A flea market is a place where items from various eras mix, both genuine and fake. If one doesn't have a sharp eye or adequate historical knowledge, they're likely to end up buying cheap knockoffs at sky-high prices.
However, for Ren, the flea market isn't just a place to hunt for antiques. It's a treasure trove filled with mystical relics from ancient times.
At the largest flea market in Tokyo, he slowly moved from one stall to another, spending five to ten minutes at each. His sharp eyes weren't just the result of practice or experience but also due to a supernatural talent he named Insight Gaze.
This ability allowed Ren to see the true essence of any object he focused on. If he stared at an object long enough, it would emit a faint glow, and a simple description would appear in his mind.
Thanks to this ability, over the past year, Ren had collected ten magical artifacts. After realizing there was a mysterious side to this world, he began focusing on finding magical artifacts for self-protection. After all, his supernatural ability—Insight Gaze—didn't grant him combat power. He was still an ordinary person who could easily be killed by evil spirits.
Today, he intended to add to his collection.
Walking through the bustling crowd, he stopped at a small stall filled with various old trinkets.
The stall owner was an old man with a friendly smile and a cunning glint in his eye, enthusiastically welcoming customers.
"Feel free to look around, young man! Everything here is genuine, no fakes!" He said confidently.
However, Ren never trusted such vendors. He had too many experiences where "genuine antiques" turned out to be cheap replicas or outright nonsense. With a calm expression, he began inspecting the items at the stall, picking them up one by one while secretly activating Insight Gaze.
—[Old Bronze Statue: Made by a group of craftsmen in a small warehouse. Suitable as a decoration for a cafe with an ancient theme.]
—[Ancient Roman Medal: A modern replica.]
—[Rusty Samurai Sword: Just an ordinary sword exposed to humid air.]
What a shame. Nothing of value here.
Ren sighed, almost ready to leave, but something caught his attention.
Among the pile of neglected items, a rusty arrow lay carelessly. Its color was dull, with a blunt tip that seemed to have lost its sharpness. There was nothing special about it—at least to the untrained eye.
However, there was a reason it caught his attention.
In his first year of high school, Ren had joined the Archery Club. Though he didn't stay long, he still retained an interest in the art of archery. Curiosity drove him to pick up the arrow and activate Insight Gaze.
He didn't expect much. After all, so far, everything at this stall had been junk.
But when the description text appeared in his mind, his breath hitched.
—[Brahmāstra: One of the most powerful weapons in Hindu mythology, known as a divine weapon created by the God Brahma, bestowed upon the King of the End, Rama, in his mission to eradicate Campione on Earth when their numbers grew too large. The Brahmāstra lost its connection with the Mandala Formation due to the Ananke Divine Authority used by a Campione, whom Rama fought tens of thousands of years ago. Having been neglected for so long without Magical Energy, the Brahmāstra can only be used once before automatically returning to Mandala Formation.]
Ren's eyes widened. He reread the text, making sure he wasn't seeing things.
Even in his wildest dreams, he never imagined finding a divine weapon of the gods at a flea market!
His heart raced. If the text was accurate, this wasn't just any ordinary artifact. This was a weapon of mass destruction, said in Hindu mythology to be capable of destroying the world if unleashed without control. Even crazier—this weapon had been used to fight Campione!
Ren's excitement faded, replaced by a cold chill running down his spine.
A year ago, his life had been peaceful. He lived his days as an ordinary high school student, enjoying life like any other young person. The world felt simple, just a blend of slice-of-life anime.
However, all that changed after he met certain individuals.
That was when he realized—this world wasn't as simple as it seemed.
Youkai, ghosts, evil spirits, and even aliens. Although Ren had never seen any of them, he was certain they existed.
This could be seen from Yotsuya Miko's reactions, who looked exhausted as if she had been staying up all night since becoming a second-year student, even though she had been fine the previous year. The cause was that Miko had developed Spiritual Vision, allowing her to see ghosts and evil spirits.
There was also Gentōga Keitarō, who often got injured. Ren speculated it was due to ghosts.
'Good grief, this world is far more dangerous than I thought. It seems I haven't been harassed by supernatural beings purely out of luck. And now there are Campione? Life as an ordinary person is so tough!' Ren grumbled inwardly.
What is a Campione (God Slayer)?
Campione are the Supreme Rulers.
Because they slaughter gods from heaven and steal their supreme authority, making them like gods.
They hold the Divine Authorities they stole from gods, and no one on Earth can control them, no matter who they are.
Campione are Demon Kings.
Because no human living on Earth can possess power that might rival theirs!
Those who kill gods and steal their Divine Authorities are all extraordinary existences. Just one of them is a powerhouse capable of deciding the life and death of the world!
Thanks to his photographic memory, Ren recalled details about Campione he had studied in his previous life.
He realized one thing—living as an ordinary person was incredibly risky.
If the world was filled with beings like that, he could die without even realizing it. He could get caught in a battle between supernatural beings, swept away by powers beyond human comprehension, or worse—become their target.
'Interesting. This is truly fascinating.'
However, instead of feeling fear, Ren felt his heart racing.
That sensation... it was like when he used to do extreme sports.
Back then, he had jumped off a cliff into the sea just to feel the adrenaline. He had even dared to ride the craziest amusement park rides until his friends vomited while he just laughed.
He realized something.
He was obsessed with thrills!
When he learned that this world wasn't as simple as he thought, there was a bit of fear... but deep inside, there was something stronger: excitement.
If this world was indeed inhabited by supernatural beings, why should he hide?
He had Insight Gaze, an ability that could find extraordinary items. And now he held the Brahmāstra, a weapon that had been used to kill Heretic Gods.
Perhaps this was his golden opportunity.
If Heretic Gods truly existed... what if he used it to kill them?
Stealing Divine Authorities... becoming something more than an ordinary human... wouldn't that be far more exciting than living as an ordinary person who could die at any moment from supernatural battles?
Ren snapped out of his thoughts.
The stall owner looked at him with an impatient expression. "Are you buying or not? If not, move along! I don't have time for people who just stare at stuff."
Ren blinked, then smirked slightly. "How much?"
The stall owner glanced at the rusty arrow and shrugged. "Junk like that? Just take it for 5,000 yen."
Without hesitation, he pulled out the money and handed it over. After the transaction was complete, he slipped the Brahmāstra into his bag.
Today, he had truly hit the jackpot.
A divine arrow for just 5,000 yen.
As he walked home, he remembered a famous quote:
"The value of something depends on where it is."
Just like how a diamond is just a rock in the desert but priceless in a jewelry store... this arrow might be scrap metal to others, but in the right hands, it was a divine weapon.
And now... He just needed to prove that he was the right hands.
"Before heading home, let's buy some meat buns for Itsuki and a portable arrow quiver. Who knows when a Heretic God might appear? I need to be prepared."
Before going home, Ren stopped by a meat bun shop, then went to an archery store. After that, he returned home in high spirits.