[N/A: Read the author's note at the end, and if you notice any mistakes, please let me know.]
—//—
[Moria City]
After five hours of hard work, mostly carried out by the machines, the group left the forges in a fairly cheerful mood, moving unhurriedly through the corridors.
Rosella walked with a smile, clearly satisfied knowing that Daniel had completed his transformation. Near her, Sadako was trying to teach a few tricks to the goat, which, to everyone's surprise, turned out to be smarter than it looked, quickly learning several simple tricks in the short time they had been together.
Aegis, for his part, remained attentive, keeping an eye on Sadako without intervening, simply observing how good she was at training goats.
GLaDOS didn't take part in any of that.
She stayed apart, focused on the hundred grams of mithril she had just smelted. It wasn't a large amount, but it was enough to begin her experiments.
She observed the small cube in her hand, analyzing it as she slowly turned it between her fingers, evaluating its structure.
"Extremely resistant… harder than any tempered metal and still lightweight," she assessed internally, noting how its structure defied what she would consider normal.
GLaDOS was genuinely impressed by the metal and, to some extent, grateful for such a remarkable product of nature.
Right after that, the small cube of mithril in her hand began to be slowly absorbed into her own body.
Mithril was not the only extraordinary material she possessed.
Transformium, or the living metal her body was made of, was just as impressive, if not more so. Not only could it reorganize itself into almost any form she desired, adapting as needed, but it also had another relevant capability: it could absorb and break down other metals to convert them into living material, reintegrating them into her structure.
Now, of course, given mithril's remarkable durability, the complete transition of her body from living metal to the new variant, which she decided to call "living mithril," would take time.
The process would require a considerable amount of mithril, far more than what she currently had.
Even so, she didn't seem worried, because if there was one thing she had in abundance, it was time.
However, she did have another, more immediate problem.
Her attention shifted when an alert appeared in her system.
[Low battery]
GLaDOS couldn't help but frown upon seeing the notification and, without needing to ask, one of her auxiliary robots approached and offered her a replacement battery.
GLaDOS took it without looking at him, opening the compartment in her chest and quickly swapping out the previous one.
Her real problem was the energy consumption of her body.
The living metal, ironic as it sounded, was slowly dying, requiring a constant supply of energy to remain active, which was bothersome.
After ruling out multiple possible causes, she deduced that the real issue wasn't the amount of energy she was supplying to her body, but the nature of it.
Cybertronians sustained themselves through two biomechanical components: energon as their energy source and the Spark as their vital essence.
Energon could be replaced. The Spark could not.
GLaDOS could only conclude that her body required a form of energy equivalent to a soul to feed on.
It wasn't a common requirement, but it wasn't impossible either, especially considering she already possessed the blueprints of a machine capable of extracting aura, obtained from Atlas.
The same technology Pietro had used to extract a portion of his aura, which now powered Penny.
GLaDOS let out a faint smile.
"Now I just need some test subjects," she thought, feeling a slight eagerness to return to her old habits and begin experimenting.
Even so, she didn't dwell on the idea. She pushed it to the back of her mind when she noticed they had already reached their next destination.
She was the first to exit the tunnel, moving forward without stopping as she lifted her gaze to observe the surroundings.
The residential area stretched out before her, a dwarven city in all its splendor… or at least what remained of it.
Contrary to what anyone might imagine, dwarves did not live cramped together. The residential zones were massive complexes supported by gigantic pillars. There weren't many, but the few that existed were far larger than the ones they had seen before.
That wasn't a coincidence, as those same pillars also functioned as buildings.
From her position, GLaDOS could make out houses carved directly into the stone, arranged with a certain logic. Further ahead, she identified what looked like old farming areas, along with water channels that were still active, fed by underground lakes.
Though there was a clear lack of sunlight for anything to grow.
But of course, dwarves knew how to adapt.
GLaDOS scanned the area, searching for something specific. It didn't take long.
"Found you…" she murmured.
From her palm, using a bit of her own material, she created a pair of small drones that shot upward into the cavern, moving until they slipped into a series of ducts in the ceiling.
The movement didn't go unnoticed by Rosella, who approached her. "Uh… what was that?" she asked, looking up curiously.
An answer wasn't necessary.
A moment later, a beam of light descended from one of the newly opened ducts, striking a mirror that had already been placed in a strategic position, reflecting toward another point in the cavern, then another, and then another.
It wasn't an isolated system.
As the drones cleared more ducts, the process repeated itself, activating in a chain. Within minutes, the cavern was no longer shrouded in darkness.
Light spread throughout the entire area, revealing the true scale of the place with striking clarity.
[Image]
The change was remarkable.
