Prologue: A New Awakening
Darkness.
That was the first thing I felt. A void so deep and suffocating it threatened to consume me whole. There was no light, no sound, just an endless abyss pressing down on me. I didn't know how I got here or what had happened before. My thoughts were sluggish, my memories scattered like shattered glass.
Then, pain.
It struck like a lightning bolt, surging through my body, igniting every nerve with unbearable intensity. My mind screamed as images flashed before me, a collapsing building, a blinding explosion, the sensation of falling. Then... nothing.
But now, something was different. I wasn't gone.
Slowly, I became aware of my body. The weight of limbs, the cool air brushing against my skin, the steady thrum of my heartbeat. My fingers twitched, clenching into fists as a newfound strength surged through me. I wasn't the same.
I forced my eyes open.
The sky above me was an endless blue, dotted with drifting clouds. Tall trees surrounded me, their branches swaying with the wind. The scent of fresh earth and damp leaves filled my lungs as I sat up, my head pounding from the sudden movement.
That's when I noticed it, the Yamato resting at my side.
My breath hitched as I reached for it, my fingers closing around the familiar hilt. The weight, the texture, it was real. I knew this sword. I had wielded it countless times, felt its power resonate with my very being. But that was impossible. It belonged to Vergil.
And then it hit me.
The way my body felt. The way my mind worked. The raw power coursing through my veins.
I wasn't myself anymore.
I was Vergil.
A sharp rustling in the bushes snapped me out of my thoughts. My instincts flared, and before I even thought about it, my body moved. My grip tightened around Yamato, and in a single fluid motion, I was on my feet, blade drawn.
From the shadows, figures emerged, masked, armed, and radiating hostility.
Shinobi.
They moved with trained precision, forming a semi-circle around me. Their hitai-ate gleamed under the sunlight, marking them as Konoha ANBU.
One of them stepped forward, a katana in hand. His voice was firm, laced with authority.
"Identify yourself."
I exhaled slowly, my mind racing. I wasn't sure how or why I was here, but one thing was certain, this world wasn't a dream. And if they were sending ANBU after me, I had already become someone of interest.
My grip on Yamato tightened, and a smirk ghosted my lips.
This just got interesting.