Luke Diamond was no stranger to strange situations, but the one he currently found himself in took the cake. Kind of like that gang of wild dogs on his 7th birthday. 

He was sitting in what looked like a stereotypical office space, with phones buzzing nonstop and people rushing around with mugs of overfilled coffee. It doesn't sound that strange, right?

Wrong!

It was exactly that feeling of normalcy that hid the true abnormal nature of the place he found himself in. Everything may have appeared on the up and up, but that was nothing more than a disguise, a veneer concealing its true otherworldly status.

What made this paranoid sounding man say these things? Well that was simple. You see, Luke Diamond died a mere ten minutes ago. And now here he sat, across from a disgruntled employee to some shady afterlife company.

“Hey,” he said, trying to get the attention of the office lady across from him. But she ignored him in favor of typing something on her computer. She may have appeared to be an ordinary office worker, with a light purple sweater and her darker purple skirt, her short, brown hair neatly framing her, admittedly, cute face. 

But Luke knew better. He wouldn’t be deceived by this short, petite, adorable creature.

Even if the name on her desk was something as mundane as Barbara, it didn’t change her true nature. She was a demon, sent to drag him to the pits of the underworld, using her cuteness to lure him into a false sense of security.

Or maybe he was already in hell. Being forced to wait while some unhappy worker drone typed away on her computer, ignoring you for all time. Yeah, that sounded like hell to him. 

“Hey, can you hear me?” he tried again. But she once again ignored him. He frowned, and a dark glint entered his eyes. If he was going to subjected to this torture for all eternity, then he would drag them down with him.

“Yoo hoo, Barbara? Hellooooo, can you hear me? I’m talking to you,” he said in his most annoying tone. It seemed to do the trick, as the more he spoke, the angrier she seemed to get. Her eyes narrowed into slits and she began grinding her teeth, one large canine poking out of the left side of her mouth, until eventually, she couldn’t take it anymore. 

“Will you shut up!” she yelled. Everyone in the office seemed to stop what they were doing to stare at the two of them. But neither one was paying much attention, each having eyes only for the one in front of them.

And not in a romantic way. The man looked far too smug, and the woman looked ready to strangle him. Actually, they could have passed for an old married couple.

“Ugh, I can’t believe this,” Barbara moaned, leaning back into her office chair, rubbing her temples in annoyance. She gave him another glare from between her fingers, but he just returned it with one of complete and utter innocence. 

But she knew the truth. He was a demon sent to drag her to the pits of hell, using his absolutely average appearance to lure her into a false sense of security. 

“So, Luke. What brings you here today?” she asked. That just made him confused, even more than he already was. 

“Um, pretty sure I died,” he said, making Barabara roll her eyes. “I’m aware of that, but it says here you weren’t supposed to die today. I was supposed to be having this conversation with your brother. So let me ask you this again. What the hell are you doing here?”

“Wait, go back a second. What do you mean you were supposed to have this conversation with my brother? Are you trying to say he was meant to get hit by that truck?” Luke asked, feeling both confused and enraged. 

“Well yeah, that’s his job. Truck-kun makes roadkill out of a ton of you humans. Don’t remember the last time he screwed up this bad though…” Barbara muttered, adopting a thinking pose. 

But Luke wasn’t paying attention to her anymore, his mind going back to mere moments ago. He was walking down the street, following behind his younger brother as they walked home through the rain. 

For as long as Luke could remember, his brother was always ahead of him. Which frustrated him when he was younger. After all, he was the older sibling, wasn’t he supposed to be better at everything?

But nature seemed to have screwed something up, because his brother, Angelo was the prodigy child. Better looks, better grades, better at sports; he was just better than him at everything. 

And the worst part was he didn’t even have to try. Everything came so easily for him, while Luke had to struggle for every scrap of mediocrity he got. It was so frustrating to know that no matter how hard you tried, you’d amount to nothing in the end.

Not to mention their parents. They were always so proud of their precious Angelo. “You aced another test. That’s my boy!” or “I heard you made captain of the basketball team. I’m so proud of you son!”

But Luke never received any praise. Whenever he tried to show off his own improvements, his own accomplishments, he was met with nothing but scorn and derision. 

“Oh, you got a B on your math test? Well your brother got an A. Why can’t you be more like him?”

“You joined the basketball team as well? Just don’t get in your brother’s way.”

Nothing he did was ever good enough. Not compared to his perfect little brother at any rate. And part of Luke hated him for it, as awful as that sounded. Because for all his perceived perfection, Angelo was a very lonely child. 

It was hard to associate with people when you were at the top of the mountain. The climb was just too steep for most. But even so, Luke never stopped trying, wanting to join his younger brother at the peak.

Even though their parents didn’t allow him to associate with his little brother bar the bare minimum, he still tried to measure up, spending hours at the library to increase his grades by whatever measly margin he could, or practicing his layups and free throws in the gym to maybe be put in a game for once, and not be a benchwarmer.

That’s what he was doing tonight. He’d been in the gym for over an hour now, beads of sweat dripping from his brow, and yet he felt somewhat satisfied with his progress. He’d made about half of his free throws and about 70% of the layups. 

But a loud rumble of thunder broke him out of his minor celebration. He looked up at the small windows at the top of the room, seeing large drops of water begin slamming into them. Soon after, he could hear the drumbeat of a downpour banging against the roof.

“Ah, crap. I better head home,” he murmured, not that he particularly wanted to return there. But he couldn’t stay here for much longer either. The faculty would be closing the school down soon enough, so he didn’t have much choice either way.

Putting the ball back on the rack, he made his way towards the exit of the large highschool. Most everything was indoors, so he had to pass by several classrooms before making his way out. 

But as he passed by the music room, he heard a hauntingly beautiful melody. He couldn’t place the piece, but whoever was playing it was good. They must have dedicated hours and hours to the craft.

Looking through the window on the door, he saw a familiar head of sandy blonde hair sitting on the bench, fingers tapping against the black ad white keys with expert precision. 

“Angelo?” he muttered. Shouldn't his brother be home by now? Their parents hated it when he stayed out too late. They didn’t care much what he did, but his brother was on a rather tight leash. Maybe he was staying here to avoid their parents as well?

Opening the door, he listened to the rest of the piece, enjoying the melody as he watched his brother play. Hard to imagine he picked up the piano just six months ago and was already this proficient. Guess that’s just a prodigy for you. 

Luke had been trying to learn the guitar since he was six, and though he was fairly decent at it, he was nothing compared to his brother. If Angelo started playing that right now, he’d probably catch up in a couple of months, and leave his big brother in the dust after a couple more.

Once the song was over, Angelo heard a light clapping from behind him. Turning around, startled, he saw the form of his older brother, clapping for him.

“Luke…” he mumbled. 

“Hey, that was good. Which one was that?” Luke asked with a bit of a forced smile. The two weren’t on the best of terms, not with their parents doing what they could to make sure they spent as little time together as possible. Didn’t want one son's mediocrity rubbing off on the other after all. Couldn’t have that happening to their pride and joy. 

Angelo turned around, looking back at the keys. “It was Chopin. Nocturne Op. 55. What are you doing here?” he asked, not turning around. Luke leaned against the door frame, eyes looking around the room in interest.

“I was practicing in the gym. I might actually be good enough that coach will put me in if we’re at least 30 points ahead,” Luke commented, getting a mild snort from his brother. It was wishful thinking on Luke’s part. Coach wouldn’t put him in if they were 50 points ahead with ten seconds left.

It would be nice if he got to play in at least one game before he graduated, but that seemed unlikely. Still, doesn’t mean he would stop practicing. 

“Anyway, it sounds like it’s really coming down, so we should probably leave,” Luke said. Angelo looked up at the window, surprised to see rain slamming into the glass pane, demanding to be let in. 

