Arch 1: "Arrival at the new dawn."— Chapter 10: "The immeasurable void."

The veil of reality tore with an inaudible sigh, a cosmic fissure that devoured the tenuous present. In a blink, the space of infinite darkness stretched again, vast and unfathomable, a blackness that was not an absence of light, but a tangible and absolute presence. It was not the gentle darkness of night, sheltered by the lunar mantle or dotted with distant stars, but a primordial abyss, an ontic void where light and sound were alien concepts, stripped of all meaning, eradicated from universal memory. In this realm without coordinates, without up or down, without forward or back, he was unable to feel cold or heat, the caress of a breeze or the oppression of pressure; his limbs, if he still possessed them in some vestigial form, were irrelevant, specters of a past existence. Vision, which had once allowed him to navigate the physical world, to decipher the nuances of life, was useless here, where there were no shapes to distinguish, no shadows to cast, only an absolute monochrome that stretched to infinity, a fabric of nothingness that enveloped everything. The voice, the vibrant echo of his own existence, the sound that bore witness to his being, drowned before it could be formulated, a silent melody, stifled in an ocean of nothingness, dissolved in the immensity of non-being.



This infinite void, an existential abyss stretching beyond the limits of human comprehension, had become his personal purgatory, a blank canvas that viciously erased any glimmer of reasoning, logic, or memory. As on the two previous occasions when his non-physical being, his purest essence, had been ripped from his tangible existence and mercilessly cast into this place, the very coherence of his thoughts crumbled into the immensity, pulverized by the sensory overload of the emptiness. It was as if logic itself, the fundamental structure of consciousness, dissolved in this primordial ether, leaving only scattered fragments of memory and awareness desperately struggling to find an anchor, a point of reference in the vastness of dissolution.



And yet, at the very center of this sensory annihilation, of this total negation of existence, a single constant persisted, unyielding: what appeared to be his soul. It was the last spark of his individuality, a faint but resilient beacon in the maelstrom of nothingness. This intangible essence, freed from the shackles of body and mind, from the limitations of form and thought, was the only thing he could still perceive with overwhelming clarity. And what he perceived was not a hostile void devoid of everything, but an overwhelming duality, an intrinsic paradox that enveloped him. A sensation that was both comforting to the point of dissolution and overwhelming to the point of annihilation, like the promise of an eternal embrace that would merge his being with the cosmos, and at the same time the latent threat of being consumed, of being absorbed by an incomprehensible, primal, and inescapable force.



This sensation, this existential duality, emanated directly from the strange entity that was receiving him, once again, in this place. It had no discernible form, it lacked contours or volume, but its presence was undeniable, a reverberation in the ether. It was something intangible that filled the space with an energy that defied any earthly description, any attempt at human categorization. It was an ancient, immemorial intelligence, beyond time and space, whose mere existence bent reality to its will, altering the very fabric of causality. Was it a silent guardian, an impassive judge weighing souls, or simply an indifferent observer delighting in its own existence? He did not know, but the resonance of his being with this entity was profound, an unbreakable bond that drew him to its center, like a desperate castaway towards the shore that promises salvation or a doomed particle towards the event horizon of a black hole. Each time he awoke in this abyss, this entity was the first and only thing he recognized, an ethereal anchor in the immense drift of his consciousness, a whispering promise of something beyond human understanding, of an unsuspected purpose.



???: [—Ah... I see that, finally, your consciousness stirs. How naive of me to believe you could remain inactive in my domain, like a mere mortal in slumber. The formalities of your transition are already a thing of the past, aren't they, Sutsu? But now, the truly delightful thing is that I can engage in conversation with you whenever I please, without barriers, without interruptions. That most inopportune interference that dragged you back to the earthly world... ah, how drastically it shortened the time I had planned for our first talk, my prophet, my Tsumiya.]



In the void that now completely enveloped him, Tsumiya felt his consciousness rekindle, just as it had the day before, when strange circumstances had brought him to the village surrounding him. The sensation was identical to the last time: he perceived nothing of his body, had no tangible form, and the only thing that could interact with his surroundings was an entity similar to his mind, as if he were immersed in a dream so strange it would be impossible to retain its details upon waking. The voice he had heard at that moment was strange and familiar at once: it seemed to be his own, but processed from an alien point of view, as if he were listening to a conversation he himself was having, but from the perspective of a third party observing from a distance. From the moment the voice began to resonate, the sensation enveloping what could be called his "mind" was both comforting and overwhelming, as if a warm and powerful wave dragged him towards an unknown but safe place.



