Chapter 1: Reincarnation (2)

~1.2~

*****

I am Elysia. For eons, I have lived, died, and reincarnated. And endless circle of transmigration. I have transmigrated so many times that it’s hardly worth counting anymore.

But I did count. What number was Shiori Sakaguchi?

1567.

Suzuka...

I feel as though I lost part of myself that day.

I have gained and lost much over my many lifetimes. I have had many names and lived many very different lives. I have been born into many cultures and seen so much diversity across so many worlds. Mortals are truly a spectacle to behold. But, their short fleeting lives are nothing but suffering.

A mortal is born, they live several decades usually, then they die. They leave everything behind. Their families, loved ones, and even their memories.

Immortals carry it all. Usually, we enter a new life with no memories or even an idea of who or what we are. We spend a life as a mortal, die, then return to the nexus with that identity permanently etched into our souls. We leave behind families and loved ones, but not our memories. The pain of losing loved ones time and time again is... nothing short of torture.

Every once in a long while, I run across a familiar soul, though since I usually don’t carry my memories... I don’t recognize them until after I die and leave them again.

I have lived many lives, but a few stand out to me as especially difficult. My life as Shiori Sakaguchi was difficult. No parent should ever have to see their child die... yet I killed my daughter. I did so to prevent her from walking further down a dark path, and used Reorigination to do so, but that doesn’t make it any better.

In my life as Catherine Lancet, I had to watch as all my friends died on the battlefield. What number was that?

6,175,342.

We were overwhelmed, but I had the mana of an immortal. I obliterated the enemy... and myself. Eve reprimanded me for suicide again afterward.

In my life as Elise Arbelle, my siblings and best friends were taken from me and turned.

Life 20,000,000.

That life was a different kind of difficult. I was made to watch everyone be turned into monsters. I don’t want to even think about what happened next.

So many lives, so many people I grew close to and had to say goodbye to.

I just died again. What number was that?

...24,985,615.

Since my life as Shiori Sakaguchi, I met Sayaka again a few times. Every few thousand lives, I find her again. Sometimes I don’t know until after I die and recover my memories... and recognize her mana from my memories. We’ve fallen in love over again a few times, but the ones where we don’t hurt a lot after-the-fact. Her true name is Maya. I have not yet seen Suzuka again.

My daughter.

I rarely have children. I’m not romantically interested in men as much as I am in women. I’d say it’s about a 90-10 split in favor of women. So, I rarely have the occasion to have a child. Even if I don’t carry my memories, I always love my children, and I miss every one of them when I’m in between and have my memories.

I ask after every death that I get to see Sayaka, Suzuka, or any other loved one in the future and that my chance to make things right with Suzuka will come. Here I am again, standing before the goddess.

Eve the Primordial.

On a white stone throne sat a familiar silver-dressed, rainbow-haired, rainbow-eyed woman leaning to one side with her head propped up with one hand.

“Hello, Elysia.”

“Greetings, Lady Eve,” she said with a warm smile. “I have died again.”

“Indeed, you have. Once again, you stand before me and again I offer the same. Will you stay?”

Elysia shook her head. “No. I must continue. Will I meet Maya again in my next reincarnation?”

The goddess smiled and only said, “If she chooses the same option, then yes.”

“What about Suzuka?”

Eve didn’t answer.

The white-haired Elysia sat down cross-legged and gazed up at the endless expanse of stars. As she considered her choices, she wondered aloud, “What are the choices?”

The rainbow woman held up her index finger and a small white orb formed above it. “There are many choices. However, I would ask that you choose this one.” She pointed her finger at the white-blonde and the orb flew over to her. The orb showed a palace where five children had just been born. The orb flashed to another scene with three women in a throne room, one of them sitting upon it, and a young man with a baby standing before them. It flashed to another scene depicting a teenage blonde girl in a classroom before disappearing.

“So, it’s a mission?”

“Yes. There is an entry point the same year those children are born. You would be born to a king and eventually meet up with them.”

“I see. I assume they are important?” The rainbow haired woman did not respond. “Okay. What’s the catch?” That question earned her a smirk.

“The usual hardships apply. There will also be a restrictive noble upbringing for you and those children where you cannot interact with the public much until you’re legally an adult and have debuted.”

“Ah. One of those. Well, I’ve been through plenty of those.”

“Indeed.”

“What’s the mission?”

Eve’s expression changed. The look in her eyes became much heavier. “You must eliminate one entity.”

“Do I get any information about this entity?”

“No.”

“What do I start with? Is this a fresh start, or-”

“Everything you have attained thus far. Knowledge. Power. Everything.”

