Death And Gacha 1

The greatest constants in life: death and taxes. In life, we live, make memories, find joy, and we pay taxes. Even in death, taxes find us, as our sins are weighed against us.

All of it, stacked against our own morality and the actions we've taken, or worse, the ones we failed to take for our fellow man.

I never believed in that kind of judgment. But that may just be my own arrogance. What right does a being, omnipotent or omniscient, have to judge creatures that can barely predict what they'll do in the next few seconds?

Did we ever have a choice? Is everything just a lie?

Even now, I don't know. All my life, I focused on efficiency. I never had the luxury of time. I worked multiple jobs, faced rejection after rejection, until eventually, I was accepted in a few places.

I wasn't particularly intelligent—just stubborn. I was born the epitome of average. In days like these, I could barely engage in a conversation with anyone. People are too focused on their own lives, and honestly, I can't blame them.

When I was diagnosed with cancer, I didn't let it stop me. I refused chemotherapy, along with all other treatments and pain reducers. There was no point in prolonging the inevitable.

For the last year of my life, I worked and kept myself busy. Then one day, I stared up at the ceiling, listening to my blaring alarm, and I turned it off. I felt more tired than ever before.

Maybe I was hallucinating at that point, but before I closed my eyes, I saw a humanoid figure. It looked human, but with my fading eyesight, I knew it wasn't.

The stranger said nothing. It pulled something out of its pocket and injected me with it. I couldn't feel a thing. When I looked into its eyes, I didn't see pity or acceptance.

Then I closed my eyes for what I thought would be the last time.

At least, I believed it was. But before I knew it, I was sitting in a chair, surrounded by children. I looked around and saw younger kids watching TV, something called Dragon Ball.

I blinked, rubbed my eyes—was I seeing things? On the screen was Goku, but slightly different. Soon, they changed the channel, and I saw what looked like a magical girl show.

I took a deep breath to calm myself. I stood up and walked toward the matron.

"Are you alright, Gure? You seem a bit shaken." She knelt down, checked me over, and felt my forehead for a fever.

"I'm fine. Just need a drink. Do we have any bottled water?" The matron nodded and handed me one. As I drank, feeling the water flow down my throat, it confirmed one thing: this was real.

Yet, my vacant stare clearly didn't reassure her. She checked me over again. "You should go lay down, Gure. I'll wake you when it's time for dinner." I nodded, thanked her, and headed toward my room. It was almost muscle memory guiding me.

I opened the door and saw a few of my roommates still reading. Thankfully, I had the top bunk. I climbed the ladder and stared at the rotating ceiling fan above me.

I lifted my hand and stared at it. During my conversation with the matron, I realized I had been speaking Japanese. I had never learned Japanese.

I had heard of stories like this—reincarnation, they called it, or waking up in another world. I never believed them. Too convenient. Whenever I discussed them with people, I'd always ask why the main characters never delved into the details—the politics, the economy, how the kingdoms interacted.

They'd always just laugh at me. As if asking basic questions was a joke.

But here I was. Either I was in a very lucid dream on the verge of death, or I had returned to my childhood.

Another deep breath. I didn't know how I got here, but I'd like to think I'm adaptable. This is a second chance.

So, as I lay there, I hardened my resolve. I would get everything I ever wanted.

But first, I needed to figure out what that was.

Did I want a house? A family? Stable income? Based on the TV model, it was definitely the early 2000s. Technology was a little more advanced, but nothing crazy.

I reached into my pocket and found what looked like a basic ID card. Like something children get in early grades to keep track of their info.

All it said was that I was 11 years old. The only name was scribbled in a botched, sloppy fashion—"Gray." I almost found that funny. No last name. No parentage.

I was fine with that. It's something I'm used to. Taking another breath, I closed my eyes, deciding to nap on the issue.

I had a long life ahead of me, and I needed to think it through.

Six Years Later

The years passed faster than I could've imagined. I think I made decent progress. I managed to save enough to rent a basic apartment. Since I was technically an emancipated minor, I could do that legally.

Leaving the orphanage was bittersweet. While it served my interests, the only person I genuinely cared about was the matron. Most of the other kids came and went, adopted by various families. I was the odd one out.

I attribute that to my "bland" vibe, as people called it. No one was interested in me. Unlike the other kids, I actually had the skills to survive in a world like this. They needed a family. I didn't.

I managed to secure some scholarships based on my academic performance, which gave me enough to apply to the town's prestigious Kuoh Academy.

Kuoh had just gone coed a few months ago, and this was its first year accepting male students. Honestly, the school's reputation didn't matter much to me. I just wanted something to look good on my degree.

If there's one benefit of this second life, it's that my mind has improved. I retain information more easily. Physically, I was better off too. I wasn't an action hero, but I was fit enough.

My appearance hadn't improved much, though. Puberty didn't suddenly turn me into a model. But I had avoided acne this time around, so there's that.

I still worked multiple jobs—laundry, odd neighborhood tasks, helping classmates with homework. Even in this life, you can't avoid stocks and finances.

The only weird thing was the hair colors. There were the usual browns, blacks, and blondes, but then you'd see reds, whites, even blues. Like the girl with bright red hair I spotted as I approached the Academy's gates.

How does a 16-year-old have a more "developed" figure than some adults? I shook the thought away and entered the gates. Some of the guys were mumbling excitedly about girlfriends and school romances.

Poor souls. Most high school relationships don't last.

I noticed one of my classmates—a purple-eyed girl with glasses—gave me an odd look before jotting something down in a notebook. The red-haired girl looked excited, like a puppy in a new home, trying to sneak a manga into her bag.

