Hiroshi Takeda III

Complete darkness. Hiroshi felt his consciousness adrift in an endless void.

No voices, no sense of time, no thoughts to anchor him—just an empty, silent expanse. He couldn't speak, couldn't think, and couldn't even hear his own voice.

All he could do was drift, carried by the nothingness, feeling nothing more than the weightless pull of the void. 

After who knows how much time had passed, he felt himself being pulled toward a flickering light in the distance.

As he drifted closer, the light grew larger and larger, its glow intensifying. Soon, it was within arm's reach, its brilliance overwhelming, blocking all else from view with its blinding radiance. 

Hiroshi was sucked into the light, like smoke drawn into a man's breath—swift, inevitable, and without resistance. 

He soon found himself in the center of an empty room, bathed in white light coming from all directions. 'What... where am I?' Hiroshi thought, looking around. 

A thin fog covered the room up to his waist, and though it seemed light, he couldn't see through it.

His body felt different too—the scars that once marked him were gone, his skin clean and healed, as if untouched by time or struggle. 

'Hiroshi Takeda,' a deep, grumpy yet crystal-clear voice called out.

He heard it perfectly, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from. 

'Who goes there?' Hiroshi called out, turning in every direction.

He tried to walk, but though he felt his legs moving, he wasn't getting anywhere. 'Where am I? Why am I here?' he shouted, his voice echoing in the vast, empty space. 

'You are nowhere—a place where life and death, time and eternity hold no reign,' another voice spoke, this one softer and more feminine, yet still carrying the weight of age.

'You faced an unfortunate accident that cost you your life, and so... you are here now.' 

'What do you—' Hiroshi began to ask, but the memory of being stabbed flashed sharply in his mind.

'Ohhh,' he thought, the pieces falling into place. He had died, and now he stood before gods—or something like them. 

He paused for a bit and looked back up. "So what now? What will become of me?" he asked, much more composed than when he first arrived. 

"All your life, fate had always been cruel to you—unloving parents, no family to lean on, betrayal and violence following you until your last breath," the female voice stated.

"So we will offer you a new life, a new beginning in a world much different from your previous one," she continued. 

Hiroshi was surprised, but only a little. Everything that had happened before made it easier to accept.

"Do I keep my current consciousness and memories intact?" he asked.

"You will. And you will also be given one chance to ask for a favor. If it is not too greedy, it will be granted.

But if it is, it will be rejected. So think carefully before you say anything," the man's voice spoke again. 

Hiroshi contemplated, glancing around as he thought about what to ask. Then he looked up once more.

"If possible, in this life, I want luck to be on my side," he said. The couple listening could see through him—there were no hidden intentions behind his request. 

"Ohh, you poor soul," the female voice spoke with sympathy. "You old bastard, look at how pitiful he is.

Do you really have no heart, or were you just born without one?" she continued, this time scolding the male voice. 

"Ahem, well, since you have successfully passed the test, I will make sure to fulfill your request," the male voice stated. 

Phishhh—a bright golden glow appeared over his body and vanished just as quickly. 

"With that, fortune will always be with you throughout your life," the male voice stated.

"You will also be born into a magical world, but a peaceful one, with a loving family.

I promise you, you will never stress a day in your life. Just wait—let me get your token to complete the process," he spoke. 

"Dear, don't worry. You've been through enough, so have a good, long rest in your next life," the female voice spoke softly as they waited for the male god to return. 

"Ah, thank you very much," Hiroshi said, bowing with his hand behind his head.

"A-HA! Here it is," the man's voice boomed, returning with a triumphant tone. From the light above, a small crystal descended, glowing faintly as it floated down.

It landed gently in Hiroshi's open palm, cool to the touch and radiating a faint, comforting warmth. 

"Take this token, and you'll be sent on your way," the voice declared. 

Hiroshi's body began to disintegrate, shimmering into particles of light that drifted upward like embers from a dying fire. 

"Good luck on your new life, Hiroshi Tanaka!" The man's voice shouted, echoing through the void as the last traces of Hiroshi vanished, carried away to his new beginning. 

"Wait!... My name is Hiroshi Takeda!" he shouted, the correction bursting out of him. 

moment he heard the mistake.

"What?! Oh, crap!" The man's voice blurted out, just as Hiroshi's body fully disintegrated. 

While this was undoubtedly a problem for Hiroshi, the god who had made the error was now in for a serious scolding.

Hiroshi felt his body drifting once more, carried through an endless void.

...

Inside a grand hall, a middle-aged man dressed in a luxurious robe paced back and forth in front of a large, ornate door.

His face was a mix of anxiety and anticipation, his footsteps echoing through the spacious room. 

Several servants stood nearby, their expressions tense as they watched their master's restless movements.

Inside the room, a beautiful woman was in the midst of childbirth, her face glistening with sweat as she struggled through the pain. 

After a few more minutes of grueling effort and strained grunts, the doctor's voice rang out, filled with relief and joy.

"Your Majesty, you may come in now! You finally have an heir!" he shouted. 

____________

Side Note

When I mean grand hall, I want you to imagine not western type of medieval building but an eastern-based medieval manor of sort