[Welcome, host.]
....where am I?
I could see people around, could feel my body...but couldn't move around.
A moment ago I was about to reach my home and read the last volume of my favorite novel—The Destined One.
It is a novel about the reincarnation of the Light Hero, who has traveled through time to eradicate the final boss—which was the Demon Lord Argrouth.
It was my favorite novel because the author took a very realistic path in building the story.
Giving believable backstories that shape the character. Building characters through pain and suffering. A past of the main character, that defines why he has grown up to be so heroic, even though he pretends to be nonchalant.
A diverse range of characters, all different from the others. Several difficult-to-conquer antagonists. Sweet romance and a lot of drama. It was the perfect novel for an otaku like me...however, how did I end up here?
[A piano fell over the host's body and the host died at the spot.]
I finally noticed the hovering screen before my eyes...a system, huh? I won't say that I am not excited since if I really died and this system screen wasn't a part of my hopeful imagination, then I had freakin reincarnated into a different world.
'Why can't I move my body?' I asked the system, as I continued to look around.
There were a few people around me—presumably my parents and my brother. They looked quite a good-looking couple, with my mother holding evident concern in her eyes.
I couldn't hear their voice but considering their expressions and the fact they were surrounding me, it was apparent that they were worried.
[The host has been recently attacked and is recovering. Once the host regain the memories of the original user of the body, the host will recover quickly.]
'...that so? Well, what are you waiting for? Dump the memories.' I said excitedly. I just want to discover what kind of world it was and whether I can use some magic here or not.
It's quite thrilling.
[Command accepted!]
[Restoring memories in 3...2...1...]
"Agh!" A groan escaped my throat as a mind-numbing sensation crushed my head.
I gritted my teeth and tried to remain awake....but it was a futile attempt.
Soon, my consciousness slipped away.
°°°°°°°°°
[Third Person POV:]
'What the f*ck did they just do?!' Arthur's fists were clenched as he stared at his brother who just groaned right now.
Aston had gone out to bring the Priest since his condition was worsening. Virelle was trying to comfort her kid while rubbing his palm.
However, Arthur couldn't care about his brother at the moment. His mind was filled with hatred for those shitty deities who chose his brother, out of millions of people as their warrior.
[It is as you heard, Sir Clarsen. Your brother was chosen to bear the responsibility of this world. He has been provided with the information of what would happen and how his interference is required.]
Arthur gritted his teeth, 'Was Eric and the others not enough?'
[This time, all the deities have taken different routes to ensure that the Demon Lord gets eliminated once and for all. And the one who blessed your brother is the Queen of Night—Lunara.]
'That damn b*tch...' Arthur couldn't believe that just to make Arthur take care of their devotees, that damn Goddess chose someone so close to him.
'Why do they want me to babysit their devotees this much?' Arthur asked no one in general but Lily answered him,
[They very well know that if someone could actually take the Dark Lord down then it's you...they are just trying to put some helping hands in the mix.]
'Don't you dare interpret things differently. I very much know how highly those people rate me.'
[...]
The system screen turned silent after that.
"Arthur, please bring some warm water for your brother." Virelle, with a voice full of anxiety, asked her younger son.
Arthur nodded and moved toward the kitchen.
As he filled the pot, he asked the system, '...did my brother die?' His eyes were hollow, devoid of any feelings. But deep down, his heart bled at that thought.
After all, for a foreign soul to take over a body, the previous owner needs to be removed.
However,
[No, host. Their souls have been fused. Your brother would remain the same, just with the addition of the memories of someone who has spent his life in a different world.]
Although the system assured him, deep down, Arthur knew that unless Kevin's soul had been weakened to the point of utter vulnerability, the Goddess of Night wouldn't have been able to force her devotee on him.
'In a way, I am responsible for his situation.' Arthur lifted the warm-up pot and walked back to the room.
"Thank you, sweetie." Virelle took the fabric and dipped it in the warm water before twisting the cloth and then draping it over Kevin's head.
Soon the Priest also arrived and instantly began to check on Kevin.
Arthur didn't appear anywhere as worried as his parents since he now knew that nothing would happen to Kevin. After all, Lunara wouldn't have blessed him if something was really going to happen to him.
The Priest ran his fingers on Kevin's head, a frown creasing his brows.
The lady and the man grew nervous as they waited patiently for Bowman to finish assessing his situation.
After a few minutes, the man turned towards the duo, his expression severe before he informed them, "Your son...has gone through an awakening."
"Eh?"
"Huh?"
They, apparently, couldn't believe his words.
Regardless, Bowman continued, "I can sense mana from him, which is strange since he has already passed the age of awakening. However, late awakening isn't a term we all are not unaware of."
Aston was fairly shocked when he asked, "Then...his situation...?"
Bowman shook his head, "You don't need to worry about it. The mana nerves are trying to connect through his body which is causing him such pain. However, by tomorrow, I believe, he will be fine."
Virelle felt a little better upon hearing that; however, unless she didn't see Kevin waking up, she couldn't be rest assured.
Soon the Priest returned to the church.
Aston exhaled a long sigh, as he called out, "Art, you got a competition now. Your brother has awakened too."
Arthur wryly smiled...competition? More like a headache.
********
A/N:- One of the reasons why I chose Kevin as the reincarnated being was to keep him closely connected to the story. Thank you very much for reading my story.