The crowd roared as the tip of Abakato's bamboo shinai tapped the floor with a sharp thock. He stood motionless in the center of the dojo, his back straight, the sunlight glinting off his black hair as if even the sun itself wanted to highlight his victory.
Another opponent lay on the mat, staring up at the ceiling in defeat.
"That's twenty wins in a row for Kusatta!" the referee announced.
The students in the bleachers erupted into cheers.
"Abakato! Abakato! Abakato!"
He lowered his shinai and exhaled slowly, trying to look humble. But a smirk crept across his face anyway.
"Of course they're cheering. Who wouldn't cheer for the undefeated Kenjutsu champion?"
Coach Tanaka stomped over, red-faced and sweaty. He had been trying to get Abakato to commit to a weightlifting routine for months now.
"You were sloppy with your footwork in the second bout," the coach barked. "You can't rely on natural talent forever, kid. Start working out or—"
"Or what?" Abakato cut him off with a casual shrug. "I'll lose? Not a chance."
"Discipline wins fights. Don't forget that!"
"Yeah, yeah. I'll remember that when I'm holding the national trophy."
Before Coach Tanaka could argue, Abakato grabbed his bag, waved to the cheering crowd, and strolled out of the gym like a hero leaving a battlefield.
⸻
Tokyo Streets – Sunset
With his shinai slung over his shoulder and earbuds blasting a playlist of victory songs, Abakato strutted through the streets of Shibuya. A convenience store caught his eye.
"Avocado egg sandwich. Don't mind if I do."
He grabbed one from the shelf and left, tearing the wrapper open as he walked. The yolk dribbled onto his fingers. He licked it off, savoring the taste.
"Perfection. This is my reward for being awesome."
He was too busy typing a message on his phone to notice the old man shuffling towards him.
Abakato: "20 wins. Undefeated. Basically unstoppable. National trophy is mine."
Best Friend: "Try not to sprain your ego."
Abakato chuckled. "Sprain my ego? Please."
That's when he collided with the old man.
Thunk!
Abakato stumbled backward, barely keeping his sandwich from hitting the pavement.
"Oi! Watch where you're going, Grandpa!"
The old man didn't answer. He was hunched over, clutching a bundle of strange wooden charms. One had cracked open, leaking a thick black smoke that twisted into strange shapes before evaporating.
Abakato frowned. "What's with the creepy incense? Some kind of cosplay thing?"
The old man slowly lifted his head. His eyes glowed faintly yellow.
"You… dare… topple the shaman's seal?"
"Shaman?" Abakato scoffed. "You mean old dude with bad balance. Chill, I didn't do it on purpose."
The man's cracked lips curled into a smile.
"Chill… yes… you will chill… in the abyss."
Before Abakato could retort, the ground split beneath his feet.
CRACK!
The pavement shattered like glass. A swirling black void opened up.
"Wha—?!"
Abakato tried to leap back, but tendrils of smoke coiled around his legs and dragged him down. His sandwich flew out of his hand and was swallowed by the darkness.
"NO! MY AVOCADO—!"
FWOOSH.
⸻
Nanatsu Suiteje – Demon Realm
Abakato landed face-first in sticky mud.
"Blegh! Gross!" He pushed himself up, spitting out dirt.
The air smelled of sulfur and wet moss. The sky overhead was purple, streaked with red clouds. In the distance, towering spires of black stone pierced the heavens like fangs.
"Where… the heck am I?"
A floating blue text box appeared in front of him.
[WELCOME TO NANATSU SUITEJE]
Current Status: Cursed Mortal
Primary Quest: Slay Demon King Orenjia
Penalty for failure: Eternal Servitude
Difficulty Level: Hero Mode (You're Screwed)
"What… what the actual hell? Is this… an RPG game?"
He tried to swipe the box away, but it stuck to his vision.
Footsteps squelched in the mud behind him.
"You are awake, Mortal."
