Ch-2 Blessed By The Voice Of The World

[No one's POV]

Nishino's eyes snapped open. 

Staring up at the ceiling, she began to slowly come back to her senses as her memories began to invade her mind. 

She noticed how she was in an unknown place, a warehouse of some kind, laying down on the hard floor while glass windows on the roof to left the light of the crescent moon shine done on her. 

She tried to move, but she realised she couldn't move. Her hands were both tied tightly behind her back with thick rope, to the point where it actually hurt. Her legs were also tied together, making it impossible for her to stand up or try to run. Additionally, her mouth was gagged with a white cloth and since she was left in isolation, chances are no one would be able to hear her even if she could scream. 

She sat up straight as her blood pressure increased and her heart raced. Sweat began to trickle down her face as she realised what had just happened to her... again. 

"You made a mistake." Said a man with blonde hair and an arrogant, punchable face. "The heir of the Nishino Conglomerate went out at night alone. You were just asking for bad guys to kidnap you, right ?" 

Behind him, an older, more level headed male with darker hair stared at him with a stern expression. 

"Behave yourself." He said. 

"The ransom note has already been sent. As long as they pay, we'll let you go."

"Ostensibly, it's supposed to be so. But your father has made many enemies, you know ?" He exclaimed, hands spread open with a cocky grin on his face. 

"Shut it." Said the other man firmly. 

"Huh ? You're just an outsider. What do you know ? Stop ordering me around!" 

"I said shut it, you outdated hooligan." 

While they were bickering, Nishino stared at them with tears welling up in her eyes, her biggest fears came true yet again and she's fallen victim to another kidnapping. 

The ransom note was sent so she would be sent back home safely, but who's to say what will happen to her while she was still here ? 

All the while, they failed to notice the boy that had followed them to the warehouse, who had now recorded this conversation with a phone and then switched it off. 

He had already changed his clothes to the ones he normally used in these kind of nightly activities. 

His outfit was simple but good. Sleak but glossy and dark. He wore full black. Black pants, black boots, black shirt with a black hooded tranch coat and to top it all off, he also wore a skull mask to hide his face. 

"Aw man... Today was supposed to be a good day for me. But now it's ruined." The blonde gangster whined, after bickering with the older man he clearly didn't seem to like all that much. 

He then turned towards Nishino and grinned maliciously. "Why don't you help me feel better ?" 

Nishino trembled in fear as her entire body twitched, every cell in her body paralyzed from the fear she was feeling, knowing full well what he wanted. 

"Let's just call it fan service. I'll start with that pretty little mouth of yours." He grabbed her face roughly, but she shook his hand off and looked away with defiant eyes. 

Her action managed to visibly piss the man off, making her scowl at her. "Don't you try to resist!" 

Raising a hand, a loud smack echoes through the empty warehouse, making the other guy sigh while leaning against a pillar. 

Nishino's eyes trembled as her lips quivered, her heart was beating faster than she ever thought was even possible and the tears only increased.

"You're used to this aren't you ? This is the second time you've been kidnapped right ?" He asked, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look his way, relishing the feeling of dread and hopelessness that was clearly written all over her face. 

"You're previous kidnapper was a stalker right ? Don't worry, I'll give you a much better time that that dipshit." As he said this, Nishino began having flashbacks to the day where 'that' incident took place. If it wasn't for that masked man who saved her before he went too far, she wouldn't have known what would have become of her. 

She felt powerless, helpless and hopeless. 

She screamed as much as possible while squirming, trying to resist while the man grinned and cut open her shirt, before trying to pry her legs open, which she tried her best to stop him from doing. 

"Don't bother! No one's coming to save you this time!" 

Footsteps echoes across the warehouse, making the man assaulting her stop in his tracks. He looked back at his partner and noticed he was still leaning against the pillar, so it couldn't have been him. 

He looked down at Nishino, who was staring up at the glass above her with widened eyes. Following her gaze, he too, looked straight up. 

Standing above them, on the glass panes, was a dark figure whom they couldn't make out.

The man's eyes widened and he stepped backwards, unable to believe that they've been found. 

