Have you ever wondered what awaits you after death? Is it eternal emptiness, a new beginning, or some kind of celestial reckoning? Right now, I stand as living proof—or maybe "existence" is a better word—that the answer is a new beginning. At least for me.
I am dead. Or rather, I was. Cause of death? Suicide. That’s about as much as I can remember from my previous life. Everything else—my name, my life, the reasons that led me to that final act—faded into the void. But as one story ends, another begins.
I’ve been reincarnated into a world so much like, yet so very different to the one I left behind. This world follows an alternate history, one altered by strange turns of fate.
Take the Russo-Japanese War, for instance. Here, Japan emerged not just victorious, but overwhelmingly so. They didn’t just fight back Russia; they liberated Siberia and established puppet states like Manchuria. Their decisive victory set the tone for the decades that followed.
World War I—called the Great War here—also unfolded differently. It dragged on for over a decade, only to end in 1925 without a clear victor. A revolution spread like wildfire, toppling governments and reshaping nations. Amidst the chaos, Japan strengthened its influence, creating the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. They became the dominant power in Asia, a beacon of progress and unity.
Curiously, this reshaped world never saw a Second World War. Fear of global destruction loomed too large for anyone to entertain such a catastrophe. You might think this restraint stemmed from early development of nuclear weapons. Logical guess, but completely wrong.
This world holds a power far greater than nukes.
Espers.
Humans with supernatural powers that defy the laws of nature. To make matters worse, this world isn’t just inhabited by humans. Dimensional rifts occasionally open, allowing monsters to slip into our reality. These creatures are the true reason Espers exist, though only the privileged elite or Espers themselves know that truth. For everyone else? Ignorance is bliss. Breaking this secrecy brings severe consequences—death, to be exact.
Let me properly introduce myself. I’m Miyazaki Irana, and I am an Esper. My family isn’t entirely ordinary either. My father and my younger brother are Espers too. My mother, however, is not.
As for my twin sister, Aria Onee-chan? She’s... complicated. Technically, she is an Esper, but she doesn’t know it. The Esper Association—the secretive body that governs us—believes that her knowledge of her own power would be dangerous. Terrifyingly dangerous.
In the hands of someone like my sister, her abilities would rival that of a nuclear weapon. And just like the existence of nuclear weapons inspired doctrines of mutually assured destruction in my former world, her very existence has done the same here. People like Aria Onee-chan—once weaponized during the Great War—are the reason large-scale wars have not erupted since.
Her powers aside, Onee-chan has always been… intimidating in her way. She exudes an aura of authority, one that commands attention and demands respect. It’s almost impossible not to be drawn to her. At the same time, she’s maddeningly silly and easygoing, especially at home.
I want to call her beautiful, but the word feels inadequate—or maybe inaccurate. “Handsome” fits better. She carries herself with a kind of effortless coolness that makes you forget she’s a girl.
Or rather, she used to. Lately, Onee-chan seems to have embraced her feminine side. Her hair now grows out to shoulder length, and the school’s uniform emphasizes her figure. I think she’s finally happy to be recognized as a woman. She even seems regretful about her tomboy phase, though I can’t say I miss it too much.
That’s my sister—a paradox in every sense. A force to be reckoned with, yet awkwardly endearing at times. And as much as I’d never admit it to her face, she’s the kind of person anyone would follow without a second thought.
Now let's move on to another story, more about myself. On my first day entering middle school, it was also my first day carrying out a mission as an Esper. My father accompanied me and supervised me on this mission. This was supposed to be a class E mission. Yet, the monsters that emerge from the dimensional rift resemble the fantasy monster, Troll. Interestingly, this troll breathes fire. Worse of all, my power is an ice system! Who is in charge of assigning these missions?!
My heart pounded as I leapt away, the searing heat of the troll’s fire breath grazing my ice-layered body. I barely managed to stay on my feet, slipping slightly on the frost that now coated my skin. The crackle of melting ice mingled with the roar of the troll as it charged again, this time lifting its massive mace high above its head.
So this is what it feels like to stare death in the face... Why do I have to experience this on my first mission?!
I gritted my teeth, forcing the panic down. It wouldn’t help. I clenched my hands, feeling the chill of my ice gathering at my fingertips.
“Dad,” I hissed under my breath, hoping he’d catch my glare from the sidelines, “I swear I’ll get back at you for this. You're the one who said Class E means beginner-friendly, didn’t you?!”
I glanced sideways, hoping to spot my father for reassurance. He was leaning casually against a tree at the edge of the forest, arms crossed and wearing an irritatingly calm expression. His lips moved ever so slightly, and I could just make out his voice over the chaos.
“Come on, Irana,” he called out nonchalantly. “If you’re going to whine, at least aim it at the monster.”
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I tightened my grip, feeling my palms tingle with frost. Fine. If he wants to treat this like some kind of test, I’ll pass it. Just to wipe that smug look off his face.
The troll roared again, rushing toward me. Its speed caught me off guard—it was so much faster than something its size had any right to be. The mace whooshed through the air, barely missing me as I rolled to the side again, my singed clothes clinging uncomfortably to me. My breath came in short gasps, the chill of my own ice amplifying the stark night air.
I planted my feet firmly, aiming both hands at the ground. I couldn’t overpower this thing—not with brute force—but I could buy myself some time to think. A sharp blast of icy energy shot from my palms, spreading quickly across the dirt and grass. The troll’s massive feet stomped forward, slipping slightly on the growing layer of frost. It teetered, and for a moment, I thought I had it.
Then came the fire. Again.
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It opened its jagged-toothed mouth, spewing flames that consumed the ice almost as fast as I could create it. The steam hissed, filling the air and obscuring my vision. This wasn’t working. I needed a new tactic.