“I didn’t even notice…” he mumbled to himself. 

“Well, you were pretty into that song of yours. That the one you're playing at the recital?” Luke asked. Angelo gave a small nod, “Yeah.”

“I see. It’s nice,” Luke said, but there was an air of awkwardness around them. It lasted another minute or so, with neither really knowing what to say. But eventually, Luke cleared his throat. 

“So.. we should probably…” he said, indicating they should leave. As if to confirm this belief, a loud bellow of thunder roared overhead, shaking the windows. The two looked startled, wondering if the glass would hold. 

“Right,” Angelo said, gathering his things. Luke stepped aside to let his brother out first and started to follow. The two exited the building, standing underneath the lean above the front entrance, staring out into the rapidly flooding streets. 

“Man, it’s really raining cats and dogs out here. I could have sworn it wasn’t supposed to rain today. Damn lying weatherman…” Luke mumbled, getting an amused look from his younger brother. 

“Well come on, before it gets even worse,” Luke said, stepping out into the rain. “At last we won’t need to take a shower tonight,” he joked as he was immediately soaked through to the bone. 

Angelo followed after and the two of them began their trek home through the torrential downpour. But as they neared the halfway point, a sharp gust of wind blew a piece of paper out of Angelo’s backpack, flying out into the street.

He gave chase, grabbing the sopping wet, and mostly useless, piece of paper off of the ground. It was basically sludge by the time he got it. Luke watched this from the sidewalk, frowning at the frustrated look his brother gave. Guess that scrap of paper must have been important.    

And that’s when he saw it. A pair of headlights speeding right for his little brother. He tried to call out, but he couldn’t hear him due to the rain. So he did what any older brother would do. He ran out into the street and pushed him out of the way.

He had just enough time to turn and gaze into the blinding headlights of the truck before it slammed into him, breaking every bone in his body and turning his organs to mush. It was the single most painful thing he’s ever felt. He flew through the air, landing on the ground with a hard, wet splat, blood leaking out and mixing with the rain.

He was sure he heard his brother scream his name, but everything was so muddled, like his ears were underwater. Which they might have been, considering the amount of rain. He thought he felt someone take his hand, but everything was starting to go numb, which was a relief. It was far better than the pain he was in before.

Luke tried to say something, but all he managed to do was cough up blood. It was getting hard to breathe. Was he drowning? Was that why he was so wet? He couldn’t remember. 

His eyes slowly closed, never seeing the tear stained face of his brother or hearing his pleas to hang on. He died cold and wet on a dark and stormy night. 

The next time he opened his eyes, it was in this office space, with a short angry woman typing away at a computer, ignoring his entire existence. Talk about whiplash. But more importantly, that woman said it was his brother who was meant to be here. 

Not him. He was passed over again, all for his perfect brother. But that wasn’t the main reason his fists clenched in anger. “Does that mean they tried to kill my little brother?”

“Anyway, now that you're here we have to figure out what to do with you. Hey, are you listening?” aske Barabara angrily. But her anger swiftly shifted to nervousness at seeing the rage behind her client’s eyes.

“Maybe you could elaborate on something for me?” he asked, slowly, never breaking eye contact with Barabara. She gulped, giving him an anxious smile. “Of course. It would be my pleasure.”

“When you said it was my brother who was supposed to die, can I take that to mean you were trying to kill him?” he questioned. Barbara looked even more nervous at the question. 

“Um, is that a problem? I mean, judging by your file, shouldn’t that make you happy?” she asked, eyes shifting to the computer to her right. But if anything, Luke’s eyes gained an even harder glint.

“Happy? You think watching my little brother get turned into roadkill, as you so eloquently put it, would make me happy? What the hell is wrong with you?” he seethed. Looking at him, Barbara was starting to think someone screwed up this guy’s file. 

“Well, it’s just, you were always jealous of him, right? So… You know…” she said, twiddling her thumbs. Luke clenched his jaw hard enough to nearly chip a tooth. 

“So you think that means I wanted him out of the picture. Is that it?”

“Well… yeah, kinda,” she responded. 

“Tsk, screw you lady!” he shouted, slamming his fists against her desk. The noise in the office seemed to die once more as everyone turned their attention to the drama unfolding again. Barbara let out a squawk as she leaned back in her chair to avoid the angry mortal in front of her. 

“You want to know if I was jealous of him!? He was always better than me at everything, and no matter what I did I could never catch up. So yeah, I was jealous. But you know what!?” he yelled. Barbara’s fearful eyes turned into ones of shock as she saw tears falling down his face. 

“I still loved him. I wanted to see the great things he would accomplish, even if I ended up working fast food my whole life. I wanted to support him with everything I had. And now you tell me you expected me to watch my brother die. And to be happy about it no less? Go to hell!”

Luke fell back into his chair, breathing hard, trying to get his emotions under control. He covered his eyes with his hand, hiding the tears as they fell. But he couldn’t hide the hiccups or the sobs.

Barbara watched all of this with wide eyes, unsure of what to make of it. But soon enough, her face warped into a grin. Shock replaced with excitement. She let out a big boisterous laugh, catching Luke off guard. 

“Well I’ll be damned C average. You got quite the pair of balls on you, don’t ya? Talking like that to someone who could order your soul sent to the shredder. Color me impressed,” she told him. He looked at her confused, his tears drying up from the strange shift the conversation took. 

“Um, thanks… Hang on, what’s the shredder?”

“Anyway, to clear things up, I don’t know how or why it was supposed to be your brother in my office today. It could have been that he was supposed to push you out of the way, or maybe you were meant to slip and fall in the rain. I don’t know and I don’t care. You're here now and I have to figure out what to do with you,” she said, leaning back in her chair again, and completely ignoring his question about the shredder. 

So that just means he could have been the target for murder instead? Guess mortal lives don’t mean much to these people. 

“But that just means you were targeting my brother,” Luke said, glaring at the woman once again. She sighed, rubbing her forehead, muttering something about mortals and pains in the ass. 

“Listen kid, all mortals die. Whether it’s today or in a hundred or even a thousand years, they all die. Getting chosen by Truck-kun is one way a mortal can become an immortal. Get it?” she asked. But judging by the confused look in his eyes, he did not. She sighed in irritation. 

“Look, C average, to make it simple. Mortals die, but sometimes we choose those with exceptional potential, like your brother, to travel to various world’s across the multiverse, to live out new lives where their talents could be put to better use. Usually it’s by performing heroic deeds and saving the world, but sometimes we choose someone of a more villainous nature. Occasionally, those we choose gain immortality or godhood. So you see, it’s really not so bad,” she explained, looking rather bored about the whole thing. 

“And to do this, you run them over with a truck?” Luke asked, utterly bewildered. She shrugged in response. “Hey, I don’t make the rules.”

Luke leaned back in his chair, rubbing his head as he felt a headache coming on. “What the hell is wrong with these people?” he thought to himself. He didn’t say it out loud, still wary about the thing she called a shredder. 

“So, what now?” Luke asked. 

“Well, that’s the million dollar question now, isn’t it?” she said. She sat back in her chair, leaning back far enough to stare at the ceiling before she started spinning in circles, her face scrunched up in thought.

“You have no skills, no abilities, not an ounce of sex appeal. You're completely average in every way humanly possible…” she muttered to herself. Luke felt like he was being struck by arrows every time she opened her mouth.

“You know I can hear you, right!?” he screamed in his head. Not like he hasn’t heard it before. His parents constantly complained about how average he was. He idly wondered if they would actually have a funeral for him or if they’d just kick his corpse into the sewer. 

“Ah, screw it!” Barbara yelled, as she stopped spinning in her chair. Luke was startled by the sudden shout, but gave the short woman his undivided attention. 

