How did it come to this?
I am surrounded by endless mountains of garbage. I can't see very far, but it's clear that piles of trash stretch out in every direction. C-calm down. First, count prime numbers. 2, 3, 5, 7, 11… I'm getting some déjà vu here… W-well, whatever. That doesn't matter. First, calm down. Close your eyes and take a deep breath.
…Like I can calm down!
…How did it come to this?
At that time, in the moment I ended my life as Akira Kitajima (Ryushou Kazama), I wished for the activation of my third ability, [Reincarnation / Stronger New Game], while still holding my regrets. Then, before I knew it, I couldn't open my eyes, but my consciousness awoke. Yes, I had awakened.
I was sure I had died. So, to be conscious now means… I succeeded. [Reincarnation / Stronger New Game] activated perfectly!!
I did it—now I can win! I had triumphed in the greatest gamble of my life!!! …Or so I thought, but my joy didn't last long.
It was true that [Reincarnation / Stronger New Game] had activated successfully. That alone was delightful. But there was… a miscalculation.
My mother—the mother who granted me this new body—died. And before giving birth to me. My consciousness likely released a massive surge of aura the moment it awakened, and it must have blown open all of her tenketsu.
If aura leaks from every pore, it will eventually run dry. Aura is life energy itself. If it depletes, the body collapses from exhaustion—or, in the worst case, dies from weakness. My mother was in her final month of pregnancy, and she likely never trained in martial arts. Learning Ten (Envelop) would have been impossible for her. She died of exhaustion…
It's hard to call it "fortunate," but because she was already at full term, I was extracted alive from her corpse.
I was the cause of a woman's death… I had never killed anyone in my previous life. Yet now, I had caused the death of a defenseless woman…
Regret hit me immediately after reincarnating.
But that wasn't the only miscalculation.
The second miscalculation was that my aura had clearly grown. It was obviously larger than even in my prime… What the hell? Before I died, my maximum aura was only about two-thirds of my peak, yet now I have almost double that…? Well, I won't complain. I'll take that as a happy miscalculation.
The real problem was the quality of the aura.
Such a sinister aura… it's as if it carries all the misfortune in the world!!
…No, maybe that's an exaggeration. At least it's not malicious since I haven't put my will into it. But even without hostility, it's already this ominous…!!
Why!? Could it be because I died once? …Yeah, probably. Maybe this aura quality was also why my mother died. It's far too vile for an ordinary person to endure…
Because of how ominous my aura was, even the doctor, nurses, and the man who was probably my father refused to approach me. I thought about switching to Zetsu (Suppress), but I couldn't manage it at first… Damn it! Is it because the quality of my aura changed suddenly!?
Eventually, after my aura weakened a bit, my supposed father approached. By the way, I still couldn't open my eyes, so I was sensing everything through aura. Nen is absurdly versatile. Not quite chakra-tier, but close.
"What a dreadful baby! This thing… this thing must have killed Misha!!"
…Misha. That must have been my mother's name. …I can't even deny it.
"You damn—!"
He pulled out what felt like a gun and aimed it at me… A gun? Wait!!
Full power Ken (Fortify)!!
A gunshot rang out immediately after. But I was unharmed. Seems he missed. Probably flinched from my aura. He was trembling badly. This wasn't going anywhere, so I suppressed my aura again… Hah, I'm getting the hang of this.
"W-what do you think you're doing here!?"
Good job, doctor.
"S-shut up! This thing killed Misha! You felt it too, didn't you!? That sinister aura!!"
Misha-san… the woman who gave birth to me. I can't blame him. Anyone would be enraged if their beloved was killed…
"I-I understand, but this is a hospital! I cannot condone harming anyone here. I am a doctor!"
What a righteous doctor. Truly the model of his profession… though I hope he doesn't mean it's fine to kill me outside the hospital.
"A person? This demon isn't human!!"
…That's a bit much. Though if I saw someone with an aura like mine, I'd definitely run.
"Enough. Fine. I won't kill it… Hey, it's me. Send them to Menfil General Hospital immediately. Yes, them! All of them! And make sure the airship is ready!"
Ah, so this is Menfil General Hospital. About 500 meters from the dojo. I see. But… who the hell is he calling? …Wait, don't tell me—
About 10 minutes later, men in black suits entered with my father. The doctors and nurses were forcibly removed.
…They're Nen users, huh. My father called Nen users? He has that kind of status…? And he had a gun… Is he in the mafia?
Well, that's bad. Really bad!! No matter how huge my aura is, I'm still just a baby. I can't win! I refuse to die right after reincarnating!! Full power Ken!!
…Huh? They look terrified.
Ah, right. Nen users can feel aura more clearly, and now it has hostility mixed in.
It's super effective!
"B-boss… w-what the hell is that…!?"
"Is that really a baby…!?"
"I thought I was going to die…"
"...(fainted)"
It's really super effective!!
"Pathetic! And you call yourselves my guards!?"
"W-well, yes… But we were called here for this baby, right? You're not saying we should… kill it…?"
