Masaru Nakamura floated in silence, unaware of his surroundings as if he were in a dream. Unable to open his eyes, he began to panic. Trying to move, he soon learned that he had no control over his own body; he felt as if he was made of smoke and could easily blow away.
Suddenly, a soft but firm and high-pitched voice echoed through the void, calling to him.
"You may awaken, child."
Nakamura's eyes slowly and effortlessly opened, his vision blurred and his mind hazy as he came to his senses. Nakamura tilted his head in every direction, unable to make sense of his situation.
Looking around, he realized he was in a void that was absolute, it had a certain darkness that seemed to stretch on forever. The void had no end nor a start; he felt it was a place of fate, a place all were destined to come to at some point.
Struggling to speak, Nakamura stammered with confusion. "Who's there?" Silence fell upon the realm and he received no answer. "Where am I?"
The voice that had spoken once before echoed again through the void. "I am the goddess of death, you may call me Izanami, and you are in my realm; the realm of death."
Breathing heavily, with large round droplets of water forming under Nakamura's eyes, he began to slightly cry at the thought of once dying.
"Why can't I remember anything..?!" Nakamura exclaims. "I feel lost and confused, as if I was once someone with a place.. someone who belonged somewhere.."
Nakamura scrunches his face into an ugly expression as he arches his eyebrows down, looking across the abyss at Izanami, hatred in his eyes. "Did you do this?! Did you make me this way?! The goddess of death, what have you done to me?!"
"Please, call me Izanami. Like I told you before, I am the goddess of death. Despite the title, I don't actually kill anyone, though how you died was a pity I'm afraid." Izanami stared at Nakamura with a trace of sadness in her eyes. "I promise, I aid humans and guide them to the afterlife so that they may live.. erm.. die? No, that's not the right word.. you know what, just forget it hehe.." Izanami grew nervous the more she tried to explain things.
"Look.. I need your help.. would you please allow me to reincarnate you into a world of my choosing?" Izanami begged Nakamura.
Nakamura's hatred began to subside as he listened to Izanami's sincerity in her words, knowing that she just manages the realm between life and death.
"Why do you want to reincarnate me? I've already died once, what makes you think I'm up to your expectations? You have too much faith in a dead man.. but then again.. what type of man am I or even more, who am I?" Nakamura closed his eyes, trying to remember who he was and tried to recall his past, who he was and where he came from.
"Well, I can do a great many things as I am a goddess after all. Though, I don't think I have to. There is one guaranteed way I can convince you to reincarnate for me, child." Izanami said with a sly smirk, crossing her arms and leaning forward, putting her face inches away from Nakamura's before whispering into his ear,
"Would you like to know?" Confused, Nakamura said in a cautious voice, "Okay, tell me this 'guaranteed way' that you're sure will work." Nakamura said half-heartedly, not believing in Izanami's words.
"Oh, so you don't believe me. Is that it? Well, I suppose I shall have to prove it." Izanami pulled away from Nakamura and playfully flicked his forehead. "Hey, what was that for?" Nakamura exclaimed.
"Aw man, you're not any fun at all.. a goddess can't have fun and tease a mortal?" Izanami laughed softly.
"There is a process to life and death, and unfortunately, it's rather slow. You have been here in an eternal slumber for three centuries, or 300 years.. I would like to formally apologize for this, we are very short-staffed.." Izanami bows forward, showing respect to Nakamura and apologizes for the wait.
"WHAT?! 300 YEARS?! I'VE JUST BEEN A DEAD SPIRIT LAYING HERE SLEEPING?!" Nakamura yelled in shock. "In other words, yes. You've been sleeping for 300 years. How do you feel? Does your spirit feel well rested?" Izanami looks at Nakamura curiously and pokes his cheek playfully with one finger.
"Hey, stop poking me! And now that you mention it, yeah, I do actually feel pretty good despite not having a physical body.. though, what does that have to do with anything? Is this for the afterlife?" Nakamura asked, questionably.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
"Well, no, the reason I asked was that you seemed stressed, and I would like to put you at ease. If you agree to reincarnate and help me with an issue in another world, then I can restore your memories." Izanami claps her hands together, and a giant book materializes out of thin air.
"Wait, you can restore my memories? Do it right now then!" Nakamura shouts excitedly.
"Patience, my child. I said I can restore your memories, yes, but I won't restore all of them until you have helped me. What I will restore is your sense of self, at least your name and where you come from." Izanami blows off the giant book, and dust flies towards Nakamura, causing him to cough.
"Hey, watch it! There could be some ancient germs on that thing!" Nakamura yells.
"Haha, nonsense. This book is only 11 centuries old!" Izanami says chirpily.
