He sat deep in the seat of the passenger plane.
　I'm about to finish my work overseas and return to Japan.
　There is no such thing as an assassin except in fiction.
　That would be common knowledge to most people.
　But look at it dispassionately.
　There is no more efficient or quicker way to eliminate an enemy than to kill them, and the more money and power they have, the more enemies they want to eliminate.
　If there's a demand, it's no wonder there's a supply.
　That's why assassins like me exist.

''Well my last job is done as usual.

Today is my last day as an assassin.
　I've been called the greatest assassin of our time, and even the president of a country died of illness.
　And I have a new job lined up.
　I'm going to be a teacher at the same school where I learned the skills necessary to become an assassin.
　To train an assassin, one must have extremely advanced and specialized skills and be able to keep a tight-lipped tongue.
　There are not many such people.
　From now on, I'm going to train children who have been discovered to be talented.
　And we will produce assassins like me.
　That's what I thought........
　Unfortunately, it seems that the story was made up to catch me off guard.
　The plane shook loudly with the sound of the explosion.
　The altitude of the plane was dropping rapidly.

It's understandable that they dispose of the tools they can no longer use to keep their mouths shut, but would they go to such lengths to kill just one person? ........If they think they can't kill you unless you do this, they seem to have a good reputation for it.

Once again, I feel old. I couldn't have foreseen this kind of situation.
　I get up from the seating area and run towards the sound, weaving through the panicked occupants.

I hack the cockpit room door and push my way inside.

In the cockpit room, the captain and first officer's heads were blown off.
　If that's all there was to it, that's all that mattered.
　Assassins are required to have a wide variety of skills. I can at least fly a passenger plane.
　........that is, if the console hadn't been blown up along with the captain and first officer's heads.

"I've ended people's lives for too long now. I knew that one day it would be my turn, but I didn't expect to be treated to such a fancy grave.

Close your eyes.
　No matter what the situation, if there's even a .01% chance of survival, we do our best. That's our policy.
　We will use every ounce of experience and knowledge we have to find the best way to deal with it.
　...there's still more to be done.
　We're losing altitude fast.
　I may not be able to successfully land this airliner, but I may be the only one to survive it.

That's sooner than I expected. You're really reaching for your roots. I'm devastated.

Outside the window, a fighter jet with a missile on board was looming.
　It was currently flying over the city center.
　If this is not done, a passenger plane is going to crash into the city and cause a lot of damage. I'm going to crush it to pieces before that happens.
　According to my calculations, it should take about ten more minutes for them to arrive, but they are working in the background.

The missile was fired.
　It's a shame, I could still have hit it if it had just crashed.
　I close my eyes.
　An air-to-air missile, an AIM-92.
　Such an airliner, not even a piece of debris remains.
　That would not even make me feel pain.
　...It's frustrating.
　I was an instrument of the organization, killing my feelings, just following orders, and I was betrayed.
　I was loyal enough to even fulfill that mission if I was told to die.
　Having that loyalty trampled on caused me to question the organization and my life for the first time.
　If there is a next life, live it for yourself, not as someone else's tool.
　If I use my skills, knowledge and experience for myself, I will be able to live for myself.
　With that hope, I continued to take the necessary steps to survive until the last second.

◇

I open my eyes.
　It was a temple.
　If I had to describe it, it resembled the Parthenon. An old white temple made of stone.
　Let's analyze the situation. There is no way you can get out of this situation.
　If that's the case, was it just a dream?

No, it's not. No, that's not true. You are the greatest assassin of your time, and yet, dumbly, you were assassinated. Pfft, giggle.

A woman with white hair and wearing an equally white piercing robe smiles. No, it's not just her hair and clothes, her skin, her eyes, everything is white.
　Above all, she is beautiful.
　An existence that deviates from humanity, too perfect, with every possible element made in the golden ratio.
　And yet, what is this frank tone that ruins everything?

''.........Hmm, can I ask you to explain a lot of things to me?''
"I have invited your dead soul. I'm a goddess, by the way. Ehem.
'Ho, does a goddess call the dead to chat with them every time? Considering the number of dead people, are gods as starry-eyed or bored as they are... or is there some special meaning to their calling me?
'Exactly. Normally, we bleach and recycle what has quickly seeped into our souls. We don't have time for that either.

My bad feeling was right.
　Since a while ago, I've been trying to confirm the authenticity of this by the movement of my facial muscles, the inflection of my voice, sweating, and other such factors.
　But the goddess is so unnaturally natural that it feels creepy, as if she knows exactly what I'm trying to read and is acting out.

I can do something similar, but I can't do it this perfectly. Rather, it's an area that is impossible for people to do.
　That fact convinces me that at least the being in front of me is not a person.

'Then let me ask you why you called me here.

I've said it myself, and I have a feeling that it's not possible. Still, given the current situation, I have to admit that.
　Then you don't need to wonder about it.

Clever. You have a choice. One is to have your soul bleached and reborn as a stranger, gee. Or, instead of taking my request, you can leave your knowledge and experience behind and reincarnate in another world.

If it's the former, it's not me anymore, it's someone else.
　If it's the latter, it would be synonymous with the fact that this life goes on in a way.
　It's fascinating that life goes on.
　I've lived my life as a tool to kill people, and in the end I regretted it at the end of my life because I was betrayed by my owner and lost my life.

However, considering the reason why this goddess and her ilk chose me, there is only one request to be asked for, and it's not very desirable.

