Nothing complete nothingness is all i could sense. Not see.
There was nothing afterwards.
No light.
No darkness.
And no sense of direction.
I tried to move and felt nothing respond.
That alone told me something was wrong.
My chest didn't rise. My lungs didn't burn. And my heart didn't beat. There was no ache in my ribs, no weight in my limbs. Even the pain i could used to during the fight—was gone.
"Am I… dreaming?" My inner thoughts echoed out.
I tried to open my eyes. But... i didn't have any.
Immediately panic began to crept in slowly, like a tide testing how far it could go before retreating back.
The last thing I remembered came back in pieces.
The highschools courtyard.
The crowd screaming.
The feeling of numerous swords impaling through me.
And then—
Yui's scream.
It tore through whatever I was now, it was sharp and raw, echoing in a place where sound shouldn't exist. That scream wasn't just fear.
It was of great loss.
"No…" I thought. "No, no—"
The word didn't leave a mouth. It existed as thought alone.
"Did I fail? Did I die?"
The silence answered me.
And then—
Something noticed me.
There were no footsteps, no breath. And
Not a single movement.
Just a overwhelming resence.
I felt it like the way prey feels a predator long before it sees one—vast, immeasurable, and impossible to ignore.
"W-who's there?" I demanded, forcing the thought to stay steady.
There was no answer.
My fear sharpened.
"This isn't funny," I thought. "Am I dead? Is this hell? Heaven? Some kind of punishment?"
Yet still nothing.
There was no answer.
My fear sharpened.
Still nothing.
"…Are you God?" I asked. "…Or the devil?"
For the first time, something responded.
"You ask the wrong questions."
The voice wasn't loud.
It wasn't gentle. It just didn't echo.
It felt like the universe speaking without using sound.
My fear spiked.
"So this is judgment," I thought bitterly. "Then just say it. Am I being punished? Did I do something wrong?"
Silence.
Then—
"You interfered."
The words hit harder than any punch.
Interfered?
"With what?" I snapped. "I stopped them! I didn't kill anyone! I just—"
"You broke the flow of fate."
That froze me.
"…Then I guess I'm going to hell," I said quietly.
For the first time since arriving here, something shifted.
"Look."
The nothingness peeled open.
I saw Yui.
Alive and breathing.
She was sitting alone in what happened to be a hospital room, her hands were clenched so tightly they shook. Her eyes were red, empty, exhausted. Not hysterical.
They were broken.
I saw her replay my last words again and again.
Live, find someone. Have kids.
Time moved strangely.
Years passed in heartbeats.
I saw Yui grow older. More beautiful, my heart beated fast at seeing her. Yui grew quieter. Yet stronger on the surface.
I saw her met someone.
A man who had loved her since highschool. Someone who knew—immediately—that she would never love him the same way.
But Yui still said yes to him. Not out of passion. But instead of the promise she gave me.
I watched her marry him.
I watched her lie awake beside him on their bed, staring at the ceiling.
Then I saw her pregnant.
And I understood before anyone said a word.
The first child was mine. Based on the little girls face and the same manners i had.
Yui never spoke it aloud. She never needed to. The man--Tumi knew.
And yet he stayed.
Not because he was weak.
But because loving her—even incompletely—was enough for him.
Then i saw my parents.
Their grief.
Their anger.
Their heartbreak.
Then I saw them meet Yui face-to-face finally instead of videocalls.
My mother cried—not in blame, but in relief.
My father bowed his head and thanked her for knowing me.
For understanding why I did what I did.
And more importantly for carrying something of me forward when I couldn't.
Then as abruptedly as the vision appeared, the same way it faded.
The the vast endless nothing returned.
I didn't feel relief.
I felt… peace.
Peace in knowing that my loved one's were safe, kicking and doing well.
So the largin gang leader truly keep his word. Thank god.
"…Then I don't regret it," I said softly. "Not even a little. I thought a battle with a worthy opponent even though in the end he used an underhanded tactic to beat. But in doing so i saved my loved ones."
"You acted where I could not," the voice said.
That scared me more than anything.
"…What do you mean?"
"Intervention violates law. While choices does not."
"So… what happens to me now?"
A pause.
"Normally," the voice said, "you would cease to exist."
My awareness tightened.
"And now?"
"I am grateful."
