What? stop joking you goddamn god, like hell I’ll be-

I was interrupted by the middle of my insults.

A slaughterer? A Liar? Starting Genocide? Killing Millions? I can list more? You’re more qualified than those crocodiles who eat money and send people to their deaths. You personally did that without Any Justifiable reason.

The way he said that, he wanted me to loathed myself, I became something I didn’t want to become, Justifiable reason? We were at war, but still I killed POW’s and civilians.

“I… Was… Following… Orders…”

I said, before noticing that my voice recovered, I then thought, was my body healing and regenerating itself, I mean my guess was quite near it, since he's a God and he chose me for a reason I didn’t want to hear.

Following orders? Tell that to the men who were trialed at Nuremberg, don’t you seem to have the same excuse?

He said, but then I finally got a way to pin him, it was true that was a shitty excuse for what I did but it was worth the shot, after hearing him mention the Nuremberg trials I finally got a chance to fight back.

“Then… why me? You can resurrect them, can’t you?”

I noticed my voice fully recovered, my phrasing was faster than before a few seconds ago, I knew he was making my body regenerate, Afterall why would he kill an option that he personally picked.

They have different… Ideals and beliefs… I wanted somebody whom I can trust, somebody that my design can be employed on.

“Design? Are you making me into a monster?”

I responded to him, to think he had standards, I mean who would even want those kinds of person right next beside you, they were all lizards waiting for the right time to strike. I placed my right hand onto my back to check on the large hole that past through my body, to notice it shrunk in size than before.

As I was puzzled, except for my theory that he was regenerating my body, I was suddenly shocked, again, to hear him laughing.

Human, you’re are really funny, did you forget your crimes? You were already a monster before you died! And I am not the only one thinking of that, even you comrades, allies, peers, everybody.

What?

I was confused, if he said I was already a monster because of my war crimes but to involved my comrades in the list, I couldn’t believe it, we were just following and executing our orders, they weren’t disobedient or insubordinate towards me, or they didn’t mutiny or gave a glare of hatred or disgust.

Are you puzzled human? Do you get why you were the “Grim Reaper of the Remnant Army”? Your men were like zombies, they followed your orders blindly whether committing massacres or violating the rules and law of war.

He was right though I was puzzled by what he meant at first, I then remembered everything clearly, I always ordered my men, they didn’t respond or fight back, all they did was follow orders whilst I commanded them, I was no different than a monster commanding an army of zombies or mindless creatures.

It was maybe because of the long war my mind was broken and I only had victory in my thoughts, no matter what the cost or the result, as long as I attained victory by any means possible.

“I’m no different…”

I faintly said to myself, ashamed and disgraced, throughout the war my mind had left the thought that I was fighting for peace, victory and my countrymen embedded onto my own mind. When in reality it was only victory no matter what solution I use to answer the equation, as long as I answer correctly.

Human, why is it that you are finally remembering your crimes? Was it because you had been doing it for too many times it became 'normal'?

He pinned me, I was already a monster inside a human, there were dictators that committed crimes against humanity but their crimes were committed indirectly as they hadn’t done it themselves, but for me I did it directly, I ordered it, I saw it, I accepted it.

“What do you want?”

I said disgraced by myself, my remaining hand clenched itself into a fist in anger.

Why don’t you connect the pieces and guess what I want, Officer?

He called me using formalities, quite rare, but connect the pieces, it might be hard but not impossible, Afterall I was nominated to be part of the intelligence committee.

First, he is the God of Death, Second, he personally picked me, meaning he has high regard for my abilities, Third, one of the factors for his decision was my nickname and personality, Fourth, I am not someone that would betray the higher ups that fast unless they betray me first, Fifth, He wanted me to be his right hand, but the sixth one made me dumbfounded, he said he had a design that I had to follow what was it, and also Seventh, another life in another world.

“You had a design? What is the factor that made me part of that design?”

I questioned him, though I wasn’t in the idea I had no choice but to use what I have, even if it was working for Death.

Ho, Human, did you guess it already? Very good!

He congratulated me, but I still hadn’t guessed it, but he might say what it is as he is thinking both of us has the same answer.

