Awakening

The battlefield was a grim scene of death and destruction. Corpses of horned, sharp-eared creatures littered the ground, their blood mingling with the dirt. Amidst this carnage lay a young man, his black hair matted with sweat and grime, his golden eyes fixed on the star-strewn sky above. His right arm was missing, a gaping hole in his stomach, yet his face betrayed no hint of pain or fear. Instead, a faint smirk was on his lips, as though he found some dark amusement in his own imminent demise.

"You're going to die at this rate, you know?" a feminine voice rang out, drawing his gaze. A woman with waist-length purple hair and piercing purple eyes sat nearby, a hole where her heart should be. Despite her grievous wound, she regarded him with a mix of curiosity and respect.

"And you're in a better situation?" he countered. "It seems we've reached a stalemate, you and I."

"You've defeated me," she acknowledged with a weak smile. "Saved humanity from extinction. They'll remember you as a hero for generations to come."

He scoffed, a mirthless chuckle escaping his lips. "Hero? I care nothing for their accolades. Their adoration is as meaningless to me as their scorn."

She frowned, confusion etched on her face. "But you're the strongest among them. Surely you fought for recognition, for power?"

His golden eyes met hers, a flicker of something dark and haunted in their depths. "Power? Oh, I have that in spades. But it couldn't save those who mattered most. In the end, even the mightiest of us are powerless against the whims of fate."

She was silent for a moment, considering his words. "Did they die because of me? Your family?"

"No," he said flatly, his gaze returning to the heavens. "Their blood is on my hands alone."

A wry smile tugged at her lips. "It seems you'll be joining them soon enough."

He reached for the ominous red spear at his side, his fingers curling around the shaft with a last surge of strength. "And you'll follow shortly after. A fitting end for us both, don't you think?"

She laughed softly, the sound tinged with pain and regret. "Perhaps in another life, we could have been more than enemies. Maybe even friends."

He placed the spear tip against his chest, a final smirk on his face. "In another life, my dear, I would have conquered the world at your side."

And with those words, he drove the spear home, embracing the darkness that rushed up to claim him. The woman watched as the light faded from his eyes, a strange sense of loss washing over her.

With the last of her strength, she crawled to his side, resting her head on his still chest. "Until we meet again, in the next great game," she whispered, her own eyes drifting shut. "I'll be waiting."

And so they lay, two fallen titans, united in death as they had never been in life. The stars wheeled overhead, impassive witnesses to their final moments, as the world they had shaped continued to turn, heedless of their passing.

***

I opened my eyes, the world swimming into focus as a dull throb pounded behind my temples. I was alive. Somehow, against all odds, I had survived. The memories of my final moments rushed back—the spear driven through my heart, the purple-haired woman's last words, the cold embrace of death. And yet, here I was, drawing breath once more.

Wincing, I pushed myself up, taking in my surroundings. A mirror caught my eye, and I froze, staring at the reflection that greeted me. Orange-brown hair, tousled and unkempt, framed a face that was both familiar and foreign. Golden eyes, the only remnant of my true self, stared back at me, wide in shock.

"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered, running a hand through the orange hair. "Who in their right mind chooses this color?"

I closed my eyes, reaching for the memories of the body's original owner. Kazuya Kinoshita. A college student, recently dumped, with a history of making bad decisions and a grandmother who wanted nothing more than to see him settled down. I scoffed. What a waste of a life.

A ping from Kazuya's phone drew my attention. A notification from an app called Diamond. "Your date with your rental girlfriend Chizuru Mizuhara has been confirmed," it read.

I blinked, reading the words again. Rental girlfriend? Was this guy so desperate that he had to pay for companionship? I tapped the app, scanning through the details. At least it wasn't prostitution, though I wasn't sure if this was much better.

The girl's picture caught my eye. Cute, with a bright smile and a sparkle in her eyes. I glanced at the time. The date was set to start in four hours, and canceling now would still cost me. Might as well see it through.

I turned back to the mirror, eyeing the orange-brown mop with distaste. If I was going to play the role of Kazuya Kinoshita, I would do it my way. And there was no way in hell I was keeping this ridiculous color. Plus, people change after a breakup all the time. 

Black, I decided. Simple, classic, easy to maintain. A few quick searches on Kazuya's laptop revealed a nearby drugstore that carried hair dye. I grabbed his wallet and keys and headed out the door.

This world, this life, was a far cry from the one I had known. But I was nothing if not adaptable. I had played the game of power and conquest before, and I would do so again, even in this peaceful new world.

Kazuya Kinoshita may have been a loser, but I was not. I would take this second chance, this fresh start, and mold it into something glorious. 

The automatic doors slid open with a hiss, and I stepped into the drugstore, the air conditioning a welcome respite from the May heat. I scanned the aisles, searching for the hair care section.

As I walked, the TV mounted on the wall caught my eye. A news anchor was speaking, her voice muted by the store's ambient noise. But it was the image that stopped me in my tracks. A girl group, five members strong, posed for the camera. And in the center, a face that made my breath catch.

Purple hair, purple eyes, a smile that could light up the darkest night. She was the spitting image of the woman from my final moments. I stared, transfixed, as the caption identified her as Ai Hoshino, leader of B-Komachi, recently returned from a hiatus due to injury.

A cough from behind me snapped me back to reality. I turned to see a cashier watching me, one eyebrow raised. "Can I help you find something, sir?" he asked, a hint of impatience in his voice.

