Death wasn't dramatic.
No truck.
No final sacrifice.
No sad music playing while people cried over my body.
Just a twenty-five-year-old man hunched over a keyboard at three in the morning while an energy drink sat beside him like a loyal companion.
Honestly?
Pathetic.
The room smelled like instant noodles and sleep deprivation. My monitor illuminated the dark apartment while I spammed keys trying to beat another boss.
"One more run…"
My chest suddenly tightened.
I frowned.
"…The hell?"
Pain exploded through my body.
The keyboard slipped from my fingers.
For a second I genuinely thought reality itself lagged.
Then my heart felt like it got crushed in someone's fist.
I fell from my chair hard enough to knock over empty cans.
Breathing became impossible.
Fast.
Shallow.
Burning.
"…No way…"
My vision blurred while I stared at the ceiling.
Alone.
What a stupid way to die.
No enemies.
No glory.
Just caffeine, stress, and a body giving up.
Darkness swallowed everything.
…
…
When I opened my eyes again, there was nothing.
Pure white emptiness stretched infinitely in every direction.
No sky.
No floor.
No sound.
Just me.
"…Am I dead?"
My voice echoed strangely through the void.
Honestly, I expected hell.
Not because I was some supervillain or anything.
I just knew I wasn't exactly heaven material.
Then a laugh echoed behind me.
Warm.
Amused.
"You're surprisingly calm about this."
I turned around.
An old man sat casually on a couch that absolutely did not exist a second ago.
White hair.
White beard.
Relaxed smile.
He looked less like God and more like somebody's grandfather who spent weekends grilling burgers and watching football.
I stared at him.
"…You're God?"
"That depends which religion you subscribed to."
"…So yes."
The old man laughed loudly.
"I like you already."
I shoved my hands into my pockets instinctively before remembering I technically shouldn't even have a body right now.
"…So what now? Heaven? Hell? Reincarnation? Is this the part where you explain karma and cosmic balance?"
"Maybe."
"That sounds suspicious."
"It should."
I narrowed my eyes.
"…One Above All?"
The old man clapped slowly.
"Correct."
"…Wow."
"That's it?"
"What do you want me to say?" I shrugged. "You're basically the strongest being in fiction. I feel like freaking out would be disrespectful."
The old man laughed harder this time.
"You know, most people panic when they meet me."
"Most people don't spend their free time reading reincarnation novels at four in the morning."
"Fair point."
Silence settled between us briefly.
Then he looked at me carefully.
"You expected hell earlier. Why?"
I snorted.
"I know the kind of person I was."
"Oh?"
"Lazy. Petty. Chronically online. Probably insulted at least thirty people in games this week alone."
"That's all?"
"I pirated movies too."
The old man stared at me blankly.
"…You thought piracy guaranteed damnation?"
"You never know."
For a second he just stared.
Then he burst into laughter so hard the entire void trembled slightly.
"You humans are ridiculous."
"Thanks."
The old man wiped imaginary tears from his eyes before leaning forward.
"Well then, young man. Since I'm in a generous mood today, I'll give you an opportunity."
"Reincarnation?"
"Yes."
I didn't answer immediately.
Because honestly?
Anybody saying they'd calmly accept reincarnation without hesitation was lying.
A new world.
A new life.
A completely unknown future.
That was terrifying.
"…There's a catch."
"Of course there is."
"You may choose your wishes. Within reason."
Now that got my attention.
"…How much is within reason?"
"No omnipotence."
"Expected."
"No becoming stronger than me."
"Damn."
"You may choose powers, appearance, world, weapons… things like that."
I went silent.
Thoughts immediately exploded through my head.
Anime worlds.
Abilities.
Magic.
Power systems.
And eventually…
One name surfaced above all others.
Anos Voldigoad.
The old man noticed my expression instantly.
"Oh?"
"I know what powers I want."
"That quickly?"
"I've read enough fanfiction to answer this in under ten seconds."
The old man sighed.
"That sentence physically hurt me."
"I want all the powers and abilities of Anos Voldigoad."
Silence.
The old man blinked once.
Then twice.
"…Straight for the nuclear option."
"You said within reason."
"And somehow this still counts."
I grinned slightly.
Honestly, Anos' abilities were absurd.
Magic eyes.
Source magic.
Destruction.
Resurrection.
Reality manipulation.
Conceptual nonsense.
The kind of power where logic itself stopped mattering.
Perfect.
"Why Anos specifically?" the old man asked.
"Because I'm tired of protagonists suffering for ten thousand chapters just to beat somebody through friendship and emotional speeches."
"…Understandable."
"I want overwhelming power. The kind where people stop trying to challenge you after realizing the gap."
The old man hummed thoughtfully.
"You're surprisingly honest."
"No point lying to God."
"Fair enough."
I crossed my arms.
"I also want a weapon."
"What kind?"
"Yamato."
The old man raised an eyebrow.
"Only Yamato?"
"Yep."
"No legendary armory? No divine artifacts? No infinite weapons?"
"Nah."
I smirked faintly.
"One sword is enough."
The old man stared at me for several seconds before laughing softly.
"You really do fit those powers."
"Thanks."
"Now then… which world?"
That answer came instantly.
"Re:Zero."
The old man's smile froze slightly.
"…You poor bastard."
"I know."
"Are you sure?"
"No."
"Then why choose it?"
Because despite all its suffering…
Despite the death.
The madness.
The despair.
Re:Zero felt alive.
The relationships mattered.
The pain mattered.
And honestly?
I wanted to see that world myself.
"I'll manage."
The old man gave me a long look.
Then sighed.
"Very well."
"Oh, and one more thing."
"Of course there is."
"I want to be reborn as Subaru."
"…Natsuki Subaru?"
"Yep."
The old man stared at me like I'd lost my mind.
"You realize his life is horrible, correct?"
"Won't be anymore."
"…That confidence is concerning."
I ignored him.
"And for appearance…"
The void shifted.
Three images appeared floating in the air.
Black markings.
Sharp red eyes.
Dark hair.
Sukuna's appearance inside Megumi's body.
The old man glanced at the images once before looking back at me.
"…You're trying to become the final boss."
"Maybe a little."
"And the name?"
I smiled.
"Subaru."
The old man blinked.
"You're keeping it?"
"Of course."
Unlike canon.
This Subaru wouldn't become a legend slowly.
He would enter the world already standing at the peak.
A monster wearing the name of a hero.
The old man suddenly chuckled.
"Oh… this will be entertaining."
The void around us began shaking.
Immense knowledge flooded toward me instantly.
Magic.
Combat.
Swordsmanship.
Destruction.
Countless spells.
My head felt like it was splitting apart.
But instead of pain…
I laughed.
Power surged through my existence violently.
It felt endless.
Like oceans crashing into my soul.
Like stars exploding behind my eyes.
My body reconstructed itself slowly.
Black hair.
Dark markings.
Red eyes glowing ominously.
And beside me—
A katana appeared silently.
Yamato.
The moment my fingers touched the handle—
Space cracked.
The void itself split apart for a second.
The old man stared.
"…You adapted disturbingly fast."
I slowly opened my eyes.
The world around me trembled instinctively.
Not because I released power.
But because it noticed me.
And feared me.
I smiled faintly.
"So…"
I rested Yamato against my shoulder casually.
"When do we start?"