1 Reincarnation

In an ethereal, white place, shrouded by nothing but death and the impending conclusion of all existence, a solitary soul hovered, anticipating its judgment.

"How could this happen? I thought I did everything correctly!" the soul muttered, its whimpering voice reminiscent of an 18-year-old boy's. His soul flickered with a range of emotions, from anger and frustration to sadness. All of these emotions coursed through him in an instant.

"Sigh... Nothing can be done; I'll just have to accept it, and live with it." he muttered to himself before suddenly realizing, "Wait!? Am I even alive?" He had no awareness of his body; all he could perceive was his consciousness.

He floated there for what felt like an eternity, his eyes closing and opening, resembling two orbs on a floating larger orb. As he recounted the events that led to his death...

*****

It was another sunny day, and Ryouta was enjoying his time with friends, or so it seemed until an unexpected and perilous situation unfolded, forcing him to make a life-altering decision.

Ryouta and his friends had gathered at a coffee shop when a criminal being pursued burst into the establishment, using Ryouta as a hostage. Trembling with fear, a gun pressed against his head, Ryouta found himself at the mercy of the burly assailant whose strong grip immobilized him completely. However, recalling a YouTube video he had watched on disarming an assailant with a gun, even though he had only seen half of it, Ryouta inadvertently attempted the technique. Tragically, this impulsive move resulted in a gunshot to the head, and the last sensations he experienced were the deafening sound of the firearm and searing pain before consciousness slipped away.

******

"Damn! It was probably instant death! I'll never trust YouTube tutorials again!" Ryouta shouted, shifting around in the space. Although he couldn't discern if he was actually moving, he still tried.

"What in the world is this place? Is it heaven, hell, or something entirely different? Am I condemned to spend my whole existence here?" Ryouta, an ordinary young man, naturally succumbed to panic in this situation, especially considering the abrupt end to his life. His birthday was tomorrow, and before he could unwrap those juicy gifts, he found himself dead!

"God, you could have at least let me see what gifts they brought me. Now I'll never find satisfaction with my rampaging OCD!" Ryouta shouted, though he had no idea if his voice reached anyone.

Ryouta drifted in that space for an extended period, reflecting on his life, unsure if he'd ever escape this place.

At one point during his contemplation, he even recounted every manga and anime he had ever watched. Yes, he was an otaku, a dedicated anime enthusiast, or, in simpler terms, a weeb. However, not to the extent that it would label him as a lolicon.

Some more time passed as Ryouta floated there; the only thing keeping him sane was his memory. Yes, he had an eidetic memory, though he had hidden it from everyone in his previous life because he was afraid of people treating him differently.

"Am I really going to stay here for eternity?" Ryouta muttered. His sanity was on the verge of crumbling, as he had been in this place for who knows how long, and he couldn't even think straight anymore.

Just when his sanity was on the verge of shattering, something inexplicable occurred. In the lifeless, ethereal expanse, a golden pillar of light descended.

Although Ryouta couldn't see anything around him, the pillar stretched out to infinity, seemingly never-ending.

As Ryouta gazed in awe, the pillar began to dissipate. 

"What the heck is that thing?" he wondered, his curiosity piqued. Finally, as the pillar faded away, it revealed something that left him utterly bewildered and drooling simultaneously..

"Ara, are you enjoying what you see?" said the figure revealed by the blinding golden light. She could only be described as a goddess, with a lithe and curvaceous body in all the right places. She wore silver clothing that covered her modesty while leaving an enticing hint of cleavage. Her golden eyes and cascading silver hair radiated a brilliance that nearly blinded Ryouta.

"All hail the goddess!" Ryouta exclaimed the moment she spoke. If he had a body, he would have prostrated himself before her. After all, he was just a mere human, and this breathtaking beauty was a sight one never encounters in a lifetime.

"Am I going to be adopted by a goddess?? Let's go!! Hurray!! We're winning, bros!" Ryouta cheered, his soul fluttering around the beautiful goddess. A hint of irritation crept onto her face at the sound of the young man's voice.

"No one is adopting you!" She retorted, promptly capturing the floating soul with her hand and holding it. Her hand emitted a gentle glow as a young man's body began to take shape around the soul.

