The entire group stands frozen, staring at a very familiar face that greets them with a simple, smiling "hello." They look at each other in disbelief and suspicion. But there's no mistake; it's him. The silence is broken by Sarah, who steps forward and calls out to him.
"Sensei? Sensei Arthur, is that you?"
"Am I? Who knows," the figure replies with a roguish smile, characteristic of their sensei, yet it still seems strange on the face of a sixty-year-old man. Although he visually appeared to be their old master, there was something different in his eyes.
"What do you mean? What are you trying to say?" Amanda challenges, feeling that something was out of place despite the familiar face.
"I mean that I am, or rather, I was your sensei. But here, I am something a little different. I have used this form, one that you know and trust, to guide you in this initial moment. My mission is still to guide you, but it will be a little different this time."
"What the hell is this? Why don't you answer the questions straight, like you always did?" Roger blurts out.
"I cannot spend much time with you. Therefore, I need you to learn to find the answers on your own," he looks at the group for a moment and continues. "Oh, don't give me that look. I have already given you a way to speak with me, eventually."
They all look at each other, confused, and Regina asks, "What do you mean by that? Explain yourself."
"Amanda asked for my guidance just a moment ago, did she not? And I gave it. However, you should know that this is a unique blessing, and you will only be able to use it once a week," he says with a smile, winking at Amanda.
"I asked you? What do you mean?" Amanda asks, her voice barely a whisper.
"You have already figured it out, haven't you? Here, in this world... I am God," he says the last three words slowly, then smiles.
"What do you mean, God? What is this madness?"
"Alright. I will explain it to you a little better. But I ask two things of you. One: this conversation stays between us. Captain, you will be the only person outside of the heroes' group who is to know of this. Not even the King should hear of this conversation. Understood?"
"Yes, sir."
"Hold on. You believe him, Captain?" Sarah questions.
"I do. The power he wields is palpable. I have never felt anything like it, not even when facing a dragon. He exudes this power without any intention of fighting," Viktor says, with a mixture of awe and fear.
The group begins to take the conversation seriously, having never imagined seeing the captain with such an expression, caught somewhere between fear and respect. Then, the man continues.
"Very well. The second thing is this: I need you to find a way to save this world and be the heroes these people need. Amanda, I gave you the blessing of divine guidance. With it, you may ask one question a week, directly to me. Use it wisely. However, I must tell you that I cannot accompany you for much longer, as I have already begun my process of reincarnation. I am descending into this world among you, with a human body. This body will offer hints of my divinity. One of them is that I will be one of the few to use divine magic, which is an evolution of holy magic, and with unparalleled talent, I must say. Considering all divine or holy magic comes from my power, that is to be expected, is it not?" he says, smiling at the group again.
"Why are you telling us this?" Gabriel asks, his tone serious.
"Why, my old friend, I want these young people to find me. To find the young Arthur. Unlike you, Sensei Arthur's consciousness was sent into a newborn's body, a child who should have been stillborn. I rebuilt the baby's body and placed your sensei's soul within it. Arthur should be a little over four years old now. But the body he has today is too weak to receive all my power. So, he is not yet ready to become my successor in this world."
"Wait a minute. Didn't you say you were Sensei Arthur?"
"At this moment, I am. But what you are meant to find will be a little different from this," he says, gesturing to himself. "What you will find is Sensei Arthur assuming the position of this world's protector. However, he needs an army."
"And we're supposed to be that army?" Regina asks.
"Some of you will be the foundation of that military power, the tools Arthur needs to fulfill his mission. However, the way things are going, I believe there will be many losses."
"What do you mean? Are we going to die?" asks Amanda.
"Everyone dies at some point. The question is 'how'. Unfortunately, not all of you will reach the end of this story. But all of you have enough power to decide how you will end your own stories. Now, I know many of you still do not believe me. So, I will give you a gift. This will be the key to getting out of here. However, not without sacrifice. There are several ways to resolve this issue. I have chosen to leave this decision in your hands, like so many others to come."
At that moment, he creates a ball of light in his hand, which becomes a classic-style potion flask, and hands it to Amanda. "This potion is capable of fully restoring your mana and will give you a temporary boost in magical power. Think carefully about how you will use it to get out of here."
"But... are you saying that not all of us will get out of here alive?" Amanda asks.
"I am saying that everyone will depart from this life at some point. For now, cherish the bonds you have created with one another and use them to strengthen yourselves. Amanda, you bear a different burden from your colleagues. You will carry the full weight of what happens to the group and to the people of this world, because you are the chosen hero. But know that you will not be the only one carrying a heavy burden. Everyone has their own to carry. And most importantly, do not forget that you must always be able to count on each other, or none of this will have any meaning."
As he finishes speaking, a light once again blinds the group, and when it fades, they are standing in an empty room with only a stone staircase leading to the next floor. All of them, still in shock from what just happened, stand there for a while, trying to understand.
"Guys, did that seriously just happen? I mean, Sensei Arthur is a GOD?!" Regis says, buzzing with the information.
"Regis, is that really the most pressing part for you right now?" Sarah asks, clearly annoyed by her teammate's excitement.
"Well, yeah. That, and the fact that the isekai truck is real."
"The what?" asks Renata, while Luca, Helena, and Aldo try to stifle their laughter.
"Well, he got knocked off a bridge by a truck and ended up here. That's one of the biggest clichés in this type of story," Regis explains, then sees that everyone is looking at him with expressions that clearly show they have no idea what he's talking about. "Guys, you need to read more."
While the group is distracted by Regis's stories about manga, Regina notices Amanda standing quietly and contemplatively in a corner. She approaches the girl and places a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you okay, sweetie?"
"Oh, yeah. Sorry, I was just… thinking about everything he said."
"I understand. This world is truly putting a lot on your shoulders."
"No, it's not about that. I mean, that too, but I'm referring to when he talked about me not being the only one carrying a heavy burden. What was he talking about? Was it a warning?"
"Hey, look at me. We can't worry about that prophecy right now. We can't let ourselves get paralyzed by what *might* happen," she says, her voice soft but firm. "One crisis at a time. And our crisis right now is getting out of this room. I am here for you, but they are looking to *you*. You are the leader God chose. So, what's the next move, Commander?"
"Thank you," Amanda says, her voice thick with emotion. "I really don't know what I'd do without you here."
"If I weren't here, you all would be evolving without me. The path might be different, but there's no guarantee it wouldn't have been even better."
"Impossible. We're a hot mess without you," Sarah says, interrupting the conversation and laughing as she wraps them both in a hug.
"Let's get moving, people," says Gabriel, who is near the staircase.
"You're right, Sensei. You and Carlos, please take the lead," Amanda responds.
"With pleasure. But Amanda, I'm not your sensei anymore, remember? Now it's just Gabriel."
"Right, sorry. Just... old habits."
"It's alright. Let's go, Carlos."