt, survive, and… if possible, find a new reason to live in this world. I am a tool, not a master."
"In what world exactly?" asked Hayato, his voice tense. "Sobu… that means Oregairu. But why 'combined school area'? Are there other anime here?"
"Environmental analysis indicates narrative convergence," SERA answered cheerfully.
"Yes! Aside from Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatteiru, there are also To Love-Ru and Nisekoi sharing a similar location."
Hayato felt dizzy. Three series at once? That meant Hachiman Hikigaya with his cynicism, Rito Yuuki with his falling-naked incidents, and Raku Ichijou with his annoying key, all in one place.
"Are there… others?" he asked in a hoarse voice, almost not wanting to know the answer.
"Further scans show traces of large-scale non-human energy," SERA said in a tone that remained cheerful, as if reading a menu.
"Yes! Strong references to the High School DxD universe are detected."
Hayato's heart stopped beating for a fraction of a second.
"DxD?!" he shouted, jumping from the bed.
"Are you crazy?! That's a world with Devils, Angels, Dragons, war-loving Gods! Issei Hyoudou and his harem?! What's next? The multiverse? Outer Gods from the Cthulhu mythos? Or G.O.D from One Punch Man? Or maybe Eternity from Marvel is having coffee in the next dimension over?!"
SERA let out a small laugh, her voice like the rustle of data. "Calm down, Host. The active threat scale in this zone is still relatively low—school conflicts, romantic rivalries, situational comedy. High-level entities like Great Red or Ophis will not pay attention to you. For now."
"For now," Hayato repeated cynically. He took a deep breath and sat back down on the edge of the bed.
"What's my task? Become the protagonist's sidekick? Save heroines trapped in plots?"
"In short, yes," SERA affirmed. "But more about maintaining narrative balance, helping at critical points outside the main story flow."
"I refuse," Hayato said flatly.
"Let those protagonists deal with their own problems. I'm not a hardcore otaku who memorizes every plot. I don't even remember my own previous name. And…" He looked down, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"...if there are entities like Zelretch from Type-Moon who like to watch dimensional anomalies, I hope he's busy peeping at other worlds right now."
SERA was silent for a moment, then said in a flat tone, "Oh, the Kaleidoscope Wizard from the Operation of Parallel Worlds? He is indeed observing us right now."
Hayato froze. His blood felt like it turned to ice. With a quick motion, his eyes swept across the entire room, searching for suspicious shadows or light distortions. "He's… here?"
"Not physically. But his observation is multidimensional."
"Hey, Zelretch!" Hayato spoke to the air, his voice a mix of annoyance and despair.
"If you can hear me, please. Privacy is important. I'm just an NPC who got lost by chance. Watch other anomalies that are more interesting, ones with fantasy powers or epic drama. I just want an ordinary life!"
SERA appeared to listen to something on an inaudible channel. Then, she smiled. "He says… 'Very amusing'. And he's laughing."
"Laughing?" Hayato pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Fuck. Fine. I'm stuck in a combined anime world, observed by a multiversal vampire wizard, with an AI system as my only conversational partner. Life is truly… cliché."
"So, how about we try running your first mission?" suggested SERA, trying to cheer him up.
"Relax, it's easy. The reward is decent—basic power to start helping you survive."
Hayato looked at her suspiciously. "What? Fight a Fallen Angel in the school parking lot? Or face a minor boss from Raku's yakuza?"
"Not that," SERA shook her head. "Just ordinary human social trouble. Save a girl from annoying punks. They're just normal humans, with muscles and a tough-guy attitude. Often, a little courage and firm words are enough."
Hayato considered. Low risk. He nodded slowly. "Show me."
The blue screen appeared again.
[MISSION PROTOCOL – INITIATED]
📋 First Mission:
[Monitored Social Interaction – Target Heroine: Momioka Risa]
Objective: Provide aid from annoying delinquents.
