The white space was deafening. That was the first thing I noticed. No floor, no ceiling, just an endless, pristine horizon of nothing.
"Oh, come on," I muttered, looking down at my translucent hands. "The Void? Really? We're doing the whole 'reincarnation cliché' now? Where's the Truck-kun? Where's the white-bearded old man with a 'my bad' look on his face?"
"Actually," a voice boomed—smooth, authoritative, and sounding like it had been aged in a fine oak barrel. "I prefer to think of myself as a freelance consultant for the cosmically displaced."
I spun around. Sitting there, in a leather armchair that definitely wasn't there a second ago, was Morgan Freeman. Or at least, the God-tier version of him from the movies. He was wearing a cream-colored suit and holding a clipboard, looking at me with that signature twinkle of "I know something you don't."
"Morgan Freeman," I deadpanned. "Classic. So, do we skip the part where you explain I'm dead and go straight to the three wishes? I've seen this anime about a thousand times."
The deity chuckled, the sound vibrating through my very soul. "Straight to the point. I like that. No weeping over the unfinished laundry or the browser history left un-cleared?"
"I'm a man of culture," I said, crossing my arms. "Let's get to the goods. I want to go to Fairy Tail. And if we're doing wishes, I've got my list ready."
"Let's hear it then," the Freeman-entity said, leaning back.
"First," I began, ticking a finger. "I want the Great Sage skill. I need the analysis, the world-mapping, and the internal encyclopedia. I'm not trying to walk into a magic world with a room-temperature IQ.". and yes i know im dumb.
"Done," he said, scribbling on the clipboard.which is pointless from him I guess , but well go gotta do the theratics.
"Second. The Eyes of Gilgamesh from the Fate series. If I'm going to be a wizard, I want the ability to see through every illusion, see the truth of all magic, and maybe peer a bit into the future. I want to be the smartest guy in the room.". no way i'm gonna get off guard and die a dogs deaths because no matter how much you see love and power of friendship in the show I know the plot armor is only for main cast .
"High standards. I can manage that."
"Third," I said, a bit more seriously. "The Essence of Blank. I want no limits. No ceiling on my growth, no restrictions on my magic, and a soul that can't be messed with. I want to be the ultimate wild card." because if i'm gonna go there no way i'm going to remain week beside hot chicks don't get attracted to week guys .
Morgan Freeman raised an eyebrow. "Going for the powerhouse build, are we? Very well. Is that all?"
"One more thing," I added with a grin. "A cosmetic request. I want to look like Merlin from Fate. The white hair, the flowers, the whole 'Magus of Flowers' aesthetic. If I'm going to be a legend, I might as well look like one." Yup im totally attract that hot white haired chick.
The deity stood up, his smile widening into something a bit more... enigmatic. "A fair trade for a soul. Consider it all granted. Enjoy the main cast, kid. They're quite the handful."
Thanks, Morgan! See you in the next life!"
My soul began to dissolve into shimmering particles of light. As I faded away, I felt a rush of excitement. I was going to Magnolia. I was going to join the guild. I was going to be the coolest wizard in the X780s.
Just as the light consumed me, I heard his voice one last time—no longer booming, but whispered with a sharp, mischievous edge.
"You didn't think that extra wish would be free, did you? Merlin lives a long, long time... Let's see how you survive four hundred years before the plot even starts."
WHAM
Air hit my lungs like a physical blow. It wasn't the fresh, sea-breeze air of a port town. It was hot. It was heavy. It smelled like sulfur, charred wood, and iron.
I tried to stand, but my legs felt short and wobbly. I looked down. I was wearing a tattered white tunic, and my hands were tiny, maybe four years old. My hair was long, shimmering with a pearlescent white hue, and I could feel the strange, multi-layered weight of the Eyes of Gilgamesh settling into my skull.
I looked around, and my heart stopped.
This wasn't Magnolia. This wasn't a guild.
I was standing in the middle of a graveyard of a village. Every building was a blackened skeleton. The crops were piles of ash, and the sky above wasn't blue,it was a bruised, terrifying purple, choked with the smoke of a hundred fires. In the distance, a roar echoed that sounded like a mountain cracking in half.
I checked my internal clock. The Great Sage flickered to life in my mind, its cold, mechanical voice delivering the final blow:
[Notification: Current Era — Year X376. Dragon King Festival in progress.]
I stared at the ruins of the world, 400 years before Natsu Dragneel was even a thought.
"WTF."