"What?! Who... Who?!" 

Nishino also sat up straight and stared at the ceiling, a glimmer of hope resurfacing. 

Raising one foot up, the figure brought it down and the glass shattered. Nishino turned away to avoid accidently getting hit by the glass. Dust flew up in the air as glass pieces clattered against the hard floor. 

From the dust, emerged a man dressed in jet black. A hooded figure whose face could not be seen at all. It was just darkness. 

"What ? Who.. who the hell are you ?!" 

"Nobody." The hooded figure replied coldly. 

"Huh ? You think you're something big, brat?! Get your mind off it!" He quickly pulled out a pistol to shoot the man that just barged in. 

Unfortunately for him, the man was ready. Before he could pull the trigger, a knife lodged in between his fingers, making him drop the gun and scream in pain. 

"How unnecessary. So many openings. No technique. No situational awareness." 

He rushed at the man, who was still left in shock due to the pain, leaving him incapable of defending himself. Minoru quickly landed a powerful right hook before grappling onto his clothes and throwing him above him and onto the floor. 

Once he fell on his back, Minoru raised his foot and stomped his face down. One time. Two times. Three times. Four times. 

Blood splattered across the floor. He tried to struggle but a stomp to the Adam' Apple was enough to incapacitate him for good. 

As the moonlight slowly shone on his, the hooded finally moved back a little and the light showed off the intimidating skull mask he wore to scare the people he hunts. 

That was the last thing this thug saw. The scary skull mask, whose eye sockets appeared like they were glowing with otherworldly power. Then he was met with one more boot to the face, knocking him out cold and completely battered on the ground. 

"Impressive. You're quite the capable one." Said the other man, raising a gun towards Minoru with an excited grin. 

"Ever since I got expelled from the military, I've been bored. Kidnapping simple-minded little girls, teaming up with nasty low-life. This country is too peaceful." His words didn't make sense to Nishino. Why would he want there to be chaos in this country ? Why not just live peacefully ? 

"Is that so ? I've always wanted to fight a trained military officer." Said Minoru, feeling slightly excited. 

"You're welcome then!" He ran at Minoru with a knife in his hand, forcing him to avoid the blow. 

He managed to avoid getting stabbed, but the knife still slightly grazed his shoulder. The former soldier licked the fresh blood off the blade and ran at him yet again with a psychopathic smile on his face. 

"Welcome to this screwed up world! I've always known about it! Such ecstasy!" He went to stab Minoru with his knife, but all he received, was blunt force trauma to his wrist. 

Groaning in pain, he retracted his wrist as the blade dropped to the ground, clattering loudly in this silent warehouse.

He stared at Minoru in disbelief as he realised exactly what he was hit with. "A c-crowbar?!" 

"Interesting right ? The bar is handy, more so than a knife. It's too hard to break easily, can be carried with ease. When the police question you about it, it's easy to come up with an excuse. And most of all, you can wield it like a tonfa!" With two crowbars in hand, he began twirling them around as his opponent smiled at him with his fists raised up. 

Even with the incredible pain in his probably broken wrist, the training he went through increased his pain tolerance enough to bare with it. 

"I see. You are indeed right about that. But the difference between us still remains, in sheer physical power!" He then blocked the bars and kicked Minoru in the stomach, forcing him back. 

"All I need to do is defend my head. Meanwhile, you'll be done in one well placed hit." 

Minoru stood there for a bit, ignoring the kick he just received. "You are right about that. But... You still fail to realise why crowbars are so useful." 

Rushing forward, he threw the crowbar in the air and grabbed the other end of it, surprising his opponent. Before he could react, using the edge of the crowbar, he lodged it into the man's already broken wrist, making blood spray out of it. 

"The crowbar, being shapes like a tonfa, gives it immeasurable potential in combat. It has the strength, durability and portability. Every night, I keep beating up those biker gangs without making much noise. Very useful indeed." Minoru then struck him in the face with the sharp end of the crowbar, cutting his cheek open. 