“Technically you were run over by Truck-kun, so that qualifies you for reincarnation. But since it was an accident, I think I can swing a few extra perks your way,” she said with a grin, revealing her pointy tooth. 

She began to rapidly type on her computer, showing off her secretary skills. “Aaaand, send,” she said, hitting the final button with a smirk. She leaned back with her hands behind her head, a smug satisfied look on her face. But Luke had no idea what he was so smug about.

“So, what did you do exactly?” he asked, seeing she wasn’t going to say anything. She opened her eyes to look at him, seemingly confused by his presence. 

“Did you forget I was here? And you have the nerve to call me C average?” he thought.

“Oh, right. I just sent off a request to make sure everything is on the up and up. I’m not getting sent to HR. No way,” she said. 

“A request for what exactly?” he asked. But she just smirked at him. “Wait and see. Shouldn’t take too long.”

20 minutes later…

“Gah, what the hell is taking them so long!?” Barbara screamed in frustration, pulling at her brown locks. Luke was staring at the ceiling, counting the squares, feeling completely bored. After losing count for the umpteenth time, he decided to strike up a conversation. 

“So, why exactly do you guy’s isekai people?” he asked. 

“Huh?” she asked, as she stopped pulling on her hair. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, you said people of exceptional talent get chosen right? But, why?”

Barbara made an “oh” face as she understood. She adopted a thinking pose, contemplating the best way to describe it. “Well, the multiverse is a big place, ya know. Literally infinite. And sometimes, things don’t go quite according to plan. You’re a big nerd, right?” 

“I… wouldn’t put it that way, but I enjoy anime from time to time,” he responded. 

“I literally have your file dude,” she responded. He coughed and looked away, trying to hide the blush on his cheeks. 

“Anyway, imagine the world of One Piece. Now, imagine it without Luffy. What would that look like?”

“Um, pretty bad, I imagine,” Luke said, thinking about it. Without Luffy, Coby would still be under the thumb of Alvida, Zoro would have gotten executed by the Marines, Usopp and Kaya would have been killed, Nami would still be a slave, Sanji might have died as well, and so much more. He was pivotal to so many events. 

“Right, that’s an understatement. When a protagonist goes missing, either because he died, or was never born, or whatever the reason, that needs a correction. That’s one reason we choose people,” she said. 

“I see,” Luke responded. “But why? I get that it would be bad, but would it really be the end of the universe?”

Barbara sighed. “Yes, it could be. You see, World’s are like cells. They divide by using the wellspring of the human imagination as fuel, creating the multiverse, but sometimes they don’t quite get the copy right. Nine times out of ten it ain’t a problem. But that tenth time requires intervention. You can think of it like a cancerous growth,” she explained, much to Luke’s shock. 

“And that’s not just if something happens to the protagonist either. Without a proper villain, the world could become malignant as well. Like, imagine if the guy who killed Batman's parents wasn’t around. Or even the Joker. Bruce needs them to become the hero he is.”

“But how does that affect the rest of the multiverse? I get it ruining those worlds or whatever, but I’m still not seeing what the problem is,” Luke said. 

“What does cancer do? It spreads, it infects, it divides; once that happens, other worlds will start to die off, or get sick as well. And if that rot reaches the prime world that divided them, things can turn catastrophic. Things are meant to happen a certain way, and if they don’t, that becomes a problem. I used things you would know as an example, but each world has millions if not billions of years of history. Most of it doesn’t matter all that much, killing a butterfly ain’t gonna do shit, but stopping the meteor that wiped out the giant angry lizards, that’s another story.” 

“In other words, there are fixed points throughout history that must happen, stories that must unfold. If they don’t, the fabric of reality begins to unravel,” she finished explaining. 

Luke gulped, suddenly feeling extremely nervous about the whole thing. There was no way in hell he could save an entire world. Hell, he couldn’t even get a cat out of a tree. It lived there now, among the branches. 

Barbara noticed the worried look in his eyes, and decided to ease his concerns. 

“However, there are world’s that aren’t in any danger of that. They’re duplicates of Prime Worlds we create ourselves, rather than rely on the imagination of the human consciousness. We call these, Shadow Worlds, and we send guys over there for fun, just to see what they do. Makes for great reality television. And considering how extraordinarily ordinary you are, you’ll likely end up in one of those, so don’t worry too much,” she said. 

“R-right,” he stuttered out. It did ease his worries a bit, but he still felt a pit in his stomach, like she just raised a huge red flag. It was no wonder they wanted his brother. Luke could definitely see him saving a world or two. 

Or destroying it.

He was about to ask some more questions, but a loud ping from Barbara’s computer distracted him. “Finally,” she moaned, like she had suffered a great deal. She hit a few buttons, reading what was on the screen, and gave a massive grin. 

“Looks like you're in luck, kid. I just got the go ahead. So, are you ready to create your character?” she asked, swiveling to face him. But Luke was only confused. 

“Create my character? What are you talking about?” he asked. 

“I’m glad you asked. It’s simple, first you pick a world, then you pick a power associated with that world, or some kind of equivalent. Next we can change your appearance in the Remodeling Room, and finally, send you on your way.”

She then began typing on her computer again, before turning the screen his way, allowing him to see what was on the monitor. “If you look this way you’ll see the worlds currently available for your reincarnation pleasure. Pick one that suits you,” she said.

Looking at the list, Luke could make out several worlds he knew, mostly anime, but some television and movie ones were there too. There were even a few from games. Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Dragon Ball, Final Fantasy 12, Naruto, Mario, Berserk, Konosuba, Overlord, Fairy Tail…

Wait…

Luke's eyes focused on that last one. There was an ache in his heart as he read the name over and over again. Fairy Tail was his favorite anime. Not because the plot was overly sophisticated or because of the copious amounts of fanservice, though that didn’t hurt either. It was the theme. 

Family. A group of people from all different walks of life, misfits of all shapes and sizes, coming together and forming the type of bond he could only dream of. Sure he was somewhat close to his brother, and he loved him, but there was always a distance between them, one that Luke doubted would ever close. 

But there, in a world of magic, he could find a real family. One that would stand by him even if he was just a mediocre loser. Do fairies have tails? Luke wanted to find out.

“That one,” he said, pointing at the screen. Barbara turned to see what he was pointing at, and a grin split her face. 

“Ooh, nice choice. Got some real babes in that place. Now, let’s see… aha! There it is,” she said, typing some more. A new screen popped up, this one with a list of magic. 

“Alright, the power you get is nice and simple, magic! Oh, and before I forget, you may be able to get multiple magics if you choose some that are either complimentary or underpowered. So choose wisely.”

No pressure. Luke started scrolling through the list, taking note of any that sounded interesting or some that could be used in complementary fashion. He noticed there was quite a variety of Slayer Magic, and he was tempted to go with something like that, but held off until he went through everything.

He did notice there was no God Slaying Magic. Guess they didn’t want to give a possible dangerous mortal the power to kill gods. Makes sense. 

After scrolling through the whole thing, he had several options he was considering, from something as simple as Wave Magic, which nullified other magics using vibrations, to Gun Magic, and becoming a badass Gunslinger type, or even Dragon Slayer Magic, one that used alcohol as a fuel source. 

But his mind kept wandering back to one. Each time he read a magic and what it could do, along with pictures and gifs showing what they did, he imagined how he would use it. And with him being from a world with tons of anime, he could think of quite a bit.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

That’s why he found himself so fixated on Light Magic. The gifs showed something as simple as shooting out a beam of light, which immediately made him think of the grandfather of all anime. 

Dragon Ball.

He now had this image of him using the Kamehameha or the Spirit bomb, and the images just wouldn’t leave his head. But it didn’t stop there, because there was another character besides Goku he could emulate. 

The Green Lantern. 

If he could figure out how to make hard light, well that opened up all kinds of doors now didn’t it? It would be like having two different magics for the price of one. But there was one final character that flashed through his mind. 

