Chapter 0:
Soul: Reaper
Ito Toru. a name, easily forgotten. a boy, unloved. like he was shunned from everyone's heart. he lost his parents in a car crash, when he was five. he was the only survivor. sad, he couldn't even attend his own parents' funeral, since he was in a coma. alone, and forgotten, until he was moved to an orphanage. he was usually alone, non-talkative. children called him weird, but he didn't mind. he wanted to play, but he would be left out. foster home after foster home. his foster parents thought he was broken. he wouldn't talk, but he was always there. he'd pat his foster mother's back when she was crying. he'd help his foster father when he was in the garage, but no one's perfect. he was quiet. watching Dracula on the family computer, usually talking about gothic literature. and that was what made people forget about his kind soul. leaving, vanishing, forgetting.
it wasn't so good in high school. if anything, it was worse. he was bullied. he was called weak. weird. nerd. many, many names. dropping loads and loads of work on his shoulders. our poor boy. when he'd accept, he was called a teachers pet, a nerd. when he'd deny, he was called a good-for-nothing weirdo. making his soul shatter, darken, broken. but one thing had him going, his stories. he'd make stories about vampires, ghouls, myths. he would publish his works online, and people loved his work. they'd comment positively. and that was what made him continue his accursed life.
one day, at school, he was quiet, like always. dark circles under his eyes, because of another restless night crying. his bully shout out: "OI! you're finally turning into one of those vampires you love the most! but except of blood, you'd probably be sucking on teachers' toes!" everyone laughed of course. and each giggle, each side eye, would make his soul darker. he closed his eyes, but a rumble, made him open them again. startled, he saw himself and his entire classroom, in a dimly lit cathedral. his eyes widen. he grabbed his head. he closed and opened his eyes, he even pinched himself, but this was no dream...
"NO! NO NO NO NO! what is this? how is this? it's a dream, right? no?! what is going on? this is all in fairytales, so how could this happen?!" he thought to himself, as he looked around. his classmates panic, distress... but it was oddly... calming. their distress, was like a soothing balm to his wounded soul. as if their suffering made his mind at ease. he wasn't like this back in the original world. his heart would shatter at the sight of anyone in distress, then why was it calming for him now?
"BE NOT AFRAID!" a woman shouted, her voice asserting dominance. "I am Elizabeth, the queen of this nation. great heros! you have been summoned to another world, to save it from the forces of evil!"
"what?! save the world?" he thought to himself, his classmates' and the woman's speeches falling deaf to his ears. "what is this? some cliched light novel?! save the world from evil? what's next? the demon king?"
the woman continues: "the demon king has been acting recently, and we are afraid of what he might do next!"
"hmph, called it! I can read through her like a book!" but then, he realized something. he wasn't quiet anymore. like all those years of swallowing his words, has turned into hostility. sarcasm. pride. and a hint of vengeance. but he restrained himself. he listened.
"now, great heros, come so we'd know how powerful you are! place your hands on this magic crystal, so we'd know your might!"
and thus, little by little, his classmates were appraised by the crystal. and of all people, his bullies, were proven stronger than anyone else.
Sando Munoto, a literal asshole. he made Toru's high school life hell. he was recognized as an S-rank. "HAHAHAHAHA! I AM THE STRONGEST!" he yelled. "DARE YOU TO EVEN LOOK AT ME THE WRONG WAY!"
next was Ehara Tamaki. she would call him a nerd, a piece of virgin trash. and through it all, she was Munoto's girlfriend. "oh, my!" she said with a sultry voice. "A-rank, hmmm? couldn't be better!"
and so on and so fourth, their followers, each got C to B ranks. all, taking pride in their newly gained power.
now, it was Toru's turn. he placed his hand on the white crystal. the crystal, turned pure black. blacker than abyss. the queen's eyes widen. everybody was in shock. but Toru, he wasn't. if anything, he was captivated by the beauty of the darkness in front of him.
"what does this mean?!" Hakira, one of Munoto's followers asked.
"yes! why didn't the crystal turn black for us?" Munoto demanded, Tamaki nodding.
the queen, swallowed hard. "it... it means that..." suddenly, her eyes narrowed. Toru, saw darkness in her eyes. "it means he is the weakest! even worse than E, no, F-rank!"
"lie" Toru's subconscious told him. he could tell and judge. but the queen, backed down.
"yes! we must banish him from this land! he is a disappointment to heros!"
others agreed, not being able to tell the lie. his bullies, shouted in agreement, calling him names and slurs. he wanted to scream. to take revenge. to reek chaos. his face contorted in rage. the crystal, turning darker and darker, until it cracked.
"hah! he's so weak even the crystal can't stand it!" his bully, whom Toru had forgotten the name of due to rage, jested. everyone laughed.
"such a jester!" his mind reeled. "a mere clown, who now can hold a sword! don't make us laugh! what even was his name? Mu... moo? like a cow's sound? fits him! all he needs is a bigger brain to be like a cow!" his subconscious mind told him. making him stiffen a giggle. "and what is that?! its mate? that girl has slept with more men than a retired prostitute! oh, I almost am feeling sorry for our poor cow!" Toru can't hold it anymore. he laughs. and laughs. and laughs. dark, dirty laugh.
the queen, starts casting: "oh, great heavens, replace what I want somewhere else... teleport!"
and Toru's last words before teleporting were: "see you all soon!" and he vanishes. when he opens his eyes, he sees himself in a dark forest. exhausted, he walks forward. until he reaches a road. "I... found it..." he breathes before collapsing onto the ground. before his eyes close, he sees a carriage. he weakly whispers: "save... me..." and he closes his eyes, knowing he was banished and forgotten.
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