Rebuild World (リビルドワールド) is a light novel written by Nafuse and illustrated by Gin, and it is easily one of the series I get the most excited about whenever a new volume drops. The author manages to pack so many interesting developments into every release that it always feels like a treat to read.

There are currently 14 volumes, although they are technically divided into 9 “books”, with the ninth still ongoing. Like Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon, a single book is often split into two or three separate volumes to fit the massive amount of content.

The story follows Akira, a slum kid living in a harsh post-apocalyptic world where massive corporations own everything and live comfortably in their privileged towers, while everyone else struggles to survive in a polluted wasteland full of relics from the old civilization.

Akira wants out, so he decides to become a ruin hunter and try to scavenge enough valuable tech to escape the slums. However, his very first foray into a ruin nearly kills him. He is saved by Alpha, an advanced AI who appears as a hologram of a beautiful, half-dressed woman specifically designed to attract a certain type of person. 

She offers him a contract, needing a capable human to help her reach a certain “goal,” although she refuses to explain what that goal actually is aside from the fact that it's extremely dangerous and requires some exceptional hunter to achieve.

Akira accepts, and from there begins the cycle: training, diving into ruins, fighting monstrous autonomous robots, and gradually getting pulled deeper into the intricate politics and conspiracies of the world. Akira would be totally lost in these situations if not for Alpha’s guidance, which more than once involves her taking direct control of his body during dangerous encounters.

There are plenty of recurring characters, but the story always stays centered on Akira and Alpha, their growth, and their long journey toward Alpha’s mysterious objective. If there is one phrase that describes Akira perfectly, it’s 無理無茶無謀, unreasonable, reckless, and absurdly rash. Much to the amusement of city officials who keep giving him increasingly suicidal missions.

Spoilers below

Eventually we learn that Alpha’s “goal” has technically been reached before with previous hunters. The issue is that every single one of those hunters betrayed her at the final moment. Why? Given the unhinged nature of AI in this world, it probably would not end well for humanity if Alpha succeeded… but we still don’t have the full picture.

We also learn that Alpha is not unique. Other AIs are choosing human proxies as well, such as the case with Tatsuya, though those AIs take a more subtle approach and only guide him indirectly.

One of my favorite characters is Sheryl, a girl who originally belonged to a bandit group that Akira wiped out. He spared her, but she was terrified enough to devote herself to trying to please him. She starts from nothing, slowly gathers influence, builds networks, and eventually becomes the leader of an entire slum district, on equal footing with the local mafia heads. 

She often relies on Akira’s backing, but her growth is entirely her own. She is probably the character who changed the most over the series, which is even more impressive considering she doesn’t have an all-powerful AI helping her like Akira does.

I also enjoy Carol a lot. She’s a confident cyborg girl who believes she can charm any man alive. Akira, however, gives her nothing but indifference, which only makes her more determined to conquer him. Their comedic back-and-forth is great, especially whenever he shuts her down without even trying.

Now Akira has moved away from his original city and set up in a more frontline settlement, getting closer and closer to the level required to reach the ruins Alpha is targeting. New characters keep appearing and the world keeps expanding, so who knows what will happen in the next volume.

I’m definitely looking forward to picking it up the moment it releases, and I’m sure I will be talking about it again soon.