Respawn

Chapter 1: The Horrible Realm

    There is no light around me, and all I can see is a never-ending blackness. I feel like I've been here for a long time in a place I don't want to be. Who am I, exactly? What exactly am I doing here? Closing my eyes and staring into the never-ending darkness is the same thing. I despise this, I despise this place.

    Something is different this time when I wake up. It feels as if I'm falling and that a powerful force is dragging me down. When I first opened my eyes, I was taken aback by what I saw. It's no longer black; I can see light, the sun, and clouds. The birds are chirping and I can feel the breeze. From my vantage point, I can see the land and the sea. I've never seen anything like this before, but it makes me nostalgic.

    I close my eyes once more and attempt to imagine the warm air brushing against my skin. So, this is how it feels to be alive. I spread my arms wide open, allowing gravity to drag me. Finally, I break out from that never-ending darkness, and I find myself in a new world where I may begin a new life.

    I was completely oblivious to the fact that I was approaching the ground. I strike the ground hard, yet I have the impression that there is an unseen shield within me that allows me to survive the impact. I tried to soothe the discomfort in my back by touching it. At my front, a man stood up and brandished a blade.

    "Young fellow, tell me who you are," said the man. When I glance at him, I notice that his hands are trembling and that he is quivering in his knees, as if he is afraid of me. I examine the hologram beside my arms, which displays my statistics and personal information. "My name is Takahashi Fujin," I responded, terrified and perplexed.

    The man keeps pointing his blade at me. He holds the blade up to my neck, as if attempting to sever it. "That's not what I'm talking about! Your eyes! You've got horns, too! ", yelled the man. I noticed that others were forming a circle around us. I can hear their voices and rants accusing me of being a devil, a sinner, and a descendent of wicked.

    When I look around, I can sense that the others around me, like the man, are scared of me. I take a glance at my reflection in the water near me. Even I was outraged by my appearance. I stroked my head, and I could feel the long horn that gave me the appearance of a devil. My eyes are indeed a different color scheme. My right eye is yellow and my left eye is red.

    "Do you have any idea what that means?" the man inquired. "No, this has to be a misunderstanding," I said. I'm not sure how I'll defend myself in front of this crowd. "You bring trouble with you, devil, and we don't want this area to be part of your problem," he continued. People begin to throw stones at me, and a man prepares to slice my head off, but I notice that he is hesitating.

    "Excuse me, but don't you think that attempting to kill this man will solve nothing and that he will simply respawn here again?"

    When I turned my head to face that voice, I beheld a lovely young lady. Her hair is short, and her eyes are adorable. She tapped the shoulders of those who were obstructing her path, and they moved. She is approaching me while whirling a knife in her hand.

    She moves in closer to me and takes a long look at my face. "He's cute," she replied, smiling at me. What a strange sensation; my heart is starting to race as a result of this lady. She appears to be a year my senior. She appears to be strong and well-liked by others. "Wow, you truly have horns, and your eyes are all different colors," she exclaimed, her expression filled with astonishment.

    "But you see, young man, it implies you were a sinner in a previous life or in this life. That means you may be linked to the devils or have committed a sin that can’t be undone," she explained. I'm not sure how to express it, but knowing that this girl in front of me is someone who can possibly comprehend my predicament makes me feel a little better.

    "I may have been a sinner in a previous life, but... please listen," I stated firmly. I want to show these people that I am innocent, and that even if I did commit a wrong in a previous life, I still deserve to live in peace in this one. "I'm not sure how I got here, and I don't recall anything from my past. I believe it is unjust to punish a man like me for a sin that I do not recall committing, "I stated.

    "I see," the young lady answered. People began to whisper to one another because the girl was attempting to comprehend me. With a bashful voice, I said, "Thank you." She smiled at me and opened her hands, saying, "I am Saki, and you are?" "Takahashi Fujin," I replied as I took her hand in mine. It is wonderful to know that, despite the world's hatred, there is at least one person who will strive to understand you, even if you are difficult and confusing to accept.

    She yanks me up and I stand. She began to sprint while clutching my hand. We run beside each other, and I follow her lead. She seemed pleased to see me, and I could see her returning my gaze to examine my features. Saki is odd, but I get the impression she is a sweet young lady. While we were running, she asked, "Are you okay?" "Yes, and it's all because you were there at that time," I responded with a nod.

    We came to a halt near the seashore on a boat. We sit together and take a catch of breath. She was looking at me as if she liked the way I look. Unlike others who are afraid of my appearance, this girl thinks I am the cutest person she has ever seen. "How old are you?" she inquired. I'm shy at my age, and I think she'll find it amusing that I'm actually younger than her.

    I examine my hologram and discover information about my age. "I'm 19," I stated. Who would have guessed that I am only 19 years old and have a body that is larger than a teen? "What?! You're still so young!" with a shocked expression on her face, she yelled. "I'm 25," she clarified. She appears to be very shy for her age. Destiny is a lot of fun, but I think she's feeling awkward now that she discovered we're 6 years apart in age. I didn't expect our age difference to be so large.

