Tengoku e no Hangyaku - Rebellion against Heaven (english version)

Chapter 15: The Fear of Death

Silence settled between them like a veil of uncertainty. Ryususei was still processing the old man's words, when he, with his usual enigmatic smile, let out a whisper that seemed to shake the air itself:

"Ryuusei, there's something else you need to know. Something that transcends the war, the glory and the destiny that has been imposed on you.

The young man frowned. He had expected many things from this conversation, but not the intensity with which the old man spoke now.

"Tell me," he replied, in a tone that oscillated between doubt and curiosity.

The Herald rested both hands on his staff, leaning slightly toward him. His eyes, a stormy gray, shone with unfathomable wisdom.

"Death..." he paused, as if weighing the weight of his own words. Death is not the most powerful force in this universe.

Ryuusei felt a chill run down his spine.

"What are you talking about?" Death is inevitable. No one escapes it.

The old man let out a dry laugh, as if he had heard that statement too many times.

"Oh, boy... Death is ancient, yes, but not invincible. And although she rules the end of all flesh and all shadow, there is something that terrifies her.

Ryuusei bowed his head, intrigued.

"What can make Death itself tremble?"

The old man narrowed his eyes and said solemnly:

"God."

The mere mention of that name seemed to alter the atmosphere itself. The wind blew harder, and the clouds covered the moon's glare for an instant.

"God?" Ryuusei repeated the name skeptically. You mean that the God of the Bible... does it really exist?

The Herald nodded slowly.

"Yes. And its existence is not a matter of faith, but of reality. He is the source of all life, and Death fears Him more than anything else.

The young man crossed his arms, trying not to get carried away by emotion.

"If that's true, then why is there so much suffering in the world?" If God is so powerful, why does He allow Death to continue to take people away?

The old man looked at him with a mixture of compassion and defiance.

"Because God gave mankind a gift greater than immortality: free will.

Ryuusei frowned.

"You mean all the pain, all the war, and all the bloodshed—" Is it our fault?

"It's a consequence of our choices," the old man corrected. God created men with the ability to decide their own path. He could have made us like puppets, obedient and without a choice. But in his love he made us free... And with freedom comes responsibility.

Ryuusei was silent for a moment. He looked at his own hands, those that had caused destruction and salvation alike.

"If free will is so important, why are there those who say that everything is already predestined?"

The old man smiled with satisfaction, as if he had been waiting for that question.

"Destiny is not a straight line, Ryuusei. It is a river with many paths. God knows every one of those forks, every possibility... but in the end, you choose which one to take.

The young man felt his heart pounding.

"So... isn't my life written in stone?"

The old man shook his head.

"No. Only you decide what you will become." You could be a tyrant or a savior. A destroyer or a creator. God is watching you, but He will never force you to choose a path.

Ryuusei looked up at the sky, where the moon was shining through the clouds again.

"If God is so powerful, why doesn't he stop Death once and for all?"

The old man laughed softly.

"Ah, but he has already done it.

Ryuusei looked at him in disbelief.

"What do you mean?"

The Herald adopted a solemn expression.

"Whenever Death gets too ambitious, God sends someone to stop it.

"Anyone...?"

"The Archangel Michael."

The name echoed through the night like distant thunder.

"Death fears Michael as fire fears water. He has been the guardian of mankind from the beginning. In times of darkness, when Death reaches out too far, Michael descends and reminds him of his place.

Ryuusei felt his mind explode with the magnitude of those revelations.

"What if I decided to face Death one day?"

The old man looked at him with an intensity that seemed to pierce his soul.

"If you choose that path, boy—" You won't do it alone.

Ryuusei felt a fire burn inside him. For the first time in his life, he saw the possibility of something bigger than war and violence. A fight not for glory, but for something that was really worthwhile.

The old man took a step back, as if he knew he had said enough.

"It's time for you to come back. But remember this, Ryuusei: war is eternal only if men surrender to it. You have the ability to break that cycle. Death may reign today, but his reign is not absolute.

Ryuusei took a deep breath.

"Will I see you again?"

The old man smiled mischievously.

"If fate wills." Or if you choose.

And with those words, he turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving Ryuusei with a new burden on his shoulders... but also with a hope that I had never felt before.

The young man looked at his hands one last time, and for the first time in his life, he decided that they wouldn't just be weapons of destruction... but tools to build a different future.

The night was still long, but dawn no longer seemed so far away.