March 17th, 878, Mount Iwaki

  Cherry blossoms were just beginning to bloom, the rosy petals laying on a sheet of freshly fallen snow. A beautiful sight only possible atop the mountains. Small rodents such as squirrels and mice scurried about, leaving tiny yet noticeable tracks that would be covered by the falling snow and petals. Larger game such as deer ducked between the trees as they galloped at seemingly impossible speeds. If the allure of nature was its primal beauty, pure and untouched by man, then one young man dared to sully this beauty.

  He was scantily dressed for the snow. Nothing but a thin Kimono shielding him from the harsh weather. The boy couldn’t have been more than eighteen, his soft face and short stature cementing the fact. Still, his eyes held of darkness far beyond his age.

  He had been running for quite some time, his breath fogging with every step he took. Despite this, he neither felt nor appeared winded, taking each stride with utmost urgency and speed. He had no destination—no, that wasn't quite right. He had a destination in mind; it was just far from a clear one.

  Suddenly he took a pause from his run, going from full throttle to a standstill instantly. Leaning against a nearby Sakura tree, he looked back at the direction he was fleeing from. His eyes saw nothing of note in this red and white world. Allowing himself a moment of reprise, he let out a shaky breath. It didn't seem like he was being chased. The creature the boy was running from was far too absorbed in his battle to take note of one fleeing rat. A fact that brought the boy no relief, given who that creature would be battling.

  Quickly dispersing such pointless thoughts from his mind, reaching down he grabbed two pebbles, holding one in each of his hands. There was no time for him to have thoughts of guilt or sorrow. He wasn't sure why he felt that way to begin with. She had made it crystal clear to him to stay as far away from her as possible. A request he had begrudgingly kept for the past 8 years, there was nothing he could say to change her mind anyway. He had done what he had done; neither words nor actions could change that fact.

  Realizing he had begun to ruminate over the past, he took his left hand and slapped himself across the cheek. It stung... quite a bit actually; he made a mental note not to reinforce himself with cursed energy next time. Purging himself of the pointless past, he took focus on what was in front of him once more and ran towards his goal. The goal being as far from that creature as possible. He had no idea where he was or where to go, but it didn't matter. So long as he could escape him, everything was fi--

  “Shinji, I never knew how fast you could be. Consider me impressed.”

  Turning on a dime, Shinji looked towards his left. About ten feet away, leaning against a tree. A middle-aged man of average appearance could be found. His posture was relaxed and fluid, hands tucked behind his head like he was enjoying the view.

  Shinji quickly jumped back, widening the distance between the two. Taking hold of the pebble he had earlier grasped between his fingers, he reached over his head and prepared to throw it at him. The stranger responded by quickly throwing up his hands in a show of surrender.

  “Mercy please. I didn't come for a fight, You’re far stronger than me anyway Shinji.” His careless voice was grating. It was like nothing could affect him. He bluntly stated he was outmatched but didn't show a hint of fear.

  “Then what did you come for, Kenjaku, and where is??????”

  Still holding his hand high above his head, Shinji questioned Kenjaku. He made no attempt to disguise the disdain he held for him in his tone. Out of the three who ran that place, he may not have been the worst, but certainly was a close second. He was right that he couldn’t pose much of a threat to him, still, if he had found him... That monster probably wasn't far behind.

  Kenjaku gave a careless shrug and said“I came because there’s something I want to offer you. As for?????, I’m not quite sure. That bumbling Oaf is probably giving him his reward by now. I doubt he realizes you managed to escape.”

  . He began to gradually move forward towards Shinji, shortening the gap between them by the moment.

  “How did you find me and did... did anyone else survive?” Shinji choked the question out, unable to stop the brief shudder that ran through him. The stiffness in his voice was replaced with childish optimism. He knew him surviving that calamity was a miracle but he couldn't help but hope.

  “I’ve set up a multitude of barriers all around this place. They each serve a different function, but what they all have in common is allowing me to track anything inside them. As for your second question, I'm afraid not; you're the only one who was smart enough to run.”

  Shinji’s arm fell to his side, the will to fight completely abandoning him.

  “... What do you want, Kenjaku?”

  Shinji looked up at Kenjaku; by now he was standing directly in front of him. He had a slight smile etched on his face; it seemed to radiate concealed malice. Slowly he reached over and placed a hand on Shinji's shoulder. He felt repulsed by that touch, but he made no move to shake it off. What little hope the boy held onto had been thoroughly crushed, leaving only an icy heart crushed by despair.

  “To give you an opportunity at a new life.”

  “Huh?”

