7 gantz ball

"Is this what the afterlife feels like?" I mused, the sensation of lying on a hard surface enveloping me. The pain in my torso had vanished.

"Hey, wake up," a voice broke through the haze.

Could it be a divine presence? I wondered, before reluctantly opening my eyes to find a man in a suit standing over me.

"Did you die too?" His appearance was ordinary, reminiscent of someone you might encounter in a corporate office.

I remained silent, instead choosing to survey my surroundings. A diverse array of people, spanning all ages, filled the space, along with a lone dog. Nothing about them seemed particularly remarkable.

Then, my gaze fell upon a giant ball in the center of the apartment-like room.

"It's rude not to look at someone when they're talking to you," the man said with a troubled expression. "But I guess you must be confused."

'Is this some kind of joke?' I hoped, entertaining the idea that the goddess was playing a prank on me.

"Where am I?" I demanded, seeking confirmation of my suspicions.

"This is heaven," an old man in a hospital gown answered.

"Tch, here he goes again," the person next to the old man muttered, clearly exasperated.

"We have all died," the old man continued, launching into an explanation about his battle with cancer while I zoned out, lost in my own thoughts.

"This is Gantz," I muttered, feeling utterly exhausted.

"Now I have to worry about vampires, alien invasions, and the destruction of the world," I lamented internally. I couldn't decide if this was a blessing for the third chance I was getting or a curse because of how dangerous the world of Gantz is.

In Gantz, one wrong move could mean instant defeat. Luckily, I was well-versed in the series. As an otaku in my previous life, I had devoured both the manga and the anime. I knew the plot inside out and was familiar with the weaknesses of all the monsters.

"If all goes well, the protagonist should be able to save the world, so I should just stay alive until then," I reasoned with myself. I didn't want to mess up the plot, so I resolved to stay in the background.

With that decision made, I didn't recline back on the ground to wait for the protagonist.

—-

"They're here," I noted, spotting two high schoolers about my age panting heavily. The man who had greeted me earlier approached the two boys. I didn't know his name; he was just a side character who died in the first mission. I only remembered the names of the major characters from the anime.

"Everyone, let's take the time to introduce ourselves. First, your name, then occupation, and how you died," the man said, following the script exactly as it played out in the anime. He introduced himself as Masashi Yamada, a teacher who had died in a scooter accident.

"Okay, your turn," Yamada turned to the protagonist.

"Kei Kurono..." I heard Kei mutter, his voice tinged with bitterness. Kei was a cowardly and petty personality; nobody liked him at the beginning of the anime. But slowly, he would change.

"It's his fault I died," Kei stated, casting a glance at the person next to him.

"Sorry, Kei-chan," the other boy apologized, his expression filled with guilt.

"Masaru Katou. Attacked by a train…" The second main character spoke up. Masaru was the complete opposite of Kei. He was someone who sought to protect the weak and had the courage to act on it.

As introductions went around the circle, I found myself tuning out. Most of this group wouldn't survive, anyway.

"Okay, next," Yamada prompted, and then it was my turn.

"... Togawa, student, and I got stabbed."

Silence followed my brief statement.

The next person in line wore a glare. They remained silent, prompting the man next to them to claim they were Yakuza. The room fell into silence once more.

—-

The group attempted to unravel the mystery, tossing around various hypotheses. But they were all wrong. 

"It should be any minute now," I muttered, growing weary of lingering in the room with these people. The main plot was about to kick off, and I was itching to get started.

Bzzz. A sudden buzzing sound filled the air, signaling the arrival of the last character. But something felt off.

I furrowed my brow in puzzlement. The figure being transported was a beautiful girl, but it wasn't her appearance that confused me—it was where she appeared. 

"This isn't right," I murmured, my senses on high alert as I observed the unexpected turn of events..

In the anime, she should have appeared in front of the main character, where he would kiss her unconscious body and become obsessed with her. But reality had a different plan. The girl materialized on top of me.

The group gathered around her, their eyes filled with a lecherous gaze that made my skin crawl. I was repulsed by the energy they were giving off.

The girl's confusion mirrored my own. "What is this... what is going on?"

Then, she collapsed.

The silent Yakuza grabbed her and yanked her up, and instinctively, I intervened, grabbing the Yakuza's arm. "What do you think you're doing?" My voice was firm, cutting through the tension in the room. 

"To young for you to know, now let go before I hurt you" he threatened

The girl seemed out of sorts, lost in her own turmoil. But I had a mission to fulfill, and hunting down rapists was part of it. I rose to my feet, towering over everyone else in the room at 195 cm. Their surprise was evident; I had been on the floor until now. 

In moments like these, presence could speak louder than words. And I intended to make my presence known.

"Do yo-" i didn't let the Yakuza finish and did a front kick into his stomach

"Kyaa" the girl seems to understand the situation now. She was blown away by the kick a bit because the Yakuza still held on to her arm at that point.

The Yakuza knelt down and gasped for air. Don't underestimate the power of a ntr antagonist.

"Hey why don't we calm down. Where is the camera crew." Yamada still thinks this is a prank show.

I didn't let the Yakuza rest and kneed him in the face.

"Kuef!" Blood spurted out of his nose.

"Watch out!"

I turned my head and saw the other Yakuza running towards me. The Yakuza attempted to tackle me but I stood firm on the ground. I used the momentum to lift up the Yakuza.

"H-how!"

I twisted my back and landed a German suplex on the Yakuza.

Bam!

The impact shattered the Yakuzas neck.

"He's dead" I had gotten up and let go of the lifeless body.

The group looked at me with fear and admiration.

I swiftly removed my jacket and draped it over the trembling, pale girl. "Stay awake," I urged firmly, my voice carrying a warning tone. "You're not dead yet."

Her condition was concerning, but I needed her to be alert and coherent. Hopefully, my actions would help stabilize her.

"Did he really just kill a guy?" the group were in disbelief and checked on the Yakuza.

I returned to the wall and settled back into a seated position, my mind swirling with thoughts and doubts.

"Is this really okay?" I questioned myself internally, uncertainty gnawing at me.

"I've just messed with the plot big time," I admitted to myself, acknowledging the potential ramifications of my actions.

"It's only one event, it shouldn't be a big deal...right?" I rationalized, trying to convince myself that I hadn't derailed the canon.

But deep down, I couldn't shake the feeling that I might have altered the course of things more significantly than I initially thought.

In the anime Kei Kishimoto got dragged to a room by the silent Yakuza and was about to get raped but Masaru Kato saved her after some hesitation.

Once again, I acted on instinct, even though a small voice inside me questioned the consequences. But strangely, I felt no regret.

"I'll worry about this later," I told myself, pushing aside any lingering doubts.

The sound of the Gantz ball ringing out signaled the start of our first objective: the green onion alien.