The man stepped back while holding his injured and bleeding wrist. He glared at Minoru, finally realising who he was. 

"You!! You're that skull masked berserker, who walloped those biker gangs with one bar!!" 

"Recently, those fools have begun wearing helmets to prevent getting his in the head." Said Minoru while walking forward. He swiped the blood off the bat and then rushed at the ex-military, who lunged towards the gun on the floor. 

"The crowbars... are more effective with simple strikes!" With the L part of the bar, he stopped the man's hand and lifted the bar up just as quick to strike his face with the shape end, making him bleed. 

He stood back up and stared forward in fear as Minoru slammed the L part of the bar right into the side of his leg, shattering the bone in the process. This left the man sputtering and squealing in pain as he fell to the floor. 

"Striking with the L part is the trick. That way... The blows are more concentrated." He said, striking his collar bone.

The man was left panting in pain, on his knees, revealing his unprotected head for an attack. He looked up at Minoru, about to begin him to wait, but Minoru didn't bother giving him that chance. He simply swung the crowbar at the mand head and blood sprayed out of the newly created wound. 

But Minoru wasn't done. He was going to make him and the other man, suffer. He struck him again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. 

Minoru was completely covered in blood. He put the crowbars back and began to walk towards the girl that got kidnapped, Nishino Akane. 

He reached down and grabbed a knife from the floor, before standing back up and walking towards Nishino slowly. Nishino, who noticed the bloodied dark hooded figure wearing a skull mask, marching towards her with a knife, nearly screamed in fright. She shuffled around and tried to move back, anything to try and escape from him. She closed her eyes as the man brought the knife up, making it look like he was about to stab her. 

But instead of stabbing her, he simply the rope binding her. Nishino's eyes widened as she stared up at the skull mask staring down at her, the gag falling off her mouth. 

"You really need to stop getting kidnapped. This is the second time I've had to save you and I can't promise something like this again." 

This made Akane widen her eyes while staring at the man in front of her, who had just turned around and begun walking away from her. 

"W-wait... You're the guy who.. who saved my from that stalker!" 

Minoru kept walking forward as Nishino stood up at stared at his back, trying to remember something. Something about his voice sounded familiar. No... Not just his voice, it was his eyes. Which she could barely even see because of the skull mask, hood and dark atmosphere. 

"Wait! Who are you! Who are you really ?" 

"Nobody." He said, again. 

"Then... Then why the mask ?" She asked, making him turn his head slightly while stopping for a moment. 

"To hide my face." 

"Just be more careful next time." As he said this, he left the scene, leaving Nishino behind to contemplate on what just happened to her. 

She noticed how both the people who kidnapped her were bloodied and tied to a metal pole, the guns were taken away and all of them had their bullets removed, all the weapons they could've had with them, were all on the floor. 

Standing up, she left and called her parents, and the cops. After a heartfelt reunion with her parents, the father made sure not to make this case public. Ultimately, the identity of the hooded man with the skull mask, remained a mystery. 

The next day, Nishino went to school like nothing had even happened. While she was greeted by everyone, she noticed Minoru standing by the lockers and placing his shoes in.

With a smile, she greeted him. "Good morning, Kagenou-kun." 

Minoru turned towards her with a small smile on his face. 

"Good morning... Nishino-san." 

Nishino sighed lightly.

"No, no... It's not Nishino..." Suddenly, her eyes shot open as her mind just processed what he said. 

He called her by her real name this time! 

Not only that, but he was looking at her! Not through or beyond her, but directly at her, like he finally recognised her presence. 

The next day...

"Earlier today, at Sakurazaka City, a high school student, the famed child genius, Minoru Kagenou, who's a resident in that city was run over by a truck and died. According to the police, the truck driver wasn't looking ahead. It's truly a shame that we have lost on of the most brilliant minds of our time, unable to fulfill his destiny or live to his fullest. The details of the case are currently under investigation..." 

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[Minoru POV]

No matter what I do... I simply cannot get it. I cannot receive or obtain the power of magic like in those fantasy stories by simply training. 