"Tch! I won't kill it. If I do, the International Citizen Data Bureau will record that this child was mine!"
So he won't even acknowledge me. Well, I can't blame him. My aura is horrifying, and I killed his wife…
"I called you to guard me. I don't know when this thing might attack… Load it into the car. Guard its sides with Daal and Zaza. Don't let it escape, no matter what."
"U-us!? …Understood…"
Sorry, looks like you drew the short straw…
"And that fainted idiot Berom is demoted. Start him from the bottom again!"
…Poor Berom.
I was put in a car. Where are we going? At least they're not killing me… With nothing else to do, I checked my Nen.
Yup. Everything works fine. The aura's quality and increase were shocking, but I can still control it like before. Daal and Zaza looked horrified, though.
I mean, imagine a newborn baby rapidly using Ten, Ren, Zetsu, Gyo, En, and Ko. That's nightmare fuel.
Then we switched to an airship. Where the hell are they taking me?
After maybe 5–6 hours, still no idea. They just left me lying alone on the floor. I guess I understand… if I were them, I'd avoid me too.
I suddenly thought—I could've written messages with aura to communicate. Then again, that'd just make me seem more of a monster.
…Mom, I really am sorry… I can't undo what I've done. I wish I could at least apologize… This is all because I created that Nen ability…
Then, with a mechanical whiiir, the floor opened beneath me. A sudden floating sensation. Huh?
Before I knew it, I was falling headfirst toward the ground!!
What the—!? They dropped me out of the airship!! They said they wouldn't kill me!! Falling from this height is fatal!!
Hiiiiiieeeeeee!! I'm faaaallingggggg!!!
Damn it! I refuse to die! First, En to detect the ground. The moment before impact, I blast aura downward to slow my fall, then full-power Ken to absorb the landing impact!
…Phew. I survived. That was probably the most terrified I've ever been in all my lives.
…Where am I? My En tells me I'm surrounded by mountains of garbage…
…Garbage?
Full power En—about 1 km range now. Yup. Garbage, garbage, and more garbage everywhere.
No doubt about it. This is Meteor City.
How did it come to this? (Back to the first line)
◆
After being abandoned (or rather, dropped) in Meteor City, two days have passed.
I'm still alone, wrapped in a rag… Why? Isn't Meteor City supposed to accept everything!?
Why won't anyone pick me up? The moment anyone sees me, they bolt like startled rabbits… No, I get it. It's obviously because of my aura… Even the people here probably can't handle a baby this creepy…
Some even went so far as to throw bombs at me… but I deflected them with emitted aura before they could explode!
…And after that, no one came near this area anymore.
Damn it! Should I have used Zetsu instead?! But if I do that, I'll have to expose my body to this extremely toxic environment leaking all kinds of nasty gases. That's just suicidal for a newborn… I get it now. No wonder strong Nen users come from here—surviving this hellish place would toughen anyone up… What was that group called again?
Sigh… I'm bored. Just rolling around doing nothing is torture. I can't even train my Nen properly in this state. Well, I could, but using aura = using life energy. Why would I want to commit suicide at two days old?
…Guess I'll just kill time using [Original Story Knowledge / Orishuno Tokuten]. Its aura cost is tiny anyway.
…Huh? It won't activate. Why? [Absolute Obedience / Geass] should be released! Nobody's using any manipulation-type ability on me! It should work! …Could it be that reincarnation prevented me from using my previous life's Hatsu? Or maybe because my brain is different now, the original memory containing the source knowledge doesn't exist here?
…That's plausible.
sigh… Not being able to use it hurts, but it can't be helped. Anyway, this is bad. No matter how much Nen I can use, in the end I'm still a physical being. Without food or water, I won't last long. My consciousness is already fading…
Someone… anyone, please… Hm? My En just reacted! Someone's here! This is my last chance. I desperately suppress my aura. I don't like using Zetsu, but now's not the time for pride. If I keep this up, I'll die of starvation. Even if I risk infection, survival comes first!
Please… I'm just a harmless, cute baby with a bit of an ominous aura and some memories from a past life!
Somebody, anybody, pick me up! I swear I'll repay you, boss!!
...
◆
Lately, I've been hearing strange rumors here in Meteor City.
They say a baby fell from the sky. Apparently, the baby landed on the ground completely unharmed.
At first, I laughed it off. A baby falling from the sky and surviving? Ridiculous. But things are getting suspicious.
This is Meteor City. No matter what gets dumped here, its residents accept it. Yet this baby is supposedly still lying where it fell.
The retrieval teams tried several times to collect the baby, but they all fled in terror at the eerie power it emitted.
Some were even so terrified they threw a bomb at the baby, but the bomb was deflected several meters off-course before impact, leaving the baby unharmed…
Impossible. Where would such a baby even exist? …Could it be some kind of Nen Beast?
Interesting. I'll take a look for myself.
…What is this?
Upon reaching the area where the baby was said to be, I saw something unbelievable.
An En. An unbelievably vast one… Its center suggests a radius of nearly 1 km. A newborn baby is doing this? Impossible…
What do I do? Should I step into this En…?
