1 The First Deal and the Store

[1st POV]

"So run this by me again. So you're telling me that I died?"

"Correct."

"And you, the Devil, are offering me a chance to...transmigrate into the multiverse? Which is apparently a thing from anime to books to video games."

"Yup."

"So instead of going to Heaven, where you said I belonged, and also forgoing the normal route of Reincarnation, you want a to offer me a job as...a video game merchant or something?"

"You're sorta off the mark a bit there, but yeah, you pretty much got it in one buddy."

"And I should accept this job in spite of the fact that you're the Devil himself offering it to me."

"Okay now to be fair, I did tell you that you were going to need a moment to process everything i was going to tell you, and besides you don't think that the Devil can also be bored too?"

"Fair point."

So how did it come to this, you might be wondering. Well let me tell you.

{10 Minutes Ago...}

So fun fact, Truck-kun is a real thing. Despite the fact that I checked both sides of the road before cross, I still got hit by a sudden incoming truck, and I'd like to state in my defense that the walk sign was in fact lit up and I was on a stretch of road that was clearly visible for many meters on both ends, no intersection or anything.

After my death via Truck-kun (and I refuse to refer to this incident as anything else but death by Truck-kun) I apparently found myself in this office shaped like a ball if the mirror next to me said anything, knowing that I had died and how I died.

But it was sorta odd though. It seemed like I lost a lot of my personal life's memories and was very calm, which was sort of an odd experience for a guy who bit the bullet, but hey, I guess it could be weirder. And when I finally got my bearings, I was faced with a pretty handsome man with blonde hair and blue eyes - no homo - sitting there with a smile on his face and greeting me with the following sentence once I gave him my attention.

"Hi there, my name is Samael, and welcome to the afterlife."

Well then...

"Isn't Samael the name of the Devil?"

"Damn it, really? Seriously, I can't believe another person knows my other names. I mean how did you even know that name? I was sure you weren't even from a Christian background." The apparent Devil said and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Yikes, was he really trying to disassociate himself from his position that badly?

"Actually, you know that Lucifer show? That was where I got it from."

"Ah...I see..." He trailed off before clearing his throat in an attempt to get back on track.

"Anyway! So let's see here...Tatsuya Asakura, born in the U.S. from Japanese parents who came there in the 90s...a college student, decent karmic history blah, blah, blah...welcome to the Realm of the Dead, the sort of afterlife before you go onto the next life. I gotta say, sorry for your death through Truck-kun."

Oh, so Truck-kun is a thing after all.

"You'd be surprised how active the supernatural can actually be, even if we don't really make our presence known on Earth, and this kind of narrowed down to someone downstairs messing around and you got killed as a result...so sorry about that in advance." Samael said to me with an apologetic smile, something I never expected to see from the Devil of all things.

Goddamn.

"Oh it's fine...I guess? I mean, I don't really know about my life or anything, so I guess I'm more chill about this than I should be." I answered honestly. Is this what being under the influence feels like? Not sure, should revisit that if I ever get the chance. "So anyway, hit me. Am I headed to the pearly gates or something? I'd know if I was gonna go to Hell, but considering the Devil is here being civil with me, I don't need to worry about that."

"That's fair. Your memory, or lack thereof, and the tampering of your emotions is to help keep you calm and in control it if at any point, a freakout goes on and we're forced to be a bit more aggressive. Anyway to answer your question though Tatsuya, your options are Reincarnation or to be sent to whatever afterlife that seems to be the most compatible to you, seeing as that you're not really a religious person, so we'll have to do a bit of a coin toss. At least...normally this would be the case."

"Normally?" I asked, wondering where he was getting with this.

"Well you see...since I managed to have such an excellent track record for my job, I'm allowed just the slightest bit of freeway in the Reincarnation process, and I'm a chaotic being by nature you know? So let's just call this me wanting to throw some wrenches around. You know those video game merchants who are always everywhere and seemingly invincible or immortal?"

"Yeah...what about them?"

"How would you like to be my representative as the merchant of chaos?"

{To the present...}

And this is how we got here.

"Let me just go over the finer details for you. While you are able to be a merchant and travel the multiverse and sell wares and such, your main...attraction, so to speak, is your ability to make deals."

"Like...business deals? Or are we talking more 'deal with the Devil' sort of deal?" I asked him. Okay, so maybe I'm a bit more interested than I let on despite him being the Devil.

"Maybe something in between. It is a business deal as you expect, but they have to sacrifice something or offer something in return. Nothing crazy like souls...unless you feel that the payment is quite literally the soul and they agree to it, but overall, everything taken into consideration, your goal is to pretty much make a profit in whichever way you like while just causing some chaos here and there if possible...maybe some liberal application of reality altering nonsense as well to help move the process along. You'll get it once you start, and we're providing a manual as well."

So this was a vague as hell explanation. Under normal circumstances, I'd probably decline this, but you know what? What the Hell, why not?

"I mean, this seems pretty interesting. But how much danger are we talking here?"

Hey, what can I say, while I like excitement, I'm not doing this at the expense of a short life.

