Prologue
"Ugh"
I groan painfully holding up my head. I remember walking home after buying groceries for dinner then suddenly a truck-kun strike.
I live a normal life like a normal high school students.
With average looks and grade. My athletic ability is also average.
Yep average. But I'm very happy with my life.
A loving family and a few friend who share same hobby.
I'm content living that way being a average boy you can find everywhere.
Ahhhh.. Why truck-kun?!
There's still so many game I wanna play and anime to watch.
"Ahem!"
Wha--!
Getting called out suddenly I began observing my surrounding and looking ahead where the voiced came from.
Pure white room.
Yes this is the best way to describe this place.
An office desk and chairs.
Except for me and another person there's nothing here.
I found myself sitting at the other chair while in front me…
A Goddess…
So beautiful! Ohh my god!
Smooth silky blue hair flowing like a water full , pretty blue eyes with long eyelashes and her face is perfect golden ratio. She wear a light-purple hagoromo emphasizing her godly figure and showing all of her curve with a modest chest.
I was dumbstruck staring the goddess intensely without blinking.
"Ahem!!"
"Yeah!"
Getting called out again breaking my trance I answer unconsciously.
"Hikimori Saiko-san, welcome to the afterlife. Unfortunately, you've died. It might've been short but your life's over."
The goddess anounced my current situation calmly like she's doing it countless times.
"Uhm..so I really died huh. So what's going to happen to me now? Ummm.. By the way you are?"
The girl in question stood up look to me and introduce herself.
" I'm Aqua, a Goddess who guide young people who died in Japan. Now listen carefully hikikomori-san--"
"No, actually my name is Hikomori."
"—Anyway. You have two option."
This goddess… wait Aqua?
That Aqua ?!
Holy moly, did I died and my soul got reincarnated in the kono suba wold?
But what a waste I didn't enjoy living in a fictional world instead my soul sent here in the afterlife right away.
Sigh..
No wonder this goddess is trying finish my business quickly with me and looks so bored.
This girl is very famous for being a useless goddess. In the story Satou kazuma the main character pick Aqua as cheat item and transported into isekai world. Together they do countless adventure with their party member: Megumi an arch wizard Loli who love explosion magic and Darkness a crusader who look like a noble knight at first but she's a masochists who like getting hurt. This isekai anime is very popular for those who love anime for comedic relief.
Personally I'm a fan of this anime.
"The first option would be reincarnating and beginning a new life; the other option would be staying in a place sort of like heaven and living the life of a retirement home."
Kazuma is right . What a lazy way to describe the situation.
But knowing what will happen next. I'm very excited for the third option.
And waited patiently.
"By the way. Personally I don't recommend going to heaven. Heaven isn't as great as you humans would imagine. You don't need to eat after dying and won't be able to make any food naturally; there aren't any ingredients nor necessities for you to use anyway. I'm sorry if I disappointed you, but there's nothing in heaven. No television, no manga and no games. Only other people that've died before you. Moreover, since you're dead, you can't do anything kinky. You can't since you don't even have a body. The only thing you can do is bask in the sun with your predecessors and chat. Forever."
I can't believe this goddess is describing heaven that way. Well knowing Aqua.
"if put it that way-."
"And for the other option-."
Oyy.
Don't ignored me my opinion here is very important.
"-reincarnating and begin a new life."
Aqua still talking like meeting a stranger for the first time and forgot it later on. I guess my life was very uninteresting that's why Aqua have zero interest in me unlike Kazuma death.
"You don't want to go to a boring place like heaven, right? However, asking you to let go of all of your memories and start again as a baby's the same as erasing your existence, since your memories will be gone. And so, I've great news for you!"
There it is!
Unlike Kazuma I will not pick Aqua as cheat item. I will live my life there to the fullest going adventure and hopefully I can get Megumin or Yunyun as my party member. Sorry kazuma I'm going ahead of you.
"Do you like games?"
Aqua ask me even though she already know the answer.
I didn't answer her question. I don't want my opinion got ignored again.
So I nod my head.
As usual Aqua proceed on explaining the current situation for the third option.
A fantasy world.
Just like any adventure game, a Demon king and his army wage war for the world domination to the human race causing the lost of countless number of life.