???: [—As I made you aware, I am not one to bestow gifts and kindness blindly. My nature demands a price, your way of loving the one who is now speaking to you, and I have come to make clear the terms of your salvation. Did you truly think your miserable life, Sutsu, would be an unconditional gift?]



???: [———?]



???: [—Ah, my oversight. I forgot your mind is barely germinating. Very well, for this one special occasion, I grant you access to greatness. Enjoy the privilege of contemplating the magnificent being who snatched you from the jaws of the void. You are in my domain, Sutsu, the heart of my vast influence, a place I have forged for opportunity, where everything is susceptible to acquisition... and now, you are part of it.]



The precise moment the false Tsumiya uttered those last words, the true Tsumiya's consciousness ignited with sudden intensity, exploding into the void that enveloped him. That protective veil of non-existence still embraced him, yes, but the heaviness of the invisible chains that had held him captive shattered. A wave of freedom, an unheard-of lightness, completely flooded him. The helplessness of moments before, where his inner voice was barely a distant echo and his attempts to interact with the environment were fruitless, had completely vanished. Now, the prison of his passivity had dissolved, granting him not only the ability to perceive with new clarity, but to feel the possibility of acting, of building a bridge to his own being with an incipient agency.



("Where am I?")



The instant Tsumiya opened his eyes, the familiarity of the old cabin he had been cleaning just moments before had dissolved into nothingness. The scene that now unfolded before his gaze was nothing more than an incomprehensible void, an infinite expanse where physical laws vanished and the sensation of his own body became ethereal, almost like an echo. It was a strange lucidity, like that of a dream where one is fully aware of dreaming, or even more disturbing, the lucidity of being awake within unconsciousness. A place where non-existence felt as real as breathing.



At an imprecise distance in the vastness of that nothingness, a solitary light challenged the darkness. It was an orb, as large as a fishbowl, pulsing with an ethereal glow. Its appearance was deceptively simple, but of a hypnotic beauty that filled everything. A soft emerald green was the basis of its existence, radiating a luminescence that not only illuminated the incomprehensible void, but seemed to infuse it with life. Tsumiya found himself captivated, his eyes fixed, feeling an irresistible and profound attraction. An atavistic need, beyond reason, pulled at him, urging him to get as close as possible to that bright and mysterious orb of light. It was a silent promise of fulfillment, a longing that resonated deep within his being, a greed for proximity to that source of light.



The orb pulsed with a hypnotic cadence, the emerald green of its essence seemed to speak directly to Tsumiya's soul. But before he could take a single step, before that uncontrollable attraction drew him closer to its glow, a voice resonated. It did not come from the orb itself, but from everywhere and nowhere, permeating the vast void with nuances of ancestral authority and an irritating, almost delicious, self-satisfaction.



???: [—Not so fast, Sutsu. My perfect beauty is capable of overwhelming you, of dissolving you into an even deeper unconsciousness, even in your ethereal state. I assure you. Your human mind, no matter how hard it tries, is not yet prepared for the totality of my glory. You are here, not merely to marvel, but for a session of utmost importance regarding your destiny. And, frankly, I have more pressing matters than your enchantment, however understandable it may be. My goal, and by extension yours, is to shape those latent ambitions that define you.]



A pause stretched, the orb seemed to vibrate with a kind of immeasurable satisfaction, as if absorbing and reflecting the very air of non-existence. The voice, no longer Tsumiya's, was soft and seemed almost calm, as if not under the effects of the immeasurable void, spoke again, now with a tone of irony and knowledge that transcended time.



???: [—Normally, Sutsu, it would take considerable time. Weeks, months, even years to mold a person, for them to flourish under my influence and synchronize with my purpose. Patience, I daresay, is not one of my most outstanding virtues, despite what some might believe. But in your case... ah, Sutsu, with you it's different. It's simply inevitable. There's no need for a long process, for subtle whispers or trials by fire. Your nature is, in essence, an echo of mine. You have always been greedy, haven't you? Always wanting more. Beyond what your limited senses allowed you to perceive in your previous world. Long before this fortuitous encounter, greed has been the undercurrent that moves your being, the hidden engine of your every desire, even those you strove to disguise as virtues. Yes, Sutsu. Always greedy.]



