The pressure that had weighed on Uzuki's shoulders finally dissipated, as if a great burden had been lifted from his body. The air around him softened, and his once-tempestuous aura now seemed quiet, yet still intense — like a volcano that had simply chosen not to erupt… for now.
His eyes calmly returned to the screen still floating in front of him, highlighting the information about the newly unlocked power.
[Thaumaturgy]
A supreme power, with the potential to alter the laws of reality within a domain of authority. Kei observed the description in silence for a few seconds. Deep inside, something echoed: this power was not to be used in just any situation. It was a trump card. A divine weapon. Something that, if revealed too often, would cease to be feared.
An absolute ace... that must remain in the shadows.
With that thought, he turned his face slightly to the side.
Foosh!
Another window appeared before his eyes, like a new page being unveiled.
==========================
You have new achievements!
==========================
A slight smile appeared on Uzuki's lips. His eyes sparkled with excitement.
"This..." he murmured, crossing his arms as a shiver of anticipation ran down his spine.
It was a practical method. An easy path. A system that rewarded deeds with power.
And Kei was willing to claim it all.
==========================
You have become a Public Villain, Rank S!Reward: 3 Silver Grade Tickets!
You met All Might!Reward: 1 Gold Grade Ticket!
You've become a threat to Hero Society as a whole!Reward: 1 Diamond Grade Ticket!
You've become capable of challenging the entire world!Reward: 1 Platinum Grade Ticket!
==========================
'Another diamond... something overpowered is coming!' he thought, a wicked smile slowly forming on his face. His hands rubbed together, as if he could already feel the power approaching.
But then he stopped.
His eyes narrowed.
"Now... this Platinum one. Is it above Diamond?" he murmured, tilting his head slightly with a puzzled look.
No answer.
The system, usually so talkative, now remained in complete silence.
No flashing text. No description. No hint.
He scratched his head, then ran a hand across his face. Uncertainty hung in the air—but there was something else too… something almost like respect.
The system was silent, as if saying: You are going beyond the edge.
Uzuki took a deep breath. The moment had arrived.
"Use Platinum Grade Ticket."
The screen changed.
The letters appeared slowly… and for a moment, Kei's heart froze.
His smile vanished.
His expression hardened.
Because what appeared before his eyes… was something even he hadn't expected.
==========================
The power "Umbrakinesis" will be sacrificed to generate a higher-ranked ability.
The process cannot be interrupted!
==========================
"Hey, hey! Hold on a second!"
Uzuki's voice sliced through the air with urgency, almost like a shout. His wide eyes reflected the light of the floating interface before him, shimmering with golden and violet hues, completely indifferent to the desperation blooming within him.
But the system remained... silent. Deaf to his pleas.
Unyielding.
Unstoppable.
Like a divine mechanism that had been set in motion and now knew neither mercy nor pause.
"Damn it…"
The word slipped through clenched teeth, laced with frustration. Uzuki brought a hand to his forehead, pressing hard, trying to make sense of it all.
Umbrakinesis — his ability to manipulate shadows — one of the most promising and versatile techniques he had ever obtained. It wasn't just powerful; it was adaptable. Useful for combat, escape, stealth, protection…
And now, it was being ripped away.
Without permission.
Without mercy.
He felt his fist clench so tightly that his knuckles turned white, the veins in his arm bulging like taut cords. But there was no resisting the process. The system had already decided — and its will was absolute.
Time seemed to slow down. The universe, for a fleeting moment, felt like it was holding its breath.
Then...
==========================
A result has been obtained!
A legendary power has been generated!
==========================
The screen glowed with intensity, the characters dancing with a supernatural light.
Uzuki took a step back, crossed his arms, and faced the revelation with a serious gaze.
"Alright... then show me."
He spoke in a calm tone, but within him, the flame of indignation still burned. If his power was to be replaced, then it had better be by something worthy.
==========================
|Esoteric Power||Rarity: Legendary|
A power like this, when harnessed, can be used to perform various supernatural arts, allowing for tasks with limitless possibilities. It draws upon abilities derived from psychic energy, magic, life force, and many other forms of supernatural forces that emerge from within you.
There is no end to its potential, as it allows you to create, shape, and manipulate anything according to your will, and command targets using your esoteric powers — powers capable of interacting with other forces and altering the very reality around you.
==========================
"...Holy shit."
Uzuki murmured, slowly running his hands through his hair as his gaze wandered over the screen. For the first time in a long while, he was left speechless.
It wasn't just surprise. It was confusion, fascination, and a silent fear.
"Esoteric...? This..."
He mumbled, trying to organize his thoughts. Comparisons started to form in his mind, attempting to find an anchor to comprehend what he now held in his hands.
"It's like Thaumaturgy... no."
His eyes shut for a moment. He delved deeper into his analysis.
"Thaumaturgy is like a domain where I can bend the laws of reality, yes. But this... this power..."
He slowly opened his eyes, the glow of the screen reflecting in his pupils, as if illuminating his very future.
