It seems that I was killed after being stabbed by the stalker who I had considered to be like a younger sister, and somehow I got reincarnated.
Wow that was a mouthful. And no, I’m not joking when I say that I’ve been reincarnated. You could say that my current state of mind hasn’t settled down from all of the confusion, so I’d appreciate it if you would save the comments until after I finish my story since it might sound a bit wild if you interrupt me. Ahem. So let me explain everything from the beginning…
Well, first let’s start with my name. I used to be called Tomokui Kanata. However since I was reincarnated, let’s leave it as “Nameless” for now.
I have a bit of a lapse in memory here, but I remember that after a hard day of work, I was invited by some colleagues for a drink. I accepted their offer and we went tavern hopping.
Since the following day was a holiday, even those with a low alcohol tolerance ended up drinking throughout the night. I even had to end up carrying a colleague home since she was too drunk to make it by herself.
She had fallen asleep and I didn’t want to wake her, so I left her on the bed. My constitution and love of alcohol was much greater than hers and at that time I had an urge to drink while watching the full moon, or so I thought as I opened the fridge.
I realized that the bottom shelf that should’ve been stuffed with beer and chuhai and all sorts of drinks was empty.
Yesterday I had finished all of my drinks and had planned to go restock it today—if it wasn't for my colleague’s invitation earlier.
I had completely forgotten about it.
That’s right–It was the biggest failure in my life to have finished drinking the stocks yesterday.
If only I had saved at least one.
I–no, no… first let’s hasten the conversation a bit.
I, who had wanted to drink sake by all means, went to a nearby convenience store which was open twenty-four hours a day, bought five beers, and headed home.
Summer was approaching, yet the night was still chilly. The full moon that was suspended in the clear night sky was very beautiful.
The clouds, which were slightly concealing the moon, were also pleasant. Indeed, drinking sake with the silver moon shining overhead would make it an even more delicious experience than usual.
While thinking about the alcohol, I noticed that under a street-light was a pretty girl. It was a face that I had recognized. She’s what the general public would have referred to as a ‘stalker’. My stalker was Kirimine Aoi, an active female college student in the local area. She’s 20 years old, 5 years younger than I was.
Our relationship isn’t exactly what you would call ‘normal’. You see, in my third year of high school I saw a couple of delinquents harassing a girl—the person whom I would soon know as Aoi. She was 12-13 years old at the time. I found her, saved her, and that was how our destinies had become entwined.
Well, while it wasn’t wrong to say that I helped, I’m not sure if that’s the correct thing to say.
Compared to how I am now, I used to be a cowardly chicken. At the time, you could clearly see that there was a girl being harassed by a pair of delinquents. Though it was deplorable, the surrounding people turned a blind eye to it.
As a person for whom ESP capability hadn’t yet awoken, I could either have chosen to help her or quickly run away.
However, either by fortune or bad luck, I had received a military stun nightstick as a birthday present from my uncle, a weapons enthusiast. He worked for small- to medium-sized corporations that had military relations, so it was easy for him to get it for me. Those companies were under the influence of one major company, Avalon.
Avalon, the company that had made my nightstick, had spread its name throughout the universe as a famous weapon corporation.
At that time, I didn’t have the courage to be in possession of such a dangerous object. It was worrisome to have such an unsafe weapon, so it was still adorned in my room without being used.
However, an ‘Ota’ friend of my uncle said he wanted to look at the nightstick. Soon after, he sent an email telling me that he was on his way to see it.
The message included a location where we could meet, so I decided to walk to it. I brought the nightstick with me so he could see it from the moment he arrived.
Which brought me to my current situation.
Although I was a coward, I used the military nightstick on the delinquents that were harassing the young lady. I can still remember feeling a kind of "lightness" from defending a pretty girl from harm.
After bashing the delinquents from behind, they got extremely mad at me. However, regardless of their anger, they couldn’t stand up against such a weapon as the nightstick. After a few more hits they were sprawling on the floor–foaming and twitching violently. I quickly took the hand of the girl that was panicking, and escaped with her to someplace safe.
I was really young in those days. Because of my curiosity and a whim, I had done a horrible experiment on those delinquents while managing to help Aoi at the same time.
