Reincarnated into Ruin: A World Reduced to Ashes
I'd been reincarnated, and the world had ended. Utterly wretchedly, disgustingly so. On the monitor before my eyes, text described the final bastion of humanity—the city walls—crumbling pathetically, black magic beasts rampaging wildly. And at the center of that hellish scene stood one woman.
-Saintess Psyche gazed up at the ashen sky with unfocused eyes. Her severed legs rolled across the cold ground, and her heart, burned out from squeezing every last drop of holy power, beat no more. The world she'd devoted her life to protecting had already been reduced to a smoldering pile of rubble. Transparent tears slid down her cheeks, but there was no one left to wipe them away.
"Whoa, seriously... this is the end?"
I let out a hollow laugh and flung my mouse aside. This was the finale of the novel I'd faithfully followed for three years, shelling out money night after night: Hero's Harem Chronicle. It had started as this hopeful harem story, but somehow humanity had been overrun by magic beasts. The author must be insane. Or maybe they planned to troll the readers all along?
Flashes of the novel's beginning and end raced through my mind like a montage. Looking back, the author hadn't hidden the signs of this absurd destruction ending at all. The red flags were right there: the protagonist's utterly trash personality.
The protagonist, Kael. That bastard was such human garbage he didn't deserve the title of hero. From the early chapters, he'd openly ignored Saintess Psyche for being timid and quiet. Ignoring her would have been one thing—he even led the party in subtly ostracizing her.
I should've dropped it back then.
It was so ridiculous, I figured there had to be a twist. And that wasn't all? This so-called hero neglected training to stop the demon king's army, instead chasing after noble ladies from powerful families and pretty girls, playing the field like a pro. In the end, on the day of the final battle, unprepared Kael got cold feet from the demon king's overwhelming strike and was the first to flee the battlefield.
Left behind in the hero's place was Saintess Psyche alone. Even in agony as her legs were sliced off, she wrung out her holy power to maintain the barrier. She burned her own life to protect humanity's last ember.
But the result was plain to see. The saintess, crippled, shed bloody tears watching the world fall, and humanity perished. Even Kael, in his flight, got surrounded by magic beasts and torn apart miserably. That was the end.
"Kael, you deserved to die, you worthless shit. Self-inflicted karma. But Psyche—what did she do wrong?"
Kael's death was satisfying, honestly. But Psyche's ending? I couldn't accept it. Throughout the novel, she'd endured Kael's abuse and gaslighting, yet quietly fulfilled her duties. Even as a reader, she seemed pitifully devoted to the party. Reading her fade away without ever tasting happiness, without even a moment's joy... it burned in my chest.
Something hot and furious welled up inside me. Why get this worked up over a mere novel? This wasn't just reader rage. After three years of emotional investment, it was a matter of respect for that one character.
I couldn't hold back. I hammered at the keyboard. I never bothered with hate comments usually—they were too much hassle—but this time, my fingers wouldn't stop.
Hitting enter brought a wave of emptiness and deep helplessness. The monitor's glow lit my dark room. Glancing at the clock: 3:40 AM already. I shut down the computer and dove into bed. I pulled the covers over my head to soothe the gloom, but it didn't help. Even closing my eyes, Psyche's despairing, lightless eyes haunted me.
Ah... why am I so immersed? Just sleep.
In the quiet darkness of my room, I slowly lost consciousness. Blissfully unaware my entire life was about to flip upside down.
"Seven years already."
I recalled my last memory from Earth.
"Time drags so slow..."
I clenched and unclenched my fist, inspecting my body. Still not used to this woman's form. I remembered my first memory in this world.
When I opened my eyes, it wasn't a blessed lullaby that greeted me. Sharp yells piercing my ears and the crash of something breaking. That was the start of my new life.
My parents were on bad terms, fighting daily. Neglected by them, I had to raise myself.
If you're gonna be like this, why have a kid?
They wouldn't even play with me, let alone feed me. Without my past-life memories, I'd have starved long ago.
"Are you even human? How can you treat a child like this!"
"Shut up! You think I want to?!"
Their argument seeped through the wall, hitting me with harsh reality. Those voices stirred memories of the past few years. At first, I thought it was a dream. No, I wanted to believe it was a nightmare. But days turned to months, and I was still a diapered infant staring at the ceiling. I had to accept it.
I'd entered that soul-crushing novel I'd criticized. The world doomed by its pathetic protagonist, Kael.
The hardest to swallow was my reflection in the mirror.
...A girl.
Back on Earth, I'd been a sturdy man. Now? A frail little girl, unmistakably. The gender swap never got easier with time.
But I couldn't just despair. In the novel's lore, killing the demon king granted one wish from the gods. I'd wish to return to my original world, my original self. I clenched my fist tight.
To kill the demon king, I needed power. I knew the novel's secrets perfectly: every opportunity, every power-up spot.
The problem was my body.
"Roen, try again. Gather mana at your fingertips."
The year I turned seven, I started magic lessons. Not thanks to my parents, of course. I'd scraped by their neglect, hit up the bakery. My Earth baking knowledge let me pitch spicy bread ideas; it became the village star. Pizza bread still sells out daily. With the earnings, I bought lessons... but.
"...I feel nothing."
No trace of the 'mana flow' mages described. My teacher, a visiting mage, shook his head awkwardly. My mana circuits were completely sealed. No amount of effort could open them.
Magic talent: zero.
What about swordsmanship? I hefted a heavy wooden sword to the training grounds. I trained twice, three times harder than others. Blisters burst, calluses built—no matter. One burning desire: return to Earth.
But my swordmaster's verdict was colder.
"Child, your effort's admirable, but... your strength and reflexes are below average kids'..."
Sword talent: also zero.
Devastating. What good was novel knowledge if my body couldn't handle it? Even hogging every opportunity, it'd be like a pearl necklace on a pig.
I wasn't cut out to be this world's protagonist. Overwhelmed by helplessness, I slumped under the backyard tree's shade, staring blankly at the sky. Irresponsible parents, talentless body, gender flipped—in this thrown-away world.
What can I even do?
The only key back to Earth: demon king subjugation. I needed strength, but reality was a sewer.
If only I'd possessed Kael's body...
But no, I was an extra's extra, unmentioned in the novel.
As I zoned out watching ants on the ground, a shadow suddenly fell over my shaded view.
"Roen, whatcha doing here?"
It was Ariel, the baker's daughter.
"Oh, Ariel? Just pondering my life."
"Life? What kinda thoughts?"
"Y'know, how to survive from here on out."
Ariel saw my worried face and plopped down beside me.
"But what's got you so bummed?!"
"No magic talent, no sword skills. How'm I gonna eat?"
I dodged vaguely, and Ariel puffed up proudly.
"No worries! Just stick by me. I'll let you mooch off me forever!"