Kizaru, from One Piece.

Just remembering him being able to kick someone at the literal speed of light was mind blowing. Luke had no idea how anyone could survive such a thing, or if he could even replicate it with Light Magic, but the possibility was there. 

The only real downside he could think of was Sting, or someone else who could eat light. That would be a real challenge to overcome. But that reminded him, wasn’t there someone who used some kind of Light Magic to induce orgasms or something?

Not that he wanted to learn that magic, of course. Nope, not at all…

But there was one more reason this magic in particular kept returning to his mind, and that was his name. Luke, bringer of light. Seems fitting. 

Making up his mind, he decided that would be his magic. He was about to tell Barbara about his choice, who was playing on her phone and ignoring the world around her, when he decided maybe there was a complimentary magic he could find as well.

He returned to scrolling through the page again, looking for anything that might pair well with Light Magic. That’s when he came across the Take Over section. There sure were a lot of them, but one practically leapt out at him. 

Take Over: Seraph Soul.

Seraphs were a type of angel, weren’t they? The highest order, if he remembered correctly. At least they were in most anime that showcased them. And angels were creatures of light, though he hoped these ones wouldn’t be so biblically accurate. 

He did not need to grow hundreds of eyes or turn into a flaming wheel. But looking at the images on the wiki page, it didn't appear to be so. 

Take Over: Seraph Soul allowed one to Take Over celestial beings, such as angels, and use their power for their own. It granted the user use of Light Magic, or if they already possessed it, would greatly enhance it. The user could also imbue their magic with the holy element, allowing them to purify certain things or just increase the damage done to evil or demonic beings. 

It also had some healing abilities, though they were pretty minor. 

And that was just the basic package. Different angels could grant different abilities. All in all, it felt like a good fit with his primary magic.

But there were a couple more reasons this one stuck out to him. The first was his brother’s name, Angelo, which basically meant angel. It kind of made him feel like a part of him would be with him, and maybe some of his prodigious talent would rub off on him. 

The second was that he died. He was in some kind of purgatory realm, but he could still see, from time to time, winged people with pure white wings flying or walking around. What else could they be but angels?

Again, the magic felt fitting to his circumstances. He wasn’t sure they would allow it, but he would try. No harm in that, right?

“Ahem, Barbara?” he asked, trying to get her attention. But she was thoroughly distracted by her phone, watching whatever was happening with rapt attention. It kind of sounded like one of those cheesy soap operas.     

“Barbara, hello?” he tried again, but to no avail. He sighed, settling in to wait, when he spotted something on her desk. A rather innocuous rubber band, sitting there as innocent as can be. Luke gave a grin as he picked it up, wrapping it around his hand with his index finger extended like a gun, ready to fire away. 

He pointed it at her, making sure to aim right for her forehead.

“Mi amore!” shouted a voice from her phone. It was a beautiful woman in a revealing red dress, standing at the top of some stairs, greeting her lover as he walked through the door. 

Barbara was glued to the action, watching as the man swept her off her feet. Drool came out of her mouth as he carried her up to their room, ready to initiate some hot and steamy action. “Yes, yes, yes. Take her you stud. And when you're done with her, you can-ah!”

Barbara let out an indignant squawk of surprise as a rubber band pelted her in her forehead. It didn’t hurt, but it was a shock to the system. She looked up in confusion, rubbing her forehead, wondering what happened, when she spotted the innocent looking face of one Luke Diamond. 

“What the hell was that for!? It was just getting to the good part!” she whined. 

“I just thought I should tell you I’m done. I know what magic I want,” he responded. 

Barbara sighed in response, pausing her video before closing her phone. She would return to that later. “Alright, lay it on me. What did you decide?”

With a nervous gulp, he told her. Barbers looked at the two magics, humming in thought. “Not bad C average. You took my advice and went for a combo. And a pretty strong one at that. Let me just make sure it’s alright before we move on,” she said, typing on her computer again.

Hopefully, it wouldn’t take them half an hour to respond this time. But it wasn’t like he had anywhere to be, so it didn’t matter too much. At least not to him. 

“So, am I your first client?” Luke asked as she sent the email, giving his case worker a curious look. 

Barbara let out an anguished sigh, “Nope, not even close. I’ve seen dozens before, though you're the first mistake I’ve gotten.”

“Gee, thanks,” Luke responded sarcastically. Barbara gave him a cheeky grin, “Oh, don’t be like that. I meant it in a good way. You know, mostly. Mistakes can turn out to be amazing. Like penicillin. For all I know, you might end up being my golden goose.”

He raised a curious eyebrow at that, “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Hmm, how to explain this. To put it simply, bragging rights.”

“Bragging rights?” he asked, more confused than ever. 

“Yeah huh. You see, whenever one of you humans is chosen for something like this and you end up doing something amazing, we, as your case workers, get to brag about it for years. Depending on what was accomplished of course,” she explained. 

Luke wasn’t sure how to feel about that. The fact that humans were selected and forced into these dangerous situations all so someone like her could boast about how they were her client. It just felt kinda… wrong.

Seeing his face, Barbara tried to ease his concerns a bit. If for no other reason then she didn’t want to hear some kind of self righteous tirade about the injustice of it all. She hated having to hear that speech. 

“Look, it’s not as bad as you think. Humans aren’t forced into anything. But those who do accept are basically our representatives. So when they do something amazing, we kind of act like it was our accomplishment too. Not so different from a parent bragging about their child… Uh, whoops… You can just forget that last part,” Barbara said sheepishly, having seen his face darken at thinking about parents gloating over their children's achievements. 

“Ahem, look, this job is incredibly tedious and it gives it a little bit of spice, you know?”

Luke sighed, choosing to drop the issue. It’s clear that whatever she was, or whatever the rest of them were, did not hold human values. Or at least, not his human values. There were plenty of humans who valued life a lot less than she did. 

“Hang on, I don’t remember agreeing to be reincarnated. You just told me I could,” Luke said, giving her a pointed look, to which she rolled her eyes at. 

“And did you say no? I got the feeling you wanted a new chance at life, to really live this time. Or was I wrong?”

No, he didn’t. He just kind of went along with whatever she was saying. And when he found out he could go to Fairy Tail, well, there was no way he was passing that up. She had him figured out.

A ding brought them both out of their thoughts, and Barbara turned her gaze to the screen. “Oh, would you look at that? Seems like they accepted. That means we can continue to the next part,” she cheers, glad to have something to distract her from the awkward conversation they were having. 

She then jumped out of her chair, showing just how short she was. Luke thought she was pretty tiny before, fun she fit the description of fun sized to a T. 

“Come on C average! Let’s get you to the Remodeling Room!”

“The what? Hey, wait up!” he shouted, rushing to his feet to catch up with her. 

She led him through some winding hallways, down a lift, through some more hallways, passed a big red door that said shredder, which he swore he could hear agonized screaming come from, before they reached their destination. 

“And here we are!” she shouted, spreading her arms wide. Luke looked around curious. The room itself was pretty bland in appearance. It was all blue, for one thing, with black lines forming squares across every surface. The only real point of interest was the full length mirror in the center of the room. 

“So, what exactly is the Remodeling Room?” he asked, following her towards the mirror. She turned around, giving him a grin as she walked backwards. 

“I’m glad you asked! The Remodeling Room is-”

“The Remodeling Room is designated for those who wish to alter their physical appearance,” said another voice, scaring the crap out of them. Barbara jumped a few feet in the air, letting out a rather cute squeak in the process. 

“Aigis! Don’t do that! I nearly crapped myself!” Barbara shouted, holding her hand to her chest. 

“My apologies Ms. Barbara. It won’t happen again,” said a voice next to the mirror, belonging to a beautiful young woman with short blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She wore a sky blue sundress, with white frills along the bottom, and had a bored expression on her face. 

