With a flash of light, a varied assortment of school uniform-wearing teenagers and random people of multiple ages were deposited in a white void. Immediately upon regaining their sentences,
"Where are we!"
"Is this something out of a manga?"
"I CAN WALK! MY LEGS ARE BACK!"
"I was hit by a truck…"
However, no one showed up to suddenly and grandly claim 'You're getting reincarnated!" or anything like that. Instead, faint voices could be heard from what seemed like a thin, black line in reality, just floating there with a doorknob. A few members put their ears to the outline, and heard voices on the other side.
"Alright everyone!" A female voice yelled. "Get ready to record this time's batch!"
"Yes Miss Reina!" A chorus of eager voices replied, and the shuffling of feet transitioned into the sound of office chair wheels rolling into position. Then, the doorknob turned, and out came a woman in a white dress with flowing green hair. "Ooh, a bunch of eavesdroppers this time!"
"Who are you, and where are we!" One of the people demanded.
"Give me a sec, where did I put that…" The woman ruffled through her dress and pulled out a thick manual of papers. "Alright, let's get this started. I'm Reina, this world's Goddess of Reincarnation. And as a few of you have probably already guessed, yes, you're being sent to another world."
Excited mutters arose from the crowd when they realised they were either getting a second chance at life, or the chance to live out their wildest fantasies.
"Quiet down, everyone, you might miss something." Reina cleared her throat and carried on, reading down the list as she went. "So, first things first, this world is going to be what some of your predecessors have called 'Science Fantasy', so there'll be both magic and advanced tech.
"Second, yes, you'll find elves, dwarves, demons, monsters, and just about everything you would normally see in such a story. "
"Third, only people who were alive before being brought here are going to be Human heroes. Anyone who should have died before coming here will get their choice of what species they would like to instead be reincarnated as, including inhuman races. Any people who choose this choice will be reincarnated a bit earlier in time just so they end up at about a teenage-to-adult age by the time the 'Heroes' are sent in, for equal chances."
"Fourth, only reincarnated people get Status Boards, if you're curious, to help you adapt faster. Native denizens won't have them, or 'skills' from out of video games."
"Finally, please fill in these forms so we can get your preferences, such as if you'd like to go back and not be a part of this."
With that, Reina began handing out forms to each person present, filled with options upon options and a blank to sign at the end. Choices to make included whether they wanted to go back or not, whether they'd like to have their traces erased from the memories and history of their world back home, a choice of a 'cheat skill', and what they'd like to be. When all the forms were returned, Reina clapped her hands with a cheery look on her face.
"Alright then, good luck to you all!" And in another flash, they were off to create their stories. Reina sighed in relief she didn't screw up the speech, and headed back through the door. Inside, dozens of people, not all being human, were typing away at computer screens, moving paperwork around, or chatting around the water cooler in an office. "How're things going?"
"Perfectly fine, Miss Reina! We'll have the paperwork done for Management in no time!" One with cat ears called from her desk, waiting at a printer.
"Relevant documents for the Thaumis Technologica have been handed over for delivery!" Another with wings announced from across the room.
"Profiles have been compiled and will be transferred to the Production Crew soon!" On the screen, a number of resume-like profiles for the Otherworlders were being sorted, some specific ones being labelled under tags such as 'Chosen One', 'Underdog' and 'Abnormal'.
Reina clapped her hands with enthusiasm. "Good work everyone! We'll have a party when we're done!"
The workplace was filled with cheering, as their Department Leader dialed in a number on a telephone.
—------------------------------------------------------
While a group of human Heroes were busy having their introduction ceremony in the Castle, all the 'Oh heroes from another world!' and 'Slay the Demon King!' stuff, two girls were on a nearby cliffside. One of them had their eyes locked onto the scene inside the throne room, watching a group of high schoolers go high on life, while the other dangled their legs off the side nonchalantly, before picking up her phone.
"Hello Auntie Reina? Mhm. Yup, they just got here, no problems!" The girl chatted brightly, while her friend looked over from her long distance spying operation. "Alright, we'll be right on that! Bye!" The girl gave a stretch as she turned off her phone. "Alright May, we're free to go!"
May folded up her binoculars and put them in her rucksack, its many pockets filled with a number of different tools, and had a crossbow strapped on the back. "I'm guessing we're going home, Alex?"
"Yep!" The two began to walk away from the cliffside. "Heard Dad's making fried chicken tonight, that's always deli-"
A massive brown bear, one that had approached without so much as a sound, even when pouncing, immediately received a knife made from magic and a crossbow bolt through the skull for its efforts.
"-cious." Alex finished, as she slipped a blade back into the folds of her hoodie.
"True, we've never had anything objectively bad before." May remarked as she put away her crossbow, drawn as quickly as a pistol even from on her back.
The two walked off into the forest, chatting pleasantly the whole trip, even as more monstrous wildlife was left in their path.