The rest of the school day was uneventful. During English class, I tapped my pencil on the desk to keep the red-haired girl from dozing off. She jolted awake and gave me a grateful look.

I had already learned most of the material, so I didn't have to pay much attention. After class, I found a secluded spot to enjoy my lunch in silence.

Until the redhead found me.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked, not really waiting for an answer as she sat down. Her friend, a tall girl with long black hair, stood nearby.

"I'm Rias Gremory. And you are?" she asked.

"Gure Ashina," I replied, not offering anything more. She seemed to wait for me to continue, but I didn't.

"Is there something you need?" I asked, keeping my voice neutral.

"You should've told me what your goals are. This is the typical introduction scene," she said. What did she believe? Was this Naruto or something, and I was supposed to announce my life goals?

"My life goal is simple: earn a six-figure salary and have affordable housing." I saw her left eye twitch at my answer.

"I feel like I'm talking to a 50-year-old right now. You sound exactly like my father. Akeno, doesn't he sound like a dad?" She turned to her friend, who gave me a once-over, nodding in amused agreement.

"He does have the look of someone who has everything planned out." I'm sitting right here, by the way.

"If you want something more exciting, I could tell you my dream is to stand on the moon and collect a fortune in moon rocks," I said, genuinely not trying to be sarcastic. The girl seemed stubborn, though.

"Now that's a dream! What do you plan to do with the moon rocks?" she asked, seemingly satisfied.

"Sell them on eBay for an increased rate."

"…And you ruined it. How can you make something like space exploration sound so boring?" Well, space is boring. At least space travel is.

"Realistic goals are often boring. Anyway, I noticed you were reading manga during class. You really shouldn't do that. The teacher might take it away." The girls seemed amused at my advice.

Rias puffed up with pride. "I'll have you know my father is on the school board, and my mother is as well. I can bring as much manga as I want." Ah, nepotism at its finest.

"I'm not sure that's something you should be bragging about, Gremory." But she was lost in her own world, going on about her favorite chapter of Nagato—which is apparently Naruto in this world.

"I can't believe we're about to go into the sequel series. What about you, Gray? Are you excited?" I was wondering which god put me in this world and if they were enjoying my suffering.

"I've never read any manga, so I'm not very informed, but from your description, it sounds exciting." She pouted again.

"You could at least sound excited. You look like you're about to pass out." That's what happens when you work multiple jobs to pay for school tuition.

"I'm not a very exciting person. If you want, there are some other guys who would practically worship you. They've been watching us the entire time." The two girls turned to where I was pointing and saw a group of guys glaring at me, as if they wanted to tear me apart.

"Gray-eyed bastard."

"How did he land two hotties so quickly?"

Instead of worrying about my safety, the two girls just started laughing. I sighed. But something strange happened—the laughter stopped abruptly as Rias glanced in their direction, and the guys suddenly looked terrified and ran off.

I wonder what that was about?

"Anyway," she continued, "I was talking about Nagato. I wonder if they'll show the face-off between Nagato and Yasuke. Noshi definitely needs to get his friend away from that creepy snake." Honestly, pedophiles don't surprise me anymore with how many celebrities have turned out to be the same.

"If that's what you believe, more power to you." She seemed satisfied with my answer, nodding to herself with a smug expression.

But then, almost hesitantly, she changed the subject. "By the way, Gray… If someone asked you how to get a couple back together, how would you do it?"

That was a strange question.

"What's the context? Is someone cheating? Is it a long-distance relationship? How long were they together? What's the relationship dynamic?" My rapid-fire questions seemed to overload her brain. She looked like steam was about to come out of her ears.

"I didn't think about that… Anyway, theoretically, if the boyfriend wanted to get back with the girlfriend, what should he do?" I thought about it, though I wasn't exactly a relationship expert.

"Well, it depends. They'd have to come to a compromise about why they broke up. Both need to acknowledge that one or both of them were at fault. The first step to solving a problem is admitting it exists. Once they get past that, things get easier." Akeno seemed a little surprised by my basic advice as I finished my lunch.

"Well, I appreciate you two joining me for this break. But I need to get back to class. Thanks for the… mentally stimulating conversation." Rias and Akeno nodded.

"Don't worry, Gray. This isn't the last time. I'm going to induct you into the cult—I mean, anime fanbase," Rias said with a maniacal laugh as she walked back to class.

The rest of the day was more my speed—mostly syllabus reviews in class. As I left the school, though, the redheaded gremlin was waiting for me.

I tried to walk past her, but she immediately started following me.

"What are you doing after school?" she asked.

"Going to work."

"You work? But school is over. You should be enjoying the rest of the day."

"I would, but I need to make rent payments for my apartment." The concept of scrounging for money seemed completely foreign to her, as she looked at me, dumbstruck.

As I kept walking, she suddenly stopped me, placing her hands on my shoulders.

"I never knew you had it so tough… but fight on, Gray!" she said, eyes sparkling in some kind of strange admiration. I gave her a nod, and she let go.

The rest of the day wasn't worth mentioning—it was mostly the same routine. Until I returned to my apartment.

That's when I saw something that genuinely surprised me.

[Welcome to the Gacha! Would You Like to Roll?]

God is testing me. Or something up there is laughing its ass off.

(To be honest, the character for this story was inspired by the meme that I'm going to comment on this line. Feel free to recommend things he should get through the Gacha. Should join another race or should he remain human?)

(Also just to make it clear the essences have just activated. The current timeline is two years before the original story begins. And while I may a couple of gripes over the timeline in terms of the Academy going coed earlier forgive me for that.)

Essences Used: Gacha And Blank