  “You see, my cursed technique allows me to switch bodies with other people, letting me to live on throughout the ages. I’ve experimented and managed to figure out how to preserve others and reincarnate them in the future. In order to do this, you’ll have to “die” in your current life though.”

  Shinji was taken aback by this information, his mind going blank for a few moments before the gears started to turn. The prospect of the idea sounded... interesting, all that being said. It was a deal that was too good to be true. There was no such thing as a good deal. Especially when it came to deals with devils like Kenjaku.

  “How do I know you're not just lying and will kill me instead of making me this... cursed object thing?”

  Shinji took a step back and shook his vile hand off of his shoulder. He attempted to stand his ground and not let himself be swayed by pretty words alone. Kenjaku responded with a wave of his hands before continuing.

  “If you don’t believe me, we can make a binding vow. It’s something sorcerers make with themselves or others; think of it like a promise. Breaking it will entail consequences that are unpredictable and carried out by fate. Your father broke one he made about twenty years ago. It’s why he’s so feeble now. We never bothered to teach any of you it because the risk of a foolish vow being made wasen’t one I wanted to take.” The devils words dripped out of his mouth like honey. The words made... sense? Shinji didn't feel like he was being lied to, and it would explain why that old bastard was the way he was. Still, even assuming Kenjaku had told him the truth, a far more pressing issue remained.

  “Why would you do this for me? It… Seems far too kind to be something you would do.” Shinji couldn't trust him. There was no trusting a man like Kenjaku. The two who did ended up regretting it, even if it was decades later.

  Kenjaku grabbed his heart as if in great pain saying "Geez, words can hurt ya know. But to answer your question, I just think it would be interesting.”

  All hints of humor vanished from that man when he finished speaking. All that was left was a deep curiosity as he gazed right through Shinji, seeing something Shinji didn't want to know about. He didn't want to know what a monster like Kenjaku found interesting but the words tumbled out of his lips regardless.

  “... Interesting?”

  “You're going to be waking up in a brand new world, unaware of your surroundings, and attempting to turn a new leaf. Just try and picture it—the two roads you could walk down. On one path, a new life, one where you are happy and have forgotten all about everything that has happened here. The other path is one of sadness and loneliness—drowning in the sins you find yourself unable to part with. Aren’t you interested in seeing which one you’ll take?”

  Kenjaku made a show of raising each arm as he laid out Shinji's options in front of him. Dramatically clapping them together before reaching towards Shinji as his speech’s end drew nearer. Shinji tilted his head, giving a slight pause to think before responding with his own question to Kenjaku's enigmatic display.

  “I’m not exactly an expert, but isn't it naive to assume I’ll only have two ways to go?”

  “Not at all, no matter how much people try and try. Or however winding the road may be, the end result can always be seen from the starting line. Even if there are multiple possible endings, you can always tell how many from the beginning. Such is the inevitability of this thing we call fate. Getting to see how someone makes it there and what ending they have is where I find it thrilling. Consider this my final lesson to you, Shinji. Now then.”

  Kenjaku slowly moved his hand towards the young boy, stopping a few feet and opening his palm as if asking for a shake.

  “Are you ready?” Kenjaku asked, as if he knew that Shinji would agree with the disgusting idea of placing his life in the monster's hands.

  But he was right wasn't he? Shinji had nothing left to live for here. Even if his life turned out just like those two fools who had taken this monster's hand. He would have a second chance at life and that wasn't an opportunity he could pass up.

  And death was a risk he would always live with as a sorcerer.

  ____________________________________

  November 1st, 2018 Nagoya colony

  He was lying down on something hard; the beds the boy was used to weren’t the best, but it was certainly better than whatever this was. He didn’t feel very tired, but for some reason felt compelled to stay. His limbs felt like they were a hundred pounds, and he couldn’t muster the energy to open his eyes. The temptation to surrender to the sandman's spell once more was overwhelming.

  Though he couldn’t shake the feeling he was forgetting something important. What was he even doing? The last thing he remember was Ken-- With a jolt, Shinji opened his eyes and was greeted by... A white sky?

  Sitting up, Shinji reached over his eyes and pulled the parchment off his face. No, it wasn't a parchment. It was far too thin to be parchment, and the words written on it weren’t from dried ink. They weren’t from any dialect he was familiar with, but he could read them perfectly for some reason— it wasn't real knowledge, Shinji knew at that moment. It wasn't something he knew. The "parchment” on his face seemed to be something called a "newspaper”.