"This is raw, infinite potential. It's a power that grows. It doesn't come ready like Thaumaturgy. It evolves with me. It seems like a... practical version of the very system I carry."
Silence.
Then, the most unsettling thought emerged.
"So what's the point of the system now...? Seriously, I don't see the point of having the system if this power lets me build everything on my own."
The answer came faster than he expected.
==========================
Your dependence on us would be your downfall. We realized this when we saw how often you win in the rolls, your reactions gave it away.
We have the function of Deletion. If we are erased, everything you've gained with us would vanish just as easily.
Therefore, we took the liberty of awakening a dormant fragment within you — this power was not generated by us, but by you.
The Esoteric Power is your safe point. It was born from within.
We strongly recommend that you merge your current powers with the Esoteric Power. This way, they will be permanent. They will no longer depend on us.
And if one day we are deleted... you will lose nothing.
==========================
He read.
Re-read.
And then he smiled faintly.
"What a chatterbox…"
He thought, crossing his arms.
He never imagined the system had... consciousness.
Perhaps even a personality? A survival instinct?
Or was it, deep down, that the system... cared?
"So this is it now..." he murmured, looking up at the digital sky around him. "I have a metaphysical friend... or an elegant parasite."
He chuckled to himself. It was a brief, contained laugh, but it carried a hint of relief... and insanity. The kind of laugh someone lets out when they start to realize just how extraordinary their existence really is.
Raising his eyes to the night sky, the full moon gazed back at him — enormous, silent, and silver — as if it were watching every step of his twisted fate. Uzuki narrowed his eyes, and on impulse, activated the attraction and repulsion vectors beneath his feet, creating an inverted field around him.
His body shot into the sky like a black arrow.
"I need to find Kaina."
And so, he tore through the night winds.
...
Minutes passed as he flew above the buildings and streets, cutting through the sky like a silent comet. But nothing... No sign of her.
It made his heart tighten. Frustration grew inside him like an internal flame.
"Damn it... If I still had Umbrakinesis, I could move through the shadows in seconds. I'd be right next to her."
But no. The power had been sacrificed — given in exchange for something greater. And yet, he felt its absence like the pain of losing a limb.
Then the interface responded, abruptly:
==========================
Have you tried using your own power? Using the ones we've offered you won't help.
==========================
"...Arrogant bastard!"
A vein popped from his forehead. He stopped mid-air, floating in absolute silence, before closing his eyes.
The wind ceased around him.
The atmosphere seemed to freeze with him.
Something changed.
The air thickened, as if the very space around him was being compressed. It was an invisible weight, almost like an ancient, living presence manifesting — not by choice, but by right.
When he opened his eyes again... they were no longer the same.
They were black. Completely. As if each eyeball had been submerged in pure darkness — the very essence of the abyss.
[Image here]
The Divine Eyes had been overtaken by the influence of the Esoteric Power, turning them into not just a tool for sight... but a channel. A window to the unknown.
But that... was nothing compared to what was invading his body.
His attraction and repulsion vectors began to respond instinctively, vibrating as if they were gaining a new consciousness. The immortality within him stirred, almost in alert.
And Uzuki felt it.
The supreme power flowing through his veins.The sensation was suffocating. Almost as if he were being crushed by his own potential.
"Is this... my power?"
He raised a hand to his face. His fingers trembled.
And then... he laughed.
Low, hoarse, with a crooked smile that threatened to crack his sanity.
"Damn, this is corrupting me..."
But he refused to yield.
He ignored the laugh. Ignored the madness creeping in his mind.
He closed his eyes again — and took a deep breath.
Focus.
'I can manifest supernatural forces that exist within me... I can create new forces.'
Bringing his hands together in front of his chest, Uzuki channeled the Esoteric Power. The energies around him reacted immediately, intertwining like invisible threads in space.
'If I use Kaina as an anchor... I can force the creation of invisible passages in the fabric of space.'
And then he felt it.
The connection.
As if her soul were calling out to his from some distant point.
And in the blink of an eye...
He disappeared.
...
When the spatial distortion ceased, Uzuki emerged in the midst of twilight — an old warehouse, shrouded in shadows, with the smell of rust and aged wood. The echo of his arrival reverberated through the hollow walls.
His eyes soon found what he was searching for.
A white Dodge STR rested there, half-covered in dust, but still gleaming under the faint light from a broken window.
And then, he saw her.
Kaina.
Lying in the driver's seat, her hair gently falling over her face, sleeping. Her chest rose and fell in a peaceful rhythm, as if nothing wrong existed in the world.
Uzuki approached in silence. His footsteps made no sound.
As he neared the window, he extended his hand.
With a soft touch, his fingers brushed her face — the warm skin, as smooth as silk.
She didn't move. She remained asleep, serene.
Uzuki smiled.
A different smile.
No madness. No power.
Just... human.
"So beautiful..."
His voice was low. Almost a whisper lost in the night breeze that entered through the gaps in the warehouse.
Kei removed his jacket and threw it over Kaina, then leaned against the car and stayed there. Thanks to his immortality, he didn't need to sleep to rest; his body would naturally recover.