SLKD – Volume 1 Chapter 1

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Volume 1 Chapter 1 – Saving Someone and Escaping Death to Another World

“Ah~~~” Several extraordinary miserable screams are heard at sunset. Several badly bruised high school students fall in front of me, crying constantly.

“If you bastards make my vegetables rot, what shall I do?” I rub a beaten bruised face as I scold them.

I just came from the supermarket to buy food and met these assholes, claiming to be some kind of Satsuki Bodyguards. Telling me to stay far away from Satsuki. How weird.

I pick up my bicycle that fell by the roadside and sat on it’s seat. As I ride home on my bicycle I give them a cuss or two.

My name is Lin Xiang and I am Chinese. I came to Japan when I was only in the sixth grade of elementary school and have always been bullied since then. They hit me, kick me and said that my parents did not like me. I was very sad and hurt but nobody helped me. Nobody pitied me either and I was isolated from my classmates.

One day when I was being bullied by a group of male classmates, Takahashi Nobuhiko could not take it and he bravely stepped forward and told them to stop hitting me. Not only did they not pay any attention to his words, they bullied him too.

Because of that incident, Takahashi and I formed an unbreakable bond. Also because of that I vowed to become strong in order to fight back. I will not bully people but I also do not want to be bullied by others. Later on when they tried to bully me, I fought back and beat them into a complete mess. They were never satisfied so they always come to me asking for a fight. In order to deal with them, I exercise often, so that when they come to get me they will get more than they bargained for.

The news of me being powerful reached their boss’s ear and lately they always come with a bunch of people to fight me. When I first faced that many people, I was at a disadvantage but once I got used to it, I was not afraid anymore. At that time they also began to use weapons like iron bars and wooden sticks.

After I return to my empty home, I cook my meals, eat and wash my dishes. I take a bath afterwards and that is how my life usually goes on.

I use to have parents. They died in a traffic accident and when I was four years old my uncle Lin Hao took me in. He is a man of many talents and he use to be vice president of a famous company. I am very grateful for his support. In the sixth grade of elementary school when I transferred to Japan, he was promoted to the executive manager of that branch. You can tell how deeply the chairman of that company trusted him.

This year he turns thirty seven but he is still not married. I do not understand why a man who is as handsome as he is talented, is not married yet. I know for a fact that many women admire him too.

———————Time：June 4th, Monday. Location: School

“Lin Xiang, what’s wrong with your face? Did you get in a fight again yesterday?” A girl with a well-developed chest said with a blaming tone as I put my bag in my drawer. She put both her hands on top of my desk.

I glanced at Satsuki: “So what if I got in a fight? Mind your own business.”

“You…” Her face flush in anger. She looks pretty cute when she is mad.

This girl’s name is Satsuki Risa. She’s my classmate and is the class president. She was in my class ever since the 2nd year of junior high until now, 1st year of high school.

How can this tomboy be called the Madonna by the male population of Northern Sea High School? Satsuki is beautiful with pure white skin and bright charming eyes. Her body is the golden ratio of 1:7 so I suppose she stands out amongst the rest of the girls. She also has good grades so I guess she fully deserves to be the campus Madonna.

Yesterday, those idiotic people who claim to be Satsuki’s bodyguards probably like her. Maybe they tried to “warn me” because I am a delinquent who is also close to her.

Satsuki’s a very annoying girl. She does not meddle in other people’s business but she likes to meddle in mine. I still do not understand how I offended her. Or is this how she repays her savior?

One day in the second grade of middle school, I wasted a lot of time when I was choosing my dinner ingredients so I went into the shortcut alley and saw her surrounded by small fry. They probably wanted to molest her or something.

Since she was one of my classmates — no, as long as I see anyone being bullied no matter what the reason was, I will bravely step forward. This is probably why I have offended so many people.

I put my groceries and school bag on the ground and ran at them. Two or three people already ran away because they had fought with me before and knew how strong I was. When they saw me, they ran away in with their head down.

“Student Lin Xiang?” Satsuki was crying at that time and I knew that she was really scared. From then on, even when I don’t talk to her she finds me everyday, telling me to seriously study as if she was my mom or something! If I knew that this would happen, I would not have bothered to save her.

“Yo, Xiang, did you make Satsuki angry again?” Takahashi said as he pats me on the shoulder.

I look at Satsuki and see her small mouth pout, as if she is angry. But I am familiar with her so I know she is not really angry.

I rub her on the head and smile: “Oh high and mighty class president, this boy here has just hit puberty so he is a bit rebellious, please forgive him.”

Satsuki slapped my hand away and said the same words that she always answers with: “You made me angry, I don’t care about you ~~~ also, don’t touch me.”

Well ~~~ although she always tells me to not touch her, her face never showed signs of disgust. So I put my hand on her head and rub it like I would with a little kid: “Don’t be angry okay?”

