POV ???
"It's strange… I thought there would be something more after death, something different from this endless darkness." I murmured as I moved forward through that silent void. "Now that I think about it, why does most of my body seem to be made of mist?" I wondered, watching my arm fade away and reform into a soft gray smoke as I kept walking.
Minutes, hours, days… who knows how much time had passed since I arrived here. In this place, time made no sense. I felt no hunger, no sleepiness, no fatigue—only an unsettling calm that slowly became desperate. So I kept walking, since there was nothing else I could do.
"I hate this place," I said irritably, my voice echoing weakly in the void. "There's absolutely nothing here…"
I stopped for a moment. "What is that?" I asked in confusion when I noticed a strange shape in the distance. It looked like… a stage?
I frowned, puzzled by the fact that something like that could exist here. Even so, I advanced cautiously. As I got closer, the silhouette became clearer: it was, indeed, a stage. When I stepped onto it, I noticed three roulette wheels lined up side by side.
The first one had multiple colors—red, blue, green, black, and others I barely recognized. The second was completely white, as was the third. My curiosity overcame my confusion, so I slowly approached to take a closer look.
Above them, a floating sign displayed golden letters that glowed faintly in the darkness:
"Welcome to the Reincarnation Project.
This is a system inspired by games of chance.
Test your luck and spin the roulette wheels."
"Reincarnation…" I read aloud, raising an eyebrow. "Is this for real?" I muttered to myself, incredulous. After all, who could believe something like that in a place like this?
Minutes passed slowly as I stood there, staring at the wheels, unsure whether I should spin them or not. Part of me wanted to do it, but another part thought it could be a trap or some kind of joke from the afterlife.
After thinking it over for a while longer, I sighed and shrugged.
"Bah, I'm already dead anyway. I've got nothing to lose by trying."
I approached the first wheel—the one with multiple colors—and placed my hand on it. The surface was smooth, almost warm, which surprised me considering everything else here felt cold and empty. I took a breath—though I wasn't even sure I was still breathing—and spun it with force.
The disk spun at an impressive speed, the colors blending into a bright spiral that lit up the stage. Little by little, the wheel lost momentum until the arrow finally stopped… on the color black.
"Alright… I got white," I said, confused for a moment before realizing my mistake. "I mean, black. Well, whatever… I guess that's good." I smiled slightly. "Batman once said: 'Always bet on black.'" I chuckled softly. "Maybe listening to him will bring me some kind of revenge."
Suddenly, the second wheel came to life. Images began to appear on its surface—all of anime characters… all with black hair.
I blinked in surprise and leaned closer to get a better look. I recognized some faces: Toji Fushiguro, a.k.a. the Sorcerer Killer; Levi Ackerman, humanity's strongest short king; Guts, everyone's favorite traumatized warrior; and of course, Megumi Fushiguro, also known (at least in memes) as Potential Man.
There were many more, but they all shared the same traits: dark hair, serious expressions, and absolutely zero will to live.
I shrugged and spun the wheel without thinking too much. Like before, it spun rapidly, the images blurring together into a hazy spiral. Finally, the movement stopped, and the arrow landed on Megumi's image.
"The Sorcerer Killer's son?" I let out with an amused smile. "Not bad—hunter blood runs through his veins… Maybe I should stop watching so many Jujutsu Kaisen parodies."
Suddenly, the mist covering my entire body began to move, as if it had a life of its own. In a matter of seconds, that dark fog completely wrapped around me, covering me from head to toe.
"Hey, that's enough! Get this off me, I can't see anything!" I shouted, waving my arms around, trying to push it away—though my hands sank in without touching anything solid.
The mist swirled around me one last time before slowly dissipating. When it finally cleared, I could see myself clearly… and what I saw left me completely bewildered.
In front of me stood a relatively tall young man with a slim build. His skin was fair, almost pale, and his green eyes shone with a faint glimmer of light in the darkness. His hair, completely black, had such a peculiar style that it seemed to defy the laws of gravity—long spikes jutted out in every direction, giving him an appearance similar to a sea urchin.