"Wait.. really? You speak of it as if it's not old at all, how old are you?" Nakamura asks, curiously.
Silence then befalls the realm, and Izanami's face darkens. She slowly turns towards Nakamura and holds the book over his head. "Are you calling me old? Never ask a lady her age, you JEEEEERK!" Izanami whacks Nakamura on the head with the book and then suddenly becomes her cheery self again. "I'm only 25!" Izanami says happily.
"Yeah, right.." Nakamura says quietly.
Izanami turns back towards Nakamura and pouts at him, "What was that..?!" Izanami says coldly as she pouts.
"N-nothing.." Nakamura quickly turns away, nervous and frightened.
"Good!" Izanami says happily. "Now, let's get started."
Izanami flips to a page in the big book as it floats in front of her. She then places a finger on Nakamura's forehead and says a line from the book.
"Oh hear my heed spirits of time and past, I command thee gather and bring forth the lost memories of Masaru Nakamura."
Suddenly, green lights surround Izanami and faint whispers fill the air with a rush of wind blowing around Izanami's crimson red hair.
"Lady Izanami, Goddess of death, we hear your command and answer your call! We come before you with the lost memories of the ancient known as Masaru Nakamura."
Izanami holds out her free hand and the green lights gather above it, combining into an orange light in the shape of a sphere.
"I bestow upon you your sense of self. You are forever and always Masaru Nakamura, and your place of origin is Tokyo, Japan. You died at 24 years old. That is all I will grant you at this time."
The lights begin to fade away as Izanami slowly pulls her hand away from Nakamura's forehead. Nakamura's eyes begin to fill with tears.
"Thank you so, so much goddess! I didn't know who I was! I have a name! I am Masaru Nakamura! I am from Japan! My sense of self has been restored thanks to you! Whatever you need, I shall make it happen so long as I am able to regain all of my memories, that is," Nakamura shouts loudly, clearly excited.
"Hahaha.haha.ha.." Izanami laughs uncontrollably. "Who are you to be commanding a goddess? You know what, you're one of the most amusing mortals I have ever seen.. I think I like you.."
Izanami leans forward and kisses Nakamura on the cheek, slightly blushing as she pulls back.
"It's a deal! If you help me, I will return all of your memories to you!" Izanami says happily.
"Yes! What is it you need for me to do, goddess?" Nakamura asks excitedly.
Izanami freezes and mumbles, "Keep a war going.."
Nakamura looks at her with a blank expression. "Huh..?"
Izanami looks back up at Nakamura and shouts nervously, "The world that needs fixing is in the middle of war, and well, there's a stalemate in this war. This world has a magical system that records all past lives. Everyone has access to it and so, well, gods and goddess can't really meddle in affairs of worlds. These people have really advanced magic and they can cure any disease, and so they all know each other's magic abilities because of this system. And so, well, nobody is dying.. it's turning the cosmos into chaos.. I need you to destroy the system."
Izanami panics and blurts it all out.
"Wait.. hold up.. you're telling me you want me to go in there, destroy this system so people can die? I'll be responsible for deaths of thousands!"
Izanami cuts in hurriedly, "No you don't understand, if we let this system continue then the malice in people's hearts will grow and grow and hatred and jealousy and all sorts of negative emotions will build and build and continue to keep growing momentum when it becomes an uncontrollable darkness that eats worlds. There is a certain amount of darkness a world can take and humans should not be harboring this much... cracks have already started to form in the world... we need to act quickly! You will not be a villain but a hero, maybe in the eyes of people you will be one but us gods and goddesses know that you are the one who will save the cosmos. Like seriously, your soul stayed together for 300 years, nobody can do that! You might not just be a mortal... but that's a talk for another time... so how about it, will you help me?" Izanami asks contently.
"Fine, I will help you. As long as I get my memories back," Nakamura sighs.
Izanami giggles and jumps with excitement. "Yaaaay! Now, when I reincarnate you, I will transfer you with some special abilities. I've already given you some memories back, which I did under the table, so it's only fair that I pick your abilities!" Izanami looks at Nakamura, putting her hands on his shoulders and pulling him close into her chest, hugging him tightly.
"Now, sleep my child and go to your rebirth as our hero, make us proud! " As she hugs him, Nakamura begins to slowly drift off to sleep, fading as his reincarnation starts.
Izanami continues to whisper into his ear, "I'm sorry my child, but you might face hardships being the villain in the eyes of the people. For this, you have my utmost sorrow. You may have to do things for the better cause that will brand you a villain of man, but please save our realms from the evil calamity that stirs in the world, oh Shadow Hero.."