You see, I am not the only God, there is the Goddess of Light, Goddess of Life, God of the Earth, they are a lot, but I’m different from them, what makes me different from the rest is because I am not only the god of Death, But also the God Darkness and the God of the Underworld.

I see, so he holds significant power and control in his domains, the other gods still have their own domain, do they have some type of border that doesn’t allow them to use or utilizes another’s domain? If yes, these gods are more complicated than the ones on earth, they also don’t seem to be parts of one big family like the European myths told.

But would that also mean, that I am not the only human here? No, doesn’t that mean if there are more gods, do they pick more humans as their aides, is this a way to judge somebody for godhood, immortality? But wouldn’t that also mean if humans were handpicked there would be a power gap between the gods and their chosen humans.

The Grim Reaper is my right hand as he is in command of everything spanning of the three domains, which you could also call him a god also, just like me, he can resurrect the dead and can use godly powers.

As I drowned in my thoughts, I had forgotten that he was still speaking, he is currently explaining the powers and duty of the Grim Reaper, his right hand, which is kind off pointing at me, a human.

The design, every God has a design to shape their chosen humans.

He added. I then thought, the design he mentioned, was it to shape and mold their human chosen’s to be their desired state? Or result they expected, it was more complicated than the one I had bargained for, these gods… they weren’t simple.

You see, currently the other Gods is currently or so, training their chosen humans, while I am here lecturing you, but as it may seem hard to control, the Powers of Death can be both hard and easy to wield, as it all comes down to the owner.

He said in a tone that represented me as a human that would inherit such monstrous powers, just the sound of it was enough to make men tremble in fear.

And you human… Fits perfectly.

He said as if he found a successor to his throne, he praised a human like me, who was still on the ground still in a weak state, whilst he was talking. But nonetheless for such a complex type of system that is currently operated by gods, is unfathomable even for experts.

But I was still curious on what he meant by ‘Fits Perfectly’

“What do you mean… Fits Perfectly.”

I asked him, but this time I stood from the dark floor, though I still had a shrinking hole at my abdomen I was strong enough to stand up and look back up at him through the tall throne meters above the almost unreachable sky.

I knew you would ask that human, I don’t want to explain, let memories and yourself explain.

What did he meant by th-

I was stopped in my thoughts as my memories flooded back to my mind, memories that I had forgotten, memories that I didn’t want to remember.

My actions, deeds, crimes, all of it returned back to me like I committed all of it yesterday. Millions dead, mountain of corpses, no fear for the dead, sea of blood, ‘Monster’, It came back to me.

My war crimes, my orders, my commands, my reasons, I was accountable for such atrocities… I was responsible for all of it, it all happened because of me.

Then as it couldn’t get any worse, I heard vague voices coming from my mind, but it wasn’t from the god, it was from my memories, my victims and my subordinates, before my current state.

“Major! This is outrageous! Why did you do that!” Ah, I committed a massacre on the POW’s because they revolted.

 “Did you hear? That young Lt. Colonel ordered a massacre on the rebels.” My Subordinates talking behind my back.

“Please! Stop! Surrender, we do!” Killing POW’s as they were surrendering.

Not one ounce of Mercy, not one ounce of Guilt, you were somebody perfect for the title of Grim Reaper. But my design had a change in plans.

For a god to change his designs for a human, it was impossible to happen, but at least I’m not the only human here. though it would’ve been better if he had said that earlier.

This will be a key factor in deciding whether you have the compatibility for the Power of Death, Human, let ask you, what will you choose…

He interrogated me, as it was an important question, he needed an answer, though I still hadn’t heard it I knew it was going to be a hard one.

What will you choose? Become a Hero? or Demon?

He asked me, at first, I was going to answer straight, but giving it more thought, what will I choose, I wanted to be a hero, but ended as a demon. When I became the Demon, I ended as the Hero. Was it just the perspective between the two sides? I wasn’t able to answer him.

Don’t worry human, once you land on the world, I will send you in, there your fate will be decided, unlike the other gods that wants only heroes, I wanted a human that can choose on what he wants to become, Hero or Demon, let his fate be decided by his actions and self.

He said to me, which gave me reassurance, he was a patient God and a very Wise one, instead of the god to decide fate, he left the human’s self and actions decide it himself, quite a good meaning.

I was about to ask another question about this new world he kept talking about, until he suddenly stated.