"No… this can't be," I murmured, bringing my hands to my face. I felt smooth skin, different features, and that damn unmistakable hairstyle. "I turned emo!"
After silently staring at my new appearance for a few seconds, I sighed in resignation and walked toward the last roulette wheel. Unlike the others, this one didn't have colors or faces, but the names of different anime written in glowing letters: Jujutsu Kaisen, Naruto, Bleach, Demon Slayer, Attack on Titan, Tokyo Ghoul, BNHA, and many more.
"Well, let's get this over with," I said, my voice tinged with slight fatigue. Without thinking too much, I placed my hand on the wheel and spun it forcefully. The disk began to move rapidly, the names blurring together until the arrow finally stopped on a single title: Chainsaw Man.
"Chainsaw Man?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow in mild confusion, before snapping my fingers as I remembered. "Ah, right… the chainsaw guy anime. Alright, what's next now?"
I looked around, though there was no one else with me.
"Seriously, why do I talk to myself?" I said ironically.
Before I could say anything else, a sudden dizziness hit me. "You've got to be kidding… how do I suddenly feel so—?" I didn't get to finish the sentence. Everything became blurry, and unable to resist it, I fell unconscious to the ground.
.
.
.
.
.
It was morning. The sun slowly rose over the horizon, bathing the city in a warm golden glow. The first rays of light filtered through the windows of a house located somewhere unknown. Inside one of its rooms, a black-haired young man slept peacefully, wrapped in near-total silence.
Little by little, I began to open my eyes, weighed down by that familiar heaviness of someone who doesn't want to leave the bed yet. I slowly sat up and perched on the edge of the mattress, my expression completely blank as silence filled the room.
The soft ticking of a clock was the only thing breaking the calm, accompanying me as my gaze drifted toward a shoe lying on the floor.
Minutes passed, and I continued staring at the shoe. I wasn't thinking about anything. My mind was blank—completely empty—as if simply existing was the only thing I could do at that moment.
After a little while longer, I let out a soft sigh and stretched awkwardly. My arms trembled slightly, a sign that, strangely enough, I had slept well.
A yawn escaped my lips as my body slowly woke up. Still half-asleep, I stood up; the sound of my footsteps echoed across the wooden floor.
I passed by a mirror, and that's when I noticed something. A dark figure was reflected in the glass. For a moment, my body tensed; that silhouette felt far too familiar.
I slowly turned toward the mirror, my expression neutral—almost poker-faced—and confirmed what I feared—or perhaps what I already knew.
The image staring back at me had black hair and the same green eyes I had seen before.
"Potential Man…"
Suddenly, the memories of what happened on that stage came rushing back like a wave. Everything—the roulette wheels, the mist, the sign, the voice… it all fit together.
I slapped my cheeks a couple of times to check whether I was dreaming or not. The mild sting on my face confirmed it.
"Alright… this isn't a dream," I murmured, my hand still on my right cheek, aching from the hard slap I'd given myself. "It hurt, so… yeah, this is real."
I stood still for a few seconds, processing the idea. "Then that means… I'm in the chainsaw guy's world!" I exclaimed, both surprised and excited.
Just then, a metallic sound rang out in my head.
[Ding]
[Support System Installed]
[Host must enter a name: ________]
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Is this a system?" I said enthusiastically, a smile slowly forming on my face. "This is just like those reincarnation fanfics!" I crossed my arms, adopting a thoughtful expression. "Hmm… a name, huh? It has to be something cool—something that commands respect. Zenin blood runs through my veins, so I've got to honor their legacy."
After a few seconds of intense (and admittedly dramatic) deliberation, I entered the name that seemed most appropriate for my new life.
[Congratulations!]
[Support System successfully installed!]
[Welcome, Isagi Fushiguro]
---
End of Chapter.
I want to clarify that this story will be more humorous than anything else. So I don't give a damn if someone doesn't like the pacing, the things that are thrown into the story, or the protagonist's attitude.