Greedy... Me?" The thought arose in Tsumiya's mind, faint at first, like a bubble slowly rising from the depths of his unconsciousness, bursting on the surface of his perception. Him? Greedy? The word felt alien, uncomfortable, like an ill-fitting suit that constricted his essence. He had wanted money, yes, enough for his whims, to live a life free from the worries that bound him in his previous world, an existence liberated from scarcity. And a harem, of course; what worthy isekai protagonist didn't dream of one, with the company and admiration of beautiful women? And heroism... Heroism was different, wasn't it? That wasn't greed, was it? It was the noble desire to do good, to be recognized, to be the "perfect hero" he had always admired in his manga and video games, the immaculate champions. It was for others, for the benefit of humanity, not for him... Or at least, that's what he had always told himself, a self-imposed mantra to justify his desires.



A pang of discomfort, as physical as it was emotional, pierced him with the virulence of a poisoned arrow. That voice, that thing he was interacting with in the vastness of nothingness, sounded so sure, so... true, that it challenged his entire self-image. Was all his motivation to be a hero, to save others, nothing more than another form of greed? The greed for imperishable glory, for universal admiration, for the transcendent purpose he desperately longed for to fill the void of his previous existence. The idea was deeply disturbing, a revelation that clashed head-on with the idealized self-image he tried to build, with the hero he wanted to be. He was in a void, facing a talking orb that accused him of innate greed, of intrinsic selfishness, and suddenly, the real world, with its rude bandits and stinging wounds, seemed almost simpler, less complex. No, this couldn't be. He wasn't like that. He was... he was a good guy. A hero, potentially, in the making. Right?



No, definitely not. This was a test. One of those mystical things that happened in stories, where an ancient and powerful entity tried to confuse the protagonist, to test their resolve, their true intentions. Money and the harem were... were benefits, yes, secondary gratifications, but the core, the true engine, was heroism. He wanted to save people. He wanted to be the beacon of hope in a dark world, the unbreakable shield that protected the innocent. He wanted to show the world, and perhaps himself, that he was capable of something great, something that transcended his pathetic past existence. Greed was for villains with bulging bellies and evil smiles, for the corrupt and petty, not for him! He was bruised, yes, confused and a little scared by the immensity of everything, but his heart, despite everything, felt an impulse. An impulse to protect, to fight, not to let innocence be trampled by evil. That was the true Tsumiya. The one who, sooner or later, would rise to become the hero this new world needed, even if he didn't know it yet, even if he himself doubted. This was just the beginning of his journey, the first step towards a legend, and he wasn't going to start by accepting such a... dirty, such a degrading label.



In an act of defiance, or perhaps desperation to reaffirm his own identity against the barrage of accusations, Tsumiya raised his voice to the orb, his initial confusion giving way to a strange resolution, a newfound stubbornness.



Tsumiya: [—My name is Tsumiya Higeri. And yes... I can't help but want things for my own benefit. That's... undeniable. But I want to try to do things right. My way. I want to learn magic, of course, the explosions and incredible spells... who wouldn't want that? And... and I also want to have a harem, b-but that's not the point, okay? That's not the main point, I swear!]



Frustration, like an uncontrollable tide, swirled in his chest, further entangling the knot of his ambitions. He struggled, with almost touching pathos, to bring coherence to that whirlwind of grandiose and ridiculous desires, a tangle where the genuine dreamy wish for a better world merged indissolubly with the most mundane and selfish whims. It was a child's desperate attempt to organize a treasure too vast for his small hands.



Tsumiya: [—I... I want to wield a legendary sword that shines with ancient power, like in stories. One of those that only the hero can wield. I want to wear shining armor, or maybe a cool outfit, practical but screaming "protagonist." I want to be the guy who stands between innocent people and danger, the one who always has a solution, a joke to lighten the mood, even when all seems lost. I want a peaceful and heroic life in this world I'm just beginning to know. A life where people admire me and my enemies tremble, but at the end of the day, I can retreat to a happy home full of... of peace.]



His eyes, now fixed on the orb's emerald glow, not only saw; they burned. A feverish intensity, like that of one contemplating a long-awaited vision, lit them up. It was not just the light of hope, but the wild glow of a visceral, almost voracious longing, and a conviction as pure as that of a child who firmly believes in the existence of dragons, oblivious to all logic or impossibility.