Actually, it was like no expression at all. 

“That’s what you said last time…” Barbara mumbled. She released a sigh, before facing Luke once again. “Alright C average, this is Aigis, the one in charge of the Remodeling Room. Don’t let her appearance fool you though, because she’s actually an android.”

“Pleased to meet you, C average. What a strange name,” Aigis greeted, making Barbara snicker and Luke groan. 

“My name’s Luke, Aigis. C average is just her nickname for me,” Luke said, making the android tilt her head. 

“I understand. Ms. Barbara, are you engaged in any illicit, carnal activities involving this young man?” Aigis asked, making the other occupants of the room turn beat red. 

“What!? Why would you say that!?” Barbara shouted. Aigis tilted her head again, in the other direction this time. 

“According to my records, when a woman gives a man a deprecative nickname, it is because she is interested in a sexual relationship with him. I was merely asking if you have already performed such activities with him,” Aigis responded in a bland tone. 

“I-You-No! I just met the guy today, and he is way below my standards for romance!” Barbara shouted. Luke hung his head, as a black cloud formed overhead. It always hurts when a cute girl rejects you, no matter how bitchy they are.

“Ah, I see. I apologize for any misunderstanding. Please, if you would come this way Luke, we may begin,” Aigis said, gesturing to the mirror. Luke walked over to it with a gulp, not knowing what to expect. 

“Alright, this is where I take my leave. I’ll be back when you’re done. Try not to disappoint me,” Barbara said as she made a beeline for the door. Luke watched her go, a slight feeling of trepidation entering him. She was the only person he really knew here, and he was a bit nervous to be all alone with the robot girl. 

“So, um, Aigis. How exactly is this supposed to work?” he asked.

“First, remove your clothing,” she stated matter of factly. Luke’s face turned red all over again. 

“What!? Why!?” he asked. Shrieked is more like it. 

Aigis tilted her head, confused. “The remodeling occurs within your body. Clothing will only hamper the process. You will not be able to see the changes if you remain clothed.”

Seeing he was still reluctant, Aigis pointed to the mirror. Curious, Luke watched as the reflective surface warped and shifted, revealing himself. Not sure of the point of the theatrics, as mirrors were supposed to show you your reflection. 

“This mirror allows the one reflected by it to alter their physical appearance to whatever they desire. Just think of your face and what you would like it to look like, and the image in the mirror will change,” she explained. 

Luke looked back at the mirror, not fully believing it was possible. But he did what she said, and his reflection slowly warped to show the exact face of his little brother, Angelo. 

“Woah…” he muttered, as his face changed back. As much as he cared for him, Luke didn’t want to look like him. 

“So, what is the point of this?” he asked, looking at Aigis. 

“It’s part of the package deal that comes with reincarnation. A new world, a new you, so to speak. Not everyone takes us up on this offer, but in your case, it is highly recommended,” Aigis explained, making Luke feel like he was struck by another arrow. 

“And she said it with such a straight face too…” Luke lamented to himself, hunched over in sorrow. Raising his head, a fire could be seen in his eyes. “If that’s the way it is, then so be it! I’ll show you my resolve!” he shouted, practically ripping his clothes off. 

“How do you like that!?” he yelled at the android, only to find her missing from her spot. “Huh, where did she go?”

It didn’t take long to find her, as he could hear a curious humming coming from in front of him. Looking down, he saw Aigis, squatting in front of him, staring at his junk. 

He didn’t know whether to be aroused or mortified, settling for somewhere in the middle. Aigis may have been a robot, but she was a hot robot.

“Hmm, yes, I can see why she calls you C average now,” she commented. That was the final straw. That arrow pierced him to his core. He stared up at the ceiling, crocodile tears streaming down his face as the last shred of his masculinity was stripped away. 

“But have no fear. When you leave this room, you will be A+ material, guaranteed,” Aigis said. Luke looked at her, his depression ebbing away into gratefulness. 

“Now, if you would, please begin to alter your appearance. I will be here, watching, in case you need assistance. Or even if you don’t,” she stated, returning to her post and staring at him with unblinking eyes. It was the creepiest thing he’s ever seen. 

Luke looked back at the mirror, and began thinking about what he wanted to look like. At first, he thought of Goku, his favorite character, but that didn’t feel right. He thought of Shanks next, but that was wrong too. 

He couldn’t just copy someone else. He needed something original. It took him what seemed like hours to get it just right, but when he did, he couldn’t help but stare. His face was what one would easily consider handsome, with a strong jawline, and high cheekbones. At first he was completely clean shaven, but didn’t like looking like such a boy scout, giving himself some stubble. Not a full beard, but it looked like he didn't bother to shave in a few days. 

Next, his eyes were no longer a common brown, but a sharp silvery gray. His hair was jet-black and fairly short, sweeping to one side. His eyebrows hadn’t changed much, but they were angled a bit more to make his gaze appear more intense. 

Last but not least were a pair of small, black earrings in each of his ears. Honestly, he always wanted to get them pierced, but the thought of a needle going through his flesh freaked him out, so this seemed like a good opportunity to do so without the pain. 

Once he was done with his face, he turned to Aigis to ask for her opinion. She walked next to him, looking into the mirror. “It is a marked improvement. If I was capable of it, I’m sure I would be swooning,” she said. And that was good enough for him.

He focused on his body next. First was the height. He watched as the handsome version of him in the mirror got taller, going from an average of about 5’9” to 6'3”, just slightly taller than his brother, who was 6’2”.

Was it petty of him? Maybe a bit, but he didn’t care. This was his new life, and he had the chance to be everything he ever wanted to be. Why wouldn’t he take it?

Next he focused on the muscles themselves. His reflection went from average man to superman real quick. His biceps bulged out, his chest was thick and his shoulders were broad. He looked like the ideal man. 

Aigis, who was still next to him, hummed in appreciation, eyes traveling all over his far more muscular frame, filling him with a rush of confidence. 

There was only one part of his body that remained average. Part of him felt shame for what he was about to do, but the other part, the one that was about to get a makeover, was giddy with excitement. Guess which part won?

But first, he decided to have a bit of fun with it, making it grow large enough that he had a literal third leg. There was no way in hell he was going to keep it, as he doubted there was enough blood in his body to get an erection without having a heart attack. 

But Aigis seemed interested in it, tilting her head in confusion, eyes wide in wonder. It was kind of cute, but too bad, it was not here to stay. 

Luke eventually decided on a size that would make any woman who saw it go, “Woah.” Feeling proud of himself, and liking the way he looked, he turned to Aigis, to see what the next step was. 

She walked over to the mirror and hit a button on the side, making it glow softly. “The next step is to touch the mirror, allowing your reflective self to merge with your physical self, and shape you into the desired form,” she explained. 

“Huh, easy enough…” he said, walking up to the mirror. He placed his hand on the cold surface, watching as it rippled from the point of contact. The silver of the mirror began to cover his hand before moving up his arm.

“Um, is this supposed to happen?” he asked nervously, as more and more of his body was covered in the strange substance. But rather than answer verbally, Aigis gave him a thumbs up in response. 

Soon, his entire body was coated in a silver sheen. Once that happened, the glow grew increasingly bright, almost blindingly so, with Aigis putting on a pair of sunglasses to observe. 

His form began to grow taller and broader, with his muscles gaining definition at a rapid pace. After a few minutes, the process was done, and the silvery liquid fell from his body, revealing his new form to the world. 

“Congratulations, You are now no longer C average, at least as far as looks are concerned,” Aigis told him while clapping. Luke looked down at his new body, eyes tailing over every last inch of it. He looked back at the mirror, which showed his normal reflection.

His new normal, anyway. 