"Actually, it's far less dangerous than you'd think. After all, as I said, you're pretty much one of those video game merchants, so you're pretty much a walking immortal lifehack with your own store or caravan and all. Sure you can feel pain, but it won't be too bad nor will ya die to whatever is out there. Keep in mind that your deals aside, you're not actively taking part in any events in the multiverse. You're just here to throw in even bigger wrenches into the worlds and see how people deal with it through your sales and deals. If you wanna sell to the villains, go for it. If you want to help the good guys and speed things along, then do that. So long as you make a profit from all this, that's all that matters. So in short, I give you free reign in the multiverse, you just have fun for the both of us."

"I see..."

And I did. So to make a long story short that even dummies can understand: I make a profit, I can potentially fuck up canon for good or for bad, and there are pretty much very little repercussions for my actions, especially since I can't die and have some sort of defense for my store most likely. You know what? I'm in.

"So, do we have a deal?" Samael asked me.

Not sure whether or not I appreciate him using the word 'deal' considering the context. Well played.

"Alright, let's do this." I told the Devil, and he nodded before filling out a sheet of paper.

"Awesome, I love that enthusiasm man! Alright, now just some preliminary questions...do you want to keep your name?"

"Nah. I mean, I'll probably go by an alias that can be recognized universally in many languages since a Japanese name would be weird in a European-inspired world , so Tatsuya's life is over now. I'll come up with a new name for myself."

"Sweet. Everyone else who passes through the cycle lose their names anyway, but I wanted to just ask out of courtesy."

So he knew I'd lose it, even if I said yes? Fucking Devil.

"Alright...looks? Like physical appearance and all."

"Well, seeing as that I don't know what I look like, surprise me."

"Alright...and physical age?"

"Uh...surprise me?"

"Alright. Well, we're all set. I'll be sure to send you over with a manual of how this all works. Be sure to have fun, make a profit-"

I had realized that he never said anything about material worth, like money or anything. How would that work between worlds? Is it just circumstantial? So maybe as long as my net gain overall is positive, then I'm right as rain?

"-and be sure to cause a mess here and there on my behalf will you? You know, Devil and all. Anyways, ciao buddy!~"

And he reached over to pull a lever that was next to him and I could only watched as he suddenly became a blip in the distance.

Did he just open a trap door under me!

"You fucking asshole!"

[3rd POV]

"Man that never gets old." Lucifer said with a laugh as he crossed out the name from his ledger.

"I hope that he's as fun a guy as my first client. Man, I wonder how Alex is doing right now. Well I guess his name is Cyrus nowadays. It's been a while since I sent him off to the Danmachi world, wonder if he's gotten married or unlocked that Bankai yet. Ah well, I'm sure he's having fun, maybe." He spoke to himself before taking his name plate from his desk and tossing it in the trash.

"Never using my other names again. Seriously, how did R.O.B. even make its way to Earth anyway? Seriously, that's so annoying, those damn hairless apes taking my ideas as if it was their own. So much bullshit." He grumbled before leaning back in his chair.

"Well Tatsuya...let's see what sort of chaos you cause, my little envoy."

...

...

[1st POV]

"And...here we go." I said and then set down a box in the back of the storage closet in my store before closing the door and taking a seat to rest and relax for a bit.

I was in a bit of a decent sized neutral looking building, all things considered. It was neither exclusively of an Eastern or Western design and it seemed to be a quaint living space and shop. Unfortunately, it still had a lot of empty space, seeing as that my store is effectively empty of a lot of things. And to add on that, it seemed as if my shop was in the middle of some sort of rainbow colored nexus or something since I couldn't see a single thing outside.

It's been about two weeks since I had found myself waking up in what would be my store, a manual by my bedside with a tutorial of sorts to explain what I'd be doing as well as a manifest of my stock I have on hand. So the first thing I did was consult the manual.

It seemed that I can only gain access to a world in the multiverse after an inhabitant of said world enters my store, my door appearing at certain locations around the multiverse for people to have access to, especially when they are in a time of need. And once they come in, their entrance then builds a two-way bridge that connect my shop to their plane of existence, after which, I can come into their world however I please, mostly to buy stuff that interests me or make deals.

And my wares are pretty interesting as well. When I was told I'd be a video game merchant, Samael wasn't kidding. Apparently my shop was very Final Fantasy-esque with its wares, specifically from Final Fantasy XV, such as weapons, restorative items, and accessories amongst other things.

It probably adds onto the aesthetic in a very odd way that I apparently look like a very young Ardyn Izunia, red-violet hair, amber eyes, and even a copy of his outfit, but I think I'll save that for when I'm actually doing stuff outside the store. I mean, heck, I'll take it, it's a pretty good look for me honestly. Do I want to go by Ardyn though?

Hm...thoughts for later.

I have to say, I find it interesting and also unsurprising how some of my sold items either have no use in a particular world or if they do, they are sometimes conformed to the rules of the world. For example, while Potions seemed to be somewhat universal for physical wounds in varying degrees, if I sold an Ether, the equivalent to a Magic or Mana Potion, in a modern version of Earth with no magic, then nothing happens, but I sold it in the RWBY universe, then their Aura would be replenished and probably go into overdrive since Aura is pretty much that world's knockoff magic if I'm right, something that would be very handy to have in that world. I wonder how much Ironwood would be willing to pay for them if I came across him...I'm sure that I could grab a shit ton of Dust in return and sell them to another world.

