The blade is me (3)

Narrator POV:

"Avatar?..." Mikhael asked with an expression numb after so many surprises. That word was not strange to him. Coincidentally, his beautiful boss was an avatar as well.

Avatar, the earthly incarnation of a god or goddess.

According to Little Garden's worldview, avatars were beings with their own personalities and autonomy.

However, that did not mean that they were not closely connected. The origin of the avatar resided in the god in question. Many times, the avatars made up different parts of the gods.

Kurma, The world king and a pure-blooded dragon, for example, was one of the 10 avatars of Vishnu.

Just like the other main members of Avatara. A community of sun kings composed of the different incarnations of Vishnu and their subordinates.

"You heard correctly." The unknown god confirmed as he began to walk somewhere.

"Leave aside the explanations, we must first solve your current problem. Follow me."

Mikhael hesitated for a moment before following him across the meadow. The discomfort he felt made it difficult for him to walk.

He hadn't felt this bad since the time he first tasted Aurelia's food. Even with his exaggerated irregularities, he could swear he had almost seen the light that time.

"You must be wondering what is happening to you, right? Well, to summarize a very complicated story in a few words. Inside you, there are 4 powers that are like a degraded version of mine."

The unknown god began to explain as they walked somewhere. Mikhael saw nothing in sight, only an endless meadow slightly shaking by the wind.

Listening to him talk about his powers, Mikhael paid more attention to what he was saying as he tried to ignore the constant whispers in his ears.

It had always seemed strange to Mikhael, he had 4 irregularities, unlike the others in his home world. Even Aurelia, a rare genius, had only two.

"You have not yet tamed these four powers and they just maintained a delicate balance. Which was broken when the fragmentation of your will began."

"With the balance broken, the four powers began to clash with each other, fighting to see who reigned among them. Therefore, your behavior was affected to some extent by them."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you're not acting of your own will. Those four powers are your original gift, your own nature that got out of control."

"Right now you are experiencing this more intensely thanks to my presence. You probably feel as if your body wants to go in four different directions at the same time."

The first greatly increased the intensity of his desire and greed.

The second increased his desire for battles and fighting spirit.

The third affected his view of justice and good and evil.

The fourth affected his view on life and death.

They did not control his mind, far from it. They were originally parts of himself. Now these parts were actively colliding in him just because his will was divided.

The third was with the hero.

The first was with the boy.

The second and the fourth went with the king.

The phenomenon would be solved once his will became completely spiritually one again.

The problem was that the boy and the king had joined together, leaving the hero alone. Once this happened, the phenomenon worsened.

The symptoms were becoming evident now that the presence of the unknown god had agitated them uncontrollably.

(Gift...so this god is from Little Garden, I see. It seems like until now I was moving like a chess piece without realizing it...)

Mikhael thought with a bit of melancholy as he understood the implication of him being an avatar and that this god was from Little Garden.

Maybe even his meeting with Kurma wasn't as accidental as it seemed. Rather, how much of his life was "accidental"?.

"And right now, we just got to what you came for. As well as what will finally solve your problem."

With just a blink, the landscape changed. They were still in an endless meadow, the difference was that a hill was in front of them.

"Go and take it. Once you do you will understand everything."

At the top of that hill rested a sword stuck in a stone. A mystical atmosphere surrounded the scene that was etched in Mikhael's eyes.

A silver blade that glowed softly with a light that illuminated the surrounding meadow. A gold handle with blue details.

Not a cheap copy, but something different with a different story.

The most exquisite work of art forged by human hands using a fire of desires.

Made with divine materials mixed with a fragment of one of the most powerful authorities.

An irreproducible miracle.

The moment he saw that sword, he felt an impulse from the depths of his soul. And he began to advance towards it before he realized it.

"But I have to warn you..."

The unknown god saw the young man begin to advance towards the sword. He spoke as he watched him reel from the conflict within him.

"Once you take that sword, there will be no turning back. You will have to bear the enormous responsibility that comes with it. As well as the countless dangers that await you."

Mikhael listened to the god's warning without stopping for a moment. His steps felt increasingly difficult the closer he got to the sword.

But he absolutely couldn't stop. He could feel it. His dream was in front of him. At least, the key that could open the door to reality where that wish could be fulfilled.

He just had to move forward and take that key.

One step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

Even if he felt his head split from the increasingly intense collision of powers.

Even if his legs tried to give out.

He advanced until he approached the sword.

"..."

The unknown god looked at his advance with bewilderment, yes, bewilderment. He understood what that sword represented and what was the main material to create it.

And so...

He covered his face with his hand, doubting how such a desire was born in Mikhael. That had not been his manipulation or anyone's.

That was the reason for his confusion, he never seemed like someone like that to him.

Unknown even to him. That was also how it had been at the beginning.

At the dawn of time, something slept peacefully in the center of Little Garden.

But one day he began to hear it, his eternal sleep from which he was not originally supposed to wake up, was interrupted.

"God, please keep my husband safe. He's going into battle against one of the demon lords to try to defend the town, I'm afraid he won't come back. God, please."

Prayers.

"God, I want to grow big and healthy to help the director of the orphanage with her homework. She told me that I would be fine as long as I ate my vegetables."

"But I want them to smile happily forever, so help me grow tall and strong. Please, god."

Wishes.

"God, please. Grant me your blessing. I want to become a hero who defeats the evil that roams rampant."

"Not for glory, but to bring a small change to the lives of others, no matter how small. Please god, bless me with enough courage."

Desires.

He heard them.

During his eternal sleep, amid infinite darkness, he heard them clearly.

A few.

Dozens.

Hundreds.

Thousands.

Hundreds of thousands.

