"Kai, Kai, wake up."
Kai slowly opened his eyes. Before him, a beautiful woman was calling his name.
"Who... who are you? Where am I?" Kai asked, confused but without pulling back.
"Don't you remember me? I'm Lyla," she said, leaning toward him with delicate grace.
"I don't remember who you are..."
Confused, Kai looked around. A beautiful garden filled with flowers surrounded them. Lyla noticed his state and immediately realized that the great hero Kai had lost his memories.
"I see. It seems you lost your memories when you died."
Kai's face changed completely at the mention of that last word.
"Died? No... I can't be dead," Kai stammered, fear creeping into his voice. "I was just walking down the street when"
"When a construction crane fell on you and you died instantly," Lyla interjected.
"A crane? I died... because of a crane?"
Lyla stepped closer and gently caressed his face.
"It sounds like a cruel way to go, but elsewhere in Japan, another boy had even worse luck," she remarked with a faint, mocking laugh. "He died of shock because he thought a truck was about to hit him after saving a girl, but it turned out to be just a tractor. Now that's a cruel death."
Kai seemed to momentarily forget his own death and calmed down for a bit after hearing Lyla's words.
"Then what is this place? Limbo?"
Lyla's fingers stopped at his chin, making him look into her eyes.
"First, let me explain something," she began. "Thousands of years ago, a great being known as the Primordial God created a beautiful world filled with magic where its inhabitants lived in peace. But one day, an Invader God arrived, seeking to claim the Primordial God's creation. They clashed in a massive battle."
Lyla walked toward a small fountain nearby, and Kai followed her quickly while listening to her story.
"The Primordial God ended up winning but was left very weak. So, with his last bit of strength, he created a great barrier around the world so no powerful entity could enter or leave. He also created ten other gods and goddesses to protect the world he'd built."
"And what's that got to do with me?" Kai asked while looking at the fountain.
"I'm getting to that, sweetheart," Lyla replied, her voice so soft it would melt anyone. "After several years of peace, people founded ten religions based on those ten gods, each with their own beliefs about the purpose and existence of the Great Barrier. But the gods realized that the more people worshiped them, the more power they got."
Kai, still unable to think of a reason why she'd be telling him all this, just kept listening.
"When the gods discovered this, they were blinded by power. Instead of telling the truth about the Great Barrier, they decided to lie to the people just to gain more power. They even manipulated the nineteen kingdoms into fighting holy wars to expand their religions in exchange for a tiny bit of power."
"So... they were taking advantage of people?"
"Exactly. And it was like that for a long time. Until one day, a boy became very famous among the people for his immense power. He was brave, intelligent, kind, he was perfect."
Lyla's words came out with nostalgia and a touch of admiration.
"That boy finally killed the Demon King, a being that rose from the world's monsters. The gods didn't kill the Demon King themselves just so he'd spread fear among the people and make them worship the gods even more. By killing him, he became the hero of the people. That made the gods angry, and they teamed up to finally kill him."
Stunned, Kai sat down on the grass, still thinking about why she was telling him this story.
"Poor guy. But I still wonder... what's that got to do with me? And from what you're saying, are there more worlds besides Earth?"
Lyla nodded and sat beside him, gently stroking his leg.
"That hero was you, Kai."
"I'm one of the ten goddesses—the only one who didn't attack you because... well, we were very close," Lyla said, her fingers stopping in their tracks. "When you died in this world, you reincarnated on Earth, in Japan. Because of the Great Barrier, I couldn't go see you, but I could watch over you all this time. And when you died from that crane... I was lucky enough that your soul was within my reach, and I could bring you back."
"What are you telling me? I don't believe you at all... this has to be some kind of joke," Kai responded, confused, as he tried to stand up.
Lyla stopped him by grabbing his head and putting it between her breasts. Kai's heart raced like never before in his nineteen years of life, he'd never been this close to a woman.
"Wha... what are you doing? Let go..." Kai murmured, though he didn't make any effort to pull away.
"I've watched you every day since you reincarnated on Earth. When you fell from a tree at age five trying to climb it, when a boy slipped on you at your graduation... I've seen everything." Lyla explained while stroking Kai's hair. "Do you believe me now?"
"I... I'm not entirely sure, but I'll trust you for now."
A soft but big smile appeared on Lyla's face.
"Perfect! Then you'll reincarnate again in this world, where you're really from. But I can't just let you go, the gods will detect your mana and your soul. During all the time I spent watching you, I got interested in the video games you always played. So, I've decided to use my power to create a similar system for you, so you can hide from the gods and even take your revenge if you want."
Kai's eyes lit up completely.
"A system?! You'd really do that for me?" Kai asked while tilting his head back to look at her face.
"Of course I would. But by doing it, I'll lose almost all my divine power, so you'll have to go with me during your journey."
"Well... alright. If you give me a system, we'll travel together." Kai paused for a moment before speaking again in a more serious tone. "And if it's true that those bastards killed me and are exploiting everyone, I'll get my revenge and finish off every last one of them."
Lyla laughed and carefully pulled away, standing up.
"That's the Kai I know."
A soft smile appeared on Kai's face as he stood up in front of her.
"Now, stay still, please." Lyla reached out toward Kai's chest and started reciting an incantation. "Done."
[ SYSTEM INSTALLATION COMPLETE ]