Chapter 1: The ghost in the forest

Before you go further, this fanfic contains the following tags: Incest and Harem. Turn around if you cant read those. The first chapter contains some heavy themes.

We, humans, have a habit of taking things for granted. Only when something has gone far out of our reach, do we yearn to get it back.

Haruki's mind wandered as he stood before his mother's grave with an umbrella shielding him from the wretched downpour. Yesterday, while he was out working at his part-time job, his mother hung herself in her room.

She worked tirelessly as a teacher in the morning and bar attendant in the evening. Not the best profession for a beautiful woman, but she endured it to earn his school fees and other expenses. She got more than enough from her teacher's job, but she kept doing her second job. She refused to take any help from him, saying he wasn't allowed to do any job. He snuck behind her back and got a part-time job to surprise her on her birthday with a gift.

He could've said so many things to her, like "thank you for working so hard for me" and much more. He was reincarnated in this fictional world where the Magus and Servants battled for the ultimate wish-granting tool without a cheat. Even as a normal human, he tried his best to build physical strength and practice in dojos. He just wanted a peaceful life with his mother after all the bullshit he went through in his last life. And the only way to ensure peace was through strength.

After all, he had no cheats to contend against the all-powerful Magus.

And that was it.

It was too late now. Standing here alone with regrets and a handy umbrella, he realized how wrong he was. He will have to carry these regrets or crumble under their weight. If a demon appeared here right now and offered him a deal to bring his mother back, he'd gladly offer anything, even his life.

He just wanted to say how much he appreciated her.

'But that's not possible, is it?'

It wasn't like him to be philosophical. He wracked his brain for a rational solution. The upcoming Holy Grail War. It might be a way to resurrect his mother but how was he supposed to become a Master without magic circuits?

He stepped out of the cemetery and wandered into the wide streets of Miyama Town. Staying in his home will drive him crazy. His mother's bank account had about 5,50,000 yen while he had 30,000 yen. They might seem like a lot at first glance. However, a cheap room's rent was about 25,000 and above.

This wasn't the life he imagined after reincarnating in the FATE world, not even close. This must be the punishment for bullying his little brother in his past life, whose immense talent was wasted with his passive demeanor. He just wanted to bring his brother on the right path to help the family business, but he went too far and made their relationship irreparable. His brother would have cursed him after his lady bodyguard murdered him and herself in cold blood.

'Way to go out, Lil' bro.'

His death hit him more than he imagined. To fill the void left from his death, he tried reading the manga and anime his brother recommended to him all the time and ended up joining the weeb community. He didn't care at that point after already giving a middle finger to his family and friends.

Even then, he couldn't comprehend his brother's fetish with lolis.

'What did he even see in them?'

Mature women were the best. That's probably one of the reasons he became so attached to his mother.

He shook his head and put an end to his thoughts. Coming to his senses, he found himself in a forest.

'The outskirts of Miyama town.'

He wrapped back the umbrella and sat on the nearby bench. As he cast a gaze at the cloudy sky, a sense of loneliness engulfed him. He held his head in his hands.

"When did I turn into such a momcon?"

"Haruki…" A ghostly whisper reached him.

Haruki Hayashi, that was his name But who said it? From the corner of his eyes, he saw an ethereal figure on the roadside. The silhouette reminded him of his mother, just for a bit.

He sighed and followed wherever it wanted to lead him. Two glaring lights peered through the fog. A truck steered right in his direction.

"A ghost taking me to Truck-kun. Does it want me to isekai? Or join the wandering ghosts community?"

He chuckled at the irony. The lore of Truck-kun could be real. He had never imagined that reincarnation was real until it happened to him. He glanced down at his foot. One step away from the truck's path.

"Should I?"

Maybe he'd get another chance like Subaru and get back.

'Nah, that's impossible.'

He took a step back.

Buzz! The phone in his pocket tingled his thighs. He fished it out and saw a missed call from none other than Yandere herself. As he reached the call back button, a loud screech pierced his ears.

...The truck slipped on the wet road, drifting uncontrollably off the road. It just so happened to be speeding toward his direction as if saying, "Bro, com'ere. It's your friend, Truck-kun."

Everything happened so fast he couldn't react.

'Oh dear lord, is this the closure to my second life?'