I awoke in a dim light, kneeling down on one knee on a flat, pure white terrain, as my eyes haven't taken in properly the sight before me, and before I could even react, my eyes were shunned shut with a white light that not even the most toughest person could handle.
As I looked around at my features, I realised that I wasn't dreaming at all, I could see and feel my hands, my torn lab coat and shirt, my shredded pants, the blood stained all over cuts and wounds, even the singular shoe that remained on my foot stayed loyal to me.
As I look at my surroundings, I realised that I was in a white void, devoid of all of time and space, perhaps this was a heaven for those who died fighting lions, perhaps it was hell for bastardised non-believers, whatever the case, I had died with my dignity, body and soul intact.
As I stood up to take into account what had just occurred moments prior, moments just ago that led to the end of the war hero who saved an entire continent from shattering to chaff, the white light shown much brighter than it once had moments ago, an entity made up of pureness and light spawned into existence and flashed into the dimension by a way of travel so divine that even I could not describe to you, simply put, it was irresistible.
This divine individual took form in the middle of the white light and took on the appearance of a biblically accurate Seraphim, he had six wings, two to cover its face, leaving only one, large eye visible to be seen on its forehead (this thing definitely has three eyes), two to cover their legs and two wings which it utilises to fly.
Much could not be seen from the body of the Seraphim, except the fact that this majestic being had a physique that most Greek gods would strive to achieve.
Every feather on each of this individual's wings glistened like the moon in the sky. Even its third eye seemed like it was carved out of marble by Michelangelo.
It blinked and there it was, a golden table, and on it were: a six course, gourmet meal served on a golden palette, fresh wine served through the best quality chalice that not even the best masons could carve out.
Beside the palette lay the following: a golden spoon, a golden fork, a golden knife, caviar, salt, pepper, and a packet of golden tissues at the centre of the table.
As I awed at the glistening food that shimmered down from heaven and beyond, two golden chairs sparked into each end of the table.
The chairs were modernised arched chairs, with seraphim emblems imprinted onto each of the four legs of the chair, as well as on the back of the chair.
The godlike entity stared me down for mere seconds, but to me, felt like hours on end. Finally, after long moments of silence, it finally spoke, and what it said was truly remarkable:
'"Sit and eat, child, for you have suffered long enough, offer your life to me, and I will grant you whatever you wish to be yours!"'
Silence ensued, as I stared blankly at this rather strange request, not even a single friendly thought came to mind, for starters, I just met this entity, and for another, they seem far too bland, I could read him/it or whatever that thing is like an open book, it thinks they can pull some "Demon Soul Substitution Deal" and expect to gain control over me? Who does it think they are?
It spoke up '"Not much of a talker, eh, your attitude doesn't match your face, for one, I could read minds, and you don't seem like the kind type, thinking someone is strange for openly showing kindness, for giving you a second chance, thinking you can read him like an open book? You really are as self-centred as you were made to be."'
I was puzzled, puzzled out of my damn mind, how could someone or something like this exist, every action leading to every consequence, was all thanks to this guy/thing?
'"I know everything about you little one, I formed you before you were even conceived, I looked over you since the day you were born, you were shaped in the form I wanted you to be consecrated, so no need to yip-yap to me about your miserable life to me, I was the one who made it happen, your parents abandoning you on the day of your birth, you being forcefully dropped out of school after Grade 6 due to your rich-ass deadbeats of surrogate parents death's, your ex-girlfriend dumping you on your birthday, even your little inter-dimensional toy machine malfunction and redirecting it's travel to a different timeline and causing you to get stuck here with me as I boil your temper down to the shortest straw, that is all because of ME! This moment is the highlight of your life, your meeting with me was set in stone!"'
I sighed, trying to calm myself before I throw a temper tantrum, I was never really the type to lose my cool, I hated how this turned out, really, I do, but I fear as though if I were to turn this fella's/thing's request down, he/it would teleport me back to the freezing cold, still lake water that may freeze me in seconds due to hypothermia, or perhaps kill me from the inside with deadly, undiscovered bacteria such as brain eating amoeba, it's like if peer pressure is the only way for me to live, so with another sigh, I finally spoke:
'Alright, I'll hear you out this one time, and this one time only!'
The entity took flight, and stayed afloat for several seconds, wafting and waning around like a kite, like an eagle looking for its prey, and suddenly, he/it spoke out in a loud, dominant tone:
'"I am that I am, I made the universe from the darkness, and set it apart from the light, I am the "One Who Made Light and Dark", and I choose one individual to serve as my aspect, who will it be?"'
I quivered, I had not a single bit of courage in front of this creature, whatever fears I had before pales in comparison to what this thing is, for one, he could turn my body inside out with just a single thought, dice me up into a shish kebab, but since I quite literally am dead, what is there to lose? I mean, I don't even know what this thing wan-
'"Are you done with all that mental yapping? I seem to be getting tired of your antics, and I'm a god who's been alive for billions upon eons of years, and had yet never gotten tired, much less met someone as stale as you, so what'd ya say?
