Yuuta Akahashi, an ordinary high school student, lived an unremarkable life. He wasn't particularly gifted at anything, nor did he have any outstanding achievements. He spent his days going to school, playing video games, and hanging out with friends.
One day, as he walked home after school, Yuuta was involved in a tragic accident—struck by a car while crossing the street. His last thoughts were fleeting, filled with the shock and pain of the moment. The next thing he knew, everything went dark.
The Void:
When Yuuta regained consciousness, he didn't feel his body. There was no pain, no sound, no sight—only an endless stretch of void around him. It was as if the world itself had been swallowed up by darkness. He floated, suspended in space, his mind slowly realizing the bizarre truth.
"Am I dead?" Yuuta thought, though his thoughts felt distant and detached. He couldn't feel anything, not even the panic he thought would come. There was only a sense of vast emptiness.
The silence was oppressive, yet somehow peaceful. It was as though time had stopped altogether. No seconds passed, no minutes, no years. He simply was.
Out of the suffocating stillness, a voice spoke, deep, calm, and otherworldly.
"You have passed beyond the world you once knew," the voice said. "Your life has ended, but death is not the end. I offer you a chance... a chance to be reborn."
The Entity:
Yuuta's thoughts scrambled. "A chance? To be reborn? Where?"
Before he could voice his question, a shape began to form in the void—a swirling mass of shadows and light, an entity that defied clear definition. The presence was overwhelmingly powerful yet eerily serene, a being far beyond anything Yuuta had ever known.
"You are in a space between worlds, a liminal realm," the entity continued, its voice resonating through the very fabric of Yuuta's consciousness. "I am the one who oversees this transition. You have died, but you are not beyond salvation."
Yuuta felt something stir within him, the faintest flicker of hope. Could it be true? Could he really get a second chance at life?
"You may choose the world into which you will be reborn," the entity said, its tone unfathomable. "But understand this—your rebirth will come with a gift, a skill. It will be random, unknown to you until you awaken in your new form. It may be weak, or it may be powerful, but it will be yours."
Yuuta's heart raced. A skill? What kind of skill? What would it be? He wanted to know, but the entity's cryptic words only left him more curious—and uneasy.
"And there is one more thing," the entity added, its voice growing more profound. "You will be reborn before the arrival of the heroes you know. You will be in the world before they are summoned. The events of the world are still malleable, and you will be part of the shaping of its future."
Yuuta's mind reeled. He had always been a fan of stories where ordinary people were thrust into extraordinary circumstances—like the story of Hajime Nagumo and his classmates, who were summoned to the Arifureta world. He remembered the Arifureta anime and light novel series vaguely. Heroes summoned to another world, faced with trials and monsters, but also betrayal and survival.
"So I'll be there before Hajime?" Yuuta thought, his excitement building. If he could have the chance to be reborn into that world, before Hajime and the others arrived—he could shape the course of events. He could be the one to carve out his own destiny, maybe even be stronger than the others.
Yuuta hesitated for a moment, but then he spoke. "I choose... the world of Arifureta. I want to be reborn there."
The entity didn't immediately respond, but Yuuta could feel the vast power of the being acknowledging his choice.
"As you wish," the entity finally said, its tone once again neutral. "You will be reborn into that world. The heroes will come later, and you will be there when they arrive. But remember, you are alone for now. Your skill will be a mystery until the moment you awaken."
Before Yuuta could say anything else, the void around him began to shift, dissolving like smoke in the wind. The entity's presence faded, and Yuuta felt a strange pull, as though reality itself was bending around him. His last thought, as everything went black again, was a single, powerful question.
"What will my skill be?"
Earth #####
Yuuta Akahashi, an ordinary high school student, lived an unremarkable life. He wasn't particularly gifted at anything, nor did he have any outstanding achievements. He spent his days going to school, playing video games, and hanging out with friends.
One day, as he walked home after school, Yuuta was involved in a tragic accident—struck by a car while crossing the street. His last thoughts were fleeting, filled with the shock and pain of the moment. The next thing he knew, everything went dark.
The Void:
When Yuuta regained consciousness, he didn't feel his body. There was no pain, no sound, no sight—only an endless stretch of void around him. It was as if the world itself had been swallowed up by darkness. He floated, suspended in space, his mind slowly realizing the bizarre truth.
"Am I dead?" Yuuta thought, though his thoughts felt distant and detached. He couldn't feel anything, not even the panic he thought would come. There was only a sense of vast emptiness.
The silence was oppressive, yet somehow peaceful. It was as though time had stopped altogether. No seconds passed, no minutes, no years. He simply was.
