"I'm about to die for something I didn't do."
Sure enough, it doesn't feel too good when I say it out loud.
There isn't much I can do about it now, though. I've already pleaded and tried to prove that I'm not guilty, but it didn't help much. All I managed to do was prolong my death a little.
I look around at my surroundings. It seems I've been placed in some sort of jail cell, although there isn't much light. All I can do is patiently wait for my life to be over.
I keep thinking about what happened, but it all becomes a blur. All I know is that I was framed, and I'm very pissed off. Still, there isn't much point in wasting energy getting angry about something I can't change, although it's not like I need my energy anymore.
A slight creak comes from somewhere in front of me, and a flood of light enters the room. My eyes take a moment to adjust, but when they do, I can make out three figures walking toward me. I've been sitting in darkness for a few days, so I still can't see clearly in this much light.
"Get up," one of the figures says.
The other two chuckle and grab my arms to lift me. The officer to my left throws a solid punch directly into my abdomen for no apparent reason before they begin dragging me out of the room.
I cough up a little blood. Even though I'm becoming even more frustrated with the treatment I'm receiving, it's better to let it go and avoid causing any more trouble. I can probably barely walk anyway, so I suppose it's a good thing these guys are dragging me.
I get a better look at the figures holding me. They look like standard officers, wearing brownish uniforms with batons hanging from their hips. It seems they're taking me out of the prison section of the building.
"I guess I'm gonna die now," I chuckle to myself.
The officers dragging me seem visibly disturbed by the fact that I'm laughing right before my death. I guess they were expecting me to show a different emotion.
Personally, I think I'm showing the right kind of emotion. Yeah, I'm a little angry about my life being cut so short. I'm only twenty-three, but I guess these sorts of things happen.
The officers have probably been dragging me for about five minutes when they suddenly stop. I guess we've reached our destination.
They open a large door. It doesn't make a sound, so the hinges must be well oiled. I guess a lot of people get executed here.
The room is fairly large and completely white. It seems like a pretty artificial place to die. The room is almost empty except for a large chair in the middle.
The two officers lead me toward the chair. It has straps attached to both armrests and its legs. The officers strap me in so tightly that my limbs begin to go numb. I guess they don't want me moving around when they administer the drug that will kill me.
Now that my eyes have fully adjusted to the light, I notice that one of the officers is carrying a metal briefcase. The drug they're going to use to kill me is probably inside.
The officer opens the case, revealing three syringes. They contain three different drugs. I wonder which one they're going to use. I hope it's painless, but I guess it doesn't matter too much.
It's strange knowing that I'm going to die in only a few minutes for something that was never properly justified.
I wonder what happens after death.
If I get another chance, I'm not going to waste it. I'll make sure something like this never happens again. I'll kill anyone who gets in my way. I'm not going to go through this again.
It's unlikely that I'll ever get that opportunity, though. This isn't some manga plot.
The officer looks as though he's having a difficult time deciding which syringe to use, so I suppose I can help him.
"Can you just give me the potassium chloride, please? It's the most painless, and it's the cheapest for you guys."
The officer turns around and looks at me strangely. He seems confused about how I know what the different drugs are. I'm a bit smarter than most people, so I don't think it's that strange.
The officer lets out a grunt and chooses it.
I guess my death will be painless.
One of the other officers pulls out a clipboard and begins explaining what is happening, although only a complete idiot wouldn't have figured it out by now.
"Shin Sasaki, you are hereby sentenced to death. Do you have any last words?"
"Nope, I don't think so. Is it fine if I don't?"
The officer nods, so it doesn't seem necessary.
The officer holding the syringe walks toward me and begins searching for a place to insert the needle.
I guess this is the end for me.
I close my eyes and smile a little.
I feel the needle press into my forearm, followed by a tingling sensation. I can feel my heartbeat slowing dramatically. For some reason, I'm not as afraid as I thought I would be now that I'm actually dying.
I really hope I get another chance.
I'll take anything I can get.
I feel my consciousness drifting away.
I guess I'm dead now.
A few minutes pass, but I still feel somewhat alive.
I open my eyes, and I'm no longer where I was before. Everything around me is black, yet there is somehow still light.
A shiver runs down my spine.
There are only a few possibilities that could explain what happened, and I don't like any of them.
"Is this the afterlife?" I whisper.
A faint voice comes from behind me.
"Nope. This isn't the afterlife, although it might be similar."
A place similar to the afterlife? This is getting interesting.
