Ichiban Kasuga Saves The Multiverse.(A Multi-World fiction-jumping Time Loop)

[Zackman2k12]

The inn loomed before me, a squat, sprawling behemoth of stone and timber. It wasn't just big; it was ridiculously oversized, dwarfing the surrounding buildings like a giant turtle squatting amidst a colony of ants. I'd seen some impressive structures in my time – skyscrapers in Kamurocho, ancient temples in the Phantom Blood world – but this place had a certain… presence. It felt ancient, solid, like it had been carved out of the very bedrock of this world.

I pushed open the heavy oak doors, the hinges groaning like a tired old man complaining about his aching joints. The noise from inside hit me like a wall of sound. It wasn't just the usual tavern din of drunken laughter and boisterous conversation; it was a cacophony of clanging tankards, scraping chairs, and a hundred different conversations happening at once. It was like someone had crammed a whole city's worth of noise into this one building.

I navigated through the crowded common room, my senses on high alert. The air was thick with the scent of ale, roasted meat, and something else… a faint, electric feeling that I couldn't quite place. It wasn't unpleasant, just unusual.

Beyond the tavern, a long hallway stretched out before me, lined with tables and overflowing with people. Scribes hunched over scrolls, their quills scratching furiously against the parchment. Clerks shuffled stacks of documents, their faces etched with a weary boredom that spoke of endless paperwork and bureaucratic nightmares. It was like stepping into some kind of medieval DMV, only with more swords and less fluorescent lighting.

As I made my way down the hallway, my enhanced hearing picked up a conversation happening near the back of the room. Two women, their voices raised in what sounded like a heated argument.

"I know, Sera," one of them said, her voice strained, "But the Kordic Council isn't going to approve of moving against a Titan-class Grimm! Can you—"

My footsteps echoed on the stone floor, a rhythmic click that cut through the surrounding din. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but with my enhanced senses, it was hard not to. And the mention of a "Titan-class Grimm" piqued my curiosity.

I quickened my pace, eager to reach the end of the hallway and put an end to my unintentional eavesdropping.

The two women, startled by my sudden appearance, turned to face me. One of them was decked out in full plate armor, polished to a mirror shine. It wasn't the bulky, clunky kind I'd seen in history books. This armor was sleek, form-fitting, almost like a dress made of metal. It reached down to her ankles, segmented plates overlapping to allow for movement, and over that was a massive chestplate, intricately engraved with what looked like some kind of heraldic symbol. Her arms were encased in segmented gauntlets, reinforced at the knuckles, and a helmet, shaped like a snarling wolf's head, rested on a nearby table.

The other woman, presumably the receptionist, wore simpler armor. It was functional, sturdy, but lacked the intricate details and craftsmanship of the other woman's gear.

"I just wanna sign up," I said, raising my hands in a gesture of peace. "You can finish your whatever this is, I can wait."

The armored woman, Sera, stepped forward, a smirk playing on her lips. "You look strong," she said, her voice a low, husky purr. "How about this, if you go on an Alpha Hunt with me, I'll pay for your entrance fee."

I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "Sure, why not?"

She seemed about as strong as Dio had been after graduating college, back in the Phantom Blood world. Her Ten shroud was solid, evidence of years of training and discipline. But something felt… off. Her aura lacked the "flavor" of a Nen category, the unique signature that distinguished each user's abilities. She didn't even have the feeling that specialists had either.

Shouldn't she have at least tried to figure out her affinity if she was this respected?

I pushed the thought aside, chalking it up to my own ignorance. After all, this wasn't the first time I'd encountered something I didn't understand. This whole "Dragon-Broken" world was a mystery, and I was just starting to scratch the surface.

The receptionist, her face brightening, opened her mouth seemingly about to way too excitedly introduce Sera, but the armored woman cut her off with a sharp tone.

"I'm Sera."

She nodded to herself.

"Just Sera."

---

I followed Sera out of the guild, the receptionist's protests fading behind us like a distant echo. The midday sun beat down on the cobblestone streets, casting long shadows that stretched towards the towering forest that encircled the town.

"Look," Sera said, her voice surprisingly gentle despite her imposing armor, "I wouldn't normally drag a newbie straight into an Alpha Beowolf hunt, but…" She paused, her gaze fixed on me with an intensity that made me shift uncomfortably. "You've got that same feeling about you. Like… like that Infinity Badass guy."

I frowned, my brow furrowing. "Infinity Badass guy?"

Who the hell was she talking about? And why did I have a feeling I was being roped into something way over my head?

Sera, oblivious to my confusion, launched into a breathless explanation, her words tumbling out in a torrent of excited babble.