Out of the suffocating stillness, a voice spoke, deep, calm, and otherworldly.
"You have passed beyond the world you once knew," the voice said. "Your life has ended, but death is not the end. I offer you a chance... a chance to be reborn."
The Entity:
Yuuta's thoughts scrambled. "A chance? To be reborn? Where?"
Before he could voice his question, a shape began to form in the void—a swirling mass of shadows and light, an entity that defied clear definition. The presence was overwhelmingly powerful yet eerily serene, a being far beyond anything Yuuta had ever known.
"You are in a space between worlds, a liminal realm," the entity continued, its voice resonating through the very fabric of Yuuta's consciousness. "I am the one who oversees this transition. You have died, but you are not beyond salvation."
Yuuta felt something stir within him, the faintest flicker of hope. Could it be true? Could he really get a second chance at life?
"You may choose the world into which you will be reborn," the entity said, its tone unfathomable. "But understand this—your rebirth will come with a gift, a skill. It will be random, unknown to you until you awaken in your new form. It may be weak, or it may be powerful, but it will be yours."
Yuuta's heart raced. A skill? What kind of skill? What would it be? He wanted to know, but the entity's cryptic words only left him more curious—and uneasy.
"And there is one more thing," the entity added, its voice growing more profound. "You will be reborn before the arrival of the heroes you know. You will be in the world before they are summoned. The events of the world are still malleable, and you will be part of the shaping of its future."
Yuuta's mind reeled. He had always been a fan of stories where ordinary people were thrust into extraordinary circumstances—like the story of Hajime Nagumo and his classmates, who were summoned to the Arifureta world. He remembered the Arifureta anime and light novel series vaguely. Heroes summoned to another world, faced with trials and monsters, but also betrayal and survival.
"So I'll be there before Hajime?" Yuuta thought, his excitement building. If he could have the chance to be reborn into that world, before Hajime and the others arrived—he could shape the course of events. He could be the one to carve out his own destiny, maybe even be stronger than the others.
Yuuta hesitated for a moment, but then he spoke. "I choose... the world of Arifureta. I want to be reborn there."
The entity didn't immediately respond, but Yuuta could feel the vast power of the being acknowledging his choice.
"As you wish," the entity finally said, its tone once again neutral. "You will be reborn into that world. The heroes will come later, and you will be there when they arrive. But remember, you are alone for now. Your skill will be a mystery until the moment you awaken."
Before Yuuta could say anything else, the void around him began to shift, dissolving like smoke in the wind. The entity's presence faded, and Yuuta felt a strange pull, as though reality itself was bending around him. His last thought, as everything went black again, was a single, powerful question.
"What will my skill be?"
Earth #####
When Yuuta opened his eyes again, he wasn't in a dark void. He was lying in soft grass, staring up at a sky filled with thick clouds.
The air smelled fresh, and he could feel the coolness of the ground beneath him. Something was different, though. His body felt... lighter? Stronger? He couldn't tell.
He looked around, but there was no one in sight. The world around him seemed familiar but unfamiliar at the same time. He was in a forest, though not one he recognized from any part of his previous life.
The trees were tall, their leaves rustling softly in the breeze.
Yuuta stood up slowly, taking in the surroundings.
The world felt alive in a way his old one hadn't. There was an unfamiliar but comforting hum to the air, as though the land itself was breathing.
His heart began to race—not with fear, but with anticipation. This was the world of Arifureta. The world where heroes were summoned.
"But I'm here before them," he thought. The knowledge of the world's fate rushed back into his mind—the coming betrayal, the dungeon, the monsters, the heroes.
He was standing at the beginning of it all, at the moment before the heroes were summoned.
Then, he remembered the entity's words: a random skill. Yuuta reached into his mind, searching for any clue as to what it might be. What had he been given?
The answer came slowly, like an awakening. Yuuta felt a surge of energy flow through his body, but it was... strange. Not like magic, but more primal, more... consuming.
Suddenly, a feeling flooded his senses.
"Devour."
It wasn't a voice, but a clear sensation deep in his gut. A hunger. Yuuta instinctively understood. He could consume the abilities of creatures. Monsters. And perhaps, with enough time and strength, he could grow even more powerful.
"Devour..." Yuuta repeated the word in his mind. He had no idea how it worked, but the feeling inside him made it clear that this was no ordinary skill. Whatever he ate or defeated in this world could become a part of him.
His hands clenched into fists. This was his gift. A skill that would make him stronger with every monster he encountered.
Yuuta took a deep breath and looked around again.
He didn't know where he was, or how long he had before the heroes would arrive, but one thing was certain: his journey was just beginning.