A Second Chance at Life

That question threw Yoshi for a loop.
He was at a loss for what to say.

Reincarnation meant that, right?
The one where you are reborn with memories of your previous life.

It honestly felt like a cheat. The benefits were numerous.
It would allow him to do things he didn't get a chance to do in his previous life, although he didn't really have anything he wanted to achieve in particular.

It would also allow him to learn more things faster than others.

However, where there are pros, there are cons as well.
The same held true for this case as well.

He wouldn't be able to live his new life as 「himself」.
His life would overshadow the life of the person who was supposed to start from scratch.

Besides, he would have his memory of death, which wasn't an exactly pleasant thing to possess.

Should he accept? Or should he reject?

Did he have an option to reject? He might.
The 「Goddess」 didn't seem like one to not respect his personal feelings on the matter.

While he was choosing his next words, a chair appeared and the 「Goddess」 sat down on it comfortably.
That chair appeared in pretty much the same way as the light and the 「Goddess」 herself.

She really felt like the master of this place, being able to manipulate and manifest anything and everything.

Yoshi tried to get his thoughts straight, brushing aside the matter of the chair.
A few moments later, he seemed to have found his words.

"This is a little sudden for me to take... Honestly, I am a little indecisive. Would you mind answering some of my other questions until then?"
"Frankly, I do not comprehend your reason for being indecisive... but I do not mind. Please, take your time, by all means."

He secretly thanked her for putting up his non-stop questioning, and rolled back his head with his hand on his chin to ask a few questions that he did not yet have the chance to ask.

"How long have I been out for? I felt like I was in a deep sleep before I woke up and... well started a ruckus."

He had felt like he had been pulled out of an abyss where he peacefully rested.
He had meant to ask what the time lag was between his death and his awakening in this place.

"You woke up only a few seconds after your death. In fact, it's only been a couple of minutes since your death."

She once again made a difficult face as she reluctantly answered his question after pausing for a second.

-Seriously, what was up with this 'brimming with consideration' 「Goddess」?

Every single one of her actions was out of concern for him, yet they only made his heart ache.

Yoshi tried to keep his heartache in check as he moved on.

"So, the others must not have noticed that we have gone missing, huh..."
"I'm afraid not. They do not seem like they'll wake up until tomorrow morning."

By them, Yoshi was referring to his group, his companions who had accompanied him on the camping trip, consisting of Nakajima, Teruki, Mr. Ichiro, and Misoku, who was now dead.

"So, did Misoku also show up?"
"Yes, he did. He died, after all."
"I see..."

Misoku must already have had his soul cleansed, and sent back to the world for a new life.
After all, Yoshi was the sole exception who had been personally summoned by the 「Goddess」.

He prayed silently for his happiness in his next life.
Along with that, he also wished for him to not get stuck with some other idiot like himself.
Whether out of possessiveness or concern for him, he genuinely didn't want Misoku's genius and kindness to be wasted on someone like him again.

"Now, for my final question. What were those... 「things」? You know, the ones that killed me..."

This was the one question he didn't want to ask, but couldn't go without asking.
It filled him with terror.
The mere thought of their appearance filled his body with shivers.

However, gathering his courage, he had managed to get it out of his mouth.

"They were most likely anomalies, who sometimes appear to destroy world order. I am truly sorry that you became a victim of their bloodlust... If only I had dealt with them earlier, there wouldn't have been casualties..."

The 「Goddess」 cursed herself for her inadequacy.

"No, I wouldn't blame you... It's their damn fault, isn't it? So you shouldn't feel bad about it..."

Yoshi had finally said what he had been holding back after all time.
He had finally gathered enough courage and enough repulsion for her expression to speak his mind.

"However... I have a request. Please... do not let anyone else suffer the same fate as me."

He spoke in a low, but strong voice.

His memory of his death was so abhorrent, he wanted to vomit.
And he would have, if not for his body being artificial.

He hoped no one else would have to deal with this like he did, even though they would immediately lose all memory and restart their lives anew, not knowing a thing.

Hearing his words, a small smile appeared on the 「Goddess」's face.

"You are really kind... I shall try to the best of my ability."

