Reincarnated Hero System

Unnamed Restaurant

Culinary Heights

Kasteblum

November 4th

Year 1054

Leaning back on the reclining chair in this private room with his eyes closed, was a teenage black-haired boy who was awaiting the order he had placed a few minutes earlier.

His girlfriend happened to like one of the items on this restaurant’s End-of-Year menu, so he decided to get it for her before returning to his house, which was in another country.

A radio on the small side stool beside him was just about to begin its 3 pm news broadcast when the boy suddenly sensed a presence on the other chair beside him.

This prompted him to open his eyes and turn his gaze, setting eyes upon a ‘woman’ with very long black hair that cascaded down ‘her’ shoulders and to the ground, and a pair of multicoloured iridescent eyes that drew his attention more so than ‘her’ goddess-like beauty.

His lips parted and he spoke the name of this ‘woman’.

“Aidos.”

[Hello, Evan.]

The incarnation of the Prime World Consciousness replied to him with a light smile and a wave.

[It looks like you’re thinking about that misguided little girl.]

‘Aidos’ reached forward and picked up the radio on the table and turned it over, analysing it with ‘her’ eyes whose colours seemed to change when viewed from different angles.

“I just remembered the conversation we had last year.”

[A conflict of beliefs…]

“If you can call it that.”

Evan replied to ‘Aidos’ with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders, stretching his arms as he continued speaking.

“Then again, I can’t blame her thoughts and beliefs. She allegedly has the confirmation of multiple gods, after all.

Besides, I still do entertain the possibility that the whole Forbidden Cosmic Source thing could be true.”

Hearing this, ‘Aidos’ shifted ‘her’ attention from the radio to Evan and narrowed ‘her’ eyes.

[I recall telling you that the FCS does not exist.]

“Yes, you have.”

[Then-]

“However, I don’t recall telling you that I believed you.”

[…]

‘Aidos’ was stunned to silence by Evan’s reply. The boy had consulted ‘her’ regarding the FCS, which was a given, since ‘she’ had heard the whole conversation with Agnes due to ‘her’ nigh-omniscience within ‘her’ gravitational field.

‘She’ had thought that matter had ended there and then, but ‘she’ was just now discovering Evan did not believe ‘her’.

The Hero wasn’t bothering to hide the distrust he harboured, not just for ‘her’, but Artemisia and even EOTD.

[A pity. It seems I was mistaken when I thought we had built up some trust.]

“Come on, Aidos. Have you not seen my track record with Artemisia? Do you really think I’d 100% trust any one of you guys?”

When he phrased it like that—

[No, I don’t think you would.]

— ‘Aidos’ couldn’t help but agree with him.

Evan smiled at ‘her’ upon hearing ‘her’ reply, facing the window before him as he continued.

“Besides, the whole situation stinks. It’s very fishy.”

[How so?]

“Gozon has been in the World conquering business for a long while. But, in this world…I personally feel they put in ‘too much’ effort.”

Raising his hand, he generated images from Arlan Maddox’s memories, about the various Demon Army Divisions that came to Aidos 1000 years ago.

“They sent in an Elite Unit; the Seven Deadly Sins, as well as their Sin Legions. Those Seven were Sovereign Level High Demons capable of besting Transcendents in combat despite the large power gulf that exists between the Sovereign and Transcendent Levels.

Demon General McEnda IV, the Demon King’s right-hand man was present.

Even the Demon King himself repeatedly tried to enter Aidos. That sounds like a bit too much effort, even if Aidos is a Prime World.

I refuse to believe the Demon King is always present for every Prime World invasion. The fact that he did so for Aidos only makes this situation suspicious.

This makes Agnes’ whole talk about the FCS’s existence seem very credible.”

Listening to Evan’s reasoning, ‘Aidos’ couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh as ‘she’ understood why the boy still considered the possibility of there being an FCS even if ‘she’ had told him otherwise.

[Oh, well. You’d soon understand that it does not exist.]

“Why are you so sure of that?”

[…]

‘Aidos’ went silent for a bit, placing a hand on ‘her’ chin as ‘she’ pondered something.

[I shouldn’t tell you this, and I’m willing to bet I wouldn’t be able to say much before causality decides to shut me up so I don’t mess with the paradox.]

“What are you talking about?”

‘She’ could almost see the question marks floating around Evan’s confused face and this made ‘her’ smile before speaking.

[Did you know, that we have a deal?]

“…?”

[Just like you have a deal—a contract—with Artemisia to save this world, you also have a deal with me.]

Evan narrowed his eyes when he heard ‘Aidos’ say this.

“I don’t recall making any deals with you.”

[Of course, you don’t recall it. You haven’t done it yet.]

“….haaaaaa??”

