Prologue: Failure As A Protector
You see a Magical Girl in danger. The opponent has her in surrounded by his goons. She is losing and you know what will happen if things go wrong. You will never see your 'normal life' again. She, who is also your friend, will also die in agony and pain.
Of course you helped her.
Foolish brat.
You decided to help her out like an idiot.
Why am I even saying this to you?
I stand here above your corpse reminiscing what I'd vicariously experienced through you. Knowing about your 'story' better than even yourself. As a being from the intangible realm of imagination, I'm omniscient like that. Someone who sees everything.
Anyone who is anyone knows what is 'fiction'.
The cliché you tried to attempt as her helper.
Wearing a cape and calling yourself 'Hellsing'. What a bold move. What a real 'fun' life you lived. In this world where werewolves and vampires were seizing the night, you called yourself their nemesis. Armed with silverware you'd stolen from your own home.
You were an idiot.
I have no words to even describe such lunacy.
Who in their right mind stabs a werewolf in the eye with a fork? It was fine that you could justify this act as 'trying to protect your friend'. Like a girl clad in magic and capable of shooting bazooka-like blasts of purifying energy NEEDED you to butt your head in.
That's why you lived your life for someone else.
And lost it for them as well.
Fool.
…No, maybe I was feeling a bit regretful about this.
Your life was wasted, but it wasn't your fault.
I closed my eyes while trying to ignore your lifeless body. It was a deathly artistic scene rendered by the shimmering moonlight. A body laid motionlessly in the grass with a feigned smile on his face. Pretending that he was passing on without having any regrets.
You were a tough guy like that.
Idiot. Idiot…! Why?! Couldn't you just ignore her?
If your friend wasn't a magical girl, would you even have gotten caught up in the world outside of your comprehension? This world no one understands. A world doomed to perish regardless of your journey about saving the girl you… PLATONICALLY loved!!!
I hate you so much.
Why am I even pretending we were close…?
You're so insignificant in the grand scheme of things in this world. So were your friends. You were dirt on the side of a road. A rock in a canyon. A tree in a lush and green forest. There would never be a time a mob like you would interact with a living god like myself.
You were truly nothing special.
How could your insignificant story compare to the world changing events that I was part of? Secrets and myths that were never witnessed. Tall tales that could make your jaw drop. I'd been part of things beyond your wildest imagination. An ancient.
I've seen creatures you could never imagine.
Witnessed untold stories of legends.
I've experienced things you'd never believe.
I'm… I'm better than you.
It was to the point that when I died, my name was remembered and given power. Unlike you, who was forgotten by the world itself. Your name could never be likened to mine. Who the heck is 'Ben'? Everyone knew my name when I said it, as my name was…
No, let's just forget it.
You are truly 'nothing'.
So why am I crying?
Why am I standing over your corpse in tears?
You are nothing special. You will never be special.
Unless… someone like me decides to intervene in this story. Bring you back from the dead to have you continue your story. Wouldn't that be fun? It would totally ruin the reason I'd even got so attached to your story in the first place, but what can I do?
I'm a sucker for simple happy endings.
Don't let your story end like this…!
You can't die here.
Your story mustn't end here.
People think that life was a game, but they never consider the fact that games had 'extra lives'. They had DLC and cheat codes. Things made to give a person entertainment could never replicate the disappointment of real life. The sorrow of realism.
Ben, you just wanted to design a game in the future.
You weren't born a hero.
Your life should have been an average one. Having experienced highs and lows. Got married. Made a group of friends and connections. You shouldn't have died under the moonlight after taking revenge on your friend's killer. You should have been…
…'normal'.
Shown me that realism wasn't all that bad.
Before that friend of yours ruined everything, I used to love your bright and eccentric energy. How you joked around like a class clown. Passionately told people your dreams and worked on getting a little mobile game you made popular. It was so relaxed.
I used to immerse myself in your everyday life.
So how can it all end like this?
Was it for the sake of a poetically tragic ending?
Is that why your death was attached to moonlight?
Maybe I should make it so you never met this stupidly brave hero. Tragedy was natural when a guy like you met a girl like her. You became fodder to be thrown in the fridge at that point. To boost the tragedy in 'her' story. You should have avoided her.
But you also changed meaningfully because of her.
I'm torn…
'Ben Frasko' could never be happy like this.
You'd foolishly act like a 'hero' despite not being one.
What could I do to mediate your future suffering?
Ah… I could feel the tears in my eyes fading. A smile bloomed on my face while thinking of what I was known for. You cannot blame me for what I was about to do. Adding a little spice in your life should help you forget about that brave little woman.
I cracked my fingers. Right, give you a distraction.
Make sure you two never meet in this life.
I'll give you a new role in life this time. One that would perfectly suit a clown like you. Since you liked games so much, I'll even add in a nice 'Gift'. Just stay away from those damn magical girls! Don't reach too far for a useless platonic friendship this time around.
"I, in the name he who is the bearer of snakes, will choose an apostle. Let him be blessed by my name…
…'Loki'."