She slowly regained her composure and spoke in the same calm, but emotional voice.
For a moment, her eyes turned away, before fixating themselves on Yoshi once again.

"Now, regarding the reincarnation... I'm considering it just a little bit."

Yoshi spoke reluctantly.
He had still not decided on a firm choice.

Those words seemed to lift the spirits of the 「Goddess」 as a sense of happiness flowed through her.

"You are? That's a relief..."
"Just a little bit, mind you... Anyways, what exactly is the deal with this reincarnation? I need details to make a final decision."

The 「Goddess」 fell into thought, as if arranging the words in her head.

"What exactly do you need to know?"
"First, What is the purpose of my reincarnation?"

Yoshi didn't know her purpose in getting him reincarnated.
Was it out of goodwill for him?
Was it out of curiosity to see what happens?
Was it an experiment?
Or was there a favor she wanted to ask of him?

"Let's see... Your purpose of being reincarnated is to live as you see fit, under one condition."
"What is that condition?"

The purpose was quite simple.
To live. That was all.

However, the simplicity of that purpose also depended on what the condition was.

Yoshi had faith it wouldn't be something unreasonable.
But, he couldn't help but gulp at the possibility of it being one.

"The condition is that... You have to live for at least seven years."

The 「Goddess」 stated the existence of a time period, which was quite a surprise for Yoshi.

Yoshi start wondering about what would happen if he failed.
Although, seven years didn't feel like much of a deal.

Actually, it wasn't that big of a deal.
He would only be in elementary school by then at best.

"Ah... till I become an elementary schooler. Doesn't sound like too much of a deal. I am curious about your reason though."
"Elementary schooler? Why would you go back to elementary school?"

The 「Goddess」 tilted her head in confusion.

-It seems we are not on the same page here...

"Well, isn't it obvious? By the time you are seven, you are in elementary school, right?"

Yoshi tried to explain the basics of the education system, which should have been known by the person who claimed to be... No, the person who was a 「Goddess」.

"I am aware of that fact. But you will be reincarnated in your current form..."

Now it was Yoshi's turn to tilt his head.

"What do you mean by current form? You mean I will look like this when I am reincarnated?"

He pointed to his body as he asked.

"Yes, that is the case."
"But, wouldn't it be kind of difficult on whoever will be my mother if I am this big?"

Yoshi's statement drove away her look of confusion and invited a giggle to her face.

"That's not what I meant when I said you will be reincarnated. I meant that you wouldn't need a mother. You will be sent to the world as you are. There is no need for the process of birth."
"Ah, so that's how it is..."

Yoshi rubbed his head with a small smile, as he thought back on his misconception with a slight hint of embarrassment.

A lot of details were fuzzy in his head, but he was asking too much at this point.
He was worried if he was troubling the 「Goddess」 with his repeated questioning.

So, he didn't need to know anymore.
And that was ok.

He had quite a few details down. And so, he had made his decision.

"I-"

-accept, is what he was going to say, but he choked on his words.
An uneasy feeling crept into his mind, and he was unable to complete his sentence.

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Was it ok for it to be him?
Was it ok for the 「Goddess」 to choose him?
Wouldn't he screw things up?

He was a really clumsy person, one who was unworthy of being trusted.
Why was it that he was selected, out of all the 8 billion people in the world?

The 「Goddess」 had said that he was 「special」.
But wasn't that because he was lucky?

The uneasiness grew in his mind, as it slowly manifested as anxiety.

"Why did you choose me?"

Her words were wasted on him.
She had spent her precious time answering his questions, as he selfishly continued to ask them.
And yet, he continued asking.

The task given to him was simple.
But, if he failed, he wondered if that complexion of hers would change, if her attitude towards him would change.

He did not know why he doubted himself for being to survive for 7 years, even though he had already lived seventeen years of life uneventfully.

But the doubt was there, and it refused to leave.
He somehow had a bad feeling about this, that once started, kept tugging at him.

"Huh?"

To his question, she paused for a few moments, before understanding what he had meant to ask.

But, Yoshi continued, without stopping for her.
His non-existent heart was going out of control as his entire body started trembling, seemingly losing strength.

