Died and met Satan (2/2)

"You, Satan?" Honestly, I feel quite proud of myself, sometimes I would go weeks without saying anything, either to stay hidden from the targets or because speaking took energy, so after speaking so much in the past four hours this is probably the most I spoke in years.

There was a large pause following my question, I could physically see the confusion in the creature's body language.

Seconds passed yet it remained silent, before a sigh of what I would tentatively call exasperation, it began turning its body slightly skyward, in a pose many would take when contemplating their lives.

It was weird seeing such an inhuman creature perform a common human act.

"Alright, let's start from the beginning." It bent forward, my heart lurching to my throat as the large creature drew closer to me, stopping simply meters away.

An opening appeared, cracking open, and an eye the size of my body followed suit, its pupil focusing directly on me.

"I am Abaddon, not Satan, not some imaginary god that humans made to feel better about themselves, but a being so far above your race you might as well technically consider me one." Then it wasn't satan, which means that this wasn't hell.

At least there wouldn't be any forever torment for me, or at least I hope so.

After saying such a thing and noticing how I was still staring it blankly in the face, he grew confident that I wouldn't run away as soon as I could, nor that I would interrupt him.

"And I have come to you, for an accord of your own making." An accord, so a mission? Interesting, I wouldn't have thought that a being of so much power would give a request for someone so small as me.

I have done missions for people with incredible power, like that warlord in Iran, who wanted a settlement of rebels gone. It struck me as odd then, since with his wealth he could easily mount a militia strong enough to disband the opposition.

I later discovered that he did that simply to measure my capabilities. Not that it mattered, because a few months later I killed him.

But then, maybe this Abaddon is the same?

I imagine it would just paralyze anyone who dared cross it like it did a few minutes before. So it wanted to see what I was capable of.

"End goal?" My voice was becoming raspy, I hadn't talked so much in a long time, and I wasn't used to talking at all.

"End goal you ask?" Abaddon moved away from me, this time its body was now interacting properly with the water around it, creating large waves that almost made me stumble.

"Hahaha! What an interesting question, you seek to understand what I gain from completing this deal?" What? Isn't that how basic deals work? Both parties must benefit from the deal for one to pop up in the first place, I would have to be beyond stupid to sign a contract without asking for the specifics.

Abaddon regained his composure, his laughter that sounded humane yet completely bizarre, dragging off until it stopped, "Your set goal? Very well, for amusing me so much I will answer."

Its body curled on itself before Abaddon seemed to look at the clear sky with no sun, shouting loud enough to make you briefly wince "To witness the human struggle, the unyielding indomitable human spirit that so many seem to idealize, I wish to see humanity at its lowest points, at its highest peaks, and you shall show me it!" The way it spoke, it was in grandeur, as if a presentation was talking to a large crowd of people, trying to make them see the same visions they possessed. They had large charismas, being able to sweep people off their feet and that allowed them to rapidly build up a movement of their own choice.

I was normally tasked with killing off these people.

So, to summarize, this god-like being wished to see me struggle?

What a weird god, if it even was one.

But then, how was I supposed to do that, all I knew how to do was to fight and kill people, but the way in which Abaddon talked, meant that there was more to life than doing that. I didn't have the first clue on how to go about achieving it, but I had to do it.

Considering that my last memory was dying, it was easy enough to guess that Abaddon saved me from dying completely. It might act like an enemy, and look like an abomination, but it did at the end of the day rescue me and is currently giving me a chance to live another life.

Maybe you'll learn new skills on this new battlefield. That would be interesting.

Oh, I just realized that I'll have to start from the ground up again, having to form some rep and hopefully find an info broker that won't try looking into me.

That'll be annoying, but doable.

And maybe, in this new chance, in this new life, I'll be able to feel that warmth again. The same warmth that enveloped me when Captain Asad thanked me for rescuing them.

I wanted to feel it again, I wanted to understand what it was.

So I decided, in the end, I will struggle in this new life, to once again reach that warmth I received from helping someone else.

Looking at the eldritch god, I answered.

"When, start?"

If it could, the being before me would probably break out into a grin.

"A band of walking disasters, led by a man with visions of grandeur wreak some destruction, and the greatest hero of the world is struck down." The more Abaddon speaks, the more the seas seem to follow his lead, becoming turbulent and almost knocking me on my ass.

"You will be sent to the pivotal point in history, where the greatest heroes met their match, where Monster begins to walk amongst humans, where the slippery ladder of immorality becomes a landslide." Before, Abaddon only had one eye, and it hadn't broken its visage since, yet now its entire body was filled with them, each of different sizes, each of different shapes.

The more he spoke the more I began to question his words. A band of walking disasters being led by a single man? That seemed like the immediate target of this mission.

Not only that, but heroes? I have only heard some whispers of people like that, people who are so strong that they have nothing to fear, people who manage to decimate armies, and people who manage to do miracles.

Incredible, so I was going to meet some actual heroes! I wondered what guns they used, to be able to kill so many as the stories have told, that would mean that Heroes must have extensive powerful weapons.

Perhaps with the backing of Abaddon, I will be able to receive such weapons as well and be strong enough to confront the monsters that apparently matched the hero's strength.

That part was quite troubling. For someone to match a hero, they would need equal or greater power, which is a terrifying thought.

Oh well, nothing a bullet couldn't resolve.

The waters didn't calm down like before, in fact, the sea seemed to rage, large waves starting to form, with a storm rapidly approaching from the horizon. Soon the calm peaceful sea had become a hellish place, with me right in the middle of said hell.

The Eye of the Storm.

The Miracle in Hell.

"Go now, my chosen champion, the one who shall defy all human expectations! Fight, run, beg, love, struggle."

The entire landscape seemed to tremble at his words, tides so large that they encompassed the entire horizon.

"Struggle for this new life, struggle to keep on living! Struggle and rise!"

Abaddon had disappeared, and yet I didn't panic. If his words were to be true then I am currently being sent to your next battlefield.

My hands were shaking.

There was no fear, only excitement. For a new life, in search of that familiar warmth, in a completely new battlefield.

The water engulfed me, I couldn't hear, I couldn't breathe.

It dragged me down, the surface soon forgotten as I was pulled down below by the currents. I allowed myself to relax, to flow within the water, to accompany the roar of the Storm.

I was the Storm.

And with a gasp, I could breathe again. And the world was falling apart.