As far as I can remember myself, I never had big goals, nor I dreamed about something big. I may dislike it, but a man could describe me with few words: just a guy. Once in middle school, I was sick and couldn't attend the sports festival. I feared my teacher would dislike me for that, he was quite conservative and strict, especially if it's about class attendance – "huh, you were sick yesterday? Whatever, I didn't even notice. Anyway, Fukuhara, sit down, the lesson begins" – I felt a strange combo of emotions. Of course, I was relieved that my teacher wasn't mad at me, but, for real, I'd prefer if he was mad at me at this point. Nevertheless, I don't have any regrets in my life until now. I may not be the main character of this manga, but I don't mind. I wanted to study economics and live an ordinary life, but I had to pass the entry exam first. That was the plan, at least. On that day, I woke up earlier than usually. I ate the breakfast my mother kindly prepared for me and hit the road to the university. The roads were covered in puddles from the recent downpour. The puddles themselves reflected perfectly the gray sky filled with thick clouds. Although I was on my time, I did panic a bit and ran on the street. There was that zebra crossing right next to a bus stop, with a bus parked right there. I was too reckless and tried to cross it without checking if there was a car behind the bus that tried to overpass it. To be honest, it's not like I had big hopes of getting accepted into Tōdai, but I didn't expect to be hit by a truck on my way to it. Certainly not – "Crap, what a shameful way to die" – I thought. I mean, honestly, from all death scenarios, the heaven decided to give me that cliché death? It's a painful, slow death, with a possibility of surviving it and becoming a cripple for the rest of my life, yet so banal death that you read in almost every second manga. Just think about it! Imagine a mafia fight with the police and one guy accidentally sends a bullet directly into your head! Or I could interfere and help the police officers but die in the end. I'd be a hero then! At least my death wouldn't be as pathetic as my life, and someone would remember me. But no! A pathetic death for a pathetic dude. I said I had no regrets? Well, screw it, I do! Ah, nice, now I barely feel my body below my chest. At least the pain is getting dull, and I feel strange, cold and hot at the same time. I guess I won't survive it? Thanks heavens, they at least spared me of a crippled and even more pathetic life! Then I slowly passed away…
…
I heard a voice, an unfamiliar voice I didn't know yet – "w..p, whaeup" – I couldn't understand what the voice said. Is it God? Does it mean I'm not worthy to understand God's words? I wasn't religious during my life, maybe I should have actually converted to Christianity? It was certainly too late to think about it… but, perhaps if I begged God or accepted him at my last moments I'll be saved? What was it… I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior… but wait, what if the true God is the Muslim God? … I think it was something like La illaha ila… Then I suddenly felt like someone gave me a slap on my face… a divine slap indeed. Should I consider it a blessing?
"Wake up already, Kid" – the voice became clear, I slowly opened my eyes.
First everything was blurry, I didn't understand where I was, seemed like it's the heavens! Then everything became clear, I'm not gonna lie, I was disappointed at first when I realized I was sitting on a normal chair and in front of me a guy sitting behind an office desk.
"Ah crap, does it mean I survived?" — I automatically assumed the person in front of me was a police officer who had to ask me questions about the incident.
"What's wrong with those young people nowadays… Anyway, Fukuhara Kazuya, do you remember what happened?"
"I was hit by a truck, sir?"
"Are you asking me that?"
"No, I was hit by a truck indeed" – it felt strange to say that. I didn't feel any pain and I had no injuries, so I must have died. Is this place supposed to be a heaven thing? I had no other explanation.
"That's right, you were hit by our truck."
"Am I dead?"
"Difficult to answer… yes, but no."
This certainly wasn't the answer I was looking after, but it proved my thoughts, well, at least a bit. I died, yet am still alive, so I must have been reincarnated. Anyway, I doubt the man in front of me is a God, at least not a familiar God I'd know. The man looked average at first, maybe around 30 years old, short black hair, a 3-days beard and tired-looking eyes. Actually, without those tired eyes, he would look quite handsome. Was he tired because he had to deal with people like me, with reincarnations and stuff?
"With that said, do you want to take a small walk with me?"
"Pardon…"
The man sighed, watching my face become confused by his question. He stood up and walked to the door.
"Just shut up and follow me"
"Yes, sir"
The place seemed to look like a company, as we exit the door, we were in the middle of a narrow hallway with dozens of doors on both sides of it. Walking through it was strange, it felt just like if the hallway had no end. At the very end of the hallway there was an elevator. As I entered it I was quite shocked looking at all those buttons, apparently this is a big building and it has 11 floors. The man pushed the button to the 7th floor.
"So, Kazuya, where do you think we are?"
"Is it some kind of checkpoint between lives?"
"You could say it like this, sure. There are plenty of people who seek for a better life, even if that means that you must die in your world and reincarnate in an unfamiliar one." As he finished his sentence, we arrived at the 7th floor, the elevators' door opened, and I witnessed a big office filled with plenty of desks with computers. There were 5, maybe 6 rows of desks and, I'd say without counting, around 10 desks in a single row and the same amount of office workers per row. Although we were on the 7th floor, I saw only endless clouds outside the windows. It looked like the building was built on one of the clouds.