"Why did you choose me? Why did you choose someone as worthless and forgettable as me? Why did you choose someone who is causing so much trouble for you right now? Did you choose me at random? If that is so, I apologize, but please reconsider your decision. I am sure you will find someone better than me, someone who can live up to your expectations."

He clenched his fist, looking down at the black emptiness below him.

"I did not choose you at random."

Those words had the same strength as before when she had declared that this place was the 「Realm of the Gods」.
The strength of truth.

"Then why?"
"Because... you are the one I chose."
"That doesn't answer my question!"

He shouted. Such answers would not satisfy him.

"I chose you... because you are you..."

The words did not lose their strength.
Besides, the trust behind those words was near-blind faith.
He didn't understand why she held such trust in him.

But she was wrong. The trust was misplaced.
She was wrong to expect anything from him.

"... and you are 「special」."

The words continued, stabbing his heart relentlessly.

What did she mean? He was 「special」?
There were 8 billion people all around the world, people with far stronger wills and people with far better abilities.

"That's so far-fetched, I can't believe it..."

That he was more worthy of the 「Goddess」's faith than those people was putting insanity to shame.

"It's alright if you don't believe it... Because I believe in you. I believe that you are a wonderful person... Although, if you would believe it as well, it would be better..."

A wave of shock blew away Yoshi's worries.

She believed in him?
Not only was putting her trust in him, she even believed that he could do it?

That levels of faith were not possible with just a mistaken judgment of character.

She had seen him this vulnerable, and yet did not deem him weak.
She called him wonderful.
Such levels of expectation would undoubtedly crush him.

She had even gone out of her way to bring him from the edges of madness not once, but twice.
She answered every single one of his questions.
She showed extreme consideration of his condition, trying not to bring up any hurtful parts.

And most importantly, she believed in him.
What reason did he have left to refuse someone who genuinely put so much effort for his sake?

"I can't..."

He didn't have it in him to accept it.
Something inside was telling him not to accept it.
He didn't understand the reason.

But, he didn't understand any part of himself right now.

"I see..."

The 「Goddess」's face wore a bittersweet expression.
Her comforting gaze had disappeared as a look of loneliness shadowed over her crimson eyes.
The fire of passion in those eyes was burning slower, and seemed like it wouldn't long before it turned into smolders.

-What are you doing, you idiot? If you don't say yes now, how can you ever repay such a great debt?

Another voice screamed inside him.

"Fine... I'll do it, goddammit!"

That expression was the final push that pushed Yoshi into the boundaries of acceptance.
He couldn't bear the look of dejection on her face.
After everything she had done for him, after all the lengths she had gone to indulge him to the best of her ability, it truly would be disheartening for her to be rejected in the one request she asked of him.

He pushed down his bad feeling and squished it flat on its face as he spoke.

"I'll do it... I can't guarantee anything, but I will try to the best of my ability."

He strengthened his resolve.
To answer to the expectations of someone else seriously for the first time in a long time.

Her smile made it worth it.

She looks better when she is smiling.
She looks better when she is not dejected.
She looks better when the fire in her eyes burns with passion.

If this was all set up, he had fallen for it through and through.
But he didn't mind. It was worth it.

"I cannot express enough gratitude."

The 「Goddess」 spoke with her hand on her chest, her face beaming with joy.

"I was worried I might have to wait for millennia for someone like you to show up again... But you accepted... and that makes me elated."

Hearing those words, Yoshi felt like he had made the correct choice.
It truly was painful to imagine a kind-hearted being like her, waiting patiently for a thousand years for someone like him to flat out reject her proposal, forcing her to wait again.

And to think that she would have to wait for a thousand years to find another person like him made him feel butterflies in his stomach.
It was too heavy of a burden on his shoulders, the expectation.

"Yeah..."

But he couldn't express it. He couldn't find the right words.

After a few moments of silence, he mustered enough courage to speak again.

"So, will you do the honors?"
His voice broke the silence and brought the 「Goddess」 from her trance-like state.
"Ah... right. Please wait a moment and allow me to begin the preparations."

She said as she fiddled with her hands in a cute manner.

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A few seconds later, the 「Goddess」 opened her eyes.
She was apparently doing something Yoshi did not understand with her eyes closed.

