Silence.
That was all that remained between us.
Anna hadn't said anything for several seconds. Her eyes were fixed somewhere ahead of her, but I could tell that her mind was working overtime, trying to make sense of everything I'd just told her.
Honestly, I couldn't blame her.
If someone had told me a few months ago that an entire world had been constructed using fragments of souls from another reality, I would have probably laughed in their face.
But here we were.
And the worst part was that the more I thought about it, the more things started making sense.
"Wait..."
Anna finally broke the silence.
"So, if I understand correctly, you're saying that the people living in this world might have been created using the memories of people who once existed in our world?"
"More or less."
"Then... does that mean they're not real?"
I frowned.
"That's not what I said."
"But if they're made from fragments of other people's souls..."
"Having an origin doesn't make someone less real, Anna."
She looked at me.
"Think about it. Even if their existence started from fragments of other souls, they've developed their own personalities, memories, relationships and experiences. They have their own lives. Whatever their origins might be, that doesn't make their existence meaningless."
I paused.
"Besides, if we start questioning whether someone deserves to exist because of how they were created, where does that leave us?"
Anna lowered her eyes.
I could tell she was thinking about it.
After all, we weren't exactly in a position to judge anyone's existence.
We were two people who had died in another world and somehow ended up living in a reality that shouldn't have existed in the first place.
"You're right," she eventually said. "But it's still disturbing."
"Yeah. I know."
I leaned back against the wall.
"There's something else I've been thinking about."
"Something else?"
"Remember what we discussed earlier? The Creator's inability to directly interfere with this world?"
She nodded.
"He needs the sphere to maintain his authority over it."
"Exactly. But here's what doesn't make sense to me."
I raised my hand slightly.
"If he's only supervising this world, then why does he need to maintain such strict control over it? And why would he go through the trouble of gathering so many souls just to construct an entire reality?"
Anna crossed her arms.
"Perhaps he's conducting some kind of experiment."
"That's possible."
I looked towards the ceiling.
"But an experiment needs a purpose. You don't gather countless souls, construct an entire world and then spend all that time maintaining it without expecting something in return."
"Unless the world itself is the objective."
I turned towards her.
"What do you mean?"
"Perhaps he doesn't need anything from this world. Perhaps creating it was the entire point."
I considered her suggestion.
It wasn't impossible.
But something about it didn't feel right.
"No... I don't think that's it."
"Why?"
"Because of Eri."
Anna remained silent.
"The Creator isn't simply interested in this world. He's specifically interested in Eri. Everything we've seen so far suggests that whatever he wants, Eri is somehow connected to it."
I paused.
"Maybe the world was never the final objective."
Anna narrowed her eyes.
"Then what was?"
"That's what we're trying to find out."
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then Anna suddenly asked something I hadn't expected.
"What about us?"
I turned towards her.
"What?"
"You said that the sphere contains fragments of souls from our original world. And you also said that obtaining a soul requires someone to die."
"Yeah."
"Then why aren't we inside it?"
I sighed.
"That's the question I've been asking myself."
I looked down at my hands.
"Think about it. We both died in our original world. By your logic, our souls should have been collected just like everyone else's. Yet somehow, we ended up here with our memories intact."
"Could it be because we were reincarnated?"
"Maybe. But that only raises another question."
I looked at her again.
"Who decided to reincarnate us?"
Anna's expression changed slightly.
"You think the Creator had something to do with it?"
"I don't know. But I wouldn't rule out that possibility."
I rubbed my forehead.
"Honestly, the more I think about this, the more complicated it becomes."
"Could our reincarnation have been part of his plan?"
"That's another possibility."
I gave a small, humorless laugh.
"Wouldn't it be funny if we had spent all this time thinking we were just two unlucky people who got reincarnated into an anime, only to discover that our entire existence here was planned from the beginning?"
Anna didn't laugh.
Instead, she looked at me with a rather serious expression.
"Grey."
"Hm?"
"Do you think we're being used?"
I didn't answer immediately.
Because, truthfully, I'd already considered that possibility.
And I didn't like where that thought was leading.
"I hope not."
I stood up and walked towards the window.
Outside, the night was unusually quiet.
Somewhere beyond these walls, people were still living their lives, completely unaware of the truth behind their existence.
