Let's begin the hunt.

I, Akira Tsukishiro, had regressed back to my 17 year-old self after a warp gate accident that should have killed me at 24. At the moment of my death, I was given a mysterious clock pendant—the cause of my regression.

This pendant grants me a single ability: time-freeze. I can stop time for up to 10 seconds. When time resumes, my muscles pay the price. That much, I already know. What I don’t know is how much more this artifact is hiding.

I’m certain it was given to me by an S-rank demon, for reasons far beyond my understanding. Since wearing it, my body has been healing at a speed no human should be capable of.

If I wanted to make full use of this second life, I couldn’t rely on the pendant alone.

So I decided to train.

Every day, I’ll push my body past its limits—200 push-ups, 200 squats, 200 pull-ups, and a 15 km run.

To reduce media coverage on me, Shin Sekai had written off the hospital to keep me in check for a week. So, I basically don’t need to pay the bills, and I get to be in a safe space while I train my body. The nurses were astonished by my behaviour, but I showed them progress of my body’s healing whenever they stopped me. After some point, they didn’t bother stopping me from training.

First it was tough to do all these exercises daily, but I failed a lot. But, in the next few days, I got the hang of it. I can effortlessly run 15 km. If it wasn’t for my smartwatch distance alerts, I would easily cross 20 km without realising.

If i wasn’t careful enough, i could accidentally crush a coin in half.

My body was fundamentally changed—My jet black hair had grown out of proportion and became shabby, reaching my neck. My strength and stamina had reached its peak real fast.

My body had the aptitude for intense training. “if I had trained like this in my previous life, I would have been better at magic skills..”

Well, no point in sulking now. But, something has been bothering me ever since I regressed..

My memory is hazy now.

My manager from my part-time job caught me during one of my runs. I had totally forgotten about my part-time job at a retail store, I couldn't even remember its address.

He yelled at me for missing shifts, and asked me if I was visiting my parents place.

“What? You’re telling me that you don’t even remember your own hometown that you grew up in!? Ah, geez. What can I do with you clumsy kids..”

“Sorry for the hassle, Ishinori-san..” I apologized, bowing down.

I can hear some girls chatting and giggling at this strange scene.

They even took photos with me while I waited for the manager to bring my parent’s address from his employee register.

Seems like the ladies favor my new look, Huh. Love always seemed like a bothersome endeavor anyway—one I never bothered pursuing.

It’s clear that my memory is fragmenting.

I find these gaps in my memory to be chilling, but I have to push the fear aside to focus on fixing my past mistakes for now.

It probably has something to do with the pendant. I’ll figure it out later.

In my previous life, I had dropped out of magic school due to pressure and guilt of losing my family. I had always ignored them ever since I moved to Kyoto. Up until their deaths.

I don’t have a phone to call.

I have to take my discharge from the hospital and travel by train to Saitama Prefecture.

My parents’ home is near the Sayama Natural Park.

The train ticket is expensive for my liking—I can’t do this often, but meeting my family matters more.

After a long journey, I finally arrived at my parents’ home.

“Brother!! He is back!” shouted a voice.

My 7 year-old younger brother, Hikaru, came rushing when he saw me from the window.
My dad, Akio came outside, and grabbed my bags.

“Akira, Welcome home.”

“Oh! Akira-chan get inside quickly, you’ll catch a cold!” replied, my mother, Terumi from the window.

My legs collapsed, I couldn’t stand it. “Ah.. I’m glad you’re all alive!” I broke down crying, and hugging Hikaru, who doesn’t know how to respond.

“I’m sorry for always being distant.. Father.. mother..”

My parents, who are unaware of the future tragedy that took their lives, are baffled by my sudden change in behaviour.

“I’ll become a Top mage and protect our home at all costs!! Forgive me for leaving your side!”

My father, who instinctively understood my emotional state, even though he doesn't know the actual reason behind it.

My mother got outside, and consoled me to relax.

They must've thought I’m acting weird but I couldn't control my emotions.

I got inside my parents’ home. It looks exactly how I remembered it, back when I was a child.

We chatted and laughed the whole evening.

My parents were proud that my younger brother had aced above everyone else in both athletics and studies.

He’s a born-genius unlike me. That’s why, I'll never let anyone snuff out your light.. shine brighter, Hikaru.

My mother was preparing dinner—I felt the swarm of drowning souls cry out in the distance.

The Warp gate that killed my family years later had opened now, prematurely, alerting the neighborhood.

Moving faster than sound, I grabbed a kitchen knife my mother was using to chop onions, and closed the kitchen door, locking her inside.

I hid everyone in a safe place, just to be cautious.

I activated the clock pendant and froze time.

10 seconds with a muscle strain as cost. Along with this knife, it's more than enough for me.

‘Fast-Step’ I sped up in zig-zag motion and slaughtered 20 drowning souls at the doorstep before they could react.

Their shadowed bodies are cut up in pieces, limbs and heads flew in all directions before turning to dust.

I’ll not let the past repeat itself. I’ll protect my family at all costs.

“Let’s begin the Hunt.”