The last thing I remember before everything went black was rain — cold, heavy rain soaking through my shirt as I trudged aimlessly down the street. Just an hour earlier I had walked out of yet another job interview, rejected again, my resume still trembling in my hand. The sky had opened up as if mocking me, forcing me to take shelter under a flimsy awning with a few strangers. I bought a cheap paper cup of hot coffee from a street vendor nearby, the bitter steam rising into the damp air, trying to comfort myself with its warmth.
That's when it happened. A truck, its tires screeching across the slick pavement, lost control and skidded toward the small crowd of people huddled there. For a split second, I realized I could dodge it. My legs tensed. My instincts screamed at me to move. But then I saw her — a small child who had slipped and fallen, eyes wide with terror. Without thinking, I threw the coffee aside and lunged forward, grabbing her and shoving her out of the truck's path. There was a flash of sound, metal, and panic. It felt like the world was collapsing around me. And then… nothing. The cold rain, the child's scream, the impact — all of it dissolved into darkness.
When I next opened my eyes, I found myself lying inside what looked like a temple. It was an ancient structure built entirely of white stone, its grand pillars and open ceiling reminding me of the Parthenon. The air was still, and everything felt both sacred and empty at the same time.
There didn't seem to be any way out of this place. For a moment, I wondered if everything that happened before—the rain, the truck, the child—had just been a dream.
"Nope, that wasn't a dream," a voice said behind me, calm yet almost playful. "Everything you just experienced was real. You were crushed by that truck after saving the child."
I turned toward the voice and saw her. A woman with long, flowing white hair stood before me, dressed in a simple but elegant tunic of the same color. In fact, everything about her was white—her hair, her eyes, even her skin. It was as if she had been sculpted from pure alabaster. She was beautiful in a way that felt unreal, too perfect to belong to any living being.
"Are you… a goddess or something? Is this the afterlife?" I asked, still trying to grasp the situation.
She tilted her head slightly, smiling faintly. "Hmm, half true and half false," she said. "I'm not exactly a god—think of me more as an administrator. As for this form, I'm actually genderless. I just chose this appearance because it suits your preferences."
I blinked. "My preferences?"
She chuckled softly. "Well, you seemed the type who'd respond better to a calm, beautiful woman than to, say, a glowing ball of light. Anyway, this isn't quite the afterlife you're imagining. I summoned your soul here for a specific purpose… and I think you'll find it rather to your liking."
"Is that really true?" I was still unsure, and if I chose to try touching my body. "Because you said you summoned my soul... So are you going to make me be reborn or reincarnated into another world or something like that?" I could draw this conclusion just by remembering one thing that made God or this Administrator think I would prefer life after death. I am a fan of anime, manga, and other novels, and I am also quite familiar with reincarnation stories.
"Yep, that's true… Ahaha, it's such an easy job talking with an otaku who loves isekai stories. You guys are so adaptable—it's top-notch! So yeah… I'm going to send you to another world to save it from destruction!" she said in a light, carefree tone.
"Send me to another world, huh? And that world's about to be destroyed… sounds like a typical isekai setup. This is more like transmigration than reincarnation, though. Will I get some kind of cheat ability?" I asked.
"Duh, of course! I mean, you can't save a world without one, right? No offense, but you're just a normal guy… maybe a bit lucky since you've got good karma—and, well, a cult that worships you."
"Huh!? A cult? Why would anyone worship me?" I couldn't help but retort.
"Well," she said with a grin, "the mother and daughter you saved are actually kind of amazing. The kid grew up to be a genius inventor—she created things that helped millions of people. And her mother? She made sure the world knew your story. She's great at it, too. Somehow, those two ended up founding a group that's more devoted to you than Elon Musk fanboys. Honestly… I'm a little jealous."
"..." I'm speechless with this information.
"That's why you possess an extraordinary soul. And I believe you can help me save a world from destruction."
"Hm, do I need to do that?"
"Well, if you reject this offer, I can just reincarnate you like a normal soul. Too bad for you though—heaven and hell are just myths," she said casually, dropping that world-shattering statement like it was nothing.
"What do you mean, 'just myths'? Are you saying the afterlife is all about reincarnation? So if I were a bad person, I'd come back as an animal or something?"
"Yeah, that happens under this world's administration," she replied lightly. "Maybe it's different in other worlds. Anyway, you'll love the world I'm sending you to, so don't worry. You've heard of the infinite world theory, right? The one that says every story might actually exist somewhere as a real world in another reality?"
I nodded slowly. "Yeah, I've heard of it."
"Well, the world I need you to save is exactly like that—a place where countless anime worlds overlap into one. A fusion world filled with heroes, heroines, and all kinds of chaos."
"Wait… so, like a multiverse? Or an anime crossover world? That sounds like a fanfic," I said.
"Exactly! Maybe it is a fanfic that somehow turned into a real world," she said with a small laugh.
"That's… actually kind of fascinating." I couldn't help but admit it. "But still, you said this world's in danger, right?"
"Yeah," she said, her expression turning serious. "Because there are so many protagonists and heroines existing together, the world's balance has completely collapsed. And when that happens—chaos spreads. Especially something we call Miasma."
"Miasma?" I repeated.
"Right. Think about it—this is a world filled with heroines, far more than protagonists. Normally, each heroine has a story and a hero who protects her, right? But in this world, their 'plot armor' doesn't fully work anymore. That means their fates can twist into tragedy—horror, betrayal… NTR."
"Wait, what!?" I shouted, completely thrown off by that last word.
"Yeah!" she said, nodding like this was a perfectly normal topic. "When heroines lose their protection, that pure energy they carry becomes a target for the Miasma. It corrupts them—through things like manipulation, mind control, blackmail, or worse. Just like in… certain dark doujin stories. Horrible, right? That's why I need you to go there, help those heroines grow stronger, fight back against the Miasma, and stabilize the world."
"That's… awful," I muttered.
"Exactly. So, you'll do it, right? You'll save them?"
"Ugh… this all sounds way too suspicious…"
"Enough!" she snapped suddenly. "This conversation's already too long—I don't have time to waste. Just answer me—will you save them or not!?"
"Ugh… fine then…" I muttered reluctantly, but before I could say anything else, the Administrator had already begun using her power to transmigrate me into that strange anime world.
"If this turns out to be a lie, I swear I'll curse you!" I shouted, though my voice was already fading as my body began to dissolve into light.
The Administrator simply waved her hand with an amused smile. "I know you'll do a good job. I wish you the best life in that world!"
And just like that, my conversation with the Administrator—whose name I didn't even know—came to an end.