  Looking up, the sky was still blue thankfully. The thing he had been lying on was a structure he had never seen before. It had four legs, a backdrop, two arms on either side, and was composed mostly of wood and some metal. It looked like a lengthened chair. A park bench more of that strange knowledge provided him. Upon further examination of his surroundings, he noticed there were countless trees around him. Well beyond that towering into the sky were rectangular buildings. He was too far away to make out finer details, but they were composed of something he had never seen before.

  "Hello, I’m Kogane.”

  Startled, Shinji jumped up off the makeshift bed and turned in the direction of this voice. The source appeared to come from some... Giant bug? It seemed about a foot long and had tiny wings at the top, it's body was like a cylinder that got smaller the further down it went, a small tail protruding from the bottom of it. Its head was at the very top with two empty sockets that seemed to be its eyes, and a small mouth was nestled between those hollow holes and couple inches lower then them.

  “What are you?” His voice, laced with caution, was different, yet familiar.

  “I’m Kogane.” The bug was speaking!

  It didn't pose a threat intellectually; that much was certain. Its voice was unusually high-pitched and cheerful; it made Shinji feel unsettled.

  “Why are you here, Kogane?”

  “Because you’re a player in the Culling Games, Shinji.”

  “The Culling Games?”

  “Yes, a deadly battle royal that has begun across Japan in ten colonies. Would you like to hear the rules?”

  Well, it doesn't seem Kenjaku was lying about his offer, even if he didn't tell me the full story. At the very least, I don’t think I’m in hell.

  The realization that he was in fact alive brought Shinji no amount of relief. Kenjaku might not have been lying about bringing him to life in another era, but he certainly wasn't entirely forthcoming about what it would entail. Turning around, he finally noticed the massive barrier that seemed to be enclosing this area. It was a giant black wall protruding out from the ground and stretching up to the heavens with no end in sight. Looking to the left and right, it seemed to curve in before it went beyond a distance his eyes could follow.

  Clicking his tongue in irritation, he looked towards Kogane. Whatever was going on hearing what this thing had to tell him couldn’t hurt.

  “Yes, please tell me all the rules.”

  Wandering away from the place where he had woken up, Shinji eventually managed to reached a pathway. It was devoid of life and unlike anything he had seen before. The ground was composed entirely of stone, with yellow and white chalked lines in the middle. A “road”. The strange knowledge was both helpful and deeply concerning. How deeply had Kenjaku meddled with his mind? On either side elevated was a section of a different type of stone than the normal ground, “pavements”; even further beyond that were massive buildings unlike any he had seen.

  Shiji tried his best not to focus too much on them given the many pressing questions he had about my situation. But his desire to learn more about the state of this “future” world was increasing by the moment.

  Letting out a sigh, he shook my head and tried to focus on more important issues, like the state of this game. From what Kogane had said, it seemed Kenjaku had designed this game with the intention of having the players kill each other. Given that all the rules revolve around that concept, it seemed like a safe bet it was what he wanted. The only question was why.

  “Sorcerers are worth five points, and non-sorcerers are worth one point.”

  I must be a sorcerer, and non-sorcerers must mean people who can’t use cursed energy. I didn't know people like that were a thing. Kogane said this was happening in ten colonies. So ten locations, each surrounded by a massive barrier. Their purpose is probably to contain players and force conflicts.

  Shinji had been walking for a few hours now, maintaining a fair amount of distance from the barrier; it definitely was curving in. The black walls shifting around the more he went. Despite the distance he had managed to cover, he hadn't made contact with another player. Which was both a good and a bad thing. On one hand, finding another player could give him a good opportunity to ask them about Kenjaku since they might know why he started this game. On the other hand, depending on the person they may try to kill him to get some points. Which could pose an issue depending on how strong the average player is.

  I’m not above having to kill them if need be; it seems like I'll have to if I want to live anyway. The main issue is just how strong the participants are. I’m not sure how long Kenajku has been gathering players for; in a worst-case scenario, all of them likely eclipse me in might. Though given how heavily the rules are trying to encourage conflict and my presence, I doubt he only selected the all-mighty to take part. Still, I should keep my head down till I can get a good read on just how strong the pla--

  The rumbling of his stomach disrupted his train of thought. It had been a day since he had last eaten, though that was in his previous body, so using that as a metric seemed pointless.

  Looking around, Shinji managed to find a building that seemed to be advertising itself as selling food. Like every other place, it was deserted; it also had see-through doors and walls, which didn't make much sense to him, like... Pretty much every other architectural design here. Letting out a sigh, he examined the place to see what food he could find.

