Chapter 1: The Fall into Darkness
Hikaru Kuroda never believed in destiny. He considered fate nothing more than a convenient excuse for weak minds. Yet, as he stood in the grand cathedral of the summoned, staring at the divine being floating before his class, he felt the weight of an unseen force shifting his entire world.
The goddess, an ethereal figure wrapped in golden light, gazed upon them with a serene smile. "Brave heroes, you have been chosen to rid our world of the Demon Lord and bring forth a new era of peace."
His classmates were in awe, their eyes wide with wonder as blue panels filled with intricate text appeared before them. Hikaru glanced at his own screen, his amethyst eyes narrowing.
Name: Hikaru Kuroda
Class: ???
Skills: ???
Nothing. Unlike his classmates, whose panels filled with grand titles and powerful abilities, his was empty. A void. The murmurs began almost immediately.
"No class?"
"Does that mean he's useless?"
"That's weird, everyone else has something."
A cold sense of unease settled in his stomach.
The goddess's serene expression faltered for the briefest moment before she turned to the kingdom's king, a burly man adorned in regal finery. He examined Hikaru with a piercing gaze before sighing deeply.
"An irregular," the king muttered. "Those without divine blessings cannot be allowed to remain."
The decision was made in an instant. Guards rushed forward, seizing Hikaru by his arms. He struggled, his well-built frame tense, but against the armored knights, he had no chance.
"Wait, this has to be a mistake!" he shouted, but no one listened.
His so-called friends turned their backs, some looking away in guilt, others whispering that it was for the best.
Then, without another word, they dragged him toward the edge of the summoning altar—toward a swirling vortex of abyssal darkness. The Execution Pit. A place reserved for traitors and monsters.
"No!" Hikaru twisted in their grip. "You can't just throw me away!"
The goddess spoke, her voice filled with forced regret. "You do not belong here. May the Abyss grant you mercy."
With one final push, Hikaru was cast into the void.
---
The fall lasted forever. Or perhaps it ended in an instant. Hikaru's senses blurred as he plummeted into the endless dark. Wind howled past his ears, the chill of the abyss seeping into his bones.
Then, pain. Blinding, searing pain. His body crashed against something unyielding, the impact cracking the ground beneath him. He gasped, coughing up blood as he lay motionless.
The darkness around him pulsed. Shapes slithered in the shadows. Hollow whispers filled the void, voices speaking in a tongue ancient and forgotten.
"A mortal?"
"No… a forsaken one."
"He does not belong here. And yet…"
With great effort, Hikaru pushed himself up, his long black hair, streaked with crimson at the tips, falling over his face. His glowing amethyst eyes adjusted to the darkness, revealing horrors beyond imagination. Monstrous figures loomed in the distance, their forms shifting and writhing like living nightmares.
Something changed within him. A new panel appeared before his eyes, filled with ominous text.
System Override Detected.
Skill Acquired: Rewrite
Warning: Consequences Unknown.
Rewrite? What did that mean? Hikaru clenched his fists. His rage burned away the fear. They had thrown him away, discarded him like trash. But he wasn't dead.
He was alive. And he would claw his way out of the Abyss. No matter the cost.
---
End of Chapter 1.