[Chapter:1][Can I refuse?]

"Can I refuse?"

People on the street looked at the young man, who froze in place and muttered something to himself softly, before moving on with their work and life.

That's me, by the way.

((No.))

Hearing the synthetic, distinctly feminine voice, directly ringing in my mind, I sighed as I asked it,

"Then why even ask?"

((I don't know, ask the Author.))

???

Before I could say anything else, I disappeared from existence. Neither the cameras that watched every pedestrian walk, nor those near me who 'saw' me vanish, reacted to it, as though they couldn't perceive the clearly supernatural phenomenon that had just occurred.

Neither those I would call friends, nor those that know of me, reacted to my disappearance, as though to them, I was but a stranger they had never heard of before.

That was how I, Aesar Hyde, ceased to exist in my universe.

…

…

…

((Done with your not-so-epic monologue?))

Why yes, actually.

So, voice in my mind, tell me, where am I?

Looking around, all I could see was complete and utter darkness. Other than my body which I was able to see, there was literally nothing else in here, wherever here is…

I couldn't hear anything, except for the sound of my breathing and heart beat. Strangely, even though I could feel myself 'breathing', I couldn't feel the air itself around me.

It was a strange, surreal feeling.

((My name is Cael.))

That's Latin for 'the heavens', I think.

((Ah, is it? I suppose it describes my existence quite well, then.))

You're the heavens?

((You could say so, yes. Anyway, I brought you here to ask you if you are willing to do something for me.))

Er, sure? I mean, considering how I ended up here, I don't think I have the choice to refuse.

Or rather, I already refused, but you said I couldn't, didn't you?

((Yes, you cannot refuse.))

Well, shoot.

((You are surprisingly calm.))

Eh, I mean, I'm in the middle of who knows where with some woman's voice ringing in my head, and I'm even talking to her with just my thoughts. Not to mention, said woman probably kidnapped me as well.

I don't think there's much else I can get agitated over.

((Is that so…))

Wait, now that I think about it, is your voice getting, like, clearer?

((Oh? How so?))

Yeah, it really is getting clearer.

Like, when you gave me that congratulations for that whatever group, your voice was clearly synthetic, machine like, but not I'm a hundred percent sure I heard amusement in your voice.

((Fufufu~ Don't worry about that. Why don't we talk about why you're here instead?))

Eh, sure.

I shrugged nonchalantly. I've always been a rather adaptable guy. Well, that's putting it nicely.

To put it simply, I'm the kind of guy that goes with the flow as long as it doesn't immediately kick me in the butt. The kind of guy who leaves future issues to the future himself, if you know what I mean?

Although all of this is rather…surprising, sudden, and what not, I'm note really that bothered.

((Well, you see, my daughter has been very, very bored recently. I suppose it's only natural, after all, not many can exist for as long as she did without losing her mind.))

((Bored as she was, she decided to do something fun. So she created a bunch of universes taking inspiration from the fictional worlds that humans in your Universe came up with, and mashed them all together, hoping to find entertainment.))

((Unfortunately, unlike her who had shut off her omniscience, I know this would be a failure. Since she isn't actively interfering with the mashed up universe, the worlds and their destinies would naturally separate, and would never intersect.))

The voice, Cael, paused at that point, making me tilt my head in confusion.

That's all well and good, but what's that got to do with me?

((You see, this is the first time she she was born that my daughter took initiative in doing something all on her own, without asking for her mother's help. And I wouldn't want to see her fail and be disappointed.))

You're a good mother.

((Ufufu~ why thank you. Anyways, as I just said, she doesn't want to take help from me. And due to the nature of her birth, as long as I try to directly interfere, no matter how much I hide myself, she would be able to find me.))

At that point, I'd be an idiot to not know where this was headed.

So, like, you want to mess up that universe through me?

((Yes~! Although I cannot directly interfere, I can do something similar to what those ROBs and the other beings in those novels and fan fictions you humans have written do. I will give you a special instrument, using which you will cause these worlds and realities that have already become separate existences within that universe to intersect with each other.))

((I don't really care what you do, whether you create a new world altogether, whether you become the king of that Universe, whether you destroy it entirely, as long as you entertain my daughter, you can live and act however you wish to.))

((You're unemployed and have been looking for a job for a while now, no? This is the job I'm offering you. And I assure you the salary would more than satisfy you.))

That instrument, it's that [Girls' Dimensional Group] you gave me the invitation to?

((Yes. How about it? Are you ready to start your journey?))

I mean, I still want to refuse, since I like my peace and quite. But it's not like I have a choice, do I?

"Indeed, you don't, dear."

???

The soft, melodious, beautiful voice that slithered into my ear, and the hot breath that brushed past my face, made me blink in confusion. Before I could react, a pair of slender, delicate looking hands covered my eyes, and I also felt something soft and moist touch my forehead.

"There you go, I gave you my blessing so you don't have to worry about danger too much. Take care of my daughter, will you?"

I wasn't given the chance to respond, as the next moment, my consciousness drifted into darkness.