“Is this… really me?” he asked quietly, moving his body every which way, the reflection following along with his every move. Seeing this, he started making poses in the mirror, flexing his new muscles for all they were worth. 

And because of that, he didn’t hear the door open. 

“Alright C average, let’s see what you-woah,” she said, staring at his nude form completely stunned. Luke looked at her with a large blush on his face, as the two stood there, unsure of what to do. 

“Well, what is your opinion, Ms. Barbara? Is he to your satisfaction now? Shall you slake your debaucherous lust with him now?” asked Aigis, and Luke could swear he heard some sarcasm in her voice. 

“Oh yeah-I mean, why is he naked! You texted me that he was ready,” she shouted, her face beat red. Aigis tilted her head in confusion. 

“But he is ready. See?” Aigis said, pointing to the man who was doing his best to stand there confidently, even though he desperately wanted to cover himself. But when he heard her say “Woah” upon seeing his naked form, his pride wouldn’t allow him to do so. 

“No he isn’t! He needs clothes!” Barbara shouted. 

“Does he?” Aigis asked. 

“Yes!”

In the end, Luke chose some new clothes to go with his outfit, which apparently the mirror could also make. He was now wearing a pair of dark brown hiking books, along with a pair of jeans that fit just right and a brown leather belt. His torso was covered by a black form fitting shirt that clung to his new muscles, and a black leather jacket. 

“You look like a bad boy Clark Kent,” Barbara said, giving him a once over. Luke rubbed the back of his head. Not exactly what he was going for but he’d take it. 

“Alright, let’s go. It’s time to get you some combat training. Thanks Aigis, see you later,” Barbara said, walking out of the door. 

“Yeah, thanks for everything Aigis. I hope to see you again,” Luke called out. Aigis gave him a smile, one that did not look robotic in any way, making him blush at just how beautiful she was. 

“It was my pleasure. Until next time Luke.”

The two of them once more walked through halls and down stairs, into an elevator and so on, in an epic journey across the heavens. That’s what he told himself, but it was really just a lot of tedious walking.

He did get distracted by a yoga class, however. Seeing literal angels in tight yoga pants, stretching in ways no human could hope to emulate… You couldn’t blame the guy. 

One of the angels spotted him and gave him a wave, which he returned with a dopey look on his face. “Come on!” Barbara growled, yanking him by his arm. The angels who saw this erupted into fits of musical giggles. 

Eventually the two of them made it to another room, very similar to the last, only instead of blue, it was red. There was also another girl in this room, but instead of a dress, she wore a military uniform, one that emphasized her womanly features. 

“Quit your drooling. She’s an android like Aigis. Her name is Minerva,” Barbara said, elbowing him in the thigh, as her height basically reached just above his waist. 

“Heya, Minerva, how’s it going?” Barbara asked as they approached. The dark haired woman gave her a wave in return. “Hey Barbs, good to see what. What brings you here today?” she asked, giving Luke a once over.

“Well you see, I have a new reincarnate here and he has zero, and I mean, zero combat abilities. If I send him off like this, he’s going to become a snack for some D ranked monster, and I can't have that,” Barbara explained, much to Luke’s sorrow. 

“I see… In that case, do you want to download combat basics into him? That would be much faster than throwing him at some monsters until he figures it out,” Minerva suggested. Barbara seemed to think about it, but Luke looked nervous. 

“Could they really download something like that into my brain?” he thought, looking at Barbara. She seemed to have made up her mind, giving a big grin, showing off her snaggletooth. 

“You know what, let’s do it! Why waste time when we can make him competent in just a few seconds.”

The grin Minerva had did not fill Luke with confidence. The android stamped her foot on the ground, and a hole appeared in the floor. From that hole rose up what looked like an electric chair. 

“Um…” Luke said, staring at the thing. 

“What is it now?” Barbara asked, staring at him with her hands on her hips. But Luke just pointed at the thing giving her a “wtf” look. Glancing back at the machine, she seemed to understand his trepidation. 

“Don’t worry about that. This thing is completely harmless. Well, mostly harmless. Nobody’s died in years. Now let’s strap you in!” she said, waving off his concerns, but all she really did was add to them. 

Luke then found himself strapped into the chair, arms and legs bound. “For your safety,” they said, but he thought it was just to complete the aesthetic. Once that was done, and he was safely secured, Minerva pulled out a tablet from who knows where. 

“Alright, I need to know what all I’m downloading. Where are you sending him?”

“Earthland. He chose Fairy Tail,” Barbara answered. 

“Alright. What was his choice for magic?”

“Light, along with Take Over: Seraph Soul.”

“Hmm, nice. Gonna be a real powerhouse, ain'tcha? Alright, just give me a minute…” Minerva said, typing away at her tablet. After a minute or two, she was done. 

“And that’s that! Ready, big guy?” she asked, giving him a grin that was way too excited for what was about to happen. 

“As I’ll ever be…” he responded. Barbara gave him a thumbs up as Minerva pressed the start button. The metal head covering began to lower with a mechanical groan. 

“Oh, and fyi… this is going to hurt,” Minerva said. 

“Wait, wha-” but that was as far as he got before he was assaulted by unimaginable pain. It looked every bit like he was being executed. 

“Ahh!” 

“Don’t worry, it only takes a few seconds. Aaaaaand, done!” Minerva shouted, as the machine powered down. The headpiece rose up, revealing the hunched form of Luke, breathing heavily.  

“How ya doin big guy? You good?” she asked. Luke got his breathing under control, leveling the two of them with a glare. 

“That was easily the most painful thing I’ve ever felt. Even more than when I died. You could have warned me!” he shouted, as the pair of women looked sheepish at the admonishment. 

“Well, yeah… but you might have chickened out!” Barbara said, like it made up for it. Luke glared at them for a bit longer, before sighing. 

“Whatever. Just untie me.”

Once he was free, he began to stretch out his now stiff muscles. “So, now what?” he asked, eager to get this done with. 

“Well, you have magic now, so what don’t you try using it,” Barbara suggested, as the torture device was sent back to the depths of hell where it belonged. 

He was about to ask how to do that, whe he suddenly knew exactly how. Maybe that horrible machine was worth it after all?

Holding out his hand, he concentrated for a moment, before a bright, golden ball of light appeared. It startled him at first, being able to use actual magic, but once he got over the surprise, he was completely enthralled. 

It was so easy… Was this what his brother felt like all the time? He was more jealous than ever if that was the case.

Minerva hit a few buttons on her tablet again, and holographic bullseyes appeared in the distance, each one spaced at different intervals. 

“Alright, now that you’ve summoned your magic, try hitting these targets,” Minerva suggested. Luke turned to look at them, feeling nervous again. 

“What if I screw up? What if I can’t hit a single one? Will they try and take this away from me?” he thought to himself. But before he could get too in his head, he felt a sharp stinging sensation in his ass. 

“Stop overthinking it. Use your instincts. The magic is a part of you now, got it? So get out of your head, and blow those things up,” Barbara said with a grin. Luke thought she may have just been trying to make up for the electric chair, but even so, he was grateful. 

He wasn’t sure if spanking him was necessary though…

Turning back to the targets, face set in a determined scowl, he raised his hand, palm pointing towards the closest target, ball of light holding steady in front of him. “This is it!” he shouted in his head, before shooting the ball towards the target.

It sailed towards the target at a decent speed. Luke bit his lip as he watched it soar, hoping he would hit it. After a second or two, his fears were abated when it struck true, exploding in a shower of light. 

“Alright, you did it! Nice job C average. Now hit the others and let’s keep this train going!” Barbara yelled. Luke gave her a grin, excited to keep going. He raised his hand once more, and proceeded to fire more balls of light at the targets. 