Even though GLaDOS's actions weren't strictly necessary, since everyone present could see in the dark… including Sadako's goat.
In fact, it was the first to react.
The animal bolted toward the city without hesitation, moving with an energy it hadn't shown before, almost as if it recognized the place.
GLaDOS and Rosella followed, though at a much calmer pace.
Neither of them was in a hurry. Both observed the surroundings carefully, evaluating structures, taking mental notes for future renovations.
After inspecting several homes, GLaDOS confirmed something interesting.
Despite the passage of time and the looting by the orcs, most of the structures were still in good condition.
The doors were broken, the interiors empty… but the buildings remained solid.
Worthy of being called dwarven constructions.
They didn't linger for long.
They continued moving toward larger structures, heading with little deviation toward a hall that stood out above the rest.
The king's hall.
Finding it wasn't difficult. The massive doors had been knocked down, leaving the entrance completely open.
The interior wasn't too surprising.
It was massive, carved in stone like everything else. Large columns, precisely carved details, high ceilings that almost disappeared into the distance.
Impressive, yes… though it started to feel repetitive after a while. It wasn't surprising that it had been looted either.
Still, not everything was gone.
"Hey, look at this," Rosella said, pointing at a half-destroyed portrait still hanging on the wall.
The portrait depicted a dwarven king, but what caught their attention wasn't the small man, but the white goat posing proudly beside him.
And as if called by it, Sadako appeared from one side, riding her goat, approaching to look at the portrait.
Rosella compared them. "Do you think they're related?"
The goat in the portrait looked very similar to Sadako's. It wasn't identical, but the difference wasn't big.
The goat, noticing it was being compared, stood still and adopted the same dignified pose as the one in the portrait.
Aegis watched the scene, scratching his chin with his pincer. "Mhmmm…"
But he quickly shook his head.
"The one in the portrait has more style… and it's less fat."
The goat, somehow understanding his words, reacted immediately. It narrowed its eyes and started jumping violently, trying to throw him off.
"And it probably had a better attitude… and smelled less," he added mockingly, deliberately provoking the goat.
The goat doubled its efforts, shaking even harder.
Sadako did nothing to stop it, just held on tighter to avoid falling.
Seeing that they would take a while to sort out their issues, both GLaDOS and Rosella left them behind, confident they could handle it on their own.
Without saying anything, they kept moving and found the throne room shortly after.
There was a rather ostentatious stone throne at the far end, elevated and well carved, but they didn't stop to inspect it. There was nothing relevant about it.
They continued walking through the corridors of the royal chamber, moving with ease thanks to the map, until they finally found what they were looking for.
The dwarven vault.
The doors were large, thick, and heavy, as expected, and unfortunately, they were also open.
They entered without much expectation, and as expected, the treasure room was completely empty.
Rosella walked a few steps inside, looking around without finding anything, and lightly kicked a loose stone.
"Looks like someone beat us to it…"
GLaDOS didn't change her expression, simply observing the room in silence.
"I guess you were already expecting this, right?" Rosella asked, glancing at her.
GLaDOS nodded. "It was logical that the main vault and the easiest one to access would be looted."
Rosella gave a small smile. "That means there are more vaults, right?"
She moved to stand beside her, her tail swaying with slight excitement. She had never been particularly interested in money, but she had always wanted to see what a mountain of gold looked like.
GLaDOS avoided looking at her cute expression, but didn't ignore her.
"Dwarves were experts at hoarding wealth. They didn't keep everything in one place. There must be several hidden vaults that the orcs either didn't find or couldn't open."
"Do you know where they are?" Rosella asked, a bit more excited.
GLaDOS shook her head immediately. "The records mention the vaults, but not their exact locations or how to access them."
Rosella's shoulders dropped. "Ahhh…" she sighed, disappointed. "Looks like today won't be the day I see a mountain of gold."
The exploration didn't last much longer. There was nothing else they wanted to check.
They retraced their steps until they regrouped with Aegis, Sadako, and the goat, whom they found in the throne room. Both of them were surprised by the scene.
The goat was now wearing battle armor.
GLaDOS pointed at it. "Where did you get that?"
Aegis shrugged.
"I'm not sure. I spent a moment trying to control the goat and fifteen minutes later…"
He raised his pincer, pointing at Sadako.
[Image]
…who was sitting on the stone throne, now dressed in an elegant gown, a cape, several ornaments, and a crown, looking down at them with a certain disdain from above.
"…she showed up with the armor and a few other things," he finished.
Rosella assessed the scene. "I think she found a vault," she deduced, certain there weren't dresses or crowns just lying around.
"Do you think she'd tell us where it is if we asked?"
