"Shinra Raynard... welcome to the afterlife. I'm sorry to say this, but you're dead. You lived a short life—and it's over now."
The voice echoed inside his mind. Though calm and gentle, it was loud and unmistakably clear, as if spoken directly into his consciousness.
"Oh, is that so?" Shinra replied, expression flat. Upon opening his eyes, he was greeted by a void tinted in gradient grays. Despite the absence of light sources, everything around him appeared as bright as day.
"You don't seem shocked..." the voice spoke again.
His eyes wandered until they landed on a girl sitting atop a throne. Their gazes met, and for a moment, he was taken aback—but quickly composed himself. He recognized the girl—or rather, the goddess.
"I see... So that's how it is," he muttered, sighing. "Lady Eris, can I choose my own cheat?"
"Huh?" Eris blinked, visibly puzzled. Things were progressing far quicker than she'd expected—like skipping to the climax in a porn video right after the introduction. "Wait a moment..." she said, slapping her forehead, taking a few deep breaths to collect herself.
After regaining her composure, she smiled. "Mr. Shinra, you seem to be... well-informed."
"Yes. In order not to waste your precious time, Lady Goddess, I'll go ahead and list my requests."
"Umm... Sure, go ahead."
"First, I don't need you to modify my appearance—just my clothing..."
And so Shinra began listing his requests. At first, Eris found them absurd—but strangely manageable. He explained each of them with solid reasoning, including how he knew about this place.
Eris's expression shifted wildly: awe, disbelief, frustration, and embarrassment—finally settling into resignation.
Shinra's unexpected knowledge had thrown her off, but she accepted it as fact. After all, the evidence was there. Still, when he leaned in and boldly said, "Your chest is padded…," she nearly smote him on the spot. Divine punishment trembled in her fingertips—but she held herself back.
The discussion was over, and it's time to send him off.
"Mr. Shinra Raynard," she declared with a smile, "I'm going to send you to a new world as one of the candidates to defeat the Demon King."
She raised her arms, watching as a magic circle formed beneath his feet, light intensifying.
"Hero! I pray for your success—as one of the many brave souls who shall bring low the Demon King! Now, hie thee hence!"
Blinding light consumed him, and in the next moment, Shinra vanished completely. Goddess Eris stood still, staring at the space where he'd been moments ago. All that remained was silence—and the vast, empty void.