He missed several times, especially on the farthest target, but eventually, he was able to hit them all with relative consistency. The next part was a bit trickier, as he had to shoot a beam at them, meaning he had to sustain the shape as it moved, rather than just form it and send it off, and constantly provide a flow of magic into it.

But with the knowledge of what to do literally downloaded into his head, it didn’t take him long to figure it out. After about half an hour or so, he was once more hitting the targets regularly. 

Luke was panting with exhaustion by the end of it, but he could feel his reserves filling up quickly. Probably due to where he was. Once he got to Earthland, he was sure his magic wouldn’t restore itself that quickly. 

“Not bad, kid. Now, let’s see about your other magic,” Barbara said. Luke was confused for a second, before remembering the other magic he chose. Nodding his head, his earlier success filling him with confidence, he concentrated on his magic once again. 

He ignored the now familiar feeling of his Light Magic, trying to grab hold of the other source of power he could feel from within. Once he did, he pulled it forward, determined to bring it out. 

His whole body was encased in light. So bright, his form was shielded from view. Once it died down, the other occupants were able to see what he now looked like. And to say they were impressed would be an understatement. 

He was topless for one, revealing his new muscular form in all its glory. A golden vambrace was on each forearm, and there were golden rings around his biceps. His lower half was covered by a flowing, robe-like garment, held up by a shiny golden belt, and his feet were covered by what looked like ancient greek or roman sandals, held together by interlocking strips of leather. 

But of course, one couldn’t miss the pair of enormous, pure white wings shimmering with an ephemeral beauty nor the golden halo above his head. He looked every part the stereotypical angel. Just one on steroids.

“Hummina, hummina, hummina, hummina,” Barbara muttered, staring at his new form with a blush on her cheeks and drool cascading from her mouth like a waterfall. Sure his human form was impressive, especially his lower half, but this just cranked his sex appeal up to 11. 

Barbara was suddenly really happy about Truck-kuns mixup. 

“Will you get a hold of yourself?” asked Minerva, slapping the smaller woman upside the head. This seemed to snap her out of whatever trace she was in. 

“Oh, right! Ahem, as I’m sure you know, this form of your’s comes with a few perks. Your physical abilities are all boosted, as is your Light Magic, which will also have purifying properties now. Not to mention your ability to use Healing Magic to a certain degree. So, how does it feel?” she asked. 

Luke was barely paying attention to her at this point, flexing his arms and checking himself out. There was also the fact that he had two new appendages to get used to. 

“It feels… good,” he finally said, turning to face the ladies watching him. 

“Yeah I’ll bet it does…” muttered Barbara again, getting a roll of her eyes from the android. 

“Well, how about we take it for a test drive?” asked Minerva, seeing as the other woman was too distracted. She typed on her tablet again and a Vulcan materialized into the room. Once it was fully formed, it began doing that silly dance of his. 

“Oh, woman, woman! Me like woman!” he shouted. The girls shivered at the repulsive creature, not liking the way it leered at them. Even if it was a hologram, it still made their spines tingle, and not in a good way. 

“You want me to fight this thing?” Luke asked, giving the Vulcan a curious look. He was surprised to find himself unafraid of the monkey-like monster in front of him. Maybe it was because of his new form?

“That’s the idea. You’ve got the basics down pat, now it’s time for a test drive,” said Minerva. 

“If you say so,” he said, facing the creature fully, who stopped dancing to give him a glare. 

“Me no like man! Me like woman!” he shouted, looking right at the girls. 

“Luke…” said Barbara. 

“Yeah?”

“Kick his ass!” she shouted, fire in her eyes. 

Luke chuckled, giving her a salute, “Yes ma’am.”

He gathered some magic into his fists, making them shine brightly. “Alright ya pervy monkey, you ready for this?”

The Vulvan gave a shout, before charging at him, swinging his large, thick hand down at him, trying to hammer him into the ground. Luke dodged the attack, stepping to his right, before sending his fist into the Vulcan’s gut. The large monkey’s eye bulged out of his head before he was sent flying. 

Luke was surprised by how easy it was. He was definitely grateful for the torture device now. Without it, he would have needed to figure this out by trial and error, which would have led to him getting beat up quite a bit he imagined, so he actually saved himself some pain in the long run by doing so.

“Yeah! Now that’s what I’m talking about!” shouted Barbara with excitement. 

Luke raised his hands and began firing ball after ball of light at his opponent. The Vulcan, who was laying upside down, saw this, and with a panicked yell, shot to his feet and began to run away, making Luke’s attack miss. 

But he kept firing at the Vulcan as he ran around the room, explosions going off all around him, but no matter what he did, he couldn’t seem to hit him. That’s when he got an idea. 

Keeping up the attack with his right hand, he sent a beam out with his left, right in the path of the Vulcan, who skidded to a stop. Seeing this, Luke sent out a beam with his right, trapping the monkey in the middle, before bringing both of them together, almost like a Final Flash. 

But the Vulcan wasn’t as stupid as he appeared. It wasn’t far off though. 

Seeing that he was trapped, he did the only thing he could think of, and jumped, leaping high into the sky as the two beams merged into one, right where he just was. The Vulcan gave him a smug look, one which was returned. 

“Did you really think that would work?” he asked, bringing his hands up while keeping the outpouring of magic into the beam. The monkey's eyes widened, arms crossing over himself to try and block the attack. His form was engulfed by the bright, golden light, and he was sent flying across the room until he hit the wall. Only then did Luke cancel the attack. 

He watched with satisfaction as his opponent dropped to the floor, barely able to move. He was panting slightly from the fight, though that might be mostly due to the adrenaline coursing through his veins. 

“Woo, way to go! Guess you aren’t so average after all. That was pretty impressive!” shouted Barbara. Luke turned around, giving her the victory sign, which made her grin all the more. 

“I must concur. That was an admirable performance. Well done,” stated Minerva, looking rather impressed. 

“Aw, thanks Minerva. It was nothing,” he said, smiling. But in his mind, he was practically preening from their words. It’s been an awfully long time since anyone has praised him. It felt… nice. 

The three of them then heard the Vulcan struggling to his feet. “Give me a moment and I’ll get rid of him,” she said, beginning to tap on her tablet again, but was halted by Luke. 

“Hang on. I’d like to try something, if you don’t mind,” he said, looking at her. She shrugged, stepping back to let him do his thing. “By all means.”

With a grin, he took a few steps away from them before bending his knees and cupping his hands, gathering magic between them. A bright blue glow started to appear, and it seemed like at least Barbara knew what he was doing. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me…” she said with a sigh. But she also had a fond smile on her face. What could she say, he grew on her. Or maybe it was seeing him naked, or that hunky angel form of his. Either way, she was starting to like him.

“Ka…”

“Me…”

“Ha…”

“Me…”

The light between his hands was steadily getting brighter and brighter as he continued to gather magic between them. His hands shook a bit, trying to contain the immense amount of magic, to him, he was gathering. Once he felt he had accumulated enough, it was time to unleash it. 

“HA!”

A large beam of incandescent blue shot out from his hands, the force strong enough to whip the girls’ hair in every direction from the wind it generated. The damaged Vulcan had just enough time to give it a confused look before he was vaporized. 

Once the light died down, it revealed that there was no trace left of the simulated monster. Luke was huffing and puffing from the effort, but he felt immensely satisfied that he pulled it off. 

“Ha… hahaha… I did it,” he mumbled. 

“Yes you did. A bit nerdy for my taste, but I’ll let it slide,” Barbara said, walking up to him. He chuckled, giving the short woman a smirk as an idea popped into his head. 

“Gee thanks. Here, let me show you my appreciation,” he said, before he bent over and picked her up, holding her bridal style, making her face resemble a tomato as she felt his muscular form pressed against her. 

“W-what the hell do you think you’re doiiiiiiing!”she shouted as he took off into the air, carrying her with him. Hey, he needed to practice using the wings, didn’t he?

