Rising of the Shield Hero Re-Rise

"The hell. They have called you." Her eyes, twin pools of starlight, look like they lost their glow, as if someone just disturbed her.

"They... him?" I asked

"Yes, yes. Him." She waved a dismissive hand, her silken robes, woven from the very fabric of twilight, rippling with unseen energy. "But after you've dealt with them, return to me. I have something of paramount importance to divulge, something that will tip the scales in your favor."

"Why not tell me now?" I pressed, the urgency a knot in my throat.

A playful smirk danced on her lips. "Patience, Naofumi. The threads of fate are not so easily unraveled."

"Fine," I conceded, the weight of her cryptic words settling upon me. "I'll return."

A radiant smile illuminated her face, transforming her into a vision of breathtaking beauty. "Truly? Oh, thank you, Naofumi!"

She enveloped me in a warm embrace, a fleeting touch that felt like being bathed in pure, unadulterated light. "Now, I must send you back."

The world dissolved into a kaleidoscope of swirling colors, a dizzying rush that deposited me back into that austere, echoing hall. My nakedness was miraculously replaced by my familiar attire, a silent testament to the Goddess's intervention.

Anyway, I knew that what Goddess said was just an excuse to bring me back there. I don't need to go there.

"Welcome back," the God's voice boomed, resonating with an unending aura.

"Please, forgive me, my lord," I pleaded, bowing deeply. "I was foolish. I will never repeat such a mistake." Was that too much? Too little?

"You think you can deceive a god?" His eyes, burning with celestial fire, pierced through me. "Do you believe I am blind to your lack of genuine remorse?"

"It's not like that..." I began, my voice trailing off.

"Enough." He gestured impatiently. "I have summoned you once more because I have a proposition."

"Anything, my lord," I said, my voice laced with desperate sincerity. "I will do anything you ask, if only you will allow me to return to that world, whole and healthy."

"Yes, yes, of course," he scoffed, a flicker of amusement in his eyes, though his tone remained sharp. "If you would cease this tiresome flattery, perhaps we could proceed."

Alright, play it cool. "Very well."

"Listen closely," he began, his voice taking on a narrative tone. "Imagine, when you first grasped that book, a supposed friend, a time traveler in disguise, struck you from behind and stole it. Now, if you were to encounter this individual, what would you do?"

"I would be grateful," I replied, surprising even myself. " Since because of him, I wouldn't have to go into that world.."

He waved a dismissive hand. "Whatever. Now, here's the crux of it. A boy, in a divergent timeline, has done precisely that. He has concealed the book and traveled to that world. I require you to go there and... rectify the situation."

"Rectify?" I asked, my brow furrowed. "By what means?"

"Let's be blunt," he said, a hint of dark amusement in his voice. "He was a nuisance. A persistent, irritating nuisance. I have expended considerable energy adjusting timelines and maintaining balance because of his actions. I want you to give him a thorough... thrashing. He also possesses a 'system', but I am confident you will overcome it with ease."

"O-okay," I stammered, the request a strange mixture of the absurd and the terrifying. A divine being wanting me to beat someone up because they were annoying?

A cosmic hum vibrated through the hall, the God's eyes, twin solar flares, fixed on me.

"Excellent. Now, for the details. This boy, a wisp of temporal anomaly, has landed in a world and has taken the place of Naofumi Iwatani. He's not just stolen your opportunity; he's tangled the very fabric of existence."

He gestured, and a shimmering, holographic projection materialized in the air.

"And Naofumi," the God added, his voice laced with a hint of amusement, "try not to break him too much."

"You think I'll do that? The only think I have to do is beat him up?"

"You can tell me if you don't want to return to that world." He said with a cold expression.

"I-I understood."

With a deep breath, I stepped into the swirling vortex which was formed just now.

The world dissolved into a kaleidoscope of colors and sensations, a dizzying rush that felt like being spun through a cosmic washing machine. The air crackled with raw energy, and the very fabric of reality seemed to shimmer and distort around me. A cacophony of alien sounds assaulted my ears, a symphony of chirps, clicks, and guttural roars.

When the dizzying rush subsided, I found myself standing in the midst of a jungle. After searching for a while, I spotted him.