"Thank you for waiting patiently. I am done with the preparations on my side. Now all is left for you to make one last choice."
"You said you are done with your preparations, but what exactly did you do?"

"I've simply made some changes to your physical constitution for your safe reincarnation. It would be too dangerous to undergo the process without said changes. Otherwise, your body might explode the moment you enter the world, and you might die instantly."
"Scary!"

He shouted involuntarily on hearing about the instant death that awaited him if she wasn't careful.

-Instant death?! Is this that spawn-kill thing people talked about in multiplayer games?

Yoshi did not play multiplayer games very often, but had seen the term being thrown around in some internet forum.

Anyway, Yoshi was certainly not pleased at the thought of his body being tampered with.
But, if it was necessary then he was willing to overlook any unnoticeable changes made to his body.

"So, what about the choice I was supposed to make?"
"I believe showing it to you should make this far easier."

The 「Goddess」 answered Yoshi's question as she waved her hand, and something resembling a screen popped into existence in front of Yoshi's face.

"Magic?"

On that screen, the term 「Magic」 was written, with two boxes below it.
Yoshi, from his experience with computers, instantly figured out that they were drop-down boxes.

He was unsure whether it would react to his touch, because he had yet to physically attempt to tamper with anything in this realm, but he had to try if he wanted to find out.

His finger slowly reached for the arrow at the end of the box, which seemed like they patiently waiting for contact.
The moment he touched them, a list appeared below the box, just like you would expect from drop-down boxes.

He glanced over the options.

「Fire」.           「Ice」.             「Water」.             「Wind」.               「Earth」.
「Light」.         「Dark」.           「Illusion」.          「Healing」.          「Barrier」.

There was quite a variety of options.

"But why magic?"

That was one part he didn't understand.
What need did he have for magic when all he had to do was to follow a normal lifestyle?

"You could say it's... compensation."
"Compensation... for what?"
"You should understand what I am talking about."

Seeing her eyes looking down, along with the hint she provided, Yoshi joined the pieces together and made a guess.
The only thing she would suggest compensation for was the incident of his death.

"Sorry. I guess that was an insensitive question."

She had very clearly been avoiding that topic out of guilt and seemingly fear of being hated.
Asking that question could very well be labelled as insensitivity.

-Shouldn't it not be insensitive if I am the one asking that question?

After all, wasn't the reason for her avoiding the topic related to him?
Well, whatever.

He didn't want her to make that face, so he decided not to pry further into the matter.

"So, I'm supposed to live with some superpower or something? Sounds pretty cool."
"I suppose that might be wonderful for you."

The 「Goddess」 returned to her original demeanor, playing along with his comment with a smile on her face.

-Will probably have to hide it from others though.

Ah, how exciting the idea was of him being an anonymous super hero!
It reminded him of that one hero who could climb walls or something.

"Ah, I digress."

He brought himself back to his senses as he thought about which one to choose.
Apparently, he could choose two of the ten options.

"I understand 「Fire」, 「Water」 and the like, what the hell is this 「Light」 and 「Dark」 stuff?"

In video games, the concept of 「Fire」, 「Ice」 and the rest of the elemental magic types rarely changed, but the concept of 「Light」 and 「Dark」 was highly up to the interpretation of the creator.

Sometimes they were interpreted as being buffing or de-buffing spells, sometimes they were interpreted as being healing or damaging spells, and sometimes they were even capable of world-scale magic like calling meteors or stuff.

The 「Goddess」 cleared her throat as she spoke, which made Yoshi think that this was a going to be a long explanation.

"Allow me to explain.
「Fire」 is the ability to create and manipulate fire.
「Ice」 is the ability to create and manipulate ice.
「Water」 is the ability to create and manipulate water.
「Wind」 is the ability to manipulate wind.
「Earth」 is the ability to create and manipulate earth.
「Light」 is a complicated ability. It can be used to boost physical abilities, and for light healing, and more similar abilities.
「Dark」 is just as complicated as light, although of the exact opposite nature. It can used to worsen physical abilities, and for light damage, and more similar abilities.
「Illusion」 is the ability to deceive the senses of the target.
「Healing」 is the ability to heal physical wounds.
「Barrier」 is the ability to create barriers for protection."