“Everything? What of my first life?”

Eve shook her head. “That’s the exception. And of course, while your soul will no restrictions, your body will still require training to properly utilize it, as is the usual.”

“What of the world?”

“This particular world is comprised of ten universes, or realms. Inter-realm travel will be possible, but limited. Four of the realms are hard linked because of past events and a fifth has recently been connected. Travel between them is simple. The remaining five require some other means, among which reincarnation is an option. You will be reincarnated into one of the first four.”

“For you to request that I take this mission and do not restrict me... this entity must be quite the problem... How involved is the system? Is the spell archive accessible? The skill archive? Passives, stats, levels, experience, inventory, status, ect? Mana and aether?”

“Spells, skills, and passives are active in all ten realms. The rest are only active in realms 6-9. Mana and aether are not restricted anywhere. Side note, the people will refer to aether as Divine Mana.”

“That is not entirely incorrect, but it’s an oversimplification at best.”

“Indeed.”

Elysia crossed her arms. “Mmm.”

“Any other questions?”

“Many, but will I get answers to them?”

“No.”

“You said I may meet Maya if she chooses the same thing. That means you’re giving her this mission, too?”

“If she accepts it.”

“At least tell me how important this mission is.”

Eve shook her head. “You’ve asked many times to have the memories of your first life restored. Complete this mission and you will get what you want.”

“That important, huh?” The white-white blonde smirked. “Okay. Send it.” She closed her eyes and readied herself. She felt a familiar sensation and her consciousness drifted until it went into a slumber.

*****

Mana is the building block of virtually everything supernatural. It is core to everything both inside and outside of the natural order. With it, one can cast magic and enhance their body. It is very versatile and has near limitless applications in the right hands.

Aether is the core of life. It can do everything that mana can, and much it cannot. To call it Divine Mana is not exactly wrong, but it is a severe understatement. Aether is far more difficult to control than mana, and for that reason it is very rare to find a mortal that can properly utilize it. I consider it a miracle to come across a single person in any given life that can wield it.

But I can wield it as though it were second nature. My peers and I have our many lifetimes of mortal experience to draw from, and that gives us quite the advantage. Our souls possess enormous quantities of mana and aether, and mine is especially dense. In worlds where the system is in full swing, I tend to start with absurdly high stats. Even in worlds without stats, I’m at a huge advantage. I’m usually the strongest or close to it by the end of any given life.

Heh. Maybe this world will give me a challenge. This mission is important enough for Eve to offer the memories of my first life, so surely there’s at least a few rivals to be had.

*****

In a very regal looking bedroom, a woman was giving birth surrounded by three others. Two were women delivering the baby and the other was a man next to the woman getting his hand crushed by a labor fueled grip. Moments later, Elysia’s reincarnation was complete and she, now a baby, was handed to her new mother. She didn’t cry.

As with many reincarnations before, here I am... full awareness from birth. This is gonna be a rough year.

“Lord Zen, Lady Layla, have you selected a name?”

My parents?

“Zen?” Layla asked.

Kye’s eyes darted between them.

“I only asked if we have a son that he receives my name,” Zen responded. “We agreed that you would choose for a girl.”

“What do you think of Kye?”

“Kye Akari, then?”

My name is Kye?

Layla smiled at him.

Zen turned to the woman asking for the baby’s name. “There you have it.”

“So does that mean I get to pick the next girl’s name, too?” Layla interrupted with a smirk.

“How do you know we’ll have another girl next?”

“Because you want a boy.”

I like my new mother.

“...ah, well...”

Kye giggled as well as a baby could.

“Huh?” Layla looked at Kye, then at Zen.

“Did she just laugh at...?” He shook his head. “No.”

Layla shrugged. “Anyway. Now that this part is done...” As the woman wrote the name down, Layla held a hand over baby Kye for a moment. A light glow spread from her hand to the baby. A cloth formed out of nothing and bundled the child. Layla then did the same for herself and was magically changed into a dress. “It’s so nice feeling normal again.” She looked down at Kye with a smile. “But it was worth it.”

My new mother has some useful abilities.

Since Layla was standing up now, Kye got a look at the name the maid wrote down.

I see. So my name is in Japanese. I wonder what it’s called here. 灯海, so Akari Kai, but they’re romanizing Kai as K-Y-E. Huh. Weird.

Zen held out his hand and gestured at it with his other.

“Oh... right.” Layla gave him an apologetic smile before healing his hand. “Shall we go greet our guests? They’ve been waiting quite a while.”

Zen nodded. “Let’s go.”

As so, Princess Kye Akari was born.

*****

Revision: 7-13-2023