A pitiful little race, which had been created in Little Garden on a whim.

They did not have special racial talents like other races.

They didn't spit fire like dragons.

They didn't fly like vampires.

Hell, they didn't even have a really long life expectancy.

The only thing they had was an intense vitality just like that of a weed. Which no matter how much they pruned it, would still grow back like to declare their defiance to the oppressors.

A meaningless fight. An intensity that was laughable in the eyes of many of the great existences.

And yet the intensity of their lives reached that possibility.

Making him open his eyes. Infecting him with that life. He stood on his two legs looking at the beautiful scenery of Little Garden.

And he ran. With the same desire to live as those little ones, he ran in the first moments of his life.

While he laughed out loud without yet understanding what joy was.

(Ah...I...really...want...to...fulfill...the...wishes...of...those...little ones...)

Although he had not even been able to fully understand the language of that race. A desire of his own was born in his heart when he understood who gave him life.

Stayed there even after he separated into three distinct entities.

The same desire was the reason why one of the four truths, the creators of Little Garden, who witnessed his escape, they just lowered their hands, losing all intention of attacking the fugitive.

"He is..."

"...an idiot"

Two beings. One white and one black. Twins of duality. The beginning and the end. Alpha and Omega. They talked while completing each other's sentences.

"But..."

"...admirable"

Later, that possibility was divided into three.

The one who was everywhere served as a guardian of the weak and those who lost their way while he learned what friendship was.

The one who knew everything once sacrificed himself to give countless worlds a chance while he learned what companionship was.

The one who could do everything roamed the plains, eliminating countless rampant evils while he learned what love was.

And now, what was left of those three existences.

Of that possibility.

He extended his hand toward the key that would open the door to his original desire.

For his loved ones.

To deny the existence of something like an end that was only an immutable void, an eternal oblivion.

To fulfill a childhood dream.

He touched the hilt of the sword, as he gathered strength to pull it out of the stone.

"Say your wish out loud, that sword will surely help you accomplish it. Say it with all your soul."

Mikhael heard the voice of the unknown god who seemed resigned to something while he advised him. And amid whispers that told him to ask for different things.

"Conquer even the fate designated by divine hands..."

(No, it wasn't that.)

"Eternal war against the unjust..."

(It wasn't that either!.)

"Endless famine for the wicked..."

(That less!!)

"Bring death even to that which cannot die..."

(Neither!!!)

Trying to tighten his grip on the sword while the voices said different things, his head became confused, his limbs lost strength, and his grip loosened.

But memories shone through the fog, illusorily pointing the way to his desire.

"I want everything in the world and the whole world wants me too."

"Well actually it may seem simple and even naive but my dream is to have a big happy family"

"I promise"

"This is my promise to Hestia and myself, one that I will keep."

"I promise that I will become your sword so, trust in yourself, and if you can't, trust in me who trusts and will always trust you."

"I have goals that I have to achieve at all costs, therefore, I must become stronger"

"I'm going now"

"Oh, the young man whose path is full of thorns but who will not give up, you must move forward without a doubt in the face of challenges."

"I want to be a mother's hero"

"Nah, I'd win"

"The third step teaches us to do what we believe is right and take responsibility for the outcomes."

"Do you understand now? My steps never stopped"

"Impossibility is just that, a height that has not yet been reached. And coincidentally, I trust in the strength of my limbs."

"Keep your head up and keep moving forward, and shape the imperfect world into the way you want!!!"

With each memory, he gathered strength and tightened his grip on the sword.

Amid the torrent of memories, one was the one that gave the last push. It was the straw that broke the camel's back.

"Mikhael, your path is something that only you can decide, no one can do it for you."

Adam smiled just as serenely even as his body slowly disappeared into particles that flew somewhere.

"My foolish disciple, no, my beloved son, believe in your strength and do not falter."

That was the last lesson the only man he recognized as his father had given him.

One that gave him the last ounce of strength he needed.

Yes, from now on...

His heart would no longer waver.

(I wish...)

(For them...)

(For me...)

Mikhael put all of his strength into the sword as he pulled it out of the stone. Pointing it at the sky, his desire resonated with the one that was embedded in the sword.

(A happily ever after ending!!!)

If someone asked him why he made such an illusory and childish wish, he would probably respond with a sunny smile:

"Because I like happy endings where everyone can smile happily because my mother looks beautiful when she smiles"

At that moment, when he took out the sword it shone dazzlingly as if to celebrate it is true birth.

He heard it.

He heard the sound of church bells ringing thanks to the blessing of the mischievous world will.

And the voice of his sword.

That was his voice.

With it.

The sword told a story as if it were a fairy tale.

Once upon a time, there was a young man who stumbled again and again in life.

The darkness stalked his path, leaving him alone repeatedly.

He lost himself twice and later he found himself twice too.

The young man who lost everything flew free, thinking it was all over.

But he had a new opportunity, he met many wonderful people.

The scars of the past healed and those who left little by little returned.

And salvation was given to him from the heart of a little goddess who guarded the flames.

Smiling sunnyly, the young man wove in his heart a white dream such as purity.

With that dream, he would ensure that he would achieve happiness.

And he would live happily with his old and new big family while he prepared to head to the top.

That was not an ending...

But just another new beginning.

His.

Theirs.

The one of all of them.

Because that's what the never-ending story dictated.

***

(Author note: Good morning or good evening, dear readers.

This is basically to warn that after this chapter the whole topic of Mikhael's parts is over, what follows is the new actual development of Mikhael.

And what kind of path he chose to the top.

In addition to warning that these days I will try to upload slightly longer chapters again.

PS: Can anyone find out the identity of his "real" gift? Comment if you can, I'll be reading :D.)