Chapter 1: Isekai isekai isekai Yayyyy
Lio, age nineteen, had made it. After years of half-studying and full-procrastinating, he was now a first-year student at Tokyo University. Not just any university. The university. Top of Japan. Top of Asia. Top of the world? Maybe.
"Why Tokyo University?" his cousin once asked.
Lio had answered like a true philosopher:
"If you're a man, don't ask dumb questions."
And now, on this bright morning the first day of his university life he had two clear goals:
Attend class.
Begin the hunt for his future wife.
Because, let's face it: there were two types of guys at Tokyo University. The ones aiming to be researchers, CEOs, or Nobel Prize winners... and the ones looking for love. Lio, as always, was somewhere in between leaning heavily toward love.
The streets of Tokyo were busy but polite, the sun a soft gold across the skyline, and Lio strutted like the protagonist he knew he was.
Backpack? Check.
Student ID? Check.
Fake confidence? Check.
Deodorant? Mostly.
As he approached the crosswalk near the university gates, he spotted an elderly man standing uncertainly at the edge of the road. The old guy looked like he was built from creaky joints and memories.
"Should I help him?" Lio muttered.
Of course, he should. He wasn't a villain.
"Sir, want me to help you cross?" Lio offered, already stepping forward.
The old man smiled with all the wrinkles in Japan. "That would be nice, young man."
Lio placed a firm hand on the man's arm and began walking, feeling like some kind of modern knight.
And then
SCREEECH!
BOOM!
Metal screamed. Rubber burned. The world tilted.
A truck moving way too fast for a campus zone plowed straight into Lio.
Blackness.
Pain.
Confusion.
"…Where is it?" Lio's voice echoed into nothingness.
He blinked.
There was no sky. No ground. Just… void.
"I got hit by a truck? Did I die?"
"Yes," came a voice, calm and bored. "You died. Cool down, kid."
Lio turned if "turned" was even possible in this dimension and saw a glowing figure sitting on… something. It looked like a man-shaped silhouette made of TV static.
"Who are you? A god?"
"You can call me that," the figure said with a sigh. "Or 'administrator' or 'cosmic janitor' I don't really care."
"So this is it, huh? I got isekai'd?"
The god blinked. "You seem… oddly excited."
"Well, yeah. I mean, sure, I'm dead, but this is like a rite of passage for anime watchers. Death by truck, then reborn with magic? Sign me up!"
The god sighed again. "Whatever happened to grief?"
Lio grinned. "I didn't like my part-time job anyway."
The static-man rubbed his temples. "Look, normally this would be your fault, but I'll be honest this one's on me. Bit of a scheduling error. That truck was supposed to hit a different guy."
Lio blinked. "So… you messed up?"
"Yes."
"And I'm still dead?"
"Yes."
"Cool. So… compensation?"
"Three wishes," the god muttered.
Lio's eyes lit up. "Okay, okay! First, is the new world one of those with immortal cultivators and magic masters?"
"Yes."
"Are there girls wearing stockings and Chinese dresses?"
"…Why does that matter?"
"It just does."
The god raised a hand to check some kind of glowing tablet in the air. "Let's see… yes, some of them wear stockings. And... yes, there's a dress style you might be thinking of. Satisfied?"
"Deeply. Next question what's the rule of that world? I'm not going if it's full of heavenly dao nonsense and weird karma points."
The god groaned. "It's a chaotic land ruled by strength. There's no heavenly bureaucracy. There's a Sword Master who controls multiple realms, and anyone strong enough can challenge him. Happy now?"
"Thrilled," Lio said. "Alright, let's do the wish thing."
Wish #1
"I want to be the cleverest magic and sword user in the entire world!"
"Denied."
"Eh?!"
"You can't ask for both top-tier magic and sword skills," the god said. "Balance, remember? Also, 'cleverest' of the world is a moving target."
"Fine. Then I want to be one of the cleverest magic users in the world, with top-tier talent."
"Accepted."
Wish #2
"I want to be born into a rich, powerful, and famous family."
"Accepted."
"Really?"
"I owe you. Slightly."
Wish #3
"I want to be naturally lucky… and a little handsome."
"Accepted."
"Wait, wait just 'a little' handsome?"
"You already got two strong wishes. Don't push your luck."
"I literally just wished for more luck—"
"Next question," the god interrupted.
The static figure leaned forward. "Now, how do you want to be isekai'd? Born as a baby with sealed memories? Or take over someone else's body?"
"Ugh, I can't even wear someone else's jacket without feeling weird. I'm not stealing a body."
"Then it's reincarnation," the god confirmed. "But remember—if you choose to be born from scratch, your current memories will be sealed until your twelfth birthday."
"Why?"
"Cosmic rules. I don't even know."
Lio sighed. "Fine."
The god stood. Or maybe floated. "Ready?"
"Ready!"
"Good. Off you go…"
A bright light exploded through Lio's consciousness.
"Wait crap! I didn't heal his body yet!" the god's voice echoed behind.
A pause.
"…Can I still heal reach him from here?"
A faint crackle of power rushed through the void.
"Well, I made a mistake. Again. But hey maybe it'll be fine. Good luck, boy…"
And with that, Lio's soul plummeted toward a new world, dragging three wishes, half a memory, and a whole lot of sarcasm with him.