…Let's try it. If it really is a baby, raising it could be fun. If I want something, I take it. That's our way.
Besides, if the rumors are true, no retrieval team has been harmed yet. It might actually be harmless.
I take a step forward and touch the En—A monster!?
Aura unlike anything I've ever felt crashes into me. This is the first time I've encountered such an ominous aura. Even as an En, its density rivals Uvogin's Ren…!
My body freezes after just one step…
…Huh? The En disappeared…?
Why? Is it because I stepped into its range?
Why? Is it inviting me?
What do I do…? Take the bait or back off…?
I can't walk away after being provoked like this. I take another step forward.
Standing atop rubble, about 500 meters away, I see the likely center of the En.
There it is. A real baby. Less than a week old. If it had emitted that aura from birth, it's no wonder it was abandoned here. And now it's using Zetsu. It switched after I touched its En…
There's no doubt. It's self-aware.
A self-aware newborn controlling Nen and radiating a massive, aberrant aura…
What else could it be but a monster!?
…! Our eyes met! It definitely looked at me—and smiled!
The moment I saw that smile, I was already sprinting home…
I'll have to warn the others. Don't enter this area.
I feel a gaze from about 500 meters away. Oh, the person from earlier came!
◆
...
See? Look at this cute little baby~. Harmless~. Not scary at all~.
Who is it? My eyes work now, so let's check.
My eyesight is still weak, so I use Gyo to enhance it. And just in case, I use In to suppress the visibility of my aura.
Oh!? …What a handsome boy. About 12 or 13? Damn it! He's infuriatingly handsome!!
No no, focus. That handsome boy is going to be my foster father. I need to smile and look friendly.
Wait! What's with that speed!? He bolted at rocket speed! "Fleeing like a rabbit" doesn't even cover it!!
Wait! Don't go! What's wrong with me!?
…Ugh. He's outside my En range now.
Has another day passed…?
I… I can't anymore… I'm at my limit… My stamina's gone…
For a baby, lasting this long is probably impressive…
Since then, no one else has come. I tried using En a few times, but not even a single rat appeared. Well, there were some at first, but after one En pulse, they all vanished completely…
Am I really going to die here…?
No!! I was reborn for this! I don't want to die without enjoying my second life!! If I'd known it would be like this, I'd rather have just died as Ryusho!!
If this happens… it means I only sacrificed Misha—my mother—for nothing…!!
Someone… anyone… please help meeeeee!!!!
[Great Mother's Love / Grateful Mother] Activated
"... It's okay, my precious child. Mommy will protect you."
…Huh? What? What just happened??? Why am I being gently held by a beautiful woman?? Huh? Somehow… I feel… really safe…?
What… is this…???
◆ Nen Ability Explanations
[Reincarnation (lol) / Tensei? No, It's Possession]
Manipulation-type
A subconscious Nen ability born from Sho's lingering regrets at death.
Upon activation, Sho's spirit as a Nen entity will possess any human within a 600-meter radius (equal to his max En in life).
If no one is in range, the ability fails and disappears.
If the host maintains self-awareness for over 1 minute, the ability ends and Sho's spirit vanishes.
If multiple targets are in range, possession targets the most compatible host (not consciously chosen).
Restrictions
Only triggers upon death (cannot be suicide or intentional death-by-proxy).
Longer lifespans increase possession chance.
Host's injuries and pain are shared by the user. If the host dies, the spirit disappears.
Can freely move the host's body with shared senses.
Can be exorcised, which kills the spirit.
Vow
Engaging in intercourse while alive nullifies this ability.
[Great Mother's Love / Grateful Mother]
Conjuration-type
A maternal Nen Beast created from Misha's lingering love for her child after dying from aura overflow.
Emits ominous deathly aura to others, but provides comfort to her child.
Contains abilities to raise and nurture the child; slightly overbearing.
Aura = (Misha's lifetime aura) + (Amplification from death Nen).
Restrictions
Cannot freely disappear; remains until aura depletes.
Cannot leave a 10m radius from the child.
Cannot use advanced Nen techniques (Zetsu, Ren, Gyo, In, En, Shu, Ko, Ryu).
Cannot recover aura once depleted.
Vow
None.
Abilities:
[Love-Filled Miracle Milk / Love Milk] (Emission + Conjuration)
Turns aura into magical breast milk filled with love.
Provides: nutrition, recovery, growth boost, infection resistance, beauty, aura recovery.
Taste is freely adjustable.
Aura is consumed per creation.
[Convenient Baby Goods / Convenience Baby Goods] (Conjuration)
Creates baby care items (diapers, strollers, etc.).
Limited to items Misha knew in life and deemed necessary.
Aura cost scales with item size.
[Discipline of Love / Education Mama] (Manipulation)
Strictly disciplines the child for their own good.
Subconsciously manipulates them to never repeat the behavior that prompted scolding.
Works even on spirits.
Overuse causes rebellion; limit depends on target's mental state.
Consumes aura per use.
Note: [Great Mother's Love] is Misha's posthumous Nen ability, not the protagonist's.