n

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nI dashed out into the streets. I frowned seeing that the place is so desolated. Looks like I made a bad choice of moving out from Tokyo a few years back.

nThe streets are pretty desolated. Not a single person is around to help me. Even cars are rarely coming this way. I am running around to find anyone else when I heard something while passing an alley.

n

"Help...me...

"

nMy hearing is much clearer and fine which made me able to hear it. I stopped and checked back the alley where the voice came from. Just as I was peeking, I saw an old man who seemed to be matured enough to be counted as a geezer is raising his bloody hand.

nAnyone will get afraid if anyone sees this situation where a bloody man is pleading help in an alley. However, I have seen much horror than what a normal person has seen. That is why I did not retreat or run away and instead rushed to the side of the old man.

nAlthough my situation is bad, it can be solved by expelling the poison. The older man is much in a worse state than me. From the looks of it, he is shot several times in his body. It was already a miracle he is still alive. Even though people made their bodies tougher in the game, they still die when someone used a gun on them. This older man is bleeding a lot, and he is clutching his bleeding stomach with his bleeding hands. His forehead is also bleeding, might be a blunt force that made him injured in his head. He will surely die due to blood loss if he can't be treated immediately.

n

"Old man! What happened! Let me help you go to the hospital! I was also going there anyway!

" I said to him and looked at his face. However, I was taken aback when I saw his face. I can't be wrong with it. My Eidetic Memory still did not fail me and I am sure I recognized this person and if I am not wrong, this particular man is pretty famous.

nTojiro Akisame...

nHe is the creator of the game Alternate World with joint forces of work with Nobuhiko Kasahuchi. He was considered as an enigma because he has hidden until ten years ago as he revealed himself alongside with Nobuhiko Kasaguchi. They were known as the genius who made the game that changed the world and his appearance in the public is marked in history as one of the most historical events in the world. I wanted to meet this old man, but I did not expect that I would meet him, however, it was in an awful way.

n

"No need kid... I won't live long... however, you can still do it...

"Tojiro muttered. I lean him into the wall. He coughed a bit and looked at me.

n

"I have followed your progress in the game... and if not for those things, you might have already surpassed the pillars of the gamers.

"

nI can't believe my ears. Did he follow my journey? Seriously? All of those things that happened to me are all seen by Tojiro?

n

"You have the potential... however, I can see you are also in a predicament right? Then... are you willing to return to the past... and remake your future?

" Tojiro asked.

nAs soon as he said that, all of the events in the past 25 years passed by in a time-lapse version. All of them are events that I wanted to change but I have no power to do it. Now, Tojiro is giving me a chance. Of course, everything that happened to me will be rewritten. However, I have the chance to redo it all.

n

"If I have to, I want to return in time and redo all of this stupid sh*t that happened in my life,

" I said to him honestly. I wanted to save everyone important to me.

n

"In that case, are you willing to return in time, 25 years earlier?

" Tojiro asked, his eyes glowed. I am still wondering how he can talk while in that situation but I don't pay attention to it.

n

"I want to if I can...

" I said.

n

"What if I tell you that all your choices might affect the whole world and your future? If you changed a certain event, the future will be not the same future you might know...

" Tojiro said but I stopped him midway.

n

"That is why I am changing the future right? I am a bit afraid but I am willing to take a stake,

" I said to him.

n

"I see, then... accept this,

" Tojiro pulled out something in his pocket and suddenly injects my Reality Verse in my hand. I jolted a bit, but it was quick.

n

"What was that?

" I asked.

n

"A small gift. And a few things that will be unlocked once you reached its hidden perquisites. Those will be useful once you return. Also, choose the Versatile class. That gift will help you in your quest,

" Tojiro said.

nI mentally take note of that.

n

"Also, do not take the Alternate World as a mere game. Treat it as another reality. Remember that,

" Tojiro said to me before he coughed out blood.

n

"Akisame-san!

" I hold him down.

n

"Looks like my time is almost up. Young one, use this,

" he pulled out a small square device that has a red circle on it.

n

"Push that button to send you back to the past. It's usable only once and that will be broken once you used it,

" Tojiro said and coughed out blood again.

n

"Looks like its finally my time... kid... remember, change the past. Do not make the same mistakes...

" Tojiro said before he took his last breath.

n

"Akisame-san!

" However, he is already turning cold. He died.

nJust as I was a bit stunned on all the things, I coughed out blood. This is bad, the poison has spread out to my body! I looked into the device that Tojiro has given to me. If I use this, will I go back?

nBefore I can push it, I was knocked down hard. I struggled and look at the one who knocked me down. It was Akari, but this time, she is not alone, a familiar person appeared in my view.

n

"Kazuki!

