Part 1
It all started… with a blinding light.
Akira Usagi was walking down the street with a dumb grin on his face and a manga bag gripped in his hands like it was a sacred trophy.
The special edition of "My Cousin Turned Into a Slime and Now Rules the School" was finally his. Double-sided poster, holographic sticker, even a QR code promising exclusive content.
Everything was going well.
He'd left school early to beat the rest of the fans to the shop. He'd even dodged a whole squad of volleyball girls who usually used him as a human pole for spike practice. That day, the universe seemed aligned with his interests.
He passed by his usual café and got an extra stamp on his loyalty card.
"Two more and I get a Magical Girl Thalindra keychain..." he whispered, tucking it away like it was a legendary grimoire.
The world was a decent place. At least for that one moment.
He stopped at a small park. Sat on a bench—just for a minute—to check out the fresh volume.
It smelled of fresh ink, cheap plastic… and questionable editorial decisions.
His fingers brushed against Yuna—the wind elf in an inverted maid outfit—and he sighed happily.
"If I had to die right now… at least I'd die happy. Like a hero who confessed to his waifu before falling in battle."
On his phone, still locked, a notification blinked unseen:
[Mom]: We're having meatballs. Bring rice and a few beers for your dad.
He ignored it.
He tucked the poster safely into his folder, adjusted his backpack with the sacred "don't-wrinkle-anything" ritual, and stood up.
"What a wonderful day… nothing could ruin it. Unless, I dunno, alien abduction like in DeeDaDee. That'd really suck," he muttered, shielding his private parts as if sheer willpower could protect them.
"I don't want to lose my little guys like the main character did…"
And then—the sky lit up.
Literally.
A beam of light engulfed him in seconds.
There were no screams.
No panic.
No one running.
Only an old lady who watched him float into the sky and murmured with a peaceful smile:
"Technology sure is advancing these days… ho ho ho."
"Eh? Wha—?!"
As he ascended, still trying to understand what was happening, the bag slipped from his hand.
His manga fell like autumn leaves. And with them…
"No! My Yuna figure! It was a limited edition…!"
He reached for it—but his feet no longer touched the ground.
His body kept rising, sucked into the beam of light like part of some alien experiment… with mid-tier animation budget.
The sky grew brighter.
Then—darkness.
When he came to, he was lying on a metallic surface. Cold. Slightly sticky.
He blinked. A greenish light blinded him for a moment, and as he looked up…
"A… little alien?"
In front of him stood a short figure, glowing green skin, big black eyes, and an oversized head staring right at him.
"Greetings… Earthling," it said in a nasal voice.
Akira opened his mouth to scream.
"Please not my little guys! I don't wanna end up like the guy from DeeDaDee…!"
But the "alien" sighed and pulled off its mask. Literally. A disguise.
Underneath was an androgynous figure with amethyst eyes and violet hair that floated as if gravity didn't apply.
Their outfit shimmered like a poorly rendered hologram. They smiled.
"Whew, this suit was so last era…"
"Hi, I'm Uzaki, god of the Divarius universe, and you've been chosen to become the hero who will save Faraluz," they said with a soft and ambiguous tone, like someone not entirely clear on their own role.
They floated in the air—not out of magic, but sheer whim.
"I still don't get a word you're saying, girl."
"I'm not a girl! I'm an all-powerful god! Though yes, my form might be a little confusing for you."
"Are you… the god of traps? Is this a dream or some kind of joke?"
"I don't know… Do you usually dream about traps?"
Akira stared at them in silence.
For a moment, his brain completely disconnected from reality. He didn't know if he was dreaming, joking, or had just fully lost his mind.
"And who are you, Trap-God-sama?" Akira asked, playing along with a mocking tone.
"Me? A god, I think… or at least that's what it says on my divine health insurance card.
And you…" Uzaki gave him a full-body scan with his eyes. "Mmm… can this guy work? He's got all the marks of a generic otaku."
He pulled out a worn notebook titled: "Protagonist™ Candidate List" and crossed off a line.
"I brought you here because you're the best candidate to become a hero…"
"Don't lie to me. I can literally read that list from here. It says 'Heroes who rejected my offer'."
"Someone must've written that by mistake. Probably some new intern," Uzaki said with a nervous smile that inspired zero trust.
"Uh-huh…"
"But don't worry! You're gonna be great. You've got that aura of 'main character who randomly pulls a power-up out of his butt, defeats the demon king, and builds a harem of hot girls'."
Akira raised an eyebrow.
"Is that… good or terrifying?"
"Depends on your emotional stability… and how well you handle romantic chaos."
Akira paused, hand on his chin.