  Unsurprisingly, he didn't recognize anything in here despite it all being labeled as food. The building had 2 shelves 4 feet from the walls that divided the place into three rows. At the very end, there were more see-through doors that completely lined the back wall. The shelves were full of these... containers? He didn't see a way to open them, but they folded into themselves when touched--making a crumpling sound--and seemed to have stuff inside of them. He could consult more of that strange knowledge but the feeling of knowing things he didn't was deeply unsettling.

  Experimentally, Shinji tried ripping it open at what he assumed to be the top. Luckily enough, it happened to work, and he was greeted with the sight of “chips” if the container was being truthful. Hesitantly, he took one and began to chew it, not really sure how it would taste. After a moment, he quickly began scarfing them down. It was unlike anything I had ever had before.

  Shinji was half way done with his meal when he heard a sound to the left. He turned his head and saw a miniature squid-like creature. It had an odd shape; the head was elongated and looked like a horizontal oval. Its torso was a small cylinder that connected to a series of tentacles that formed of its legs. The oddest thing about this creature was that it was flying and at chest height a few feet from him. It had brushed into the shelves and that must have been the noise he heard.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Shinji tilted my head at the sight of it, perplexed by what it could be or why it was here. Perhaps it was like Kogane? As that brief question ran through his thoughts, the flying squid started to glow, it's entire being becoming a luminous orange, and before he could question why it was acting this way, it erupted into a ball of fire.

  Flames gushed out from the front of the convenience store. They scorched the pavement, causing the asphalt to bubble into tar. After a few seconds, all that remained was a crater; any sign of the building that used to lie there turned to cinders. Standing across the street from where the building once stood, the cause of its destruction was found.

  He was short in stature, with golden blond hair that ran down to his shoulders. The man's hazel eyes stared judgmentally towards the place he had targeted with his technique. Bringing his hands up from his sides towards his front, he shaped them together in the form of a joint fist. After he did so, eight more of those squid-like creatures appeared around him in a circle.

  “You can come out now; I wasn't awarded any points, so you must be alive. There isn't much use in trying to hide.”

  He was met with silence for a moment before he heard a voice come from his left and turned to meet it.

  “Don’t mistake my concern for my meal for cowardness. I had to stash whatever chips I was able to grab so you don’t blow them up again.”

  The two combatants met each other's gaze for the first time. The “squid bomber” took the opportunity to size his prey up, not having bothered to at first since he assumed he would go down quickly. Physically, he didin’t seem like he was older then twenty, his short stature and childlike face being indicative of this. Still, there was something about the way he carried himself that the man found unsettling. His black eyes stared at him without any sign of fear or concern; it was the gaze of a seasoned warrior. To have achieved such mental fortitude while being so youthful, not to mention how he had evaded a surprise attack at the last possible moment without harm.

  At the end of his assessment, the man felt himself tense up. Legs going stiffer then a board.He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. A singular thought was running through his head.

  This kid is dangerous.

  While his attacker had been sizing him up, a different line of thought had taken course in Shinji's mind. One he decidedly would act on.

  “How many points do you have?”

  The man was visibly surprised by Shinji's inquiry. Frowning, he decided to respond truthfully.

  “Sixty, why do you ask?”

  “You’ll have to forgive me. I’m just curious where exactly you place amongst the players in terms of strength. You’re the first person I’ve come across, so I’m trying to use you as a reference. It’s only been a few hours, so killing twelve others in that short amount of time seems like quite the feat. I presume you’re what people would consider a powerful sorcerer, no?”

  "Indeed, I’m Kaji the flame; when I was alive, there wasn't a single place in this country where my name did not reach. My curse technique is invincible and has allowed me to prevail in countless battles.”

  "Ok, I didn’t as-”

  “It allows me to create up to eight shikigami at a time. In order to first summon them, I need to make a corresponding hand gesture. As you saw, they are able to explode into flames and will do so automatically upon taking enough damage or whenever I wish it. Their range is limited to anything I can see.”

  “... What… Why… You… Are you an idiot?”

  Shinji was struck dumb at his opponent's free flowing speech. He had disclosed how his ability worked of his own volition to his opponent with a smile on his face. There was an option that he was lying, of course, but everything he said was plausible and fit with what he had seen so far. Much to his surprise, Kaji seemed more confused than deterred about having disclosed his technique to his opponent.

  “No, I’m merely explaining my technique to you in order to bolster its effectiveness.”

  “Huh?”

  “What? Have you seriously never heard of binding vows before?”

  “Only recently… What exactly is a Shikigami?”

  Kaji's face quickly found itself consumed by confusion at his opponents question. Even quicker did his mouth stretch into a smug smile, quicker still did he begin to laugh. It was loud and boisterous, something rather confusing to his opponent.

  "Why are you laughing?”

