The dim light of the early morning sun barely made its way through the cracks in the alleyway walls. Haru Hoshizora awoke with a jolt, his head pounding and his body aching. He blinked in confusion as he found himself lying on the cold, rough concrete of an abandoned alleyway. His eyes darted around the surroundings.
He was trying to make sense of his situation, but all he saw were broken-down buildings and trash scattered across the ground. The alley reeked of decay, yet strangely, Haru felt no immediate sense of danger. In fact, it almost felt like something familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.
He sat up slowly, his body feeling strangely light. His chest ached for a moment, a sharp pang that caught his breath, but it faded almost as quickly as it had appeared.
What in the world was happening? The last thing he remembered was… his last life. His name. Haru Hoshizora. Wasn't that his name?
"What in the…?" Haru mumbled to himself, his voice sounding alien in the silent alley.
His mind raced, struggling to understand what was going on. One moment, his chest had been burning with pain—sharp, excruciating pain that felt like it would tear him apart. The next, he woke up in this broken-down alleyway, with no explanation and no idea how he'd gotten here.
Was this… was this some kind of dream? Or worse, was he dead? Was he trapped in some kind of hellish afterlife? No, it couldn't be that. Haru's logical mind immediately started searching for answers.
He pinched himself hard, his fingers pressing against his skin, expecting to feel the sharp sting of reality. But instead, he felt… normal. No pain. No signs of injury.
His skin wasn't even dirty, despite having just been lying in the filthy alley. He was perfectly fine. His clothes were intact, his hands unscathed. He felt the dull ache in his chest subside completely, and with it, a rising wave of confusion.
"Is this like one of those weird isekai anime where the main character gets reincarnated?" Haru thought aloud, his voice full of uncertainty. He wasn't sure what to believe anymore. "If it is…"
A sense of excitement bubbled up in him, mixed with a healthy dose of anxiety. If this was some kind of second chance at life, then what kind of world had he been thrust into? Was it a world filled with magic and adventure? Or was it one of those harsh, unforgiving dystopias that only ever seemed to exist in the darkest corners of anime and manga? Haru's heart raced, his excitement growing as his imagination ran wild with possibilities.
Before he could contemplate any further, a strange mechanical sound broke his thoughts.
A sharp, digital buzz filled his ears, followed by the unmistakable sound of a notification ping. Haru froze, his body tensing up as his eyes darted to the bottom left of his vision.
A red, digital screen popped into view, shimmering with strange symbols and flashing text.
!HELLO HOST!
"What the hell?!" Haru jumped back instinctively, his heart pounding in his chest. He looked around frantically, trying to find the source of the voice, but there was no one around. The screen seemed to hover in mid-air, glowing with unnatural brightness.
"Host, please do not panic!" the digital voice called out, its tone strangely mechanical and emotionless.
"What are you?!" Haru shouted, panic rising in his chest as he tried to comprehend the surreal situation unfolding before him. His hands trembled as he backed away, attempting to put some distance between himself and the strange, glowing screen.
!I AM THE KILLSWITCH SYSTEM. I AM ALSO YOUR PERSONAL ASSISTANT AND HELPER TO ASSIST YOU WITH NAVIGATING THE SYSTEM AND TELLING YOU ITS MECHANICS!
Haru blinked, trying to make sense of the words. This couldn't be real. This felt like something straight out of one of those absurdly cheesy anime or manga he'd watched when he was younger. A "system" had appeared before him, and now he was expected to accept it? He almost laughed at the ridiculousness of it all.
'Holy shit, it's actually a system from one of those corny anime and mangas,' Haru thought in disbelief, his mind reeling. His heart was still pounding, but a strange, exhilarating feeling began to creep into his chest.
"Can you tell me how you work?" Haru asked aloud, trying to steady his breath as he took cautious steps toward the mouth of the alleyway. The streets were slightly less bleak now, as he emerged into a slightly more populated area one with run-down apartments and stores that looked like they'd seen better days. It felt familiar, though he couldn't quite explain why.
!I HAVE TWO MAIN FUNCTIONS THAT YOU CAN USE AT THIS MOMENT, HOST. FIRST IS THE DAILY LOGIN FUNCTION, AND THE SECOND IS THE KILL FUNCTION!
