Chapter 94: Faith

"Hmm. So this is your house, Zenkichi." Nekomi hummed as she stepped into the house, her cat tail swinging around, a curious gaze in her eyes as she looked around. "Not gonna, I expected... a bit more."

"Like what?" Zenkichi asked as he went and got a cup of water, feeling a bit dehydrated for meditating for quite a while.

"Like some punching bags, dumbbells, or even a treadmill." She shot him a raised eyebrow, "Cause there's no in way in hell that sexy bod of yours is all natural."

"Well, I mean, kinda? Most what I do is just practicing some katas and a bit of shadow boxing..." Zenkichi shrugged, not really sure. He knew that he did some lifts and other intense workout in middle school, but when he entered highschool all he did to keep himself in shape was doing some pushups, squats and a long jog around the neighborhood.

Actually now that he thought about it, the original had stopped lifting so hard wasn't because he was tired of doing it but because he felt like he couldn't get any stronger. And last he checked before he got any major power-ups, he was strong enough to punch through several inches of concrete easily. He knew that couldn't possibly be normal.

The only logical reason for his abnormal strength is that either he was born with incredible strength or his demon heritage was slowly manifesting in his physical abilities. Either way, the real question remains, how did the system not notice his demon heritage beforehand? Was it because it was too weak to analyze his demon blood?

Suddenly, he heard the all too familiar robotic voice in his head.

[User's demon bloodline was inactive to the point it didn't seem to exist, so the system simply didn't detect it. The only way it could active is either making contact with a Demon or cause its instinctive hatred flowing through every demon's blood since ancient times to flare up.]

'Divine Authority huh...' Zenkichi rubbed his chin in thought. 'Figures as much, also, you finally answering my questions? Dude, I got a big problem going on with my divinity and demon powers disappearing, what's going on?'

Zenkichi wanted a peaceful life but considering how absurd his life was going right now, he needed strength, strength to fight against all the challenges and enemies he was facing. Losing his divinity and demon powers would be a major setback, and he needed answers.

[Apologies for the delay in response, User. The system was undergoing some maintenance, and as for your question...]

[New Quest Issued!]

[Quest: Small Talk Can't Be That Hard?

Objective: Ask someone, not the system, about the deterioration of your Divine Core and Demon Heart, and get the solution.

Reward: 1 Mysterious Draw Upon The Lottery

Failure: You will lose your Divinity and Demon Powers]

'Oh you lazy ass–'

[System will be undergoing another maintenance to its systems and other functions, any inquiries the user has to the system will be on hold for now. Goodbye, user, see you in a week.]

'A week?! What the fuck?' Zenkichi's face twitched in frustration. He couldn't believe that the system was going on maintenance right when he needed answers the most. A whole week without any guidance or assistance seemed like an eternity in his current situation.

"Well, that's just great," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. He turned to Nekomi, who was still exploring the house with a curious expression. "Hey, Nekomi, what do you want to do right now?"

"Hmm. I was just gonna check up on and then head on out, but since you're asking..." Nekomi grinned towards him. "Got any good games?"

Zenkichi smirked, "That depends. You know how to drive a kart?"

....

"Hmph!" Nekomi looked away, visibly upset while Zenkichi tried to keep himself from laughing.

They've been playing Mario Kart for the past two hours, and Nekomi found herself on the losing end. Her competitive nature surfaced once more and her eyes kept glued to the screen after the third race.

"Alright, Zenkichi," she said, a mad glint in her eyes. "Prepare to eat my dust this time."

Zenkichi chuckled. "You sure you wanna continue?"

"Of course I wanna continue! What? You scared that I'll beat you so badly that you'll never want to play again?" Nekomi taunted, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips.

Zenkichi raised an eyebrow. "Oh no, it's just its 8pm and I have to prepare for dinner. Also, didn't you say that you had something to do at this time?"

"8?!" Nekomi exclaimed, looking at the clock. "Oh crap, you're right! I completely lost track of time."

Zenkichi chuckled again. "That tends to happen when you're absorbed in a game. Don't worry, we can play again some other time."

