***(?????'S pov)***

I wake up suddenly, sweaty and out of breath. Damn.

The fire is crackling in the fireplace in front of me, generating a pleasant warmth suitable for these winter days. The flames dance, cheerful and full of life. Bad memories come back.

Above the fireplace, there are various frames, containing photos or medals that I received during my service in the army. Those friendly, smiling faces in the photos often visit me in my dreams: they don't smile, their cadaverous faces, consumed by maggots and rot, look at me accusingly, full of anger and resentment. Whether they have eyes or not doesn't matter. How can you blame them? My decisions cost their lives.

«Do you think I forgot?»

I pour myself a glass of Rum and raise it towards those smiling faces.

I am old and with each passing day, my memory is failing. But never once did I forget the names and character of my subordinates who died that day. I still remember the color of their eyes, how they kept their hair, what jokes they laughed at...

«To you, heroic bastards.» I toasted

With my body screaming in pain, I stood up from the chair. With the help of a cane, I slowly approached all those photos, only to take one in particular: the photo, of me with a woman. Until a few years ago she was my wife, but death took her before me.

For nearly 20 years, I have been on missions in the special forces of my homeland in every place imaginable and beyond. According to superstition, those who are close to marriage or married always end up getting killed. Fortunately, this was not the case for me.

Our marriage was long and happy. We started a family and I was able to enjoy the company of children and grandchildren.

Even so, she left a void that I have never been able to fill.

I turned to my left, staring at her chair. Sometimes, I seem to still see her there, busy embroidering or making woolen clothes for our grandchildren. Yet, that painful illusion only increases that loneliness.

I felt my eyelids heavy. I feel very tired. I've aged well, huh.

My eyelids closed and darkness enveloped me.

A dreamless sleep. Everything was black until I saw a white light in the distance become bigger and bigger until it absorbed me. It was blinding and I instinctively covered my eyes.

When I got used to it, I was no longer in the living room of my house, but I found myself in a room- no, in a huge room built with polished marble marked by delicate and light black veins, embellished with reliefs and decorations with gold finishes and precious stones; on the ground were very intricate carpets and tapestries hung in the intervals between the columns of Ionic finish. In front of the aforementioned columns, there were huge vases with trees that looked like apple trees, but whose fruits were golden, I could also see doves and sparrows chirping; these pots of apple trees were in turn surrounded by smaller pots where red roses were planted

«It's about time you came!» a female voice exclaimed «How dare you make a Goddess wait for so long?»

Sitting on a throne covered by a canopy made of what appears to be silk, I saw a woman with her legs crossed. Her face was covered by the canopy but I could see flowing blond hair falling down her shoulders while her body was very well proportioned apart from relatively large breasts. She appeared to be wearing a very revealing feminine tunic, and I could see her white skin.

«Excuse me?» I asked bewildered

«For 30 years I have been waiting for you to die so that you can come in my presence. With-»

«Wait a moment.» I interrupted her «Am I dead? And who are you?»

«Yes you are finally dead and now I can send you to my world.»

«What?! But who-»

«I will make you reborn into the royal family of one of the most powerful kingdoms and you will have to lead its armies against those hideous heretical creatures. Don't make a mess and complete the mission.»

«With what nerve can you make such a request to me?» I asked annoyed «I don't even know who you are and above all, what is all this arrogance?»

The woman said nothing. In one fluid motion, she rose from her throne and approached me.

Her face is perfect, lips neither too full nor too thin, a Greek nose, and two magnetic blue eyes. I don’t know if I have a heart right now, but if I did, I’m sure it would have started to beat like crazy. But my mind is clear. So clear that it's ringing alarm bells.

«Interesting.» she stated coming closer to me and taking hold of my chin forcing me to look into her eyes «I never thought anyone would refuse orders from the beautiful me.»

«...»

«You will be reincarnated and do what I ask of you.»

Her words were somehow different. They entered my ears and seemed to stimulate my desire to obey her immediately. She smiled. An arrogant smile worthy of someone aware of having won.

I spat in her face. It's true, those words stimulated the instinct to obey them at all costs. But at the same time, they stoked something I was once feared for: anger.

«Take those fucking orders and shove them up your ass.» I stated with a hint of anger «I have no obligation towards you.»

I had caught her off guard. She released my chin and touched herself where my spit had hit her. She looked at her hand for a moment and then snapped. I felt something burn my cheek. First, there was the woman's face, now I saw a tapestry. She had slapped me.

«How dare you?»

«You took the words out of my mouth.» I stated looking into her eyes again «With what guts do you come to give me orders when I don't know you and above all, I have no reason to obey you?»

«Reason?» she asked me with her voice tinged with disdain «Do you want a... reason, mortal?»

She snapped her fingers and behind her, human figures appeared floating in mid-air.

...?!

I immediately recognized those figures... those people. Anger became resentment, hatred took over. A fury that I thought was dormant exploded inside me. Fucking slut, born from some shit-hole!