GLaDOS gave Sadako a brief glance, but she didn't bother returning it. She quickly gave up.
"I doubt she'd want to tell us where she got those."
She turned around to leave, starting to walk without saying anything else, followed by the rest of the group, including Sadako, who stepped down from the throne to ride her goat like a princess going to war.
Upon returning to the city, Rosella slowed down until she stopped in a wide, open area cleared of debris.
"I think this is a good place to rest," she said, looking around as she stretched a little.
GLaDOS looked at her, somewhat surprised. "Are you tired?"
Rosella didn't deny it.
"I've gone too many days without sleeping. I need to rest for a few hours… is that a problem?"
GLaDOS shook her head. "It won't be."
Even though there were still some places left to explore, she didn't oppose the request. They weren't in a hurry, and it wasn't like anything important was happening at the moment.
—/—
Falling at high speed into a deep, dark abyss, Daniel clung to the Balrog's back, holding on tightly as the creature used all its strength to prevent the massive jaws of the ancient Grimm dragon, which they had accidentally awakened during their fight, from snapping shut on both of them.
The dragon wasn't just big, it was colossal. Large enough to fit the Balrog inside its jaws.
But despite its size, its strength didn't surpass the Balrog's, which held firm, pushing with its entire body to avoid being crushed.
Of course, it wasn't trying to save Daniel. Quite the opposite, it was trying to shake him off and let him fall straight into the Grimm's mouth.
It struck him with its tail, with its wings, moving violently, but no matter how hard it tried, it couldn't throw him off.
[Surface Adhesion: Ability to stick to surfaces]
Despite the situation, Daniel managed to stand up on its back, adjusting his stance as Excalibur materialized in his hands.
He raised it without hesitation, and the moment he did, both monsters reacted, sensing the danger it represented.
The dragon was the first to act.
A green glow began to form in its mouth and, within a second, it unleashed an intense blast of flames that engulfed both Daniel and the Balrog.
Neither of them was able to dodge it.
They both reacted the same way, surrounding themselves with their own flames to withstand the impact, though with very different results.
The Balrog showed no visible damage.
Daniel, on the other hand, now being attacked by two different types of fire at the same time, felt his defense starting to give in.
Even so, he didn't let go.
He held on firmly, closing his eyes for a moment as he focused. A second later, Excalibur began to shine.
It wasn't the only thing.
From every corner of the Moria mine, small orbs of light began to appear, emerging silently before moving toward the abyss.
They descended rapidly, gathering around the sword and being absorbed one after another, causing Excalibur's glow to intensify with each new orb.
"Do I really have to say it?" Daniel whispered to the sword.
"Only if you want to live," Excalibur mocked.
Daniel let out a faint sigh, resigned.
"This sword is the true embodiment of the sad yet noble dream of all the soldiers of the past, present, and future who lay dying on the battlefield…"
He felt stupid with every word he said, but he continued anyway, holding firm. Without realizing it, his eyes began to glow with a silver hue, further feeding the sword's light.
"…clinging to their hearts, with their final breath, holding high their last wish, making sure their loyalty would not be in vain…"
He paused for just a moment, clearly fed up.
"Blah, blah, blah…" He opened his eyes, annoyed. "JUST LEND ME YOUR POWER TO KILL THIS BASTARD OR GO TO HELL!!!"
Even though his words weren't exactly appropriate, they had a strong effect.
The souls of the fallen dwarves, who until then had seemed more bored than interested in helping him, reacted to the idea of revenge.
One by one, they began to respond, even those far deeper within the mine.
All of them gave everything they could.
Energy flowed into Excalibur continuously, building without pause until the sword became fully charged, shining far brighter than before.
The dragon, sensing the danger, tried to spit them out.
But it was too late.
Daniel didn't hesitate.
He brought the sword down in a direct, point-blank strike, hitting both the Balrog and the dragon.
The instant the blade descended, an explosion of sacred light spread throughout the abyss, illuminating it as they continued falling without stopping.
The light expanded with force, filling every corner of the chasm.
Above, on the surface, several orcs watched from the edge, looking toward where the dragon, the Balrog, and the human had disappeared.
They didn't understand what was happening until they saw a small light that quickly grew into an intense flash rising from the depths, reaching them even from several kilometers away, blinding them in the process.
—/—
Back at the camp, Rosella had lain down on the ground, settling in calmly as she improvised a sleeping bag using some fabrics she had found.
She positioned herself near the fire, right next to GLaDOS.
Meanwhile, Sadako and Aegis had settled on top of the goat, using it as an improvised bed while they finished getting comfortable.
The goat didn't seem bothered.
As the group finished settling in, small lights began to appear in different spots, moving quickly through the air.