Abakato spun around. The old man was standing there, no longer frail. His robes shimmered with gold embroidery, and a crown of bones rested on his head.
"W-What happened to you?!"
The man smirked. "I am Rōjin, rightful Demon King of this realm. But I was betrayed by Orenjia, a usurper who now wears my crown."
"Orenjia… like orange juice?"
Rōjin's eyebrow twitched. "Do not mock me, Rotten Avocado."
"Rotten Avocado?!"
"It is the meaning of your name, is it not? Abakato Kusatta."
Abakato groaned. "Ugh. My parents had a weird sense of humor."
"You have but one choice," Rōjin said. "Kill Orenjia and return to your world. Or fail, and remain my servant for all eternity."
"Listen, Gramps—uh, Your Evilness—why don't you go fight him?"
Rōjin raised his hand. A green, glowing avocado-shaped sigil burned itself onto Abakato's palm.
"Because I have bound you to me. Your soul is my weapon now."
Abakato screamed. "AHHH! IT BURNS! IT'S LIKE A HOT GUACAMOLE BRANDING IRON!"
⸻
Later – On the Road to Nowhere
After hours of wandering, Abakato found himself trudging down a dirt path towards a rickety old inn.
"This is insane," he muttered. "No WiFi. No egg sandwiches. Just demons and… and… whatever that is!"
A pair of red-eyed goblins leapt out of the bushes, screeching.
"EEK! Stay back! I'm warning you!"
He picked up a stick and swung wildly. It snapped in half.
The goblins lunged.
"This is it," Abakato thought. "I'm gonna die in a knockoff video game world before I even get a girlfriend."
Suddenly, a glowing peanut-shaped shield flew through the air like a boomerang, slicing one goblin in two.
The second goblin froze, then toppled over, its head split cleanly in half.
Abakato turned to see a tall young man standing on a ridge above. He wore polished armor with a giant peanut emblem on his chest.
"Oi, Rotten Avocado," the man called. "You'll die fast in this world if you keep swinging like that."
"Who the heck are you?!"
The man smirked and slammed his shield into the ground. A gust of wind howled around him.
"Name's Rakkasei. And you, kid, just triggered a death flag. Lucky for you, I'm feeling generous."
– Gluttony's Grin
The walls trembled like a giant was pounding its fists against them.
Abakato shot up in his bed, heart pounding. "Earthquake?"
The trembling grew louder. Dust rained down from the ceiling beams. Cracks spiderwebbed across the wooden planks above him.
"Uh… okay, not an earthquake."
The ceiling groaned. With a sudden, deafening crack, it began to cave in.
"OH COME ON—"
Before Abakato could leap out of the way, a green flash blinded him.
FWUMP!
In an instant, he was no longer in the cabin. He stumbled into soft grass, blinking at the sudden sunlight. Rōjin stood beside him, his robes flowing in the wind.
"You are alive," Rōjin said coolly.
Abakato dropped to his knees. "You… you teleported me? You saved my life! Old man, I take back all the bad stuff I thought about you—well, most of it."
He dusted himself off, then pointed an accusing finger at Rōjin.
"But what the hell was that? Why did my Airbnb of doom just collapse on me?!"
Rōjin's yellow eyes narrowed. "He has found us."
"…Who?"
"The first of the Seven Champions of Sin. Okui."
Abakato tilted his head. "Okay-who?"
"Okui. Gluttony. He hunts me on orders from Orenjia."
Abakato froze. For all his bravado, he understood one thing very clearly: if Rōjin died, the curse binding him here wouldn't break. He'd be stuck in Nanatsu Suiteje forever.
"Nope. Nope nope nope. Not happening." He grabbed the hilt of his kenjutsu sword. "Point me at this freak. I'll take care of him myself."
Rōjin raised an eyebrow. "You would fight a Champion of Sin? Foolish mortal."
"Hey, I'm a Kenjutsu champ. What's the worst that could—"
"Look."
