Desire System: Architect of Ruin

Chapter 2

"Kaito Kiryu!!!"

Her hand slammed heavily on his desk, waking him up from his slumber.

Kaito peeled his face off the desk with a wet schtick sound, his cheeks flushed and his eyelids heavy, barely able to stay open.

He looked less like a star student and more like a wrecked back sitter.

"Sleeping in my class again, Kaito Kiryu?"

The lecturer stood before him, her arms crossed and her face visibly displeased.

A few students stifled snickers. "Since you clearly find my lectures beneath your intellect, we can discuss the material privately in my office after class. Don't be late." She slowly turned back, moving toward the front of the class.

"That will be all for this lecture. And Mr. Kiryu?" She paused at the door, her hand resting on the handle as she looked at him with a mocking smirk. "Don't be late."

As she opened the door, the floorboards beneath their feet immediately glowed with a violently pulsating purple light.

On it were engravings in another language, incomprehensible to any of them, quickly spreading across the room in a heartbeat.

Kaito watched, paralyzed. His eyes fully open, witnessing his hands slowly dissolve like pixels into the mist.

His classmates slowly faded as well, their expressions terrified by the sight. Even the lecturer wasn't safe… she tried reaching for the doorframe, but her fingers only passed through the wood.

The light flared one last time, blinding and absolute, and then the class, once filled with 109 people, was now empty.

---

The purple glow faded slowly, revealing a hall of jagged crystals with the students and their lecturer standing in the middle of it.

Their faces were confused, surrounded by men in priestly robes, their faces slightly covered while their eyes glowed with bright white light.

In the center with them stood a lady of impossible beauty. Her curves were sharp and her bust ample beneath the low-cut gown. Her skin glowed like silk.

She spoke words that sounded like gibberish to everyone, leaving them baffled.

"Speak English! Or Japanese! Anything!" a student yelled from the back. "What is she even saying?"

The Saintess continued her rhythmic speech, her expression serene but vacant, as if she were reciting a ritual.

"Get behind me!" the lecturer spoke, pushing the students behind her. "Where are we? Speak a language we understand!"

The lady looked at them, then smiled softly, slowly lifting her hands before reciting another string of gibberish once more.

"Can you understand me now, heroes?"

"Ehh…?"

"Sorry, you probably couldn't understand what I was saying because of the language barrier," the Saintess said. Her voice was like silk, soft and calm enough to put most of them at ease and out of panic.

The lecturer wasn't so easily swayed. Once again, she lunged to the front, keeping the group behind her. "Who are you… where are we… what the hell is going on?" Her body shook continuously, her voice cracking as she spoke.

"Please, calm yourselves, heroes. You are in safe hands," the woman replied with a serene smile. "I am Saintess Eve of Valmont Church. You were all summoned to the Ulrank Empire to become our Heroes, people who will lead the fight against the Demon King and his armies."

"Heroes…?" Everyone murmured in confusion. Some eyes glowed with excitement while others shook in terror.

"Yes," Eve continued, her smile as bright as ever. "Thanks to the interuniversal spatial transport skill, you now possess powers ranging from S-rank down to F-rank. This crystal ball will reveal the gifts our Goddess has bestowed upon you."

She gestured toward a hooded figure nearby, whose face was completely covered by a heavy robe, holding a massive glowing white crystal ball that pulsed with cold light.

"Please, heroes," Eve said, her gaze lingering on the crowd, pitiful unlike the calmness she once displayed. "Please step forward. Help us end this terror the Demon King and his armies have brought upon this world." Water slowly dripped down her cheeks as she spoke.

"Okay… okay… I don't understand what you are talking about, but I guess we could touch that crystal ball if that's all it takes." The lecturer calmed down, the pitiful sight of the Saintess enough to make her lower her guard around them.

"Students, please line up according to your matrix number. Akira, please help control the line."

---

Five minutes, that was all it took to organize the students, filled with curiosity, and after that came a long moment of amusement from the Saintess and the remaining priests.

Among the first 105 people who stepped forward, there were about 3 S-rank students, each with 4 skills that were almost completely broken.

5 A-rankers, 8 B-rankers, and below that were given less recognition, with C-rankers considered average and F-rankers the worst of the worst.

"Matrix Number 106, please step forward."

Finally, it was Kaito's turn. As he stepped forward, many eyes followed him. People were extremely curious about what rank the top student in everything would have.