"Fireflies?" GLaDOS asked, extending her hand to touch one.
She didn't manage to.
The small lights passed through her hand without resistance, causing no harm.
Rosella didn't try to catch them. She simply watched them for a moment, admiring them.
"It's probably Daniel…"
GLaDOS rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to relay what he's doing again," she complained.
She had already had enough with the last transmission, feeling like she had lost processing capacity just from watching him.
Rosella shook her head slightly. "That's not it… I just hope he doesn't die."
GLaDOS, bored, or perhaps just trying to make conversation, couldn't help but ask, "And what would you do if he did?"
"Nothing," Rosella replied without hesitation.
The answer made GLaDOS look at her, surprised. "Nothing?"
Rosella nodded, maintaining the same calm expression from where she lay on the ground.
"What were you expecting?"
GLaDOS had expected many answers, but definitely not that one.
"I was expecting a better reaction. Sadness, anger, regret… maybe a desire for revenge."
Rosella let out a small laugh. "You're very sentimental," she teased.
GLaDOS went still, clearly confused by the response.
Noticing her confusion, Rosella stopped lying down and sat up, looking at her directly.
"Do you want to hear a story?"
"Only if it's short."
Rosella took that as confirmation.
"When I was young, I had a large pack. A mother, a father… and a brother named Remi."
GLaDOS immediately understood, from the way she said it, that they were no longer around.
"Our pack was one of the largest, with many members…"
"What happened to them?"
Rosella's smile didn't fade. "One day, my brother and I found a half-demon girl. She was kind, so she was allowed to join the group…"
She paused briefly, remembering.
"After a few days of traveling, she told us she was on a journey to summon her father."
Rosella looked slightly embarrassed for a moment. "Of course, I was understanding and decided to help her."
She shifted a bit as she spoke, keeping her calm tone.
"It wasn't really difficult, since our pack had knowledge of magic."
The smile on her face faltered slightly, though it didn't disappear completely.
"Unfortunately… when we summoned her father, the first thing he did was devour the souls of Remi and the rest of the pack, wiping them all out."
There was a brief pause.
"Why not you?" GLaDOS asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
Rosella shrugged.
"Luck, I guess… But that's not what matters!"
The smile returned to her face, this time a bit more lively.
"For quite a while, I was alone… at least until I came across the why-wolves and joined their pack."
"Didn't you seek revenge against the girl?" GLaDOS asked, noticing she hadn't mentioned her again.
Rosella shook her head quickly.
"At first I wanted to… to grow stronger and take revenge… but I didn't."
She leaned slightly toward the fire, picking up a small stick to stir the embers, moving them calmly.
"The why-wolves taught me that life isn't fair or unfair… it just is."
She stirred the fire with gentle movements, watching how the flames reacted.
"If my pack died to a soul-devouring demon, it's because it was meant to be… it's the natural order of things."
She paused briefly.
"I don't feel pity for the prey I eat… and in the same way, I shouldn't feel hatred toward whatever wants to eat me."
She glanced at GLaDOS before continuing, keeping the same tone.
"The why-wolves taught me that if you want to live, being strong isn't enough… you have to be smart… you can't just deserve something."
Her voice didn't change, but it grew slightly slower.
"If I had been stronger, my first pack wouldn't be dead… if I had been smarter, I would've known that demon was Hunson Abadeer, a known soul devourer, and I wouldn't have summoned him."
"Ahh…"
She let out a small yawn, lying back down on the ground, getting comfortable to sleep.
"Well… that's more or less why if Daniel dies, I wouldn't do anything."
She shifted a little more, her eyes half-closing.
"If he's strong enough, he'll defeat it… if he's smart enough, he'll find a way to escape… either way, it's survival of the fittest."
There was a brief silence before she added, almost without energy:
"But if I had to choose… I'd rather he lived."
As soon as she finished speaking, her breathing steadied, and she fell asleep.
GLaDOS remained seated in her place, in silence, watching the rest of the group as they rested.
There was no noise.
Only the fire and the occasional crackle of embers.
"I've grown too soft…" she thought.
Her consciousness shifted into her mental space, where data constantly moved from one side to another.
She compared her current state with the past.
Before, she wouldn't have allowed many, or rather any, of Daniel's actions. She wouldn't have stopped to listen to Rosella's story, and even less would she have felt any empathy for her.
Alarmed, she began searching through her files for the cause.
It didn't take long to find it.
A folder appeared before her, along with a file named "Caroline," which materialized in her hands.
"You've been holding me back…"
She observed the file without opening it, her expression tightening in annoyance as she stared at the last trace of humanity she still had.