"The… kill function?" Haru asked, his voice filled with suspicion. He wasn't exactly eager to hear about any "kill function," but it was too late to back out now. He needed to understand what was happening.
"I don't need to know about the daily login right now," he added, his tone dismissive. He wasn't stupid. If this system was anything like the ones he had read about, he had a pretty good idea of what it entailed.
!IT'S NOTHING TOO CRAZY, HOST. THE LIFEFORM YOU KILL WILL GIVE YOU POINTS CALLED KP. WITH KP, YOU CAN BUY CAPSULES. A CAPSULE IS KIND OF LIKE A GACHA, BUT TO AN EXTENT!
Haru's eyes narrowed as the system continued its explanation, his mind trying to catch up with the absurdity of it all.
!YOU CAN CHOOSE ANY TYPE OF CAPSULE YOU WANT TO BUY, RANGING FROM MISCELLANEOUS THINGS LIKE CLOTHES AND ARMOR TO WEAPONS, PETS, AND MANY MORE THINGS YOU COULD THINK OF!
Haru raised an eyebrow. "This is sounding more like an RPG than reality."
!IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU KILL, YOU COULD KILL AN ANT AND STILL GET KP!
The system continued cheerfully, completely unfazed by his sarcasm. "Of course, you get more points the stronger the creature is."
"Right," Haru muttered under his breath. That was definitely a dodge of his earlier question.
He could already tell that this system had no problem giving vague answers when it wanted to.
"Can I claim my daily login right now?" Haru asked, deciding it was time to move on. He had no idea what kind of world he was in, but one thing was for sure: he needed to get a grip on his situation.
!YES, YOU CAN, HOST! WOULD YOU LIKE TO CLAIM YOUR DAILY LOGIN? THE MORE DAYS YOU LET THE LOGIN BUILD UP, THE BETTER THE REWARD YOU'LL GET!
Haru felt the strange sensation of the system invading his thoughts again. He was still trying to process all of this, but there was no turning back now.
!ALSO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SPEAK OUT LOUD. YOU CAN SPEAK THROUGH YOUR THOUGHTS!
"Okay… that's convenient," Haru said, shaking his head. He had no idea what was going on, but he couldn't back out now. "Login now."
!YOU HAVE CLAIMED YOUR ONE-DAY LOGIN, YOUR REWARD IS: 50 KP!
"Nice!" Haru exclaimed, a small sense of accomplishment flooding through him, though he had no idea if 50 KP was a lot or not. But at least it felt like progress.
He continued walking, his senses guiding him toward a familiar location. His feet seemed to know exactly where to go, and it wasn't long before he found himself standing in front of a weathered apartment complex.
The building looked old and in need of repair, but something about it felt… right.
He reached into his pocket, his fingers brushing against a set of keys. The tag on the keys was labeled "24." Without thinking, he stepped forward and unlocked the door.
"Is this… the old body's house?" Haru mused, his voice low. It had to be. The sense of familiarity was overwhelming, even if he didn't quite understand why.
Inside, the apartment was bare, with only the basics—a single bedroom, a small kitchen, and a bathroom. The walls were unadorned, the furniture sparse, but the apartment was surprisingly clean. It was the kind of place that felt lived in but not truly cared for. Everything seemed a bit… ordinary. Mediocre.
"This house is the most mediocre house I've seen in my two lives," Haru muttered under his breath. It was far from a mansion, but it wasn't terrible either.
It was simply… unremarkable. He had hoped for more, but he also couldn't complain. It was a place to stay. A place to start over.
He wandered into his bedroom, the bed neatly made, yet devoid of any personal touches. He felt the weight of exhaustion settle on him, both mentally and physically.
Despite having just arrived in this new life, his mind was already overwhelmed with questions. His body felt heavy, the strange newness of everything pressing on him.
Without further thought, Haru collapsed onto the bed. He had no idea what the future would hold, or if this was even real.
He was in a world unknown to him, and though he had a strange sense of purpose, it was still unclear. His mind swirled with a mix of excitement and dread, but one thing was certain this was his new life