In a second's worth of time, a young man appeared, floating in space, cradled by the slender, white hands of the goddess. He had black hair cascading down to his shoulders, a small and shapely nose, along with inviting yet slightly dry red lips. His eyes were a beautiful shade of gray, something that had garnered him a lot of attention in his previous world. In fact, his facial features were highly pleasing; he was an absolute masterpiece, at least in the human world.

"Ara, you are actually quite cute," the goddess said as she held his face and brought it closer to her.

"Uhh... umm... err..." Ryouta was not accustomed to being this close to a woman, especially not when she was a smoking hot goddess with ethereal beauty. 

"Ara Ara, aren't you even cuter when you're blushing..." The goddess giggled, playfully tossing him back into the space. Ryouta finally landed on a solid surface, which seemed to materialize in the ethereal place.

"Wahhh, I finally got my body back!" Ryouta exclaimed, his face lighting up with joy as he promptly prostrated himself before the floating goddess.

"All hail the goddess!"

"Could you please stop this cringe act? You're embarrassing me," the goddess blushed, feeling secondhand embarrassment from Ryouta's behavior.

"Ahh, I'm sorry, Lady Goddess," Ryouta said apologetically, offering a Japanese bow.

"Fine, fine, leave that be," the goddess said, waving her hand.

"So, am I going to be adopted by such a magnificent mommy?" Ryouta shamelessly inquired, leaving the goddess to wonder if this guy had some mental health concerns.

"Are you retarded?" the goddess asked incredulously.

"I don't know if that's the right term, but yes, I'm Level 1 autistic," Ryouta replied with a smile. While not something to boast about, despite his autism diagnosis, Ryouta had many friends, and even received romantic proposals from girls. Autism wasn't a negative trait, and he had plenty of wonderful autistic friends.

"I expected that. Anyway, let's set that aside and get to the important discussion," the goddess said with a sigh.

"Am I dead? What's going to happen to me? Will I rot in hell or be bored to death in heaven? Will you be in heaven? Can I get whatever I wish for in heaven? Even some head from you? Does hell really have eternal flames, and if I go there, do I have to burn all the time? What about my sanity? Will I lose my sanity? What if I'm somewhere in between? Do I get to choose where I go?" Ryouta bombarded her with a barrage of questions.

"No, no, no, no, and no! Listen to me," the goddess said as she tapped her leg, causing Ryouta's entire body to elevate as a chair formed beneath him.

"Now listen carefully, and do not speak unless I ask you to. Otherwise, I'll obliterate your soul into oblivion," the goddess warned, her tone gravely serious, as a golden ball materialized in front of her hands.

Ryouta gulped, his eyes fixed on the ball. He couldn't feel anything from it, but he instinctively knew that being hit by it would result in obliteration.

"I'm very sorry. Please, go ahead and say what you want," Ryouta replied in a polite tone, calming down on the chair.

"You are dead," the goddess stated bluntly.

Ryouta's face didn't show much shock; after all, he was well aware of it, considering he had spent God knows how long here contemplating all his life decisions.

"Not surprised?" she asked.

"Nah, I was stupid. I got myself killed, and there's no one to blame but me. I can't even blame anyone else. Feels kinda wasted," Ryouta said with a sad expression on his face.

"Don't worry," the goddess reassured him with a smile. "You're lucky; you've been given another chance at life."

"What!? Reincarnation!?" Ryouta exclaimed with excitement as he sprang up from the chair.

"Wait! Are you an ROB? Am I going to get reincarnated into some anime world? Let's go!!!!" Ryouta shouted excitedly as he jumped around.

"Sigh~ listen to me first!" the goddess said, waving her hand, and in an instant, Ryouta vanished from his exuberant jumps and reappeared back in the chair, now bound by chains.

"You are getting reincarnated, and you'll receive three wishes that will be granted to you, so choose wisely. You can be reincarnated anywhere, in any world, in any universe, even fictional ones," the goddess explained, extending her hand and displaying three fingers.

"Is this really happening?" Ryouta exclaimed with tears of joy, still bound to the chair. He couldn't believe he was finally getting reincarnated. Having read numerous fanfictions and novels, he was well aware of this trope and couldn't wait to showcase his creativity in making his wishes.