"Who are you?"
"I am what your world might call the Reaper. I am Death."
"I see," I say.
I guess the Reaper doesn't usually receive that kind of reaction because he pauses for a moment.
"You seem to be very calm. That will help this go faster."
"So, what happens now? Do I get sent somewhere else?"
"Perhaps, but that depends entirely on you."
"I see. What do I have to do?"
"I would like you to inherit some of my power. It is similar to what your world would call magic."
"Hmm. I doubt you would give something like that to me for free. What would I have to do?"
"It's simple. All I want you to do is create a little chaos."
A dark figure appears in front of me. He's wearing a large black robe with a hood covering his face. His hands resemble dark bones, and he looks about seven feet tall.
He's kind of terrifying. He looks exactly like something you would see in a manga or anime.
"This isn't my real appearance," he explains. "I simply manifested the image your world has of me."
Well, that explains it. There was no way we could have gotten his appearance exactly right.
"So, there are other worlds?"
"You catch on quickly. There is practically an infinite number of worlds, or at least too many to count."
"Hmm, interesting. So, I'm guessing you want me to create chaos in these other worlds?"
"This is going much faster than I expected. Since I cannot travel to these worlds myself, I would like you to cause some trouble in my place."
"That makes sense, but what purpose does this chaos serve?"
"I am running out of power, you see. All I do is watch the worlds from here and wait for people to die. I draw my power from the hatred and fear of others. Lately, the worlds haven't been as fearful as they once were. If this continues, I will eventually exhaust all my power and die.
"When I give you my magic, you will travel from world to world, creating chaos as you go. That will fill the people of those worlds with fear, allowing me to restore my former power.
"I have also created world-transportation magic and several other spells for this purpose. I call the wielder of this power a World Raider. If you are as capable as I believe you are, you will earn the second life you desire."
It isn't a bad deal, and it actually sounds interesting.
Still, I wonder what he plans to do with his power once he gets it back. I may need to be careful about that if I agree.
"You probably have doubts about killing for me," the Reaper says. "However, the alternative is losing the second chance you desire so badly."
I'm guessing he can sense my doubts. He can read me like a book, which means there's no point in lying.
"If I say no, what happens?"
I need to understand all my options before I do anything rash.
"If you decide against my offer, you will probably enter an eternal slumber or be transferred to another place beyond my knowledge. I was able to capture you just before your death, which is how you ended up here."
If that's the case, I'm better off accepting his proposal than leaving my chance at a new life to the unknown.
"All right. I'll become your World Raider. Give me a new life."
This seems like the most logical choice. It also sounds interesting, so I'm curious to see where it will take me.
The Reaper chuckles as though that was the answer he expected.
"Very well. I shall teach you magic and give you information about the other worlds you will visit. You can remain in my realm for approximately two weeks, so we do not have much time.
"When you are ready, I will send you on your way. I have already decided which world you will be sent to first. In my realm, you do not need rest or food, so I should be able to teach you everything you need to know fairly quickly."
"I see. That makes sense."
I was wondering why my body felt different here. If I don't feel hungry or tired, that gives us plenty of time to train.
Still, I have a feeling that I'm about to absorb a hell of a lot of information.
I guess I'd better be prepared.
"Then why don't we get started?" the Reaper asks. "I would rather begin as soon as possible since you need to prepare your body to use my magic. If I gave you my magic right now, your body would be torn to pieces."
He pauses before adding, "That will only happen if you fail to strengthen your body, so you shouldn't have anything to worry about."
I guess the Reaper notices my shock because he immediately attempts to comfort me.
This Reaper really doesn't act the way I expected a Reaper to act. His reassurance doesn't make me feel much better, though.
I suppose this is the path I chose, but all these unknowns still make me nervous.
"You have nothing to worry about," he continues. "Now that you have agreed to my conditions, I will do everything in my power to make sure you survive. Just follow my training, and you will be fine."
"You're surprisingly considerate for a Reaper. You're nothing like I expected, at least."
"Well, no mortal has ever met me directly, so everything you know about me is based on assumptions. You work for me now, so I will obviously treat you well. I don't believe I'm a particularly good person, but I'm not especially bad either."
"I see. That makes sense."
It seems my impression of the Reaper was completely wrong. I'm relieved that I'm not working for someone truly terrifying.
When I look at the Reaper again, I no longer see him in the same way.
"Well," he says, "shall we get started, then?"
END OF CHAPTER 1