It wasn't as long as he expected, but there was the possibility she might have only listed the important parts, leaving out the finer details for convenience.

All of them were really cool abilities, and Yoshi wished that he could have at least one chance to have all of them.
But, the choice in front of him would not allow him to choose more than two.
He pondered on what would be best choice.

One thing was clear.

The first five were offensive abilities, whereas the other five were passive abilities.
For a balanced layout, he would have to choose one from each of these categories.

It made the choice easier for him.

Out of the offensive abilities, he noticed that something was a little off.
The explanation for 「Wind」 was different from the others.
Every single one of the offensive abilities had the ability to create and manipulate that particular element, with the exception of wind, which allowed only manipulation.

Not that it made a difference.

He wasn't going off to some place without any air.
That out of the way, he wondered which one would be the best for him.

「Water」 was out of his options before he began choosing.
He did not like that element, going by his horrible experiences in video games with characters who used water-based spells.

「Earth」 sounded cool in terms of practicality, however it wasn't too flashy.

After a solid minute of wondering, he thought of going with 「Fire」.
It was classic, generic, and it was strong in the video games he had played.

And most importantly, it was cool.
He was excited just at the thought of crimson flames burning slowly in his hands, waking up the inner chuunibyo sleeping inside of him.

On the other hand, with the passive abilities, he wasn't too sure.
Each one of sounded just as useful and cool as the other.

So, after a few minutes of scratching his head and comparing them on an imaginary weighing scale in his mind, he ended up choosing 「Light」, mostly because it was the first on that list.

With him having chosen his magic abilities, he looked up towards the 「Goddess」, his eyes trying to communicate the fact that he was done.

And the message was relayed, as the screen disappeared, and the 「Goddess」 lightly clapped his hands in satisfaction.

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"So, now that's out of the way, you are completely ready."
"Yeah..."
"Then, I shall begin the final procedure."

Saying that, the 「Goddess」 closed her eyes and waved her hands, her lips moving in silent prayer or something like that.
Suddenly, a pale blue light surrounded her.
Yoshi watched her in a trance, as he began to wonder.

He wondered how he would return to his world once more, after all this was over.
Not as himself, but as someone else.

The thought made him less sick than if he was replacing the body of who should have been him without memories, essentially taking over their life.

He would wait for that one day, when he could truly 「die」.
So that he could be freed from bearing the weight of the experience known as 「death」.
The thought of 「death」 reminded him of something that if possible, he would like to forget.

His body was overwhelmed with nausea at the mere thought of it.
Another trick his brain played on him. His body did not exist, after all.

But, the effect was all the same, striking him mercilessly, making his ears rings, his vision blurry and his head hurt.
He never wanted to see anything like that ever again.

"Wait!"

He shouted at the top of his lungs.
The 「Goddess」, seemingly puzzled, opened her eyes.
The moment she did, the light surrounding her disappeared without leaving any trace.

She looked at him in slight confusion as she asked, "What happened?".

"I'm really sorry to hold you up, but please listen to me one last time."
His imaginary stomach was twisting in pain, as he suppressed his imaginary urge to vomit.

"Those 「things」... anomalies, you called them?"
"What about them?"

She still hadn't caught on to what he wanted to say.
Well, that was to be expected.
For even Yoshi knew how unpredictable and reckless this request was.

"Could you make it so I never have to see them ever again?"
"Ah... I see."

For a moment, he thought she would reply, "But dealing with them is part of your job...".
You know, with all the 「Magic」 stuff he had to go through.

"Well, I guess I have no choice."

Denying his hypothesis, her reply was positive.
His imaginary heart was welling up as he appreciated her consideration towards him for umpteenth time.

"I was correct..."

He was so happy, that he never heard those words leave the 「Goddess」's lips.

A moment later, the 「Goddess」 waved her hand again, in a more grandiose manner than before.
Coinciding with her motion, a rainbow-colored light surrounded Yoshi's body.

Unlike before, this light gave off a strange warmth.

It made him feel excited, for some reason, like he wanted to hop around without any particular reason.
The relaxation and assurance he wanted to feel never came, but he didn't mind.
This feeling he had in his mind was just as precious, if not more.