  “Haha. Sorry, it’s just that I thought you were someone to be concerned about. Clearly, I must have been mistaken; you aren't even familiar with basic Jujutsu. As to your first question, answering it would be pointless. What good is knowledge to a dead man?”

  Kaji waved his hand forward and sent six of his shikigami towards Shinji; He normally kept two at his side as a precaution just to be safe. The dread he had felt from this child had long since subsided, but that was no excuse to be reckless. Whether a lion or a flea, it was proper courtesy to strike it down with all of one’s might.

  Looking towards the boy, Kaji noticed he had let go of something he was holding when his attack had begun. It looked like nothing more than an ordinary pebble. The boy had quickly moved back from where he had dropped it. Foolishly attempting to gain some distance. If he wished to fight at long range, Kaji would be more than happy to oblige. There was nowhere he can hide in this street that he can’t follow.

  Only half a second had occurred since Kajis attack began. That being said, the six shikigami were hot on Shinji's trail, were only ten feet away from him despite his leap backwards, having eclipsed his original spot . The same spot where an unassuming pebble was in freefall and rapidly approaching the ground.

  Kaji judged the mass of sediment irrelevant and sent the mental command for his shikigami to explode. In accordance, the six that were quickly enclosing Shinji began to glow. Kaji Intended for them to close the distance while they were combusting to shorten any time Shinji had to dodge.

  As he did this, that solitary rock barreled towards the floor. Naught more than a few centimeters off the ground at this point, as the squids turned from a light yellow to dazzling orange. The stone made contact with the floor.

  Rather anticlimactically, it bounced harmlessly off the ground. The only sound being made comparable to that of a pin dropping. In truth, the stone was just that—a stone. One that Shinji had picked up off the ground while placing his snacks in the safety of a nearby building. By all accounts, the occurrence that happened roughly .058 seconds after the stone connected with the asphalt, was impossible.

  Suddenly, the ground exploded; chunks of concrete flung upwards along with dirt. Some had been grounded down into nothing but rocky dust, which obstructed Kaji's view of his target. The dust was quickly overtaken in the next instant by a ball of fire. It was much greater than the attack that had leveled the convenience store. Stretching 30 feet in every direction, the flames persisted for a moment before dying down. In that instant, Kaji felt a familiar rush of heat he had long since become accustomed to.

  Examining the blast site, Kaji saw nothing of note. The ground had been burned away and seared to a charred black. The bubbling of tar could be heard loudly; buildings at the side were lit up by small flames in the parts where the heat hadn't disintegrated them in their entirety. It was entirely possible that he had managed to immolate him down to nothing. But yet again, a point transfer had not been declared, so he must have lived.

  Kaji looked at his surroundings with scrutiny. Trying to determine where he must be hiding. Thoughts of what his opponents technique must be crossed his mind. Trying to put together what exactly that child did to cause the explosion.

  Dink

  While Kaji was ruminating over what exactly his foe had done. He felt a slight force connect with the side of his head. Turning quickly to look at what had been thrown at him. He saw a small coin; it spun around and around as it fell towards the ground. If one were to properly discern the effectiveness of this "attack", if it could even be called that. It would quite literally be the equivalent of throwing a pebble at a adult. Due to this, Kaji was confused as to why it had been made. Only in the next instant did he realize his error.

  “You have earned five points.”

  Splat

  Splat

  The sorcerer known as Kaji the flame crashed harmlessly into the ground in a series of consecutive squishing sounds. His body had been bisected down the middle in a straight line. Starting at the left side of his head all the way down to his feet, then all the way across his body, he had been severed. It was as if an invisible clever had swiftly and precisely cut him, the world itself being the cutting board.

  Each segment fell out rather comically, Skin crashing into the ground and making a squishy sound one after another. Blood began to pour out, dying the ground a bright red. His organs spilled onto the ground. The two Shikigami that had remained dispersed instantly upon their summoner's swift demise.

  Well, that was easy.

  Shiniji took a glance to his left and noticed Kogane had appeared to declare his points being awarded.

  “Kogane Did he really have sixty points?”

  He was met with silence before Kogane quickly vanished into thin air.

  It seems its only role is to regulate this game rather than serve as a guide. He had to at least have killed one player since he knew that his points would be announced upon killing me. He didn't seem like he was lying or exaggerating to intimidate me; if he were, I imagine he would have said a larger number. If someone as weak as him was able to score so highly, I shouldn’t have to worry about other players. Kenjaku must have gone with quantity over quality after all.

