The city had always felt like a cage.
Endless gray buildings loomed overhead, drowning the sky in concrete. Horns blared like angry insects. People buzzed past without ever looking up. Ryuu Saito, twenty-eight, a nobody among millions, hunched beneath the weight of another failed week. His boss had screamed at him again. His girlfriend had left him three months ago. And tonight, he forgot his umbrella in a downpour.
Of course, he thought bitterly, tugging his soaked blazer tighter.
Raindrops slid down his face like tears he didn't have the strength to shed anymore. He trudged across the street, a bag of cheap takeout in hand — his only comfort. The lights above flickered red. But a car didn't stop.
The last thing he saw was a blur of headlights and the sickening crunch of metal and bone. Then — nothing.
Silence.
No pain. No cold. No darkness, even.
Just… silence.
Ryuu opened his eyes and found himself standing in a void — a place that defied logic. It was blindingly white, yet didn't hurt his eyes. There were no walls, no ground, yet he stood. No ceiling, yet he didn't fall.
Was this death?
Before he could panic, a sound echoed — like crystal bells chiming through a cathedral.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZATION COMPLETE]
A holographic panel flickered to life before him.
You have died.
Congratulations. You have been selected as the sole owner of the Dimensional Store System.
You are now bound to the shop between worlds.
You will not age within store space. You cannot be harmed here.
Would you like to accept your Newbie Gift Package?
[Y/N]
Ryuu stared at the screen. His pulse quickened.
What is this… is this a dream? A joke? Some weird post-death hallucination?
Yet, he could feel the weight of the offer. The certainty in the system's voice wasn't hollow. It was cold. Final. Real.
He exhaled slowly. "...Y."
The screen vanished.
The world trembled.
From nothing, reality built itself around him — a swirling cyclone of data constructing glass walls, polished shelves, crystal counters. It was like watching God arrange IKEA.
Marble tiles clicked into place underfoot. Dimly glowing lights ignited in the ceiling. The shop was vast, empty for now, but alive. It pulsed with potential.
Then came the light again — swirling twin orbs descending.
They took shape.
Two girls emerged, one in blue, one in pink. Rem and Ram — unmistakable.
Their eyes glowed softly with system code. They stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and spoke in perfect sync.
"Master. The store is now yours."
Ryuu blinked. His heart thundered in his chest.
Rem… Ram…? From Re:Zero?
"…You're real?"
"We are your loyal clerks. Bound by the system," Rem said, rising smoothly.
"We will serve you until this store ceases to exist," Ram added.
A second chime rang through the store.
Newbie Package Redeemed.
You have received:
1x Dimensional Roulette Spin
1,000 Store Points
Rem & Ram (Clerks, Loyalty: Absolute)
Another panel appeared — this time, a massive roulette wheel, glistening with dozens of glowing names.
Naruto. One Piece. Marvel. DC. Jujutsu Kaisen. Game of Thrones. Bleach. Re:Zero. My Hero Academia. Tokyo Ghoul. The Originals…
Ryuu stepped forward. His fingers trembled slightly as they hovered over the button.
This isn't a game. This is mine now.
A strange calm settled in his chest.
He pressed.
The wheel spun — faster than the eye could follow. The entire shop pulsed with energy as names blurred into streaks of color. Slowly, the wheel began to slow. A whisper in the air, a hush of fate.
Tick—tick—tick—
Naruto
The roulette stopped.
[Dimensional Store now linked to: Naruto World]
You have received:
Naruto Manga (Complete Series)
Naruto-Related Item Inventory Unlocked
Store Entrance Manifested Within the Naruto Dimension
The shelves flickered to life — glowing scrolls, weapons, vials of chakra essence, sparkling sealed fruits, and familiar gear from a world he once only watched on screen.
Ryuu couldn't move.
His breath caught in his throat.
He clutched his chest — not from fear, but from something deeper. Excitement. Liberation.
He had nothing in life.
Now he had everything in death.
And whoever walked through that door next… their destiny was up for sale.