As the ROB finished speaking, Ren fell silent.
Two paths lay before him.
Reincarnate on Earth… with my memories.
He could already see it. Passing exams effortlessly. Learning faster. Grabbing opportunities others couldn't. A future built on advantage.
But then another thought surfaced.
What about them?
His mother. His sister.
What good was a future if he left them with nothing?
A reckless idea formed.
A gamble.
The space around them warped. Shapes flickered—an astronaut in red, a horned black goat, then a towering figure crackling with lightning.
Ren swallowed and bowed.
"Wait," he said quickly. "Before I choose… may I make a wish?"
The ROB paused.
"…Interesting."
Ren clenched his fists. "I don't want power. I don't want authority. I want my family—my descendants—to live in prosperity. As long as possible."
Silence.
Then laughter echoed through the void.
"Such a small wish," the ROB said, amused. "Why not ask for godhood?"
Ren smiled faintly. "Because they're family."
For the first time, the ROB didn't shift.
"…Granted."
The weight in Ren's chest eased.
"Now," the ROB said, "choose."
Ren straightened.
"With their future secured… I want to walk my own path. I choose the random world."
"Very well."
A massive roulette wheel rose from the void, its surface spinning with names from countless realities.
Greek Mythology.
Resident Evil.
Lord of the Mysteries.
Then—
"Boku no—"
Ren panicked.
No. No. No.
He squeezed his eyes shut. "Please. Praise the Fool. Praise the Fool."
Click.
The wheel stopped.
BOKU NO HERO ACADEMIA
Ren exhaled hard. "Thank—"
"Next," the ROB interrupted, "your power."
The wheel shifted again.
Ren prayed.
Click.
"…Balatro."
Ren blinked. "Balatro?"
The ROB transformed into a smiling trickster.
"Oh," it said. "That one is dangerous."
Before Ren could ask, the void reshaped itself.
Behind him, something appeared.
A halo.
Fifty-two spectral cards formed a floating arc behind his head, shimmering like stained glass. Jokers laughed softly. Tarot symbols pulsed with meaning. Planets orbited slowly.
"This is your Quirk," the ROB said.
Quirk: Gambler's Anomaly — The Infinite Deck
"You do not wield raw power," the ROB continued. "You gamble with potential."
Ren felt it—possibility humming behind him.
"At the start of battle, your Deck activates. You draw a hand. Attack. Defense. Speed. Healing. Luck decides what you get."
The cards shifted.
"When you fight, your cards form your weapon. A flush becomes a blade. A straight becomes a scythe. The hand determines your strength—but the suit has no element. Only force."
Ren imagined it.
Power built not on certainty—but risk.
"You have Discards," the ROB said. "Four. No more. Every mistake costs you."
The halo dimmed briefly.
"You are strongest while the deck remains full. When the last card is played…"
The halo vanished.
"…you fall."
Ren felt a chill.
"You are not untouchable," the ROB said calmly. "You are unstoppable—until you run out."
The cards reappeared.
"Each year, your deck grows. Tarot grants utility. Planets grant mastery. Spectral cards alter your soul. Code cards break rules."
A pause.
"And Jokers?" The ROB smiled.
"They must be earned."
The void cracked with light.
"Welcome to the game."