A corporate slave's worst nightmare isn't showing up to work on zero sleep. It is waking up in a place where you have to compete all over again just to survive.
Akira slowly regained consciousness. He was expecting to be greeted by a majestic palace, beautiful beings, or at least the lush green forests usually seen in his favorite anime. Instead, his senses were immediately swallowed by pitch black darkness and a warm, viscous liquid.
He tried to open his eyes, but he couldn't see anything but pure black. A wave of panic rose in his throat when he tried to wave his hands. He couldn't feel them. He tried to kick the liquid with his legs, but he didn't have feet either. The only thing he could move was a long, wriggling tail attached to his back.
Hello? Is anyone there? he asked in his mind.
His voice only echoed into the dark void. He took a deep breath before complaining to himself again.
Did I go clubbing last night and forget to leave some cave? Or maybe I fell asleep inside a giant bowl of udon soup?
A mechanical, whispering voice suddenly tickled his brain. It was the same glitched voice he had heard right before he died on the streets.
[Swimming Ability Acquired.]
Swimming ability? For what? Is this some kind of buggy VR game?
Despite his confusion, Akira forced his tail to move. The environment was sticky and incredibly heavy to navigate. Before he could even come up with a decent plan, a violent tremor shook his entire surroundings. It felt as if a colossal machine had suddenly been turned on.
A powerful surge of warm water crashed into him. The rushing liquid swept him away on a chaotic ride down a dark tunnel. He slammed against various soft, fleshy walls, and with every bump, the anxiety in his chest grew heavier.
An overwhelming instinct to push forward suddenly flooded his entire being. This urge was even stronger than his desire to clock out early from the office. He squinted at the shapes around him until his vision gradually cleared.
The truth hit his consciousness like a bucket of ice cold water.
He wasn't alone. Millions of white, tadpole like creatures were swimming alongside him in the chaotic current. They all had oversized heads and long, relentlessly wriggling tails. His entire existence had been completely transformed. He was a sperm cell.
He became a sperm cell in his second life.
Before he could even complain about his soul's ridiculous fate, a large, fat sperm cell violently slammed into his side. It had a terrifying, aggressive glare in its tiny eyes.
"Move aside, rookie!" the rival yelled like a street thug. "That egg is mine! I'm going to be a doctor in the future, so don't get in my way!"
Akira realized that this was indeed the reality of his new life. It was a desperate fight for survival. A race where the winner gets born, and the losers end up as a mere stain somewhere.
The nerve of this guy! Akira shouted in his mind. I looked dead enough working in my past life, and now I have to deal with an annoying coworker here too?!
The voice interrupted his thoughts again. Akira had already dubbed it 'Coach Big Mouth' because of its habit of chiming in at the worst possible times.
[Emergency Maneuver: Tail Whip Unlocked.]
Without hesitation, Akira's tail whipped automatically and with incredible speed. A ridiculously powerful slap landed directly on the bully sperm's face. The fat rival spun wildly in the water and was sent flying away while screaming at the top of its lungs.
Akira smiled inwardly. If it had been this easy to slap his bald boss every time he was scolded at the office, his past life might have actually been happy.
But the competition only grew bloodier and more fierce. The path ahead was a chaotic mess of swirling currents and deadly walls. Every participant was overflowing with absolute determination. Some sperm cells were biting the tails of others. Some were kicking, even without feet, just to knock their rivals into the walls of the dark tunnel.
From the fleshy walls, massive white spheres with terrifying faces began to emerge. They looked like monstrous bouncers at an exclusive club. They devoured any sperm that crossed their path. The poor swimmers screamed as they were slowly dissolved inside these giant white blobs.
They were white blood cells. The body's immune system treated the sperm cells as foreign invaders that needed to be eradicated.
One of these giant bouncers blocked Akira's path. It wore a wide, sinister smile, just waiting for him to swim right into its massive mouth. Akira utilized the skills he had honed as an employee who was an expert at dodging extra workloads. He feinted a swim to the left. The moment the giant bouncer turned its attention that way, Akira quickly flicked his tail and dove to the very bottom of the current. The bouncer was left biting nothing but water as Akira slipped past, laughing inwardly.
He hadn't gone far when a group of snobby, eccentric sperm cells blocked the middle of the path. They were lined up neatly, wriggling their tails in perfect sync like soldiers. What was even crazier was that they were holding glowing neon tridents, forming a massive wall with their own bodies.
"No passing without an appointment!" shouted one of them, who looked like the team leader. "We are the elite breed, so only we have the right to be first!"
Akira's blood boiled. Even in the afterlife, there were still arrogant jerks blocking the path of ordinary workers. His burning hatred for people like them reignited.
"I don't care about your appointments!" Akira shouted back. "I'm going to be the CEO of this egg!"
[Heat Wave Attack Unlocked.]