"Nope, don't even think about it," the goddess said with a smirk, shaking her head.

"What? I didn't even say anything?" Ryouta protested.

"Yep, no Omnitrix, no god physiology, no absolute immortality, Saitama's physique, or Doomsday's physique, level 20 intelligence, absolute strength, complete arsenal, or SCP-682's physiology!" the goddess rattled off in one long breath, her eyes condescending as she looked at him.

"What???? Are you serious! You took all the fun options out! Tch! What a fun killer!" Ryouta exclaimed in frustration, realizing that most of his wishes were rejected without him even voicing them.

"What about Krypto-"

"Nope! No Kryptonian physiology," the goddess interrupted before he could finish the sentence.

"Okay, how about you use one of my wishes to give me a huge sheet of paper and a pen with limitless ink," Ryouta suddenly proposed, a hidden smirk on his face.

"Nah-uh, you're not getting a piece of paper and a pencil to write a long list of wishes. That's not happening. It goes against the rules," the goddess responded with a smirk of her own.

"What!? Why!?" Ryouta exclaimed in frustration.

"Ara, do you think you can hide your ideas from me? Rejected. I won't grant every little wish you jot down on a piece of paper," the goddess said, her smirk widening. She seemed to be thoroughly enjoying this.

"Then what the heck am I even going to wish for!" Ryouta shouted.

"Anything," the goddess replied, further infuriating him.

"Okay, okay, fine. Don't sulk now. You're one fun mortal, so I can't resist teasing you. You're probably the most interesting mortal I've come across in my eternal life," the goddess admitted.

"Is that so?" Ryouta asked, putting on a puppy-dog expression. "Then why don't you grant this interesting human what he wants? Maybe increase the wishes from 3 to 5?" he said, his eyes gleaming. "Please..." he pleaded, using his best puppy-dog eyes.

Usually, when he did that with girls, they would be more inclined to listen to his requests.

However...

"That won't sway me, mortal, but your tactic was indeed interesting. Okay, I'll grant you one more wish. Make it count," the goddess said as she floated.

"Really? Thank you, lovely goddess!" Ryouta shouted in excitement!

"Can I choose which world I'm going to be reincarnated in first?" Ryouta asked.

"Sure, any world you want, including fictional ones like Bleach, Marvel, DC, Pokémon, Dragon Ball, One Piece, Naruto, Power Rangers, Fate, School Days, Guilty Crown, The Walking Dead, The Good Doctor, Stranger Things, The Boys... whether it's an anime or a movie, you can be reincarnated into any of them," the goddess replied. For a brief moment, an array of series floated behind her, and Ryouta caught a glimpse.

"So what's my wish limit?" Ryouta inquired.

"That's the fun part," the goddess smiled.

"Your wish limit varies from world to world. Each world will grant you a different degree of wishes. For example, in Marvel, one of the top-powered worlds, you can be granted at most level 2 telekinesis, which would be enough to destroy a city, but nothing more," the goddess explained, shattering Ryouta's hopes.

"So, I'm going to die either way," Ryouta said, his despair evident.

"Listen to me first, mortal," the goddess commanded, snapping her fingers and conjuring a screen before her.

"However, you can have, at best, a wish for wealth in a world that lacks major powers. These worlds are also divided into levels," the goddess explained as the screen displayed the Marvel world.

"The Marvel world is one of the highest levels, being Level 19."

Ryouta looked confused as he asked, "Is there anything above Marvel as well?"

"Of course, there are many worlds above Marvel," the goddess replied. "The gods you see in Marvel can't even compare to the true horrors that exist." She said this with a smile.

"And just for your information, I'm one of those horrors you're gazing at. You're the first mortal to have seen me. Be grateful for that," the goddess added with a narcissistic tone.

"Oh, how I'm grateful to have been graced by the presence of the Goddess," Ryouta said with mock reverence.

"Pfft, stop it. Let's get back to your wishes. So, what do you want?" the goddess asked after giggling.

Ryouta pondered for a moment. He had numerous worlds to choose from that could offer him a good life, but did he really want a good life? Wasn't he someone who found entertainment and fun in life? So, why not seek it in another world? And it was then that Ryouta realized of a world he loved dearly.

An anime... A manga... and a novel. It existed in all three mediums, and he cherished it in each of them.

