Silva POV
I found myself in an oddly blurry space of endless white, and I wondered out loud.
Silva: Am I dead again?
I sighed, thinking I was likely dead, and I blamed my arrogance because after I faced the Jotun at Atlas and won, I felt I could handle anything thrown at me. How wrong I was, but that Dragon Grimm was undoubtedly stronger than Salem strength-wise. The only reason I don't think I can win against Salem in a fight is that she is immortal and recovers from any damage I deal with her.
I looked around, wondering what will happen next, and I suddenly heard a voice behind me.
???: Interesting choice of words. Am I Dead Again?
I turned to face someone I was not expecting, the God of Darkness. He looked towards me and bluntly asked.
God of Darkness: So tell me, just who are you, Slayer of Labon?
I tilted my head and asked.
Silva: Slayer of what now?
He answered me in a passive tone.
God of Darkness: The Dragonic Grimm you faced before ending up here.
I nodded in understanding, and now God of Darkness then commanded me.
God of Darkness: Now answer the question, who are you?
I shrugged and pulled a Kakashi on him.
Silva: My name is Silva Cloud; I like many things; I don't have any particular dislikes, but I do hate a few things, and as for my dream for the future, I will keep that to myself.
The God of Darkness just looked at me; I think he was stunned by my answer and then said after a few moments.
God of Darkness: Very well, Silva Cloud. Now, as for why I brought you here, it's mainly to meet the one who slew my old pet despite having no magic or, in your case, very little magic. I am not sure how to feel about you slaying Labon; on the one hand, he was once my most incredible creation before humanity came into being. However, on the other what you did was a remarkable feat, one that many have tried but ultimately failed.
He then came closer to me with his towering humanoid form and said.
God of Darkness: Now the question is whether to punish you or reward you.
He did not intimate me because even if he killed me, I already died once, so death gives me no fear, and if he tries to make me suffer eternally like Salem, I will make him pay no matter what. I just stared into his blank face for a few moments, and his posture changed as he said.
God of Darkness: Hmm, your personality is far pleasing than that witch or wizard my brother and I left behind at our first creation.
I just looked at him, confused at what he meant, and he made me an offer.
God of Darkness: Tell me would you like to go back to the land of the living?
I asked, feeling cautious.
Silva: At what price?
He walked past me and started explaining.
God of Darkness: You see, while my brother and I have been working on other worlds, our thoughts often stray towards the world now known as Remnant. We are aware of the witch's desire for death, and she will do anything to get it but will ultimately be denied her release from life.
He turned to face me and continued.
God of Darkness: While the wizard has done some good here and there to complete the task my brother has given him, he has let his old feelings over the witch prevent him from handling her despite our gifts that would enable him to imprison her. I feel it is time to add a new variable to help that world be united and be worthy to receive my brother's and myself's blessings. Or to bring about our final judgment and end our first creation as a failure.
While several thoughts rush through my head, I pointed out something that the brothers have failed to learn.
Silva: Putting aside your offer, for now, I think both you and your brother have failed to realize something important about the people you left behind.
He curtly demanded.
God of Darkness: Explain and chose your words carefully.
With his underlying threat in the air, I told him.
Silva: When you gave the people the freedom of choice, you also made it so that they can make the wrong choice or make mistakes that would displease you. At the same time, you have the right to punish them for opposing you; you, however, are not infallible.
He shifted into his dragon form and looked down on me as he asked.
God of Darkness: Are you suggesting that I was wrong for wiping out humanity the first time when they turned against my brother and me?
I shrugged and told him in a light tone, not fearing his wrath.
Silva: What is right and what is wrong is subjective to one's perspective.
He glared at me in his dragonic form, and we suddenly heard another voice interject.
???: He does have a point, brother.
We both turned to face the God of Light appearing in his oriental dragon form. The God of Darkness snorted at his brother, and the God of Light then said.
God of Light: The reason we considered humanity our greatest creation is because they are capable of incredible feats of good and evil in equal measure. This because they are not born inclined to destruction or creation but choose their path based on the knowledge they acquired throughout their life.
The God of Darkness huffed at his brother in annoyance and asked.
God of Darkness: Why are you here, brother?
The God of Light replied.
God of Light: I can ask you the same, brother. We should not interfere with the path the world of Remnant is on before passing our final judgment on it.
