Renji Kuroda closed his eyes and silently recited the words "Roleplay Transformation System" in his mind. As expected, an electronic screen materialized before his inner vision.
"Roleplay Transformation System"
He tapped on the user manual, carefully read through its contents, and finally grasped the meaning behind that strange voice that had occasionally echoed in his head.
"Ding. Detected Hayakawa Aki's [some] emotion. System rewards [some] points."
"So that's how it works," Renji muttered. "Just like I guessed. This system can detect unique emotional fluctuations from major characters across various anime worlds and convert those emotions into points. Looks like teasing Hayakawa Aki before I left really was the right move."
But Renji also noticed something important: the system divided emotional responses from main characters into two types—ordinary and special.
Ordinary emotions, like happiness, comfort, or calm, generally earned low scores.Special emotions—self-blame, guilt, excitement, sorrow, euphoria, and those tied to physical or intense feelings—were worth significantly more.
Renji then opened his personal panel and saw his current total: 53 points.
"Is that... a lot?"
Curious, he opened the shop panel to gauge prices. But instead of a list of items, he found only a rectangular search bar and a large button below it. A single line of text sat on that button:
"Purchase Location for Underlying Logic of Abilities from Various Anime, Games, and Worldviews"
He ignored the button for now and tapped into the search bar. After a moment's thought, he typed in: Arthur Pendragon.
Playable Character: Arthur Pendragon
Class Abilities:Magic ResistanceRiding(All character skills and weapons unlock automatically upon purchase)Inherent Skills:Shining Journey – 200 pointsMana Burst – 300 pointsCharisma – 500 pointsGiant Beast Hunter – 500 pointsWeapons:Excalibur – 1,000 pointsNoble Phantasms:Invisible Air – 1,000 pointsExcalibur – 20,000 pointsExcalibur ??? – 80,000 pointsTotal Unlock Cost: 103,000 points
"One hundred and three thousand?" Renji groaned. "Just Excalibur ??? alone costs eighty thousand. How long is it going to take me to earn that?"
Still, considering Arthur's lore and power scaling, it felt justified. At least everything could be unlocked separately.
"Eighty thousand points to obtain a star-splitting holy sword... Fine. I can live with that."
On second thought, the beginner's gift package the system had given him was actually a huge blessing. He suddenly regretted only killing one Bat Devil during that initial three-minute window—it had been a waste.
Renji browsed other famous names: Gojo Satoru, Uzumaki Naruto, Monkey D. Luffy… Whether strong or weak, if they'd appeared in anime or games, they were all available.
After getting a sense of the system's scope, he returned to the main interface and tapped the button labeled:
"Purchase Location for Underlying Logic of Abilities from Various Anime, Games, and Worldviews"
The screen shifted.
Available Logic Types:Cursed EnergyChakraMagicSwordsmanshipBlade ArtsDao Arts...and many more.A note at the bottom read:
"Underlying logic cannot be enhanced through repeated purchases. It strengthens through roleplay accumulation."
Understanding dawned on Renji.
So to roleplay Arthur Pendragon, he'd need magic. For a character from Jujutsu Kaisen, he'd need cursed energy. Some characters might even require multiple logic types.
After a long pause on the rooftop, Renji settled on a relatively inexpensive skill—Swordsmanship, priced at just 50 points.
He made the purchase.
Suddenly, only 3 points remained.
But the moment the transaction completed, Renji sensed a shift in his body.
His movements felt lighter, breathing steadier, mind and body in harmony. His awareness heightened—he could detect the airflow around him and catch faint sounds from afar.
It wasn't just knowledge of swordsmanship. It was the essence of swordsmanship itself now ingrained in his being.
After thoroughly inspecting the system, Renji left the rooftop and walked home. As he flopped onto his bed, a satisfied smile crept onto his face.
"This is perfect. I knew something was missing when Goddess Eris teleported me here. In Blessings for a Wonderful World, every transmigrant got to choose a cheat. Now I've finally received mine."
He rolled over and stared at the ceiling.
"Guess it's time to start interacting more with the main characters from Chainsaw Man—Hayakawa Aki, Makima, and the rest. Their emotions are the key to racking up points."
—Grrrrumble rumble rumble—
At that moment, his stomach betrayed him with a loud growl.
Renji sat up with a sigh, then paused. The ingredients he'd bought earlier had long since disappeared during the chaos of the Bat Devil's rampage.
With no better option, he rubbed his stomach and resigned himself to hunger. Time to hit the convenience store again.
Fortunately, he didn't run into any devils wreaking havoc on the streets this time.
Renji Kuroda hummed a soft tune as he carried his groceries up the elevator. But as soon as the doors slid open and he stepped out onto his floor, his steps halted abruptly.
A woman was leaning against the wall right in front of his apartment door.
She had long black hair tied into a high ponytail and wore the standard uniform of the Public Safety Devil Extermination Special Division. The outfit clung to her body like a second skin, hugging every curve and wrapping her figure in a thin, teasing veil that emphasized her striking physique.
From Renji's angle, he had a clear view of her side profile—an elegant, flowing S-curve from shoulder to ankle. Her breasts were full, likely a D-cup by Western sizing, firm and well-shaped. Her waist was slim, her hips round and balanced, and her long, shapely legs gave her a model-like silhouette. It was a body sculpted by fate—graceful, strong, and undeniably feminine.
However, a few bandages wrapped around her neck and wrists marred the image—minor injuries from a recent fight, perhaps. Yet rather than detracting from her charm, they added a fragile air to her presence, as if she were both breakable and dangerously alluring. The kind of vulnerability that stirred equal urges to protect... or dominate.
Renji recognized her immediately.
"Hayakawa Aki?"
He blinked in surprise. When he had briefly interacted with her earlier, he'd only caught a glimpse of her chest—ample, certainly—but hadn't expected the rest of her to be this... sculptural.
Aki didn't notice his return. She stood quietly, gazing out toward the city from the balcony corridor, lost in thought.
She pulled a cigarette from her pocket, lit it with a practiced flick, and took a long drag. The glow of the lighter briefly illuminated her pale skin, her expression quietly troubled, her eyes distant.
She knew she had assignments tomorrow—plans to arrange, devils to hunt—but her thoughts had been unruly all night, drifting again and again to a certain someone she had met not long ago.
"Sigh... So slow."
Before she could take a second puff, the cigarette was gently plucked from her fingers by another hand.
Renji took it, extinguished it between his fingers, and slid it smoothly back into her jacket pocket.
"No smoking in this building. Landlord's rule. He reminded me when I moved in," he said flatly.
Startled, Aki turned her head sharply. The moment her eyes met Renji's, her expression shifted—surprise, warmth, and a sudden blush blooming across her cheeks.
"Ding~ Detected Hayakawa Aki's flustered emotion. System rewards: 20 points."