Chapter 1: The End... and the Beginning

Blood. It pooled beneath him like a crimson halo, soaking into the cracked concrete of the alleyway. Rain lashed at his broken body, a cold mockery of comfort. Kaito Yukimura, twenty-four years old and utterly alone, stared up at the gray sky with fading eyes.

So this was how it ended.

Betrayed by the people he trusted most. Used as a pawn. Tossed aside like garbage.

"I gave everything," he whispered, voice thick with blood. "Everything…"

A chuckle echoed around him—no, not a chuckle. A laugh. Deep, rich, and far too amused for the situation.

"You humans are always so dramatic."

Kaito's vision flickered. He tried to move, but his limbs refused to answer.

"Who's there?" he rasped.

A figure stepped out of the shadows, cloaked in darkness that seemed to twist and pulse. Eyes like burning coals peered down at him, and a pair of curling horns crowned the figure's head.

"Name's Bael," the being said, crouching beside him. "One of the original Seven. I'm here with an offer."

Kaito coughed weakly. "Offer…?"

"You died unjustly. You've been wronged. Your soul is full of anger, vengeance, and potential." Bael's grin widened. "I can give you another chance. But everything has a cost."

Kaito laughed bitterly. "So what's the catch? My soul?"

Bael smirked. "Oh no. Something far more interesting. I want you to wield my system. My power. Spread a little chaos. Shake up the world above. In return, you'll get revenge, strength, and… well, let's just say some perks along the way."

Kaito hesitated.

What did he have to lose?

"…Deal."

The moment the word left his lips, everything changed.

Pain vanished. Rain stopped. Time itself seemed to freeze.

A surge of power crashed into him like a tidal wave. Symbols in an infernal language burned into his skin, then faded. A black screen blinked into existence before his eyes, hovering in the void.

> Devil's System Activated

Welcome, Contractor: Kaito Yukimura

You have been Reborn

And with that, darkness claimed him.

---