Tsumiya: [—I want to be a hero! The luckiest protagonist, the one who always wins, the one who overcomes obstacles with a smile. I want a 'cheat' skill to be the strongest, yes... one that allows me to protect everyone effortlessly, without hesitation. For others. For the people I'm going to meet and who are going to need my help! And... and yes, also for me. For the version of me I always wanted to be, the one I never was in the other world. That incredible guy who always has everything and always does the right thing, the one who never has to worry about anything.]



His voice, which had begun as an uncertain and trembling whisper, gained strength, swelling until it resonated in the vast void with the overwhelming magnitude of his desires. It was a cacophony, yes, a disordered chorus of selfish and altruistic aspirations vying for the same space, all of them enveloped, almost camouflaged, in the bright and deceptive guise of idealized heroism that he himself had woven with threads of fantasy and longing.



After Tsumiya's forceful declaration, the orb responded with a silence that stretched for seconds that seemed like eternities. It was a thoughtful, enigmatic pause, as if the immaterial entity were weighing every word under the indecipherable mystery of its glow. The emerald light emanating from the orb, however, remained constant, a rhythmic pulse that filled the void, undisturbed by the growing tension. Tsumiya, holding his breath, awaited an answer. His eyes, though still reflecting a subtle gleam of longing, no longer held the fierce feverish intensity of his monologue. His gaze, once so inflamed by conviction, had now softened, imbued with a strange mixture of exhaustion and the silent satisfaction of having delivered the most important and liberating speech of his life.



The orb's emerald glow seemed to intensify, vibrating with a resonance that was not only luminous but of an ancestral understanding. The voice, now tinged with barely contained irony, spread through the void.



???: [—Ah, I see... So you are one of those. One of those predictable little mortals who yearn not only for victory, but for absolute supremacy. Isn't that right, Sutsu? You want to be the best. The luckiest, the most powerful. The center of the entire universe, with all the prizes within your reach.]



A pause hung, dense and heavy.



???: [—Every word you have spilled into this sacred void is, in its own way, the perfect articulation of your true essence. Every one of those dreams of yours, from magic and the harem to the legendary sword and heroic tranquility... these are the plans you have laid out for this new existence I have granted you. But let's be clear, Sutsu: I was never a charitable soul. My very essence is the antithesis of gratuitousness. Your life, your second chance, was not a gift; it was an investment, a mutual exchange born of the deep and visceral greed that consumes you. The terms were clear from the moment you extended your dying hand to me.]



The emerald orb's voice softened, but the harshness in its words remained, sharper than before.



???: [—However, Sutsu... I understand your fervor. I comprehend that burning conviction that drives you. You have desired with an intensity that few achieve. And for that, I offer you this opportunity. But let there be no misunderstanding: neither all your fervent conviction, nor the magnitude of your pathetic yearnings, will divert my attention from the terms of our contract. Your destiny is now inextricably linked to mine. And your greed, my dear Sutsu, will be my greatest harvest.]



"What the hell are you? Why do you call me 'Sutsu'? And what kind of contract is this?" Tsumiya's thoughts were a whirlwind, a storm of unanswered questions spinning in his mind like a hurricane. A talking emerald orb in the middle of nowhere... A benevolent deity? An ancient earth spirit? A particularly beautiful girl manifesting as an emerald orb to test the hero of the story, with a touch of mystery and charm? The last option sounded ridiculous, preposterous, but this was a world of magic, of unsuspected wonders, so anything was possible, even the most improbable. The thing had spoken of "salvation," of "investment," of him being "greedy." Was he making a deal with an otherworldly demon or something? No... that sounded too dark, too gloomy, and he was a hero in the making, after all, a champion of justice.



"Yes! That's definitely it!" Tsumiya's thought went to all the events that had happened with the immeasurable void; everything was starting to make sense, like pieces of a puzzle fitting perfectly. If it had saved him, if it spoke of giving him a way to fulfill his most fervent ambitions. Surely, this "contract" referred to the longed-for skill. The cheat ability that every isekai protagonist deserved, the power that would set him apart from the common folk. Something that would allow him to be strong, to stand out above others, to protect the innocent with a single movement. Yes, that made sense. This orb was some kind of "system" or "goddess" that granted powers to newcomers, in exchange for them fulfilling certain "objectives" that resonated with their own nature, with their destiny. He had been "greedy," he had "desired with intensity," and now the orb was going to reward him for it. It was going to give him the tool to obtain everything he had vehemently declared: dazzling magic, a legendary sword, an enviable harem, a heroic life full of adventures, to be the strongest of all.



