The first thing my body registered as I opened my eyes to nothingness was heat. The second was the increasing warmth by my head, which grew to the point where it felt like my hair was singeing.
'Am I in Hell?'
I felt around and quickly realized I was in some kind of container. 'Odd way of torturing souls… then again, who am I to judge?' The next thing I noticed was the sound of voices, and as I focused while ignoring the sweat dripping into my eyes I was able to make out three voices by my feet.
"Kid... heard he... let's just finish the job..."
I felt the container shift closer to the heat, and I pieced together where I was.
A fucking crematorium.
'Fuck.'
While this situation was less than ideal and extremely alarming, I forced myself to slow my breathing. I wriggled my body down until my feet reached the end of the casket. With the small amount of room I had, I raised my right leg and kicked causing a barely noticeable crack to reverberate inside the warming casket.
'Come on.'
Turning slightly to better position myself for the next kick I felt the wood crack a bit more, with a few pieces digging into my bare feet.
'Didn't even have the decency to put shoes on me? Fuckers.'
With another kick I felt the wood crack further and the voices grew quieter, likely because they realized I wasn't dead.
'Once I get my hands on those fuckers, I'll show 'em why I'm hard to kill.'
With a grunt, the wood finally gave way and I slithered my hands above my head, pushing myself out and collapsing onto the cold ground just as a metal hatch closed, letting the flames consume the casket.
"W-what—?"
With a glare, I pushed myself up and plunged my fingers into the eyes of one of the panicked workers causing him to scream as I ripped his eyes out. I then turned to the two others, doing the same before they could properly react.
Wiping the blood off my fingers on one of the workers clothes I sighed as they writhed and cried on the ground, one hand clutching their face. I snorted before glancing around taking in the sterile atmosphere of the crematorium.
"Stop your whining." I muttered, my voice resounding in the quiet room. Frowning, I gripped my throat and cleared it before addressing the still crying lot with a scowl. "Shut the fuck up."
'I sound more... young?'
Turning, I looked at the hatch that reflected my image. What I saw caused me to freeze in shock.
'I'm a kid again?'
My face, which had once been scarred from numerous fights, was now unblemished. My black hair, which had once hung down the middle of my back, now rested around my ears. But what confused me the most was the fact that I was no longer a wall of muscle. Instead, I was leaner and shorter than I remembered being at this age.
'Weird... did I go back in—?'
"Ack"
A jolt of pain shot through my body as memories that weren't my own pierced my mind, mixing with fragments of memories I'd apparently forgotten.
With a sigh, I shook my head and turned to where two white cards the size of my palm floated in the air. Ignoring the whimpering men on the floor I scratched my head, processing the situation.
First with me dying in a coup d'état.
Second, I met a so-called God who in their infinite kindness, granted me two random blessings to aid me in this world.
'A different world…'
According to the God, I was now in a world where humans were slightly stronger than those in my old world, which was why I'd received two blessings instead of one.
With a heavy sigh, I ignored the floating cards. I had to deal with the eyeless wimps first so I could get out of there. I approached the closest worker, raised my foot and stomped down hard on the back of his neck. He slammed his face into the ground and an audible crack echoed through the room, followed by a slow whine that eventually died out.
As the sound faded, I turned to the other two and clapped my hands. "Next one to make a peep dies, understood?"
No sound came, so I spoke again. "From where we are, where's the closest exit?"
One of the two men the oldest one I assumed pointed behind me. I nodded before realizing they couldn't see, so I shrugged and spoke once more, giving a small clap that caused both of them to wince. "Thank you so very much. Now, unfortunately, I have to leave."
I watched their shoulders relax slightly as they held grimaces. I stood still for a moment longer before walking away and passing a switch.
'Probably for the hatch.'
With a small smirk plastered on my young face, I punched the switch, causing the hatch to open as the fire inside raged on. "Someone should attend to that, no?"
I heard the two yell, but I paid it no mind as I ran toward the exit.
-
A few hours had passed, and one of the biggest things to note was that the crematorium exploded. as in, the whole fucking building went up. It irritated me because I knew that wasn't due to me.
This also reminded me of the other things I'd learned after leaving the place. One, I was in Kumamoto, Japan. Two, there was something called the "Council of Elders" a concept that didn't exist in my world, but was somewhat known in this one.
'At least, according to the old owner of this body.' I thought, as I walked barefoot along a slightly hidden path in Okadake Park. Apparently, these "Elders" ruled different parts of the world with two of them ruling Japan. One from Kumamoto to Osaka, and the other the rest of the country.
"And somehow this old body owner's family pissed one of them off, causing them to go after anyone related to the family." I muttered to myself.
With that in mind I had a theory regarding the crematorium, one of the subordinates under the Elder of Kumamoto had orchestrated the crematorium explosion to get rid of any evidence. 'Not like they would actually need it if these "Elders" are as politically powerful as they seem to be.'
I felt myself gag at the thought of politics. Even though Yumiko, my boss in my old world had tried to drill the necessity of understanding politics into me, I just couldn't bring myself to care.
'Wonder if she's okay?'
While I did die in the end of the coup, I managed to take out a good chunk of the traitors.
A sigh escaped my lips as I wandered the path. Finally, I turned my gaze to address the floating cards.