Peak Between Two: Mushoku Tensei

Heavy rain poured over Tokyo that evening, drenching the city as water droplets splattered against the windows of a speeding black car weaving through the wet streets. The city lights reflected on the puddles, creating a somber and tense atmosphere. Inside the car, two men sat in the back seat, their faces serious despite their visibly exhausted bodies.

Between them, a black, military-grade security case rested on the seat, as if it were the root of all the problems they had faced that day.

Kazuya Hoshigaki let out a long sigh, removed his thin-rimmed glasses, and rubbed his temples with his fingers. "I'll be honest… This is really dangerous," he said, his voice flat but laden with fatigue.

Sitting beside him, Ryusei Takeda crossed his arms, his sharp eyes still scanning the streets through the rain-streaked window. "Of course, it's dangerous. If it weren't, we wouldn't have been attacked twice in one day."

Kazuya rolled his eyes. "And you think that's normal?"

Ryusei shrugged. "Hey, you know the deal. We can't take this thing to the conference with an open military escort. If we did, we'd have been surrounded by spies from thirteen different countries since this morning."

Kazuya scoffed. "I'd rather take my chances with that than switch cars three times in one day like a criminal on the run!"

Ryusei let out a small chuckle. "Better switching cars than switching worlds, right?"

Kazuya shot him a sharp glare. "That… is not a good joke."

Outside, the rain intensified. The car's windshield wipers moved at full speed, but the tension inside remained thick.

"So," Kazuya continued with a frustrated tone, "we're about to arrive at the conference, carrying an artifact from an asteroid that crashed billions of years ago, possibly the most valuable object in human history…"

"Correct," Ryusei interjected, still sounding casual.

"And neither of us actually knows what this thing is," Kazuya added, pointing at the black case.

Ryusei grinned. "Exactly."

Kazuya closed his eyes for a moment. "Damn it… Why did I get dragged into this mess?"

Ryusei patted his shoulder teasingly. "Because you're my best friend."

Kazuya scoffed. "If it weren't for that, I would've fled the country yesterday."

They both chuckled, though the tension never truly faded. Outside, the sound of rain accompanied their journey, neither realizing that this was merely the beginning of an adventure far crazier than they could imagine.

Ryusei glanced at the black case between them, raising an eyebrow. "But seriously, do you even know what this thing is?"

Kazuya, still rubbing his temples, shot his friend a tired look. "Well… to be honest, I'm not sure."

Ryusei snorted. "Seriously? You're a genius scientist, the head of research, the only person in the world who can decipher multidimensional quantum formulas, and you're telling me you don't know?"

Kazuya shrugged nonchalantly. "According to my initial analysis and my genius brain, this thing is not from Earth."

Ryusei stared at him blankly. "…You're joking, right?"

"No, I'm serious."

Ryusei let out a long sigh. "Kazuya, we already knew that. I mean, the artifact was found inside an asteroid that crashed into Earth billions of years ago. Obviously, it's not man-made!"

Kazuya rolled his eyes. "I don't just mean it's not from Earth. I mean, it's not even from our solar system. Its material structure doesn't match any known elements in our universe. It's as if this thing originates from beyond the dimensions of space and time as we understand them."

Ryusei leaned back against the seat, exhaling. "Great. So we're unknowingly transporting a multidimensional alien artifact without knowing what it does. Fantastic."

Kazuya smirked. "Welcome to my life."

Ryusei eyed the case warily. "By the way, can I take another look at the artifact?"

Kazuya frowned. "Just for a second. We still don't know what this thing actually is. If it's dangerous, we—"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Ryusei cut in impatiently.

Carefully, Kazuya unlocked the case and slowly lifted the lid. Inside, nestled in a specially designed protective cushion, was a sleek, black, cube-like object. Its surface was cold to the touch, yet it wasn't made of any known metal. However, the strangest part was the mysterious script etched around its edges—writing neither of them had ever seen before, not even in ancient linguistic databases they had studied.

Kazuya narrowed his eyes, studying the patterns. "Hmm… This isn't Latin, not Kanji, and it doesn't resemble ancient languages like Sumerian or Egyptian…"

Ryusei glanced at it briefly and quipped, "Maybe it's a discount code from another dimension?"

Kazuya shot him a sharp look. "Seriously, Ryu?"

Ryusei raised his hands. "Hey, I was just trying to lighten the mood. Besides, maybe this thing is just some alien jewelry box or an interstellar lunchbox."
Kazuya sighed. "I wish it were that simple..."
But before they could continue their analysis, the strange script on the artifact's surface began glowing with a faint blue light. A circular pattern emerged at its center, rotating slowly like an ancient clock mechanism that had just been activated.
Kazuya and Ryusei exchanged glances.
"Uh… Kaz?" Ryusei swallowed hard. "I don't like where this is going."
Kazuya shut the case immediately. "Okay. Me neither. This is bad."
"Hehehe…" Ryusei let out a nervous chuckle, his eyes shifting toward the street outside as they approached a red light. On the sidewalk, a group of middle schoolers were arguing, while across the road, a homeless man sat motionless, staring blankly at the street.
"Those kids shouldn't be fighting in weather like this," Ryusei remarked.
Kazuya glanced at them briefly before sighing. "Yeah… but for some reason, I'm jealous."
Ryusei shot him an amused look. "Jealous? Of middle schoolers?"
"Well…" Kazuya leaned his head back against the seat. "At least they still have time for dating. Us? Hopelessly single."
Ryusei snickered. "Damn… That actually hurts."
Both of them were single due to their relentless careers. Day and night, it was work, research, investigations, and now—transporting a mysterious extraterrestrial artifact that might put them on every intelligence agency's hit list. Forget dating, even a full night's sleep had become a luxury.
But before they could continue their melancholic conversation, Ryusei's expression suddenly turned pale.
Kazuya, who knew his best friend better than anyone, immediately sensed something was wrong. "What is it?"
Ryusei gulped. "Uh… The brakes are out."
For a moment, they stared at each other.
Then—
"WHAT?!"
Their faces drained of color as cold sweat formed on their brows. Ryusei gripped the steering wheel tightly, trying to remain calm. With years of experience as an elite soldier and a skilled driver, this shouldn't have been a big deal.
But… the rain kept pouring.
The wet asphalt made the tires lose traction. Their car began to skid, forcing Ryusei to work harder to maintain control.
"Shit, shit, shit!" Ryusei growled, his hands skillfully maneuvering the wheel, attempting an emergency drift.
"You can handle this, right?!" Kazuya yelled, gripping his seatbelt tightly.
"Of course! I'm not an amateur!" Ryusei shot back, trying to reassure himself.
But just as they were about to stabilize the car, fate had other plans.
A massive truck appeared from the opposite lane—right in their path.
"SHIT! TRUCK!"
Ryusei slammed on the accelerator and tried to swerve, but the slippery road rendered his efforts useless. The rear tires skidded out of control, and the car spun wildly.
"HOLD ON!"
BLAARRRR!
A thunderous crash echoed through the rain-soaked streets. Their car collided with the truck, the impact devastating enough to crush the front of the vehicle.
Everything went black.
On the sidewalk, the three middle schoolers who had been arguing had no time to react. They were swept up in the crash.
The homeless man who had been sitting quietly barely had time to glance up before the wreckage engulfed him.
And Kazuya and Ryusei?
There was no time to think. No time to regret. Their lives ended in an instant.
That rainy night, a researcher, an elite soldier, a homeless man, and three middle schoolers drew their last breaths together.
But their deaths were not the end.
It was merely the beginning of something far greater.
The black case beside Kazuya glowed faintly—then vanished along with the artifact inside.