«It seems that you recognize your wife and your old comrades» she stated arrogantly «If you continue to oppose my orders, they will pay the consequences»

«Consequences?»

«You don't know how many ways I could torture these poor souls before your eyes.» she stated licking her lips, disgusting me «They will be conscious. And you won't be able to do anything to help them. Who knows what they would think if I told them the reason for their pain~♪»

I Exploded. Blinded, I threw myself at her, but my body remained suspended. I can not move?!

«How sensitive we are.» she stated amusedly «A few words are enough to save them from that fate. I'm waiting~♪»

Her blue eyes are full of sadistic expectations. My body wasn't responding to me, my logic had realized the situation, but the words weren't coming out. The rancor, kept my lips sealed.

«Sigh.» the whore sighed «I don't have all the time. If by five I don't hear what I want to hear, I'll start to indulge myself.»

After that statement, she began to count. Panic spread through me. The fires of hatred and anger blazed into conflagrations, holding my lips even tighter. I wanted to say those words, but I couldn't. My eyes focused on my late wife now held hostage.

«I will do… as you ask.»

«Hm? Did you say something?»

«All right!» I shouted furiously «I will do what you asked me!»

«Good doggy~»

She kissed me on the forehead. I felt something flow inside me. Powerful, but incredibly heavy.

«If you just try to do something I don't like, I'll know. In that case, both you and someone dear to you will suffer~»

With a simple wave of the woman's hand, another bright circle was created beneath me.

«That said, do a good work~»

I fell into that circle and found myself in the darkness again. A cold and merciless darkness.

The pact I was forced to make.

I don't accept it!

Becoming a slave, to spare the people dear to me from suffering.

I don't accept it!!

Letting a supposed Goddess choose my destiny.

I WILL NEVER ACCEPT THIS, YOU ARROGANT BITCH!!!

A powerful scream… my cry of anger vibrated within the darkness. Every corner of my being burned with hatred, anger, and resentment like never before. Thirst for blood, violence, and lucid fury. An insatiable desire to break the neck of that arrogant and cowardly woman. Inflict upon her the most despicable humiliation before I slaughtered her.

That cold darkness seemed to tremble with every scream I made as if it were scared.

«I am sorry.»

«?!!!»

I heard another female voice behind me. When I turned around, there was another woman in front of me, but unlike the one before who was beautiful and provocative, she gave the impression of being austere and humble. Her wavy hair is gray-blue and styled in a ponytail with a braid of hair that appears to act as a headband and wing-like hair accessories. Her head was down so I couldn't see her face.

«Please, resentful soul, calm your anger so that I can help you.»

When she made that statement, she looked up. Her face had slightly masculine features, but despite this, I could call her a beautiful woman, whose clear blue eyes were filled with wisdom and sorrow.

«Calm down?!» I asked coldly «Are you asking me to calm down?»

«The way you were treated and the deception that led to your slavery are valid and solid justifications for your fury.» she stated in a firm and calm tone «You don't deserve such treatment. I say it first. But please calm down.»

The calm and firmness of her voice somehow comforted me. Reassured me. There was a flapping of wings and an owl with brown feathers landed on the girl's shoulders. Calm down? She is right. I have to calm down. I have to think with a cool head. I took deep breaths

«Have you calmed down?»

«Am I dead?»

«Yes.»

«Am I about to be reincarnated?»

«Yes.»

«Why?» I asked looking into her eyes «Why me?»

«I wouldn't know what to answer that.» the girl sighed tiredly «Even I can barely understand my sister. However, if she is reincarnating you in Eabes, she must have her reasons.»

«She said I had to face "hideous heretical creatures".»

When I made that statement, the girl's eyes widened slightly... surprised. Immediately afterwards she looked down disconsolately

«Perhaps, she refers to the demon race that inhabits Eabes. The only ones left loyal to me.»

«Huh?»

«It's a long story…»

In summary, this girl was the original Guardian Goddess of Eabes, loved and revered by her believers.

Thanks to her leadership, the people of Eabes experienced a lasting golden age. For at least a millennium, everything was fine, the species of that world lived in harmony and peace with each other and therefore, she decided it was time to let the inhabitants of the continent decide which direction to take. But this decision of hers led to the outbreak of a terrible war.

She went to great lengths to restore order, but she had to make many compromises and use most of her powers to restore peace. When peace returned, she discovered the reason for the outbreak of that war: her sister had taken advantage of it.

«...and the step was short. It took no time before I was labeled an evil and destructive deity. Only demons rely on my guidance.»

«Is this why she denied me the eternal rest? For a petty quarrel between sisters?» I asked, barely holding back the anger that continued to grow «For such bullshit, she took the souls of my wife and my comrades hostage?! Was I deprived of my freedom just because of a useless competition?!»

«You can't know this, but you've been deceived.»

«Deceived?» I asked surprised

«Neither I nor my sister can interfere with mortal souls without permission»

Emperor93

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