The streets of Tokyo bustled and jostled with cars and commuters. Beeps and chirps of crosswalk lights and tree sparrows rang through the clear but humid summer air, and in that scorching heat a young man stood perfectly positioned beneath a street light, finding what little refuge of shade from the midday sun while he waited for a junior from the same general contractor firm he worked at.

Raising his left arm to check the time, he cursed himself for always being early because if he had come just on time he wouldn't have to endure the sun on his shoulders nor the sweat he could feel tickling down his back. Taking out a handkerchief from the breast pocket, he wiped his brow and fanned himself cool. The handkerchief was a Christmas present from his older brother, nothing special beyond his name, Mikami Satoru, being sewn in. Most people might resent being given such a thing but not Satoru. How could he complain when he left said older brother to take care of his aging parents while he went to make a life for himself in the big city?

A life, it turned out, not really mentionable by any metric or standards. Neither short nor tall, he had a face that wasn't particularly bad but not recognizable in a crowd either and as such he hasn't managed to stand out to any girls yet, even though he turned 37 but just a couple of months ago. He had hoped that by this time he had someone to come home to in the small one-room apartment he lives in. Not for lack of trying either. On at least 3 occasions he had worked up the courage to ask a girl out, only to be turned down each time. As polite as the refusals were, the heartbreak was all the same. Now, at this point, romance is naught but troublesome for him. He has become content with having his apartment by himself, after all it's just a short train ride from work, "Who needs romance when you have a computer with an internet connection anyway?" He tries to convince himself.

Each week he spends the same; commuting to work, crammed into the stuffy oversized cans they call trains, and on the weekend he visits the bars where he pours drinks for his superiors and laughs at their attempts at humor, though it's not all bad because he has juniors to do the same for him, like the one he was waiting for this day.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting!" a voice called nearby. With a cheerful smile, a young man dressed in smart-casual jeans and polo shirt approaches Satoru, and by his side, a beautiful girl looking slightly bashful to make Satoru's acquaintance.

"It's fine, don't worry about it. What's up, Tamura? You said you needed my advice with something?" Satoru asked, though he already knew the answer. The girl was a receptionist at the same company and from the looks of things it was obvious that they had come to ask for consultation on their upcoming marriage. "Why me? I don't even have a girlfriend?" Satoru asked internally.

"You know Sawatari, right?" Tamura said, presenting the cute little thing to his side

"Nice to meet you. My name is Sawatari Miho. Although we have seen each other at work, this is the first time we are speaking out of the office, right? To be honest, I'm a little nervous."

Satoru was somewhat taken aback, usually it was he that stumbled over his words when faced with one of the opposite sex, perhaps that's why he hasn't managed to find a girlfriend yet?

"Hello, I'm Mikami Satoru. No need for nervousness or anything, you're famous around the office. Tamura went to the same university as me, you know, so we've had plenty to talk about over a few drinks." He joked, trying to play off his own insecurities.

"What do you mean I'm 'famous' at work? What have you heard?" Sawatari asked, a fluster building in her cheeks.

"Oh, you know. Having an affair with this Chief, or going on dates with that other person. Things like that." Replied Satoru, fully diving into his own lie leaving Sawatari with an expression of shock and twinkles of tears building in her eyes at the things which were supposedly being said about her. Satoru thought she looked adorable like this, though he wouldn't dare to admit it out loud. "This is why I'm bad with women." he inwardly thought, realizing his lack of tact or delicacy at what he had intended to be just some light teasing.

"Quit playing around with her, Satoru." Tamura stepped in, with a tap on Sawatari's shoulder, "Miho, he's just teasing." he said with a warm and comforting smile.

"Yeah, sorry Sawatari. I'm just pulling your leg. I'm not that good with women, you see. Let's get out of this heat shall we? I know a restaurant around the corner, we can talk there." Satoru apologised, suddenly remembering that it was the middle of summer and he swore he could smell his shirt being ironed while he was still wearing it.

Just as they turned to set off, screams erupted in a nearby crowd

"Move! I, I-I'll kill you! MOVE I said"

Turning around to see what was going on, a man with a purse clutched tight under his arm came darting down the street through the people dodging out of his way, or rather, out of the way of the knife he was also carrying.

Sawatari froze in fear and confusion. Tamura wrapped himself around her to protect her. The knife was heading straight for them, tip gleaning and glistening silver in the midday sun.

"Tamura!" shouted Satoru, shoving both Tamura and Sawatari out of the way. A sharp pain rang through his back. Falling to the ground, he saw the man escaping through vision blurred with pain. A shadow comes over him, his friend shouting his name. Satoru could see that both Tamura and his bride-to-be were safe.

"Thank god…" he whispered, face firmly on the concrete sidewalk. The feelings of pain aside, he complained once more at just how hot the summer day had been

-Confirmed. Establishing heat resistance… Success.-

"Did I seriously get stabbed? I can't be dying from a stab wound…" he thought

-Confirmed. Establishing pierce resistance… Success. Additional process, establishing physical attack resistance… Success-

"I can't stop the bleeding. Someone, anyone, call an ambulance quick!" Tamura said, fumbling with his hands over the wound, desperately trying to keep the blood from pouring out as it was.

Satoru once more complained about the pain searing through his back. After all, of course a stab wound wasn't going to be painless, would it?

-Confirmed. Removing sense of pain... Success.-

"T, Tamura. It's alright, it's just a bit of blood, right? Stop worrying" Satoru managed to muster, oblivious to the direness of the situation

"Satoru, I'm sorry. I can't stop the bleeding. It just keeps…" His face blue, on the verge of tears, Tamura kept his hands pressed over the wound in futile attempts to stop the bleeding. Satoru looked up to see how Sawatari was doing, but the haze had fully come over him blurring all vision. Despite that, he could still make out a pool of crimson spreading in front of him. "That much, huh? Why did I give so much blood when I'm the one in need of it now? Seriously, blood is good for nothing in the end, isn't it?" Satoru thought

-Confirmed. Creating a bloodless body... Success.-

With the lack of blood circulating through his veins, Satoru felt his body grow cold. At first it was his fingers and toes, spreading through and through until he could no longer feel the scorching concrete on his face which he had been complaining about just moments ago. "So cold…" he whispered

-Confirmed. Establishing cold resistance...Success. Additionally, heat and cold resistance has successfully merged and evolved into thermal fluctuation resistance EX-

There it was again, the strange voice. What was it saying? Satoru couldn't make heads nor tails of it. All he knew was that is was weird, with an odd electronic tone of voice like that thing he used to play with on his computer. His computer!

"Tamura!" He shouted with the last of his strength "If I die...I beg of you, you must do this for me"

"Sure, anything. What is it?"

"My computer."

"What about it?"

"My computer. Turn on the power and drown it in the bathtub. Completely wipe the data clean."

"...You what?" Tamura asked, dumbfounded at the absurdity of what was being asked of him now of all times.

-Confirmed. Attempting full format of all information… Error. Impossible due to lack of definition. Attempting alternate interpretation. Establishing electricity resistance...Success. Additionally, paralysis resistance has been acquired.-

"Okay" Tamura complied, "I'll do it for you. You know, I just wanted to show Sawatari off to you."

"Yeah, I know, you asshole." Satoru coughed out a laugh, "You treat her right and take care of her, you got that? Make sure you take care of... my PC... too." with that, Mikami Satoru died completely unsatisfied with his life.

A life, it turned out, not really mentionable by any metric or standards. Neither short nor tall, he had a face that wasn't particularly bad but not recognizable in a crowd either and as such he hasn't managed to stand out to any girls yet, even though he turned 37 just a couple of months ago. A virgin.

Satoru's soul ebbed in the ether, still conscious but not attached to any form. He complained about his lowly existence "If I'm reborn, I'm gonna make up for my lack of 'experience'. I'll ask out as many girls as I can, have an all-you-can-eat hotty buffet and go on a devouring spree!" he joked

-Confirmed. Unique skill [Predator] has been acquired.-

"Almost made it to be a real life 40-year old virgin, haha! In any other world, I'd be considered some kind of sage, wouldn't I? If I were, I'd be a great sage, for sure!"

-Confirmed. Extra skill [Sage] has been acquired. Furthermore, extra skill [Sage] has successfully evolved into unique skill [Great Sage]-

Just what was that voice? Satoru thought it was the delirious audio hallucinations from dying, but that was all over now, wasn't it? It gnawed at him, a reminder that he had already passed on. But passed on to where, exactly?

With that, Satoru felt himself drift off even further into darkness and eventual slumber as his soul passed from one life, through a dimensional crack undetectable to the naked eye and linked with a mass of demonic energy to be reborn as a monster in another world.