"It will definitely be the best day of my life, you are quite smart, Tsumiya."



Tsumiya, his eyes shining with euphoria bordering on madness, stretched his arms with exaggerated dramatics towards the immensity of the void. His voice, now a triumphant cry that resonated with the force of newfound conviction, burst into the silence:



Tsumiya: [—This is my canonical event! Finally! I knew it! I always knew it would happen!]



Emotion, an uncontrollable torrent, overflowed every fiber of his being, electrifying the very essence of his consciousness, making it vibrate with unusual energy. It was as if the universe itself had aligned for the first time in his life, conspiring in his favor. After years and years of a monotonous, gray, and hopeless existence in his old world, he felt he had found a paradisiacal oasis in the heart of the desert, a refuge of hope. This strange and powerful entity, to whom he had dared to confess his innermost longings, his wildest dreams, had not only not judged him, but had promised him an opportunity, a path to greatness. A 'cheat' ability powerful enough to alter destiny itself, and all this on only his second day in this new and fascinating world.



A genuine smile, immense and perhaps a little unhinged, spread across his ethereal face, an expression of pure and immaculate bliss. He was definitely going to achieve it! He would become the greatest hero of the nation, perhaps even the continent, if he continued to advance in such giant strides within this fantasy system. The boring, lonely, and pathetic Tsumiya Higeri from Japan was dead, left behind like a blurry memory. Here, in this void where everything was possible, where dreams were woven with reality, Tsumiya Higeri, the legendary hero, the ultimate protagonist, was born. And greed, which once seemed to him an accusation, a cardinal sin, now felt like a compass, an infallible guide to his glorious destiny.



The emerald orb pulsed once more, this time with a deep resonance that seemed to slightly cool Tsumiya's overflowing euphoria, bringing him back to a more sober reality. The voice of the emerald orb, though maintaining its melodic tone, acquired a more... definitive quality, like the sound of a sealed agreement, an unbreakable pact.



???: [—Sutsu, I think your... exuberance is, in a way, predictable. But, you are right about one thing. It no longer matters. The real reason I have brought you to this threshold, why I have elevated you from the jaws of your own insignificance, is precisely because of that ardent yearning that consumes you. For that which your heart, in its most genuine and shameless greed, demands.]



The orb floated a little closer to Tsumiya, and the emerald green seemed to envelop him.



???: [—And now, I will fulfill it. This is our contract. And you, my dear Sutsu, with my power as your tool, will be exactly what you long for: that perfect hero, that supreme protagonist who is, and always will be, the center of everything that matters in this world.]



A resonance vibrated in the void, not the sound of a voice, but the reverberation of an ancient and powerful will. The emerald orb dilated, its glow became blinding, and from its center, the voice of the Fragment of Greed rose, no longer melodic, but thundering, invading the universe of Tsumiya's consciousness.



???: [—Therefore... Tsumiya Higeri! I grant you the right to wield the ^Second Law^!]



The last words were not mere syllables; they were a primordial force that spread from the orb and anchored itself in Tsumiya's very essence. It was not an external addition, something new that invaded him, but the explosion, the hatching, the revelation of something that had always dwelled, latent, in the depths of his soul. It was an evolution, a metamorphosis so intimate that it felt as if his fractured being merged again, becoming a single entity with an extremity, a consciousness, an extra greed. It was an indescribable sensation: the innermost fibers of what was once Tsumiya Higeri twisted and reconfigured, not to destroy him, but to reshape him, to develop new potential, a new way of existing. He was becoming the embodiment of his own desire.



An ethereal voice, the same as the emerald orb but now imbued with a universal echo, whispered a final promise to the transformed Tsumiya, resonating like a prophecy engraved in the ether:



—For you... Higeri Tsumiya, the star Deneb will begin to watch over you from today.



And with that last syllable, that stellar promise anchoring his destiny to the farthest constellations, the darkness of the incomprehensible void once again swallowed his vision, not with oblivion, not with negation, but with the promise of a different awakening, of a world reconfigured by the ^Law of Greed^ that now inhabited every fiber of his being, a power that would elevate him to greatness...