"Dio, what do you mean I died? Also, how did you heal my wounds? It seems like they would have been pretty bad, so it should be impossible for me to look unscathed like this." (Mizuki)
"Like, you experienced death, obviously. Your heart stopped, you had no brain activity, you lost most of your blood. You were total roadkill dude. Still, healing your body would only be impossible for humans. For a god, bringing you back to proper health was no problem!" (Dio)
I stare at Dio blankly for several moments, and he just smirks back.
"Sorry, but you can't expect me to just casually accept that you're a god, right?" (Mizuki)
"Why would I lie about that? What else would explain this?" (Dio)
"Ah…I'm dreaming, right?" (Mizuki)
Dio's face is screaming of emotional exhaustion.
"If you were dreaming, you wouldn't be able to experience pain, right? I can cut off your legs if you want." (Dio)
"…!? What is the matter with you!? There will be no cutting off my legs!" (Mizuki)
Dio sighs deeply, as if saying, 'suit yourself'. Then, he calmly walks over…and slaps me.
"…!? What gives, psycho, that hurt!" (Mizuki)
Dio smiles at me like I'm a student that answered his question correctly.
"Exactly! So, you're not dreaming, right?" (Dio)
I guess he's got me there, but that was a pretty dick move.
"Alright…that still doesn't make you a god, Dio." (Mizuki)
"Well, if we've established that this isn't a dream, then how do you explain your lack of injuries? And before you say that getting hit by that bus was a dream – how would I know what you dreamt about?" (Dio)
"…" (Mizuki)
He has a point, and I don't really have any other explanation, but…a god? As if sensing my train of thought, Dio presses on.
"If you need proof, I can use telekinesis…to tear off your legs?" (Dio)
"Jeez man, quit suggesting that! Alright, I get it. Cut me some slack…I'm an atheist. Seriously though, I've never even heard of a god named Dio?" (Mizuki)
"Oh, one of those, huh? My apologies, in that case let me just stop existing since it's inconvenient for you. You seem ignorant in general, so it's not really a surprise that you've never heard of me, right? My full name is Dionysus, though, so that could be the reason." (Dio)
Once again, there's no need for this level of emotional violence. That aside, even I recognize that name.
"You wouldn't happen to be Dionysus, the Greek god of entertainment, would you?" (Mizuki)
"Ah hah! So, you do know me! You're a little smarter than I gave you credit for. Also, I'm technically a godling, not a god. You humans just refer to me as a god, so I roll with it." (Dio)
Well, that's news to me. Him being that Greek god…sorry, godling…explains the stage setting I'm in at least.
"Sorry, Dio, but what's the difference?" (Mizuki)
Dio rolls his eyes at the question. Seemingly too bothered to answer, he waves his hand around in the air. Something hard hits my face then falls into my lap. Meanwhile, Dio looks like he's trying to suppress a smile. Looking down at my lap, I notice that it's a book that hit me.
Casting a suspicious glance over at Dio, who's no longer hiding his amused expression, I flip over the book and inspect it. The title reads, 'Gods vs Godlings for Dummies'. Hilarious.
Dio's douche tendencies aside, the book's contents are surprisingly informative.
Apparently, gods are higher existences that oversee planets capable of supporting life. Gods' power, personalities, and lifespans are independent of the planets they oversee. Oh yeah, apparently Earth isn't the only planet with life on it, and humans aren't the only kind of sentient life…the hits keep coming. Gods also are rarely worshipped by the people living on the planets they oversee, and they are usually older than those planets as well.
By contrast, godlings are beings of immense power that are, in a sense, created by the beliefs and/or customs of the people that live on a god's planet. When many sentient beings on a planet share a belief about something and regularly visualize or focus on an entity that they associate with that belief, a godling is incarnated that personifies those beliefs.
As a result, their power, personality, and lifespan are somewhat dependent on the strength of that planet's beliefs, and they are commonly worshipped by the people of that planet. While godlings don't have natural lifespans, and can't really be killed by normal means, they also can't outlive the planets they're attached to.
On each life-sustaining planet, there is one god, but there can be many godlings that are considered subordinate to that god. Gods only have the obligation to guide the development of complex life and prevent total annihilation, while godlings have virtually no obligations other than orders given by their overseeing god. Thus, gods and godlings rarely interfere with people's lives directly, and neither can be generally considered forces of 'good' or 'evil'. So, the situation on Earth during my life makes more sense with that in mind.