"Everyone knows how badass the Infinity Badass is! He really hates when I call him that, more even so than everyone calling him by his actual title. It's actually funny how everyone calls him that and he just wants his actual name, Ozzand, to be called. But reputation is important, and we're here!"

During her incredibly hyper talk-up of this "Ozzand" guy – clearly a fangirl who worked with him – I pieced together that he was the "Infinity Man," and that the real name of the "Infinite Man" mentioned in the optional goal "Ozzand". I figured I'd find out why No one called him "Ozma," despite the entire section of the world calling him that before I entered it later. Right now, I had more pressing concerns.

Like the pack of Alpha Beowolves that had suddenly surrounded us, their glowing red eyes fixed on me with a predatory hunger.

I didn't hesitate. I channeled my Nen, summoning my Ren and infusing it with the pulsating energy of the Ripple. It felt like a supernova erupting within me, a wave of power that surged outwards, engulfing the clearing in a blinding flash of light and crackling energy.

The Beowolves didn't stand a chance. They were vaporized, their bodies disintegrating into dust before they even hit the ground.

I was disappointed by the lack of a fight. I'd been hoping for a challenge, a chance to test my skills against something truly formidable. But Sera's reaction was even more baffling.

"HOW DID YOU DO THAT?!" she shrieked, her voice a mixture of awe and disbelief. "There was lightning, and your aura was like some kind of massive spiky blast that went everywhere! Teach me! Teach me!"

I stared at her, my brow furrowing. I got that the Ripple would be unique here, but… did people in this world have no concept of Ren? Did they not understand the basics of aura manipulation?

It seemed I had a lot more to learn about this Dragon-Broken world than I'd initially thought.

 

[Zackman2k12]

So, im gonna try to explain how this dragonbreak happened.

1.The Black Mana Dude of Maximum Evil(BMDME)(lol) went omnoms on everyobodies narrative weight, causing fate enforcement to decrease.
2. Protagonists continually lose earlier and earlier which causes narrative weight and fate enforcement to spiral out of control in an already doomed world.
3. Salem wins sooner and sooner after every iteration of the world.
4. a critical mass appears after the first possible real champions aren't even born before salem wins.
5. events accelerate to the point that Salem wins at the start of the new calandar, forcing BGW(before great war) to be meaningless.
6A Reality and fate enforcement aren't just negative, but they REVERSE ENTIRELY. Reality starts contradicting itself as Salem keeps winning earlier and earlier in ways that make no sense.
6B. reality itself realizes something is wrong and tries to pause everything only being able to create a backup-timeline that is the entrypoint that is events that ichiban interacts with. These remaining events that will be pasted onto the main timeline before the dragonbreak to stop the dragonbreak from existing.
7A Salem wins in history in ways that continue to make less and less sense. Eventually the dragon-break forms upon the main timeline displaying that Salem wins before she could have even been born, destroying the world, the gods, her husband, eradicating humanity, becoming an evil empress with no goal.
Things in the main timeline go out of control to the point of a Dragonbreak.

7B Ichiban explores the backup timeline, hoping that he can make it the actual timeline even if he doesn't know its a backup timeline.

 

[Zackman2k12]

The clearing was a mess. Scorched earth, splintered trees, and the faint, acrid smell of ozone hung heavy in the air. The Beowolves, or what was left of them, were scattered around like discarded toys, their bodies reduced to piles of ash and bone. It was a scene of utter devastation, a testament to the raw power I'd unleashed.

And yet I felt nothing. No satisfaction, no thrill of victory, not even a twinge of guilt. Just a hollow emptiness that echoed the desolate landscape around me.

I was still stuck in that irritated, depressed daze, my mind replaying the events of the past few years, the weight of my actions pressing down on me like a physical burden.

Then, Sera's voice, a high-pitched squeal of excitement, cut through the fog of my thoughts.

"...Teach me! Teach me!"

I blinked, forcing myself to focus. For the first time since I'd arrived in this world, I actually looked at her. Really looked at her.

She was striking. Her ginger hair was pulled back in a single-backward tight braid that stopped at her mid-back, a few stray strands framing a face that was both delicate and fierce. Her eyes, a vibrant shade of purple, sparkled with an intensity that reminded me of a cat stalking its prey. A smirk played on her lips, revealing a slightly elongated canine on the left side, giving her a subtly predatory look.

And then I noticed the ears.

Cat ears. Perky, pointed cat ears, perched atop her head like a pair of furry exclamation points. A tail, covered in segmented armor with serrated spikes, swished back and forth behind her, a blur of motion that betrayed her excitement.

