The world I’m living in now is completely different from the world I experienced before.

I’m not sure if reincarnation is real or if I’ve been transmigrated from another universe, or if I’m just a character who somehow missed the memory reset process before being thrown into this new world. All I know is that the moment I was born into this world, as I left my mother’s womb and was placed in the infant incubator, I became acutely aware that I possessed a vivid and complete memory of someone else’s life. Sure, I could delve into investigating whether the “me” in those memory truly corresponds to the newborn version of myself, or if they were simply implanted by some mad scientist. However, that would be far too troublesome, so I’ll just accept those memories as remnants from my past life.

In any case, being someone who retains memories from a previous life, I quickly realized the stark differences between this world and the one I inhabited before, as soon as my vision began to develop and I could see this world clearly. (Just a side note for those unfamiliar with this fact, an infant’s vision is still developing after birth. Initially, they perceive light in black and white, and gradually colors start to emerge over the course of about a year.)

In that very moment, I recognized the notion of the “billions of world” from Buddhism, and I wholeheartedly agree that this world operates on a distinct set of rules compared to my previous existence. Therefore, I anticipate that the laws of destiny, faith and everything else work differently here than what I had come to understand in my past world…otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to explain the multitude of doubts that have arisen since my arrival in this new reality.

To give you a clearer idea, let’s start with something most of us can related to. Remember when we were kids and watched shows specifically made for children? I’m sure you’re familiar with those animations that target little girls. They typically feature a cute girl with magical powers, fighting off the bad guys to save the world. And if you happen to be a fan of J-anime, you’re probably well aware of the significant role that magical girl – or MahoShojo – franchise plays in the market.

Now, this is a world where magical girls exist. It’s a world where schoolgirls possess magic and are entrusted with the responsibility of defeating creepy creature that most humans can’t handle. It’s a real world, where everything that was vaguely mentioned in those kids’ series turns out to be true. The fact that humans would perish in monster invasions, and that the magical girls would meet a dreadful fate if they failed to defeat those creatures – it’s all a reality here.

We’ll delve into the details later, but the main difference between this world and my previous one is that magical girls are, indeed, armed forces under the government. They have the duty of protecting this world from the encroaching darkness, and handling matters that ordinary humans are incapable of. Despite their fancy outfit, enchanting appearances, incredible magic and magical weapons, it should be important to remember that they are vulnerable, underage girls who should be protected by adults. Yet, here we are, the adults being safeguarded by these young hands. All we can do is watching in awe as they bravely face those eerie monsters on the front lines, fully aware of the risk that come with their heroic act.

These girls are genuine action heroes, known to everyone in this world.

They have fancy hair in pastel or rainbow-mix colors. They wear gorgeous, light and fluffy outfits that doesn’t seem to offer any defensive capabilities as battle attire. Despite lacking strong muscles, they possess the incredible ability to halt a thrown truck that could easily crush an ordinary person into pieces. They even shout out those cheesy spells and runes to summon their magical power. It’s like watching someone loudly proclaiming the moves from Dragon Ball in real life – I’m sure you can feel how awkward it is, but it is considered a normal scene in this world.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

When I was in my mom’s lap, watching TV with her, I thought I was witnessing some kind live-action children show. Little did I know, it was actually a TV news report featuring reporters in helmet and safety gear, capturing the moment when those MahoShojos were in the midst of battle. That’s when I realized that the fancy, untarnished hair amidst explosions was real, the seemingly gorgeous yet practical outfits were indeed battle gear, and the formidable magical power capable of obliterating monsters were undeniably real.

Since that moment, these thoughts have consumed my mind, causing me to be oblivious to my parents’ interactions. Eventually, they took me to a specialist who diagnosed me with “developmental delays or possibly Autism spectrum disorders”. Strange enough, this diagnosis has somewhat explained why I frequently engage in activities beyond my peers’ comprehension and even earned me the label of a child prodigy. In a way, it has saved me from many troubles.

During my childhood, I embarked on a journey of exploration before even entering primary school. Not the typical “infant exploring the world in their own way” as scientists describe, but as an individual with a mature mind, uncovering the intricate differences that abound in this world.

First of all, magic is real. It’s akin to how the discovery of electricity revolutionized electronic technology. In this world, we have mana power – the power that fuel magic – which had given rise to mana technology. However, electronic technology gained more popularity for various reasons, resulting in a world that relies on a combination of electronic and mana technologies. That might explain why the everyday appliances I see resemble those from my previous world, although I’m uncertain if their internal components are the same.

Nowadays, it seems that fewer people are pursuing magic as a skill, at least based on the news. The criteria for becoming a magic user are quite limited, as only those who born with the ability to manipulate mana can harness its power. However, possessing this ability doesn’t guarantee becoming a proficient magic user. Instead, learning about electric circuits appears to hold greater promise. Regardless of whether one able to use mana or not, understand circuitry simply requires dedicated effort in learning.

As a result, those who possess knowledge are held in high esteem, and those who excel in its use become famous. The MahoShojos, in particular, are hailed as superstar magic user. They are the strongest, most skilled, coolest, and visually appealing practitioners of magic, always maintaining a flawless image in front of the public and media while safeguarding people in times of danger. They are the heroes whom everyone looks up to.

Secondly, I can’t help but sense that there are some flaws in this world.

It’s akin to when you develop a computer game using code - there are always bugs that required fixing. I believe this world has similar “bugs” or flaws, some might call them inconsistencies, gaps or whatever term suits. And due to these flaws, the “dark energy” managed to invade this world. Nevertheless, according to the experts in the news, the frequency and strength of the foreign power infiltrating this world have diminished. Therefore, I hold the believe that this world has managed to address some of its flaws, and will continue to improve over time.

But at the same time, the weaker invasions make the battles between MahoShojos and those creatures seem like child’s play, and the media creates more and more clickbait titles just to attract audiences. It’s misleading, though, made me believe that this world was as unrealistically nice as the world of J-anime MahoShojo when I was a child. I thought it was a great world where no one would die from cancer, where no one harbored jealousy or hatred in their hearts, and where there was no war, and everybody lived happily ever after.

But no, this is a real world, a world where dark energy can cause death.