I used to joke that if I ever got isekai'd, I'd want to go out in a blaze of glory—saving someone from a fire, taking a bullet for a stranger, something heroic. Instead, my life ended with the most embarrassing cliché imaginable: Truck-kun.

I'd just finished my shift at the bookstore, weighed down by a bag of half-priced manga and instant ramen. My earbuds were blasting My Hero Academia's Peace Sign, and my brain was preoccupied with a pressing dilemma: should I rewatch Naruto this weekend or finally finish One Piece? You'd think I'd notice a speeding truck heading my way. Nope. Not a chance.

The last thing I remember was the screech of tires, a blinding light, and a fleeting thought: Oh crap, this is it. I'm about to die like every anime protagonist ever.

And then... nothing. No pain, no dramatic montage of my life flashing before my eyes. Just a disorienting, weightless feeling, like I was floating in space.

When I came to, I wasn't on the street or in a hospital. I was in... well, nowhere. The world around me was a vast, glowing void, stretching endlessly in every direction. It was quiet, peaceful even, but also unsettling. I couldn't tell if I was standing, floating, or just existing. My body felt strange, like it wasn't entirely there.

"Is this... the afterlife?" I muttered, my voice echoing in the emptiness.

"Not quite," a voice answered.

I whipped around—or at least I tried to, given the lack of gravity or solid ground. A figure stood before me, their form radiating an otherworldly light. They didn't have a face, but I could feel their gaze boring into me. Their presence was overwhelming, like staring directly at the sun.

"Ryuu Yamato," the figure said, their voice calm but commanding. "Your life in your world has ended."

I froze. "Wait, what? Ended? No way. I—I was just—"

"Hit by a truck," they said matter-of-factly. "A rather common demise in your world."

I groaned, running a hand through my hair—or at least trying to. My fingers passed through where my head should've been, further proving this wasn't a dream. "You've got to be kidding me. Truck-kun? Seriously?"

The figure remained silent, their light shifting slightly, as if they were amused. "Your death was unfortunate, but it does not mark the end of your existence."

I blinked. "What do you mean? Am I getting reincarnated or something?"

The figure inclined their head—or what I assumed was their head. "Precisely. I have chosen to grant you a second chance."

That got my attention. My frustration melted into cautious curiosity. "A second chance? Like, in another world?"

"Indeed. Your soul resonates strongly with the dreams and passions of a world beyond your own. You will be reborn there, with the strength you admired most in your previous life."

My heart skipped a beat. "Wait, are you saying... an anime world?"

The figure didn't respond directly, but the way their glow intensified felt like a confirmation. My thoughts immediately raced through the possibilities. Naruto? One Piece? Maybe I could become a Soul Reaper in Bleach?

Then it hit me. My Hero Academia. A world of quirks, heroes, and villains. A place where anyone could become a symbol of hope with enough determination. It was one of my favorite series, and it would be incredible to live there. But what about the "strength I admired most"?

"You said I'll have strength from my previous life," I said cautiously. "What does that mean?"

The figure's light flickered, and for a moment, images flooded my mind. Hashirama Senju, the God of Shinobi, standing atop a battlefield with his hands clasped in a jutsu. Trees erupting from the ground, giant wooden hands smashing mountains, and a calm, confident smile that radiated power. My chest tightened with excitement.

"You will carry the abilities of the one you admired," the figure said. "The power of creation, growth, and boundless vitality."

I could barely contain my grin. "You're giving me Hashirama's powers? Like, the First Hokage?"

The figure inclined their head again. "Yes. However, in this new world, it will manifest as your quirk. A rather special one that can't be copied, taken or nullified"

A quirk. The ultimate fusion of two of my favorite anime. This was too good to be true. "And the world I'm going to—is it My Hero Academia?"

"You will find out soon enough," they said cryptically. "Make the most of this second chance, Ryuu Yamato. Live fully and without regret."

"Wait!" I called out. "What about—"

Before I could finish, their light flared, blinding me. The void around us dissolved into a kaleidoscope of colors, and I felt myself being pulled into something vast and warm, like diving headfirst into a sunlit ocean.

When I woke up, everything was... different. The first thing I noticed was the sunlight streaming through a window. It was warm, soft, and felt way too real to be a dream. I tried to sit up, but my limbs felt off—smaller, weaker.

I blinked groggily and glanced down at myself. My body was tiny, my hands chubby and childlike. Panic set in as I stumbled out of bed and caught sight of a mirror hanging on the wall. A kid with messy black hair and wide brown eyes stared back at me. Definitely not the twenty-year-old me.

"What the hell?" I muttered, my voice high-pitched and unfamiliar. "I'm a kid?"

My surroundings didn't help my confusion. The room was simple but cozy, with bright walls and posters of Pro Heroes tacked up. One of them featured All Might, his iconic grin beaming back at me.

"No way..." I whispered, my heart pounding. "This can't be real."

Before I could process it, the door opened, and a cheerful woman with short hair poked her head in. "Ryuu! You're finally awake! Breakfast is ready."

"Uh, okay," I stammered, still trying to piece everything together. She left before I could ask anything.

I spent the next hour in a daze, going through the motions of breakfast and small talk with my supposed family. They called me Ryuu like it was natural, and no one seemed to notice that I was mentally freaking out. Bits and pieces started clicking into place—this wasn't a dream. I'd been reincarnated as a kid in a world where quirks were normal.

And then came the kicker. I was sitting outside, watching some neighborhood kids play, when one of them ran up to me. "Ryuu, show us your quirk again! That thing with the plants was so cool!"

My stomach flipped. "My... quirk?"

"Yeah!" the kid said excitedly. "The tree thing!"

Tree thing. A memory flashed in my mind—a classroom, a sudden surge of energy, and a sapling bursting out of my desk. Hesitantly, I held up my hand and focused, willing something to happen.

A green sprout emerged from my palm, growing rapidly into a small branch with leaves. I stared at it in disbelief, my heart pounding.

"Holy crap," I whispered. "It's real. I have Hashirama's powers."

The kids cheered, but I barely heard them. My mind was spinning with possibilities. I wasn't just in My Hero Academia—I had the power of the freaking First Hokage.