2 Reality

Reality shattered before my very eyes, leaving behind the remnants of a once ordinary life. I, a mere university student, now found myself grappling with knowledge of multiple timelines, the machinations of Gods, and the existence of Special Ones.

It may sound like the premise of your average isekai novel, where the protagonist is suddenly bombarded with overwhelming information. And while that assumption is not entirely off the mark, allow me to elaborate.

It appeared that all the anime, manga, and novels we had cherished for so long were nothing more than an elaborate ploy by the Gods to attract Special Ones to specific worlds.

Once a soul found itself in the void, it would normally gradually lose all recollection of its past, only to reincarnate as a blank slate, ready to embark on a new journey from scratch.

Yet, the attachment Special Ones develop towards a particular work, even beyond death, allows them to persist in the void instead of fading away into oblivion.

You see, Gods thrive on faith. Both ordinary individuals and these Special Ones can provide them with this precious resource, but the latter can give out an amount of faith which is countless times higher than the former.

With their extraordinary ability to generate faith, Special Ones become a valuable asset for the Gods. It requires no effort on the Gods' part—just a redirection of their souls into the desired world.

It is through this process that the Goddess, portrayed as a character in the novel, welcomes these Special Ones into versions of the World of Oshi no Ko, granting them the freedom to pursue their desires.

The existence of parallel universes further complicates matters, as Gods can choose to reincarnate Special Ones in different versions or even create new ones.

But why did the Goddess take the time to explain all this to me instead of directly reincarnating me into Oshi no Ko, you might wonder. The answer is quite simple. Her world is plagued by a malignant presence—a tumor that must be eradicated. That tumor is none other than "Hikaru Kamiki."

Hikaru Kamiki is the cause of countless deaths and the downfall of many successful individuals in her world. This would not be such a significant issue if Hikaru existed in just one or two timelines, but the grim reality is that his malevolence spans across all parallel universes.

Even in alternate realities where he and Ai never cross paths, his personality remains unchanged—a psychopathic killer hell-bent on inflicting pain upon successful people in the Entertainment business.

As the Goddess of Entertainment, it was imperative for her to intervene and put an end to Hikaru's murderous spree, for it was these very individuals who provided her with the greatest influx of faith.

With the assistance of the Goddess, I would be reincarnated into this world, armed with a singular purpose: to eliminate Hikaru Kamiki. The intricacies of how this act would alter the timeline remained a mystery, but that was inconsequential to me.

Whether or not it would change anything, my determination to end him burned brightly. The Goddess's request served merely as an additional motivation, fueling my resolve to ensure that he met his demise by my hands, regardless of the consequences.

[Are you convinced now?]

My heart skipped a beat as she suddenly appeared behind me, her words whispering in my ears.

"I think I am...still, you did not answer the most important question. There must be many capable people who are far better than me at this, so why me specifically? Is there some hidden talent I possess that I'm unaware of? Also, why not simply kill him or grant someone magic to do the job?"

Her laughter rippled through the air, amused by my queries.

[The reason is simple.] she said, drawing closer to me once more. I held my ground, waiting for her explanation.

[You have the potential and will to kill him. I won't ask you to do it more than once, as I will handle it in the other timelines. As for why I can't just kill him myself or give someone magic, it's because there is no magic in that world. Anyone too strong would be restricted, and he cannot be simply murdered. He must be destroyed both socially and physically. His soul needs to be completely annihilated each time. But you don't need to know all the details.]

I sighed, trying to process the weight of her words. It felt overwhelming, and I could sense that some crucial memories were slipping away...

Wait, what?

"Why don't I remember my parents...?" I mumbled to myself, realizing that this absence in my memories had been nagging at me for a while now.

The Goddess who convinced me to reincarnate into the Oshi no Ko World might be the main suspect behind this memory loss.

I couldn't help but grow more serious, my gaze intensifying. Could this all be a trap? Was I being manipulated without even realizing it? The uncertainty gnawed at my mind...

[Ah, that? It's quite simple, really. This space here is meant for souls to undergo a gradual forgetting process like a blank canvas getting prepared for a new painting, or in this case, a new life through reincarnation. I have already explained that. Since you're a mortal soul, you're going through that very process. Of course, certain key memories related to Oshi no Ko and our little arrangement won't be erased, as they'll shape your journey in the next life as well. But anything unrelated, well, it's just excess baggage and will fade away in due time. Poof! Gone like a wisp of smoke.]

Her childlike grin while explaining such eerie concepts nearly made me step back, but I managed to hold my ground, trying to process everything without revealing too much on my face.

Maybe... it was for the best, I pondered. If I retained all the memories, I'd be haunted by the heartache of leaving behind everyone who ever cared for me. I could focus on the present and make the most of it.

Still, there was something important I forgot, and it was related to the reason behind my will to kill Hikaru, but since it seems I won't remember it anyways, I just sighed.

"I see..."

Despite her casual explanation, I still had unanswered questions, but they all ended up being brushed aside with her infuriatingly cryptic [It's a secret]. It was as if she reveled in the mystery of it all, dancing circles around my attempts to understand.

Why keep the details of my future reincarnation a secret while freely discussing the complex theory of the multiverse with a random mortal? The workings of a Goddess' mind remained an enigma, a puzzle I couldn't seem to solve.

She must be quite the weirdo.

[You're thinking something pretty rude at the moment...]

Oh, right. My expression must have been far from flattering...

"I guess I must be making quite the face, you know it's hard for a mortal to simply nod and reply with an Ah okay, I understand. Do you expect me to just do that?" I replied with a hint of irony in my voice.

[Well, you will just have to accept it as you reincarnate...]

She let her words sink in for a second before she added [Farewell, for now, Ren Amamiya. I've certainly enjoyed our little chat. I'll drop by to see how you're faring in a few years. Best of luck to you. Just remember, you'll be born in the same year as Ai Hoshino, and that's the only help you'll get from me. If you fail to fulfill your mission, well, let's just say I won't hesitate to remove you from the world. So study, plan, and make sure you carry out your task properly, okay?]

Her final smile graced me with its presence, while I could only manage a nod in response. Our encounter had been brief, but I fervently hoped it would remain that way. She exuded an unsettling aura that sent shivers down my spine.

Everything soon began to fade, and a sense of drowsiness washed over me, my eyelids growing heavier by the second.

As I succumbed to unconsciousness, my mind blanked once again, and the world around me faded into the void. My thoughts drifted away, leaving me in the embrace of slumber...

---

Author's Note:

As of chapter 125 of the original manga, many things have not been explained, so I will fill them with my own version to continue this story, such as who the crow girl is, for example. Any new information revealed will or will not be used depending on if I can change the plot accordingly.