Rōjin pointed toward the smoking ruins of a distant village.
Abakato squinted. A figure moved among the wreckage.
It was so thin it seemed almost two-dimensional. Its pale, ghostly skin clung to its bones like wet paper. Black leather pants clung to stick-like legs, and its bare torso revealed an emaciated rib cage. Its head was covered in diseased-looking lumps, one bulbous growth even protruding from its cheek.
Abakato's face twisted in disgust. "Oh my god… that's one ugly S.O.B."
"Do not be deceived by appearances," Rōjin warned. "Strength often hides beneath frailty."
But Abakato wasn't listening. He unsheathed his sword and sprinted down the hill. "Sit tight, Gramps! I'll handle this before dinner!"
"Wait!" Rōjin shouted. "You fool! That is Okui's tactic—sit and wait!"
"Sounds like you're the one scared of this creepy twig demon!" Abakato yelled over his shoulder.
As he neared, Abakato stooped to scoop up a handful of rocks. "Let's see if you notice these."
He hurled them. Pebbles pelted Okui's bony head with tiny thunks.
The creature didn't flinch.
"Fine. You want the full show? Here it comes!"
Abakato closed the gap in a heartbeat, his kenjutsu blade flashing. He swung down hard, raining a flurry of heavy blows at Okui's face. Each strike connected with a satisfying smack.
Smack. Smack. Smack.
"Not so tough, huh, ugly?!"
Then he saw it.
A grin spreading across Okui's cracked lips.
"…Wait. Why are you smiling?"
THWACK!
Okui's fist rocketed forward, slamming into Abakato's gut.
"GUHHHHH—"
The air blasted out of his lungs. Abakato's body lifted off the ground and flew backward like a ragdoll, crashing into the dirt ten feet away.
He lay there gasping, his vision blurring.
"What the hell was that punch? It felt like a freight train made of pain."
Abakato gritted his teeth and forced himself upright. "Alright… round two!"
He charged forward again.
"BOY!" Rōjin's voice thundered across the field. "You have heart, but you must learn—live to fight another day!"
"Not happening!" Abakato shouted back. "I don't care if this guy's a Sin Champion or a discount Slenderman—I'm ending this NOW!"
Okui tilted his head. The grin widened.
– The Fang of Pride
The forest was quiet except for the sound of metal clashing against wood.
Thwack!
Abakato's kenjutsu blade slammed into the thick trunk of a dead tree. Bark splintered, wood chips flying. He pulled back, sweat dripping into his eyes, and tightened his bleeding hands around the hilt.
"Again!" he yelled, slashing furiously.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
His swings were wild. His breathing ragged. Each cut was shallower than the last.
"Dammit… dammit! Why am I so weak?!"
The memory of Okui's grin flashed in his mind—the sickening impact of that punch still echoed in his ribs. The way his body had hit the ground… the way he'd gasped for air like a drowning man.
I swore I'd never lose again.
Abakato dropped to his knees, chest heaving. He slammed his fist into the dirt.
"Rōjin… old man… where the hell are you?!" he shouted into the forest. "You said you'd guide me! I can't do this alone!"
His voice bounced off the trees, swallowed by silence.
For a moment, nothing moved.
Then the air changed.
A strange pressure settled on the forest like a predator's gaze. The wind stilled. Birds fell silent.
Abakato's skin prickled. His breath caught.
That… that's not Rōjin.
A voice like silk whispered through the leaves.
"Ah… so you're the little worm Rōjin chose."
Abakato spun, raising his sword. "Who's there?!"
A figure stepped out of the shadows.
Tall. Lean. Muscles coiled like ropes under pale skin. A jagged horn sprouted from his forehead, crackling faintly with energy. His golden eyes gleamed with cold amusement. A wicked grin spread across his face.
"You may call me Hotori. But it won't matter. You'll be nothing but a memory soon."
"Hotori… you're one of the Sins, aren't you?"