  Shinji walked away from the corpse and moved towards the building where he had placed his chips. It was a couple buildings to the left of the convenience store. Shinji had gone around to the other side of Kasji so the risk of him blowing up his treats would be low. Taking a glance over to the destruction he had caused, Shiniji was grateful he did.

  Entering the building, Shiji looked towards the hastily dropped food with a frown. he had only managed to save three bags. Each was the size of both his fists put together and wouldn’t last him very long. Letting out a sigh, he sat down on the floor and leaned against a wall.

  Shinji opened one of the bags and attempted to eat slower this time so he could savor my meal. Letting his mind wander as he began to ponder the question he still had.

  All right, binding vows can be used in more ways than just making deals with others it seems. Then there's shikigami. They seem to be beings summoned by cursed energy and can be incorporated into techniques. Knowing Kenjaku, he knew about all these things and just didn't tell us. I wonder how common they are. Kaji described them as basic, so probably very. Kenjaku said reverse cursed technique and domain expansions are advanced applications of cursed energy, so most players probably don’t have them. Unless kenjaku was lying again. Probably shouldn’t have killed him with one attack so I could see if he could use reverse cursed technique. Oh well, I can check with the next player I run into.

  He let out a sigh before chomping down on another chip. Letting his head lean back and enjoying the taste.

  So, what do I do now? This colony is pretty big from the looks of it. I could get another 95 points and add a rule so I could find Kenjaku and make him explain everything... Why do I even care? Whatever he’s up to, it’s not my problem.

  Sitting up, Shinji picked up his remaining food and walked towards the door. Exiting the building and resuming my wandering path to see what else he could find. Sneaking a glance towards the two halves of a man that were lying on the floor.

  This game, I didn't sign up for this, so why should I bother playing? He offered me to start a new life, but what do I even want to do with it? Asahi would probably know; he always looked ahead.

  “One day, let’s get out of here and go see the world in full.”

  He let out a chuckle at the memory as a faint smile fell upon his lips. It quickly changed into a somber one as he remembered the look of horror and fear on his sisters face after he…

  “Just try and picture it—the two roads you could walk down. On one path, a new life, one where you are happy and have forgotten all about everything that has happened here. The other path is one of sadness and loneliness—drowning in the sins you find yourself unable to part with.”

  Tucking his food into his pockets, Shinji reached up with both his hands and slapped himself on the cheeks. Trying to drown out the resurfacing voice with pain.

  Enough. It’s over. Whatever I want, I’m going to do. Kenjakus in the past. Sis is in the past. Asashi is the past. That monster is in the past. This is my future, I won’t let my past define it.

  Picking up speed, Shinji began to run from the site where his battle had taken place, wanting to quickly better his understanding of this area so he could figure out what to do first. That was what he was running towards. However, it would be much more accurate to say what he was running from.

  November 14th, 2018 Nagoya colony

  “The hell, he was your friend, you monster... Guess I can’t criticize you much in that regard though, Light.”

  Setting volume seven down, Shinji lounged back into the couch. Letting his feet hang off the far end while I placed my head on the arm. After walking around for a little, he managed to find a small neighborhood. From there, he decided to make one of the homes his base and educate himself on the times.

  The first house he picked had a lot of this stuff called manga. It seems whoever lived here were collectors of it. Having from what he could tell, the full series of Death Note, Kingdom, and Fullmetal Alchemist. Shinji had finished Kingdom a few days ago and had moved onto Death Note in the meantime. he’d never really been a fan of literature, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn't having fun.

  With a grunt, he managed to get up and look outside of the window. It was nighttime, and the stars were out. Shinji had only ever seen them about half a dozen times before coming here. So he took pleasure in this nightly ritual of his. They were cut off by the barrier, so it wasn't a perfect view. He had tried to get outside to get a better look, but his suspicion was confirmed that you can’t pass through them.

  it’s probably a one-way in-type deal once you declare yourself a player. Once I finish Death Note, I’ll go looking to see if I can find anymore players. I have to kill one or transfer them points in the next 7 days, or else I’ll lose my cursed technique. I don’t know what it entails, but I really don’t want to find out.

  “Kogane, one more time, are there any players registered under the name Kenjaku?” It was a fruitless question but he couldn't help but repeat it every night.

  Materializing to his left, floating at eye level, the game master appeared.

  “No players by that name are participating in the culling game.”

  “I see, it seems like Kenjaku still isn't participating for whatever reason. Thanks, Kogane, you can go now.”

  Bang bang bang

  Suddenly, without warning, a steady stream of loud noises began. Looking out, he could see little sparks lighting up from some ways away.

  I guess that must be what a gun sounds like; I should probably go over to see if bullets pose a threat to me.

