Prologue (1)

"When I say "Anyone can be a hero", it's not inspirational, it's a warning."

His first life, the essence of his mind.

"would you condone murder?" Amelie's question came out of nowhere.

"no? really that depends on the context," Kaiden responded flatly.

"in general, is it bad to kill another?"

"well, of course, it's bad but-"

"but?"

"I'm not above it," Kaiden finished.

"What exactly do you mean?"an edge entered her voice.

"I'm saying I'm not above killing, should there be the need," Kaiden said bluntly.

"in what situation would you kill someone?" Amelie grew exasperated.

"Why would anyone kill anyone? anger? revenge? boredom? for themselves or for another? are all just as morally reprehensible?"

Kaiden turned towards the door as he spoke.

"If all are just as bad, why have a trial? If all motives are just as evil, why would some people be hailed as heroes for killing, while others are seen and treated like monsters?"

"Now I see where Kaeya gets his weird morals-" Amelie mumbled.

"Hm, Kaeya would take after me, wouldn't he? Yet we've drifted so far away- you may be surprised to learn that Kaeya once chastised me for my morally grey standing-" she paused. "you generalize

"murder" into one irredeemable category of crime, although where would any of us be if we didn't kill a few people? Are the revolutionists any less people than we are?"

Amelie opened, then closed her mouth. Kaiden had a point. Why would the Archon forgive the slaughter of some people, and punish others?

"Evil is in the eye of the beholder. darkness and light change with the angle you look at it from," Kaiden's words sounded almost like a question.

"Some people view us as evil, while others idolize us; both views based entirely on their own moral compass," Amelie said, conveying what she understood of Kaiden's message.

Kaiden nodded. "And that is why i must be there to witness their end" he said, leaving Amelie's office and closing the door before she could say anything, leaving the acting grandmaster alone with her thoughts.

His second life was the essence of his heart.

He was seeing red.

No. He is still seeing red.

"I bled. I killed. I destroyed. I cried. I laughed. For you. All of you."

His hair shimmered under the sunlight. Yet, all the coldness of winter was found within his voice. Golden eyes vacant, as hope escaped them, as if they were a void drawing in all the light before them.

When Kaiden reincarnated into the world of Cavyat... At first, he thought of it as a second home-- a place of warmth and safety. WRONG. WRONG. FOOLISH. When he saw through the fake sky, and witnessed the cruel reality of this realm. He felt how the whole world stopped being bright, the stars stopped being a beacon of light, the water tasted of copper, the air smelled of burned flesh and coal.

No matter how many times she tried to block it, with battles, struggles and screams. The images returned full force, as if it was an unseen enemy, unable to parry nor counter it's attacks. USELESS. WEAK. SLOW. IDIOTIC. Those feelings were festering as a poison, twisting his once soft features into savage snarls.

His mind was like a screaming banshee, demanding answers and hating the Universe, despising the gods and resenting destiny. To have never given him a choice from the beginning. But that was fine, with his bow, he would create a path, His own path.

Even if was bloodstained, even if he had to fill it with the corpses of his former comrades. Friendship and kindness be damned.

"And this is how you repay me? I protected your homes, your dreams and smiles." A pause, to catch his ragged breath. "Only to receive Judgement and Discrimination."

Kaiden thought of his younger brother Fenris, who was never stained by the abyss's darkness. Sweet and caring brother, who wouldn't hesitate to hold out his hand towards a stranger. To give a smile, even when he was breaking inside. To offer help even when he gained no reward.

And even when the world itself had turned its back on him, Fenris kept moving forward. The memory of his lost kin, made Kaiden grit his teeth till blood flowed. Gripping his bow until his knuckles were white, He failed to protect him, and because of his weakness, he suffered.

Powers sealed and reduced to be a mere mortal walking among humans. Constantly being used and manipulated like some puppet for those people, again and again. For their pathetic needs.

"The moment you made him cry, your life was forfeit. None of you will pester my family. EVER AGAIN."

Even if Fenris came to hate him, He was okay with that. It was only natural to accept death and defeat at the hands of the hero, and if that was enough to save Fenris from self-destruction, then it was enough for him.

With a mere flick of his wrist, crimson painted the walls of the burned city. Ashes dancing and wind tainted with the essence of death.

"I shall plunge your cities, your kings, your homes and everything you hold dear into the abyss."

His fifth life, the essence of his soul.

The man known as the Phoenix, a legendary hero who guided the world through the terrors of the apocalypse.

Twice he had died, and twice he had risen from the flames even stronger than before.

Yet this time, the flames died out forever.

Kaiden lived as Kai, a young boy without responsibilities, reading all sort of books, playing games and listening to music that he never had the chance to experience as the "Phoenix"... as a hero.

Yet even that life did not end in peace, he once again experienced death, this time in the position of a bystander. He could only watch as his city, his home was destroyed, and this time the threat was far stronger than him.

The very source of his connection to this world was cut off, and his soul was flung into the void of space.

"..."

"..."

"......"

It was neither long nor short, the time he spent floating in the void.

As he floated there, he thought back to the best and worst times in his life.....

Kaiden saw happy memories, sad memories and memories that he didn't want to see ever again. At the end of his reminiscing , the image of a beautiful girl, with long black hair, made him roll in frustration.

Truth be told, he was very worried about her.

Did the operation succeed? Did the doctors make it in time? Would her body even accept the heart of a halfblood?

Many questions popped into his head, ones that he had hid deep in his heart throughout his other lives. However he knew that there was nothing that he could do to affect outcome of the events that had long transpired. The reason? He was already dead. Twice over now.

He hadn't reincarnated on earth after his first death and there was no reason to assume that this one would be any different.

"Amelie... I hope you're safe," Kaiden said as he raised his head.

Being a wandering soul for the third time, he had been planning on using his past experiences to find a suitable world before attempting to gain entry.

Some worlds would accept wandering spirits like him, while others would refuse him, forming some sort of transparent membrane around themselves. From his last experience, the safer the world, the stronger the membrane. Dangerous worlds would have little to no protection from external forces.

However... this time was different, his soul was being dragged somewhere, he hadn't realized it at first but as he sped up and his surroundings became a blur, he began to panic.

Before he could attempt to formulate a plan, he crashed head first into strong membrane, protecting the largest world he had seen since Earth itself.

Even Truck-kun, the number one perpetrator in sending people to isekai worlds, wouldn't be able to comprehend the pain and damage Kaiden's soul received in that moment.