CHAPTER 2

  “Hello. I am the Goddess of Reincarnation,” a calm voice said.

  My eyes slowly opened.

  For a moment, everything around me was bright white, like I was floating in a cloud. There were no walls, no floor, and no sky—just endless light.

  And standing in front of me was a girl.

  Not just any girl.

  A beautiful girl with long, shining hair and bright eyes. She looked calm and rexed, like nothing in the world could bother her.

  I blinked.

  Wait.

  Why was there a beautiful girl standing in front of me?

  “My job is to reincarnate people I believe are worthy,” she said in a gentle voice. “You are the third person I have chosen.”

  My brain stopped working for a second.

  Holy crap.

  Was this heaven?

  “Did I… survive?” I asked carefully.

  The girl shook her head.

  “No,” she said simply. “Like I said, I’m reincarnating you into another world.”

  Another world?

  “You will be sent to a new world,” she repeated, like she had done this many times before.

  My thoughts started racing.

  Another world. Like in anime? Like those isekai stories online?

  If that was true…

  Best. Day. Ever.

  I get to start my life over. No more school stress. No more boring days. This time my life would be calm and peaceful.

  “I wouldn’t say calm,” the girl muttered under her breath.

  “Huh?” I said. “What was that?”

  “Nothing,” she replied quickly, waving her hand. “Anyway, the world you are going to has magic… and monsters.”

  My excitement froze.

  “…Magic and monsters?”

  She nodded.

  “Yes. It’s a fantasy world. There are kingdoms, adventurers, magical creatures, and dangerous beasts.”

  I stared at her.

  “How am I supposed to survive in a world like that?” I asked. “I could barely handle the old one.”

  The goddess smiled slightly.

  “You’ll be fine. Everyone I send has potential.”

  Potential?

  That sounded suspiciously vague.

  “And don’t worry about the nguage,” she added. “Your mind will transte everything automatically.”

  Okay, that was actually pretty useful.

  Still…

  Monsters?

  I imagined giant wolves, dragons, and things with way too many teeth.

  “…Are the monsters big?” I asked.

  “Some of them.”

  “Are they dangerous?”

  “Very.”

  “…Great.”

  The goddess giggled a little, like she found my reaction amusing.

  “Don’t worry too much. Life in that world can be exciting. You might even become a hero.”

  A hero?

  Yeah… that didn’t sound like me.

  But still… a new world with magic sounded pretty amazing.

  The goddess suddenly raised one finger.

  “Oh, right,” she said. “There is one more thing.”

  Something about her tone made me nervous.

  “When you are reincarnated,” she said calmly, “you will not remember this meeting with me.”

  My eyes widened.

  “Wait—what?”

  “You will not remember that you were ever here,” she continued.

  “Hold on!” I said quickly. “You’re telling me all this stuff about another world and monsters, and then I won’t remember any of it?!”

  “That is correct.”

  “That’s not fair!”

  She simply smiled.

  “It is necessary.”

  Before I could compin more, the white space around us started to glow brighter.

  “Your new life will begin soon,” the goddess said.

  Everything around me began to fade.

  “Wait!” I shouted. “At least tell me one thing!”

  She tilted her head.

  “What is it?”

  “Will I have… you know… a special power or something?”

  For a moment, the goddess looked thoughtful.

  Then she smiled.

  “Well,” she said, “you might.”

  And then the light swallowed everything.

  The st thing I heard was her quiet voice.

  “Good luck in your next life.”