"Overlord," Ryouta declared with a smile, looking at the goddess.

"Oh... Let me see..." the goddess glanced at her screen and then smiled at Ryouta.

"You are pretty smart for an autistic young man," she noted.

"Autistic people are not unintelligent; they are just bad at expressing themselves and understanding some things," Ryouta replied, serving as a representative for autism in this conversation.

"Indeed, my bad," the goddess acknowledged before continuing, "Approved. You'll be reincarnated into the world of Overlord."

"So, when will I be reincarnated? Can I choose where I reincarnate? Will I retain my memory? Also, will I reincarnate into the new world of Momonga?" Ryouta fired off a series of questions, tilting his head.

"You can't choose where you reincarnate, neither can you choose when you reincarnate. But I quite like you, so consider what you're thinking, granted," the goddess replied with a smile, causing Ryouta to beam from ear to ear.

"Thank you very much, Goddess Mommy! I'll forever preach the Goddess Mommy religion," Ryouta declared, attempting to strike a reverent pose, but he was still stuck to the chair.

"Haha, sure. So, what are your wishes?" the goddess asked, giggling.

"Well, for my first wish, I would like to be reincarnated into a family that has substantial wealth, where I don't have to work, and they have no expectations of me," Ryouta requested.

"Granted! You'll be filthy rich. And?" the goddess responded.

Ryouta smiled, feeling grateful that his first wish had been granted. "As for my second wish... How about giving me some luck?"

"Granted," the goddess agreed.

"For my third wish, maybe grant me some of your beauty?" Ryouta joked, intending to make a pun, but before he could, he heard the goddess's voice.

"Granted. Your last wish?"

"Wait, what!?" Ryouta shouted in disbelief. "I was joking! I didn't intend to ask for it!" He was in shock, his eyes locked onto the goddess, hoping she would give him his wish back.

"Ara, Ara, how cute. However, I can't just ungrant your wish," the goddess replied with a smirk on her face.

"Wait! Aren't you some very powerful being? Like above the multiverse, at least? Then even something minor related to you should be reality-breaking, right? Are you joking!?" Ryouta asked in shock and confusion.

"I granted it because I liked it. It's as simple as that. I do what I want."

"What!? Damn it! I lost my wish! Ahhhhh..." Ryouta shouted in frustration, tears making him look even more pitiful.

"What's your final wish?" the goddess asked, still wearing that smirk.

This time, Ryouta decided to be serious and concise in his request.

"I want a system that can provide me with data and other information, maybe something that knows everything?" Ryouta asked, hoping for the best.

"Hmm... That's interesting, I was already expecting it," the goddess said, stroking her chin.

"Although I can give you a system, it won't be all-knowing. But it can provide you with some level of data and information, and even compile it. You can call it a supercomputer, but super advanced, living in your head. However, it won't be sentient, so don't obsess over that," the goddess explained as she nodded.

"It's really possible? Thanks, Goddess!!! I love you! You're the best!" Ryouta shouted. If his body had been freed, he would've jumped at the goddess and given her sloppy kisses, for real.

"No! Don't even think about it," the goddess snapped, looking irritated. However, Ryouta was unaware of the slight redness on her nape and ear, which was barely noticeable.

"Anyway, that was all. Then you'll be reincarnating. You'll retain your memory, so the beginning will be very painful," said the goddess as she snapped her fingers, and the chains holding Ryouta broke.

Ryouta looked at his hands, finally feeling better after regaining control.

"Have fun," said the goddess as she appeared in front of Ryouta, and before he could even process anything, she tapped his head, and his entire vision darkened.

His body felt light, as if he were floating in darkness, and from time to time, he could hear some noises. At this point, he was barely conscious.

That feeling continued for a few more moments before he felt an intense pain assaulting his head. Immediately, his b

ody's first reaction kicked in, and his eyes started tearing up. He suddenly found himself surrounded by intense light, followed by a cry. However, it wasn't the cry of a young man but that of a baby.

"Congratulations, it's a boy."

__________________________________________________________

(AN - Hello, everynyan, I hope you liked the first chapter. Give suggestions about anything you like and dislike. I'll read all the comments, so go ahead, go wild in criticising me.)