Chapter 01 – Farewell to This World

December 19I remember the exact moment when everything changed.It was the end-of-year party for our final year of high school—a costume party with a theme based on popular series.I went dressed as Takumi, a character from a South American battle manga about cooking-based powers. Crimson hair and eyes. A shirt black as the night. Green pants. White shoes.That’s when I saw her—my childhood friend.Her name was Cleer Gallo. She was beautiful; plenty of guys had asked her out before, but she always turned them down. She would always tell me, “I don’t need anyone but you.”Sometimes… I wondered if she was in love with me.But I never had the courage to ask her if she wanted to be my girlfriend.That night, she was dressed as Tomoko from the manga Sushi no Powa: pink hair, green eyes, cat ears and tail, a sleek black dress, and white heels.We met up at the snack table. Candies. Chocolates. Cleer loved sweets—could never stop eating them—even when people teased her about “getting fat.” She’d just shoot back, “Mind your own business, idiot.”I only took a few things; I wanted to grab an orange soda. But then—“Franco,” she said, her voice soft and playful.“Let’s go look at the stars outside.”“…Outside? It’s dangerous,” I said.She pouted. “Come on. I want to spend some time with you.”In the end… I gave in.A mistake.A terrible mistake for both of us.The winter air was cold as we stepped outside.“Aren’t the stars beautiful, Franco?”“Yeah… they’re nice, Cleer. Heh. But can we go back inside? I have a bad feeling about this—”BANG!Gunshots.A man stepped out of the shadows. A pistol in his hand. Smoke curling from the barrel.Our bodies hit the ground.And the world went black.When I opened my eyes again, we were lying in a vast garden of endless flowers. The air was warm, soothing—like sinking into a bed on a lazy morning.Beside me, Cleer stirred, fear in her voice.“Franco… where are we?”“I don’t know. But we should stay calm and figure out how to get out of here.”“I don’t care. I want to leave—now.”Then, a voice—soft, almost like a whisper—echoed around us.“Welcome, Franco and Cleer.”We froze.From behind a wall of flowers emerged a woman in a flowing white robe. Her long hair was snow-white, her eyes a deep, tranquil blue.“Do not be afraid, my children,” she said gently. “All will be well.”I swallowed hard. “Who… who are you? And what is this place?”“You are dead,” she replied without hesitation. “This is the bridge between the world of the living… and the world beyond.”Her words slammed into me like a hammer.Dead?We… died?I tried to convince myself it was just a dream—that I was still at home, asleep, and none of this had happened.But Cleer shook her head.“You’re not dreaming, Franco,” she said quietly. “This is real. We’re both dead.”Cold dread seeped into my bones.Those gunshots… that’s how it ended for us.The goddess gave us fifteen minutes to process it.When we’d calmed down, I asked, “So… will we go to heaven or hell?”She smiled. “Neither. It is not yet your time to die. Instead, I will send you to be reborn in another world. Each of you may make one wish—anything you desire. A weapon, a power, a skill… as long as it is not something too extreme.”Cleer’s eyes lit up. “Did you hear that, Franco? We each get a wish! Isn’t that amazing?”“I know,” I said, “but we should be smart about this. Let me ask her a few questions first.”The goddess nodded. “Ask me anything you wish.”I thought carefully. “In this new world, will they speak our language? If not, will we be able to speak theirs? What kind of magic or power system exists there—if any? Is there a main villain, a demon lord, something we have to defeat? Will we reincarnate at our current age, or be born again? And if we’re reborn, will we keep our memories?”Cleer listened closely as the goddess chuckled softly.“First, no, they do not speak your language—but once you arrive, you will be able to speak theirs without forgetting your own. There is indeed magic, based on the elements, but you will learn more in your new life. Your mission will be to defeat the Demon Queen, who seeks to plunge the world into torment.“As for your age and memories—you will keep them when you are reborn as infants. You will think and act as adults, but I recommend you behave like children to avoid suspicion. And… do not take advantage of your new bodies. That would be… unpleasant.”I grinned. “Cleer, let’s save that world.”She smiled back and nodded.Then—light.Blinding, all-consuming light.When it faded, I was alone in the dark. Something pulled me forward—harder, faster—until suddenly…Air filled my lungs for the first time.And then—“Doctor: Congratulations! It’s a healthy baby girl.”