Where was this...?
He opened his eyes, his mind clouded with confusion. Looking around, he saw nothing but countless lights stretching toward the horizon. He was nothing more than an illusory figure drifting through the glow.
The light felt warm and comforting. With every ray that passed through his translucent form, he felt himself growing stronger.
This is the kingdom of light! The thought flashed instinctively through his mind.
But... who was he? He was filled with doubt.
"You are Jesus, the Son of Light!" a solemn voice boomed within his mind.
I... am Jesus? I am the Child of Light?
He hesitated, but the voice continued to echo, relentless and heavy.
"You are Jesus, you are the Son of Light!"
"You are Jesus, you are the Son of Light!!"
"You are Jesus, you are the Son of Light!!!"
The words came in bursts, never ceasing. Light began to coalesce around his phantom form, and an internal urge began to pressure him to accept the title.
"I am..." the phantom began slowly. The surrounding light swirled faster as he spoke.
But deep in his heart, a different impulse clawed its way to the surface.
"No! I am not the Child of Light, nor am I Jesus!" the phantom suddenly roared. "I am Kouta, I am the Lord of Light!"
BOOM!
The entire dimension erupted into chaos.
"You are the Son of Light, you are Jesus!" the voice screamed back, no longer just a thought, but a deafening roar echoing from every corner of the void.
The phantom figure let out a cold laugh. "I am Kouta, I am the Lord of Light! I am Kouta, I am the Master of Light!"
With every shout, the space trembled violently. Massive amounts of light condensed into his form, and his phantom figure began to solidify, slowly shaping into a human body.
"I AM KOUTA!"
With a final roar, the space shattered. In the endless void, a young man of unparalleled beauty appeared. He looked to be sixteen or seventeen years old, with a radiant, handsome face that would put anyone at ease.
The man kept his eyes closed for a long moment. When he finally opened them, they revealed piercing golden pupils. A slight smirk played on his lips, making him look incredibly alluring.
"I never imagined that I, Kouta, would have such an extraordinary encounter today," he murmured, looking down at his perfect physique.
Despite his joy, a shudder ran through him as he recalled the struggle. If his will had faltered for even a second, he would have become "Jesus"—a mere slave to the light. Instead, he had persevered and reaped an unimaginable reward.
In his past life, Kouta was just an ordinary otaku on Earth who had died in an accident. He never expected that the cross he held in his arms was actually a vessel for the power of faith gathered on Earth over thousands of years. It was a terrifying amount of energy, enough to turn any mortal into a supreme being.
On Earth, the laws of reality forbade the existence of gods, which was why the original Jesus had died a mortal death. The cross, the embodiment of that faith, had been lost until it fell into Kouta's hands. When he died, the cross carried his soul through the world's barriers into this void.
The power of faith had tried to force him to become the "God" people believed in, but Kouta had refused to lose himself. He remained Kouta, but now, he was the Master of Light. He didn't just serve the light; he controlled it.
The power of faith was now exhausted. Much of it had materialized into treasures of light under his command, while the rest had been used to construct his perfect body.
While he currently lacked "real" combat strength beyond some basic powers, Kouta felt relieved. He preferred power that was truly his own, rather than a borrowed divinity that might come with hidden traps.
However, he couldn't cultivate in this void, and as an ordinary guy at heart, he couldn't stand the thought of being alone here forever. Returning to Earth wasn't an option either—the laws there would likely crush his supernatural existence.
One day, he vowed to himself, when I am strong enough, I will change the rules of that world and go back. "I wonder where I will be reincarnated. I hope it's somewhere safe," Kouta mused with a slight smile. Though his body looked human, it was actually a body of pure light—a primordial spirit.
"Rebirth of Light!"
Kouta raised his hand, his voice ringing with authority. The void responded with a deafening roar. A blinding light erupted, forming a massive, rotating magic circle in front of him.
"Then, let's begin my new life."
He leaped into the circle, disappearing without a ripple.
........
"I never imagined the human body was so fragile. It limits me to less than one percent of my original strength."
In a quiet, deep forest, a stunningly handsome seven-year-old boy looked helplessly at his hands. In front of him, a large tree was scarred with deep fist marks.
This was Kouta, who had been reincarnated into this world eight years ago. His name in this life was Kouta Ackerman, and he had a twin sister named Mikasa Ackerman.
He had been stunned to realize he was in the world of Attack on Titan. Because he had traded his elemental body for a human one, his powers were severely restricted. He didn't have any specific cultivation techniques, so he spent his time using small traces of faith power to strengthen his physical body.
He didn't have much time left. He was eight, which meant in just one year, the traffickers would arrive. If he wasn't strong enough, he and his parents would become just another set of corpses in the Ackerman house.
Even if Mikasa survived, she would end up in the arms of Eren, the "protagonist" of this world's destiny.
The mere thought of that ignited a fierce fire of jealousy in his chest. He wouldn't allow it. His sister was his.
Becoming Mikasa's twin hadn't lessened his protectiveness; it had turned him into a total "siscon." To him, any man who dared to get too close to his sister was a dead man.
Beyond the traffickers, there was the threat of the Titans breaching the walls. To survive, he needed strength.
Kouta clenched his fist. "I can use some of my permissions now. Even at less than one percent, they should be powerful in this world. My only problem is that this body is still too weak to sustain the release of power for long."
"But I won't give up. I still have time!"
Despite his dissatisfaction, Kouta was already far beyond any normal human. The fist marks on the tree were proof—his strength already rivaled that of a grown man. The power of faith had enhanced his speed, agility, and reactions to a terrifying degree.
In a normal world, he might have relaxed, but this was a world of man-eating Titans. Kouta wanted a good life. He wanted to become strong enough to take his sister and mother away from this danger. He had a powerful treasure that could help, but it would take years before he could activate it.
He looked up at the sky and noticed the sun was dipping below the horizon.
"I need to get back quickly," he muttered. "Otherwise, they'll worry."