Getting Reincarnated as a Beastman in Another World

Prologue

Watch it!" I said as a car drove dangerously close to me. I scowled towards the car as it drove away. What? Did he get his license out of a cereal box? Not that I have any reason to talk, I only just got my driver's license a few days ago. I looked down at the palm of my hand and read the information on the card. Name: Taki Tonoya. Age: 16. Gender: Male. Height: 5 ft. 5 In. Eyes: Brown.

I reached the other side of the street and rose my head to look at the convenience store. I was on my way home from my part-time job at a coffee shop when my mom called and told me to get some milk. The convenience store was just like any other I had seen. Plain, with a small overhang in front of it to provide sun protection to whoever was loitering in the front. Currently, that was a gruff man smoking a cigarette. As I walked past him the acrid smell of his smoke-filled my nostrils and I winced. I saw myself in the reflection of the door. My hair was untamed as if I hadn't taken the time to take care of it in the morning. Which, I admit, I hadn't.

Ding

The door chimed as I entered the shop. Looking around I found the dairy section and walked over to it. My eyes scanned the different types of milk until it landed on a cheap half gallon of milk. I reached out and grabbed the milk, ignoring the coldness of the plastic. I turned around planning to go to the cash register when I saw the videogame section out of the corner of my eye. I got the better of myself and walked over to the section filled with small game boxes. I scanned the row of games looking for one my friend recommended to me. It was the beginning of summer and I would want something to spend my time on outside of my part time job. As I reached out for the game I heard a loud crash from behind me. I retracted my arm and swirled around to see what the commotion was.

Three men hurried into the shop. They were all dressed in black and one was holding a gun. Instinctively, I dropped down to the floor behind one of the video game shelves and became as quiet as I could. Despite my best efforts My breathing grew more ragged and I felt like my heart would burst out of his chest. I turned my head to try and hear what was going on but the small movement made me dizzy.

"Don't Move!" A masculine voice yelled.

"Move an inch and your shot!" Another higher but still male voice sounded. A feminine squeak told me that the cash register was a woman.

I shifted my position on the ground to try and peek through the crack between shelves.

"Slowly lower your hand to the register and give us all of the money inside!" A skinny man said.

The young woman, who I recognized as a student at the same school as mine slowly lowered her hand to the cash register. And started to take out money and put it on the counter.

All I have to do is stay here and I should be fine. They have no reason to come over here. I thought. But as I turned my head towards the door I saw the bloodied corpse of the smoking man who was outside when I came in. I let out a small grunt and held back a gag as I quickly looked away from the sight. They mean to leave no witnesses! Which could mean that they might search the store to silence anyone else! I thought in a panic. Without fully realizing what I was doing, I stood up and flung the carton of milk as hard as I could at one of the men. It hit its mark, right on the back of the skinny mans head.

"Waugh," the skinny man yelped, squatting on the floor with his hands over his head. The other two whipped around, gun in hand setting their sights on me. I scrambled to the right as I heard bullets hit the shelves behind me. I grabbed onto one of the shopping baskets they had stationed around the store, flung it towards the men, and made for the drinks section. They continued shooting at me as I ducked behind the drinks. Drinks splattered around me and landed on my face but luckily didn't get in my eyes.

I heard a crash and saw that the young lady at the cash register had knocked out one of the men with a large piece of metal from underneath the counter. The man with the gun whirled on her and raised his gun to shoot at her. I threw a soda at him which caused him to shoot at the floor away from the girl. I sprinted at him planning to tackle him. He raised his gun and a loud bang rang out as I tackled him to the floor.

The girl lunged at him and wacked him with the piece of metal, knocking him out. We both relaxed but I noticed something strange. My stomach felt warm. I reached down to touch it and felt a warm liquid coat my hand. I was confused at first thinking that I was covered in the splattered soda but when I raised my hand, it was coated in blood.

My eyesight went double. My stomach dropped as I started to panic.

"Help!" I yelled desperately as the pain started to kick in.

The girl looked at me lying on the ground and was confused before she saw the blood soaking my clothes.

Her eyes widened as I groaned and she rushed down to put pressure on the wound.

"Your going to be all right! Your going to be all right!" She said in a panic. She almost seemed to be convincing herself instead of me.

My vision waned as I gasped for air, crumpled on the ground. At first, I felt hot. Then I felt cold. So very cold. But the cold seemed not to come from the air but instead from within. As if I were a block of ice.

Is this it? ...Is this all there is for me in life... To die before even getting a girlfriend... before graduating high school... before I even figure out what I want to do in my life? Well... Not that it matters anymore.

The world slowly grew dark as I was vaguely aware of the girl desperately trying to stop the bleeding.

Are you sure about that? A strange voice said in the deepest reaches of my mind. What if I told you, you could try again. A redo if you will. Not in this world of course but another. One where your plans still matter, in a way. One where you might still have a future? The voice said. It was neither male nor female but nor did it sound like a feminine man or a masculine woman. It was unlike anything I had ever heard in my life. It was enchanting.

Yes... Yes, I want that. I don't want to die. I want to live. I want to live.

I want to live.

So be it.