It was unexpected. And kinda adorable, in a weirdly badass kind of way.

I nodded, pushing aside my surprise. "Yeah, sure, I can teach you Ren and Ripple. It's easy, although Ripple is either painful to start or even more painful with a breathing method over a longer time. You seem to know Ten really well, so it'll be easy."

Sera tilted her head, one of her cat ears twitching in what I assumed was confusion. "Ten? I'm just using my aura. What are you talking about?"

My brow furrowed. "Aura? You mean… your Ten shroud?"

She shook her head, her purple eyes widening. "No, I mean my aura. It's what everyone uses to fight Grimm. You know, the basic stuff."

My stomach dropped.

Basic stuff?

Did that mean they didn't have Nen in this world? That this whole "aura" thing was something completely different?

I'd been so focused on my own problems, on the manipulation, on the shattered timeline, that I hadn't even considered the possibility that this world's power system might be completely different from anything I'd encountered before.

I took a deep breath, consciously ignoring the twitching cat ears and the spiked tail that swished back and forth like a metronome keeping time with Sera's excited energy. I had to focus. This was important.

"Nen," I began, my voice calm and measured, "is a technique for controlling your life energy. It's not magic. It's not some mystical force. It's a natural energy that exists within all living beings."

I held up my hand, focusing my aura, letting it flow outwards, forming a faint, shimmering glow around my fingers.

"There are nodes all over your body," I continued, tracing a path along my arm with my other hand. "These nodes act like valves, controlling the flow of your life energy. By opening these nodes, you can access your Nen and learn to control it."

I explained the process of opening the nodes, either through meditation and self-discovery or through the forceful intervention of a skilled teacher. I described the sensation of Nen flowing through the body, the feeling of power and vitality that came with it.

"Once you've opened your nodes," I said, "you need to learn to control your Nen. The first step is Ten, which involves wrapping your aura around your body, forming a protective shroud."

I demonstrated Ten, letting my aura flare outwards, forming a dense, shimmering barrier around me.

"With enough practice," I said, "Ten becomes instinctive. It's like a second skin, always there, always protecting you."

Sera's jaw dropped, her purple eyes wide with astonishment. "So your teacher taught you Aura wrong," she exclaimed, "and he somehow found a way to use life-force instead of the soul. Then he found an entirely different way to access aura?!"

I inhaled sharply, suppressing a surge of irritation. She'd interrupted me, and I had a feeling she was going to keep doing it. I simply nodded, deciding to let it slide for now. "Uhh, yes."

Sera, oblivious to my annoyance, launched into an explanation of Aura as she understood it.

"Aura is your soul, made manifest," she said, her voice filled with a reverence that surprised me. "It's the life force of your spirit, the energy that protects you from harm and allows you to fight Grimm. To awaken someone's Aura, a teacher has to open their soul up by flowing their own soul into theirs and use a set of words that are uniquely them, words that resonate with their spirit, to awaken the other person's Aura."

She paused, her tail swishing back and forth excitedly. "It's easy to start, but it's hard to master. Most people awaken their Aura through intense emotional experiences, like facing a Grimm for the first time. Jumping headfirst into danger is a good way for newbies to get their Aura flowing, but…" She hesitated, her gaze fixed on me with a thoughtful expression. "With your life-force-aura-thingy, Nen power, you might find that method impossible."

"So, what if we merge the two systems of power?" I mused, tapping a finger against my chin. "One uses raw life force, the other uses the soul. Would they enforce each other, or cause a problem?"

Sera's eyes lit up, and she pumped her fist in the air. "I volunteer!" she declared with a grin.

A faint, girlish giggle echoed through the clearing, carried on the wind. I glanced around, but Sera didn't seem to notice it. I shrugged it off, figuring it was just my imagination.

"I don't wanna hurt you, so I'll do it myself, yeah?" I said, my gaze fixed on the faint, shimmering glow of Sera's Aura.

I could see it clearly now. Not just the external manifestation, the protective shroud that surrounded her like a second skin, but the source itself. A tiny, flickering light nestled deep within her chest, radiating a warmth that felt both familiar and alien.

My own Nen, in comparison, was a raging inferno. A chaotic storm of life energy that pulsed and throbbed with raw power. I could feel the destructive potential within it, the sheer force that could shatter mountains and level cities.

And I knew, with a chilling certainty, that if I tried to force Nen into Sera's Aura, it would be like trying to extinguish a candle with a flamethrower. The delicate balance of her soul-based energy would be overwhelmed, shattered, irrevocably damaged.

