A cold, endless darkness surrounds me.
No sound. No light. No warmth.
Then, a deep, ancient voice echoes from everywhere and nowhere at once.
"Ah… another soul, wandering the dark. Tell me—do you know why you stand before me?"
I flinch, scanning the void.
"W–Who's there? Show yourself!"
The voice chuckles.
"Mortals… always so blind. I am what your kind calls Anubis, the god of death."
My breath catches. "…Anubis…?"
"Indeed. And this place?" he continues, his tone shifting to something colder. "This is the space between life and death… the threshold where all must stand before me. You are here because you fell… protecting those under your charge."
"But your sacrifice… was hollow. Your commander did not send aid. Your squad… lies unburied in foreign dust."
His words echo, as though carried on the winds of eternity. "Mortals… always the same. Selfish. Greedy. Blind to the suffering of others. You build your empires on the bones of the forgotten, and call it glory."
His tone drops lower, a rumble beneath the skin. "Perhaps another Noah must rise to purge mankind."
I lower my head, the faintest of smiles on my lips. "I see. So they didn't make it."
There's a pause. "…You're not angry?"
"I am," I admit quietly. "But that's the life we signed up for. This was the mission… our duty. We all knew the risks. Any day out there could've been our last — and we accepted that."
A booming laugh shakes the void.
"Bwahahaha! How… intriguing. A mortal who accepts death without rage."
I look up at the unseen god. "So… what now? Am I trapped here forever? Or do you plan to devour my soul?"
He laughs again, clutching his stomach.
"No, idiot. Instead, be my herald. I will grant you a choice: you may be reborn in any realm — of your world, of myth, of story, or of dream — or… I can cast you back into the river of your past."
I fall silent, considering. "I see… then I'll choose another world. There's no one there for me. I've been alone for as long as I can remember…"
"Interesting…" Anubis muses. "And which world calls to you, mortal?"
Calmly, I answer, "The world of The Walking Dead."
"Ahhh… a cruel, rotting place," he says with amusement. "Very well. I'll allow it. And because I find you… entertaining, I'll grant you a few wishes. What will they be?"
I blink. "…That's possible?"
"Only because I say so. Now, speak."
I think carefully, then reply:
"First… I want every shred of Madara Uchiha's experience and combat knowledge — everything he's ever learned.
Second… I want the ability to duplicate anything I touch — food, ammunition, materials — anything essential for survival.
And lastly… an infinite serum or vaccine, so that if someone is bitten or dies, they won't turn into a walker."
The god hums, as though weighing my requests.
"Your first wish… granted, but without too much chakra. Such power would unbalance that world far too much. Your second wish is acceptable. And your final wish… hmm… very well. I'll allow it."
Relief floods me. "Thank you, Anubis. Oh—one last thing. I want to keep my past memories… even the painful ones."
"Done," he says simply. "Now… are you ready, human?"
"Yes."
I can almost feel his smile in the dark.
"Then go… and entertain me well."
The void collapses, light seeping through unseen fractures. Weightless, I'm dragged forward by a force I cannot see.
Anubis' voice follows me, low and amused.
"And… enjoy my final gift. You'll understand it soon enough."
Before I can question him, the light swallows me whole.