“I don’t forgive you, I will never forgive you. Hateful Lin Xiang. I really won’t talk to you anymore.” She says as she sits back in her seat and sticks her tongue out cutely.

“So simple.” I laugh, facing Takahashi.

“Who’s simple?” asked Takahashi.

“Her.” Was it not clear that I was referring to Satsuki? She is just like a little kid.

“……” Takahashi looks at me and shakes his head. With a sigh he said: “Well ~~~ not everyone is perfect, even the most outstanding people have their faults.”

“What?” I always think that Takahashi really likes to say things that other people don’t get.

“Nothing.” Takahashi said as he shakes his head again and returns to his seat. After a while, the school bell rang.

——————— Lunch Break

I put my bento on my desk and Satsuki moves her desk next to mine.
(TL: bento = lunch box)

This Satsuki, she said she won’t talk to me anymore but after class isn’t she back to talking to me again? However, she is always like this, so I am used to it.

“Are you going to eat in the cafeteria today?” Takahashi said as he walks by.

He looks at me. Then he looks at Satsuki and smiles: “Oh I do not want to be hated.” Then he walks out of the classroom.

“Hey~~~” What’s going on? Who is going to hate him?

In these two months since the beginning of high school, he never eats lunch with me anymore. We have always eaten our bento together with Satsuki since junior high. Is his mother too lazy to make him a bento?

“Waa~~~ deep-fried meat balls, Lin Xiang, do you like me or something? Recently you always make deep-fried meat balls.” Satsuki’s eyes shine as she opens my bento and see my deep-fried meat balls.

“Like you? Don’t make me laugh, you know that I like deep-fried meatballs too.”

“Don’t lie, didn’t you give me all of yours last time? If you like me, you can confess and maybe I will accept you.” Satsuki says as she grins happily displaying two small, cute dimples.

If you say that I fell in love with her, that is not possible. The reason why I had been making deep-fried meatballs for a week is because Satsuki’s favorite grandpa passed away last week. I only made them to comfort her.

I pat her on the head: “Thank you very much, dear “Risa-chan”. (only intimate people call each other by their first name and/or “chan” in japan)

Her face flushed like a ripe apple and she got angry: “Idiot, why are you suddenly being so close? Baka.” She put all the deep-fried meat balls in her bento and ate in a hurry

“You’re eating too fast, don’t choke.” What did I do to make her mad this time?

“Hmph~~~ I’m eating lunch, ignoring you” She glared at me through the corner of one eye and continue to eat her bento.

I feel that when we got into high school Satsuki changed and became difficult to understand. Is it because we are always together that no boys confess to her anymore?

At that time, Yamada Yukihito knocked against my table. I look him in the eye and he immediately said sorry.

This Yamada Yukihito is a bully and when we became high schoolers he fell in love with Satsuki. He often pesters her. Maybe because he was jealous of our good relationship, on the 3rd day of high school he brought a gang of people to beat me.

That fool. Me against 10 or so people? No problem. He pit 7 useless people that only know how to scare people with wooden sticks to fight against me. Of course I beat them up. After all, I am Japan’s National Youth Champion in boxing and kendo. It is hard to humiliate me.

From then on, he did not dare to be around Satsuki but he still occasionally provokes me. If he sees my face change, he will pale and shrink back. That bastard bullies the weak but fears the strong.

I will never acknowledge that kind of person.

——————— After school

“Ah, today’s sunset is so beautiful” Satsuki said as we walk along the coastal road.

“Yeah~~~ if you hold your own bag, it will be so much more beautiful.” Every time Satsuki goes home, she makes me take her home and carry her bag. But that’s fine because the supermarket is near her home and I can take her home on the way. Also this girl is close to me so I am afraid that she will be attacked.

“Tch~~~ There are a lot of people who want to hold it, so don’t be so unsatisfied.” Satsuki has a proud look on her face.

“Yes yes, the super glamorous narcissistic Risa-chan.” This girl is way too narcissistic, right?

“Pa ~ “ Satsuki heavily hit me on the shoulder: “Go to hell! The setting sun stained Satsuki’s face with its red color, making her look very beautiful.

“You are so poisonous. You usually always rely on me, now you want me to die? I laugh.

“Hmph~~~ You are better off dead.” Satsuki sticks out her pink tongue again.

“If I die, who would be as stupid as me, the person who always listens to young miss?”

As I finish talking, I see a disturbing scene in front of me…

—– At an intersection, a kid is riding on a tricycle but at the other side, a truck is speeding towards him.

“Hey! What are you doing? Hey?” Satsuki said as I drop her bag, probably thinking that I was angry.

I ignore Satsuki and silently repeated in my heart: “I can catch up, I can catch up…”

Since I wished for it that strongly, sure enough, I caught up to the kid riding on the tricycle but I can not grab him in time so I kick him away.

“Bang!” I hear a heavy crashing sound and Satsuki’s piercing cry.

