Raikiri in a Dying World

Plenty of people get dragged into situations they really don't want to be in by ROBs, but very few get chosen by ROB's for more than basic amusement. I was unlucky enough to be one of them. Now I'm in Worm with a mission to save the world. Fortunately, the power in question is quite strong. Unfortunately, it comes with a lot of issues.

I rather like this type of idea, so I thought I'd do another one. This time, our ROB is actually living up to the last letter of its name and screwing with our protagonist. How? You'll see. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

I floated in a white voice, unfeeling of anything. There wasn't anything to feel, no sensation of touch, no sound, no scents and nothing but endless white to see. Hell, I'm not even sure I had a body right now. Then again, its not that surprising. I didn't remember much, but I did know that before I came here, I had been on a plane that had experienced difficulties over the north sea. Guess the difficulties were the type that led to one way trips straight down. I was...oddly OK with that. Then again, I guess if I was dead there really wasn't anything I could do about it…

Good evening.

The voice came from everywhere and nowhere.

"HOLY…" I yelped, although how I managed that without a mouth I don't know, "Whos there?"

Ah, of course. One moment please.

The space twisted and a figure appeared before me. If I had a tongue, I'd probably have choked on it considering I immediately recognized it, despite the fact I wasn't much of a comic buff, outside of some interest as a result of watching the Marvel movies. Still, I recognized the girl before me thanks to research into aspects of Death for various stories over the years. Still, I never expected to meet Death of the Endless.

"Huh...not what I was expecting I admit," I said, "So I really am dead?"

"Eh, sort of, not really," said Death, "You would be, but I pulled you here before you died."

I frowned. Or tried to. I didn't have a face.

"What do you mean?" I asked, "Your Death, right?"

"Nope," said the girl who apparently wasn't Death with a grin, "I just like this form. My name is...not actually something you three dimensional beings can comprehend, so you can call me Agent."

If I had a face, I would have paled. I remembered what used that name.

"Aww shit, your a ROB," I said.

"Close enough," said Agent, "I am indeed a hyperdimensional, nigh-omnipotent life form beyond Human understanding and I did indeed bring you here because I want to make a deal."

"What kind of deal?" I asked, "I assume that its one that results in me getting dropped somewhere ungodly dangerous with powers and a mission to save the world?"

"Pretty much," said Agent cheerfully, "Your aware of everything that usually comes from this, so I'll skip the explanation. So, interested?"

I sighed, although how I managed it I don't know.

"Better than dying I suppose," I muttered, "Alright, where am I going and what powers?"

"What, no questions about why I chose you?" asked Agent.

"Your a being beyond my comprehension, I'm sure you have reasons that are equally beyond me," I said, "Besides, does it matter?"

"Guess not," said Agent, "So, I'm afraid that I can't tell you where you're going due to the rules I have to abide by and, due to the rules of this particular game, I also can't let you pick your power."

My stomach sank. Well, this doesn't sound good.

"On the up side, the power I'm giving you comes from an Anime," said Agent.

"That...doesn't exactly fill me with confidence," I deadpanned, "I can think of a lot of Anime powers that would do a lot more harm than good."

"Yes, I can imagine," said Agent, "However, I can assure you that it has no stupidly powerful monsters involved and the power will be all yours."

"Oh good, I am thrilled," I said, "Alright, whos powers am I getting?"

"Oh, you'll see," said Agent with a slight smirk, "I will tell you that its from Chivalry of a Failed Knight though."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Huh, that could be...interesting," I said, "So, what hellhole am I dropping into?"

"The world is very much like your own," said Agent as a portal began to spin into existence, "There aren't any supernatural beings, no Gods, Monsters or Magic. Instead there are Superheroes and a glowing idiot flying around saving lives."

I frowned as I tried to parse that out, before the portal cleared, revealing a city beside a bay blocked by a large tanker and an oil rig barely visible in the middle of said bay. The moment I saw that, I put the pieces together and blanched.

"Oh hell, your sending me to WORM!?" I spluttered.

"Yep, pretty much," said Agent, "Don't worry though, I've taken steps to ensure that you won't be vulnerable to Precogs and your ability to precisely control your body will make Master powers basically useless."

"Thats all very well and good, but how in the fuck am I supposed to beat Zion with this powerset?!" I spluttered, "Its strong enough to deal with most street level threats, but its sure as fuck no magic bullet!"

"Don't underestimate the power to shatter Fate," said Agent with a faint smile, before she sobered, "However, you are correct. I don't really expect you to beat Zion on your own, that would take a being with far more power than I can give under the rules of the games to achieve. No, all I want you to do is help. In my experience, its not the most powerful person who helps win, its the person who helps. A simple act of kindness can change the course of an entire war and Earth Bet is in dire need of that kindness."

"You're not wrong there," I muttered, "I assume you want me to derail things as soon as possible?"

"That I do," said ROB, "It shouldn't be too hard though. All you need to do is go to school."

I blinked.

