"Please… go to my room… and delete… all the files… from my computer. If necessary… destroy the computer…"
A young man in his twenties spoke, his words choked by the blood filling his throat — blood that came from a deep wound on the right side of his chest.
Because of the corruption embedded in the spear that struck him, healing was impossible without a healer of at least A-rank — something far beyond reach at that moment.
How he received that wound was a story for another time; all that mattered now was that it had come from his work in this insane world.
"Leave it to me, Ascher. As a man, I understand the importance of wiping your data,"said Kolen, a man in his thirties with a wealth of experience.
After that, both tried to laugh — though it was a pitiful attempt. One had a hole in his chest, and the other had tears streaming down his face, knowing that his best friend — the man who was like a brother to him — was taking his final breaths.
They shared one last moment of strained laughter before the tension returned.
"Kolen… I want you to take care of my family… protect them. And…"
Cough! Cough!
"Don't strain yourself, Ascher. We might still get you to a healer, we—"
Kolen's words froze when he saw the determined look in Ascher's eyes.
They both knew this was the end. Ascher was staying alive through sheer willpower and stubbornness — just to say a few more words.
"Promise me… this, Kolen."
"I promise. I'll protect them with my life."
"Well… then to do that… take my eyes. Transplant them into you. With your physical strength and my eyes… you should be able to reach S-rank."
Kolen froze. Ascher's eyes were the reason he had reached A-rank, even with a D-rank body.The thought of taking them felt wrong — sacred even — but when he saw that unyielding expression, the one that said "don't argue," Kolen could only nod.
"Now I can die in peace… It's a shame I never confessed… to her."
"…"
As Kolen listened to his brother-in-arms — not of blood, but of battle — his tears fell silently.
"If I'm reincarnated… in some magical world… I'll find a way to return. Until then… take care… It was an honor to fight… by your side… Kolen…"
With those final words, Ascher closed his pearly blue eyes, a faint smile still on his face, and took his last breath.
There was no light at the end of the tunnel.No life flashing before his eyes.No divine voice calling to him.
He simply stopped feeling.
The emotions of leaving his loved ones behind, the pain of the gaping wound, the searing burn of corruption — all faded into nothingness.Only silence greeted him when he stopped breathing.
A capable warrior, who gave his life to protect his family and his world — for ten long years.
It was through battle, and without a single regret, that he reached the end of his life in the year 2225 A.D.
As Ascher's soul departed Earth, Kolen gently took his body. After twenty minutes, he managed to compose himself and left the dungeon — silent, resolute — to fulfill the final wishes of the brother who had saved his life countless times with deadly precision.
"Don't worry, Ascher… I'll honor my promise. I'll protect everyone, and I'll rebuild humanity. You'll be remembered forever — as the hero you always were."
Earth would continue to struggle for many years to come. Humanity would have to survive without one of its strongest defenders. Whether the Earthlings would perish, or the invading creatures would fall, only time would tell.
But for Ascher, none of that mattered anymore.He no longer belonged to that reality.
An unknown amount of time passed.
Then, Ascher — who hadn't even realized he existed anymore — regained consciousness.
Suddenly, memories flooded back.To save Kolen from a Troll's axe, he had taken a spear to the chest — a spear thrown from afar by another Troll.
He could have dodged. He saw it coming. But if he had, he wouldn't have fired his arrow in time — and Kolen would have been split in half.
Why save someone else first, you ask? Because Kolen had a wife and two children waiting for him.Ascher had parents and a sister, but his sister was stronger — she could survive.
He would have saved them both if he could. But his body forced him to choose, and as a certain ninja once said:
"Those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash."
"I remember all of this… So why am I still alive? Why can't I move? Why can't I feel my body?"
As his mind raced with confusion and panic, light began to envelop him.He felt pressure closing in from all sides — crushing, suffocating.Then, sensation returned.Pain — overwhelming, searing pain.
Before he could even process it, before he could think he was dying again — everything became clear.And he heard voices.
He gasped, taking his first breath in what felt like forever.Pain shot through his lungs, and instinctively, he began to scream.
Seeing the crying, wriggling baby in her hands, a brown-haired woman wearing a headband with a metal emblem smiled gently.
"Uzumaki Kilin, your delivery was successful. You've had a healthy baby boy."
"Let me see my baby!" Kilin said, her voice trembling.
The medical-nin, dressed in white, handed her the infant. Despite just giving birth, Kilin didn't even look exhausted — a testament to the Uzumaki clan's frightening vitality.
She took the baby into her arms, gazing into his striking royal-blue eyes. Tears welled up instantly — tears of joy and sorrow — for she knew that she and her son would soon be separated from the baby's father.
Around her, the room filled with stares:Some warm, almost unable to hold back their smiles.Some tender, like grandparents admiring their grandchild.And others — full of disgust, anger, and barely restrained hostility — glaring at the red-haired, blue-eyed infant like he was an abomination.
This sounds like the ancient language of Japan… Uzumaki… Those white eyes all around, the red hair… My limbs are tiny… What's happening to me?
Don't tell me… could it be what I'm thinking?!
As Ascher tried to process his absurd situation, the people around him began to argue.
He snapped out of his thoughts just in time to hear a sharp slap and a furious voice.
"I should kill you, Hyuga Ishikawa, for bringing this freak into the world!"
"Damn it — that baby is me! You can't kill me, not when I just got reborn!"
"What cursed place is this… where they try to kill babies who aren't even a day old?"
Ascher cursed his fate — for the first thing to greet him in his new life… was the threat of death.
...
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