Ripple… maybe Ripple could help. Its gentle, healing energy might be able to bridge the gap between the two systems, to guide my Nen into Sera's Aura without causing harm. But even that felt risky. I'd seen what uncontrolled Ripple could do, the way it could burn through flesh and bone, leaving behind nothing but charred remains.

I wasn't willing to take that chance.

"We should go back to town," I said, my voice firm.

I noticed that the bones of the Alpha Beowolves had completely dissolved, leaving behind nothing but scorched earth and a faint, lingering scent of ozone. It was unsettling. The way Grimm disappeared, turning into black mist and vanishing without a trace… it was too damn unrealistic, even for a world where cat-eared warriors wielded soul-powered energy.

Sera pouted, her purple eyes wide with disappointment. It was a surprisingly effective tactic, considering her fierce demeanor and those sharp, predatory canines. But I held firm.

"Maybe later," I said, offering her a reassuring smile. "We need to figure out the basics first. And besides," I added, gesturing towards the rapidly fading trail of destruction we'd left behind, "I think we've done enough damage for one day."

We made our way back to town, passing the mangled remains of the Ursa Sera had effortlessly bisected with her spiked tail. It was a gruesome sight, but I couldn't help but feel a grudging respect for her skill. She might not have Nen, but she was clearly a force to be reckoned with.

We reached the town gates, the young guard staring at us with wide eyes as we approached. He seemed particularly fascinated by Sera's tail, his gaze following its every twitch and flick.

Until I noticed Sera's eyes starting to narrow as her aura that was somehow not Nen roiled with disgusted rage.

"Uh… welcome back," he stammered, his cheeks flushing a bright red. As his face jolted in the other direction.

I saw mortified shame in those eyes as we passed.

There was a story there but I wasn't interested.

We ignored him, continuing on to the guild hall, the noise of the tavern washing over us as we stepped inside.

 

[Zackman2k12]

So, Hurricanes dislike Miami on principle and since that's where I am and it's coming straight for my general direction, just wanna let you guys know via this temporary(Hopefully) post (Fuckin' category five you never know) that Powers gonna be out when its out and expect me not to be here for at least a couple days from wednesday onwards through friday(And maybe longer depending on infrastructure going smash.)

 

[Zackman2k12]

I trailed behind Sera, watching as she practically skipped back to the desk, her armor-spiked tail swishing with an almost childlike enthusiasm. The receptionist, still buried under a mountain of paperwork, barely glanced up as we approached. Her pink twin drills, impossibly perfect and defying any logical explanation of hair styling, bobbed slightly as she continued scribbling on a paper scroll.

I'd seen some strange things in my time – talking dogs, soul-sucking masks, a world where everyone looked like a character from a comic book while chasing a hunter license, that one time I froze to death in a doomed world – but this woman's hair was something else. It was like a physical manifestation of the absurdity of this world. Back in Kamurocho, a hairstyle like that would've gotten you laughed out of the cabaret club. Here, it seemed perfectly normal.

I shook my head, trying to clear the image of those gravity-defying pink drills from my mind. I had more important things to focus on. Like figuring out what the hell I was doing in this world, and what this whole "Ozma and the Circle" business was all about.

"He's stronger than me," Sera announced, her voice ringing with an almost childish pride. "Give him Emerald-Class."

The receptionist finally looked up, her brow furrowing as she fixed me with a skeptical gaze. "Sera, you know that even with being the 'Heraldic Warcat Queen' of the Circle's enforcement division – only Ozzand can give ranks above Mythril. Are you telling me that he is somehow already part of the Circle and has gained the approval of Ozzand, the one and only Infinite Man? If you say yes, I don't care how strong you are, I will wring your neck!"

My mind reeled, trying to process the barrage of information. Heraldic Warcat Queen? Circle's enforcement division? It was like listening to a conversation in a foreign language, a language I desperately needed to learn.

I knew that I was in a world called Remnant, a world shattered by something called a Dragon-Break. I knew that magic, as I understood it, didn't exist here, replaced by something called Dust. I knew that the people here used a power called Aura, which seemed similar to Nen but was fueled by the soul instead of life force. And I knew that there was a group called the Circle, led by a man named Ozzand, who was also known as the Infinite Man.

But beyond those basic facts, I was completely lost.

I needed answers. I needed to understand this world, its people, its history, its power dynamics. I needed to figure out how I fit into this chaotic mess and what I was supposed to do.

And most importantly, I needed to fix this insane situation and decide if I wanted to continue working for a divine being after being screwed by the other one.

I decided to step in before the situation escalated any further. These two clearly had a special dynamic.

