Jumbled Myths

Inside the Japanese style house, there are two people who are drinking tea while sitting in the tatami mat and having a discussion about life experience in Fields of Punishment.

"To make my story short, Saint Peter-san's verdict is for me to be detained at the Fields of Punishment since I was a murderer in my previous life." Kotaro tried to tell Jack the short version since it doesn't matter what happened in his previous life.

"In the torture chamber, there is giant roulette that all kinds of torture are listed. The common punishments are pulling you teeth and nails out. They will measure how long your intestine by extracting it in your stomach. Force feeding with human meat. Being impaled by a spear in your anal while your limbs are cut off. Being eaten by cockroaches while you're still alive. Subjected to-"

"That's enough! You don't have to elaborate more. Please continue the story on how you become an Einherjar." Even though he didn't hate tragedy genre, it's still disturbing since he understand that Kotaro was subjected by that torture. The true horror is when you see in actual that the humans are capable of doing something disgusting.

"Right, sorry about that. As I was saying, once you are judged as a sinner, no one can escape to the Fields of Punishment. Until you successfully survive the 10000 punishments." He paused for a second. He remembers clearly like it was yesterday about what he experience in the torture chamber.

"If you somehow survive the 10000 without your mind being broken, you will given a pardon by warden Scathach-dono. And since I'm a soul who was forgiven with strong mind, she recommended me to Persephone-sama and given a chance to be alive again." Now that he understand Kotaro's circumstances, a question emerge from his mind.

"How can Ms. Persephone has an ability to make dead alive again? And why would she do it?" Come to think of it, this kind of procedure is taboo. But for some reason, in this Underworld, the normal thing is for the dead soul to be alive again. If you ask Jack about this, he will answer that this is weird.

"Actually, Persephone-sama is the Queen of the Underworld. Previously she is Goddess of Spring, but she fell in love with Osiris-sama, the god of the Underworld. Osiris-sama convince her mother Ceres goddess of agriculture, so they can be betrothed" Jack cringed for a second, he doesn't familiar in mythologies but for some reason, he thinks that this is something different from what he knows. He's somehow confused of same gods but different story.

'If only I study this mythologies, I can somehow figure out there legends. Well, there's no use crying over spill milk. I'm just going to be quiet and listen to the history of some jumbled gods.' Jack thought.

"Skuld, the fates of future, had a prophecy where Ragnarok will start when one of the gods broke there oath in the River Styx." Kotaro suddenly become silent.

"Okay. You may continue." He urged the assassin to proceed.

"Well, the prophecy said that only an Einherjar will stop the Ragnarok. When Skuld tells this to the Council of the gods, they tasked Persephone-sama to procure an Einherjar as many as she can. Originally, this is Osiris-sama's job, but he manages the Underworld, leaving her wife to do the job." He's now done telling the story on what grounds can Ms. Persephone has the ability to bring people back to life.

"Thanks Mr. Kotaro, you're a great help. But how come you know all this knowledge? As far as I know, you are an assassin, how come an assassin study the legends of this world while subjecting to punishments?" he asked.

"Since you know Musha-san, I'm going to be honest to you. He's my senpai in being an Einherjar, he also tells me the legend when I was a contestant in the trials of Persephone-sama" To think that the professor will lie to him.

'If I ever meet you again Professor Musha, you will answer all my questions, you con-artist professor!' He thought while wondering why would he lie to him.

*sigh*

"Okay I understand. Then if you're alive again, why are you here in Fields of Asphodel? If you don't want to tell me, it's fine. I won't pry." He asked Kotaro about this.

"Actually it's simple, I just want to meditate here in Fields of Asphodel, I'm not actually living here, since this is just my hideout. I have an actual house and I already have a wife in Fields of Elysium." He said with a proud look on his face.

Jack looks at Kotaro dumbfounded. "Congratulations! You're a lucky man. Unlike me, I still can't find my love partner." He looks a bit depressed.

"Haha come on Jack-kun, you still have a chance remember? You want to live your life to the fullest, that's why you want to set foot in the living world right? Don't worry I help you." Kotaro pats his depressed friend in his shoulder.

*sniff* *sniff*

"You really are my friend huh? Thank you for believing me." He suddenly became emotional. Even if he wants to cry, no tears came out.

"How will you help me? Introduce me to Ms. Persephone so I can get a free pass in becoming an Einherjar" As much as possible, he wants to accomplish his wish with a minimum effort.

"Well, I can recommend you like how warden Scathach-dono did to me. But for you to have a free pass? That's beyond my authority, my friend." He shakes his head being it's impossible to comply in his friend's request.

"But I can teach you a thing or two in being an assassin" He smirks at him for a second.

Jack also smiles agreeing in being a student and learn the ways of assassin. Now he has another opportunity to become strong. He imagines himself being a ninja that can do fire bending.