Heroes, villains, civilians...
All of them.
For a moment, I wondered how they'd react if they ever discovered what we'd just uncovered.
Would they question their memories?
Their identities?
Their entire existence?
I closed my eyes.
No.
That wasn't something I could afford to think about right now.
"We should keep this between us for the time being," I finally said.
Anna looked towards me.
"You're not planning to tell the others?"
"Not yet. We don't have enough evidence, and I don't want to create unnecessary panic."
"But what if they deserve to know?"
"They do. Eventually."
I turned back towards her.
"But before that happens, I want to understand what we're actually dealing with."
Anna nodded slowly.
"Alright. I'll trust your judgment."
"Thanks."
She stood up, stretching her arms slightly.
"You should get some sleep. You've been acting strange ever since you returned."
I gave her a tired smile.
"Funny. I was about to tell you the same thing."
"Well, unlike you, I actually have responsibilities."
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, boss."
She rolled her eyes.
For a brief moment, the tension in the room seemed to disappear.
But only briefly.
Because just before reaching the door, Anna stopped.
"Grey."
"Yeah?"
She turned her head slightly.
"There's something I still don't understand."
I waited.
"If the souls inside the sphere are responsible for creating this world... then what happens when the sphere is destroyed?"
I stared at her.
The question lingered in the air.
I thought about All For One's experiments, the warnings we'd received, and everything we'd discovered about the sphere.
Then I answered.
"I don't know."
Anna frowned.
"But you said it would destroy the world."
"That's what we believe based on what we've observed. But we don't know whether the souls would be destroyed along with it, released, or simply..."
I stopped.
I hadn't considered that possibility before.
"Simply what?" she asked.
I shook my head.
"Forget it. It's just a possibility."
She stared at me for a moment before eventually opening the door.
"Get some rest, Grey."
"Good night, Anna."
"Good night."
The door closed.
And just like that, I was alone again.
I sat back down on the bed.
For several minutes, I simply stared at the floor.
There were too many questions.
Too many possibilities.
And not nearly enough answers.
But one thing was becoming increasingly clear.
Whatever the Creator was planning, it had something to do with the souls inside that sphere.
And somehow, Eri was at the center of it.
I closed my eyes.
"Just what the hell are you planning...?"
---
Somewhere in Musutafu...
Night had fallen over the city.
The streets were nearly empty, illuminated only by the occasional streetlight and the distant glow of buildings. A cold breeze swept through the narrow alleyways, carrying with it the faint sound of distant traffic.
A lone figure moved through the darkness.
His footsteps were heavy, his breathing uneven. His usually messy green hair was partially covering his eyes, and his expression was far from the determination people had grown accustomed to seeing.
Izuku Midoriya.
He had been searching for hours.
Searching for one person.
The Hero Killer.
Stain.
Ever since Yuga's death, Deku hadn't been able to find peace. Every time he closed his eyes, memories of his friend returned. His smile, his voice, their conversations...
And then, the terrible realization that he would never see him again.
Someone had to answer for that.
And Deku had already decided who.
"Where are you...?"
His voice was barely audible.
He stopped at the entrance of a narrow alley.
There.
A familiar silhouette stood beneath the dim light of a streetlamp.
A lean man with long dark hair and a distinctive appearance.
Stain.
Deku's eyes immediately narrowed.
"...Found you."
The man slowly turned his head.
"Midoriya Izuku."
His expression remained unchanged.
"I see you've come looking for me."
Deku didn't answer immediately. His fists tightened.
"Why?"
Stain tilted his head slightly.
"Why what?"
"Why did you do it?"
The question came out almost like a whisper.
Stain observed him for a moment.
"If you're referring to the young man who lost his life, then perhaps you should consider the circumstances surrounding his death."
"Don't try to avoid the question!"
Green lightning crackled around Deku's body.
"Yuga is dead because of you!"
Stain remained silent.
"He's dead! Do you understand that?!"
The pavement beneath Deku's feet cracked.
"I trusted that we could protect everyone. I thought that if we kept fighting, if we kept getting stronger, we could prevent things like this from happening!"
His voice began trembling.
"But he's gone..."
For a moment, his expression softened.
Then his fists clenched again.
"And you're still standing here!"
Stain looked at him with a cold expression.