  With a click of his tongue, Shinji rolled down the window and leaped onto the opposing rooftop. Jumping from roof to roof, he made his way closer and closer to the source of the sound. The closer he got, the louder it became, and the less frequently it rang out. After a minute or so, it eventually stopped all together. Reaching the place where the noise had originated, he was... surprised to say the least.

  The source seemed to be a decently large park in the neighborhood that he hadn't noticed before. The park was littered with mangled corpses, bloody and torn apart. They were all wearing a type of clothing he wasn't familiar with. It was mottled with patches of green, and they had high duty helmets on. Countless of what Shinji thought were guns were scattered around as well. They were a lot longer than the guns he had seen in Death Note, but they had the right aesthetic.

  He grabbed one off of the floor and fiddled around with it. Shinji found what he presumed to be the trigger, pointing it up in the air, and tried to shoot it. Fortunately, it had worked; he tested it a few more times to be sure. The bullets traveled quickly, but as long as it wasn't point blank, He would be able to dodge them.

  “HEEE HEEE”

  Suddenly, without warning, a loud, inhuman sound rang out. It was something between a cackle and a laugh. Shinji turned to look towards the sound of the noise and was met with quite the sight.

  It had the right shape of a humanoid with two arms and two legs, but those were about the only similarities. Its frame was massive and densely packed with muscle, it probably was about eight feet tall. Its skin was a light blue, and its head had four streaks of black running across it from the back to the front. Each was spaced even on its head. Two being found where ears would normally be, and two more an equal distance from each other between those. The streaks in the middle had two eyes on each of them—eyes that were staring at him. Its fingers were elongated and looked more like claws, and it was scantily dressed, only having a loincloth. There was also a small hole in the middle of its chest.

  “Are you human?”

  Instead of answering with words, it responded with a wide smile. Bringing both of its arms down by its side before shooting them out towards Shinji. As it did so, a yellow glow enveloped its arms before discharging itself as a projecting towards him. Experimentally, he raised his hand to block the projectile instead of dodging. He swatted it away like he would a fly. Looking back at the creature, it had brought its hands to its head and was making what he presumed to be a confused expression.

  That wasn't a cursed technique; it just launched cursed energy at me with a lot of momentum. I didn't know something like that was possible, and then again, I didn't know something like whatever the hell this thing is was possible.

  “Can you understand me? I’m not trying to fi--”

  “HEHEHEHHE”

  With a cackle, it lunged towards him with untamed animosity in its eyes. Yellow energy is engulfing its hands. With a sigh, he reached down to the ground and picked up the shell casings from the shots he had fired off, one in each hand. It had closed the gap and brought both of its hands down from above, attempting to pound Shinji into the floor.

  Shinji stepped back a moment before twin fists collided with his head. It’s fists connected with the floor and launched debris into the air. he threw a casing at each of the creatures elbows as Shinji dodged back. It looked up at him after missing and probably was preparing to attack again. Right on cue, both his arms were cut cleanly at the elbow. It fell to the ground and leaking a purple fluid, which he presumed to be this thing's blood.

  After its arms were cut, it leaped back with another cackle. The flesh around where it had been injured began to shift. Moving and growing in size, over the course of a couple of seconds, both of its arms were good as new. Shooting Shinji a ghastly smile after it was done. All the while, Shinji was fitting a glove he had found in his borrowed home over his left hand.

  It can heal itself, but that wasn't a reverse curse technique just now. It’s like this thing is entirely composed of cursed energy; did it just turn its cursed energy reserves into an arm? It doesn't seem to be able to think; it just attacks whatever's near it.

  Having healed itself, it charged forward once again. This time, however, Shinji moved forward in accordance as well. Leaping forward he gathered all the strength he could and dashed toward it as fast as possible. Before the thing could even blink he had managed to palm it’s head with his left hand.

  “Alright then, lets see how durable you are.”

  “You have earned five points.”

  Before it could screech out a response, its mouth, along with the rest of its body, was reduced into tiny segments. All at once, countless amounts of cuts appeared across the creature's body; it was as if it had been run through a shredder. The body pieces all began to fall to the floor. Slowly dissolving away into nothingness.

  “I only meant to cut you into three; sorry, I’ve always been bad at gauging how much strength I need to use.”

  Issuing an apology to the now-dead recipient, Shinji's attention turned to the floating game master, who had just announced his change in points.

  That thing was a sorcerer? I suppose it’s possible that their cursed technique turned them into that thing. But cursed techniques should dispel after death regardless of effect.