"

n

"Hey there Manato, you seemed to get pathetic more than usual!

" Kazuki laughed as he looked at me.

n

"Did you do this?

" I asked him.

n

"Hmm, since you are going to die, then let me say a few tidbits then. Basically, yes. Even that old man behind you is also my doing. Now that he is dead, I can finally take over on the game's control,

" Kazuki said.

nI trembled. So he killed Tojiro for the sake of taking over the game? This is not something I expected.

n

"Then... why involve me?!

" I gritted my teeth.

n

"Hmm, its because you are a nuisance? Oh, and by the way, even if Akari-chan and you get married, it's not going to work, since she is already a married woman and mother of my two children,

" Kazuki grinned.

nAkari smiled and kissed Kazuki in the lips in front of me. I trembled in agitation. All of the memories we made together flashed back in my mind and all of them got crushed in my memory one by one. However, I can't forget them. I have an Eidetic Memory, it will be forever imprinted in my mind. This b*tch, she was fooling me?!

nSo she was the Assassin that Kazuki Sakatsushi married. The news is rather unclear, that is why I don't know. But now I know. I clenched my teeth. She just used all my feelings. She might be laughing behind her back when I proposed. She was already married to the guild leader of the top 1 guild, Burning Dragon, Scarlet Sword. No wonder their names have both Scarlet, its because they have a connection. I was a fool that I did not notice it immediately.

nI clenched my fist while holding the cube that Tojiro gave me. You two are just in bad luck that you meet me. I won't accept my death. I will make the two of you suffer.

n

"Since you are already dying, let me do the pleasure of killing you then,

" Kazuki raised his pistol and aimed it to me.

nHowever, instead of frowning, I grinned instead and raised my middle finger on him.

n

"F*ck you and your ancestors! I hope that you and that bitch will rot in hell in the next life!

"

nThis angered Kazuki and pulled the trigger. Before Kazuki can fully pull the trigger, I already pushed the button to my transfer.

nBang!

nKazuki stopped while his hands holding the pistol is still raised in the air. He bullet hit the floor instead of a living person.

n

"F*ck! He escaped! Men! Look for him! And bring him to me! Dead or alive!

"

nHowever, I pity him, he won't be finding me anymore...

n...

n

"Geh!

" I was awakened as I felt my forehead hit the floor.

nOh f*ck, my head hurts. What the heck...

nThen, I realized, why did I fall in my bed? I was in the streets and I was already lying on the floor, how can I still fall? Also. how come it hurts? A fall like this is nothing to my tempered body. I rubbed my eyes and get up. I squinted my eyes and realized that this place is pretty familiar.

nAnd I was right, it was indeed my old room! I rushed into the mirror and checked my face and body. When I checked, the face I saw is not the face I have 25 years ago. It was the 17-year-old me facing me in the mirror. I checked the calendar and checked the date. My eyes teared up...

n

"I finally made it back...

" I muttered.

n

"I made it back!

" I shouted again, while tears are streaming down my face.

nI returned to the past. I finally returned to the past! I stare into my room and I was immediately filled with nostalgia. The posters of the animes I loved to watch, the notebooks, the desk filled with manga and Light Novels, even my gaming PC is still alive. The smartphone is also alive and not the traditional Holographic Phone that I was using in the past. I succeeded in returning! I checked my wrist for the Reality Verse tattoo and for some reason, I can feel something different on my wrist. I still remembered that Tojiro injected me something but I have no idea what it was.

nI shrugged off on it and checked the date again and nodded. Today is the day the Reality Verse will be on sale and the day the game will be launched!

nI check on the smartphone on the time and saw that it was still 2 am. It was still too early, no wonder it was so dark outside. So it was still early, but that is not a problem, and besides, I am no longer sleepy.

nI performed basic push-ups, sit-ups, curl-ups, and a few jumping jacks. As expected, my body is still weak and I can't properly finish the sets. My body is not athletic at all, so this might be the case. Well, I will surely recover my normal fit of the body in a few days so I am not worried. I am not I. a rush.

nAfter doing the very tiresome exercise, I rested a bit. I should be practicing my skills up but since my body is not yet exposed in Reality Verse, I can't activate it yet so that would have to wait.

nI quickly go to my desk and formulated the plan to take a free Reality Verse later. I heard that there was a special event to take a free Reality Verse but I am not sure about it. There was a giveaway but I did not know about it in the past timeline so I did not get to be one of the lucky ones. But this time that I returned in the past, I will be able to take that item and access Alternate World. This time, I won't make the same mistakes again.

n