"Anger will not bring the dead back, young Midoriya."
"Shut up."
"A hero who allows hatred to dictate his actions is no different from the villains he claims to oppose."
"SHUT UP!"
Deku launched himself forward.
But before either of them could move—
CLAP.
A single sound echoed through the alley.
Both men stopped.
The surrounding streetlights flickered.
A strange distortion spread through the air, almost as though reality itself had been disturbed.
Stain immediately turned towards the source.
Someone was standing at the entrance of the alley.
Or, at least, something that vaguely resembled a person.
Its appearance was difficult to distinguish. Its body seemed to shift constantly, as though it couldn't maintain a stable form.
"How touching," the stranger remarked.
Deku immediately moved into a defensive stance.
"Who are you?"
The figure tilted its head.
"An interesting question. But perhaps you should be asking yourself why you're wasting your time with this man."
Deku frowned.
"What?"
The figure slowly walked forward.
"You're looking for someone to blame for your friend's death, aren't you?"
Deku's expression hardened.
"That's none of your business."
"Oh, but it is."
The stranger stopped a few meters away.
"I know about the young man you lost. Yuga, wasn't it?"
Deku froze.
"...How do you know his name?"
A faint smile appeared on the stranger's face.
"I know much more than that, young hero."
Stain tightened his grip on his blades.
"Whoever you are, leave."
The figure ignored him.
"Tell me, Midoriya. Have you ever wondered whether the person you've been searching for is actually responsible for everything that happened?"
Deku's eyes narrowed.
"What are you talking about?"
"You're blaming the Hero Killer. But what if he was merely a small part of something much bigger?"
Deku looked towards Stain.
"Explain yourself."
The stranger raised one hand.
A faint distortion appeared in the air, gradually forming an image.
It showed a young man.
Grey.
Deku stared at the unfamiliar face.
"Who... is that?"
The figure smiled.
"His name is Grey."
Deku looked back at it.
"I've never seen him before."
"Of course you haven't. He isn't someone who belongs in your little circle of heroes and villains."
The image shifted.
For a brief moment, several fragmented scenes appeared around Grey's silhouette.
"He's an outsider. Someone whose existence has brought nothing but instability to this world."
Deku remained silent.
"What does he have to do with Yuga?"
The figure's smile widened.
"Everything."
Deku's expression changed.
"Don't play games with me."
"I'm not playing anything. I'm offering you an explanation."
The image disappeared.
"Your friend died because of a chain of events that shouldn't have happened. Events set in motion by people who have no regard for this world's inhabitants."
The figure paused.
"And Grey is one of them."
Deku clenched his fists.
"You're saying he killed Yuga?"
"Not with his own hands, perhaps."
The stranger tilted its head.
"But tell me, Midoriya. If someone creates the circumstances that lead to another person's death, are they any less responsible?"
Deku didn't answer.
The figure continued.
"You've spent so much time searching for the person who delivered the final blow that you haven't considered who might have created the situation in the first place."
"How do I know you're telling the truth?"
For the first time, the stranger seemed genuinely amused.
"Excellent. You should question everything. Blindly believing a stranger would be rather foolish."
It raised its hand again.
"Fortunately, I have no intention of asking you to take my word for it."
A new image appeared.
This time, it showed fragments of events surrounding the conflict that had led to Yuga's death.
Some details were clear.
Others were distorted, deliberately obscured by the strange energy surrounding the projection.
Deku stared at the images.
His expression gradually changed.
"That's..."
"Interesting, isn't it?"
The stranger lowered its hand.
"Of course, there are things I haven't shown you. Some details are beyond your current understanding."
Deku looked at it suspiciously.
"Why are you telling me all this?"
"Because I find your situation rather unfortunate."
The figure stepped closer.
"You've lost someone important to you. And now you're wandering through the streets, desperately searching for someone to punish."
Its voice became softer.
"Tell me, Midoriya. What do you intend to do once you've killed Stain?"
Deku remained silent.
"What happens afterwards? Will Yuga return? Will your pain disappear?"
"Shut up..."
"Or will you simply find another person to blame?"
"SHUT UP!"
The stranger stopped speaking.
For several seconds, only Deku's heavy breathing could be heard.
Then the figure spoke again.
