Heavenly Book of Reincarnation

The sun faded beyond the horizon, but there was no longer a radiant sunset like before. The sky remained a murky shade of red, with clouds of ash covering nearly the entire surface of the planet.

The howling wind carried the last remnants of civilization, crying out like Earth's own lament.

Above, legions of demonkind soared through the skies in swarms so vast they seemed endless.

This sight filled humanity with an overwhelming sense of despair.

The Demon King, creating more demons even as he spoke, gazed down at the last remnants of mankind with a smug expression and declared:

"Humans, do you now despair before my power?"

Nora looked up at the sky, his eyes burning with defiance despite his battered body. He took a step forward, roaring in fury:

"You bastard! Why do you seek to destroy humanity?!"

The Demon King, amused by his own triumph, was in a generous mood and indulged Nora's question with a crazed laugh:

"Hahaha! Are you stupid? Destroying humans benefits me, so why would I need more reason?"

Their perspectives were so vastly different that understanding one another was impossible.

By now, Nora was like a flickering candle, his strength nearly drained.

"Is this… really the end? I'm sorry... I couldn't protect humanity. If there is a next life, I wish to protect them once more."

That final thought echoed in his mind as cracks began to form on his body. From those fissures, light slowly emerged—signaling an impending explosion.

The Demon King, watching with an expression of mild amusement, sneered:

"Oh? How resilient~"

He felt no fear. After all, what was an ant's explosion? At best, it was merely a slightly bigger ant.

Nora's self-destruction was nothing more than a mild massage to the Demon King.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion tore through the heavens. The massive detonation wiped out countless demons in the sky, but it did nothing to change the battle's outcome.

.....

Nora's consciousness drifted in a void for an unknown amount of time before he finally, slowly, opened his eyes.

As his blurred vision adjusted to his surroundings, he murmured:

"What…? I'm still alive? How is that possible?"

He clearly remembered detonating himself in a final act of defiance against the demons—there was no way he should still be breathing.

Looking around in every direction before finally lowering his gaze to himself, Nora noticed something strange—his body was somewhat translucent.

"What the…? Why does my body look like pure energy?"

Examining himself further, he could only conclude one thing:

His body now had a faint purplish hue, resembling a human-shaped flame.

Suddenly, the space around him shifted. From the void, a mystical book materialized, exuding an overwhelming presence.

It spoke:

"Greetings, Chosen One. Are you willing to pay any price for a chance to return and save humanity once more?"

"I accept."

Without a moment's hesitation, Nora agreed.

"Oh? You don't even need to know the price before deciding?"

"As long as I can help humanity, I will accept. I am a superhero."

What is a superhero? Someone strong? Someone who aids others? Those might be part of it, but they do not define a true superhero.

A true superhero is one who exists for the people of the world—someone willing to set themselves aside for the sake of all.

"Very well. Then hear the price you must pay. You will bear the burden of reincarnation, and for the next two cycles, your memories will not be preserved."

"That's it?"

Nora was genuinely surprised. He had expected something far more terrifying. But losing his memories and taking on an extra task? That hardly seemed like a steep cost.

"Do you truly understand what I just said?"

"Uh… not really. Could you explain that last part again? About the two reincarnations?"

Nora grasped the general meaning, but if asked whether he fully understood the book's words, the answer was no.

The book clarified:

"Your first reincarnation is about to begin. I will erase your current memories and send you back far enough to change the fate of humanity. The second reincarnation will happen once this journey is over—regardless of whether you succeed or fail, all of your memories will be erased, and you will embark on a new journey."

Nora nodded in understanding. However, he quickly realized a crucial issue—one that could determine whether he succeeded or failed. He couldn't ignore it.

"Wait a moment. If I can't remember anything, how can I possibly change anything? Everything will just happen the same way as before."

"Don't worry about that. I can allow you to retain some core memories—such as the ranking system of your world and the fact that you have already failed once. That will serve as a driving force to push you forward. Additionally, I have a gift for you to enhance your strength, so you won't need to worry."

Hearing the book's explanation, Nora felt much more at ease.

Only now did he realize that despite all the talking, he still didn't know who or what this entity was. So he asked:

"Who are you?"

"I am the Heavenly Book of Reincarnation, tasked with finding the one who will bear the burden of reincarnation."

Nora paused for a moment before asking:

"So you're saying that, in the future, I will become the one to carry the weight of reincarnation?"

"That's correct. However, I don't know exactly when that will happen."

"Well, that sounds fine. It seems like a job that would benefit the world."

As a hero, his instinct was always to find ways to help others.

Becoming the one who bears the cycle of reincarnation—carrying a fundamental law of the universe—would undoubtedly allow him to aid countless people.

Thus, he gladly accepted the grand responsibility.

Then, recalling the Heavenly Book of Reincarnation's promise to aid him, he asked:

"So, what exactly are you going to give me to strengthen my power?"

"Technically, I should make you comprehend the powers within me—specifically the Reincarnation Divine Art and Samsara Fist. However, considering our agreement to erase your memories, I will temporarily grant you these powers. As for their foundation, I will provide you with opportunities to cultivate them again in the future."

As soon as the book finished speaking, a glowing mass of light emerged from its pages and shot directly into Nora's forehead.

The space around him began to distort under the power of the Heavenly Book of Reincarnation.

Moments later, the distortion faded, the surroundings stabilized, and Nora slowly opened his eyes—his mind now holding a set of new memories.