Call me Akuma

The name I picked visibly upset the old man and seeing him suffer momentarily stirred a twinge of satisfaction within me. But, as usual, he soon regained his composure and returned to his calm demeanor. 

"Sir Akuma, it is time for you to depart to the afterlife," the old man stated calmly, his voice carrying a weight of solemnity. 

"Wait, shouldn't I get to pick the world that I'm going to be reincarnated in and get some kind of wish before I go to the afterlife? That's what happens in novels and anime," I asked, a hint of uncertainty creeping into my voice. The old man stood silent, unmoving like a statue carved from time itself. 

"Old man, are you going to respond to my question, or are you testing my patience?" I persisted, frustration coloring my tone. Still, the old man remained motionless, his gaze fixed and inscrutable. 

After a tense pause, I finally realized what the old man wanted. "Sorry for finding joy in your suffering. It won't happen again. Could you please answer me?" I spoke with newfound humility. I had forgotten that the old man could read my mind, so he must have noticed my happiness, leading him to call me Akuma. 

"Sir Akuma, I did not read your mind. That would be rather impolite of me, even though I am capable of it," the old man finally replied, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. 

 "Don't lie to me, old man. How could you have guessed what I was thinking without delving into my mind?" I retorted; my annoyance palpable. 

 "Well, Sir Akuma, if one has lived longer than the entirety of existence itself, one would naturally acquire such perceptiveness," the old man explained calmly. "The reason you cannot choose to go to your desired world is because you lack sufficient good karma and do not meet the conditions." 

 I furrowed my brow, processing his words. "I'm surprised I even have good karma. I thought my karma would be negative. But more importantly, are you an angel from some kind of Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, or Sikh mythology?" I questioned, trying to grasp the nature of the being before me. 

 "Sir, please do not attempt to extract information from me. 'Karma' is merely a term I employ to denote a good act; even an accidental act of kindness is still considered good karma," the old man continued. "You have accrued sufficient karma to reincarnate in another world. Such an accumulation of karma is exceedingly rare, found in only one among millions of humans, and even then, they do not retain their past memories upon death, unlike you, who remembers your past life." 

 "Old man, you must be bullshitting with me. Me having such rare, good karma, found only once in millions? That's quite the joke you have there. If what you're saying is true, why am I the only one who retained my memory upon death?" I exclaimed; my disbelief evident in my tone. 

 "Sir Akuma, you have only just met the conditions and accumulated sufficient karma to reincarnate in another world" the old man replied after a moment's contemplation. "As for your karma, most of it was accrued through accidental good deeds. For instance, upon your elimination of a notorious mafia boss, thousands of lives were spared. The ensuing power vacuum weakened the criminal organization, thereby enabling law enforcement to dismantle it. This sequence of events resulted in millions of lives being saved and significantly improved the quality of life for countless individuals, which in turn contributed to your good karma. There were other incidents that also added to your karmic balance, but this was the most significant." 

 Before I could voice my confusion, the old man added, "Sir Akuma, time flows rather differently here. One hour in this realm is equivalent to ten years in your world." 

 "Old man, tell me why I don't get a wish. Is it because my karma value is not sufficient, or do I have to meet certain conditions?" I questioned with a mix of curiosity and resignation. 

 "Sir, your karma value is insufficient, and you do not meet the necessary conditions for a to make request. Even if one meets both the conditions and the requisite karma for a request, they do not retain memories of their past life, thus rendering them incapable of making a request," he replied with unwavering clarity. 

 After digesting the old man's words, I asked, "Does everyone who dies meet with you, old man?" 

 "Sir Akuma, only those who have accumulated sufficient karma are granted an audience with me. I personally escort their soul to the other world and determine their place of rebirth based on their karmic value," the old man finally said after a few moments of solemn silence. 

 After thinking for a few minutes, my brow furrowed with a mixture of emotions and I asked the old man, "Can I know where I'm going to be born?" My voice was tinged with apprehension, reflecting my uncertainty about the future. 

The old man, with a serene expression, responded calmly, "Sir Akuma, you are to be reborn in a fantasy world called Overload. Furthermore, do not stay here in the hope of accumulating more good karma. It is now time for you to proceed to your next life before your soul is erased from existence." His tone was reassuring yet carried a sense of finality, leaving no room for hesitation. 

"Why the hell did you not tell me this earlier, old man?" I blurted out, a sudden fear gripping my heart as the weight of his words sank in. 

 "Sir Akuma, somehow your soul has managed to endure a few hours in this space, but now you have only one minute remaining before your soul vanishes," Old man answered me calmly with an unwavering gaze. 

 "I have many questions to ask you, but I'm lacking time, so I will tell you next time when we meet," I said to him, a sense of urgency coloring my voice. Then the old man raised his hand and snapped his fingers, and my body turned into a small blue flame, the hospital gown I wore vanishing. Before I left, I thought, "Old man, if you can read my mind, I have one thing to say to you: thank you for everything. I will not forget this kindness of yours." 

 The Angel of the Afterlife snapped his fingers again, and the blue flame disappeared from his hand. Moments later, two words echoed in that empty white room: "You're welcome." 

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The Beggar King is asking for stones to feed his family. 

Also, Beggar King has left a few pop culture references and memes. If you find them, comment, and Beggar King will give you a like.