After that incident, her affection towards me slowly grew. It was only a matter of time, but Aoi would eventually become my stalker.
It wasn’t very severe stalking until I found a job at my current place of work, where she continued chasing me. She even followed me to other planets, where I would occasionally be sent on business trips.
When dealing with stalkers, one should speak as naturally with them as one can, no matter how much they infringe upon one’s private life.
What I’ve told you so far might be confusing for now, but after I explain how I died, will become clear.
Anyway, after buying the alcohol, I met Aoi on my way home. It would’ve been nice to say that it was a coincidence. Yet while looking down, under the light of the street-lamp, Aoi was emanating a black aura unlike her usual puppy-like self; so I could only respond by tilting my neck in confusion.
Aoi, even as a stalker, was an existence akin to a younger sister for me; because of that I was able to notice the weird atmosphere at that time, so I called out to her.
There was no reply. Aoi's face remained downcast.
In that moment I felt a great uneasiness that couldn’t be expressed. Yet even so, I still approached her so that I could learn why. Before I knew it, I was being pierced in the abdomen by a stealth knife.
Even though I had a strong body, and the degree of injury was curable with regenerative medical treatment, I could still feel the severe pain that came from the blade that was being rotated which aimed at gouging out my internal organs.
It was within expectations that I would not die if the stealth knife used was made from a lump of ordinary metal, but what Aoi used was the [Nenekaruri]; a B-rank ceremonial knife with an additional thunder property created by SAKUMA Heavy Industries, Ltd. Ironically, it was one of the goods sold by the company my uncle worked at. Simply put, it’s a single molecular cutter with the abilities of a high voltage Taser and other weapons. It’s a kind of proximity equipment that increases in sharpness when the thousand tiny blades installed on its side start to spin like a chainsaw moving at very high speeds. Once activated, a high-voltage current pours through the victim that's been stabbed. The victim’s movement is then temporarily paralyzed. It’s also used by the military.
I didn’t even have time to think about why Aoi had such a thing. Nevertheless, I was pushed down, restrained, and stabbed by the stealth knife repeatedly. The amount of blood my mouth vomited was unusual as my body was being pierced relentlessly. Every time the knife penetrated my skin I could feel the meat and bones getting torn up while my blood splattered everywhere.
Before I knew it, the slender frame of Aoi riding on my body had been dyed red in blood.
Although I had become a strengthened human after undergoing a reinforcement operation, and exceeded ordinary humans because of my occupation–I was disappointingly killed by Aoi who was a mere civilian. What does this mean? I know the performance of the stealth knife may be amazing, but was it strong enough to destroy the body of a strengthened human? Was she really capable of breaking down my stance with a surprise attack? Even if movement was impossible due to the high voltage current, was that really so?
Why– Well, this situation is regrettable.
At that time, Aoi's figure, that was stained red with my blood, was too impressive to remember in detail.
Oh, well…
Anyway, I was killed. I was killed by Aoi.
A mortal wound can’t be cured even after receiving regenerative medical treatment. The last thing I saw was the knife’s point approaching my eyeball, which would mean it was approaching my brain; a uniquely unreproducible organ, was going to be completely destroyed. After my head was completely lacerated, my consciousness eventually melted into the darkness.
However, the story doesn’t just end there. The reincarnation hadn’t started yet. My consciousness remained steadfast and didn’t change in any way until I finally noticed it. I memorized that last scene right before losing consciousness, but didn’t I die? Was it just a dream or am I drunk? I rejected the idea momentarily. The answer was reflexive and indifferent.
I was killed for sure. I could remember the pain caused by the electric current running through my veins, and the coldness of the blade that cut through my chest. That was absolutely not an illusion. Yet I’m alive. As to why–I’d like to know myself. As I was thinking that, my heavy eyelid opened.
There I saw it, I was looking at something extremely ugly. It made me think that I’d been reincarnated. It was this conclusive evidence that made me realize… Oh… Sorry I suddenly feel sleepy, but it doesn’t end here–Tomorrow I’ll continue… It wasn’t the darkness of death but the result of being fatigued.