original

Mushoku Tensei: Second Son

Bab 1: A Second Chance for a Brave Soul

Under the dim light of the moon, the streets of Hiroshima lay peaceful and quiet. Yet, in a secluded alley, a scene of tragedy unfolded, shattering the tranquility of the night.

A young high school boy lay slumped against a wall, his breaths shallow and heavy. Blood stained his uniform, a stark contrast against the darkness surrounding him. The alley of the incident was eerily silent, save for the distant sound of footsteps reverberating against the concrete floor. It was a grim moment that would resonate through the hearts of those who witnessed it.

However, amidst this somber setting, one question remained.

How did it come to this?

-------------------------------------------------

It all started when the boy, known to his classmates as Ren Nakamura, was leaving school, expecting to go home and rest.

Exhausted from the day's lessons, he wearily strolled down the street, his mind preoccupied with thoughts of the upcoming exams and a pile of homework awaiting him.

"Kyaaa!"

However, he heard a loud cry for help coming from a nearby alley. Ren was startled and tried to find the source of the distressed sound. As he quickly turned the corner, he was met with a chilling sight.

There, in the dimly lit alley, stood a group of three malicious thugs, surrounding a young girl who was cowering against the wall. Ren instantly recognized her as one of his classmates, Sakura Tanaka, known for her cheerful demeanor and kindness toward others.

Wasting no time, Ren hastily assessed the scene, his mind racing to make a plan. Seizing a nearby rock and pipe, he ducked behind a rusted dumpster, preparing to distract the thugs and buy Sakura some time to escape.

"Let go of me! Help! Anyone, help me!" Sakura's voice trembled with fear as she pleaded for assistance.

The thug sneered. "It's no use, Missy. No one is here to save you."

Without hesitation, Ren hurled the rock, causing one of the thugs to flinch.

"Oi, someone threw a rock at me."

"Go check who it is then."

As the thug approached the dumpster, Ren tightened his grip on the pipe. When they came close enough, he swung it at their face, knocking them out cold.

The loud sound of the impact caught the attention of the other thugs, who turned their gaze toward Ren with menacing glares. His heart raced as he braced himself for the confrontation to come.

"Hey, who the hell are you?!" asked one of the thugs.

Ren pointed his pipe at them and responded, "I am just a passing-through high school boy."

Hearing his response that appears to be a reference from a certain show, the thugs and even the girl were speechless. Meanwhile, Ren was cringing to himself, realizing that he just said something stupid.

The thugs shrugged off the response and one of them advanced toward him, ready to teach him a lesson for daring to intervene. The approaching thug pulls out a knife and brandishes it in front of the boy, showing him what a real weapon looks like.

"Hmph, passing-through high school boy, huh? You will soon be passing away, boy."

As the thug cracked a joke, they swung his knife at Ren, which he narrowly dodged. He then counterattacks with his pipe, but the thug blocks and stabs the boy in the chest.

In a moment of agony, Ren staggered back, fighting to stay on his feet. Despite the pain, he refused to yield.

With a cruel chuckle, the thug prepared to strike the final blow. But in a last-ditch effort, Ren hurled his pipe at the last thug, providing Sakura the opening she needed.

"Run away, now!" Ren urged, his voice strained in discomfort.

As Sakura seized the given opportunity to flee, the thug who was supposed to finish off Ren changed their mind and went after the girl, leaving the boy behind.

With the girl escaping, Ren collapsed and rested his back against the stone wall, his breaths growing heavier as the darkness crept in around him.

"Well... At least... I tried... my best..." he murmured weakly, trying to reassure himself.

Soon, Ren's vision began to blur, and memories of his life flashed before his eyes, leaving him consumed by so many regrets of leaving things unresolved. With each fading heartbeat, the darkness approaches, swallowing him whole and bringing an end to his life.

-------------------------------------------

As Ren's consciousness floated through the ethereal void, memories of his past life flooded his mind. Each recollection bore an explicit clarity, prompting numerous emotions long buried beneath the surface.

He reminisced about the laughter shared with friends, the ordeals endured within his family, and the final act of bravery that had led to his untimely demise. These remembrances, once distant echoes, now surged to the forefront of his awareness, shaping his understanding of who he once was and who he yearned to become.

"I want to be a hero... one who will save everyone from harm."

Ren's declaration echoed through the void, a testament to his resolute spirit, undaunted even by death. As his soul continued to drift away, a massive tear in the fabric of reality beckoned him, pulling him toward it with an irresistible force.

Resisting the unidentified pull, Ren hesitated, fearful of what was on the other side. Yet, as he observed another soul glide past him and disappear into the fissure, he reconsidered his hesitation and surrendered to the inevitable.

With a deep breath, he released his opposition and allowed himself to be dragged toward the fissure, steeling himself for the unknown that lay ahead.

------------------------------------------------

After what seemed like an eternity, Ren's consciousness began to stir, rousing him from his slumber after entering the tear in the fabric of reality.

With a slow blink, he attempted to open his eyes, only to see the world before him blurred and unclear. However, it wasn't just his vision that was affected. His body was unresponsive, and a sense of unease settled within him, suggesting something was wrong.

Before he could make sense of his surroundings, three towering silhouettes appeared before him, accompanied by a smaller figure in their midst.

"Hey, who are you people?" Ren tried to speak, but his words appeared as nothing more than high-pitched incoherent babbling, tinged with a sense of frustration.

Confusion clouded Ren's mind as he struggled to comprehend the situation. However, his bewilderment deepened as he noticed two more presences flanking him on either side.

Despite his surprisingly poor hearing, he could discern soft cooing sounds in the air, counting to the surrealness of the moment. If that wasn't enough, one of the silhouettes reached out their arms towards Ren and unexpectedly picked him up into their arms.

Gradually, the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place for him. It seemed that the fissure he had entered had transported his soul to another world, reincarnating him into a newborn.

---------------------------------------------

Unbeknownst to Ren, the person who picked him up was a man with scruffy brown hair and piercing green eyes. Standing beside him were two women, one with flowing blonde locks and the other with exceptional maroon hair, dressed in a maid's attire.

"His hair looks the same as yours, darling," the blonde woman remarked, her finger caressing the newborn's minuscule brown hair.

The man chuckled as he retorted, "But he has your gaze, honey."

As they admired the newborn's confused blue eyes with a blend of love and fascination, the maid stood quietly beside them. However, she felt a tug on her dress and glanced down to see a young boy with hair and eyes resembling the man. He whispered something to her, and she nodded before returning her attention to the couple.

"Master, have you decided on the names for the three newborns," the maid inquired the man, breaking the conversation between him and the blonde woman.

The man considered the question, glancing at the other two newborns in the crib, each with hair corresponding to the blonde woman and the maid. Eventually, he reached a decision and announced the chosen names.

"As for those two, I'd like to name them Norn and Aisha," the man declared, addressing the blonde and maroon-haired infants.

Hearing those names, everyone nodded in agreement. Then, the boy spoke up, "And what about that one, Father?"

"Well, let's see..." the man paused for a bit, feeling a bit uncertain what to name his second son. After a moment of contemplation, a name came to him.

"How about we call him Dante," he decided, his voice filled with parental conviction.

Ren, unaware of the significance of his new name, slowly drifted into a peaceful slumber in the arms of his newfound family, marking the beginning of his new life.