It It had been another exhausting day for Eric.
Work.
Overtime.
More work.
Then even more overtime.
Somehow, his boss possessed a remarkable talent for squeezing every last ounce of energy out of his employees.
By the time Eric finally clocked out, he felt as though he had left more than just his strength behind.
His shoulders ached.
His eyes burned from staring at spreadsheets all day.
Even breathing felt strangely tiring.
Fortunately...
He still had one thing to look forward to.
Anime.
Lately, he'd become completely absorbed in Ace of Diamond. Every evening followed the same routine—pick up dinner from the convenience store, collapse onto the sofa, and lose himself in baseball until tomorrow no longer seemed so dreadful.
It wasn't much.
But it was enough.
With that thought in mind, he stepped out of the office, a faint smile finally finding its way onto his face.
For the first time all day...
He felt a little lighter.
As he crossed the road, quietly humming the opening theme to himself—
A pair of blinding headlights filled his vision.
Tyres screeched against the asphalt.
Everything happened in an instant.
"...Ah."
The impact hurled him through the air.
His body struck the ground with a dull thud.
His vision blurred.
Voices echoed around him.
"Someone call an ambulance!"
"He's still breathing!"
"..."
How troublesome.
He had finally gotten off work...
Only to end up in an even bigger mess.
His eyelids grew heavier.
So this...
was how it ended.
What a waste.
He'd been looking forward to tonight's episode.
The distant sound of an ambulance slowly faded away.
Darkness swallowed everything.
---
"...Am I dead?"
Eric slowly opened his eyes.
White.
Everywhere he looked...
Nothing but endless white.
No ceiling.
No floor.
No walls.
Just an endless expanse of nothingness.
He stared into the distance for a long moment before letting out a quiet sigh.
"...So this is the afterlife."
It was... emptier than he'd expected.
Before he could gather his thoughts—
Something soft drifted into view.
It was small.
Round.
Snow-white.
With tiny ears and sparkling blue eyes.
"..."
It looked...
Oddly adorable.
Almost on instinct, Eric reached out to poke it.
The fluffy creature floated back just in time.
"Hello, Eric."
"..."
Eric froze.
His hand remained suspended in mid-air.
"...You can talk."
"Yes."
"..."
After a brief silence, Eric lowered his hand.
"I suppose that makes sense."
The fluffy creature blinked.
"...That's it?"
"What else am I supposed to say?"
"I've already died."
"I think a talking fluff ball is the least surprising thing that's happened today."
The creature stared at him for several seconds before clearing its throat.
"...Fair point."
It floated a little higher, trying to appear dignified.
"I am the God of Death."
Eric looked it up and down.
Another pause.
"..."
"You don't really look the part."
"I know."
"I hear that quite often."
"I was expecting something... taller."
"...Please don't judge a god by its appearance."
For the first time since arriving in the endless white space...
A faint chuckle escaped Eric's lips.
"I'll try not to."
---
The God of Death let out a weary sigh.
"Your death... was a mistake."
Eric frowned.
"...A mistake?"
"You weren't the one whose lifespan had ended."
"The man we were supposed to collect was a fugitive several metres behind you."
A brief pause.
"Unfortunately..."
"The driver swerved."
"And fate... followed the wrong person."
Silence.
Eric stared blankly before letting out a dry laugh.
"So..."
"I worked overtime until I died because someone upstairs filled in the wrong paperwork?"
"...That is an oversimplification."
"But yes."
"..."
Eric pinched the bridge of his nose.
"...Figures."
The God of Death blinked.
"...You're not angry?"
"What would getting angry accomplish?"
"I've spent years dealing with problems I couldn't fix."
"I suppose this is just one more."
His voice carried no resentment.
Only exhaustion.
The little god watched him quietly.
"...I'm sorry."
Those two words caused Eric to pause.
It had been a long time...
Since anyone had apologised to him.
"...It's fine."
"No."
"It isn't."
The fluffy creature shook its head.
"A life was taken because of our mistake."
"We cannot simply pretend it never happened."
It floated closer.
"As compensation..."
"I will allow you to live another life."
"A life without the burdens that weighed you down in your previous one."
Eric remained silent.
Another life...
The thought felt strangely distant.
Images flashed through his mind.
His tiny apartment.
Stacks of paperwork.
Cold convenience-store dinners.
Another train ride to work.
Another overtime shift.
Then—
A different memory.
The roar of a stadium.
The crack of a baseball meeting a bat.
Ace of Diamond.
Without realising it...
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"..."
The God of Death noticed.
"You have somewhere you'd like to go."
Eric blinked.
"...Do I?"
"You smiled."
"For the first time since arriving here."
Eric scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"I suppose..."
"If I had to choose..."
"I wouldn't mind living in the world of Ace of Diamond."
"I always wondered what it would be like."
The God smiled warmly.
"Then that shall be your destination."
"As for everything else..."
Eric tilted his head.
"Everything else?"
"You spent your previous life struggling."
"You worked endlessly."
"You never had the chance to enjoy your youth."
"So..."
"In your next life..."
"You'll be born into a loving family."
"You'll never have to worry about money."
"You'll possess talent worthy of the stage you dream of."
Eric opened his mouth.
"...Isn't that a bit much?"
The fluffy god chuckled.
"I don't think so."
"It is merely compensation."
"For a life that ended far sooner than it should have."
Eric fell silent.
"...Thank you."
This time...
The God smiled.
"Live well."
The endless white world began to fracture.
Countless fragments of light drifted into the air.
Eric instinctively reached out.
"Wait—"
Before he could say anything more...
The light swallowed everything.