"Sorry, but you are dead," an angel said flatly.

After dying in an accident, I found myself in a vast, surreal grassland. Flowers of countless varieties swayed gently under a breeze, their colors so vibrant and unfamiliar that it felt like gazing into a painting. Above me, the sky was a clear, boundless blue. Massive black clouds floated lazily, and at the center of it all loomed an enormous black sun.

Beyond the black sun, colossal branches stretched across the heavens, their sheer size incomprehensible. Leaves the size of continents shimmered faintly, moving in an unseen rhythm. The sight was overwhelming, and I stood there, dazed and disoriented.

Before me stood a figure of unmatched beauty. Her azure hair flowed like a cascading river, her lips were as delicate and pink as sakura blossoms, and her snowy-white skin glowed with an ethereal purity. Her figure was flawless, curvaceous yet elegant—a presence that demanded awe and reverence.

Six pristine, angelic wings extended from her back, and a halo crowned her head, its seven spikes glimmering faintly. She radiated an aura of divine authority and purity.

"So, is this the part where I'm judged? Heaven or hell?" I asked after a moment of silence.

"No," she replied, her voice devoid of emotion.

"Then why am I here?" I asked, my bewilderment growing.

The angel extended her hand, revealing a gun. "Wilhelm Draconia, you are here for a Russian-style roulette. If you fail, your soul will be erased, never to see the light of life again. If you succeed…"

Her words grew garbled, turning into an incomprehensible mixture of sounds, as if the existence itself refused to let me hear them.

I frowned. "What was that last part? I didn't catch it."

The angel ignored my question and continued, "Do you accept or not?"

Her lack of explanation frustrated me. "What happens if I don't accept?"

"Your soul will return to the cycle of reincarnation. It will undergo purification, erasing all your memories and leaving you as a blank slate for a new life," she explained, her tone as lifeless as ever.

"So either way, I lose myself," I muttered. "What's the difference?"

The angel remained silent.

I sighed. "Fine. I'll take the challenge."

She handed me the revolver and a single bullet. I examined them carefully. The revolver was pristine, its design intricate and ancient, as if it were crafted by a master artisan.

I weighed the gun in my hand, then the bullet. A thought crossed my mind: The weight of the cylinder will be different depending on where the bullet is. The weighted difference was slim but

After loading the bullet, I spun the cylinder and stopped it at random. Without hesitation, I raised the revolver to my head and began firing rapidly.

Click! Click! Click! Click! Click!

Five empty clicks echoed in the stillness. I lowered the gun and smiled at the angel.

"I win," I declared, pointing the gun skyward. Without waiting for her reaction, I pulled the trigger one last time.

Bang!

A thunderous explosion pierced the heavens, and a bullet shot into the sky.

The angel's emotionless face softened into a faint smile. "Impressive. To think you tracked the bullet's position by its weight. It was a good strategy. Many have tried, but only you have succeeded."

I blinked, her words sinking in. "Wait… how many people have succeeded before me?"

Her expression returned to its earlier stoicism. "Only you."

"Huh?" I stared at her, my mind racing.

She ignored my confusion and began to sing a hauntingly beautiful melody. Golden light enveloped the grasslands, growing brighter and brighter until I could no longer see.

Before the light consumed me completely, the angel appeared in front of me, her expression warm and gentle.

"Until we meet again, my king, and by the way, you're the only one who managed to reach this place that is why no one besides you succeeded," she whispered.

Her words were the last thing I heard before darkness claimed me.

And then, I lost consciousness.