My body feels empty and I feel like I am flying in the air. My body starts to ache and I black out…

“Plop” Huh? How come it is hard to breathe? And my nose is choking, this is… sea water? Ah, I was hit by a car and flew into the sea. This occurs often near this coastal road, that a person gets hit by a car drops in the sea.

I manage to open my eyes. My eyes sting and the sunset dyed red water gets farther and farther away from me. My body is not in pain anymore. And I don’t hear Satsuki’s sad desolate cry anymore…

In the darkness of the sea, I see two big things come from the endless water. Is it a shark? Maybe they smell the scent of my blood… I close my eyes and calm my heart. There is no trace of fear in my heart. Is this the legendary calm before dying?

……

So hot ! ! ! Suddenly, my body is on fire…

“Waa~~~ hot hot hot.” I open my eyes and a black flame is burning on top of my body. Scared, I try to put it out as fast as I can…

Ah ? ! ! !

In front of me there is a flame-like black substance. When I look around I see an abandoned factory. I pinch my face. Was I dead?

Suddenly my head started to hurt…

– Since ancient times, it has been said that God is the creator of the world. But this is not true, God’s duty is to protect the world. All things must die, God will inevitably die as well. As he was dying, he gave his power to his mount, the Dragon God, the dragon’s ancestor.

After God’s death, everything changed. God’s mercy and kindness was no longer in effect. Since then, the “hatred, revenge,” and bad thoughts that accumulated after a person’s death became a “demon”.

Spiritual objects that absorb the sun and moon’s essence became a “spirit” .

The ones living in heaven are God’s people, also known as an “angel”. They were deeply saddened by God’s departure but they did not have time to grieve because the spirits and demons who thrive on human souls attacked. It was so sudden. Angels only support the world, where would they get offensive magic? In order to protect the heaven and the human world, the Dragon God destroyed most of the demons at the expense if it’s own life. There were only few left. Even though those leftovers were weak demons, they were enough to become a huge threat to the human world. In order to protect themselves, humans trained themselves and developed spiritual power. People who have spiritual power are called spirit users.

The angels worked hard to practice their magic for the humans and themselves. They developed “light magic” in order to counter the demon’s “dark magic”. They did not know this but it was actually the Dragon God’s remaining energy. The Dragon God finally fulfilled its promise with God to “take care of the world.”

The war between humanity, angels, and demons. God’s death is only the beginning… —-《The World’s Story，Appendix》

People with spiritual powers are divided into two categories: Sorcerers and Battle Technicians.

The Sorcerer class is divided into ten ranks: Magician’s Apprentice, Trainee Magician, Junior Magician, Intermediate Magician, Advanced Magician, Magus, Grand Magus, Saint Magus, Ruling Saint, Ruling God. The Sorcerer’s magic is the transformation of spiritual power.

The Battle Technician class is divided into ten ranks as well: Battle Scholar, Battle Master, Battle General, Battle King, Battle Emperor, Battle Spirit, Battle Ancestor, Battle Elder, Battle Saint, Battle God. A battle technician directly attacks with spiritual power. Damage dealt is proportional to their spiritual power.

Every rank only needs to reach level five to rank up. —-《Basic Knowledge of Spiritual Power》

What are these memories? I cover my eyes and squinted, a dark flame is floating in front of me — a demon…

The lowest demon, a newly born demon. Although it is a lesser demon, it already absorbed small human grievances, has an inferior ability. Anyone with a general ability to fight can handle them.

Low demon. Evolved from the lowest demons, demons at this level can use dark magic.

Intermediate demon. Demons at this level start to develop intelligence, they become harder to deal with.

Superior demon. Strong demon, they have certain amounts of intelligence, they know how to use tricks, and they have strong demonic power, demons at this level become extremely difficult to fight against.

Special demon. Very strong demon, they have only appeared twice in recent years. Both times angels were there to help.

King of demons. A legend, never before seen. ————《Demon Basic Illustrations，Appendix》

Demon Illustrations Handbook? What is this? Ah~~~ My headache is getting worse.

“Dammit, why is my spiritual power this weak? ‘I’ punch the wall, crying.

“You are always a burden in every class team battle, aren’t you embarrassed?” The class monitor, Kamiki Kuji, said in a haughty voice. Who the hell’s Kamiki Kuji? I don’t know this guy, but why do I have this guy’s memory?

“Dammit, I am really weak.” ‘I’ hide in bed crying. Strange, when was I that timid ?

“You, there is no point in reading books. The only thing useful in this world is spiritual power.” The homeroom teacher does not look at ‘me’.

“Hey, Lin Xiang the failure, help me buy a drink, use your own money.” Yamada Yukihito said to ‘me’. Yamada Yukihito? The guy that only turns around when I look at him? What’s going on?

“Ha ha, trashy Lin Xiang…”

“Baka Lin Xiang…”

“Junior High School student Lin Xiang…”

“Ha ha ha ha ha ha…”

A large amount of memories flood into my mind…

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