Bab 3: Reincarnation Paradise

"So, you're telling me I'm going to get a system that sends me to worlds from fictional works? Is that it? And you've also been through all of this?" Kazuya asked, feeling the arrogance in his voice. He didn't even bother to hide his disdain, frowning what would have been his brow if he still had a face.

The voice in his mind laughed. It wasn't a friendly laugh; it was an arrogant chuckle, as if trying to belittle Kazuya. "Yes, that's exactly it. You were chosen by the Reincarnation Paradise. And I am one of the... people, or at least I was one, who answers to this system. You can call me an administrator, but with not much authority. I just follow orders from above. I don't know who created the Reincarnation Paradise; it just... has always existed. A million years ago, I was in the same situation as you. Until a voice came to me, explaining everything."

Kazuya, impatient, interrupted. "And this voice? Do you still talk to it?"

The voice hesitated, a brief moment of silence that Kazuya interpreted as weakness. "No. The goal of the Reincarnation Paradise is to elevate someone to the level of divinity. So, perhaps you don't understand it now, but I am a God." The voice was filled with a pretentious superiority, almost as if expecting Kazuya to fall to his knees and start worshipping it.

But Kazuya remained unmoved. A cold, ironic smile formed in his mind. "God, huh? How original..." He thought aloud, his sarcasm evident. The stillness hung in the void like a specter, a silence that swallowed the voice's presumption.

"You're a tough one, huh..." the voice finally let out, forcing a laugh that sounded more like a bluff. "Well, I'm going to give you the system, and you'll be drawn for a world to which you will be sent." The voice sounded oddly nervous, as if trying to guess Kazuya's thoughts. "Oh, and there's another thing. All participants receive a special gift before being sent. I'll give you the same power I received. It's called Strongarm, a Quirk from a character in an anime that I got when I went to a superhero world. What was it called again...? Ah, it's been so many years."

Kazuya metaphorically rolled his eyes, impatient with the chatter. "My Hero Academia?" he muttered, not really caring.

The voice seemed surprised, even excited, as if it had found something in common. "Yeah, that's it! Wow, you knew it! Well, you're going to do well."

Kazuya, however, wasn't interested in camaraderie. "Wait a minute," he interrupted again, his tone full of disdain. "How do you know this is a fictional world? You've been here for thousands of years, right? So how the hell could you have been born in the same century as me?"

The voice gulped. A long silence stretched, loaded with uncertainty. When it finally spoke, there was an uncomfortable hesitation. "The Reincarnation Paradise selects candidates from different timelines, years, months, days. That's not important."

Kazuya snorted, a sound of mockery. "Not important? Sounds pretty convenient for a self-proclaimed God to know nothing about what they control." He smiled, the smile of someone who believes they've won an invisible battle. "Different timelines, you say? So, you're telling me this 'Reincarnation Paradise' transcends space and time? Sounds more like a cheap excuse from someone who doesn't understand the game they're playing."

The void around Kazuya seemed to compress, a slight tension indicating he had touched on something the voice hadn't expected. He relished it, his smile widening into an almost predatory gesture. "I want more than just a power. I want to know who controls this. Because if there's something or someone controlling it all... they are the next step for me to reach."

The voice seemed shaken, trying to keep composure, but Kazuya could sense the fear masked as indifference. "You are ambitious, I'll give you that. But be careful, because what you wish for might end up being your downfall."

Kazuya laughed, a laugh that echoed through the void. "Downfall? I am the downfall."