Chapter 1: Rebirth in Ruins

"There's no greater curse than remembering a world that hasn't fallen yet."

The world smelled too clean.

Ren Kurozawa opened his eyes to the soft hum of electricity and the sun bleeding through faded curtains. His breath caught — not from fear, but from the overwhelming wrongness of the moment.

This wasn't a battlefield.

This wasn't the smoking corpse of Tokyo's last bastion.

This was… the past.

He sat up too fast. The scars on his body — gone. His system UI, dormant but present, flickered into existence like an old friend rebooting.

[Doomsday Protocol: Rebooted.]

Welcome back, Commander.

Year: -10 Pre-Fall

Status: Reincarnated.

Objective: Prevent Collapse. Build Apex Authority.

Warning: [Timeline Divergence Detected.]

Ren's throat tightened. His fists clenched against the cheap bedsheets of his rundown apartment. This wasn't a dream.

He was back.

The betrayal. The fall. The final stand. Aya's tears as she aimed the gun at him. Ichiro's smug smile, his hand on her shoulder. All of it real.

And now?

Reset.

---

06:40 AM — Pre-Fall Tokyo

Ren didn't waste time. He moved like a soldier: fast, quiet, precise. Within the hour, he'd cleared out his emergency cache from a loose floorboard beneath the sink — ¥40,000 in cash, an old burner phone, a second-hand hunting knife, and a list of supply depots from his old scavenging days.

He knew which stores would go empty first. Knew which neighborhoods would riot, and which ones would burn.

First stop? A local mom-and-pop hardware store run by an ex-yakuza who took favors over money.

"Back so soon?" the old man grunted.

Ren tossed a bundle of cash on the counter. "Give me your last three crowbars, tarp rolls, a firestarter kit, two packs of batteries, and that camping axe behind you."

The man squinted. "Planning a forest trip or the end of the world?"

Ren didn't smile. "Why not both?"

---

10:12 AM — Rooftop Scouting Point

Ren perched on the edge of a 4-story abandoned office building, binoculars scanning the skyline. His bag, now heavy with gear and protein bars, dug into his shoulder.

But his thoughts weren't on comfort. They were on her.

Ayaka Kisaragi.

The girl who once cried at his funeral.

The girl who later put a bullet through his lung.

She didn't know him yet. Not this version. But her fate was already being shaped by the manipulative bastard who stole her trust in the last timeline.

Ichiro.

The green tea man in sheep's clothing. Subtle. Friendly. His manipulation wrapped in warmth and 'emotional safety.'

Ren knew better.

This time, he wouldn't just beat Ichiro.

He'd break him.

---

Later — Underground Shelter

By nightfall, Ren had already reinforced the storm drains under the building and converted one into a sealed emergency bunker. Tarps. Layers of plastic. DIY filtration. Water barrels. Stolen Wi-Fi routers scavenged from rooftops.

He didn't sleep. He prepared.

And just before midnight, his skin prickled with the first flare.

[Supernatant Spark Detected.]

Dormant Trait Unlocked: [Cognitive Oversync - Tier 1]

Status: Latent Neural Potential Awakened.

Ren exhaled, heart pounding. It's starting. The supernatant wave that reshaped humanity was already stirring. The weak would be consumed. The strong would ascend.

But he wasn't here to ascend.

He was here to dominate.

---

System Log: Reboot - Entry #001

Name: Ren Kurozawa

Age: 24 (Mental) / 17 (Biological)

Timeline Sync: Diverged [∆-10 Years]

System: Doomsday Protocol

Command Authority: High Clearance

Supernatant Status: Spark Awakened

Trait Unlocked: Cognitive Oversync (Tier 1)

+Enhanced memory recall

+Tactical foresight under pressure

+Mild resistance to cognitive intrusion

Inventory Highlights:

¥40,000 (Local Currency)

Emergency Supply Cache [Lv.1]

Makeshift Shelter (Underground - Reinforced)

Primary Targets Logged:

1. Ichiro Takamine [Status: Unknown | Alert: Green Tea Threat]

2. Ayaka Kisaragi [Status: Unawakened | Affinity: Potential]

"Mission Start. Survival is not enough. This time, you conquer."

---

Next Chapter Teaser:

Chapter 2 – Stray Flames and Familiar Eyes

When Ren crosses paths

with Ayaka again, her memories may be gone — but the echo in her eyes isn't. Meanwhile, Ichiro makes his first move behind a mask of harmless charm…