My name is Akira Hayashi.Seventeen years of life, zero accomplishments, and one extremely embarrassing death.
No, seriously. If you're imagining something heroic—saving a child from a truck, sacrificing myself to stop a runaway train—stop.My story begins with something far less glorious.
I died because I slipped on a convenience-store rice ball.
Yes. A rice ball. I stepped on it, slid like a cartoon character, crashed into a vending machine, and—boom—lights out.If there's an afterlife report card, I'm getting an F for "dignity."
When I opened my eyes again, I was no longer lying on a cold tiled floor. Instead, I found myself floating in a place that looked like someone spilled glitter across the universe. Endless lights shimmered like stars drifting through water.
"Welcome, Akira Hayashi," a gentle voice said from behind me.
I turned around—and instantly forgot how to breathe.
A woman floated in front of me, wearing a dress made of silver light. Her hair resembled the night sky, long and flowing, dotted with tiny constellations. Her eyes, golden and calm, seemed to watch the past, present, and future all at once.
"Uh… hi?" I managed. "Did I… is this… you know… the afterlife?"
She smiled softly. "You could say that. I am Lyria, a goddess who oversees the flow of souls."
A goddess.A literal goddess.
Of all the ways I expected my death to go, none included meeting a cosmic supermodel.
Before I could say anything else, she continued, "You died earlier than expected. A rather unconventional accident."
I covered my face with both hands. "Please don't tell me you saw it."
"I see everything," she replied gracefully.
"…I want to die again."
"You already did."
"…Right."
The goddess chuckled, and with a wave of her hand, a small floating screen appeared beside me. It displayed my life like a slideshow—me sleeping in class, me microwaving instant ramen at 3 a.m., me stepping on that cursed rice ball.
"Okay, please stop that," I groaned.
"Very well." She dismissed the screen. "Let us move on to your choices."
"Choices?"
She nodded. "Normally, a soul like yours would return to the cycle of reincarnation. However, your death was… abrupt. So, as compensation, you are eligible for Special Reincarnation."
"Special…?"
"Indeed. A new world. A new body. A new life. And one gift of your choosing."
My brain froze.
This was… this was every fantasy geek's dream.
"A fantasy world?" I asked.
"Yes. One filled with magic, monsters, kingdoms, and adventure. Perhaps even romance, should fate allow it."
"Magic," I whispered. "You mean I can use magic?"
"If that is your desire."
This wasn't a hallucination. This wasn't a prank. I was genuinely being offered the chance to start over in a world straight out of the games and novels I adored.
"Then… I choose—"
"Wait," she interrupted. "Before you choose, there is something you must know."
Her eyes darkened, and the glittering space around us dimmed.
"There is a reason this opportunity exists," she said. "The world I will send you to is… unstable. A great threat stirs within it, one that may soon devour everything."
My excitement cooled.
"You want me to fight it?" I asked.
"Only if you choose to. Your fate is your own. Whether you rise as a hero, live quietly in the countryside, or spend your days in a tavern eating meat skewers, it is your decision."
"So… no prophecy forcing me?"
"None," she said. "But know this: you have the potential to become extraordinary."
She raised a hand toward me, her palm glowing with soft blue light.
"Now, Akira Hayashi. Tell me.What is the one gift you desire for your new life?"
The light wrapped around me. My next words would shape my destiny—maybe this world's fate too.
I took a deep breath.
"I choose…"
Everything faded to white.