His lips parted as if he wanted to speak, but the words just didn’t come.

Displaying his utter sincerity, the enigmatic man bowed deeply, causing the glowing white halo that hovered above his rich golden hair to dip down in sync. There were also his wings. Two magnificent arms of light that followed his upper back closely.

Oh, and by the way, the man bowing right now is named Michael. Or at least, that was the name given by him.

Akuma, a teenage boy who’d just had his life unfortunately cut short, blinked a few times in bewilderment. For a moment, Akuma was convinced he must be dreaming or worse, hallucinating.

"Wait, hold on…" Akuma finally muttered, his voice hoarse and shaky. "Did I... die?"

Michael sighed, folding his luminous wings back as he straightened up.

"You did. Tragically so, I might add. But your death wasn't in vain. You managed to save a life."

"A cat… I saved a cat.”

“Yes, you did. Some would call it foolish, but it was a noble act… nonethe…less.”

He’d tried his hardest, but he could no longer contain it. The barrier he put up to contain his laughter had finally shattered.

“Oh, my goodness. No matter how many times I see it, it gets me every time.”

A vein bulged on Akuma’s brow.

This would make the second angel that Akuma felt genuine hatred for. Though in this case, it was slightly less insufferable.

Akuma chose to ignore Michael, glancing around at the mythical-like realm. It was like he was sandwiched between two glass walls stretching out to infinity.

"Where am I anyways? Is this supposed to be Heaven?"

"Not quite. This is more of a... transitional space. Like a crossroad between worlds. It's where humans who’ve died decide where they’ll end up."

“Decide where we’ll end up…?”

Snap!

In the next moment, Akuma’s feet began to tremble. Actually, it was the realm itself that was trembling.

The ground to his left foot collapsed and was replaced by a dark hole that seemed to have an infinite depth. To his right, a single door.

“Those who choose to go through the door will reincarnate into another life. But-”

“Reincarnated?! You mean like, I get to do it all over? With an opportunity like that, I could fix my mistakes…”

The air around him grew a bit heavier as he finished that thought.

“…I can finally live an ordinary, peaceful life.”

“No you can’t.”

His remark was so sudden that Akuma barely had the chance to hear it. So, he reflexively shot a, “Huh?”

Michael chuckled faintly, his playful expression returning.

“I said, you didn’t let me finish. I was going to tell you that unfortunately, you won’t be able to keep your memories. I also can’t guarantee your next life will be any better than your last. I can’t even guarantee you won’t end up on earth again. And no, you won’t get any new, mystical, cool powers.”

An awkward silence filled the room as Akuma pondered to himself. After which, he let out a disappointed sigh.

“Y’know, that’s kinda… what’s the word…? Trash? Dog shit? Yeah, it sucks balls.”

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

“I am deeply sorry about that.”

Akuma glanced down the hole to his left, gulping as he tried to find its end.

“W-What about this hole? What does that get me?”

“Absolutely nothing.” He answered, showing a bright, albeit fake smile. “That is the void. The world, or rather the manifestation of nothing. The void isn’t just a place of emptiness, it’s a space where existence itself is removed… Souls that are discarded from the library, souls that are lost, and even abandoned souls are sent there. It is the end of all destinies.”

There was a certain vibe to Michael that ate away at the air in his lungs.

No.

It wasn’t Michael’s ominous tone that sent that shiver down his spine, trembling his hands even now.

It was the void. The idea of being forgetting and alone.

And yet, it was calling out to him. As if such a fate was the only thing he deserved.

“So, what will it be, Akuma?”

He was left pondering to himself, weighing the pros and cons for each option. Except, no matter how hard he thought, he just couldn’t decide.

It was then that a sudden memory flashed through his mind. Two memories to be exact. The first was him handing a glowing book to an old sage. The second was the birth of a newborn.

The strangest part was that those memories didn’t belong to him. And yet, they resonated with him. So much so that he tightly clenched his chest as he shed a single silent tear.

