The Gods - Prologue II

"Where the fuck am I now?" Ryo asked himself while looking around in search of something that hinted at where he was. Unluckily for him, the only thing he found was the infinity.

Thinking about things calmly, he remembered something crucial. He, Ryo Hashimoto, had died in a fire. But if he had died... then how was he conscious? Was that the afterlife? Was he destined to live through it eternally as a punishment... for what? Why did he have to suffer so much?

"Everything... why did everything happen to us?"

For the first time since his sister's death, Ryo Hashimoto cried. He let out all of the pain, sadness and hatred he had kept to himself. It was only after what felt like hours of bawling his eyes out that Ryo got ahold of himself. After a long time of being numb, Ryo could feel at peace.

"So long as I don't live in a society ruled by laws... I can be at peace" he told himself. Ryo didn't blame anyone in particular for his suffering, but he blamed society as a whole for the lack of punishment present in the world. Even the countries with death penalty, Japan included, tended to try and avoid using it. The only thing they created was inmates who were fed on the taxes paid by law-abiding citizens.

Ryo despised such a society, which left his family's wrongdoers continue to live in relative comfort. One crazy in jail, but alive and breathing, while his sister was burnt to death. The other was out in the open, working for a different company probably. He now didn't have to see such things, which made him feel at peace.

"Do you feel better now, kid?" a voice said out of nowhere, surprising Ryo.

When he looked around, he found six figures looking at him with sadness and pain present on their faces. Ryo couldn't understand why they seemed to be in pain, so he was about to ask them. But he didn't need to.

"We shared your pain and grief, Hashimoto Ryo" explained a different voice this time. It was the one furthest to the left. Ryo, not knowing what was happening, could only think of one thing. "Who... or what are you?"

He didn't panic, after all, he was already dead. And compared to the emotional pain he had gone through, no physical pain could actually hurt him.

"We are what your people know as Gods, though we are slightly above that" said the voice furthest to the right. Then the second from the left spoke. "We rule over the infinite multiverse"

"Wait a second!" Ryo said loudly. He wasn't understanding shit, and he wanted to process things slowly. As such, he asked them to please explain things slowly. "And also... I really died?"

It took about half an hour for the "deities" to explain everything about them to Ryo. He didn't really understand what was going on until they showed him their power. He was shown the creation of an entire universe... by the pinky finger of one of the figures. Only then did he believe them.

"Then why am I here? I am dead so... shouldn't I be in the afterlife?" Ryo asked the central figure, whom he believed to be the leader of the deities. His answer came in the form of a petition.

"We, even as deities, cannot interfere in what has already been created" said the figure in answer to his question. "We can only create and maintain, but we cannot directly alter things unless they have already been altered"

Ryo understood, more or less, where the conversation was going. If he was there, talking with them, and they couldn't do something...

"You need me to help you?" he asked, more to confirm something he already knew was true than to actually ask. "Yes. That is the case, Hashimoto Ryo"

"But why me?" he asked in disbelief.

The figures proceded to answer, explaining a bit each. According to the gods, one of the multiverses had a mistake and the "core" of the world disappeared. To Ryo's surprise, the world they were talking about was the world of an anime he had seen before. High School of The Dead.

Knowing that works of fiction were nothing but the result of the connection between multiverses almost made Ryo's mind overload, but he managed to keep himself together. The deities said that Takashi Komuro, who was the core of that world, had disappeared. As such, that universe would slowly wither until it died completely. Because they couldn't directly interfere, they needed the help of someone outside their circle.

"So I just happened to be a good candidate?" Ryo asked a bit surprised at his own disappointment. After he had cried his heart out, he was slowly beginning to feel other things again, something he was unused to. The third figure from the right answered him. "Partially. We chose you because you knew that universe, because you died and because you didn't have any attachment to your previous world"

The explanation shoked Ryo a bit, since he actually fit that description perfectly. He then began thinking about it. On the one hand he wanted peace, but on the other hand he wanted a new beginning too. In the end, he decided to push a little bit and see if he could get something in return for helping them.

"I... Can I see my family one last time... to properly say goodbye?" he asked, a little bit fearful of the answer, but still expectant. The figures looked at each other and seemed to smile, taking the almost unnoticeable movement of their faces into consideration. "We will grant you this request, regardless of your anser. We believe you deserve it"

When Ryo saw his family appear in front of him, looking exactly like they did in the picture he tried to salvage, he began crying once again. They walked towards Ryo and hugged him tightly, allowing him to cry until he felt at peace. The figures had left, sensitive enough to give the family privacy.

After that, Ryo began telling him of his last year until he died. From the pain to his anger towards society. From the good job as a model to his crazy fans. From the robbery to his death. His sister was crying, because she felt like she had burdened her brother when he was in pain. His parents felt regret because they died before their children and weren't there to help them when they most needed it. Ryo of course told them that they weren't to blame, which was the truth. For the first time since the accident, Hashimoto Ryo was smiling.

His face was a mess of tears with puffy eyes, but he was smiling as brightly as when he was still a kid and he didn't know the real world. It was then that he heard his father's words.

"Listen well, Ryo. We love you. All of us. But we want you to have a better life than what you've been living. We don't want you to die while still being so full of regrets, not having known true love nor finding your purpose in life. That is why we ask you to take this second chance and live your new life to the fullest"

Ryo was shocked by his father's words. When he looked at his sister and his mother, they both nodded approvingly at him. The three of them had tears in their eyes. They wished him the best.

"Ok dad. I... I will live a life that will make you proud!" he said with resolution and determination in his eyes. His family smiled when they heard his words. "That's good then. And always remember our family's code, Ryo. Do good when and where you can"

After those words, each of them took turns hugging him and saying their goodbyes. As their figures disappeared from the infinite, Ryo began silenty sobbing once again. But this time it was different. For the first time in his entire life, Ryo cried because he was happy.

"*sigh*... I'm seventeen and I'm crying so much... sheesh" he said to no one in particular, though someone did answer. "There is nothing to be ashamed of. After all, those emotions are what makes you who you are"

Ryo just nodded and smiled when the gods came back. He kneeled before them and made a dogeza, placing his palms on the ground.

"Thank you very much for allowing me to talk to them!"

"There is no need for that, Hashimoto Ryo" said one of the deities with joy flowing out of its voice. How could they not be happy when they could feel the purity of his gratitude. Still, they had to think of their original purpose. "So, what is your choice, child?"

Ryo looked at each of them and took a deep breath to calm down. When he exhaled, a look of determination was present on his face.

"I will take this chance and help you"

That was all the Gods needed to know. They could now finally talk to Ryo about his duty.