Never study everything one night before exam.
After six straight hours buried in thermodynamics, my brain was one step away from dying and I could almost feel myself walk like a dead zombie through the streets. I didn't even change out of my hoodie—just dragged myself to the corner supermarket, hoping a cold soda might kickstart my fried neurons.
The fluorescent lights buzzed as I entered the said place with one goal on my mind. My eyes squinted against them as I made my way to the fridge in the back. Even after watching tons of motivational videos, I wasn't even halfway there to complete the whole syllabus. Oh lord, just save me this ti-
"Mommy"
A quiet sob interrupted my prayers.
I turned my head and met with the sight of a little girl, no more than six, standing near the cereal aisle crying by herself. No one was around and as a responsible unrelated big brother I offered to help her while trying not to scare her away by my current looks of zombie aka dark circles under my eyes.
"Hey," I said gently, squatting down to her level "You okay? Are you lost?"
She hiccupped and nodded, gripping her little pink backpack as she wiped off her tears.
I reached into the fridge next to me, pulled out a cold orange drink, and offered it to her with a soft smile. "Want one? Might help you feel better."
She stared at it in between her sobs as she shook her head.
"No. Mommy said not to take stuff from strangers."
I gave a weak laugh and scratched the back of my neck, sweat dropping a little in embarrassment. "Yeah. She got a point"
I gently patted her head. She didn't flinch.
"Alright, how about this? I help you find your mom. Then you take it from me?"
Her eyes lit up, just a little. "She was with me a moment ago. But... then she was gone."
I stood up and looked around. Maybe her mom was a few aisles away. Maybe she'd—
Bang.
The sound cracked through the air like thunder. A scream followed. My chest tightened as I held girl close to me as she grabbed my leg instantly. I took her to the side and hid behind, while trying not to get involved in this bullshit.
A bald guy had pistol pointed at the boy on counter while a woman was clutching her arm with blood oozing out of her arm.
Everyone in the store took cover as well.
The little girl gasped. "Mommy!"
She bolted, before I could get a hold of her.
"Hey—wait!" I yelled, chasing her.
She weaved between carts and shelves. I caught sight of her tiny figure running into to her mom as that man pointed his gun at that girl.
This bastard was really going to shoot her?!
No.
I snatched a can of beans and hurled it with everything I had. It struck him clean on the side of the head. He staggered, curse flying out of his mouth.
I reached the girl, scooped her up, and turned. Blood stained the floor. Her mom, lying down holding her while she was gasping for breath.
"Go!" I told her, pushing the girl toward her. "Take her! Hide in the corner aisle, behind the racks!"
The woman, her face pale from the wound, grabbed her daughter and limped off. I turned back to the stunned goon and tackled him, slamming him to the ground with a grunt.
"Call the cops!" I shouted toward the counter.
But before I could say more—
Bang!
My body jerked. Everything went numb inside me as I felt my body loosen.
I stumbled while blinking with my breath caught halfway in my throat. Blood spilled down my shirt. I looked down. It didn't register, I held him down so how?
From somewhere behind me, another goon—one I hadn't even seen—lowered his gun. Smiling.
I fell to my knee as the baldy smacked me off him.
The girl's voice. "Mister!"
She was running toward me. No. Don't come here. Not now. Stay with your mom.
But I couldn't say it. I couldn't say anything.
Lights flashed. Sirens wailed. Police. Screams again. More shots. Yelling. I saw the goons go down, hard, and heavy.
And then she was by my side, tiny hands shaking mine.
"No Mister…You saved me…you c-"
I tried to smile. Maybe I did.
Everything was fading now. Not just the pain, but the noise. The light. Like someone was turning the world off gradually and eventually I lost the semblance of my senses as the last thing I saw was that little girl holding me gently.
. . .
There was no pain.
No flashing lights, no beeping monitors. No sterile hospital air or panicked voices hovering above me. Just… peace.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself sitting on a soft, cushion-like mat, my legs folded under me as if I'd naturally settled there. A low wooden table stretched between me and the figure across from me. The room itself was a work of art—tatami mats, sliding paper doors etched with sakura blossoms, the gentle rustle of wind chimes in the distance. Incense curled through the air, light and floral, mixing with the faint aroma of green tea.
I am alive? But how?!
And sitting across from me, as if she had been expecting me this whole time, was a woman in an elegant kimono of flowing indigo silk. Her hair was black as moonless night, pinned with silver ornaments, and her expression was one of serene amusement—like a cat that had already caught the mouse but was still pretending to stalk it.
She took a delicate sip of tea, then set the cup down with practiced grace.
I blinked. My throat felt dry. "Uh… where—"
"You are not in a hospital, dear soul," she said, her voice soft yet playful, with a distinct lilt "And no, this is not a dream, either."
"Then… I'm dead?"
There was a pause, almost theatrical. Then she smiled gently. "Yes"
I stared at her. My heart—or whatever was left of it—paced . The last thing I remembered was the little girl. The gun. My body hitting the floor. And then her soft embrace in my final moments.
"But she's okay, right? The girl?" I asked quickly.
Her expression warmed putting down the cup "She is. Thanks to you."
I let out a shaky breath, staring down at my hands. They didn't feel quite real, but they were steady. I not only saved that little girl's life but I also dodged the test that I have not studied for, was I finally getting lucky. And now this place, don't tell me I am hallucinating in my room after brain death.
"Then... what is this place?" I asked, not dwelling too much on this absurdity. I wanted answers not questions in my head.
"This is the interval between lives," she replied, gesturing around the tea room. "A space between what was, and what comes next for you"
"You're the one in charge of this place?"