  Looking down towards the ground, he noticed something rather strange. The pieces of that thing's body had dissolved by now, all except one thing. Reaching down to pick it up, He brought it closer to his face to inspect it. It seemed to be some kind of finger, only all red and dried up like it was mummified. What was especially interesting to him was the residuals of cursed energy that could be found on it. Matching exactly to someone who he was supposed to be free of in this new world.

  " ?????.”

  November 16th, 2018 Nagoya colony

  “Sei… yu…”

  He looked down at the map he had found lying around his borrowed home. Under the key, this place was listed as a supermarket, whatever the hell that meant.

  “Oh well, it can’t hurt to try.”

  Walking in, Shinji was initially taken aback at the size. The place was massive, countless rows created by shelves. Though the place was in tatters admittedly. The shelves were mostly barren, and items littered the ground. Players must have already raided the joint. Walking around, he found more empty shelves than he did full ones; still, he doubted many players would have taken what he was looking for.

  After a good fifteen minutes of searching, Shinji began to grow deterred. Having sleuthed through what felt like every square inch of this place, he was prepared to leave and try the next store. That was when, turning the corner, he managed to find what he was looking for—the manga aisle. As expected, the players hadn't cared much to raid it, and with a dash of hope having crept into his heart, he began to look through all the selections in search of my desired treasure.

  “Come on, please be here... Just a little luck, that’s all I ne-- YES”

  With a shout Shiji jumped up triumphantly, holding his treasured tome high above his head. The thirteenth volume of the Death Note, the person whose home he had been staying in, had neglected to house the next volume. He had been searching for it all day in the houses near his, and it had dawned on him to look for a store after going through a few dozen houses and coming up empty.

  A slight thud could be heard while he was still midair, glancing down the finger he had kept in his pocket that had fallen onto the floor in his excitement. After making contact with the ground, Shinji quickly scooped it up and returned it to his pocket. He still didn't really have a clue what that thing was, but he was more than aware of the danger this finger held. No matter what he tried, he couldn’t destroy it. So until he found a nice dark hole to throw it down, he would make sure no one could reincarnate the monster inside it.

  “A new rule has been added to the culling game. Players may now enter and exit along colony boundaries.”

  “Huh…”

  That took long enough; I guess it’s time to leave this colony. Where do I go though? It’ll have to be one of the other colonies since I have to keep changing points.

  “Kogane display one person from each of the other 9 colonies.”

  On cue, it’s torso morphed into a flat surface with a screen displaying players from different colonies.

  Well, I’m not really sure what I was expecting, not like I’m familiar with this time anyway. Wait… tokyo, isn't that where Death Note takes place? Oh well, might as well head there first.

  "Kogane, can you tell me which direction the Tokyo number one colony is?”

  It didn't answer with words; instead, it just floated itself at an angle and pointed its head towards the desired direction.

  “Alright then, off to Tokyo I go.”

  Exiting the store Shinji just started running in the direction he had been given. He wasn't really sure how to operate a car, but he should get there on foot soon enough. He felt the weight in my pocket from the finger—a weight far heavier than its actual mass. It irked him that he was hanging onto it while trying to put everything behind him. Tossing the thing was far too dangerous if it meant risking ?????incarnating.

  What does it matter if he incarnated anyway? I highly doubt killing me is high on his priority list. No, he doesn't deserve to live again. Not after killing sis. Then again, I don’t understand that logic; I’m the one who broke her heart.

  Shinji clenched his fists in frustration as the thought ran through my head. There wasn't much point dwelling over the past, but telling himself that didn't make it easier. Just what did he hope to accomplish here? Being happy? The hell does that even entail? He was happy when it was just the three of them.

  Alright, new goal; find another person. Preferably one who doesn't want to kill me and make a friend. How exactly do I make a friend anyway… Whatever I’ll figure it out when I meet someone. It can’t be that hard.

  With a goal in mind, Shinji ran towards the Tokyo colony. There were countless things transpiring that he was unaware of. Though in truth, those things mattered very little to him. If he were to know about Ryomen Sukuna’s incarnation in Yuji Itadori and his subsequent take over of Megumi Fushigiro, or Kenjakus plan to merge the people of japan with Tengen nearly coming to completion; Nothing of significance would have changed in the actions he had taken in the past fifteen days. That being said, the same could not be said about the player in the Morioka colony who had scored over 500 points since the game began. If he were to have known of their existence, He would have made his way to them as quickly as possible. Even quicker would he scour the country for the man who hid their survival from him, Shinji would see to it that his head was mounted on a pike. Though perhaps the most important thing he was unaware of, was the borrowed dream he had not yet realized he was living; that or the curse he was carrying.