Chapter 18: Tower of Paradise
Do you crave power?
Or is it money and influence you desire—something you can wield over others, bending them to your will?
Everything you've ever dreamed of is possible in the Tower of Paradise.
The Tower doesn't discriminate. It will give you everything you want, but only if you can take it.
Each floor is a new challenge, a different test. The higher you climb, the more power, wealth, and influence you can claim for yourself.
But it won't be easy. Each step up pushes you harder, forces you to adapt, to fight, to survive.
The Tower isn't just a place—it's a multiverse contained within itself.
On one floor, you might find yourself in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where high school girls with psychotic smiles roam the streets, slaying zombies for fun.
On another, you could walk into the legendary Arthurian Era and stand face-to-face with Artoria Pendragon herself.
Want to throw yourself into the chaos of the Sengoku Period?
You can choose to aid Oda Nobunaga in her conquest or destroy her dreams entirely.
The possibilities are endless. Angels, devils, gods, and monsters—all have a place in the Tower.
Every world, every era, every timeline you can imagine is just a floor away.
And when you step into the Tower, everything will belong to you. That's the promise. That's the temptation.
But this is no fairy tale. No one knows the Tower's limits, how many floors exist, or how long it would take to reach its peak.
And the biggest mystery of all?
What happens when someone finally stands at the top.
This is the Tower of Paradise, where dreams and nightmares collide.
Will you risk it all to climb?
I attentively listened to the guide of the tower as she spoke endlessly about its history, structure, and significance.
Ishigami Yu, standing beside me, didn't even bother to hide his annoyance as the guide continued her ramblings, delivering what he clearly considered common knowledge.
He let out an exaggerated yawn, his disinterest blatantly obvious.
Because he was a man, the guide neither reprimanded him nor showed any signs of irritation.
Instead, she carried on with her explanations, undeterred by his lack of respect.
"Hayasaka, should we just head straight to the tower and get this over with? Her explanations are annoyingly repetitive. I honestly can't figure out why the school hired her as our guide," Ishigami Yu complained in a low but distinctly exasperated voice.
"Listen to her," I replied with a casual shrug. "The school must have some reason for hiring her. Maybe there's something important we can learn."
I perked up my ears, straining to gather any worthwhile information about the tower amidst her droning speech.
"Meh, I'm out," Ishigami Yu muttered. "Too lazy to listen to this any longer."
With a soft snort, he waved me off and bid a halfhearted farewell, striding straight toward the tower without a care for decorum or the guide's ongoing lecture.
I was left pondering whether I should follow him or remain where I was and continue to listen.
Honestly, I shared Yu's sentiments; her explanations felt superficial and uninspired.
It was as if she were a salesperson more intent on marketing the tower's grandeur than explaining its deeper significance or how we might truly benefit from the experience.
Just as I was weighing my options, I spotted Kaguya waving at me from a short distance away.
Deciding she would be a far more insightful conversationalist than the guide, I walked over to her without hesitation.
"Hayasaka-kun, how are you finding your first visit to the Tower of Paradise?" she asked softly, her tone carrying a gentle curiosity.
"I don't know," I replied, casting a doubtful glance at the towering structure. "It's not as amazing as I thought it would be, to be honest."
Perhaps it was the guide's lackluster explanations that soured the mood, or maybe my own wandering thoughts were to blame.
I couldn't shake the notion that spending time with Kaguya was far more appealing than climbing the tower itself.
"You'll like it eventually," Kaguya said, her lips curling into a mysterious smile.
She didn't press me for details, and her calm assurance was oddly comforting.
I shrugged again, allowing myself a small smile in return.
"Anyway, let me introduce you to my guild members; I'm sure you will like them," Kaguya said with a graceful smile, seamlessly changing the topic.
I nodded in agreement, curiosity flickering in my mind. I was eager to meet her guild members, not just to see who they were but also to learn more about the guild itself, which, to my mild irritation, wasn't adequately explained by the Guide of the Tower by School.
