A Multiverse Tale: Hope in Another World!

At that moment, Yotsuya Miko sat on a bench, clutching a bottle of Pepsi so unappealing even a dog wouldn't touch it. Her face seemed calm, but inside, she was on the verge of tears, trembling with fear.

Before her loomed a grotesque, hundred-eyed spirit, its body wreathed in ominous black mist. Its jagged, serrated fangs parted slowly, as if savoring the prelude to a meal, poised to tear its prey apart and devour it whole in the next heartbeat. 

The instant Takuma Kirie caught sight of this horrifying scene, the color drained from his face. For an ordinary human with no supernatural power, facing a malevolent spirit capable of snatching his life at will stirred a primal cocktail of helplessness and terror. It took every ounce of willpower not to turn and flee for his life. 

Calm down! Stay calm! 

The more I panic, the closer I am to digging my own grave… 

Kirie consciously steadied his breathing, his nerves stretched taut under the strain, teetering on the edge of collapse. 

And then, in that critical moment, a golden roulette wheel materialized in his field of vision. Its radiant glow seemed to pierce through eons, bathing his mind in a serene clarity, as if time itself slowed to a still, glassy lake. 

In that fleeting second, his senses sharpened beyond the ordinary. He heard the faint rustle of insects burrowing beneath the courtyard soil, saw the subtle quiver of a sparrow's feathers mid-flight, felt the delicate arc of a falling leaf, the gentle sweep of the rooftop breeze—and, unmistakably, the hundred mocking, malicious gazes boring into him. 

There was no doubt: his presence—and his actions—had caught the spirit's attention. Had he bolted in a blind panic just moments ago, that malevolent entity might've latched onto him, claiming his soul then and there. 

But Kirie had no time to marvel at this newfound golden lifeline. Regaining his composure, he strode toward the rooftop's edge as if the spirit didn't exist, ignoring its presence entirely. 

The hundred-eyed monstrosity let out a guttural roar, a predator sizing up its quarry. Its massive claw swung down, poised to crush the approaching boy into a bloody smear. Yet Kirie seemed oblivious, unbothered. 

Miko, witnessing this, nearly let out a scream.

Thankfully, the spirit's strike was a test—a probe to see if this newcomer could perceive it. The claw sliced past Takuma's ear, stirring only a faint gust of wind. 

His footsteps didn't falter. The crisp tap-tap of his shoes rang out, stark and surreal against the eerie backdrop of the scene. Under the watchful eyes of both Miko and the spirit, he closed the distance to the girl. 

"Takuma…-kun?!" 

Miko's voice trembled with surprise at his arrival—and a flicker of relief, as if salvation had just walked through the door. Sure, she'd honed a heart of steel from years of glimpsing evil spirits, a resilience that let her face even the direst threats without flinching despite being a girl. But that didn't mean she wasn't scared out of her wits! 

She might've looked composed moments ago, but inside, the poor girl had been fighting back tears of terror. 

Takuma, still pretending the spirit wasn't there, briskly stepped up to Miko, snatched the Pepsi from her hand, and chugged it down in one go. A grimace flashed across his face as he muttered, "Ugh, Pepsi really does taste awful!" 

Miko: …?

Hundred-eyed spirit: …? 

Miko blinked, momentarily dumbfounded by this impossibly perfect pretty boy standing before her. But Takuma wasted no time. He grabbed her wrist, tugging her toward the rooftop exit with purposeful strides. 

"Let's go! Class is about to start—if we linger up here, we'll be late!" 

"Huh…? Oh, right!" 

Snapping back to her senses, Miko nodded hastily, falling into step with him as they hurried off the rooftop. 

The grotesque spirit, realizing neither of them had acknowledged its presence, shook its head as if bored and faded into nothingness. 

--- 

Behind the safety of the stairwell door, Miko's legs gave out. She slumped against Kirie, her voice shaky with gratitude. "I'm saved… Thank you so much." 

"It's fine. From what I can tell, as long as we act like we can't see them, they won't attack." 

Kirie exhaled deeply, the crystalline calm fading from his mind as he patted her back gently to reassure her. 

After a moment, Miko pulled herself together and stepped back, a faint flush of embarrassment coloring her cheeks. Still, her curiosity—and the gravity of what had just happened—overpowered her shyness. She looked at him intently and asked, "Takuma-kun, can you see those things too?" 

"We've just survived a brush with death together—call me Kirie." 

Takuma nodded with a faint smile before continuing, "I only realized I could see ghosts just now. What about you, Miko?" 

By Japanese standards, jumping to first names after a single day was bold, maybe even reckless. But as Takuma had pointed out, they'd faced a life-or-death moment together—such familiarity didn't seem out of place. Especially not when the guy was a flawless Tokyo heartthrob no one could find fault with. 

"Kirie…-kun," Miko began hesitantly, "it started about a month ago. Suddenly, I could see them. It happened when…" 

Her voice wavered, and a glimmer of tears welled up in her eyes as she recounted the ordeal. Ever since that fateful day, she'd been haunted daily, teetering on the edge of life and death, terrified that the spirits might realize she could see them. 

Finding a kindred spirit in Kirie felt like stepping into a sanctuary. She poured out a month's worth of fear and frustration, unburdening herself completely. They talked until the bell rang, then headed back to class together. 

Miko's mood visibly lightened, a weight lifted from her shoulders. Kirie, though, returned to his seat with a heavier heart, his thoughts drifting into the distance. 

Miko wasn't born with this ability—it came on suddenly. 

This resurgence of the supernatural is getting worse. Maybe Miko's latent talent awakened, or perhaps the ghosts are growing stronger and more active as spiritual energy thickens—or both? 

If this keeps up, more people will start seeing them. Or worse, more ghosts will start appearing in our world. 

No wonder murder rates have spiked lately. Some poor soul probably stumbled across a ghost at night and—bam—gone. 

The memory of his own near-death encounter that day gnawed at him. The crushing helplessness, the shadow of mortality—it pierced his core like a blade. 

All I wanted was to be a laid-back light novel harem protagonist! 

Why? Why are you forcing me into this?!

Multiverse Roulette—show me what you've got! 

As if answering his silent cry, the golden wheel, previously tucked into the corner of his vision, flared to life. A brilliance that seemed to span countless realms and echo through eternity unfurled before him, revealing the full scope of its power. 

--- 

[Multiverse Roulette] 

- ①: The Roulette automatically absorbs ambient energy, enabling one world traversal per month. Duration: 100 days. Early returns bank time for the next trip. World time-flows vary and can be adjusted. 

- ②: Monthly destinations are random. Previously visited worlds can be anchored, allowing deliberate return trips. 

- ③: Grants [Multiverse Language Mastery]. 

- ④: Grants perfect compatibility and conversion of abilities across all world systems. 

- ⑤: Includes a private pocket dimension, starting at 10 cubic meters, expanding with mental strength. 

- ⑥: Rewards based on plot interference and actions, calculated upon return with ratings and Roulette Points. 

- ⑦: Points can be spent on True Soul Reincarnation, Ability Enhancement, and more… 

- ⑧: Achieve an S-rank rating for a single Multiverse Lottery draw. 

- ⑨: … 

The wheel's power pulsed before Takuma, a lifeline in a world spiraling into chaos—and a ticket to the battles and beauties of countless dimensions beyond.