"So, is this what happens when people die then? Some godling explains the situation of the world and guides you into the afterlife?" (Mizuki)
"Uh…what are you prattling on about now? An afterlife? No dude, when you die that's all she wrote. Where'd you get a ridiculous idea like that from?" (Dio)
"…" (Mizuki)
"…?" (Dio)
"I mean I think that's pretty common in religions. Christianity talks about multiple afterlives depending on your actions during your life." (Mizuki)
Dio rolls his eyes, as if saying 'oh right, that guy'. Should I ask?
"Regardless, that's not a thing." (Dio)
"Well…what am I doing here then?" (Mizuki)
Looking at Dio, I'm feeling an unprecedented level of apprehension about his answer. Hearing my question, Dio begins to grin ear-to-ear ominously. His face seems to say, 'you finally asked the right question'. I'm not loving this vibe.
Dio reaches behind his back and pulls out a rolled piece of paper.
Wait…now that I'm looking closer, isn't that the manga I was reading before I got hit by the bus? Did he grab that off my body? Creepy, Dio.
Dio raises the manga and waves it so I can see it.
"So, since you're dead and won't need this anymore, mind if I keep it? (Dio)
I stare at Dio, dumbfounded.
"Hey, you remember that favor you owe me, I want to cash it in now. Let me have this." (Dio)
"…!?" (Mizuki)
Seriously, THAT'S what he had in mind? There's no way...
"Don't you dare back out of our deal, Mizuki! That would be totally unfair! I answered all your questions, and this isn't sexual, illegal, or costly. You HAVE to let me have it!" (Dio)
Dio's face is showing a mix of desperation and anger, like a child whose parents said he couldn't have ice cream like they promised. There's no doubt…for once he's not joking around.
"Sure, it's yours…" (Mizuki)
His eyes light up, then he immediately sits cross-legged on the stage and starts flipping through the manga. He's totally moved on from my situation.
"Dio…?" (Mizuki)
Without looking up from his manga, he responds with a disinterested 'hmm' sound.
"Did you revive me and drag me all the way here just to ask me for that manga?" (Mizuki)
Dio briefly casts his eyes up from the manga to give me a quizzical expression, like 'obviously, dumbass'.
"Of course, why else would I bring you here? It's not like you're interesting or anything. So, it's called manga huh? That's good to know…" (Dio)
This guy is unreal. I cannot believe I'm having this conversation.
"Hey, Mizuki! This guy in the manga got hit by a car and died. Were you trying to copy him or something? It seems like he's being brought back to life in another world, so I don't think you did it correctly." (Dio)
I'm going to ignore that insensitive dig about my tragic death.
"Yeah, that's the common theme in isekai stories. Say, Dio…if that's all you wanted, are you going to send me back now?" (Mizuki)
Dio looks at me skeptically.
"What, like back to Earth? Nah, dude. I mean it's not technically against the rules, but I'm sure the boss would be up my ass about it. You died quite a while ago, and rather publicly. If I send you back now, it will cause a huge commotion. I don't need that kind of hassle." (Dio)
Well, that's not good. I'm scared to ask, but…
"So…what happens to me now then?" (Mizuki)
"Eh…you're welcome to hang out I guess, just quit distracting me from my manga." (Dio)
Hang out? In this random auditorium…with Dio? Nope, absolutely not. Hard pass. I'd rather be dropped in front of the bus again than be subjected to his company for another minute.
"Righhhht…there's nothing to do here. I don't even see food or water, so I'd die in like three days tops, Dio." (Mizuki)
"Tch…" (Dio)
Did he really just click his tongue at me? Dio closes the manga in exasperation and looks up at me.
"Oh yeah, I guess so. Want me to kill you and get it over with? A second time, that is." (Dio)
That tracks…I'm not surprised that he considers that a desirable solution.
"Uhm…is there a third option, maybe?" (Mizuki)
Dio looks off to the side, as if pondering the question deeply. Somehow, I intuitively doubt the third option will be any better. Knowing him, it'll be something like 'cut off your legs, and then kill you?'. My optimism is dropping by the second.
Eventually, Dio looks back at me. A smirk slowly forms on his face, and his eyes narrow at me in a serious expression.
"I've got an idea, Mizuki." (Dio)
Oh crap, here we go.
"Why don't we try and send you to another world, like in this manga?" (Dio)