"Wait, are you sorting out an actual life for me then?" I asked.

"Sort of," said the ROB, "This is actually part of a secondary deal I made with someone else."

I frowned.

"Whats that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"Well, I needed an Isekai protagonist and the person I found agreed on the condition I look after their sister," she said, "The best way to do that is to use their former body for another game."

I stared at her.

"Good god your cold!" I said.

"Frigid," said the ROB with a grin full of icicles.

"Lovely," I deadpanned, "So what, waking up in a hospital bed?"

"Yep, best of luck!" said the ROB and snapped her fingers.

I jolted awake and immediately started panicking as I realized I had something jammed down my throat. Without thinking or really paying attention to the alarms blaring in the background, I reached up and yanked the tube out. I was in the middle of trying to keep from bringing up my digestive system when a pair of strong hands touched my shoulder and tried to push me down. Without thinking, I lashed out and there was a loud crack as my fist slammed into something solid that broke under my fist.

After I'd been calmed down and the doctor had reset his nose, I was given a full examination that confirmed that I was suffering from no neurological damage and was in decent shape considering my body had apparently been in a coma for two years.

Speaking of my body, it was rather apparent that the ROB more than lived up to her name because I was now a busty, half Japanese Parahuman in a city with Lung. Well, this is going to be SO much fun…

Anyway, three days after I woke up, I was back on my feet, thanks in no small part to Panacea, who had been nice enough to reverse the atrophy my muscles had undergone over the past two years. I hadn't been able to talk to her unfortunately, but yanking Panpan out of her downwards spiral could wait for now. I wasn't back to 100% and definitely not to the level I needed to be if I wanted to use my inherited swordsmanship, but with any luck, it wouldn't take long to reach that point. Unless the ROB wanted me to waste who knows how many years on nothing but training.

It also meant that I could get a proper look at my new body.

Said body was that of a 17 year old girl, one which was quite the looker, complete with a buxom form and features that spoke of my apparent Japanese heritage. My hair was light brown and reached the small of my back and my eyes were a rather striking orange, although I have no idea if that was natural or a result of the ROB messing with me. Combine the looks with the powers and my powerset was obviously that of Touka Toudou. To make things more obvious, my first name was Touka. My surname though…

"Miss Clements?"

I turned from the mirror to look at the nurse who had just opened the door.

"Your Parents are here," she said, "Are you alright to speak with them?"

I hesitated.

"Um, are they aware…"

"Yes, they have been informed of the amnesia," said the nurse.

I sighed.

"Fine, guess we should get this over with."

The nurse nodded and disappeared, leaving me to return to my bed. I felt more than a little guilty about tricking Touka's family like this, but considering I knew nothing about her, it was really the only option. Plus, spending just under two years in a coma after a close encounter with Truck-kun meant that it wasn't completely out of the realm of possibility.

And then there was the other pink elephant in the room, the younger sister the former owner of this body wanted to see taken care of was Madison Clements. I...wasn't too sure what to make of that in all honesty. On one hand, Madison was, at best, a pest to Taylor and did actually feel some measure of guilt by the end, but on the other, there was a very good chance that she had something to do with the Locker. I guess the only thing I could do is wait to see if Madison was as bad as the other two or just stupid.

To make matters worse, there was a third pachyderm waiting in the wings, although that was one that would be dealt with soon enough. Worm was a world where shit got worse. I couldn't think of a single character in the entire story who wasn't screwed over in one way or another by someone, so I was rather worried that my Parents would be...less than stellar. On one hand, disinterested parents would make it a lot easier for me, but on the other…

BANG!

I nearly jumped out of my skin as the door to my room abruptly slammed open and I found myself being glomped by a large man crying rather unmanly tears. A moment later, the man was yanked off me by a slightly harried Japanese woman with short, black hair and eyes.

"Damnit Robin, do you always have to jump right in without thinking?!" she growled with the air of someone who often had to clean up her significant others messes.

Wait, Robin? Why did that ring a bell in my head? I quickly pushed that thought aside for now in favour of examining my apparent Parents. As I mentioned, my Mother had grey streaked black hair and eyes and was wearing a nice looking suit with a lanyard with a Brockton U ID card attached and a pair of round glasses that looked a lot like the pair I wore. She was also short. Like, really short.

My Father on the other hand was closer to average height and with a build that suggested professional training, greying light brown hair in a Military style cut and light brown eyes. He was wearing a rumpled shirt and trousers that looked like he'd changed into them in a hurry.

On a completely unrelated note, my worries about my Parents being Worm style jackasses were temporarily removed. The two of them reminded me so much of my old Parents it almost hurt.

I cleared my throat, interrupting the slow building comedy skit. As awkward as the upcoming conversation would undoubtedly be, I'd rather get it over with as quickly as possible.

"So um, I guess your my...Parents?" I asked as I shifted uncomfortably.

The two adults looked at each other, before my apparent Mother sighed.

"They told us about that, but I kinda hoped…"

She shook her head and stepped forwards, gently taking my hands.