"Now that sounds promising. Will I get to be super powerful? Like that invincible skeleton mage… or that phone guy who solves everything with his phone? Yeah, that one. Or—wait, no! A legendary swordsman with divine blades!"
"Yes, yes… all of that…" Uzaki replied, pretending to sound excited.
"And my waifus. If I want, like, a hundred… is that okay? No—wait, sky's the limit! Are there different types of races or just generic NPCs?"
"Of course! We've got vampires, demons, demi-humans, elves, dwarves… Every cliché from the standard isekai catalog."
"Now we're speaking the same language. Tell me… Can I choose my powers and items?"
"Yes, absolutely. Just ask for what you want and… we'll see how it goes."
Akira narrowed his eyes.
"That doesn't sound very reassuring."
"Well, you know… interdimensional paperwork, divine forms, cosmic bureaucracy… I jot it down and we figure it out as we go. Deal?"
"That sounds exactly like a pyramid scheme pretending you'll be your own boss. But… if there are elves…"
"I knew you'd say that."
Uzaki snapped his fingers.
"I'll grant you a unique skill. You'll see it once you arrive in Faraluz."
"And why not give me now?"
"I knew you liked trap characters, but I didn't think you'd be so direct about it—"
"That's not it! Stop changing the subject! Why can't you give it to me now?"
"That's up to the portal. It's out of my hands. But don't worry… I'm sure it'll match your hero profile. Or… your personality. No promises."
"That sounds dangerously vague."
"Exactly. You're catching on."
Akira raised an eyebrow. He didn't push further.
"Alright. Let's move on. Can I choose a hero weapon?"
"I want an orbital space station that shoots lasers from the sky!" he declared, eyes shining.
"Denied."
"Okay, fine, maybe that was a bit much… A mecha then!"
"Denied."
"Dual pistols…?"
"I have a katana. And even that's a stretch. Take it or leave it."
"Well… I guess it's better than nothing."
"Anything else you want?"
"Yes," he said, blushing with excitement. "I want my companion to be a beautiful blonde elf with pointy ears, a mage, and super sexy."
"Yeah, yeah, got it," Uzaki muttered, scribbling "Give him none of that" on a napkin.
Then he pretended to check the time on a watch drawn on his wrist.
"Oof… time sure flies when you're having fun."
He floated closer to Akira and handed him something.
It was a phone. Taped together. The screen was cracked and it still had a "2 for 1" sticker on the back.
"What the hell is this piece of junk? It looks like a thirty-year-old Panumonic from a thrift shop!"
"Don't worry about it. It'll fix itself once you're in the kingdom."
"That also doesn't sound reassuring."
"Exactly! You're adapting."
As they talked, a glowing circle began to form beneath Akira's feet.
Absurd-looking runes flickered in and out, as if the magic system itself was making things up on the fly.
Uzaki reached into his pocket and touched something he had completely forgotten about.
"Oops! Almost forgot. Here—" he said, tossing a small object that bounced in the air and landed in Akira's hands.
"What is this?"
It was a compact, glowing device.
Round and pulsing with unfamiliar energy, it had a central orb, several decorative buttons, and bright lines that pulsed like a toy with a god complex. It looked like a hybrid between an overpriced collectible gadget and a magical summoning tool.
"It's your hero catalyst," Uzaki explained. "You'll need it to activate your special powers. Without it, you can't trigger anything. It's… part of the contract. I think."
"Wasn't there one that didn't look like it came from a toy aisle?"
"With a budget, maybe. But here… nope."
"Don't lose it. If it breaks, well… we'll improvise."
The circle beneath him finished activating.
The ground started dissolving beneath his feet, and Akira began sinking into the light.
"Good luck, Otaku-kun!" Uzaki called out cheerfully. "See you on the secondary screen!"
The light engulfed him. And then, everything went white.
That's how Akira's new adventure began.
Meanwhile, Uzaki remained floating in his dimensional chamber, molding the space around him like a stage.
Floating columns, cosmic curtains, narrative clockwork gears, and magical spotlights adjusted themselves in midair.
A massive theater—for a play no one had rehearsed.
"Should I have warned him about the state of Faraluz…?" he mused aloud. "Nah, he'll be fine."
He paused.
"Oops. I also forgot to tell him how to activate his unique skill… Well, he didn't seem that dumb. I'm sure he'll figure it out."
A servant in the shape of a werewolf approached with supernatural elegance, pushing a cart of steaming tea and pastries in impossible colors.
"Uzaki-sama, how did it go with the new candidate?"
"Oh, Lawrence, perfect timing," Uzaki replied, twirling a tiny spoon between his fingers. "I think he's a decent pick… Then again, it's not like we have many options."
"I see, my lord."
"Well, now we wait. For now… let's enjoy the show."
And in the background, the gears began to turn.
The curtain was only just rising.