Akira focused. He felt an intense heat building up inside his tiny body. It felt like he had just chugged a gallon of boiling, black coffee. He unleashed this scorching wave of heat straight ahead.
The group of snooty, elite sperm cells took the attack head on. They shrieked in agony as the glitter bombs they were carrying exploded. They were reduced to a chaotic shower of sparkling dust scattered across the viscous sea.
"Sorry, bros! I ain't got time for your gimmicks!" Akira yelled as he continued swimming at top speed.
This battle was worse than the Tokyo subway during rush hour. In the office, they raced for promotions. Here, they were racing for the very right to exist. This competition was forcibly awakening Akira's long dormant determination.
Back when he was human, he had given up on the battle of life. He had simply allowed the system to trample all over him. But now, an unfamiliar, fierce drive overwhelmed him. He refused to die again without proving something.
[Super Sperm Speed Activated.]
His entire body suddenly felt weightless. The surrounding water seemed to part, creating a clear, open path just for him. Every flick of his tail propelled him forward faster than a roaring sports car. He bypassed thousands of rivals in a blink of an eye. They were left gaping, watching his blur of a back fade into the distance.
Until finally, the end of the race appeared in his vision. The finish line.
A massive, glowing egg hovered in the middle of a vast space. Its light resembled a golden sun, beckoning him closer. This was the prize. This was the beginning of his new life.
As Akira braced himself for the final sprint, a huge shadow suddenly blocked his path. He braked abruptly.
A colossal sperm cell was guarding the egg. Its body was three times larger than his. What was even more absurd was that it sported a thick, long handlebar mustache. It wielded no weapons and said absolutely nothing. It merely glared at him with terrifying, murderous eyes.
This must be the final boss of this ridiculous race, he thought.
Akira took a deep breath. He didn't have time to have a staring contest with a mustachioed sperm cell. To win, he was going to use everything he learned as an employee skilled at dodging sudden demands from the boss.
[Tactical Tailspin Unlocked.]
"Right on time, Coach Big Mouth!" he muttered to himself.
He charged at full speed. The mustachioed sperm prepared its massive head to ram Akira with all its might. When they were only inches apart, Akira swiftly activated his new power.
He spun through the water like a sharp tornado. Thanks to the speed and force of his rotation, he seamlessly dodged the massive enemy's lethal attack. The giant sperm collided with nothing but empty water, completely losing its balance.
Akira used his remaining momentum to launch himself toward the egg. With one final, powerful flick of his tail, he struck the surface of the glowing sphere. His head gradually sank into its soft membrane. A warm, comforting sensation immediately enveloped his entire being.
He had won. He was finally inside.
The chaotic world outside suddenly vanished, replaced by a calming radiance. Akira felt an immense wave of relief. After all the brawling and struggling, he made it.
He basked in the sweet feeling of victory. He was going to be reborn as a great hero. Or maybe the wealthy son of a king who would do nothing but enjoy a life of luxury.
The familiar blue screen materialized in his mind. He waited for the formal announcement of his triumph.
[Reincarnation Process Started. Host successfully bonded with the designated egg.]
Akira smiled inwardly. Finally, my days as a corporate slave are over. I'm going to be a winner in this world.
But as he carefully examined the interior of the egg, his smile slowly faded. There was something terribly wrong with his surroundings.
The walls of the egg weren't pink or white like he remembered from biology textbooks. The entire space was pitch black, lined with glowing red veins that pulsed like a living machine. The air and the fluid inside didn't give off the scent of life, but rather reeked of sulfur mixed with burnt metal.
Akira's joy was swiftly replaced by intense dread. His imaginary heart began to race. This environment did not look like it was meant to nurture an innocent baby.
Wait a minute, Akira thought, trembling as he watched the horrifying red veins slowly wrap around him. Are you sure I entered the right egg? Yeah, I know this was the end of the race because the finish line was here. But why does it look like this? Why does it feel like I just dove into a nuclear reactor instead of a human womb? Are you sure this is a human egg?!
As if hearing his doubts, the system flashed another message that offered zero comfort.
[Soul binding to species... Complete. The formation of your new physical vessel will now begin.]
No! I don't want to be here! Let me out! What kind of creature owns this egg?! Akira screamed in his mind, desperately trying to wrestle his way out.
But it was too late. He was already attached, and the process was completely swallowing his consciousness. There was no escape.
Before he could perform some miracle to break free, a deafening, bloodcurdling roar shook the outside of the womb. It was a monstrous sound that no human, animal, or normal earthly creature could ever make. It was the roar of a monster promising absolute destruction and death.
In that fleeting moment, sheer terror washed over Akira as he realized his second life wasn't going to be a luxurious vacation. He was destined to be reborn, not as a hero meant to save the world, but as the spawn of a creature that would bring about its end.