[How long do you want to live?]
His consciousness drifted in a daze through the chaos, and only then did Yuto catch the faint question.
Oh, right—he'd worked overtime until he was completely drained, then fallen asleep at his desk.
Was this a dream?
His heart lurched. No, if he realized he was dreaming, wouldn't he wake up?
He didn't want to. Yuto didn't want to go back. He wanted to sleep a little longer.
"Hey, Amasawa! Sleeping on the job? Have you finished revising the proposal?"
His supervisor's voice drenched him like ice water. Yuto shuddered awake.
There was no point pretending to sleep anymore. He forced his eyelids open and managed to say, "One minute. Just one minute, please."
The proposal he'd hurriedly finished before falling asleep was sitting on his computer desktop.
He took out his USB drive and plugged it into the port. The first time, he got it wrong. He flipped it over, but it still wouldn't go in. He turned it back to its original angle, and this time it slid in.
As the screen displayed "Scanning USB drive," he suddenly froze.
What had the question in his dream been? He'd only just come to his senses, yet his mind felt clouded over, and he couldn't remember a thing.
Forget it. It was only a dream. Why dwell on it?
"Scan complete. No threats found."
The moment his fingertips touched the mouse, a sharp pain burst in his chest. His vision blurred, and a dizzying sensation of weightlessness swept him away.
In the dim light, his supervisor's panicked cries pierced his ears. "Amasawa! Amasawa, what's wrong?! Don't scare me—"
His body swayed, as if he were falling from a great height. Then a dull blow struck the back of his head—not like he'd hit something, but as if an invisible force had slammed into him.
Amasawa's consciousness sank into darkness.
[Honestly, this isn't my fault. You were the one who insisted, 'Just one minute,' weren't you?]
A pure white shape hovered at the edge of his vision. An angel, its outline traced in holy light, raised a hand and used its mind to switch off the "magic screen" showing the moments before Amasawa's death. It was impossible to tell whether the angel was male or female, and its voice was just as androgynous.
"So this is your excuse for killing me?" Yuto was furious. He'd died over something so trivial. "Couldn't you tell I wasn't talking to you? You asked how long I wanted to live, and now you've taken my life? And who are you, anyway? Where is this?"
The pure white space was silent as he faced the androgynous angel. They were the only ones there.
[To keep it brief, I'm an Apprentice God.] The angel held up a V sign. [I was out doing random good deeds for my KPI and wanted to grant you a wish. But after asking the question, I realized I'd made things worse.]
It blinked and made an adorable little gesture, as if tapping its own head. (∠・ω＜ )⌒☆
[As for this place, it's a transition zone between death and reincarnation. I brought you here to make things right.]
"...This feels just like a dream." Yuto tried to calm down and took a deep breath. "Fine. You made a mistake, so just bring me back to life. I still have to submit that proposal."
[No, no, no!] The angel waved its hands repeatedly, sounding perfectly righteous. [The dead can't come back to life. Haven't you studied the materialist conception of history?]
"You're calling yourself a god, and you're talking to me about the materialist conception of history?" Yuto was so exasperated he almost laughed.
[Ahem!] The angel cleared its throat awkwardly and twirled a finger. [What I mean is, you can't return to your original world, but I can send you to another one. Don't forget, this is a transition zone. You can reincarnate wherever you want.]
"I know. Reincarnation in another world?" Yuto raised an eyebrow, folded his arms, and sneered. "Then can you send me into Classroom of the Elite? I just finished watching the first season. If you've got the guts, throw me in there!"
He'd only been joking, but the angel's eyes lit up, and it suddenly perked up. [Don't underestimate an Apprentice God's authority! All right, I'll send you there!]
"You're actually going to reincarnate me?!" Yuto nearly jumped in shock. "Wait! What'll happen when I get there? Explain it first!"
[No problem. I'll show you on the magic screen—a simulation of the future, so you can see exactly what happens.]
The angel waved a hand, and a glowing screen appeared in midair.
[Simulation started]
[Reincarnation target: Amasawa Yuto]
[Target world: Classroom of the Elite]
[Identity: Eldest son of the Amasawa Conglomerate, sharing your name]
[Background: Sent to the White Room by his father, Amasawa Ien, as a "Fourth Generation Student sample." The White Room was founded by Ayanokoji Atsuomi.]
[Ending: Two years later, unable to adapt to the rules of the White Room, he was expelled and died.]
[Simulation ended]
"That's it?" Yuto stared, his voice cracking. "How did I end up dying like that? No way! Absolutely not!"
[Because your talents are mediocre, and you never belonged in the White Room in the first place.] The angel's words were sharper than a knife, without the slightest hint of sympathy.
"Then improve me!" Yuto panicked and slapped his thigh. "Give me a superpower, or a system, or something!"
[That won't do. We believe in materialism... superpowers and things like that...] The angel spoke firmly, but its gaze wandered, and its voice betrayed its guilty conscience.
Yuto recalled what the angel had said about being an "Apprentice God." Materialism? Why was it acting so evasive?
"Don't tell me you're not actually all-powerful, even though you're a god in training?"
This time, the angel had nothing to say.
"Fine." Yuto was speechless. "Then, when I reincarnate, make me as talented as Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, able to pass the White Room's curriculum!"
[That... I can do.] The angel's tone suddenly brightened, even sounding a little excited.
It looked like an intern who'd finally found a task they could handle after being rejected again and again.
What an unreliable Apprentice God! Yuto grumbled to himself, then added, "Shouldn't you run the simulation again? I'm worried you'll mess something up."
The angel drew a circle in the air, white light spilling from its fingertips. [My divine power is limited, so I can't keep you here any longer. Good luck over there!]
Another wave of dizziness swept over him. Yuto's heart sank. I'm not ready yet!
The angel's incantation rang in his ears, completely jumbled. [Go, go, go, off we go! Prajna paramita, Avada reincarnation, Link start!]
What kind of nonsensical incantation was that?
Before he could finish complaining, his consciousness sank into darkness.
"President Amasawa. This is your first child. Are you sure?"
"Mr. Ayanokoji, you sent your only child in there yourself. As a sponsor, what do I have to worry about?"
"Since this is President Amasawa's child, I'm sure he'll stand out in the White Room. Then let's enjoy working together."
Ayanokoji Atsuomi and Amasawa Ien shook hands.
An aide took a bawling baby boy, swaddled in a blanket, from President Amasawa.
"Children in the White Room aren't addressed by their surnames. Have you chosen a name for him, President Amasawa?"
"Let's call him Yuto."
Before you continue