She nodded once, still smiling. "I am the Goddess of Afterlife afterall. A noble title, I suppose, though I prefer the quiet elegance of my tea room over all that divine bureaucracy."
A goddess. Sitting in front of me. Drinking tea like this was the most normal conversation in the world. It's quite bizarre adventure I must say.
"And you're the one who decides what happens to me now?" I asked.
"In part," she said, reaching forward and snapping her fingers.
A blue holographic screen shimmered into existence in front of me. It hovered, glowing faintly, with a single button in the center—a blue circle pulsing gently.
"Upon your death, you have earned a chance to continue this endless series of life. A new life. Press the button, and see where fate takes you."
I hesitated. "Just like that?"
"Just like that."
I reached out and pressed the button.
Instantly, the screen changed. A large roulette wheel spun into view, its sections blinking with different names—some familiar, most strange. One caught my eye—Secret Class. And then, fate did its thing.
The wheel spun. Slowed. Clicked.
High School DxD.
"…Wait, what?" I blinked at the screen, then at her. "That's… an anime."
She laughed, as the sound of wind chimes resonated in the background "Yes! And a rather popular one, I must say. You should count yourself lucky that you weren't sent to Berserk"
I stared at her, bewildered. "Why would a goddess of the afterlife be into anime?"
She smirked, sipping her tea again. "I find it... artistically expressive. Japanese culture is delightful—so rich in elegance and chaos. Hence the tea room and all this scenery. I am a woman of culture afterall"
I was quiet for a moment, trying to process the fact that not only had I died, but I was now being sent into an anime world by a tea-sipping goddess who fangirled over Japanese aesthetics.
Before I could speak again, a new notification popped up on the screen.
[ You have one Silver Spin available. Would you like to use it? ]
"What's this?" I asked in surprise.
She leaned forward, elbows resting gracefully on the table. "A reward. Every time you find yourself in a life-or-death situation and survive—through skill, bravery, or sheer luck—you'll receive a reward. A spin. Either Bronze, silver or gold, depending on the difficulty of quest. The rewards could be abilities, skills, items, traits"
I raised an eyebrow. "So this one's a freebie?"
"Not at all. This one is for what you did. For that child. It's not often we see such selfless courage from someone so young."
I looked down, rubbing the back of my neck. "I wasn't trying to be brave. I just… couldn't watch her die."
"Now use it. I am also excited to see what you get from the first spin" I nodded giving a gentle tap to the yes icon beneath the notification.
A soft chime resonated with my touch.
The roulette wheel materialized before me, its segments illuminated with various rewards. My eyes scanned the options—Aizen's glasses, 10000+ Aura, Mangekyou Sharingan, Blessing of Harem God and much more.
It slowed, the segments blurred until it gradually came to a halt.
Senjutsu.
The wheel clicked, and the selection was confirmed.
. . .
You have obtained: Senjutsu
. . .
Senjutsu—a term I'd heard but never truly understood. Was it from Naruto, DXD or perhaps Chinese cultivation. It's like tapping into the life force of the world around me. This power was deeply rooted in balance and harmony with nature, I got more information in my head as it got deeply ingrained in me with each passing moment.
I closed my eyes, focusing inward. Almost immediately, I felt a profound connection to everything around me—the texture of paintings, the distant chimes of bell, the subtle movements of goddess. It was as if I could sense the life force of every living being within my vicinity.
A surge of information flooded my mind, and I instinctively understood the basics of this new ability. However, with this newfound power came a weighty responsibility. And I was not bounded to only these, with more knowledge and experimentation I can tap into more potential uses but that comes for later, when I wake up in that world.
[System Notification]
Caution:Emotional imbalance may lead to unstable energy manifestations. Maintain mental and emotional equilibrium to harness Senjutsu safely. If user isn't careful it can lead to serious downsides.
I exhaled slowly, grounding myself. The last thing I wanted was to lose control over abilities I barely understood.
"You're unlucky boy" She added as she released a sigh, as I don't understand what she meant by that but she continued "Usually the ones like you get something far stronger and more combat based with instant mastery. You got to train a lot to harness this power. Remember you got knowledge and access to power but to get control and getting stronger with it is something you have to do. So be careful with all this"
"It's better than I imagined and as for working on getting a better control over it. I won't be careless like I was in my previous life. I would use this opportunity carefully" Then an important question hit my head as I asked "Will there be others like me in this world? People with this system?"
She shook her head slowly. "No. You're the only one being sent into that world with this gift. It is... uniquely yours."
I felt a weight settle on me. I wasn't sure if it was pressure or responsibility—or just more confusion about this new power that I blessed with. Whatever it is, I will not let it go to waste by sleeping on this chance to get stronger and survive in that new world because dangers in that world were not something to be taken easily.
Then she stood, rising with grace, and turned to the door behind her. "Now then," she said, folding her hands behind her. "It's time."
I stared at the door. It seemed to shimmer faintly with stars beyond it—like a door into the cosmos.
I stood up slowly, brushing off my pants. My legs didn't ache. My body felt... light.
I stepped in front of the door and hesitated. Then turned around.
"Thank you," I said quietly. "For giving me another chance."
The goddess tilted her head, that playful smile returning. "Just try not to get yourself killed saving another little girl next time."
I chuckled softly and nodded before stepping into it
Stars burst into view as I was falling—or swimming—through it. Was it faster or deeper? The stars rushed past me, a current I couldn't resist, pulling me toward something new, sending me to the new adventure that I was excited to experience once I open my eyes.