Chapter 1
(??? POV)
"Uh… umm…
Where am I? I was returning to college from vacation and the plane craaaashe—"
"Oh, shit!"
"I died."
I looked around, but there was nothing to see.
Just darkness.
"Where is this? Is this… the void?"
I had read enough novels and fanfictions to recognize the situation. Getting reincarnated after dying in some unfortunate accident was practically a genre of its own.
Strangely enough, I wasn't as scared as I thought I should be.
Maybe it was because I had already accepted the fact that I was dead.
My parents had passed away a few years ago, and after that I had gradually grown distant from most of my friends. Life had become rather dull.
I sighed.
"Well… there's nothing I can do about it now."
You must be wondering who I am, right?
Well, I was just an ordinary nineteen-year-old.
I was above average in most things. I had a decent brain, but I was never able to focus on one particular thing for long enough to become truly exceptional at it.
I was studying at a good university and had a fairly normal life.
The only thing people might have considered unusual about me was my appearance.
I was… well…
Quite handsome.
Not that I was arrogant about it.
Okay, maybe a little.
But there was one thing I genuinely loved.
Anime.
And among all the anime I had watched, there was one that held a special place in my heart.
Fairy Tail.
I had always loved its world.
The magic.
The guilds.
The adventures.
The friendships.
And, despite all the ridiculousness that came with it, the story had characters whose tragedies genuinely stuck with me.
I was still thinking about all of that when suddenly—
"Ahem."
I froze.
"Hello, child."
I slowly turned around.
An old man was standing a short distance away from me.
He had a warm smile on his face and an aura that somehow made me feel strangely comfortable.
"Hello…"
I hesitated.
"Uh… who are you?"
The old man chuckled.
"I am God."
"…"
I stared at him.
"Seriously?"
"Yes."
"Oh."
He raised an eyebrow.
"You're taking this rather calmly."
"Well, what am I supposed to do? You just told me I'm dead."
"Fair point."
He laughed before continuing.
"Before you ask any further questions, allow me to explain your situation."
He waved his hand, and somehow I understood everything.
I had died.
My life had ended, and I had been brought here to be judged.
Apparently, my life had been relatively good. I hadn't committed any serious wrongdoing, hadn't indulged in drugs or other intoxicants, respected my parents and elders, and generally tried to be a decent person.
Therefore, I had been given two choices.
Heaven…
Or reincarnation.
"Wait."
My eyes widened.
"Reincarnation?"
"Yes."
"Into another world?"
"Indeed."
"Can I choose the world?"
"Yes."
"Any world?"
"Within reason."
My excitement skyrocketed.
"Like anime worlds?"
"Yes."
"Movies?"
"Yes."
"Books?"
"Yes."
"And…"
I leaned forward.
"Do I get wishes?"
The old man laughed.
"Now, calm down."
I couldn't.
This was literally every reincarnation fantasy I had ever read.
"You will receive three wishes. You will retain your memories from your previous life, and you may choose your appearance and general background in your new life."
I clenched my fists.
"YES!"
I had no hesitation whatsoever.
"I want to reincarnate into the Fairy Tail world."
"Hmm. As expected."
"Give me some time to think about my wishes."
"Take as long as you need."
I closed my eyes.
Inhale.
Exhale.
I needed to think carefully.
This wasn't a game.
I wouldn't get another chance.
After a long period of consideration, I finally opened my eyes.
"I've decided."
The old man nodded.
"Tell me."
"My first wish is to possess a divine-level talent for magic and swordsmanship."
I paused.
"I don't want any specific person's abilities. I want the natural talent and potential to become one of the strongest magic users and swordsmen in the world through my own effort."
The old man smiled approvingly.
"A wise choice."
"My second wish is…"
I thought carefully before continuing.
"I want an innate Light Magic unique to me."
"Explain."
"I want it to be vastly superior to ordinary Light Magic. I want to be able to transform my body into light, move at incredible speeds, manipulate light offensively and defensively, and develop new applications of the magic as I grow stronger."
The old man listened quietly.
"And most importantly…"
I smiled.
"I want it to possess the greatest healing ability in the world."
"Healing?"
"Yes."
"I want to be able to heal injuries that ordinary healing magic can't handle. Broken bones, damaged organs, severe wounds…"
I paused.
"Even regenerate lost limbs."
The old man stroked his beard.
"That is quite an ambitious wish."
"I know."
"And your third?"
I thought for a moment.
"My third wish is that my body should have extraordinary physical potential. I want the physique necessary to properly use my magic and swordsmanship without constantly being limited by my body."
God nodded.
"Very well."
I smiled.
"But that's not everything."
"Oh?"
"For my appearance, I want a body like that of a Greek god."
The old man raised an eyebrow.
"An extremely handsome face, golden eyes, and greyish-white hair."
"Hmm."
"And for my background…"
My expression became serious.
"I want to be reincarnated as an orphan somewhere near Irene Belserion."
The old man's expression changed slightly.
"Irene?"
"Yes."
"I want it to be one or two years before she first meets Zeref."
I knew exactly what that meant.
At this point in history, Irene would still be suffering in her dragon form.
And if I was lucky…
I might be able to change that.
"There is one more thing."
God smiled.
"Go on."
"I want to use my healing magic once immediately after reincarnation."
"Once?"
"Yes. Just once."
I looked at him hopefully.
"I want to heal Irene."
There was silence.
God stared at me for several seconds before suddenly laughing.
"Hahahaha!"
I rubbed the back of my head awkwardly.
"What?"
"So that's your real reason."
"Well…"
I smiled sheepishly.
"Fairy Tail is my favourite story."
I looked down for a moment.
"But there are some people whose stories always made me sad."
Irene.
August.
Others who had suffered because of circumstances beyond their control.
"Now that I've been given the chance to change things…"
I clenched my fist.
"I want to."
God's warm smile returned.
"You truly are an interesting child."
He raised his hand.
"Very well."
A gentle light surrounded me.
"I shall grant your wishes."
My eyes widened.
"Really?"
"Yes. However, remember something important."
"What?"
"Your abilities are merely potential."
He looked directly into my eyes.
"Talent does not equal mastery."
I nodded.
"I understand."
"You will have to train. You will have to fight. You will have to learn. And if you wish to surpass the greatest people in that world, you will need more than gifted abilities."
A grin spread across my face.
"That's fine."
After all…
A second life wasn't supposed to be easy.
It was supposed to be an adventure.
God extended his hand.
"Now go."
My body began to fade.
"Good luck in your new life."
"Thank you!"
I suddenly remembered something.
"WAIT!"
God looked amused.
"Yes?"
I shouted at the top of my lungs.
"THANK YOU, GOD!"
My consciousness began fading.
The last thing I heard was his laughter.
"What a good child."