"You don't have to accept what I'm telling you. But if you truly want answers, you should start looking in the right direction."
Deku looked down.
Grey.
The name was unfamiliar.
The face was unfamiliar.
He had never heard of this person before.
And yet, according to this stranger, he was somehow connected to Yuga's death.
"Where can I find him?"
The figure smiled.
"Now we're getting somewhere."
But before it could answer, Stain stepped forward.
"Midoriya! Don't listen to that thing!"
The stranger slowly turned its head.
"How irritating."
A dark distortion spread beneath Stain's feet.
Something emerged from it.
A creature.
Its body was covered in irregular black formations, with several elongated limbs extending from its back. Its head was strangely shaped, and its face was almost entirely featureless, except for two faintly glowing eyes.
It remained motionless for a moment.
Then it released a low, distorted growl.
Stain immediately drew his blades.
"What is that?!"
The figure raised its hand.
"Something rather useful."
The creature slowly turned towards Deku.
"An unfortunate young man with a broken heart. A perfect candidate."
Deku stepped backwards.
"What are you planning?"
The figure smiled.
"Nothing complicated. I simply want to see what happens when someone with such extraordinary potential finally stops holding himself back."
The creature's body began dissolving.
Thousands of black particles emerged from its surface, spreading through the alley like a living mist.
Stain immediately recognized the danger.
"Midoriya! Get away from it!"
He rushed towards Deku.
But the particles suddenly gathered into a wall of darkness, separating them.
"Damn it!"
Deku tried to move, but something strange was happening.
The particles were approaching him.
He felt a cold sensation spreading through his body.
"Get... away..."
The stranger watched with visible satisfaction.
"Why resist it?"
Deku's breathing became heavier.
"Your anger is justified, Midoriya. Your grief is justified. You have every reason to hate the people responsible for what happened."
The darkness finally touched his arm.
A strange sensation crawled beneath his skin.
His vision blurred.
Memories began flashing through his mind.
Yuga.
His classmates.
The people he had failed to protect.
The feeling of helplessness.
The frustration of arriving too late.
And then, the unfamiliar face of Grey appeared in his thoughts.
The stranger's voice echoed through his mind.
He is responsible.
Deku staggered.
"No..."
He caused this.
"Get... out..."
And while you suffer, he continues to live.
Deku dropped to one knee.
Green lightning flickered around his body.
But something else was beginning to emerge.
Dark veins slowly spread along his arms, mixing with the familiar green energy of One For All.
The creature's particles continued to penetrate his body.
"What's... happening...?"
The figure tilted its head.
"Your potential is remarkable."
Deku raised his head.
His eyes were trembling.
"Stop..."
"Why? Don't you want the strength to make sure this never happens again?"
The figure extended its hand.
"Don't you want the power to punish those responsible?"
Deku's fists tightened.
For a brief moment, the green lightning around him intensified.
Then the darkness spread further.
Stain desperately tried to break through the barrier.
"Midoriya! Listen to me! Whatever that thing is doing, you must resist!"
But Deku could barely hear him anymore.
The creature had begun to merge with his energy.
The stranger watched the process carefully.
"Excellent..."
A faint smile appeared on its face.
"Let us see what becomes of the symbol of peace when his desire to save others is replaced by the desire to punish those who hurt him."
Deku slowly stood up.
His breathing was irregular.
His eyes remained fixed on the ground.
And then, almost inaudibly, he spoke.
"...Grey."
The stranger smiled.
"Yes."
Deku raised his head.
"Where... can I find him?"
The figure's smile widened.
"Don't worry, young hero."
It slowly dissolved into the darkness.
"You'll meet him soon enough."
The creature released one final distorted growl before disappearing into Deku's body.
For a moment, everything became silent.
Then the green lightning returned.
But something about it was different.
Its familiar glow was now accompanied by dark, unstable streaks that seemed to move independently of his movements.
Deku looked down at his hands.
He didn't understand what had just happened.
He only knew one thing.
He wanted answers.
And he wanted the person responsible to pay.
Somewhere unknown.
A faint pulse travelled through the darkness.
One of the countless connections within the World Sphere flickered.
For a brief moment, a new pattern appeared across its surface.
Then, somewhere within the sphere, a voice whispered:
"Another one begins."
And the darkness swallowed everything.