The God of Darkness then explained as he gestured towards me.
God of Darkness: This one defeated Labon, where many so-called heroes failed, so I was curious. Plus, I am growing impatient with the wizard's efforts to unite humanity to either pass or fail his task, so I feel a need for a new champion to either raise humanity or end it.
The God of Light then asked.
God of Light: Brother, we agree not to interfere with Remnant, so why go against it now?
The God of Darkness then said.
God of Darkness: Brother, while the wizard represents your intentions for our old creation, I also wish to have a say on the matter. Plus, I find the soul of this one far more to my liking than that wizard you selected, brother.
As the two Gods stared at each other, the God of Light sighed after a few moments and said.
God of Light: Very well, Brother, choose your representative wisely.
The God of Darkness then said with a slight smile on his dragonic face.
God of Darkness: I already have.
He turned to face me and asked.
God of Darkness: So Silva Cloud, do you wish to return to the land of the living and judge humanity to see if they are worthy of our blessing once more.
While I was very tempted to agree, I had to ask one crucial question.
Silva: If I agree to this, will I be made immortal like Salem or Ozma?
The God of Light then commented.
God of Light: So you are aware of those two but regardless to answer your question, essentially yes.
The God of Darkness then added.
God of Darkness: I was thinking more along the lines of making you similar to the witch to ensure that you could better fulfill your given task.
I then told them.
Silva: I refuse.
Both the God's mouths hung wide open at my answer, and the God of Darkness then bellowed in a fury.
God of Darkness: YOU DARE REFUSE THIS HONOR I WISH TO BESTOW ON YOU INSIGNIFICANT MORTAL!
The God of Light then called out to calm his brother.
God of Light: Brother, at least hear his reasons first!
The God of Darkness let out a low growl of annoyance and then demanded me.
God of Darkness: SPEAK!
I sighed and bluntly told them.
Silva: I have seen what enduring eternity does to a person with Salem and Ozma. I doubt I would even handle it half as well as them; heck, I am pretty sure I would go crazy living an uncountable amount of years. So I tell you once more, I refuse even if I want to go back because the only one I blame for my premature death is myself.
The two gods looked at me, and a few moments later, the God of Darkness broke out into laughter to my confusion. After he finished laughing, he then told me.
God of Darkness: It looks like I was right about you after all. Go back with my blessings Silva Cloud and do what must be done because only then will you be released from given duty.
He conjured a mass of energy in his claw and blasted me with it before I could say anything.
General POV
As Silva was sent back, the God of Light asked the God of Darkness.
God of Light: Brother, why did you select him for this task?
The God of Darkness looked towards his brother and answered him.
God of Darkness: Originally, it was a whim of mine, but when I saw his soul, I felt that he is more suited to either ending or uniting our old creation in equal measures than the witch and wizard.
They shared a look and the
God of Light then said.
God of Light: I will also provide my blessing to him, brother, and hope he sees humanity as redeemable as I do.
The God of Darkness snorted at his brother and curtly said.
God of Darkness: We shall see in due time, brother.
Silva POV
I woke up startled and felt air entered my lungs once more. I looked around saw that I was still in the Land of Darkness within Labon's domain. I slumped down on the ground, feeling relieved to be alive, but that quickly switched to worry with what the God of Darkness said before sending me back here.
I looked up at the ever cloudy sky and reached out with both my hands towards it. I then realized I had both of my arms again, which made me happy and curious about what sort of blessings the God of Darkness gifted me. I got up and meditated to perceive better my magic and aura. What I found shocked me my magic increase by over a thousand folds.
Before, I could only cast a few spells a day before running out of magic, but now I felt I could cast hundreds if not thousands of spells and not exhaust my magic. However, a worry entered my mind that I might suffer a similar fate to Salem and Ozma. I took out my gun, Jackle, and pointed it against my heart.
I placed my finger on the trigger and took a deep breath feeling complex about what I am about to do. Fear that I am committing suicide, hope that I am not immortal, and anxiety at my current action. I pulled the trigger.
Pain hit me fast and hard, but other than that, I felt no trouble in my heart or anywhere else in my torso. I saw the gunshot wound above my heart as it rabidly healed and pushed the bullet out of my chest. I placed my hands on my head and curled up with several emotions running wild in me as I asked myself.
What am I to do now?