In desperation, I darted around to its blind spot, circling wide as the steam lingered. My mind raced, and for some reason, all I could think about was my sister. What would Aria Onee-chan say if she were here? Probably something ridiculous, like, “Be cool, Irana, and hit it with everything you’ve got!”
The thought brought a faint grin to my face despite the panic. It was reckless, but maybe that’s what I needed right now.
Drawing on every ounce of strength, I gathered my icy energy in both hands, letting it build and build until my arms felt like they would freeze solid. The troll had stopped roaring, turning toward me once again. I steadied myself as it raised its mace high.
“Take this!” I yelled, a little more dramatically than necessary, releasing all the pent-up energy in a single blast. A beam of freezing light shot forward, catching the troll square in the chest. For a moment, time seemed to stand still as frost raced across its body, encasing it in shimmering ice.
And then—it fell. The ground shook as the frozen troll hit the earth, its flames extinguished and its body locked in a glacial prison.
I stood there, panting, a mixture of exhilaration and relief flooding through me. I had done it. I had actually taken down the troll.
“See? That wasn’t so hard.” My father’s voice broke through the moment, and I turned to see him strolling toward me with a faint smile. “Though I must say, your clothes didn’t fare too well.”
I froze—again—noticing for the first time just how exposed I was. Half-naked, in the middle of the woods, and entirely at the mercy of my father’s teasing. My cheeks burned hotter than the troll’s flames.
“Not. A. Word,” I growled, wrapping myself awkwardly with a thin layer of ice to cover what remained of my dignity.
He smirked but said nothing, pulling out a small device to send a report of the mission’s success to the Association. As he turned away, I shot him a glare.
“If you recorded any of that,” I muttered, “I’ll freeze your phone permanently.”
He laughed, the sound echoing through the woods.
“Welcome to life as an Esper, Irana,” he said. “Lesson one: Always pack a spare uniform.”
"Don't worry, dear. I have a change of clothes for you," my father’s voice called out casually, his tone annoyingly cheerful from a short distance.
That old geezer! He knew this might happen! He was probably waiting for a chance to mess with me. My glare shot toward him, but his smirk suggested he was thoroughly enjoying himself. I muttered under my breath, “I need to complain to Onii-chan about this later. Ah—no, I mean Onee-chan...”
I made a mental note to work on fixing my habit, but right now, I had bigger problems—like the enormous, supposedly dead troll lying in a heap before me. Just to be sure, I created another ice spear, aimed it at the creature's eye, and drove it in with all my might. A sickening crunch echoed, making my stomach churn ever so slightly, but I suppressed the feeling.
“That should do it,” I said, stepping back and wiping the sweat—or was it melted frost?—from my forehead. I turned to face my father. “Dad, I’m done.”
But, of course, he just had to nitpick. “No, you haven’t. Finish the job. You need to kill it.”
I stared at him in disbelief. “What are you talking about? It’s already dead.”
His expression was hard to read, somewhere between approval and suspicion. “Are you okay?” he asked, tilting his head. “I mean, this is your first time killing something this big.”
Strangely, he had a point. The reality of taking down a living creature should’ve shaken me, maybe even terrified me. But, oddly enough, I felt… fine. My hands didn’t tremble, my heartbeat stayed steady, and there wasn’t even the faintest twinge of guilt. If anything, I was more annoyed about my burned uniform.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, half to him and half to myself. My brows furrowed as I mulled it over. “Maybe it’s because of my previous life? I mean... I did die by suicide, so...” My voice trailed off as I considered the implications.
My father raised an eyebrow and let out a low whistle. “Is this daughter of mine actually a psychopath?” he teased.
I kicked him square in the shin. “Stop joking around. Where’s the change of clothes?” I snapped, though I couldn’t hide the smirk tugging at the corners of my lips. “I need to get back before Onii—uh, Onee-chan wakes up.”
At that, his teasing demeanor turned serious for just a moment. “Irana, you have to stop calling Aria ‘Onii-chan.’ She’s your sister—a girl—so call her properly.”
I winced at the reminder of my unfulfilled promise to Onee-chan. “Right, right,” I muttered. “I’ll fix it. Eventually.”
After slipping into the spare clothes my father provided—a set that miraculously didn’t reek of bad taste—I hurried back toward the school dormitory, careful to sneak past any patrolling staff. By the time I climbed into bed, the room was silent except for the soft, steady breathing of Onii...nee-chan. Her peaceful face caught the moonlight streaming through the curtains, and for a moment, I felt a wave of relief.
That is until a sharp whisper broke the quiet.
“Irana,” my father’s voice crackled faintly in my earpiece. “Before you sleep, let me remind you—”
“Ugh, what now, Dad?” I whispered, frustrated but mindful of not waking Aria or Viola.
“Nothing major,” he said, clearly enjoying drawing out the moment. “Just a little heads-up—your next mission will be a Class D.”
“WHAT?” I shrieked, though thankfully I managed to keep it to a harsh whisper. But the damage was already done.
Aria stirred, her eyes fluttering open slightly. “Irana... is something wrong?”
Caught off guard, I fumbled for a quick response. “N-no, Onee-chan. Just... bad dream!” I stammered.
She smiled faintly and reached out to pat my head. “Go back to sleep,” she murmured, her voice laced with drowsiness. “And stay out of trouble, okay?”
“Of course, Onee-chan,” I said softly, guilt prickling my chest.
As her breathing steadied again, I muttered into the earpiece, “You are dead, Dad.” His chuckle was the last thing I heard before I finally closed my eyes, bracing myself for whatever fresh insanity awaited me next.