"Take a look, here we deal with souls that wish to immigrate into a different world"
"Are you some kind of servants of God?"
"No, Gods are our clients. They profit the most from all of this. Let's say that a world x has a serious crisis going on, perhaps a famine or pandemic, the God or Gods of that specific world ask us if we have suitable candidates with the right skills to solve their crisis. We then interview our candidates, find out their skills, character, and ambitions and if they suit the task, we introduce them to our clients."
"Will I be transferred to a different world as well?"
"Unfortunately for you, no. Your death was an accident, caused mostly because you were reckless and didn't notice our truck."
"Your truck?"
"Yes, it's a truck that transfers forcefully souls here, our target was an economist that was 20 meters ahead of you."
"So… what will happen to me then?"
"Say, do you like the environment here?"
"Um, I dunno, it seems pretty peaceful and chill."
The man sighed once more. He was definitely annoyed by something.
"How to say it in the most respectful way, mh? After the incident, we thought we could fill any passing request by your soul. However…"
"However, what?"
He looked at me with some note of hidden pain.
"Well, you are not a suitable candidate for any of them. To put it bluntly: you are penniless as a hero.."
It was different hearing something like this from someone else. I always had the same feelings, but when those thoughts came to life, I could feel nothing but anxiety and disappointment in myself.
"But…"
"Can you accord the prophecy that will take everything from you, just to become a hero surrounded by the ashes?"
"N… no"
"Have you ever worked as a carpenter? Had an interest at least?"
"N… no"
"Can you last with ten women?"
"…"
"I know what you are thinking about. That was a rhetorical question."
I looked down at my feet. The man continued:
"You could work here. I hate to say it, but I see no value in you to be transferred in whatever world. But I also hate to send you to death because of that."
"Death? But I'm already dead, though?"
"You are dead for your previous world, but your soul still exists. You see, not every soul comes here, and not all of them are useful for us. The useless souls are being erased."
"What do you mean by erased?"
"Literal death. You don't exist anymore after that. You have no consciousness, you just stop existing. And because you were not our target from the very beginning, I'm forced to erase you, except if you are interested in working for us here, for the same "useless" souls as you. So, what are your thoughts? Think about it carefully."
The idea that I might just disappear at once gave me a shiver. No, I was not delusional, I expected that an afterlife does not exist, but nevertheless the realization that it really doesn't exist is frightening. What is it? How am I going to feel? I don't exist, so I won't feel anything, right? It's frightening. I don't want to disappear, at least not by my own free choice. "I think I'll accept your offer" – I said with a frightened voice.
"I respect your choice. Forgive me, I haven't introduced me yet. Call me Yamazaki, I am but a mere team manager here. Please, follow me to our branch manager's office."
I've got a contract to sign, it was a big contract with plenty of pages, but I had no opportunity to read it, but it's not like I would like to read it voluntarily… Yamazaki took my hand, made a stitch on my thumb and pressed it on the contract. The blood stamp of my thumb suddenly shone light red for a moment and then became normal again. Was it a magic? Probably. Maybe magic does exist outside this… I mean my old world.
"Ah, apparently, forgot to tell you. You can't resign from this job. Not even death will save you. To be more precise, there is no "death" here. You will live and work for almost an eternity here. Have fun!"
Huh? What is the meaning of all this? I was confused. Really confused. When I returned to the big office hall, I found a free desk right next to the window, I thought no one used it and took the place for myself.
"Huh, why are the effects activated?" — asked a dude who walked pass me. He clapped his hands, and the windows suddenly changed the view. The endless clouds disappeared, a normal city sight was there instead.
"Excuse me, is it also an effect?"
"What do you mean? It's a city."
"What city? Do the Gods live there?"
"I dunno which Gods you mean, but it's just an ordinary city where we all live, together with other transferred souls."
Huh?
…
"Ha-ha-ha" – annoyingly laughed my friend and colleague – "so, you want to tell me, that you were tricked by Yamazaki to sign the contract? That sneaky dude just wanted a salary increase, and you took the bait of "eternal death"." – an uncontrollable laugh took control over Saru's body.
"Screw off, Saru. How were I supposed to know that my soul can't get erased? Moreover, how were I supposed to know that I could live here and do a different thing for a living, knowing that I could then have the possibility of transferring my soul to a different world?"
"Well, now it's over. You signed the "slave" contract. At least you have me! He-he. Please, take care of me, senior!"
In overall, that's how I started my "eternal" life as a Divine Reincarnation HR Ltd. employee started. I had to watch 20 hours of video tutorial and read 500 pages to start working, as someone could think, there is no such thing as "educating a newbie" here. You are truly independent! If I only knew something like this would happen to me… I'd choose to be transferred into a world with human unfriendly environment instead. Oh, dear mother! Please take me back!