On that note, I only have generic RPGs wares, not stuff exclusive to a particular world, so while I may have Elixirs, Ethers, Potions, and an assortment of weapons and accessories and stuff from the world of FFXV, typical JRPG store equipment, I don't have the world's unique items that can only be found in the game or in quests, like the Royal Arms or the Genji Blade that Gilgamesh took from Cor the Immortal, though wouldn't those be fun to use.

If I want such world-unique items to sell to another world to make a profit, I need to purchase them from the world of origin or explore said world to find them. It's a bit of a pain, but that's what I'm here for. Of course, it goes without saying if I plunder a unique item from the world that is necessary for the main people's survival...well I'm sure you can paint the picture.

As it is, I have some Potions, Ether, some Stamina potions, which are unique to my store, and some Elixirs here and there, all of varying quality. I even have some Phoenix Downs for sell too, but those are very limited for more than obvious reasons. Growing back a limb is one thing, which may be possible with a Hi-Elixir...maybe...and that costs and arm and a leg as it due to the near impossible feat of re-growing limbs in the multiverse, but bringing someone from death itself is a whole other story, and I don't care how likable you are as a protagonist or whatever else, these things are not easy to get a hold of whatsoever.

Hell, I only have three of them on hand as it is! All my other stuff may be infinite in number, as expected of video game merchants, but bringing back the recent dead is some serious business, so that stock is very limited as a result.

But I digress. Finally, after a whole week, I finally got the shop organized to my liking with weapons being set up, potions in the back and accessories on display. I'm finally ready baby!

"Well then, it looks like the store is open and we're ready to take in customers!" I exclaimed aloud with no one around me to hear.

...

"Goddamn, I need some company..." I muttered before I heard the ring of a bell, signifying that I was about to receive a customer...wait...

Holy crap! I got a customer!

I quickly ran to the front so that I could greet them. And wasn't I surprised by my first guests.

[3rd POV]

The first person to enter was a young teenager with golden-blonde hair in a ponytail, golden eyes and roughed up appearance as if he had been getting his ass kicked before apparently kicking someone's ass and finishing it. And something that stood out was the metal bits that seemed to be embedded in his shoulder.

And there was also his friend who was by his side, an Oriental looking young man with dark eyes, black hair that was in a ponytail, and he was wearing a sleeveless shirt that had a hole over the stomach area, having followed in his companion with a obviously wary look before recognizing that he was in a store of some kind as he looked around.

The blonde was wary as well, but it couldn't be blamed considering their recent ordeal with the enemy they had just defeated.

"Where the hell are we? What is this place, some kind of store?" The blonde asked as he looked around the building, his suspicions confirmed by his friend.

"Yeah, it sure looks like it. Though I've never really seen a store such as this one. I see some drinks or something on the opposite wall and some firearms and weapons on display, but there doesn't seem to be anything else though." The Oriental added and before they could say more, the sounds of footsteps were heard from the back and then a young adult in his early 20s or so showed up from wherever he had been when they arrived. He looked like he was from the west, but the way he was dressed seemed to be very different from what one would find in Amestris. Was he an immigrant of some kind from the west?

"Sorry sorry, I was in the back setting up shop. You are actually my very first customer here, so that's why everything is so empty!" The young man said before taking a deep breath and then began to greet them with a smile before he stopped himself, seeming to look surprised as he took in their appearance. Well, he wasn't wrong to do so considering they looked like they came out of a rough situation. But then again, this guy isn't normal himself for a door that appeared out of nowhere.

A young man in his early 20s, with red-violet hair tied into a ponytail that hung over his left shoulder and amber eyes. He wore a white button up shirt with a black tie and a vertically black and gray striped vest underneath a red violet coat, accompanied by slacks of a similar color.

"Well then...I didn't expect you two of all people to show up here first...and based from what I'm seeing...it looks like Father's dead isn't he? You just got your arm back from your brother, while the you lost your other self." The young man murmured and seemed to space out, the two 'customers' tensing as if preparing for a fight, unsure as to how this man knew those two things, especially since they've never seen him before. When the shopkeeper came back to the real world, he raised his hands placatingly to show he meant no harm.

"Hey guys, calm down, we're all friends here alright? Look, let's just get to the point of why you guys are here. Now then..." He cleared his throat before giving the two young customers a smile and greeted them.

"Welcome Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, and Ling Yao, the Prince of Xing, to the Rainbow Bridge, a special store that appears for those who are in need. And I can probably guess what those needs or wants are. Tell me Edward. What would you be willing to trade to retrieve your brother from the Gate of Truth and Truth himself? And you Ling Yao...how about we make a trade? Your Philosopher's Stone in return for a stone containing the friend you've lost, Greed. Seems fair, right?"

{AN: Read the Creator's Thoughts below}