"Just give me a membership level you are comfortable with, Ms.—"

"Mary Starr," the pink-haired woman answered, her voice surprisingly calm despite the tension in the air. "A pleasure, and an apology for the hyperactive cat who wears a helmet that looks like a Beowolf skull, skullified with metal because she is convinced it looks cool. It really doesn't."

"I'm right here!" Sera interjected, her tail flicking in annoyance.

I ignored her, focusing on Mary. "Right, Mary, give me whatever membership to the Adventurer's Guild you are okay with. And then we meet Infinite Buddy, who has the cool name that rhymes with kickstand and has 'Oz' in the front, cool?"

Mary's lips twitched into a smile. "Sounds good. I'll give you Platinum since Sera recommends you. Also, Ozzyboy is going to love his new, extremely cool nickname. He seems to get one every time someone meets him and thinks 'Infinite Man' is stupid. 'Infinite Buddy' will be a hoot!"

I nodded, a grin spreading across my face. "Well, I can't beat Ozzyboy."

This world was weird. But after the soul-crushing despair of the last few years, the absurdity of it all was almost refreshing.

"Flatterer," Mary chuckled, her smile widening. "My nickname can't possibly be the absolute best and most infuriating to him. Absolutely not." She winked at Sera, her mocking smile betraying the truth of her words. "Yours is truly better, right, Ms. 'Oz the Cool'? I swear, that has to be the best nickname out of all of them and shows just the right amount of sass and no hero worship at all! No sir-ee."

Sera's face flushed a bright red, her cat ears flattening against her head. "MARY! WE AGREED TONOT TALKABOUT THAT! IKNOW WHEREYOUSLEEP! LET'SGO RIGHT NOW, OZISWAITING INFINITELY!" she shrieked, her words blurring together in a torrent of panicked syllables.

Before I could even process what was happening, Sera grabbed my arm and bolted towards the door, dragging me along in her wake. I didn't resist. She was pretty amusing, after all, and I was curious to meet this "Ozzyboy" guy.

---

For three hours, I trailed behind Sera as she navigated the rugged terrain with an almost supernatural grace. Her armor, despite its bulk and intricate design, remained eerily silent. No clanging metal, no scraping plates, just the soft thud of her boots against the packed earth. My own dress shoes, completely unsuited for this kind of trek, held up surprisingly well, thanks to a thin layer of Nen I instinctively wrapped around them.

We passed through dense forests, climbed rocky hills, and forded rushing streams, Sera never slowing her pace, her energy seemingly inexhaustible. It was like she was powered by some internal dynamo, her enthusiasm a constant hum that vibrated through the air around her.

Finally, as the sun began to dip towards the horizon, we arrived at a massive campsite. Tents of various sizes and shapes were scattered across a wide clearing, a bustling hive of activity. Blacksmiths hammered away at anvils, cooks stirred bubbling cauldrons over open fires, and groups of adventurers, their armor and weapons gleaming in the fading light, gathered around tables, swapping stories and sharing meals.

I activated Gyo, my gaze sweeping over the camp, my senses on high alert. It was then that I noticed something… strange. The tents, the fires, they were all surrounded by a faint, shimmering aura. The only thing here that was real was the people. But it wasn't Nen. It wasn't Aura. It was something else entirely, an energy I'd never encountered before.

Another question to add to my ever-growing list.

Sera, without breaking stride, dragged me towards the only stone building in the camp. It was a simple structure, square and solid, with a single wooden door and a pair of narrow windows.

She barged in without knocking, her enthusiasm apparently overriding any sense of decorum.

Inside, a young man with snow-white hair sat behind a desk, a steaming mug in his hand. He wore a green cloak over a suit of plate armor that covered every inch of him except his head and face. He looked up as we entered, his expression a mixture of surprise and annoyance.

"Hi, Ozzyboy," I said, beating Sera to the punch.

The man, Ozzand, flinched, his mug halfway to his lips. He stared at me for a full minute, his blue eyes narrowed, his expression unreadable. Then, he sighed, setting his mug down with a weary clink.

"Please leave the building for a few minutes," he said, his voice calm but firm, "so I don't turn you into a target dummy for that same amount of time. I will speak with you after."

 

[Zackman2k12]

Okay so bad things have been happening and things have just calmed down enough for me to hopefully start writing again. KTBTS and TMSI will start up again soon(Probably KTBTS on Saturday on royal road and I'll start posting the 3rd edition rewrites here too when I can get a few moments to do so!)

So look forward to KTBTS and TMSI coming soon!

Also, I think I found Yui's source code... Did kayaba steal Evil-Neuro from Vedal and just decide to go ham?


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYClXSIpMR0