The bell rang, marking the end of another uneventful day at Zenith Academy. Students clad in sleek uniforms streamed out of the imposing glass-and-steel building, their chatter filled with talk of combat training, mana theory, and tomorrow's gate simulation. Among them, one figure moved unnoticed: a scrawny boy with unkempt black hair, sunken eyes, and a slouched posture.

Kenji Saito was the academy’s most pitied student. In a school filled with gifted awakeners, he was a shadow of mediocrity, unable to even form a basic mana core. His peers called him "Null," a nickname both cruel and accurate.

But tonight, Kenji would change forever.

Kenji trudged home, dreading his mother’s disappointed silence and his father’s rare, cutting remarks. Yet, halfway through the alley leading to his house, the world tilted. His vision blurred, and an unbearable heat consumed him.

When he opened his eyes again, he was no longer in the alley.

Instead, he stood in a swirling void, his surroundings an endless expanse of stars and chaos. Before him stood a towering figure clad in ethereal armor, a crown of flame resting upon its head.

“You,” the being thundered, its voice resonating like an earthquake, “are unworthy to carry my memories. But time is short, and the calamity approaches. You will take my legacy and finish what I could not.”

“What are you talking about?” Kenji stammered, fear lacing his voice.

“You are me,” the figure declared, slamming a massive spear into the void. Memories surged into Kenji’s mind—battles against gods, calamities sealed within gates, betrayals, and, finally, death at the hands of the last god.

Then it all stopped.

“You are my reincarnation, Saito Kenji. Take my strength. Take my system. Slay the gods and end the calamities.”

Before Kenji could respond, the void shattered, and he awoke on his bedroom floor, drenched in sweat.

Kenji sat bolt upright, his breathing ragged. He felt... different. Stronger. As though something primal had awakened within him.

Then it appeared.

[SYSTEM INITIALIZED]

Welcome, Host.

Solo Godslayer System activated.

Mission: Eliminate all divine entities.

A glowing interface appeared before his eyes, displaying stats he never thought possible.

Name: Kenji Saito

Level: 1

Class: Godslayer

Abilities:

[Soul Rebirth] (Passive): You carry the accumulated strength and knowledge of your past life.

[Void Spear] (Active): Summon a weapon capable of severing divine essence.

[System Upgrade]: Unlock additional abilities by slaying gods or completing missions.

Kenji stared, disbelief warring with awe. The hopeless, null boy now had a system. And not just any system—one designed to slay gods.

But before he could process further, the academy’s emergency sirens blared, jolting him back to reality.

A gate had opened on the outskirts of the city, and Zenith Academy was mobilizing its students to contain the threat. Gates were rifts that connected their world to others—worlds filled with monsters, treasures, and horrors. This gate, however, was different. Its crimson hue pulsed with malevolent energy, far beyond what first-year students could handle.

Kenji, now aware of his reincarnated self, joined the students reluctantly. He had no combat experience, and memories of his past life felt more like dreams than reality.

As the students and instructors formed defensive lines, monsters poured from the gate—ghoulish creatures with serrated limbs and glowing eyes. Screams filled the air as the academy’s strongest tried to stem the tide.

Kenji stood frozen, panic gripping him. His past life’s memories told him he could fight, but his current body didn’t respond.

Then, a notification appeared.

[MISSION ALERT]

Calamity Emanation detected. Eliminate the Divine Fragment within the gate. Reward: System Upgrade, +500 EXP.

Kenji swallowed hard. The divine fragment—an essence of a god—was causing the gate’s corruption. If he didn’t act, the entire city could fall.

Summoning every ounce of courage, he raised his hand.

“Void Spear,” he whispered.

A spear of crackling black energy materialized in his grasp, its weight unfamiliar yet comforting. Memories of his past life surged again, guiding his movements.

Kenji charged forward, the once-hopeless boy now wielding the power of a godslayer. His spear tore through the monsters like paper, each strike more precise than the last. His classmates watched in stunned silence, unable to believe the transformation.

As Kenji reached the gate, he faced the divine fragment—a monstrous, glowing entity that radiated overwhelming power. It roared, shaking the ground beneath him.

For a moment, doubt crept in. Could he really do this?

Then, the voice of his past self echoed in his mind.

“You are a godslayer. Act like it.”

Kenji gripped the Void Spear tighter, a newfound determination blazing in his eyes.

And so, the battle of the Solo Godslayer began.

Kenji stood at the edge of the gate’s corruption, the Void Spear humming in his grasp. The divine fragment loomed before him, its grotesque form pulsating with malevolent energy. The air was thick, suffused with the stench of decay and the electric tension of impending battle. Behind him, students and instructors held their ground, their faces pale with fear and disbelief.

"Kenji, fall back!" one of the instructors shouted, his voice barely audible over the roars of the monsters spilling from the gate. "You’ll get yourself killed!"

Kenji ignored him. The spear in his hand felt both alien and familiar, a contradiction he couldn't afford to dwell on. The fragment roared again, its amorphous body shifting, a blend of molten gold and shadowy tendrils.

[MISSION ALERT: Divine Fragment Detected. Defeat the entity to stabilize the gate. Reward: System Upgrade, +500 EXP.]

The system notification flashed in the corner of his vision, a cold reminder of what was at stake. The city. The academy. His life.

“You are a godslayer. Act like it.”

The words of his past self echoed in his mind, steadying his trembling hands.

Kenji surged forward, the Void Spear slicing through the air with an otherworldly hum. The fragment retaliated, a wave of molten energy surging toward him. He leaped to the side, his body moving with a grace that surprised even him. Memories flooded in—of battles fought and won, of techniques honed over lifetimes.

The spear met the fragment’s mass, the collision sending shockwaves through the air. For a moment, the fragment recoiled, its form flickering.

[CRITICAL STRIKE! +100 EXP.]

A grin tugged at Kenji’s lips, but it faded as the fragment reformed, its body sprouting jagged limbs that lashed out with terrifying speed.

Kenji dodged, each movement guided by instincts not entirely his own. But it wasn’t enough. One of the limbs grazed his side, searing pain ripping through him. He stumbled, blood staining his uniform.

“Kenji!” Ayane Himura’s voice cut through the chaos. He turned to see her standing at the defensive line, her silver hair gleaming even in the dim crimson light of the gate. She was ready to charge, her weapon drawn.

“Stay back!” Kenji shouted, surprising even himself with the force of his words. “This is my fight!”

Ayane hesitated, her eyes narrowing. But something in his tone made her hold her ground.

Kenji turned back to the fragment, the pain in his side dulling as adrenaline surged through him.

[TIP: Utilize the Void Spear’s secondary ability: Devour Essence.]

“Devour Essence?” he murmured.

As if in response, the Void Spear pulsed, its veins glowing brighter.

“Fine. Let’s see what you can do,” Kenji muttered.

He lunged forward, driving the spear into the fragment’s core. This time, instead of rebounding, the spear began to glow, pulling energy from the fragment. The entity shrieked, its form destabilizing as cracks spread through its body.

Kenji felt the power surging into him, a torrent of energy that made his head spin. His wounds began to knit themselves together, his vision sharpening.

[FRAGMENT DEFEATED. +500 EXP.]

[SYSTEM UPGRADE UNLOCKED: New Ability Acquired—Eclipse Strike.]

The fragment exploded into a cascade of light, the gate behind it flickering and stabilizing. The crimson hue faded, leaving behind a dull, lifeless portal.

Kenji dropped to his knees, the Void Spear dissolving into black mist. He was exhausted, but alive.

For a moment, there was silence. Then, the remaining students and instructors erupted into cheers.

But not Ayane. She strode toward him, her expression unreadable.

“What… are you?” she demanded.

Kenji looked up at her, his body trembling. For the first time, he realized the ripple effect of his actions. He wasn’t just a nobody anymore. He wasn’t "Null." He was something far more dangerous—and far more visible.

“I don’t know,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

But deep down, he knew the truth.

He was a godslayer. And his fight was just beginning.