"Miss Kaguya, why have you brought my brother into this?" my sister asked, her tone laced with a mixture of irritation and concern.
Her brows furrowed, especially when her sharp eyes caught the sight of Kaguya holding my arm rather intimately.
There was a subtle but unmistakable edge of jealousy in her expression, though she masked it quickly, her features returning to a semblance of neutrality.
"Ah…! Hayasaka-kun, are you the rumored brother of Ai-chan and Kaguya's boyfriend?" Fujiwara Chika suddenly appeared out of nowhere, her bubbly energy impossible to ignore as she jumped in front of me.
Her curious eyes studied me with childlike enthusiasm, though her interest didn't carry the weight of genuine attraction.
No, it was more of a mischievous curiosity than anything romantic.
Well, what could I expect, anyway?
In the canon timeline, she was fiercely loyal to Kaguya.
Perhaps that same loyalty extended here as well.
Who knew?
"He is not Miss Kaguya's boyfriend, Miss Chika," my sister, Hayasaka Ai, corrected her with a firm tone.
Her words carried an air of finality, and Chika quickly picked up on the mood.
Sticking out her tongue playfully, she grinned at Ai.
"I'm just joking, Ai-chan. No need to get so defensive."
Actually, I doubted she was joking, I mused.
After all, Kaguya and I had already done what most would consider far beyond what boyfriends and girlfriends are expected to do.
If this were the anime version of Kaguya, she would have blushed furiously, her thin skin betraying her embarrassment at such teasing.
But here?
It was a reversed world, after all. Her reactions were entirely different. Instead of being embarrassed by their teasing, she appeared amused, her calm demeanor mirroring my own.
"Enough joking, Chika. Let me properly introduce you," Kaguya said with a tone of authority, though her smile softened the edges of her words. "Hayasaka-kun, this is Chika. And Chika, this is Hayasaka-kun—or Hayasaka Raiden, if he grants you permission to use his full name."
Chika blinked for a moment, processing the introduction, before offering her hand with an eager grin.
"Hayasaka Raiden," I said, accepting her handshake with a firm grip.
"Fujiwara Chika," she replied with a wide grin. "I must say, Hayasaka-kun, you're far more polite than I expected!"
I simply shrugged, offering no comment on her observation.
Perhaps her impression of men leaned toward the idea that most of them were rude.
Well, she wasn't entirely wrong in that regard.
Ishigami Yu, for example, didn't mince his words when speaking. Still, I felt I might be judging too quickly, but my overall impression of men in this world aligned with that notion—they seemed to speak their minds freely without much regard for subtlety or social decorum.
For now, at least.
Impressions, of course, could change with time. As I met more people and explored this world more thoroughly, my perspective might evolve.
For now, I resolved to keep an open mind about it all.
"Argh...! I'm so jealous of you, Kaguya. I wish I had a boyfriend like Hayasaka-kun too," Fujiwara Chika exclaimed in envy tone.
Her words, however, making Kaguya and Ai's faces darken simultaneously at her quip.
They glared at her with murderous intent, and Chika, as witty as ever, quickly backpedaled.
"Hahaha... I'm just joking, Kaguya," she said, sticking out her tongue playfully.
"I hope so," Kaguya murmured, her voice laced with subtle warning.
The atmosphere turned awkward. None of us said anything as we walked side by side.
However, compared to her previously casual and intimate demeanor, Kaguya's hold on me now felt more possessive and territorial.
She kept glaring at Chika, her sharp gaze fixed on her every move.
Chika, whether oblivious to the shift in mood or intentionally ignoring it, maintained her usual cheerful demeanor, chatting with my sister with relentless enthusiasm.
My sister, however, answered her mechanically, her tone clearly disinterested in whatever Chika was saying.
I guess this is my life now…
My Anime Reversed World Life.