Home. I finally made it. It was your average, stereotypical wealthy land with its own flower garden maintained by professionals, a three-story mansion that looked more like a European estate than a Japanese home, and countless decorations that were probably worth more than the average person's lifetime salary.
As I stepped through the front gates, the security sensors noticed me as the servants stationed near the walkway bowed politely.
With the way they looked at me, I could almost predict their next thought before they even had it.
"She's perfect."
"She's the Kurobane heiress."
"She's the girl who can do anything."
It was nothing new.
Once I made my way to the front of the mansion, I opened the door and stepped inside. My mother wasn't home, she was likely out with my Father after we had our little training lessons.
It was just me and the servants of the Kurobane mansion.
Wiping off my feet on the carpet—I proceeded forward where a pair of stairs led upwards to my room.
Going up, I entered my small abode, closing the door behind me before taking off my shoes.
Inside was well-kept, though it wasn't done by my maids. I was the one who straightens my own room, dusts my own counters, and cleans my own shoes—better than even our greatest maids.
Locking the door behind me, I huffed a sigh.
There was nothing spectacular in my life except for perfection. But it got boring. Everything was boring.
The only time I get to have fun is by reading books—but the stories are so predictable that I already know what's going to happen before it even happens.
And speaking of which, I wrote my own book.
Walking over to my desk, I set my garment bag down before plopping into my seat. On my counter was a physical copy of my story; Lord Imperfect.
He was supposed to be the complete opposite of me—instead of doing things perfectly—he screws up on everything. He had flaws he had to overcome in order to get better and learn from his mistakes.
He was someone I wanted to be.
"Ah, that was a wonderful story! I read it before you got here!"
All of a sudden, I froze.
There was a voice that didn't come from the hallway. It came from inside my room.
Slowly turning around, there was someone who stood in front of my bed, glowing with a bright aura.
She wore a similar style of Greek clothing with beautiful white hair, yellow eyes, and sandals. Not to mention... she had wings, and an enormous-sized chest.
She resembled that of a divine being—there was no doubt. Most people would scream, faint, or beg for blessings, but I simply stared at her.
There was no fear etched into my heart.
"And who gave you permission to enter my room?"
She smiled at me before clasping her hands behind her back.
"I apologize. But your book, Lord Imperfect, is truly exceptional! It reveals your desire for—"
I didn't bother letting them finish. In the blink of an eye, I crossed the room, and my heel slammed toward their stomach. But divine beings apparently had reflexes as she jumped away, barely dodging my attack.
"Uwaaahh?! H-Hold on a second, wait, waittt!"
My next strike came from above, a palm-heel aimed for the chin, but to my surprise, she dodged it again. I was only an inch away from hitting her... so I decided to sweep their legs.
"Gwaaaaaahh!?"
They hit the ground with a surprised grunt as their radiant aura died out like a lightbulb.
"A-Ayame Kurobane, wait!" She held up her hands, shaking them desperately. "I-I've come from the Divine Realm, Celestia, to offer you a way out!"
Cocking my fists back—I was going to strike her in the face—but her words halted my advancement as she cowered in fear.
"What are you saying?" I asked with a voice devoid of emotion.
"I-I'm glad you asked!"
A nervous smile crossed her face as she slowly stood back up, rubbing her backside in pain.
"My name is Alistoria... the Goddess of Light. I've come from beyond space and time in the form of an avatar. Which is what you see standing before you."
All of a sudden, her cowardly attitude vanished as that radiant aura reappeared. She placed her hand upon her large bust and bowed her head, huffing a deep sigh to recollect herself.
"The higher-ups of Celestia told me to fetch you, since there have been some... difficulties."
I lowered my fist, though not my guard.
"...Difficulties?"
Her expression faltered at my words.
"Yes. Quite catastrophic ones, actually. On the cosmic scale. Universe affecting, Fate-imploding... Multiverse threatening!"
I stepped forward.
"Get to the point."
She immediately shrank back with a yelp.
