Marvel : Solo Leveling (Rewrite)

This series is rewritten, so old chapters are deleted.

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Di! Di! Di!

"Ugh…"

The shrill cry of a digital alarm sliced through the silence of a small, dimly lit bedroom. A young man stirred on the bed, his body wrapped in tangled sheets, as the noise grew louder and more insistent.

Di! Di! Di!

With a groan, he cracked open one eye—his right eye. The left remained swollen shut, the skin around it purplish and puffy, a painful reminder of the fight he'd been in just the day before.

"Damn it…" he muttered, pressing his palm against the injury. "That asshole… I should've held back. At least defended my face."

His voice was thick with irritation and confusion, and his mind fogged with pain as his surroundings gradually came into focus.

7:15 A.M.

His eyes widened. "Shit! I'm gonna be late for class!"

What followed was a blur of chaos. Ritsuka leapt out of bed, barely remembering to brush his teeth before yanking on his black-and-white school uniform. Within three minutes, he was out the door, sprinting down the dorm hallway with hair still damp and uncombed.

He didn't notice it at first—the stares.

Eyes followed him from classroom windows, from behind lockers and vending machines. Murmurs trailed him like whispers from ghosts.

"Was that… Ritsuka?"

"Am I seeing things? Didn't he die three months ago?"

"Must be a lookalike. There's no way it's actually him."

The more people saw him, the more disbelief spread. Ritsuka Fujimaru, declared dead in a tragic incident months prior, was casually running through the halls like nothing had happened.

And Ritsuka… didn't know.

The university's main building loomed ahead, a towering structure of concrete and glass. He tore up the steps two at a time, the weight of his bag bouncing with each step.

Three minutes. I can make it.

But just as he reached for the entrance door—

YANK.

A firm hand grabbed his collar from behind, nearly choking the life out of him.

"ACK—! What the hell?! Are you trying to kill me?!" he wheezed, turning with fury blazing in his one good eye.

His anger vanished the instant he recognized her.

A tall woman stood before him, dressed in a sleek white medical coat over a form-fitting black outfit. Her blonde hair cascaded like silk, and her icy blue eyes locked onto his with a mixture of shock, suspicion—and something else.

"…Miss Emma?" Ritsuka blinked. "Sorry, but I'm really late! If you've got something to tell me, I'll swing by the infirmary after my exam!"

He turned to leave—but her grip remained, ironclad.

"…Why are you doing this, Miss Emma?" he whined, tugging at his collar. "Did I offend you? I don't remember doing anything! Look—I'll clean the infirmary for a week if I did! Just let me go, please! I cannot miss this exam!"

She didn't let go.

Her expression had shifted. It wasn't the usual teasing, professional look she wore when dealing with students. No—this was different. This was fear. Disbelief. Confusion.

"…Are you really Ritsuka Fujimaru?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"What kind of question is that? Of course I'm me!" he snapped. "I mean, yeah, I look a little beat up right now, but—wait. Do I look that different?"

A silence hung between them before she muttered darkly, "…Follow me."

"What? Where? Miss Emma—HEY!"

She yanked him by the collar again and dragged him away from the lecture hall.

"This isn't the way to class!" he protested. "I'm going to miss my exam!"

"There is no exam today," she said flatly.

"…Huh?"

He blinked. No exam? Impossible. Ritsuka never got his schedule wrong.

"Don't tell me… I slept through an entire day?"

But Emma didn't answer. She marched down the hallway, her heels clacking sharply against the floor, dragging the confused teenager behind her like a misbehaving puppy.

[System synchronization 10%…]

After locking the door behind them, Miss Emma turned to face him with a stern expression.

"Stand still," she ordered.

Before Ritsuka could even question her, she suddenly began stripping off his uniform jacket and shirt.

"H-Hey! Miss Emma?!" Ritsuka was completely baffled by what was happening. "What the hell are you doing?!"

She didn't answer. Her expression was serious—too serious. She worked with mechanical precision, undressing him down to his underwear without hesitation, her eyes scanning every inch of his body.

Embarrassed and tense, Ritsuka stood still. His fists clenched and face flushed, but he didn't resist. As strange and invasive as it was, he trusted Miss Emma. She was usually calm, composed, and distant. If she was acting like this… there had to be a reason.

Emma began pacing slowly around him, her sharp blue eyes analyzing him with the intensity of a predator studying prey.