Human, as much as I hate to say this, we have little more time to continue our talk, the time we spent it must’ve been used to train our chosen human, in other words, you mere mortals, but you being a soldier wanted information, can your hand-to-hand and intellect help you survive?

He asked me, but I answered in a confident way for me.

“I’ll let myself decide that.”

He went silent, he didn’t respond or talk in my mind for a few seconds, before bursting in laughter, as he got his composure back, he conversed with me more, Until the supposed time finally ran out.

Human, it is almost time for your send over, I will no longer converse with you, you already have the information you wanted, let it be useful for when the time comes, this is your own fault human, instead of training you took a different route.

He sort of scolded me, but nonetheless what he was saying was true, instead of preparing myself for this ‘send off’ to another world, I asked him questions other than training, or even harnessing the power of Death, which was something I should’ve thought about.

Human, there is a table there, on that table are three rocks, each rock holds a god related to death, whoever you choose will become your binded familiar. Your familiar is soulbound to you only, he is shackled to you and will follow whatever command you tell it to do.

He said before adding.

But for him to follow whatever command you tell, you must first get its recognition as its new owner, and a being that came from Death are not too keen in being ordered by the living.

He said which meant, I had to do something to be recognized as my familiar’s owner, but what can I do exactly, still the factor would be the familiar I choose, if it is an arrogant one, then fuck it, if it is a negotiable one, I might reach a conclusion.

I looked down on the ground to see the dark floor rising and creating a table, it was obviously the god’s doing, he was the one that was making the table.

As it finished there were three rocks, each had different symbols, one had an Egyptian symbol, one was a skull, and the last was a sword, the colors of the symbols were black but the rocks they were engraved in were of different colors.

Choose Human, every human that we chose gets a familiar so don’t hesitate.

It was hard, I barely listened to mythology and such, but if the Egyptian one I have a guess it must be, Anubis, whilst the skull one is the Grim Reaper, the sword however I don’t know. In my thoughts the best familiar for me is the negotiable one since I still haven’t been recognized as their owner. But I also need one that is perfect for offense and defense.

If my guess was right, it would be the Grim Reaper familiar, if I chose Anubis or so, I might get only a defensive familiar though he isn’t arrogant he doesn’t fit the fighting standards as he guides souls, if I chose the knight, he can be a muscle brain and will be arrogant because of his pride as a knight. Leaving me only the Grim reaper.

“I chose the one in the middle, The Grim Reaper.”

Ho, good choice, human, but he isn’t the Grim reaper, he is only a Reaper, a one that reap souls from the body, he is perfect for you considering your personality.

He said, which gave me a relief since he praised me, but since he is death there must be another motive for praising me. I then looked at the table to seen it retract back to the ground and only left the stone with the skull on it, floating mid-air.

Human, you may now receive your familiar.

As I heard his signal, I went closer to the stone and grabbed it, as I gripped it on the palm of my hand, it exploded and soon starting from my veins at the wrist, it started becoming black, like the darkness flowed through my body, it entered my body and through my chest, probably going to straight to the heart.

It is done, now human, your familiar contract is finished, your weapon, I suppose will be the normal Glock or pistol, since you’re not the fantasy guy, like swords and spears.

Well, what he said was technically true, considering my background he was a god that researched well. But nonetheless he is still the cruel God like myths and legends say he is.

And also, I will regenerate your arm using 'Magic' so be careful since 'Magic' can be dispelled, Since you will need both your arms in your ‘Send Off’', and since it didn’t come with you in our meeting. Because in Death we have rules, one of it was that a human will only bring to the afterlife whatever his body possessed, if you died holding gold, it will come with you, if you died without your arms and legs, it won’t come with you.

Well that was a shitty rule to be honest. But I was also getting impatient by what they meant by sending us off to a new world, what will we do? The humans that the gods chose has powers every human wants to possess, just what will we even do in the new world.

Time’s up, Human, prepare yourself, this is an Offer by Death, this will be your second life, use it wisely.

He said, before my entire body was suddenly pushed down by a powerful force of gravity, it was like he was about to crush me dead, but my thoughts still can’t forget what he meant by: Hero or Demon, you choose.

Just what does he meant by that? this other world what awaits me there? Why were we humans chosen?