"A-Ahem! I mean, minor issues! They're tiny! Very tiny! Just... a bit of Goddess paperwork trouble."
I narrowed my eyes, waiting for an answer.
Alistoria's wings dropped low as she held her hands together, squeezing her fingers as though she were confessing to a crime.
"You... uh... were supposed to die today."
I widened my eyes at her words, evidently confused. What did she mean?
"Excuse me?"
"Not because we wanted you to!" She shouted, waving her hands wildly. "O-Or rather, not because I wanted you to! But the Goddess of Fate is a different story! They're in control of everyone's fate! Have you ever heard of the strings of destiny?! You know, the one that decides everyone's fate?! They created it, and it works like a sewing machine!"
She made sewing motions in the air as I stared blankly, connecting the dots in an instant.
"So the truck."
"Yes!" She pointed at me with both hands. "That truck was supposed to send you straight to the afterlife so you could be reborn in another world with a balanced, imperfect soul!"
I stared at her with a blank expression, but Alistoria continued sweating.
"You were meant to become the Hero of Equinoxia, and the Chosen of our Prophecy, said the Goddess of Fate! It was a whole thing she had planned out. There's artwork already... even posters... and marketing..."
She coughed into her hand, averting her gaze.
"Anyway! You were supposed to die cleanly and beautifully, like all chosen heroes do! But instead—"
She pointed both hands at me again, incredulous as ever.
"You flipped over the truck and defied your destiny!!"
Her voice cracked at the end as she laughed.
"...Because I didn't want to die." I said.
"You weren't even SUPPOSED to have a choice!" She responded, smiling at me. "Mortals can't dodge fate! Nor can they solo destiny!"
She threw her hands in the air before flapping her wings in utter despair.
"But you, Ayame Kurobane, Perfect Prodigy, Homo Perfectionist—you did the impossible. You broke the system, and you defied fate! We had to hold an emergency meeting!"
I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms.
"A divine emergency meeting?"
"Yes!!" She responded. "Even the God of Death is sulking! He was so excited to meet you today, he had his cloak ironed and everything!"
"Why would he iron a cloak?" I asked dry as ever.
"I DON'T KNOW! HE JUST DOES THAT WHEN HE'S EXCITED FOR UNIQUE SOULS LIKE YOU!"
Her shouting echoed through my room, but somehow the servants downstairs didn't notice. It was probably divine soundproofing, I don't know, I'm not a Goddess.
"So what now?"
Alistoria took a deep breath and brushed back her hair, trying to regain her goddess composure.
"I'm here to make you an offer."
Her eyes suddenly became serious as she stared me in the eyes, visibly stern.
"Ayame Kurobane... your fate is too large, too immense, and too... perfect for this world! If you stay here, you'll never find meaning. You'll never grow, never struggle, and never live."
She stepped closer, placing a hand over her own heart that was shielded by her massive breasts.
"So I have come to escort you myself, to the world where your story was meant to begin! A world where perfection is impossible. A world where you can finally, maybe, hopefully, experience challenge!"
She lowered her voice, keeping eye contact.
"And your soul will finally know what it feels like to be... human."
All of this felt surreal.
A goddess in my room, telling me that I was supposed to die. Telling me that there is a divine realm beyond our universe, where gods and goddesses alike watch over everything. I could be dreaming, or maybe I was hallucinating.
But those two possibilities seemed illogical.
This was real—it had to be—there was no other explanation. I could taste the air, smell my room, hear her voice, see her standing before me, and even feel my own beating heart.
I had all five of my senses.
Without a doubt, I was meeting a powerful divine being from a realm beyond this universe.
But before I could answer, Alistoria slapped her palms together, announcing something absurd.
"Oh! And also because if you keep defying fate like this, the gods will smite you for breaking natural order. So there's that too."
I stared at her as she smiled nervously.
"S-So! Are you ready for reincarnation?"
"No."
"Ehhhhhh?!" She slouched over in disbelief.