In a World Where Death Is Cheap, I’ll Get Back at the Goddess Who Dumped Me—with My “Self-Destruct” Skill [Dropped]

Prologue

When Taiga Origami opened his eyes, he found himself standing in a pure white room.

[Taiga Origami. Unfortunately, you have died. But do not worry. By great fortune, you will now be reincarnated into another world—as a Hero.]

The woman who seemed to own this entirely white space calmly announced the end of his life and the beginning of a new one.

But for Taiga, who had just awakened in a place he had never seen before, it was impossible to process something like that.

His thoughts were still in complete disarray.

So he looked at the woman standing before him and asked,

“W-Who are you?”

[I am a goddess. Goddess Urza. From this moment on, I shall be your patron deity. And no, before you ask—this is not a dream. It is reality.]

“You just read my—”

[Reading the thoughts of a mere mortal is effortless.]

The woman calling herself a goddess only made Taiga doubt even more that any of this was real.

Yet she had immediately answered the question he had not even finished voicing.

Because of that, he began to wonder if he truly had died.

He searched through his memories.

The last thing he remembered was a car running a red light and speeding straight toward him—

And then nothing.

“…So I really am dead.”

[That is what I have been telling you. But be at ease. You will be reincarnated as a Hero under my divine protection. You shall enjoy a life worth many times more than the insignificant existence of an ordinary mortal.]

Her words reached him while he was still struggling to come to terms with his death.

Ignoring the dark look slowly spreading across Taiga’s face, the goddess continued.

[As a Hero, you should have already been granted some kind of special skill.]

“A skill?”

[Yes. Try saying “Status” in your mind.]

Feeling as though he had stepped straight into a video game, Taiga quietly thought, Status.

And just like that, something appeared in his mind.

Name: Taiga Origami
Race: Human
Class: Hero (Goddess Urza)
Age: 17
Level: 1
Unique Skill:
・Self-Destruct

Taiga stared at the display in disbelief.

It was much simpler than he had expected. There were plenty of things he could question—but the biggest issue was obviously the skill column.

The “special skill” the goddess had mentioned…

…was Self-Destruct.

He had only just begun to accept that he was dead.

And now he was being told to blow himself up?

Was this some kind of twisted joke from the goddess?

“S-Self-Destruct…?”

[Self-Destruct?!]

The shocked voice did not come from Taiga.

It came from the goddess.

Apparently, even she had not expected this.

The moment she realized what skill he had received, a look of unmistakable disgust crossed her face.

[Do you have any idea how much divine energy it costs to bring someone here? And of all things, you end up with a trash skill like “Self-Destruct”?]

“Trash?! Wait—can’t you do something about it?!”

Taiga asked desperately, shaken by her sudden shift in attitude.

He had just been told he would be reborn as a Hero.

Receiving “Self-Destruct” as his one and only special ability was not exactly heroic.

But the goddess answered him coldly.

[I’m not doing that. You were personally chosen by me, and the best you could manage was a garbage skill. I’m not wasting any more points on a dud like you.]

“Points? What do you mean, wasting?”

[Ugh, forget it. Spending any more time on you is already a waste. Taiga Origami, you will now be reincarnated as a Hero. You’ll probably die again soon anyway… but if you go blowing yourself up in human territory, that would be troublesome. So I’ll randomly send you somewhere in demon or monster territory instead.]

“H-Hey, wait a second!”

[Honestly, you’re noisy. It costs points just to decide your reincarnation location. You should be grateful.]

“What are these ‘points’ you keep talking about?! Explain it!”

The moment it became clear he was a “loser pick,” everything began going downhill fast.

Taiga panicked and protested desperately.

But the goddess had no obligation to answer the questions of a mere mortal.

[Hmph. It’s nothing you need to know. …Well, if you manage to take down at least one demon with your “Self-Destruct,” I might treat you a little better next time. As a bomber, perhaps. Farewell.]

“W-Wai—!”

Ignoring his cry, the goddess lightly waved her hand.

In the next instant, Taiga was swallowed by a brilliant light—

And vanished from the white room completely.