It was dark. I couldn't see anything. I couldn't feel my body. All I felt was a distant voice, calling out to someone. I wondered if I was the one being called out. However, I had no recollection of who I was. The source of the voice came closer and then suddenly stopped.
『Can you hear me?』
Her voice felt eerie. It was speaking directly into my mind rather than through my ears. I couldn't muster up a reply.
"A..."
『So you indeed could hear me.』
The darkness slowly faded away. I could see a blurred outline of a humanoid figure in front of me.
『So, how is it? Can you see me now?』
"..."
『I guess not. Anyway, I will get to the point. You shall become my apostle.』
Apostle?
She came closer placed her hand on me. Suddenly, recollection of a number of incidents flowed to my mind. Memories that might have been someone else's began invading my own. I felt an excruciating pain even though I couldn't feel my body.
Despair. That was all I could feel at that time. Every bit of memory that flowed into me had nothing but despair. None of the people to whom the memories belonged had lived a good life.
『You okay?』
"W-what did you do to me?"
『What is your name?』
My name? I tried to remember my name. Dozens of different names came to my mind at the same time. I felt the same pain again.
"Aaaahhh"
『I see... You have recovered enough memories to be able to communicate but you are still unable to process the influx of information.』
"Who are they..."
『You mean the memories? They are all yours, genuine with my proof of guarantee!』
Mine? I wondered how a single person could have memories of a thousand years.
『Anyway, I have reached the end of my life. In other words, I was betrayed and killed by a person. Coincidentally, he is also the person that ruined all the lives in your memories. Which is why... You need to become my apostle.』
"W-what do you mean?"
『Oh my! You have already recovered enough to be able to have a proper conversation! It seems that my choice was indeed right.』
"Answer me..."
『I am the goddess of justice. You shall become my apostle of justice. That way, I could share a portion of my power with you. Do you not want to get revenge on the person that put you through a hundred lives of despair?』
Revenge, huh? I indeed wanted to take revenge on the person that put me through all that. However, "I do not seek revenge."
『Well, I didn't expect that.』
"I have absolutely no idea of this 'person' whom you speak about. I do agree that all my 'lives' were filled with despair, but none of them give me a target for revenge. Why would I want revenge against someone I do not know?"
『The person in question is not a normal mortal, but my own brother. In other words, a god. You were simply one out of hundreds of lab rats of his. If his efforts paid off, he might as well bring everything down to destruction.』
"To be brief, you want me to play hero here?"
『Ding Ding! You got that right!』
"Why me?"
『I just randomly pulled out one soul from his collection before I died. It turned out to be you.』
"Bad gacha luck, huh. Wait, you are dead?"
『My body, yes. But I can last as a soul for way longer than a normal human's lifespan. Oh no your time's up!』
"What?"
『Uhh currently, you're still unborn. Before I died, I grabbed your soul and tossed it onto one of the worlds that I oversee. It should seem quite familiar since it was modeled after Lawless. Anyway, I'll be back after you are born. Should take six months at most. I'll prepare stuff on the outside for when you are born!』
"Wait what do you mean-"
Before I could ask for a reply, everything blacked out. The goddess disappeared and I was alone in the darkness again, for the next seven months.
One day, some light suddenly poured in. I could breathe in the air. I could feel my limbs.
"It is a boy."
I heard someone's voice. I tried to open my eyes but I couldn't. I then heard a familiar headache inducing-voice that speaks directly into one's mind.
『Oh, you are finally out! Congrats on being born!』
Born?