‘Aidos’ laughed at Evan’s confused expression, but a part of ‘her’ also felt that ‘she’ may have said too much already.

Confirming those thoughts of ‘hers’ in the next second, the space beside ‘her’ shattered and a golden chain burst out from the void beyond it and wrapped around ‘her’ hand.

‘She’ glanced at the chain, and then at Evan and ‘she’ didn’t need to say anything more. Evan already understood that the World Law of Causality was warning ‘her’ to stop talking.

Whatever ‘she’ was about to say, involved huge amounts of power. To be precise, it was something that involved Evan gaining that power.

‘I have a deal with Aidos, but I haven’t made it yet? – That sounds crazy.

Am I making a deal with Aidos in the future or something?’

Merely a second later, he countered that thought of his with another.

‘No…it does not add up.

Aidos said we already have the deal. How can we already have the deal if I haven’t made it yet?’

[The sight of you looking so confused is very amusing.]

‘Aidos’ seemed to relish this sight and it only made Evan frown lightly.

However, before he said a word, ‘her’ smile vanished completely and ‘her’ voice turned serious.

[Anyway, Evan. I did not come here to talk about things you’d soon discover on your own. I came for something else.]

Hearing this, Evan snapped into serious mode, his mind pulling up memories of the agreement he had made with the Planet’s Consciousness.

One he remembered every bit of.

“Has it finally happened?”

[Yes, it has finally happened.]

‘Aidos’ paused for a moment, before continuing, delivering the good news Evan had been waiting months for.

[The Strongest of the Fallen Celestial Deities, Sun Celestial Conroe, has finally succumbed to the ‘Absolute Death’ curse cast on him by the Infernal ‘Devil King’ 1500 years ago.

He died exactly 35 minutes ago.]

“Good.”

Evan sat up, lips curling up into a smile as he spoke.

“The Sun Celestial was the only one I’m not confident in defeating in direct combat. If he’s dead, then there’s no other Celestial who can defeat the current me.

Even Verglas Celestial Glazard would fall; I’m a bad elemental match-up for him.”

Despite Evan’s pragmatic evaluations of their respective strengths, ‘Aidos’ wore an expression that conveyed a sense of unease, as if ‘she’ sensed something was off.

[Be careful, Evan.

I did not come to you immediately because I found the Heavenly Celestial’s reaction to his son’s death to be strange. He’s speeding up his plans instead.]

“I’m almost done with my preparations. After Laurene’s birthday, I’d head straight to Tarse.

It’s high time the Fallen Celestial Deities fell into the afterlife as well.”

Hearing him speak of their deaths as if it was set in stone, ‘Aidos’ spoke up to remind him of another part of their agreement.

[Don’t kill all of them, Evan. I told you about the ones you should leave alive. If you kill them all—]

“It’d weaken the Seal on Jabberwocky. I know.

It’s the reason why I didn’t behead that one playing maid with Arnold the moment I saw her.”

Evan casually spoke of the Fallen Celestial affiliated with Arnold Eris, and at the same time, the woman who was all the way over in the GWE felt a chill run down her spine.

“Ginaroad Sargon is already a big enough threat to this World. Why the fuck would I wanna add someone even fiercer?”

His mind pulled up memories of his little adventure with Heather last year, in the Hall of Statues with ancient powerful otherworlders.

He remembered the sight of the Statue with no face, and the tagline that read ‘Jabberwocky: He, the myriad transformer.’

‘It better NOT be the same one.’

Suddenly, there was a knock on the room’s door and Evan turned his gaze to it, sensing that the waiter had brought his takeout.

“Time for me to go, see you around, Aidos.”

[Don’t forget my warning, Evan. Be careful. There’s something fishy about the way those Celestials are acting despite Conroe’s death.

Especially Illusion Celestial Belphont.]

Evan nodded in affirmation, getting up to his feet as he spoke.

“I’d definitely be careful. Don’t forget that I’m involving Laurene, David and the Desert Emperor already, despite my original intentions to keep them out until it was time to deal with the Demonic Hand.

I’m also throwing in Cheisnih and some ‘Warlords’ of the Tarse into the mix, as well.”

He turned to ‘her’ and continued, giving his thoughts on the Illusion Celestial ‘she’ mentioned.

“Belphont is a tricky one, but if you take out his illusions, he’s not much different from the average mage. I’d send Laurene.

His Illusions would not work on her, and she’s capable of beating him now that she’s an Epic.”

Evan wasn’t going to take any chances with the Fallen Celestial Deities at all. Only his true wildcards would remain out of this plan.

He waved at ‘Aidos’ and held out his hand towards the door handle, with the Incarnation of the Planet’s Consciousness having already disappeared by the time he opened the door.

[IMPORTANT AUTHOR NOTE]