I shook my head, tearing my gaze away from the TV. "Hair dye remover and hair dye," I said, my voice sounding distant to my own ears. "Black."

The cashier pointed me in the right direction, and I hurried to the shelf, grabbing the first boxes of black dye and dye remover I saw. I placed them on the counter, fishing Kazuya's wallet from my pocket. The cashier scanned the boxes, the beep of the register jarring in the quiet store. "That'll be 3,500 yen," he said. "Cash or card?"

I took my change and the boxes, nodding at the cashier before turning to leave. The summer heat hit me like a wall, but I barely noticed. My mind was still reeling from the image of Ai Hoshino on the TV. The resemblance to the woman from my past was uncanny, but I pushed the thought aside. Coincidences happen, and I had more important things to focus on.

I made my way back to Kazuya's apartment, taking the stairs two at a time. As I reached the top, a girl with brown hair and a white cap brushed past me. "Excuse me," I muttered, barely sparing her a glance. 

Inside the apartment, I wasted no time. I opened the box of dye remover and got to work. As I watched the orange-brown swirl down the drain, I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. This was the first step in shedding Kazuya Kinoshita's old life and claiming this second chance as my own.

While the dye set, I paced the small living room. This world seemed peaceful, a far cry from the war-torn landscape I had left behind. But I knew better than to let my guard down. My old world had been like this too, before everything changed. Before the battles and the bloodshed and the countless lives lost.

I glanced at the calendar on Kazuya's wall. May 11, 2026. In 2024 my world became a battlefield. I should be in the clear, but I knew better than to get complacent. It wouldn't hurt to stay in shape, to keep my skills sharp. Just in case.

After rinsing the dye and drying my hair, I caught my reflection in the mirror. Black suited me, made me look a little more like my old self. But this body… It was 100% Kazuya. I would need to fix that

Grabbing a nice polo shirt, I decided to come up with a plan. Tomorrow, I'd scout out some boxing and Muay Thai gyms. Staying sharp was a priority, even in this peaceful world. But as I selected a pair of jeans for the date, a larger question loomed: what did I really want to do with this second chance?

I glanced at Kazuya's textbooks, stacked neatly on his desk. Computer Science, huh? Not a bad choice, but it didn't set my soul on fire. I needed something more thrilling, more challenging.

For a moment, I considered intelligence work. With my skills from the past life, I'd be a prodigy. But just as quickly, I dismissed the idea. I'd had enough blood on my hands to last lifetimes. No, I needed a different path.

A memory flickered to life, from a time before the world went to hell. Singing lessons, acting classes, the thrill of performing. I'd had a callback lined up for a big role, a meeting with a record label on the books. But then everything changed, and those dreams turned to ash.

Now, in this new life, those dreams stirred once more. A smirk tugged at my lips as the pieces fell into place. This was it. This was what I wanted to do. Entertainment. Music. Acting. A chance to touch people's lives without bloodshed, to make a name for myself on my own terms.

[Host has found a purpose in this new life, Unlocking System]

"Holy shit," I muttered, staring at the glowing screen in front of me. A system? Like in those novels? This was too crazy to be real.

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. "Status," I said, feeling like a complete idiot.

{ <Status >

Name: Kazuya Kinoshita

(All stats for an average adult human are 10)

Physique: 7 

Mind: 12

<Skills >

...

<Items >

...

<Quests >

[Main Quest: IDOL(!)]

[Main Quest: Blockbuster(!)]

[Main Quest: I want to be Famous(!)]

}

"You've got to be kidding me." The quests were flashing, demanding my attention. I focused on the first one, IDOL.

[Main Quest: IDOL(!)]

Objective: Reach 50,000 monthly listeners on Spotify

Reward: Hypnotic Singing Voice

Next, Blockbuster:

[Main Quest: Blockbuster(!)]

Objective: Land a leading role in a movie with a budget over 5 billion yen

Reward: Acting Prodigy

Finally, I want to be Famous:

[Main Quest: I want to be Famous(!)]

Objective: Hit 1,000,000 followers on Instagram

Reward: Trendsetter

These rewards were fucking amazing. With a hypnotic singing voice, acting prodigy skills, and trendsetter status, I could take the entertainment world by storm.

But then reality hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn't just sit back and let the system do all the work. If I wanted to reach those objectives, I'd have to put in the effort from the ground up.

50,000 monthly listeners on Spotify? That meant countless hours in the studio, perfecting my craft and promoting my music. It meant starting from scratch, building a fanbase one listener at a time.

And landing a leading role in a 5 billion-yen movie? I couldn't just waltz into an audition and expect to get the part. I'd need to hone my acting skills, start small, and work my way up. It would take time, dedication, and a hell of a lot of perseverance.

Even hitting 1,000,000 followers on Instagram wouldn't be a cakewalk. I'd have to create content, engage with my audience, and stand out in a sea of wannabe influencers. 

I sighed, running a hand through my newly dyed hair. The system might give me a leg up, but it wasn't a magic wand. If I wanted to make it in this industry, I'd have to work for it, just like everyone else.

But that's what made it worth it, right? The struggle, the grind, the satisfaction of knowing I'd earned every bit of success that came my way. With the system's rewards as my north star, I knew I had what it took to make it to the top.

I glanced at the clock, realizing I was running late for my date. I grabbed my keys and headed out. Time to show this rental girlfriend what Kazuya Kinoshita was really made of. And after that? The sky was the limit.