“Here’s the thing, Michael or whatever your name is. Both options suck major ass. No way in hell I’m risking the chance of being born in a third world country. Especially when that damn apparition might just come back for me. But I ain’t about to jump in some nothing hole either. Sorry pal, but if there isn’t a third option then I’ll kindly sit my ass right here and wait for you to make one.”

A heavy silence fell upon them, broken by feint chuckles, as well as Michael’s futuristic armor clinking against his body as he did.

“What’s so funny?”

Michael's wings flared slightly, and his tone turned more serious.

"Akuma, your death is not the end. It's merely the beginning. Inside you, there is a power far greater than you could ever understand. The worlds need you, Akuma. Which is why I’ve come to offer you another option.”

Akuma stared at Michael, his disbelief evident.

"Worlds? Like plural? You're losing me here, buddy. And once you lose me, you won’t be able to get me back."

Michael took a step closer, his presence radiating an almost overwhelming sense of authority and calm.

"The time has come, Akuma. To remember who you truly are and embrace your purpose."

Before Akuma could respond, a sharp, agonizing pain shot through his head. He felt as if his temple had been skewered through, the pain reaching all the way to the other side.

He could only grit his teeth as fragments of images, sounds and even emotions rushed through his mind. He distinctively remembered a voice calling out his name. Except, it wasn’t his name. Not the one he was familiar with at least. As for the one calling out to him, he could only make out a hand. A hand reaching out to him before vanishing into darkness.

Akuma dropped to his knees, gasping for air as the onslaught of memories left him reeling.

"What... the hell did you do to me?!”

Michale took a knee, placing a reassuring hand on Akuma’s head.

“I’ve shown you all that I can, Akuma. Anymore and your mind would shatter. You will have to figure out the rest on your own.”

Akuma pushed Michael away, his eyes narrowing as he struggled to regain his composure.

“I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing at but leave me the hell out of it! Don’t make me feel special. Not when I know I’m just an ordinary guy… And while you’re at it, take that damn apparition with you. You two are both angels, right? So take him back and leave me the hell alone!”

“Whether you believe it or not, the fate of countless lives hinges on the choices you make moving forward."

Akuma laughed bitterly.

“Thought I just told you to stop treating me like I’m special. You really think I could affect thousands of lives? You really think I’m that important?!”

Michael smiled faintly, his wings shimmering with renewed brilliance.

“You’re the only one that’s that important.”

Akuma stared at Michael for a long moment, his mind racing with thousands of questions. But deep down, he felt an inexplicable pull, a flicker of something he couldn’t quite name. The truth is…

He wanted to be special.

"The path ahead will not be easy, but it is one only you can walk, Akuma… Only you, can kill God."

"Fine..." he muttered, his voice laced with reluctant determination. "…I don’t know what’s going on, and I’m not promising anything. But if you’re saying I’ve got some kind of purpose... I’ll play along. For now. Plus…" He continued, rising from the ground. “I’m sort of curious what these memories are.”

Michael nodded, his expression softening with a hint of relief.

"Excellent. Welcome to the beginning, Akuma Tiryns."

In the next moment, he found himself back when this all started.

As for Michael, the space transitioned to the state it was previously in. Then, an old man with striking white hair appearing behind him.

“Ah, good timing, Finral…” Michael said, turning to face him. “…Tell me, was my smile believable?”

“You were slipping a bit at the end there, but I don’t think he noticed. So, I guess I’d say it was.”

Michael began rubbing the sides of his cheeks.

“Excellent. I put a lot of practice into this smile. It would sadden my greatly if he saw through it.”

A bead of sweat dripped down Finral’s forehead, his body reacting to the ominous presence Michael was producing.

“I-I’m kind of curious… The void and reincarnation. Why is it that you always show the two options before explaining it all?”

“Well, Finral. I guess… a part of me is hoping that he’ll pick one. Except he never does… Why do you think that is?”

“Destiny of course. After all, no one can go against that.”

Michael faintly chuckled.

“One hundred points. You are absolutely correct… Speaking of destiny. Shouldn’t you be preparing yourself? To face Solomon and his Asuras?”