Not sure what to put here but this is an experiment. Please let me know how I can do better.
Well, this is definitely different.
I was sitting in the middle of a... void of nothingness, with complete darkness surrounding me. I could make out myself and the chair I was on, but apart from that I was clueless as to what was going on.
Was I kidnapped? Not like I have any money, so I hope they let me go soon. Then again maybe this is just some weird dream. Don't these usually have some hidden meaning behind them?
As I was wondering about my predicament, a spotlight suddenly came on, making me recoil at the brightness. I blinked a couple of times before I could fully see what they were showing.
It was a girl, probably around the age of a high schooler. She was extraordinarily pretty, and I could say with confidence she was the most beautiful person I've ever met, even if she was a kid. With long blue hair and eyes, she stared at me with a small smile.
"Kaito Kamiyama, I'm afraid to tell you that you've died. Welcome to the afterlife."
Now that I could finally see my surroundings, I looked around to see that the room I was in extended as far as I could see. When I looked down, to my disbelief the chair I was sitting on was floating midair.
After a few seconds I registered what she said.
"I... died? What are you taking about? I was just at work a few minutes ago. And how do you know my name?"
She shook her head in a way that suggested she was annoyed.
"Why do you humans always have to be in denial? It's honestly pretty sad, seeing you try to cling to a life that's gone out."
I had no idea what this girl was saying but it made me slightly annoyed. Still, I calmed myself down and thought about what I remembered before this.
I was at my job at the office, just working on some papers leftover from the day before. Nothing unusual happened there to my recollection. I talked to my boss, a lax guy who was always trying to get me to loosen up, and showed him that I'd finished. Then I packed up my stuff and left for home. After that...
...A flash of pain?
Oh.
I sat in silence. I understood now.
I'd had an unhealthy heart ever since I was a kid. I was able to make it to this point with the help of treatment, but I guess this was the breaking point.
I sighed. And then sighed again. And then I spoke to the girl.
"So I'm dead, huh?"
She smiled once more and nodded her head.
I stared at her for a moment expectantly, waiting for her to do something. She blinked and cleared her throat dramatically, as if to make a speech.
"Well then! I'll thank you for making this quicker than usual. Having to sit through people crying and moaning for hours on end gets tiring."
She extended her hands out, and continued talking.
"My name is Aqua, and I'm a goddess who guides the souls of people who die in Japan. Now that you've died, you have two options."
A goddess... I guess that makes sense. Though I never actually really believed in these things before.
"The first option is to begin a new life, by being reincarnated as a baby. The second option would be to go to heaven and spend your time there."
That's it? Kind of disappointing but I guess that's how it is.
"I guess I'd like to go to heaven then. Having my identity wiped wouldn't be great."
Aqua pulled a form out of what seemed to be nowhere, and flipped to a page before handing it to me.
"Alrighty! Just sign here and we'll be ready to go."
A bad feeling came over me. I'd seen my fair share of forms with some sort of hidden detail in the terms and conditions during my job.
Scanning over it, I quickly returned it to Aqua.
She tilted her head, confused. "Huh? What's this about?"
"I didn't realize heaven would entail not being able to do literally anything at all. This seems more like some kind of hell."
"So you'd like to be reborn then?"
I became still. Both of these options seemed terrible.
I slowly began to talk. "I don't know. Is there like a third option or something else I could do...?"
Aqua narrowed her eyes at me, and began to recite something, as if she was reading off a paper.
"Kaito Kamiyama. Age: 24. Description: Lived his life always following the rules, doing what he was told, and making sure he didn't cause trouble for others. He grew up to become an office worker and died of a heart attack. Deepest Regret: He wishes-"
"Okay okay, please stop reciting all that!"
I quickly interrupted her. "How do you know about my life?"
She rolled her eyes. "Goddess, remember? Anyways, there is a third option, but I don't think you'd be a good fit for it. I mean, you're an old geezer!"
Since when was 24 considered old!? If this girl wasn't a goddess I'm not sure if I could control myself from yelling at her.
"Can't you at least let me decide for myself? What exactly makes me unsuitable for this option?"
Aqua smirked a bit, and then nodded to herself.
"Alright. Listen up because I'm only going to explain once!"
What followed was a long winded story about another world.
Apparently it was plagued by all sorts of evil brought on by the Demon King, and people were dying left and right.
There was also magic and monsters, like in a video game.
"The people who died in that world were killed by the Demon King's army and were really afraid, saying that they didn't want to die like that again. That's why almost all of the people who died rejected reincarnating there again. That world will end if this continues, since babies will stop being born there. That's why we'll solve that problem by sending the dead from other worlds over!"
What kind of a terrifying world is that? People are so traumatized they don't want to go back?
"It would be meaningless to send over people just to have them die though, so as a present we'll grant anyone who goes one thing of their choosing. It could be a powerful ability, a weapon, or a special talent. They just need to use it to attempt to take down the Demon King."
I see. This is interesting. Aqua was kind of right about me not being a good fit for this though. Not because of my age or anything, but I'm not really the kind of guy that likes to get into fights...
Still, this seems like the most reasonable option out of the three. Guess I got to just go with it.
I looked Aqua in the eyes. "I'll do it."
She looked slightly amused, and shrugged. Pulling out something that looked like a catalogue, she handed it to me.
My eyes widened at the variety I could choose from.
There were all sorts of things. I haven't played video games in a long time, but I could recognize that these were all extremely strong. Like cheats or something.
Maybe I should pick something simple like a stat boost? Or what about...
Ah, my indecision was kicking in. I should probably pick quickly before it gets worse.
Skimming through the pages of the catalogue, I eventually found something that caught my attention.
"Become blessed with the power of a supporter unlike any other? Hm."
This would allow me to stay back from the fight while still contributing right? Though it would require me to gather a party to do anything...
I stared at the page for a few seconds longer, and then made up my mind. Calling Aqua over I showed her my choice.
She smiled and spread her arms out. As she did, a magic circle appeared beneath my feet.
"Kaito Kamiyama, you'll be heading to another world now and will become one of the hero candidates to defeat the Demon King. You'll receive a gift from the gods the moment you defeat the Demon King. Though that's unlikely."
I blinked, nervous for what was about to happen. "A gift?"
"That's right, a gift befitting the savior of the world. You'll be granted a wish, it can be anything you want."
Could I go back to Japan after? If I could, then I'd be ecstatic.
Aqua looked at me dramatically. The magic circle began to shine, and a light was filling my view.
"Hero, may you be victorious among the many hero candidates and be the one to defeat the Demon King! Well then, I bid you farewell!"
And with that last line, I vanished.