Options:
[✓]Accept Mission
[✗]Reject (Locked for next 24 hours)
Risa. The cheerful and slightly mischievous girl from To Love-Ru. Often harassed because of her attractive appearance.
With a slightly trembling finger—not from fear, but from exhaustion from accepting all this—Hayato pressed the [✓] ACCEPT] option.
[ You have pressed: ✓ ACCEPT ]
Mission accepted!
Preparing Emotional Support Data…
Synchronizing Social Resonance…
Optimizing Personality for target environment…
🔒 [ADDITIONAL INTEGRATION – NOT DISPLAYED TO HOST]
🧠INNER VOICE PROJECTION – ONLINE
🔄Status: All thought contents will be passively projected to specific individuals
🎧First target: Momioka Risa
🔕Notification: Hidden from main interface
SERA, with a wide smile that showed no knowledge of the hidden integration, exclaimed, "Let's go!"
---
On a Path Towards the Station
The Morning continued. Hayato walked following the mini navigation guide from the system floating in the corner of his vision. He found the location: a small street near a cake shop, quite secluded.
And there, he saw Momioka Risa in her high school uniform, bag on her shoulder, walking quickly. Her face looked slightly anxious. Two guys with a shabby appearance, wearing leather jackets and unpleasant smiles, began approaching her, blocking her path.
"Hey, pretty girl, all alone? Want us to walk you?" said one of them.
Risa took a step back, "N-no, thank you. I'm fine."
"Really? Don't be shy~"
Hayato sighed. Here it was. With long strides, he approached.
"Risa!" he called, his voice intentionally flat but clearly audible. "Where have you been? I've been waiting."
The three turned. Risa was surprised, her eyes widening in recognition of Hayama Hayato, the handsome popular guy from her school. She was still processing, but Hayato had already taken quick steps, gently but firmly grabbing Risa's arm and pulling her to his side.
"Who are you?" growled one of the delinquents, his face scrunched up.
Hayato looked at them. His blue gaze suddenly felt very cold, like Arctic ocean ice. He didn't raise his voice, but each word was spoken with clear emphasis.
"Her boyfriend. Is there a problem?"
"O-oh, I see…" the delinquent sounded hesitant. Hayato did have a good posture, and his aura of indifference felt dangerous.
"If you want to 'talk'," Hayato continued, still in a flat tone, "we can find a quieter place. But don't expect to go home with just a beating. At minimum, a few bones would need fixing."
He wasn't threatening. Just stating a fact. That was more frightening.
The two delinquents looked at each other. They were looking for easy prey, not trouble. "Tch. Acting tough," they grumbled before finally turning and leaving.
Risa was still stunned, her arm where Hayato held it felt warm. Her heart was pounding hard—from the situation earlier, or from the closeness to Hayato? She looked up, Hayato's face was so close, his expression neutral.
Then, suddenly, in her head, she heard a voice. Not an auditory voice, but a thought-voice. Clear, and definitely not her own:
[Mission complete. Much easier than I imagined. After this, I'm going straight home to lie down. Tired.]
Risa gasped. Her eyes widened as she stared at Hayato, whose face hadn't moved at all, hadn't spoken.
"E-eh? Did you… just say something?" she asked, confused.
Hayato blinked, then released his grip on Risa's arm. "No. I didn't say anything after earlier." He glanced away.
"The matter is settled. I'll leave now. Be careful on your way."
"W-wait, Hayama-kun! Thank you—" but Hayato had already turned and walked away quickly, disappearing around the corner.
Risa stood alone, her hand pressed against her chest where her heart was still beating fast. That voice… was it from him? Or… her imagination from stress? But the voice sounded so real, so… honest.
---
Hayato threw his jacket onto the chair, then collapsed onto the bed. "Done. Mission complete. Where's my reward?"
SERA reappeared with a shimmering effect. "Congratulations! Mission completed with high efficiency. Easy, right?" She spun around cheerfully.