"Please place your hand on the ball for about 5 seconds, and that should be all."

"Okay…"

He stretched his hands forward, placing them against the ball. As his hands rested against it, his eyes glowed brightly, something that didn't happen to the others. Then suddenly, it came to a stop.

"Ahhh… impossible… it's an FF… a non-growth kind." A sharp terrified voice came from the Saintess. Her expression became dark with horror and disappointment as she stared hard at him like disgusting trash taking up space.

"What…? What happened…?" Kaito questioned, his eyes filled with worry as he glanced at the remaining students, most of whom were smiling mockingly.

"For all that drama, just to come out as a pointless FF-rank," someone murmured. "Worse than an F-rank at that."

"What's the point of being the class topper if you're just the class lackey in another world?" Another student laughed, and soon the room was filled with mocking murmurs.

There was no sympathy. The prestige Kaito held back home had vanished in a single heartbeat, replaced by the collective laughter of his peers. Even Saintess Eve's gaze turned cold, her interest in him evaporating instantly.

"Kaito, you may go back, thank you." The lecturer said, her voice soft, gentle, and controlled.

Kaito didn't even bat an eye at them. His usual lack of interest in what people thought of him took hold again.

"FF-rank, nice," Kaito whispered to himself, his fingers curling into a fist. "I'll have to work harder then, can't drag them down."

He went back, leaning lightly against the wall. He yawned hard, then closed his eyes.

"Okay… Matrix Number 107, please step forward."

Stepping forward was a beautiful curvy lady with black hair. The class goddess every guy had a crush on but no one could have. A lady with an ice-cold personality—Yuna Suzuki.

"Please do the same. Just place your hands on the ball and wait."

As she placed her hands on the ball, there was an unusual phenomenon, just like with Kaito. But unlike him, she came out as an SS-rank, the first in history, the complete opposite of Kaito.

Everyone watched, amazed by her rank. Even the Saintess immediately became nicer toward her, instantly treating her with respect.

"As expected of the Ice Queen, she's always top-notch, unlike our previous class head," someone murmured from behind, but instantly quieted down.

"Okay, since everyone has gone through the rank reveal," Eve paused, slightly turning toward a heavily armored knight with a long heavy sword strapped to his back.

"This is Eran, the Knight Commander of the Ulrank Empire. He will be in charge of your training, helping you all become proficient in your skills before you set off to face the Demon King," Eve said with a bright smile before taking her leave.

---

Twenty years later…

The heroes had fought countless battles. Of the 109 summoned, about half had dropped out or gone missing, likely running away. Only twelve remained now; the rest were dead or injured beyond recovery.

Now, they stood before their final battle. Just one door stood between them and an uncertain fate.

Leading the attack was Kaito, the FF-ranked hero who couldn't grow but had become incredibly strong through his weak skill: Matter Manipulation.

Within the last 20 years, he had pushed himself through hardcore workouts, intense study of theories everyone ignored, and advanced scientific magic manipulation, like increasing the intensity of a basic fireball several times over by adding hydrogen gas or oxygen gas in different proportions.

He became the group's main damage dealer thanks to his broken insight, advanced weapon mastery, and basic matter manipulation.

While people focused on skills, he focused on the sword. While people focused on killing monsters, he focused on magic.

Although his rank didn't grow, his skill proficiency increased, and he still managed to pull off the impossible.

By his side were Miss Mia, a B-rank healer; Yuna, a close-range fighter with a long katana; and Raphael, an A-rank tank. The rest ranged from A to B-rank, with only one C-ranker left, Kelvin.

"It's finally time," Sato said, resting heavily against the wall.

The air leaking from under the massive obsidian doors carried an intense smell of sulfur, blood, and rotting corpses.

Kaito's armor was shattered at the shoulder, and he was slightly bleeding from the side of his eyes, but his eyes were clear.

"I guess we made it, guys."

"Honestly, I hope I get some really good money after all this."

"Hmmm, honestly I just want to find a way back home or something… I miss my little sister. She's probably married by now, sigh."

"Hahahaha, okay everyone. If we make it out of this one, let's have a good drink," Kaito said with a bright smile.

"Hahahaha," Sato said to Kaito, "We wouldn't even be at this door without you, Mr. FF-rank."

Everyone laughed, even Kaito, then his expression shifted as he looked at the door.

It was time.