Kotaro stands up and went to his basement to get Jack some uniform, tools and equipment.

He came back with a lot of stuff and gave it to Jack.

"Before we proceed in your training, you should change your clothes first. I'm not saying that your clothes is not suitable in battle, it's just that this uniform was made of tamahagane fiber. This kind of fabric can somehow protect you in sharp objects and can absorb some impact. Not only that, this is durable to the extent that it will not be damage even if you join in an all out war of two clans." He claimed.

Jack was very impressed by the set of clothes that was given to him. Unlike he's wearing, a yellow t-shirt with 'OPPAI' that imprints in the front and a red jogging pants with a white converse shoes, the new set of clothes are black, made of some steel but light and comfortable.

This uniform is composed of black tight dougi with black plain t-shirt for the upper body. There is also a black tight trousers with matching black boots for the lower body. As for the accessories, he just chose the black finger-less gloves and an white elbow protectors.

He try to jump so he can feel how good his new clothes. If Kotaro didn't tell him that it is made of steel, he wouldn't realize it.

"Wow! I like my new clothes, and to think that these are all black. I can't go to the snowy fields, they will detect as my color are all black. But when the night comes, hehehe we'll see." Jack declared.

"Well, it's yours now my friend. I hope it can help you for the challenges that you will face. Consider it as a sign of are friendship." The assassin said.

"Don't worry Mr. Kotaro, I won't let you down." He nods at his friend.

After he wear his clothes, the two proceeds in the basement of the Japanese style house and Jack just look around at how wide the basement is. He didn't get surprise much because this is average it came to the basement of Professor Musha's hut.

"Choose first your weapon that you favored. But I still recommend a kunai since you're going to become an assassin." Even though he gave Jack the free reign to choose weapons, if its not suitable for assassination then it will defeat the purpose of learning his assassination techniques.

Jack think deeply on what kind of weapon that suits to his taste. He now remember his fight with the Grim Reaper, he is really weak in fighting at close range. He doesn't want to fight like a mud fest, but want to end the fight with finesse.

"Okay I decided, I want this kind of weapons." He pick up the twin curved daggers and tried to do a few swings. His weapon of choice has a quite balance that suits in his hands, not too heavy and not too light.

"The first training that you have to do is to run." Kotaro said.

"Piece of cake. So just running is enough huh?" Jack declared.

"Yup, I want you to run until you collapsed." Kotaro said with a smile on his face.

"Wait, why will I do that? I'm a dead soul remember? I rarely get tired." He said it with a dumbfounded look. If he runs until he collapsed, he might waste his time just for the sake of running.

"Since you are a dead soul, it really helps you to increase the stamina of your soul. If you run until you collapse, you might awaken your hidden potentials within your soul. You want to start to run now? You gonna quit?" He challenged Jack if he has patience to complete his teachings.

*sigh*

"You win, Kotaro-sensei. I'm gonna start running now." He's very reluctant at first to start to run, but when he realized how Saitama become powerful with similar training, maybe he can attain an unimaginable power. His doubt vanished and he seriously run with a goal of breaking his own limit.

It took him a month until he was collapsed in the floor of the basement. He was surprise that even he run within a month nonstop, he didn't produce a single sweat. How can someone like Kotaro can observe him for a whole month without blinking.

*breathe in* *breathe out*

"How are you feeling?" Kotaro asked while giving him some tea.

"Well as you can see, I'm struggling to breathe here." He gets the tea that his friend offers and drink it, while still lying down.

"Maybe you should sit first, before you drink some tea." He said and continued.

"The next training won't require you to run." His sensei declared.

"Thank god! I thought I'm gonna waste my entire month just to run again." Jack exclaimed. As much as possible, he wants to learn the techniques on how to kill a man without making a sound.

"Haha of course, you're just going to waste your entire month meditating." He saw the assassin's smile like a sadist.

"To convince you, this kind of training will improve your patience. If you succeed in completing this, you will reduced in making errors while fighting in close quarters. Don't worry, I promise that I will be thorough in you training." If Jack really wants to pass the trials of Queen Persephone, what he needs is patience so he won't make any mistakes in fighting.

Being patient is also good. If you have a calm mind, during in a situation where you are in a corner, you might find your enemy's weakness. Not only that, the chance for you to make a stupid mistakes will be reduced. That's why patience is important in becoming a powerful assassin.

"I'm very proud of you my friend. I thought you will give up in the first training, to think that you survive not only the running but also the meditating. So, what do you feel?" He is glad that Jack survived the training.

'Musha-san was right, at first I thought he is very reckless. But deep inside, he is very calm and collected, given that he survive not moving and just to meditate.' He thought.

"Shall we begin your technical training?" Jack now was pumped up. At long last, the long waiting is now over. He can finally learn techniques on how to kill people silently and kill mabeast efficiently.