Do you want to be my apprentice, or would you like to return to that hypothermic gorge of a lake in which you would drown in eternally for the next 5 billion years before the red giant sun eats the Earth whole? I'll give you five whole minutes to think of a verdict."'
After I had been left to my wits for five whole minutes, I had come to a resolution, 'Fine, I'll do as you say, but I need clarification that you-'
'"Alright then, now that we have an agreement, you'll just have to ea-'"
'HEY, DON'T INTERRUPT ME WHILE I'M SPEAKING TO YOU, GOT IT YOU SIX WINGED FUCK!', I erupted into pure madness as this bastard rudely interrupted me.
'"My, my, aren't you a rather spoiled brat... fine, I'll hear you out just this once, only because you agreed to my offer, what is your request?"'
I boldly spoke up to the colossal behemoth floating right in front of me, 'I wish for you to show me three signs that you truly are who you say you are, firstly, I wish for you to deliver upon a single piece of the best lamb offering to the Nemean Lion and it's kin and grant it the knowledge to know that I am its master and to do what I wish it do, second, I wish to be dropped off at the same spot as the bamboo cage where I was imprisoned by the samurai bastards, finally, I wish to be granted with your grace, your wisdom, your power and your favour for a short amount, even if it be for just a minute of time.
I beg of you, O Lord, please, I wish to be your avatar, even if you wish for me to return back to this timeless void outside of the universe, I will return, if you wished for me to fly throughout the vast region of eternal space for the rest of my meagre life, I will do it.'
The frugal bastard replied to my strange request, '"Wow, that was really inspiring, it almost made me shed a tear, you really are pathetic, but you really did devote yourself right there, oh well, you did convince me that you really are passionate for a second chance, I will grant you your three wishes, as well as grant you my guidance in return for loyalty and devotion.
Eat, and you will granted all that you wished for, dine, and you will be my avatar, drink, and you will be granted my wisdom and my grace, all for 300 mere seconds of my glory."'
I had forgotten how deprived of food I was, I mean, surviving off of 4 litres of water over a 2 day period and somehow managing to evade samurai, the public eye and even a freaking massive lion that toppled with Heracles is not much of an easy task, so hearing your own stomach rumble for a good half-minute was not a really good sign of a well fed person.
The deity chuckled and boldly spoke, '"What's the matter, eat up, you think I poisoned your food or something? I mean you're already dead, besides, why would I turn my back on one of my subjects?"'
Knowing that I had nothing to lose, I got up off my knee and walked up to the golden table at the centre of the void. I sat down on the golden chair, and began gorging down on the food, I had chowed down on every single item on the golden table, evading every single one of the table manners that I was taught as a child by my wealthy foster parents.
The golden steak, gone, the golden caviar, gone, every condiment on the table, gone, the most precious glass of wine, gone, within two whole minutes, I felt as if I were full for a two week duration.
Grateful for being fed, I thanked the deity, 'Thank you for the meal, your Grace!'
'"All in a day's work boy, but now it's your turn, remember what you've promised, and I will grant you what I promised, understood? That is what you call a covenant."' the deity replied.
'Yes my lord, but what happens now?' I asked in a not so honest tone, confused as to what this bastard wants.
'"In approximately 60 seconds, you will be deported back to that filthy bamboo cage where you were held prisoner by that animalistic daimyo, your task is to wipe out every samurai on the island of Japan.
Now hold on, it may seem like a big deal but trust me, with the power you'll receive, it'll feel like you're swatting a bunch of mosquitoes away from your body, currently, their numbers are at an all time low, with only around 300 active samurai in service, it just so happens that all of them have been stationed at the god-emperor and shogun, Edo-sama's palace, which just so happens to be in the same town that you were captured in, you will receive my grace, my wisdom, my power and my favour, all you have to do is complete your task within 5 minutes and your little deal with me is done, got it?"'
'I understand that but why do I have to do such a task for you?' I inquired to the Seraphim, to which this thing cut me off and annoyingly remarked, "'Too late for questions, long live and prosper you young wanderer, bye-bye!'", it waved one of its wings covering its face, and golden sparks that illuminated the room sprouted out of thin air.
As soon as the sparks interacted with my skin, I was pulled out of the dimension at a speed that not even light could reach, I could merely see myself travelling through a portal of both light and dark flashes, but the sheer gravitational force of the pull rendered me unconscious, to the point where I woke up in the same bamboo cage I was imprisoned in, right next a bare naked body with multiple flesh wounds. It was the same body of that poor, young samurai that was cut down by that Kuro-sama fella. I was back, and ready to wreck some havoc on these Guinea pigs.