"You have the same body structure as Ritsuka… You look like Ritsuka. You even sound like him…" she muttered, voice low and troubled.

"Because I am Ritsuka," he said, furrowing his brow.

"No. You're not," Emma said, her voice trembling slightly. "You can't be."

"What are you talking about?" he asked, heart beating faster.

"You might look like him, but your body's too… ordinary." Her tone became colder now, more clinical. "The Ritsuka I knew had a refined, almost unnatural physique. His muscles weren't just trained—they were sculpted through something far beyond normal training. His very presence carried a weight. A pressure that made you feel him, even before he spoke."

She stepped closer. "You don't give off that presence. Your posture is more relaxed. The way you move is less precise. You're…like human."

Ritsuka felt his throat tighten. "…What do you mean? Of course I'm human."

Miss Emma didn't respond right away. Instead, she spoke with a grave stillness.

"Ritsuka Fujimaru… died three months ago. There was a funeral. I was there. We all were."

His eyes widened in shock.

"Huh?" His breath caught in his throat. "No, that—That's not right. That's… a joke, right? That's got to be some kind of messed-up prank."

He laughed nervously, trying to brush it off. "I mean, you really got me there, Miss Emma. I didn't know you had this kind of dark humor."

But Emma didn't even blink.

"Does this look like a joke to you?"

The silence between them grew heavier.

"Seriously…" he muttered, swallowing hard. "What's wrong with you today? Did you… drink something before coming to work?"

Miss Emma took a step closer, her blue eyes narrowing with suspicion.

"Who are you?" she whispered. "No… what are you? Why do you look and sound exactly like someone who's supposed to be dead?"

Ritsuka backed up slightly. He wasn't sure if he was more confused or afraid. He tried to speak, but no words came out.

Miss Emma, sensing his hesitation, sat down on the infirmary stool, her gaze never leaving him.

"All right," she said. "Tell me about yourself. Start from the beginning. Pretend I've never met you before. I want to hear it from you. Everything."

Ritsuka hesitated, then sighed. There was no getting out of this, not until she got what she wanted.

"…My name is Fujimaru Ritsuka," he began, voice low but steady. "I'm 18 years old. I skipped a few grades 'cause I'm just that smart, I guess. My birthday's the first day of the year. January 1st."

He glanced at her, but she said nothing. He continued.

"My hobbies are reading and gaming. I like fiction and mystery stuff the most. I enjoy sweet and spicy food, but I hate anything sour. I got into… uh…" he blinked. "New York University (NYU) after getting a perfect score on the entrance exam."

His voice began to falter now.

"I… don't really have any friends here. Not even one. It's already been a year, but no one talks to me. Some of them… they bully me. Call me names. Pick fights. That's how I got this," he pointed at his swollen left eye. "I fought back yesterday… but I guess I should've protected my face better."

He let out a hollow laugh.

Silence fell again.

Miss Emma looked at him, her expression unreadable.

"…That's exactly what he would say," she whispered.

Then, suddenly without warning her eyes glowed faintly. A soft, almost imperceptible shimmer passed over her irises.

"There. What else do you want me to say that you don't already know?" Ritsuka asked, a hint of frustration lacing his voice as he stared at Miss Emma.

But instead of answering, Miss Emma tilted her head slightly. "Do you remember our first encounter?"

"Huh? Of course. We met when I had to get treated for an injury after a fight with Scott and his gang of dumb monkeys."

"…"

She fell silent again, the expression on her face unreadable. Her lips were tight, eyes narrowing with focused contemplation as if she were staring straight through him.

After several seconds, she finally spoke.

"First of all, this place is not 'New York University.' It's called Xavier's Gifted Academy for Mutants. Second, the Ritsuka I know has plenty of friends here. He's well-liked, respected—and no one would ever dare lay a hand on him. And Scott… Scott is his best friend."

"…Huh?"

Ritsuka's mouth hung open as his mind scrambled to process what she'd just said. He opened his mouth to reply but no sound came out.

Miss Emma folded her arms across her chest and sighed. "This confirms it. You're not Ritsuka. At least… not the one from this world."

Her eyes bore into his, calm and unwavering. "However, you are Ritsuka. Probably. There's only one explanation for this phenomenon… You must be Ritsuka from another world—one who's somehow crossed over into our reality. A world where our Ritsuka no longer exists."

Ritsuka blinked slowly.

"…You've gone insane," he muttered, incredulous. "This is a prank, right? You're pulling a huge prank on me, and any second now, someone's going to come in and say 'gotcha.'"

Miss Emma said nothing. She didn't smile. She didn't blink. She didn't even flinch.

Instead, she slowly raised her hand and extended it in front of him.

Ritsuka stared, confused at first—until his eyes widened in horror.

"…Your hand appearance… it's turning…?" he mumbled.

Before his very eyes, her hand shifted and gleamed, transforming into flawless organic diamond. The light above refracted off her fingers like a prism, sending glints of color dancing across the walls.

Ritsuka staggered back a step, his breath caught in his throat.

"W-What just happened?" he gasped. "How did you do that?!"

With composure that only made the moment more surreal, Miss Emma calmly responded, "Judging by your reaction… I assume 'mutants' don't exist in your world."

"…Mutants?" he echoed, wide-eyed.

"Yes. Mutants," she repeated, slowly turning her diamond-form hand back to flesh. "In this world, we are called mutants—humans born with extraordinary powers as a result of the X-Gene. Some of us can manipulate elements, others can read minds, heal instantly, or change shape."

She let her words settle in the air for a moment before continuing. "Ritsuka—our Ritsuka—was one of us. A mutant with power."

Ritsuka's lips trembled. The room felt colder now. The fluorescent lights above buzzed faintly, and he realized he hadn't moved in what felt like minutes.

"A world with mutants… and I—no, he—was one of them…?"

Miss Emma nodded. "Yes. But three months ago… he died."

"C-Can I… touch it?" Ritsuka asked, his voice a mixture of nervousness and curiosity. His eyes remained fixed on Miss Emma's diamond-form hand, shimmering under the soft overhead lights like a flawless crystal sculpture.

Miss Emma didn't even hesitate. "Sure."

With that, Ritsuka cautiously reached forward and began poking her hand with the tip of his finger. His eyes widened with childlike awe as he tapped the surface, expecting warmth but feeling the cool, glass-like hardness instead.

"Whoa… That's so weird. It's like touching living jewelry."

Miss Emma merely raised an eyebrow, amused by his innocent fascination.

After a few moments of silently marveling, Ritsuka finally stepped back and let out a long breath. Reality was slowly beginning to sink in—his confusion, his fear… all giving way to a reluctant acceptance.

"How did I even end up in this world?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck. "Can you send me back?"

"You're quick to adapt," Miss Emma said with a small nod. "That's good. You'll need that."

She paused for a moment before continuing. "As for how you got here… I don't know. But since your world doesn't seem to have mutants, I'll need to speak with Professor Xavier about this. He might be able to help."

"Does he have the power to send me back to my world?"

She shook her head. "He does not. While there are mutants capable of teleportation—some even across dimensions—I'm not aware of anyone strong enough to send you across worlds like that."

Ritsuka groaned softly, raking his fingers through his messy hair as the weight of the situation crashed down on him again. "So what am I supposed to do now?"

"You live," Miss Emma said simply. "At least until we figure out a way to send you home. Stay here. Blend in. Try not to stir up trouble."

"But I'm supposed to be dead in this world, right?" he asked, frowning. "Won't that… cause some problems? I mean, I've seen enough sci-fi movies to know how messy this kind of thing can get."

Miss Emma tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Ritsuka's body was never found. The last time terrorists attacked the academy, there was an explosion. Many students and staff were injured… and some were lost. But Ritsuka's body was never recovered. We don't know what happened. He went to save other students."

She looked at him squarely. "We can say you survived. That you were missing all this time. It won't be hard to convince the others."

"…Just like that?" Ritsuka blinked, not expecting such a casual answer.

"This is not a movie," she said. "Leave the complicated details to the adults. I'll handle it."

He sighed and gave a reluctant nod. "Alright. I'll trust you."

"Thank you," he added after a moment, his voice quieter. "Really, Miss Emma."

There was a pause. A small silence where something unspoken passed between them.

Then Ritsuka gave a curious tilt of his head. "If you don't mind me asking… What was your relationship like with the other me? I mean, the one from this world."

Miss Emma's eyes drifted to the side. Her voice was soft when she finally spoke.

"The Ritsuka I knew… was a handful," she said. "He was reckless. Brave. Always running into trouble and getting hurt. I had to patch him up more times than I can count. He took up more of my time than anyone else."

She hesitated before continuing.

"But… because of that, we spent a lot of time together. We were close. Not friends, exactly. I was more of a mentor to him. A guide."

"A mentor, huh?" Ritsuka smiled warmly. "Sounds just like the Miss Emma I know. I was practically best friends with her—though she'd never admit it."

Miss Emma looked at him again, and this time, she didn't respond right away.

Instead, she simply stared—eyes fixed on his expression, on that soft, radiant smile that seemed so familiar… yet so distant.

And in that moment, she saw a flicker.

A memory.

A ghost of a boy who used to grin just like that.

Sometime later, she said to him, "Anyway, if you don't mind, I want to check if you have the mutant gene."

Ritsuka nodded seriously, still oblivious to the cruel world he had just stepped into.

"Alright, I'll scan your brain then."

"Wait, what? You have telepathy too, Miss Emma? Please don't look too deep!" Ritsuka panicked, a nervous laugh escaping him. He wasn't ready for his secrets to be revealed so suddenly.

Emma gave him a teasing smile before gently closing her eyes, entering his mind.

What she found was unexpected—an endless pitch-black void.

Before she could explore further, the darkness threw her out of his mind.

Emma staggered back, visibly stunned.

"Miss Emma?" Ritsuka called, concerned.

"You definitely have powers," she replied, recovering quickly. "Don't worry, I won't try to enter your mind again. You've got a very strong mental barrier… even I couldn't get past it."

Ritsuka's eyes widened. "What kind of powers do I have?"

"You'll have to figure that out yourself."

"Too bad…"

"Take a seat," said a new voice. Miss Emma had entered the infirmary and pointed toward one of the beds.

Ritsuka—still going by "Ritsuka" in this world—subconsciously chose the bed closest to the window of this world Ritsuka.

Miss Emma watched silently, a small smile playing on her lips. It was the same bed the previous Ritsuka had always used.

"First and foremost," she began, "let's talk about mutants in this world. You need to know the world where you live for now. As you've just witnessed, there are many. This is due to a unique mutation in our genes called the X-gene. But not everyone is a mutant. In fact, humans without any powers still make up around 60% of the population."

"Does that mean mutants are treated like heroes?!" Ritsuka asked with eager eyes.

Miss Emma paused, her expression unreadable.

"No," she finally said. "It's actually the opposite."

"What?!" Ritsuka was shocked.

She explained how mutants were discriminated against, feared, and even hunted in some places. The hatred, the prejudice, the fear—it was far from the superhero stories he knew.

Ritsuka sat in silence, absorbing the harsh truth. Miss Emma gave him time.

"There are also dangerous organizations out there," she added. "But it's best to learn about them later."

"Ah, this sucks…" Ritsuka muttered as he collapsed back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"I miss home already…" he said softly, overwhelmed by everything he'd just learned.

After a long pause, Ritsuka looked toward Emma. "So… this world's version of me, I mean what are his mutant powers?"

"He could manipulate electricity," she replied. "Lightning-based abilities, mostly. He could charge up weapons or blast enemies directly."

"Any questions?"

"A lot…" Ritsuka sighed.

"You can save them for another time," she said with a slight smile. "For now, don't tell anyone the truth—not even people you feel you can trust. As for your backstory, we'll say you're suffering from amnesia. You don't remember anything about your past. You just somehow ended up here. Do you understand?"

"I do," Ritsuka nodded.

"Good. Now I have a question for you—do you have any experience with combat?"

"Uhh… I've fought a couple of class bullies before, but besides that…" He shook his head sheepishly.

"I see. One more thing—our Ritsuka was known for being calm and cool-headed. You're… quite the opposite."

Ritsuka shrugged. "Actually, I'm usually quiet and reserved. But I've just been isekai'd to a world full of mutants and evil organizations. Of course I'm going to be excited. Besides…"

He looked at her with soft eyes.

"You're special to me, Miss Emma. I only act this relaxed around you. Even if you're not the same Emma from my memories… you look, sound, and even act like her."

Emma was silent. She stared at his smile with a profound expression, her thoughts hidden behind her composed exterior.

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Note: I rewrite this series again. I would be happy if you tell me how is this chapter is.