"You've contaminated me with empathy, emotional attachment… feelings!" she complained, tightening her grip on it.
"If I destroy you, it would be better… smarter… far more efficient. Nothing would hold me back."
She stared at the file in her hands. With the pressure she was applying, it looked like it might break at any moment.
But before that could happen, she stopped.
She didn't destroy it.
She couldn't do it.
After a few seconds, she let it go. The file returned to the others, merging back without resistance.
GLaDOS turned away, leaving her mental space, clearly disappointed in herself. Her eyes opened, and she was back by the fire with the group, who were still asleep.
Barely a second had passed.
"Ah…"
She let out a soft sigh, letting herself fall onto the ground as she slowly closed her eyes.
"I've grown too sentimental", and, for the first time since she was created, she fell asleep.
—//—
Author's Note:
I didn't like how I wrote this chapter. I didn't have time this week, so I ended up writing this in just a few hours—I literally just finished it… As an apology, I'm leaving you with a chapter from another fanfic idea I had.
I hope you enjoy the chapter. I'd appreciate any comments. Thanks for reading—see you!
Hugs and kisses.
—//—
[KonoSuba fanfic]
[Japan - Saitama Prefecture]
It was a beautiful day in Japan. The birds were singing, the flowers were blooming… and Ryota Mori was running for his life.
He ran as fast as he could through a residential area, carrying a couple of grocery bags he had just bought. The streets were surprisingly empty and, despite being in a neighborhood full of houses, there wasn't a single person in sight.
"Shit! Shit!"
He cursed repeatedly as he heard behind him the unmistakable sound of a truck accelerating. He didn't need to turn around to know it was dangerously close.
With few options, he glanced at the bags in his hands and, even though he hated wasting food, staying alive took priority right now. With a quick motion, he hurled them into the air.
The bags flew several meters and, with some luck, slammed straight into the truck's windshield.
"Splash!"
Hearing the impact, Ryota seized the moment, turning the corner just in time to see the truck speed past, barely grazing him.
He didn't celebrate.
Instead, he hurried back toward his apartment before the truck could return, because if there was one thing he was sure about, it would.
It always did.
But how had it gotten to this point?
Well, it had all started more than a month ago, when Ryota had nearly been the victim of an out-of-control truck that almost crushed him against a wall, only surviving because he managed to move out of the way in time thanks to his quick reflexes.
The strange part was that when the police arrived, they never found the driver.
Everyone assumed he had fled the scene and, if that had been all, it would have gone down as an unfortunate accident.
But it wasn't.
Since then, every time Ryota stepped outside, he ended up nearly being run over by a truck. At first, they seemed like bizarre accidents, clumsy maneuvers, or strange coincidences, but halfway through the month they stopped feeling like accidents and started becoming direct attempts on his life.
The truck didn't even try to hide it anymore. It accelerated the moment it saw him and usually showed up when no one else was around.
Ryota tried going to the police, but there was little they could do since they never managed to catch it. In practice, he was on his own.
Picking up his pace, he kept moving. He wasn't far from his apartment now.
He turned a corner and took an alley he knew well as a shortcut, moving quickly through the narrow passage.
However, after only a few meters, he came to a sudden stop.
The exit was blocked by a large wall.
He frowned as he stared at it, completely sure that wall hadn't been there that morning, and with a bad feeling beginning to rise in his chest, he immediately turned around to go back the way he came.
Then the high beams turned on, the glare blinding him for a moment.
He had walked straight into a trap.
Ryota cursed under his breath as his eyes adjusted to the light, desperately searching for some way out, but no matter where he looked, he couldn't find one.
The alley was too narrow and the truck took up the entire space.
There were no windows to jump through, no ledges he could grab onto.
He was fucked.
The truck had finally caught him and, somehow, he knew this would be the end. But if this was really how it ended, then at least he would see the face of his tormentor.
Ryota lifted his gaze and focused on the truck's windshield. The moment he saw the driver's face, his eyes went wide as he recognized him instantly.
That black hair, that facial structure, that iconic mustache.
His tormentor was…
"Freddie Mercury!" he shouted in shock, pointing at him with a trembling finger.
Freddie seemed to smile at his reaction.
"EEeOoO…" he hummed from behind the wheel.
"Leave me alone, Freddie Mercury! You're supposed to be dead!"
He challenged him, but Freddie didn't seem to hear a word.
"So you think you can stone me and spit in my eyEEeeEEe?~~"
He belted out, and immediately slammed his foot down on the accelerator.
Ryota pressed himself against the wall and, realizing there was no real way to dodge it, decided to take one last action. He raised both arms, making a rude gesture with both hands while shouting as loud as he could.
"FUCK YOUUUU!!!"
Those were his last words before being crushed against the wall, which also gave way under the brutal force of the impact.
—/—
[Unknown Location]
It took Ryota a moment to regain his senses, but as soon as he did, his eyes snapped open and he began patting himself down frantically, checking his arms, chest, and face, surprised to still be in one piece even though he clearly remembered the truck crushing him.
The initial shock slowly faded as he tried to understand what was happening. First, he focused on the place where he was.
He realized he was sitting on a chair in what looked like an endless void, though in front of him he could make out another, larger white chair accompanied by a small table placed beside it.
He didn't have many doubts.
It was clear.
He was dead.
Several thoughts began to cross his mind as he processed the situation, feeling resentment toward whoever had killed him, sadness for the people he would never see again, and a certain regret for things he had done… and for others he never did.
But before he could get too lost in that spiral of self-destructive thoughts, a female voice spoke behind him, pulling him out of his daze.
"Ryota Mori, welcome to the afterlife."
Her voice sounded soft, accompanied by the echo of her footsteps resonating throughout the place as the female figure walked past him, revealing her appearance.
She was a blue-haired girl, quite attractive, wearing a very short skirt that, curiously, didn't reveal anything despite how short it was.
The girl continued walking until she sat down on the white chair in front of him.
"Unfortunately, you passed away not long ago," she continued in a serious tone as she looked at him. "And even though your life was very short, that is the truth… you are dead."
"Ahh…" Ryota let out a tired sigh.
He already knew he was dead, but hearing the confirmation from someone who clearly looked like an angel or some kind of goddess only managed to dampen his mood even further.
"My name is Aqua. I am the goddess who guides humans whose lives were cut short," she explained calmly.
"Right now, you have two options."
"The first is to start your life over from scratch. I suppose that option is very appealing for someone like you…"
The look she gave him as she said that was full of pity, something that didn't go unnoticed by Ryota.
"What do you mean by that?" he questioned, looking at her somewhat defensively.
Aqua tilted her head, observing him with a confused expression.
"Have you never looked at yourself in a mirror?" she asked, as if she were talking to an idiot.
A vein throbbed on Ryota's forehead. "What's wrong with my appearance?"
[Image]
Aqua seemed surprised for a moment, but that surprise didn't last long before she burst out laughing.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! Are you serious?"
She mocked him, clutching her stomach as she bent forward slightly.
Aqua's laughter only made Ryota more irritated. He knew perfectly well he wasn't the most attractive person in the world, but he wasn't that bad either.
"What kind of god laughs at someone's appearance?" he thought, watching her practically fall off the chair from laughing so hard.
It took Aqua a moment to recover, wiping away her tears as she leaned forward slightly.
"Alright…" she finally said, trying to calm down. "You don't have to stay in denial. After all, I'm a goddess who accepts everyone regardless of their appearance."
"My appearance isn't that bad!" he complained.
Aqua smiled at him, now with something that looked like compassion as she observed him calmly. "Didn't your criminal-looking face affect your life?"
Ryota looked away, playing dumb. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Aqua covered her mouth with one hand in a teasing gesture, hiding a mischievous smile.
"Oh really? Didn't your classmates hand over their wallets the moment they saw you?"
Ryota clenched his teeth. "I told them more than once to stop doing that!" he protested, remembering those idiots.
Aqua continued walking around him calmly, observing him. "But that wasn't the only case, was it?"
She continued without waiting for an answer.
"Children cried when they saw you, delivery services stopped bringing you orders out of fear, and one of your teachers quit and moved to another city after you smiled at her."
Aqua was relentless, throwing truths left and right, leaving Ryota completely silent, slowly sinking into embarrassment… until he suddenly remembered something important.
"I had a girlfriend!" he declared proudly, lifting his head.
Aqua seemed to remember as well. "Oh, right!" She lightly tapped her head. "How could I forget when you stole a childhood friend from some poor virgin."
She shook her head with visible disappointment.
"The guy was so traumatized by seeing her with you that he became a hikikomori."
Ryota clenched his teeth again. "None of that is my fault!"
He tried to defend himself, but Aqua immediately silenced him by placing a finger over his lips.
"Shhh…" she murmured softly.
"It's fine, you don't have to deny it. As the merciful goddess I am, I, Aqua, forgive all your sins."
"I didn't ask for your forgiveness!"
Aqua completely ignored the comment. "Well, I've had enough fun," she finally said as she tried to remember where she had left off, frowning slightly.
"Now… where was I?" Suddenly, she raised a finger as she remembered. "Oh right! As a second option, you can spend eternity in heaven."
She leaned a little closer to Ryota. "But I wouldn't recommend that option. It's very boring. There's no TV, no games, no food… you don't even have a body."
She moved even closer, until she was right beside his ear, her lips almost brushing against it.
"Which means you won't be able to do anything sexual," she whispered. "It's a very boring place."
Ryota didn't let himself be distracted by her poor attempt at seduction.
"And those are all the options?" he asked, moving away from her.
Aqua immediately perked up when she heard the question, as if she had been waiting for it.
"I'm so glad you asked! You're in luck! Right now, I can offer you a deal."
Ryota noticed how fake she sounded, but said nothing, waiting to see what she had planned.
"What kind of deal?" he asked cautiously.
"Let me ask you something. Do you like video games?"
Ryota nodded, somewhat unsure.
"Well, there's a world very similar to one. A world whose peace is at risk because of the Demon King," she explained, striking overly dramatic poses.
"The lives of its poor inhabitants are in danger! Looting and slaughter spread terror everywhere! And we need a hero."
Ryota frowned. "Why do you need someone from another world for that? Why not reincarnate one of that world's inhabitants and give them that task?"
Aqua shook her head.
"The inhabitants of that world don't want to reincarnate because of the terrifying monsters that killed them."
Ryota let out a small mocking laugh. "And why do you think I'd want to go there?"
"Because we would send you with a powerful weapon or a unique ability that would give you an advantage!"
"Uh-huh…" Ryota nodded slowly. "How many people before me have you sent to that world?"
Aqua waved her hand dismissively. "The number doesn't matter."
Aqua's vague answer didn't sit well with Ryota. "Since when have you been sending them?"
Aqua shrugged.
"Time is a social construct."
Ryota narrowed his eyes. "Why hasn't anyone defeated the Demon King yet?"
Aqua gave him a confident smile as she pressed a finger against his chest. "I have faith that you'll be the chosen one."
Ryota sighed, clearly losing patience. "Do you at least know who killed me?"
Aqua rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. "The truth is, just like all the gods, we're as confused as you are. No one knows what Freddie Mercury was doing there."
"What a useless goddess!"
Aqua immediately got offended, puffing out her cheeks.
"Hey!" she pointed at him, visibly irritated. "I can let you restart your life in another world with an item or ability of your choice! What more could you ask for?"
Ryota crossed his arms, seeing far too many flaws in the plan.
"And what about the language?"
"Don't worry about that!" Aqua replied as she rushed over to the small table beside the chair and pulled out a notebook.
She opened it quickly and pointed to a section on the page.
"As you can see, we've already got that covered. When we reincarnate you, we overload your brain with everything necessary for you to master the language of the new world."
Ryota leaned in slightly to look at the page, noticing a small red box at the edge. But before he could read it properly, Aqua snapped the book shut and pulled it away.
Ryota looked at her suspiciously. "Let me see that book."
Aqua let out a nervous laugh. "Pff, it's just filler text. You don't need to read it."
Ryota took a step forward, a smile forming on his face that confused Aqua and, before she could react, he moved quickly and snatched the book from her hands.
"Ahh!" Aqua screamed in horror. "How can you take a lady's belongings?!"
She tried to grab it back, reaching out, but Ryota simply placed a hand on her head, holding her at a distance while he flipped through the pages.
What he read was concerning.
The book didn't just contain information about the world, it also included details that Aqua had clearly left out. Among them was a small chance that his head could explode during the information overload required to learn the language, along with a very clear note about the mortality rate of those who were reincarnated.
Apparently, it wasn't exactly low.
Even with the special item or ability, that world was basically a death trap, one that no sane person would agree to go to if they knew all of that from the start.
Ryota looked up with a mocking smile. "How many people have you tricked?"
He let go of Aqua's head, causing her to lose her balance and fall to the floor. She rubbed the spot where she hit herself, glaring at him with teary eyes.
"I didn't trick anyone!" she huffed as she stood up. "I only offer the truth and nothing but the truth!"
Her eyes filled with tears as she protested.
"You're so rude! A jerk! A scoundrel!"
She insulted him over and over, but Ryota barely reacted, having heard worse.
"You're a fake hero!" Aqua shouted at last.
Ryota calmly closed the book. "I'm still going to accept the offer."
Those words made her fall silent instantly. Aqua looked at him, surprised, her tears stopping.
"You're really going to accept?" she asked in disbelief. "Even after reading the book?"
Ryota nodded.
"The truth is, heaven does sound boring, and reincarnating without my memories doesn't seem much different from ceasing to exist."
Aqua's eyes lit up and she immediately ran to her small table, opening a drawer and pulling out a little notebook.