I laughed weakly. "…You're thanking me?"
"Yes."
The silence stretched.
"…Then," I said carefully, "what happens to me now? Why am I still here?"
Another pause this one longer.
"Because your story has not concluded."
"That's funny. It felt pretty damn concluded when my heart stopped," i comically said.
"Death is an ending. But not always the ending."
"So what—So am i going to either Heaven? Hell?" I asked getting why more confused by this conversation.
"Neither," replied God.
"…Then say it properly."
"You will be reincarnated to another Earth," said God calmly.
"Another… Earth?" I questioned.
"An alternative one. Its history runs parallel to your own. The events there have already begun," he replied.
"So it's not some fantasy world. No demons, no magic kingdoms?" I questioned.
God just replied with a simple "No."
"Good. Not bad, it ain't a fantasy world but hey losers can t be choosers," i said sounding very calm despite the conversation.
"But i don't feel like learning another set of rules," i complained as my lazy attitude wouldn't let me.
"You will still have to. How else will you survive this world?" He replied while questioning me at the same time.
"…Of course I will."
"But before you go, you are allowed one thing," he said catching my complete attention.
"Could it be? A wish?" I excitedly asked as my otaku side was quickly raising.
"An ability," corrected God.
"Same difference," i said.
God didn't answer instead he said: "Choose carefully."
"I don't want invincibility. And I don't want something flashy," i spoke to myself as a thought came to mind, but immediately after thinking about it i rejected it.
The thought of getting my revenge on the largin gang since this parallel earth's events were running the same, but that that thought felt hollow.
So i dismissed it.
But even though i thought of the largin gang i somehow in that moment forgot something important that was maybe going to repeat again.
"Why?" Questioned God.
"Because those things rot you. Make you stupid," i answered honestly.
"Then what do you desire?"
"A power that listens to my very will. Something that moves when I decide to move. Something that doesn't waste my time," i listed.
"Elaborate," ordered God.
"When I'm serious… I don't want hesitation. No delays. No excuses. If I decide something ends, it ends!" I explained further.
"And when you are not serious?"
"Then let me be my usually lazy self," i replied calmly.
"…"
"I mean it," i said firmly. "If I want to finish something fast so I can rest, then give me the strength to do it fast."
"You seek efficiency, not dominance?"
"Call it whatever you want," i replied not caring of what God thought about it.
"Very well," i said.
"So what's the price? I know an ability like this always comes at a price," i seriously questioned my laziness completely disappeared from my tone.
"You will not control it fully."
"Figures," i mentally groaned to myself.
"Your will fuels it—but so does your nature.
When your intent sharpens, so will the power. When your emotions distort, so will the result."
"So if I lose myself…," i didn't finish my sentence.
"It will answer anyway."
"Heh. Sounds dangerous," i playfully whispered.
But God obviously heard me and replied:
"It is."
"Name?" I curiously asked.
"Golden Verdict."
"Hmm… Not bad," i whispered.
"When invoked, your eyes will change.
Your presence will become absolute.
Others will feel it before they understand it."
"And it's limits?" I questioned as this was very important info to know.
"You will discover them on your own."
"That's not comforting," i crumbly said.
"It is honest."
"Let me guess—Use it wrong, and I suffer?"
God only replied with a "Yes."
"Good," i said.
"Good?" Questioned God audiable curiously in his tone.
"Means I won't get complacent," i replied.
"..."
"There is something else," spoke God.
"Here comes the warning," i mentally knew this way long ago coming. So i had already mentally prepared myself.
"What awaits you there has already begun. Something that if you don't stop might mentally change you completely."
"You said that earlier. Something that might mentally change me? Heh how amusing," i said sounding very intrigued by the prospect.
"I am saying it again so you remember. Stop it or else."
"..." i momentarily stopped before continuing.
"…Is that all you're going to tell me?" I questioned.
"It is all I can tell you."
"So even you don't get to interfere?" I asked curiously.
"Correct."
"Then whatever happens… That's on me?"
God answered with a "Yes."
"Fine. Reincarnate me," i said accepting my new fate.
"One final thing, Shiedo."
"Hmmm... what?" I curiously asked.
"Do not assume death will teach you everything."
"…dearly noted," i answered seriously.
"Good now Go!"
And just like that i shiedo natski reincarnated in a parrelel earth.