Hotori chuckled softly. "Indeed. Pride, at your service. Though, let's be honest—you don't deserve the honor of fighting me."
"You talk big for someone about to get their face rearranged!" Abakato lunged, slashing at Hotori with a war cry.
Clang!
Hotori caught the blade with two fingers.
Abakato's eyes widened. "What the—?!"
"Such sloppy form," Hotori purred. "Do you even know what a sword is for? Or are you just waving that stick around for fun?"
"SHUT UP!" Abakato roared, slashing again and again.
Hotori sidestepped every blow, movements graceful and mocking.
"Tell me, worm… are you swinging harder because you're angry or because you're scared?"
"Keep running your mouth—I'll shut it for you!"
Abakato spun into a heavy overhead strike, putting everything he had into the swing.
Hotori's grin sharpened. In one swift motion, he brought his clawed hand up and sliced across Abakato's arm.
"GAAAHHHHHH!"
Pain like fire shot through Abakato. Blood spattered the ground. His arm dangled limply, nearly severed.
He stumbled back, gasping. The sleeve of his gi was shredded, and his hand barely clung to his shoulder by tendons.
Hotori licked his claws. "Mmm. Tender. You humans are so fragile. I can't wait to eat you up."
"Y-you… bastard…"
"Such language." Hotori took a step forward. "I wonder, do you scream louder when your other arm is cut off? Shall we find out?"
Abakato's vision blurred. His sword fell from his weakening grip.
I… can't… move…
"R-Rōjin… help me…"
Hotori's voice dropped to a low whisper.
"Cry for him all you want, worm. No one's coming to save you."
He raised his horned head. Electricity crackled in the air as a thundercloud swirled above the forest.
Abakato's mind screamed at him to move, but his legs wouldn't respond.
This is it… I'm going to die here…
The Cavalry Arrives
"NOT ON MY WATCH!"
A golden light erupted between Abakato and Hotori.
THOOM!
A bubble-shaped barrier snapped into place just as Hotori's horn stabbed downward.
The impact echoed like a gong, but the shield held firm.
"What?!" Hotori hissed, his grin twisting into a scowl.
"Sorry, horn-head," a voice called out. "This one's under our protection now."
Abakato's fading vision caught a glimpse of polished armor and a peanut emblem.
"Rakkasei…" he murmured weakly.
Zeri knelt beside him, her enchanted lute glowing faintly. A soft, soothing melody filled the air, wrapping Abakato in warmth.
"He's alive," she said softly. "But barely."
"Keep him alive. I'll handle Pride."
Hotori snarled, charging at Zeri. "Little bard… I'll crush you like a bug—"
"Batā!" Rakkasei shouted.
A thunderous howl split the air.
The ground trembled as a massive wolf-dog burst from the trees, its golden fur blazing like fire. In an instant, Batā swooped Zeri up in his jaws and tossed her onto his back.
"Good boy! Now the other two!"
Batā's body shimmered as he entered his Soshi Katachi form, growing larger—easily the size of a small house.
"Hang on tight!" Rakkasei yelled as he grabbed Abakato and leapt onto Batā's back.
"GET BACK HERE!" Hotori roared.
He lunged forward, but Rakkasei slammed his shield into the ground.
BOOM!
A giant bubble barrier erupted around Hotori, trapping him inside.
"Let's ride, Batā! GO!"
The massive wolf-dog bounded into the forest, carrying all three heroes to safety.
Meanwhile…
Inside the bubble, Hotori chuckled darkly.
"You think you've won…?"
He raised a clawed hand.
"Let's see how you handle my underlings."
Four shapes emerged from the shadows:
Two winged imps with a single glowing eye and mouths full of razor-sharp teeth.
And two hulking ogres clad in spiked shoulder pads and iron undergarments.
Hotori smirked.
"Run while you can, little worms. My pets are hungry."
⸻
END OF CHAPTER 1