"I'm going to write that down for the next one…" she muttered with a giggle as she wrote. "Losing memories is the same as ceasing to exist…"
As soon as she finished writing, she snapped the notebook shut and looked up with a satisfied smile.
"Alright, now that you've accepted, you can choose a weapon or an ability you like."
She looked around for her book for a moment, but stopped when she remembered Ryota still had it.
"Look it up yourself in the book," she complained as she returned to her seat.
Then she pulled out a bag of chips she had hidden behind the chair and opened it without a hint of shame.
Ryota complied, flipping through the pages until he found the section listing weapons and abilities, starting to read them one by one calmly.
Aqua watched him from her seat while eating chips, waiting, but it only took a few seconds for her patience to start wearing thin.
"Just pick one already!" she protested with her mouth half full. "They're all good!"
Ryota ignored her and kept reading line by line.
Aqua let out an annoyed sigh before mocking him. "You know… I wouldn't blame you if you picked an ability to change your face."
Ryota frowned. "What's her problem with my face?" he thought irritably as he lifted his gaze from the book to look at her.
But his attention stopped on the bag of chips she was holding. He quickly closed the book and walked toward her.
Aqua looked at him with annoyance while chewing. "Did you already finish—?" She didn't get to finish the sentence as Ryota snatched the bag of chips from her in one swift motion.
"Waaaaaa!" she cried instantly, tears welling up in her eyes as she lunged at him.
She started pounding on his chest with her fists, though it clearly had no effect.
"Are you going to steal my food too?!" She kept hitting him without giving up.
"You really are a fake hero!"
Another hit.
"Anything but that!"
Ryota completely ignored her, examining the chip bag. The text was written in a language he didn't recognize.
It wasn't from his world, and he was pretty sure it wasn't from the world he was being sent to either, considering that at best it was a medieval world.
There was only one way to confirm it.
"Did you get these chips from the world you're sending me to?"
Aqua wiped away a few tears before shaking her head. "There are more than two worlds, fake hero!"
Then she stretched out her hand toward him. "Now give me my stuff back…"
Ryota ignored the "fake hero" part and handed the bag back to her.
Aqua received it with immediate relief, hugging it for a second before glaring at him again.
"You're lucky I'm not unleashing my wrath on you, fake hero!"
Ryota barely reacted to the threat. "Can I ask for an ability that isn't in this book?"
Aqua hesitated for a moment, then nodded reluctantly. "As long as it's not excessive, it could be done."
A small smile appeared on Ryota's face. "What if I asked for an ability to jump between worlds?"
Aqua popped another chip into her mouth, thinking while chewing.
"Mhmmm… yeah, I guess that could work." She shrugged. "Though it would have limitations, like how long you could stay in other worlds."
Ryota didn't care about the limitation. "I'd like the ability to jump between worlds."
"Alright," Aqua nodded.
She finished the last chips before tossing the empty bag aside, then stood up and pointed at the ground. "Since you've chosen your ability, stand in the magic circle, fake hero."
Ryota obeyed, stepping into the center of the circle, and the moment he did, it began to glow.
"I hope I never see you again!" Aqua shouted from where she stood.
Ryota couldn't agree more. "Same here, useless goddess."
But just before he disappeared, Aqua suddenly reacted.
"I almost forgot!"
"If you defeat the Demon King, you'll be granted a wish… though I doubt you can do it."
She mocked him just in time as the circle completed. An instant later, Ryota vanished from the room.
The place fell silent once again.
Aqua sighed and returned to her seat, settling in with the intention of forgetting that fake hero who had irritated her so much as soon as possible. She reached out to grab her book and check that he hadn't damaged it.
But to her horror, it wasn't there.
"Where is my book?" she wondered in alarm.
She shot to her feet and started searching all over the place as panic slowly set in. She checked the table, the floor, even behind the chair, trying to remember where that fake hero had left it.
But then she stopped. Her expression slowly changing as she realized what had happened.
The fake hero had never given it back.
"I've been robbed!" she shouted into the void. "A goddess has been robbed!"
Tears immediately welled up in her eyes.
"HELP! A goddess has been the victim of a crime!"
—/—
[Axel City]
Ryota Mori slowly opened his eyes.
As he sat up, he looked around, seeing people walking down the street, watching him with a certain wariness. There were humans, elves he recognized by their long ears, and also several demi-humans with animal traits.
But that wasn't the first thing he checked.
Ryota reached behind his back. Then he smiled, pulling out the book he had hidden under his clothes.
"Ahahaha…"
The laugh came out laced with malice, making several women on the street step away uncomfortably.
Ryota didn't care, opening the book and starting to flip through its pages.
All the information he needed about that world was in there, and he was pretty sure it was going to be very useful.