No Game, No Riku: Chronicles of a Fractured World

"In a dimly lit room, a disoriented teenager with short white hair and striking golden pupils, wearing an indifferent expression, muttered to himself, 'Am I Riku, or...' His deep, sorrowful golden eyes were filled with confusion in that moment.

After a few minutes, the teenager regained his composure, and his once-confused golden eyes were now filled with complexity and consternation. He had traversed both time and space to inhabit this body. To be precise, his soul had devoured the soul of a teenager named Riku, who had crumbled under the weight of negative emotions like self-blame, regret, and despair.

The world around him was in utter chaos.

Disboard, the name of this planet, played host to gods and various fantasy species created by those gods. Guided by these deities, these fantastical beings waged relentless wars in their bid for dominance, unleashing unimaginable power that reduced the once-beautiful planet to a desolate wasteland.

Massive craters, rifts, and scorched marks marred the earth's surface, while the once-blue sky was shrouded in dust and darkness. The grand human civilization, with all its achievements, crumbled before these powerful races, akin to a fragile insect beneath their might.

In the eyes of these otherworldly races, humans were nothing more than livestock, pitifully weak and insignificant. They had no choice but to flee and seek refuge in hidden corners, always at risk of being collateral damage in the ongoing wars.

To these races, humans were merely an afterthought, not worth the effort of targeted hunting. Humans were seen as little more than ants, easily crushed beneath their feet. In the intricate web of power struggles on Disboard, humans occupied the lowest rung, a race both feeble and humble.

But for the sake of survival, humans concealed their negative emotions, endlessly evading danger and making unthinkable sacrifices. They would abandon one to save two, and two to save four. When confronted by these other races, humans would intentionally sacrifice some of their own to distract their pursuers, allowing the majority to escape.

As the mastermind behind these harrowing operations, the teenager, now known as Riku, had accumulated an unbearable burden of psychological stress, leading to the collapse of his soul.

'I never expected to arrive in this world under these circumstances,' he muttered bitterly.

He was intimately familiar with this world and with Riku, having witnessed it all in the anime, 'No Game No Life,' and its theatrical version.

'Reality proves harsher than animation,' he continued to himself. In the animated series, Riku had faced immense psychological pressure but had ultimately triumphed with his wisdom, putting an end to the world's strife.

Yet, in this world, Riku had faltered.

'In the days ahead, I will be Riku. I will do everything in my power to fulfill your final wish,' the teenager silently vowed.

In his previous life, he had been nothing more than an anonymous ghost, devoid of family or friends. His sudden disappearance or death would have gone unnoticed, perhaps even celebrated, for he had been treated as a monstrous outcast.

Mortals often feared those geniuses they could not comprehend.

Riku shook his head, recalling another pair of siblings who would arrive in this world six thousand years later. They, too, would be misunderstood and deemed monsters.

But his past, his name, none of it mattered now. His name was Riku.

Suddenly, a mechanical voice pierced his thoughts, announcing, '[Ding] [The Divine-level treasure chest system is activated and loading.]'

Though he had considered the existence of a 'System,' Riku remained calm, his expression unmoved. Regardless of what lay ahead, he would face it with unwavering composure, for that was the very reason he was called a monster.

'[Ding, Divine-level treasure chest system, loading…1%...10%...78%...99%...100%.]'

'[Loaded and officially launched.]'

'[Dear master, the Divine-treasure chest system is officially serving you.]'

'[The treasure chest system divides the treasure chest into bronze, silver, gold, platinum, and diamond grades. These are only the most basic; others should be discovered by the host.]'

'[Host, while the bronze treasure chest is the lowest level, it still holds the potential for remarkable discoveries, albeit with the lowest probability.]'

With this emotionless mechanical voice, a map materialized before Riku.

'It may be rudimentary, but it will suffice,' Riku remarked with a slight curl of his lips. His golden eyes scanned the map, taking note of the crimson dots, each marking a unique treasure chest.

'Is this a map of the world?' he inquired, though he already knew the answer.

'[Yes.]'

'Can you provide a more detailed map? One that includes the distribution of forces from all sides?' Riku's expression grew more serious, his focus unwavering."