***Line Break***

“Alright, I think we’re done here. Thanks for your help Minerva,” Barbara said, giving the android a wave as she began to leave.

“Anytime. Don’t be a stranger. And good luck to you Luke,” she said to the young man who was in his normal form now and sporting one heck of a bump on his head, courtesy of Barbara. 

“Thanks Minerva. See ya,” he said, moving to follow the shorter woman. The two of them walked in silence for a bit, moving through the confusing and winding halls of the afterlife. 

“Come on, you can’t still be mad, can you? Look, I’m sorry alright?” Luke said to the fuming young woman beside him. 

“Just drop it already,” she growled out with a blush. Just remembering flying around, wrapped up in his big, strong arms was enough to make her heart skip a beat. Not that she’d tell him that.  

Luke sighed in resignation before asking another question, “So, where are we heading now?”

“To the World Gate to send you on your way. Unless you want to stay of course,” she responded. 

“No, no, I’m good. Just wondering is all,” he said. The two continued in silence until they finally reached their destination. Luke stared in awe at what he assumed was the World Gate. 

It was massive, easily a hundred feet tall, with an archway made of marbled stone. Beneath the arch was a raised circular platform with several steps leading to it, made of the same material as the archway. Intricate carvings ran all along the bottom, forming a pattern that he couldn’t make heads or tails of.  

“Pretty impressive right?” Barbara said with a smirk at seeing his flabbergasted face. 

“I’ll say…” he mumbled. She chuckled a bit, before walking towards someone who appeared to be sitting at a desk, bored out of her mind. 

“Come on, let’s get you permission to depart,” she said. Luke followed behind, an eager nervousness to his step. 

“Hey Mary. I got someone here ready to be on his way,” Barbara said, resting her arms against the desk top. 

“Name,” she said, bored. 

“Luke Diamond.”

“One moment.”

Mary began typing away at the computer. After a few seconds, she appeared satisfied with what she found. 

“Luke Diamond. Age: 18. Accidental death by Truck-kun. Destination: Earthland Shadow World #12. Got it, the Gate will open momentarily. Please stand by.”

“Roger that! Come on,” Barbara said. 

The two of them made their way over to the archway, which began glowing softly, starting with the grooves carved into the base. After about a minute or so, a swirling mass of energy appeared inside the archway, looking almost like a whirlpool. 

“Well, I guess this is it. Thanks for all your help Barbara. I mean it,” Luke said, taking a single step onto the platform before he turned around to address her. 

“Geez, what are you thanking me for? I was just doing my job,” she muttered with a bit of red dusting her cheeks. 

“Maybe, but I appreciate it all the same. I know I’m not my brother, but I’ll do what I can to get you those bragging rights,” he said, with a smirk. Which looked quite dashing with his new roguish looks. 

“You better…” Barbara mumbled, trying to ignore the pounding in her chest. Luke chuckled at her attitude before continuing up the steps. He stopped in front of the archway, staring at the mass of energy with trepidation. 

“This is it. One more step, and I can start my new life. Angelo, I hope you're doing well. But don’t worry about me, alright. Big brother’s doing just fine,” he thought. But just as he was about to step through the Gate, a voice stopped him. 

“Luke!”

Turning around, he was surprised to see Barbara leaping at him with her arms outstretched. He caught her in his arms, “What the? What are you-” but his question was interrupted by a soft pair of soft lips on his own. 

His eyes widened in shock, before he started kissing her back. He wasn’t sure he was doing it right, as it was his first time, but if the way she was moaning was any indication, he must have done pretty good. 

He pulled her petite body tight against his own as he deepened the kiss, relishing in the new sensation he was experiencing. Sucks that he needed to die to get to first base with a girl, but that didn’t stop him from enjoying it.

“Go get it girl,” muttered Mary who was watching the whole scene. 

Several seconds went by that felt like hours before they needed to come up for air. Luke stared into the brown eyes of Barbara, confusion written all over his face. She snickered at his befuddled look, even if her face was beat red.

“Wow, didn’t think you’d be so good at that,” she said with a cheeky smile. 

“Barbara, what was that? I mean I know what it was, I mean why? Not that I didn’t enjoy it, it’s just, well I…” Luke stuttered out. 

“Don’t worry about it cowboy. Think of it as my way of saying good luck,” she said, smirking at him. 

“Oh… Do you wish every client luck like that, or…” he asked, causing her to roll her eyes at him. 

“Fraid not. You're the only one who’s caught my interest. I sure didn’t see that coming when I saw you show up in my cubicle,” she said. 

“Is it because you saw me naked?” he asked, causing her to stutter denials. 

“What? No! That was nice and all, but… I don’t know, alright! I just felt like it! You got a problem with that!?” she yelled, raising her fist in a threatening manner. 

“No, not at all! It was great. Thank you!” he shouted. Barbara shook her head in an exasperated manner as she let out a sigh. 

“Geez, those looks and that adorkable attitude… You’re going to a real lady killer, I can already tell. Guess I really can’t call you C average anymore, can I?” she asked in a joking manner. 

“Lady killer? Me? You must have me confused with somebody else,” he said. Barbara hummed as she hopped out of his arms, already missing the warmth. 

“We’ll see. Anyway, it’s time for you to get going,” she said, spinning him around and pushing him towards the archway. 

“Hey!” he protested, looking back, only to see her grinning, snaggletooth face. He once more found himself directly in front of the portal, but this time, he didn’t feel nervous at all. “Is that why she…”

“Alright! This is it! Your brand new adventure awaits! Will you fight terrible monsters? Will you win the hearts of many a fair maiden? The choices are endless,” she said, taking a few steps back, hands behind her back as she watched him. 

Luke shook his head at her antics. Even if she was a bit of a pain, he would miss her. And not just because of the kiss. 

“Alright, I’m going. You know, you’re kinda weird. You kiss me then make it sound like you want me to seduce every woman I meet,” he said, giving her a smirk. One she returned.

“Maybe I do. Now get going already!”. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m going. Until next time,” he said, turning around and walking into the portal. 

“That better not be for a good long while, you hear!” she shouted, as he waved his hand, never looking back. 

He wasn’t sure what he was expecting when he walked through the portal. A sense of vertigo, being squeezed through a tube, burning in the crotch… But none of that happened. Besides it being obnoxiously bright, it was rather pleasant. 

Hearing the sound of birds made Luke open his eyes, and they widened in wonder. He was in a forest clearing somewhere, one with a large mossy boulder and a thick downed tree that could be used as a seat. Beams of gentle light rained down through the canopy, illuminating the space. 

It was almost too beautiful to be real. As far as starting life in another world was concerned, this was pretty ideal. 

Looking down, he spotted something that didn’t belong. It was a brown, leather rucksack, just sitting there as innocent as could be. 

“Well, what do we have here…” he said, bending over to pick it up. Opening it revealed some pretty basic necessities, such as a change of clothes, a waterskin, rations, a compass, matches, a map, a sexy picture of Barbara…

“Wait, what was that last one again?” 

Double checking, it was indeed his petite caseworker, wearing a bikini, on all fours, booty raised high, and blowing him a kiss. Under the photo it said, For those long lonely nights, Love Barbara.

 Luke shook his head with a chuckle. “What am I going to do with you?” he asked fondly. One thing was for certain, he was keeping the picture. 

Slinging the rucksack over his shoulder, he checked the map, which had a convenient, You are Here arrow pointing at a spot in the woods. Judging from that, the nearest town was called… Amaranth. 

He’d never heard of it before, but it sounded like a good place to start before he began his journey to Magnolia to join Fairy Tail. Thinking of the guild brought a smile to his face, and he found himself starting to sing. 

Fairy, where are you going?

We’ll gather, the light along the way.

And make it shine upon a brand, new day