"Now, for the Host. The reward isn't a random power, but you get to choose."
A large blue panel unfolded.
[Reward Interface Open]
Select Beginner Level Reward:
· Haki (One Piece)
·Chakra (Naruto)
·Elemental Magic (DxD, Mahouka)
·Stamina Infinity (Konosuba Style)
Hayato frowned. He observed the choices. Powers from various famous anime.
But… for some reason, they all felt like just becoming another player in an existing power system. He wanted something… different. Something that could give him control, not just follow the rules of another world.
"Can I choose something else?" he asked SERA. "Not from this list."
SERA nodded. "Of course. The system has flexibility. You can input a custom request, and the system will evaluate its feasibility."
Hayato sat up, staring into empty space. His mind worked. He remembered his anxiety about the existence of powerful entities like Great Red, Ophis, or even beings from outside.
He needed something that wasn't just "strong", but something that could redefine the reality around him. A concept.
With determination in his eyes, he focused on the panel and mentally "typed" his request.
Custom Input: "Arc of Embodiment"
The system screen flashed hard.
[…..] ⏳
[System:Loading….]
[…..]⏳
[System:ERROR – Not Found in Starter Pack Category]
Then, a red warning appeared.
[System: ⚠️ Warning. Skill 'Arc of Embodiment' detected in highest concept archives. Loading data…]
[System: ⚠️ Warning. This power… is too heavy for this world's ecosystem. Danger level: Cosmic. Heroines will see you as a God. Administrators will mark you as a Priority Anomaly.]
SERA, whose face was usually cheerful, suddenly turned virtually pale. Her eyes widened.
"H-Host! What are you doing?! That… that's not a cheat skill! That is Multicosmic Entity level power! Fanfiction on top of fanfiction! It can… manifest concepts into reality!"
"Exactly," murmured Hayato, his eyes gleaming with a strange calmness. "I know, there might be Outer Gods lurking later. This isn't just an ordinary romantic comedy anime world. Just give it to me."
"But—!"
"Give it."
SERA saw steel resolve in Hayato's eyes. She let out a dramatic virtual sigh, her shoulders dropping. "I'm not paid enough virtual coins for this…" she complained.
"Alright. With digital tears and prayers that we aren't deleted by the Administrator, I will process your request."
[System: Considering Host's request…]
[System: Detecting abnormal will pattern. Detecting deep-seated fear of external threats (Trihexa, Outer Gods, etc.)]
[System: Giving up. Request accepted with maximum safety restrictions.]
🎉 [You have received: Arc of Embodiment (Restricted Version – Tier 1)]
Description: The ability to temporarily manifest concepts, ideas, or images into physical reality. Scale, complexity, and duration are limited by the Host's mastery level, mental energy, and understanding of the concept.
Warning: Reckless use can attract the attention of reality-observing entities.
SERA looked limp, slumping in the holographic air. "Congratulations… you are now a walking level 9 global threat in a high school uniform. What next? Create a waifu from the abstract idea of 'loneliness'?"
Hayato didn't answer immediately. He felt… something new within him. A mental "muscle" that wasn't there before. He tried to focus. In his hand, he imagined a small crystal ball, cold, emitting a soft blue light.
Slowly, the air above his palm shimmered. Particles of light gathered, forming patterns, solidifying. A few seconds later, a crystal ball the size of a marble, exactly as he imagined, formed in his hand. Cold. Solid. Real.
He clenched it, then let it disappear as he shifted his concentration.
"Perfect," he whispered, a faint smile appearing on his face for the first time since he woke in this world. He felt a little safer. A little more in control.
Casually, he picked up his smartphone and opened a browser, searching for entertainment videos on "DeviTube". The world might be full of protagonists, heroines, aliens, yakuza, devils and fallen angels.
But at least now, with the "Arc of Embodiment" in his grasp, he was no longer just a helpless NPC.
He was an anomaly. And anomalies could learn to survive. Maybe even to live again.