    She crosses her arms, and she now appears to be a stubborn lady acting like a child. "Anyway, I'm not into younger guys," she said, trying to look away from me. This girl is now acting as if she has never acted like my hero before. "It's okay, I'm not into older ladies anyway," I laughed.

    Saki continues to punch my shoulders like a child while I continue to laugh. "Others look up to you; what exactly do you do for a living?" I inquired. I am astounded by how others, despite their protests, listened to her earlier. She takes out her knife and shows it to me. She began to spin it in her hand. "Isn't it amazing?" she exclaimed.

    "I am a well-known participant in this murder game, but not like a really well-known player," she explained, shyly caressing her hair. I'm not sure what she’s talking about. What exactly does she mean when she says "murder game"? "Is it a game?" "Was it a murder?" With a bewildered expression on my face, I said. This world does not appear to be what I imagine. This world isn't as wonderful as I imagine.

    She stated, "There are a lot of games here, and that's what everyone does for a living." Every person I've seen before plays a specific game in order to make a living. "However, since you stated murder, does that mean you're murdering other people?" I inquired. She approaches me and places the knife's blade near my face, while her other hand holds my cheeks. "Why? "Are you afraid I'll start killing you?" she asked with a psychotic expression on her face.

    She busted out laughing and continued to do so while clutching her stomach. "Anyway, you're a witty fellow. Of course, I do; if my role is murderer, I have to kill the other players in order to win, "she explained once she had stopped giggling. She speaks as though killing isn't anything that should disturb anyone. She speaks of murder as if it were a common occurrence. It's no surprise that others used to hold her in such high regard.

    "What is going to happen to the player you killed in that game?" I inquired. I must know the answer. In this world, there is something very strange and twisted. She lowered her gaze and stated, "They don't die." When I hear what she said, I can tell by the expression on her face that she is very serious. She exhaled deeply and stated, "They don't die... they respawn." "In this world, death does not exist. In this world, if you die in a game, you will simply feel the agony of death before respawning and living again. " She went on.

    "Follow me," she instructed. She takes a step forward and begins to walk towards the location where the people discovered me. "Take a look," she advised. I took a good look at it and was shocked by what I saw. People began to fall from the sky as if they were resurrected. Some people fall and manage to stand up after hitting the ground, as if they are a victorious player. Unfortunately, the majority of people who fall from the spawn point are crying in pain and holding their heads as if they are going insane. "Do you see those people?" she asked, pointing to the people who were crying.

    "They are the sick players in this world system. They don't want to fight anymore, but they have no choice if they want to survive in this world. They die over and over, only to respawn and die again the next time they lose a game, "she explained. What she said made my palm tremble, and I was afraid. This environment is horrifying and resembles a nightmare, but no one is able to flee. "Does that imply that this world is a paradise for the powerful and a hell for the powerless?" I inquired.

    "This is heaven for God's mighty people who are gifted with talent, and hell for those who lack talent," she remarked. This is a world where if you are weak, you will die several times, while if you are powerful, you will enjoy a prosperous life. "So... have you ever died?" I inquired. "Yes, but you see, we have no choice but to fight even if you are not strong, you know that you have to be because this world is just cruel," she replied with a smile as if to reassure me that everything would be alright.

    Perhaps she had a lot of experiences and suffered a lot of pain as a result of having died so many times. I take a seat on the ground and curse the wind. What a harsh God of this world; how could he treat his people like this? I'm not sure why, but I started to feel agony in my chest and wiped away my tears. These people are not deserving of such treatment. They are deserving of so much more.

    At the back of my neck, I felt a warm hug. She was attempting to wipe my tears away. Saki is standing motionless and staring at the spawn spot as I try to glance behind her to convince her she doesn't have to hug me. It wasn't Saki who hugged me, but rather a spirit. I'm aware of her long hair and warm embrace. It was quite relaxing and pleasant. It's like receiving an angel's hug in the midst of misery. I wrap my arms around myself and embrace myself tighter so I can feel her warmth even more. "You will be fine," the ghost said quietly. When the spirit began to fade, I turned around and saw no one else but Saki.

"Are you alright?" Saki stated. With a worried expression on her face, she approached my face. I quickly wiped away my tears. "Don't worry, I'm fine. I'm just overly emotional, "I stated. I got up and straightened up. I'm still perplexed by the girl spirit who hugged me. Saki appears to be completely unaware of the spirit. "Perhaps we should try to play tomorrow; are you available?" she suggested. "I suppose I could try," I said. She handed me a bag full of coins and said, "Please accept this. Go find a place to stay for the time being and meet me here tomorrow. Prepare to experience the agony of death ". "I'm always prepared," I said with a smile.