My performance against that soldier, was utterly disappointing. It just wasn't enough. As much as I wanted to deny it, as a human, there's only so much I can do. 

I had to face the reality of the situation. 

If they sent a group of armed soldiers against me, I would most likely die. 

And let's imagine a hypothetical scenario, where they drop a nuke on me. Of course, that's not going to happen, which is why it's purely hypothetical. But if that doesn't happen, what can be done ? I'll just die. I'll be vaporized. There's no way of defending against a nuke. Not without magic. 

So why did I not give up ? Was it my insatiable appetite for power ? Partly, yes. 

But the main reason I didn't quit, was because I was fully convinced that magic truly did exist. 

And then, that happened. 

I heard the voice. 

The Voice Of The World. 

[Notice: The Voice Of The World has recognised 'Minoru Kagenou', as an anomaly of this world.] 

It wasn't a hallucination. It was real! I knew it! 

A voice! A system! Another world! Magic! 

They all truly did exist! All I needed to do, was find a way... A way to get there! 

So I did everything I possibly could. Practiced under a waterfall and followed the teachings of Buddha. Prayed to God. Mastered yoga. 

The knowledge that my dream could indeed come true, I made me go insane. I tried. Again. And again. And again. To find a way. 

I even resorted to bashing my own head against a rock.

Blood trickled from my head as I pulled my head backwards, only to smash it onto the rock again. 

"Magic... Magic!" 

I couldn't find these powers with my sanity intact, so I had to dive into the depths of lunacy to achieve it. 

I want to hear it! I want to hear it again!! The Voice Of The World! 

Everytime I heard it speak, I feel like I've gotten closer to achieving what I've always wanted from the very beginning. 

"Take me... To your world!" I bashed my head onto the rock again. 

I began to feel light-headed, like I would pass out. I could barely stand up straight, it felt like I was completely drunk or something. I couldn't even feel the pain anymore. 

[Notice: Soul Transfer procedure has begun. Integrating the soul of 'Minoru Kagenou' into another world... Successful.] 

My eyes snapped open when I heard it again... The voice I've been longing to hear for so long. 

From the corner of my eye, I noticed a bright white light in the middle of all this darkness.

Yes! That must be it! The gateway to another world! A way to get magic! I have to get it! I must! I need a lot of power! 

I must fix this! 

[Notice: Individual 'Minoru Kagenou' has been granted the unique skill, {Mana Core}, to harness the power of magic.]

[Notice: Individual 'Minoru Kagenou' has received the {Blessings of the Voice Of The World}.] 

[Notice: Individual 'Minoru Kagenou' has received the skill {Favourability}.] 

What's that supposed to mean ? Like, some kind of probability manipulation thing ? Extreme luck stats ? 

[Notice: Trying to provide Minoru Kagenou with unique skill {Evolver}... Successful!]

As the Eminence in Shadow, I'll ascend to a higher plane of existence! I'll achieve everything this world has to offer and then travel to another one! 

[Notice: Due to obtaining otherworldly knowledge beyond human knowledge, 'Minoru Kagenou' shall receive the skill {Dimensionality}.] 

[Notice: Individual 'Minoru Kagenou' has received {Semi-Imortality} due to his desire to achieve godhood.] 

I'll mater magic. I'll comprehend it! I'll become the ultimate, unbeatable god of magic that shall always remain at the top of the world! 

[Notice: Minoru Kagenou has received {Metaphysical Comprehension}.] 

[Notice: Minoru Kagenou's desire to become the 'Eminence in Shadow' and gain power quickly is so powerful, that it has been transferred into a unique skill, {Acclimation}.]

[Notice: unique skills {Acclimation} and {Evolver} are to be combined... Successful! Unique skill {Progressive Evolution} has been synthesized.] 

I ran, ran and ran as fast as I could, before lunging towards the light that blinded me. 

"Magic... Magic. Magic. Magic! Magic! Magic! Magic! Magic! Magic! MAGIC! MAGIC!! MAGIC!!!" 

The light began to become closer and closer until... It turned into two bright, white headlights. Turning my head with a maniacal face, I stared death in the face and everything went black.