His eyes momentarily turned white, a multitude of hues following, merging together and giving way to white once more, after fading to its natural night black color.

Yoshi turned to look at the 「Goddess」, who seemed to be murmuring something with a big smile on her face and her eyes closed.
He thought that 「Incantation with closed eyes」 might be the conditions for her using her powers.
Before he could delve into the ocean of his thoughts, the light around him faded gracefully.

"Your request has been fulfilled. Along with a little extra..."

The 「Goddess」 said, trying to wink, but she ended up closing both her eyes and opened one of them forcefully, making a weird face.
Yoshi had no idea what sort of comedy that was supposed to be, but there was another pressing matter for him to turn his attention to.

"-? Extra? What's that all about?"
The 「Goddess」 broke her weird expression and regained her usual demeanor.
"If you run into some problem you cannot solve by your own abilities, you just have to say what you want, and I will grant your wish. Only up to three times, that is."

Seriously, why was she going to such lengths?
This was beyond the realm of consideration, to the point that it could be called over-caution.

But, he couldn't say he didn't appreciate it.
Getting such special treatment gave him a sense of fulfillment he had never felt before.

"It's not set in stone that you'll need it, but you can use them to ease your troubles. You can even use them to make contact with me, if you ever have anything to ask of me. I would like to apologize, for I cannot provide you with more wishes, but there's nothing I can do about it. Giving you three is barely acceptable, in fact."
"Are you planning to put me in debt? Seriously, I am going to get crushed under it if I let you continue with this."

He said that, but on the inside, he was filled by only gratitude.

On that question, she broke out into a smile as he covered her mouth with her hand.

"Earning gratitude from you today is the most satisfactory act I have indulged in."
"You better not get addicted to it."

They started giggling, throwing sarcastic remarks at each other.

But, that blissful moment would not last forever.
A few seconds later, the 「Goddess」 regained her composed complexion, and spoke.

"Are you all ready? I was able to cancel the spell last time, but I cannot guarantee that I can do a second time."
"I think... I do have one thing left."

He took a deep breath, that one moment of pause serving to increase the anticipation in the atmosphere.

"Thank you."

Those two words definitely could not convey all the thankfulness he was feeling.
But, that was the best he could do after all he had received.

"With that, I think I'm ready now... Yeah. I'm ready. Go ahead. Do your thing."

Seeing the 「Goddess」's eyes widen just a bit as emotions flowed through them turbulently, he quickly broke off the heavy tone in his voice, returning to his usual flippant manner of speech.

"Yes."

The emotion packed into that one word was comparable to the emotion Yoshi had put into his own voice.

With that, the 「Goddess」 waved her hands again like she had done, before Yoshi had interrupted her.

The blue light reappeared, surrounding her body in a ring as she murmured inaudible incantations.
Immediately afterwards, another blue light surrounded Yoshi's body, completely enveloping it in its radiance.

This one was different from the light around the 「Goddess」 in the sense that it did not comprise of only pale blue, but all the colors that lay between it and white, enhancing its brilliance.

The endless black came to an end as it was replaced by a blinding light, the soundless atmosphere came to an end as it was replaced by the tinkling of chimes.

"May you not die on your own..."

In the midst of that chaos, Yoshi could not have been expected to hear those words.
Soon, the only thing that was left in his perception was him himself.
As he prepared himself for the adventures that awaited him, the feeling of ending served as a new beginning.

The beginning of his second chance at life.

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Author's Corner:

The last two chapters were a little tricky to write, because it sets up the premise for the entire story, and because I actually have to worry about how the characters are interacting with each other.
And this chapter ends the oh so long prologue for the story many isekai authors barely bother to write.

I wanted the life before the reincarnation to be especially highlighted, because now I have darker tones to contrast it with.
And I didn't like almost every isekai story starting with some wacky dude saving someone, almost always a girl from death and getting killed in the process, which is mostly what led me to write my take on this genre.

Well instead of a wacky dude succeeding in saving a girl, here it's a wacky dude failing to save  a guy.

But the story only gets more interesting from here on now, so I hope you'll stay for the ride.