"Yes Touka, we are your Parents," she said, "I understand if you can't think of us like that right now, but I hope we can rebuild our relationship."

I looked down at the clasped hands, then back up to meet my Mothers eyes. Touka Clements was dead, there wasn't anything left of her in this body. Any memories she might have were gone, leaving nothing for me to even begin to rebuild who she once was. Despite that, a part of me recognized my Mother. Maybe it was the deep, instinctual part of the bodies brain that still held the oldest and most basic of instincts that recognized my Mothers warmth Or maybe I was imagining the whole thing. Whatever the case, I couldn't help but smile back.

"Sure, I'd like that," I said.

Mom smiled wetly and hesitantly held out her arms. After a moments hesitation, I stepped forwards and accepted the hug. Once again, despite not really knowing this woman from Adam, I could feel a deep part of myself relaxing into her warmth. A moment later, another pair of arms joined the hug.

"I'm glad to have you back kiddo," said Dad, "Even if you're a bit different now."

It took all I had not to burst into tears.

Once I managed to pull myself together and untangle myself from my Parents, Mom stuck her head out the door and called my sister in who was apparently waiting outside. Madison was...well, she was short to put in bluntly. While I had clearly got my looks from my Mom and everything else from my Dad, she was apparently the opposite, although her hair was dark brown rather than black. She also looked like she had been missing out on sleep which was...interesting. The Locker had happened on the same day I had arrived (much to my chagrin when I found that out), do I had to wonder if she was feeling guilty.

Or, alternatively, this was an alternate world where Taylor had Triggered blatantly and outed herself immediately, but I somehow doubted that.

Alternatively alternatively, it could be due to her awesome big sis waking up after two years with a full factory reset to the memory. One of the three at least. Probably.

Mom and Dad headed out to talk to the doctor at that point, leaving Madison and I alone to stare at each other awkwardly.

"So...you can't remember anything?" asked Madison.

I fixed her with a flat look as she winced.

"No, I can't," I said.

Madison looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Welll, you owe me…"

I cut her off with a swat around the back of the head.

"I'm amnesiac, not an idiot," I said, "Besides, I think losing my memory is a pretty damn good reason to wipe any debts I might have."

We stared at each other for a moment longer, then both burst out laughing at the same time. After a few moments of shared mirth, I managed to calm down and wipe a tear from my eye as I smiled at my sister.

"I can't promise I'll be the same person I was, but I'll do my best to be a good sister," I said.

I'd give Madison the benefit of the doubt for now. Even in canon, she was basically a non-entity to Taylor and was the only one who showed any remorse. Until she proved me wrong, I'd do my best to be a good sister.

Madison smiled and scrubbed at her eyes that might have been a little more wet than mine, but I wouldn't say anything if she wouldn't.

"Thanks," she said, "That...means a lot."

She shifted slightly in her seat and seemed to be about to say something else, but before she could, the door opened again and the doctor came in with a wheelchair.

"Well, since your awake and as healthy as can be, we'll be releasing you now," said the Doctor, "You'll need to come in in a few days to speak to the physiotherapist, just in case, but thats more of a formality thanks to Panacea."

I nodded as I sat down in the wheelchair. I could walk just fine, but hospital procedure and all that.

"Could you thank her again for me?" I asked, "When shes more awake I mean."

The doctor smiled.

"Of course," he said, "Its been a pleasure Miss Clements and I hope I don't see you again anytime soon."

I snorted as my sister stifled a snicker.

"The feelings mutual Doctor," I said.

"So, are you ready to go home?" asked Mom as the doctor pushed me out of the room and handed me off to my Father.

I took a deep breath and nodded.

"Sure, lets go," I said.

And I think I'm going to end this here. I could have done more, but I plan for the next chapter to be a timeskip that roughly covers the events up to the start of the story proper. If you're wondering why I'm doing it like that, well, its to try and keep things from seeming rushed as Touka goes from arrival straight into fighting everyone.

Moving on, Toukas power set. If you haven't seen or read Chivalry of a Failed Knight, I highly recommend it. On the surface, its not the most original of Anime, but it has some of the most likeable characters I've seen in a while and an actually believable teenage romance. As for Touka herself, well, shes a lightning user and her ultimate technique is a quickdraw called Raikiri. I can't wait to have our Touka break that out.

I dare say I'll get some flack from some people for what I plan to do with Madison, but I don't really care. Shes not going to get off scott free, but in this world at least, she didn't have anything to do with the Locker directly and is generally just a bit of a pest towards Taylor.

On a completely unrelated note, any idea what I have planned with Touka's family as a whole? Its not that hard to figure out if you pay attention. Unfortunately, my original idea fell through due to the characters in question being way too young to have a 17 year old daughter. Oh well.

And with that, I'm done. Don't forget to leave a review on the way out!

EDIT: Due to not paying enough attention while double checking some things, changes have been made. They are fairly minor, so dont worry about it to much.