Chapter Text
A pungent smell of anaesthetic and isopropyl alcohol wafts in the room. He strongly felt a prick of uneasiness at this sterile environment, prompting him to open his eyes.
When he came to, the sight of what appeared to be a hospital chamber greeted him. A single bed which he occupied sat lonely in the room devoid of any furniture. There was a small partition in front of him, and what was behind it wasn't yet to be known. What's strange is how the concrete walls are designed to be a high-level disaster prevention with an alarm installed in the very corner of the room.
If not for the IV needles stuck in his left forearm or the smells, he would think he was in prison.
Cale Henituse has experienced lots of ups and downs in his life, but this time, he really wants to gun himself dead and quit. Well, maybe not. He'd rather gun someone, a particular god, to be exact.
He gritted his teeth.
"Motherfucking god of death." What did he do to deserve this!?
He just wants to rest, slack off, retire, and gain freedom for himself. Why was he constantly being stuck in some sort of assholery bullshit such as this!
(That's right, Cale Henituse was having a literal breakdown, a bit late, but reasonable. To know what's happening, let's rewind to exactly one hour ago...)
Cale stared at the man in front of him, asking crassly, "Am I dead?"
The man hesitated before folding his hands and leant forward. "You did."
"But don't worry. As long as you followed through a procedure I've made, you will be as fine as brand new."
"What is it?"
The damn god spread his hands, "You need to reincarnate, to a new world."
So you're asking for a beating. Cale gets up and moves forward, and the man immediately holds up his hand.
"N-no! Cale! Listen to me—" Cale was done with him, paying him no more respect whatsoever. This man, the God of Death, really was useless. Not only did he break his own word and promises, he even tried to cajole him. Did he think Cale was a pushover?
God of Death flailed his hand, "Hey! listen to me! I'll explain everything! I won't withhold anything! I was making the best option for you." He keeps backing away like a fish, and Cale really doesn't have the energy to catch him. Instead, he threatened, "Keep going." If I detect a single lie or bullshit, you're done.
The useless god sighs, "Actually, you weren't supposed to die. You might think I tricked you, but I really don't."
The God of Death felt wronged. He explained, "The world tree dagger isn't the one that killed you, you even successfully killed the White Star with it, see?" A projection of the White Star disintegrating appears in his right hand.
"The problem lies with the God of Despair." Cale raised his eyebrows.
The God of Death's face hardened, "We didn't succeed in sealing him."
The temperature in the room drops at the news.
Another projection shows, "He used his last bit of energy to separate his consciousness and fled. We've tried our best to track him, and—"
Cale interjects, eyes cold, "You found him?"
"We did." The God of Death nodded as the projection enlarged, changing to a scene of a vast universe and narrowing down into a lonely planet.
"001-A. A planet who has quite a unique concept. Simply put, a planet with what you humans call a "superhero concept" which defined people into two sides, a hero and a villain." Cale snorted and threw a comment, "Stupid."
The God of Death smiled faintly, "That's right."
"Strictly put, a planet whose majority only see the black and white in all things tends to head towards destruction faster than others, and this is what propelled Despair to plant his influence."
Cale narrowed his eyes, "He wants to recover, and get stronger."
"Yes." The God of Death looked at the man in front of him, the man who has single-handedly done most of the work in saving a ruined world with his strength. This has been rather a difficult choice to make. While he was making this decision that weighed the lives of more than seven billion people, he dared not be reckless. The other gods favour him, and you don't have to ask about Death himself. He was extremely fond of this human. That's why he followed through with battling out his opinion with other gods to make a very bold request.
Well, he more or less feels guilty since he indirectly broke his promise to Cale, so the conditions that he set were very generous this time. A transactional contract that favours the debtor more. He was willing to do that for this man for the sake of the survivability of this small planet.
He points his fingers and channels his powers. Instantly, Cale flinches as a bulb of light floats in front of him towards the God of Death.
"Cale Henituse, your soul, it is broken. While it is true that you weren't supposed to die that so your soul isn't accepted in my realm, if you live with this kind of soul, you won't even survive a month before your time's up." The God of Death tries to ignore the increasingly hard scowl on Cale's face, and calmly continued, "So I'm offering you a deal, for you to reincarnate and replenish your energy while I am fixing your soul, and live a quite life until the time that your soul fully healed to start the mission."
"After you're done with your mission, you can go back, to your family."
Cale was silent for a moment, then asks the important question.
"It's a rebirth? I won't possess another body?"
"Yes. this time you'll start as a baby." Cale visibly paused at that.
The God of Death, "?"
"Troublesome," He commented with a frown.
"Ah?" The God of Death was scared that he would refuse and tried to bargain, "Cale, think about it, the benefit that you receive is already more than I can normally do. I've fought in storms and chaos to-"
"I will do it." Death was cut off. The smile hasn't yet formed on his face when Cale says, "But add a condition."
"What is it...?"
Cale tilted up his chin, "You. Become my watchdog." The attitude towards the supposed respected god was so crass and disrespectful that if it were any other person, the God of Death would already chuck his soul into the river of Hell. But this was Cale. He had long been used to it and even understood the hidden meaning.
He smiled, "You want me to be available at all times to your calling and help you in the mission?" Then proceed to answer the question himself, "Not possible."
Ignoring the gaze that bore into his soul, he reckon with, "A few hints here and there, however, are possible. And there were also many other benefits that you may like as well." He spread his palm to materialize that cursed book that had a history with Cale. He's quite daring.
He steered the topic away, "Ahem. Well, this is what I can compromise with. I don't need to teach you how to use it, right?" Seeing no response, he dared to be even more daring, "Oh. How about a free trial to become my sain—"
Cale Henituse didn't want to be in the same room as this cursed God any longer.
He says coldly, "Sign the deal."
So here Cale was, in a hospital and flooded with an awful flood of memories prior to waking up.
"Oh. You will probably be in a state where you are somehow passive in this world."
Tired of his bullshits, Cale's response had been, "Whatever, being passive is good. I don't have to do anything."
Like hell it's good!
Cale Henituse has finally experienced how it feels to dig his own grave. His face turns grim. Turns out being passive means being a vegetative. Turns out living peacefully means "He is an idiot who cannot even talk or think."
Fuck!
He gripped his hair.
After being out of touch with reality for so long, he really was in need for a moment to collect himself. Yet he wasn't even allowed to do that much, as the door to the room opened, and someone called out.
"Keiru?"
Fuck!