''About the request, who do you want me to kill?''
'You're very quick to talk. You're indeed a soul I expected to see here. Assassinate a brave soul in a fantasy world of sword and magic. The deadline is eighteen years after you were born.
'A world of sword and sorcery?　A brave man?　Isn't that an imaginary thing?

As soon as I ask the question, information about that world flows in collectively.
　How the world works, the definition of magic, the culture of the time, the level of technology, about the brave... I see, this is a different world than mine.

'Brave men are heroes, aren't they?　Why do you need to kill them?
'Sixteen years later, after the heroes defeated the Demon King and saved the world, they used their power for their own personal gain to wreak havoc on the world. Even more mercilessly and accurately than the Demon King. And after 18 years, the world will be destroyed. So, please rip them up and kill them.
So there's no need for a brave man to be a hero after he's slain the Demon King.

There's something familiar about it.

If I didn't do it, I'd leave it alone, but what it does is blow up my tolerance. Pfft!

This is a world where the technology of magic exists and the physical abilities of some humans surpass those of this world.
　At the technological level between the medieval and early modern times, one point, magic, is unusually developed.
　So, you reincarnate just to kill a brave man.

''The hero who killed the Demon King is no longer needed, so I'll get rid of him. So, this time, I who killed the brave is no longer needed, right?
I told you. I told you that if you didn't do what I did, I would leave you alone. Besides, you don't have that kind of power, and if I could give you that kind of power, I wouldn't have chosen you in the first place.

God puts his hand on my chin and smiles bewitchingly.

''I chose assassins because only assassins, not warriors, knights, or mages, can kill a brave man within the framework of being a man.
'I see, so I have to kill a substandard monster as a mere human within the standard?

The reason for this was engraved in the common sense that was given to me just now.

There is a limit to the performance of a human being born into this world.
　The brave men and women are beings that have greatly surpassed that limit, and are overwhelmingly superior from birth.

And the goddess is unable to make special exceptions for anyone other than that brave person, and only one brave person can exist at the same time.
　If a brave man goes out of control, there is no one to stop him." In "battle," no one can be a brave person.
　That's why it's "assassination".

I've learned from the information you've given me about the monster that is the brave men. And I'll tell you on that basis. I can kill them. But it has to be as good as the human quota.
'Yeah, I'll help you with that. Theoretically the strongest specs in a person's frame of reference I'll let you pick the skills that should be random.

A myriad of skills come to my brain.
　In the world of swords and magic, a person is given up to five skills at birth.
　From the star-studded skills, one to five at random.
　The ability to choose them at will is huge.
　It's not just the advantage of being able to choose a powerful skill.
　Combining them together is a great power.

''Can't you pick a skill for me?''
We have too much power and we're not very good at thinking in detail. I get goosebumps when I think about managing a small amount of power. ........I'll give you three days to study your skills and pick five. But only if you accept my request.
I'll take it. I still want to get on with my life. But first, let me ask you a few questions. According to the common sense I was given, it seems that goddesses can't overly interfere with the world, but doesn't that count as reincarnating me from another world?
Yes, it's safe. It's just that I happened to be short of souls and replenished them from another world, and it just so happened that my soul bleaching was lax and my memory and knowledge remained, and it just so happened that I happened to have a high performance body, and it just so happened that I was lucky enough to draw a strong skill. Well, no matter how you look at it, a normal person can't beat a brave person in that kind of framework.

Easy to understand.

Let's just do what the normal rules allow.

Next. You want me to kill him in 18 years. I assume you'll kill him as soon as you're ready?
You can't do that. At the very least, please wait until a brave man kills the Demon King. The Demon King can only be killed by a brave man, so if you do that, the world will be destroyed.
All right. For the last time. ...How many souls are caught with the same bait as me and reincarnate?

It's hard to imagine that I'm the only one to reincarnate with memories to assassinate a brave man.
　If I were a goddess, I'd prepare many pawns. To increase the odds as much as possible.

''Heh, as expected of a renowned assassin. You see the situation properly the answer is no. At least, you're the only one right now. Even I can't make many such coincidences happen.

Now......
　This is a tricky one.

"In the end. Do you want me to save the world or do you want me to kill a brave man? ....If it's the former, then if you can save the world without killing the heroes, you can save it.
'Of course, I want you to save the world. Yes, if I can save it without killing a brave man, that's fine too. ...if you can.

The goddess laughed meaningfully and replied.
　I could tell that she was not going to allow any more questions.

'All right. I'll take it. I will reincarnate in the world of sword and sorcery. I have one request. The place where I will be reincarnated should be a reasonably wealthy house. I need an environment where I can develop my skills and body.
'Oh, don't worry about that. Because I will be reincarnated into the house of the best assassin in the other world, to the heir of the assassin noble Touahade family. So, please go through the strongest in the human frame impatiently. Once I decide on your skills, I'll reincarnate you.

The goddess is gone.
　And I laugh.
　I didn't know you could be assassinated in a rebirth.
　And that too, an assassination that is more difficult than any target in my lifetime.

I swore that if there was to be a continuation, I'd make my own decision, but it's quite ironic that I'd be someone's tool from the very beginning.
　But I'm not going to complain.
　I have eighteen years to go, and I'll be rewarded with a life ahead of me that should be over, just for making one kill.
　I will live my life by my own will this time, and I will find and obtain that which is called happiness.