"The people who died in that world were killed by the Demon King's army and were very afraid, saying that they didn't want to die like that again. Therefore, almost all of the people who died rejected reincarnating in that world again. More specifically, that world will end if this continues since babies will cease to be born there. Hence, we'll solve that problem by sending the dead from other worlds over, right? That's how it is."
Basically we were just use to fill the soul shortage. Despite given an Op item or ability this goddess will not expect for any of us to succeeded in killing the demon king saving the world after all in her eyes we are just bunch of otaku teenagers who know nothing about fighting and harsh life.
"And since we're sending people over, we should find people that've died young and still yearn to live and send them over with their original body and memories. It'll be meaningless if they were to die immediately after going over, so we'll grant a privilege to all of those going to that world, allowing them to take one thing they like. It may be a powerful ability, an exceptional talent or a god-level weapon. What do you think? It might be another world, but you can live once more. For the people of that world, someone will appear who can fight immediately. How about it? Isn't this great news?"
Yep.
Great news my ass.
I don't know how many people before me got tempted by that sweet offer. This scene might look like a plot for an anime but in reality God was just desperate for new soul to avoid world crisis.
I admit compared to the other this one is the best choice. Getting isekaid going adventures with Op abilities is the dream of all otakus like me.
No more regrets.
"Okay, I will do it. I chose to be reborn in that world. I will slay the Demon king and save everyone!"
"Oh my hero-sama everyone will be delighted for a heroic person like you to be sent there. Now I can feel ease with you being there."
Dammit stop with the Flattery.
Sigh…
"Please choose. I may grant you one and only one power. It may be a powerful unique ability, or perhaps a legendary weapon. Come, it can be anything. You have the privilege to bring this one thing to the other world."
Aqua took a bunch cards and scatter it on the table for me to examine.
Since this my lifeline in that dangerous world I need take it seriously.
Items like legendary sword might do the work for easy kill but my swordsmanship skill is very low for that. The same for the other weapon I don't want to spent my time there training and mastering the weapon to use it effectively.
And for the ability like magic….
"I choose this one."
Saying that after taking the card and show it to Aqua.
"Let's see you choose… 'Root of Origin'. An ability to restore anything to its original state. Oh my a very powerfull healing spell, but hero-sama this might be powerful but it has no damage output how can you kill the demon king with this. Don't tell me all the talk about saving everyone is a lie Hikikomori-san?! "
Now I'm back for being hikikomori-san.
For that one Aqua has a point. That world is very dangerous getting an OP cheat that has high damage is most optimal option but not for me. There are reason for that why I choose a healing ability. First safety, with this spell I can avoid getting serious injury that may lead to my death during a fight. Second party, with this ability I can join a party easily even Im a beginner. Lastly, there's additional effect for this ability that is +1000 intelligence. In that world the status is sign for hierarchy specially the different classes. With high intelligence I can become a mage or some sort unlike Kazuma who start as all around adventurer.
"You are right about that Aqua-sama but to save everyone and slay the demon king I need companions. People who are strong and trust their lives to me. Together I will lead everyone and fight together to save everyone. To do that I believe this ability will be helpfull to achieve that. I know my limits and know I don't have a talent like shounen protagonist who fight against all odds but I will do my best support everyone for world peace!"
After spouting bullshit passionately I waited for Aqua reactions.
And the goddess after calm herself took depth breath and look to me.
"I'm sorry for doubting your choice hero-sama. Your really are kind I hope you right in your choice and successful in your quest. As a Goddess I can pray for your safety bless you to live long life. Now let's finish this quickly there's still dead souls waiting on the line."
Oyy Useless Goddess your showing your true color. I can't believe I was moved after listening halfway but this girl ruined everything.
"Please stand there and don't move out of the magic circle."
I did I was told and waited nervously.
This is it!
I don't know what expect there but I will definitely make myself famous there. I refuse to stay as average character.
" Hikimori Saiko-san, 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."
That gift is to grant any wish. If somehow I manage to defeat the Demon king I wonder what kind of wish I will ask for….
"It's a gift befitting to someone who become a saviour of the world. You'll be granted a wish. It may anything you want. "
The magic circle is getting brighter. I can feel it I don't now anything about magic but I feel it a new world is opening for me.
"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!"
"Goodbye Aqua-sama and thank you for the gift, I hope we will meet each other again."
After saying my goodbye a bright light surrounded me and I dissolved in a golden light…..