Nekomi pouted playfully. "Fine, but next time, I'm definitely gonna beat you."

Zenkichi smiled. "Looking forward to it."

Nekomi hurriedly stood up to leave, though not before pressing her lips against Zenkichi's and grinned. "I had a wonderful time, see you tomorrow?"

Zenkichi blinked and smiled back. "Yeah yeah, I'll go to school tomorrow and we can hang out afterwards. Take care, Nekomi."

With that, Nekomi waved goodbye and left Zenkichi's house. Zenkichi couldn't help but feel a warmth in his heart as he watched her go.

"Hmm. So that's the girl that you're dating?" A pair of white smooth arms wrapped around Zenkichi's neck from behind, pulling him into a tight embrace. Zenkichi turned his head and found himself face to face with the familiar sight of his Valkyrie companion, Brunhilde.

"Yeah," Zenkichi replied, his voice filled with affection. "That's her alright, honestly, I never expected to date her."

"Just how you never expected to lose your first time with me?" Brunhilde giggled and lightly kissed his cheek before taking a step back to reveal she was naked. Uncaring for her lack of clothes, Brunhilde walked into the kitchen. "So are you going to cook for dinner or shall I?"

"Well first off, wear something. You're gonna freeze your butt off," Zenkichi said, shamelessly looking at her curvy behind and swaying hips.

"Pfft. Please, I'm a Valkyrie. The cold never bothered me." Brunhilde snorted, throwing her hair back with a dramatic flair. "But fine, I'll put something on." She sauntered back into the living room while Zenkichi made his way to the kitchen.

As Zenkichi began preparing dinner, Brunhilde appeared by his side wearing one of Zenkichi's oversized shirts, barely reaching mid-thigh. She leaned against the counter, watching him cook with an inquisitive gaze.

"Hey, what's going on with your Divine Core?" Brunhilde commented.

Zenkichi paused from cutting the vegetables, his lips twitched.

'I... I completely forgot that Brunhilde could help me with my problem!'

Zenkichi then explained his problem.

"Well that's to be expected," Brunhilde said with a blank expression then sighed.

"Zenkichi, you a former human, what do you think is a God? Just a being of great power? Yes and no, but a God is a God because they are a creature of worship. They are revered, believed in, and called upon by their followers. Divinity is not just about power, it's about the connection to the people, the faith placed in them. And that faith, that devotion, is what fuels their divine core. Without it, the power fades, the connection weakens."

Zenkichi absorbed her words, his mind racing with thoughts and questions. "So... you're saying that my divinity and demon powers are disappearing because I don't have any followers? But, that doesn't make any sense. My Divine Authority is Amateratsu's Divine Authority, meaning her followers should be mine as well after I killed her. As for my demonic bloodline..."

"Well I don't know anything about demons, they're rare to come across in Asgard even in Helheim." Brunhilde muttered, looking lost in thought for a moment. "But as a half-God, I was taught most of what a True God is like."

"In the rare case of a God or something else usurping a God's Divine Authority or Domain of Power, it doesn't automatically transfer the faith and followers to the new God. It takes time for people to recognize and accept the new deity as their own. And even then, it's not a guarantee that all of Amateratsu's followers would transfer their loyalty to you. After all, they only know the great Goddess of the Sun, Amateratsu, not Zenkichi Hitoyoshi the human and spawn of Satan."

Zenkichi nodded, understanding the complexity of the situation. "So, what can I do about it? How can I regain my powers?"

Brunhilde sighed, her gaze softening. "To regain your powers, you need to reestablish your connection with the people. You need to inspire faith and belief in them. It won't be easy, especially since you're not from this world and don't have a natural following. But... there are ways to do it."

"Such as?" Zenkichi asked eagerly, desperate for a solution.

Brunhilde tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Spread your influence on a land of faithless people or change other people's beliefs on other Gods."

"That's fucking impossible." Zenkichi exclaimed, nearly dropping the knife he was holding. "I can't just go around changing people's beliefs or expect them to suddenly worship me. That's insane! And even if I want to, it's going to take years before anyone would start giving their faith to me."

Brunhilde chuckled, seeing the panic on Zenkichi's face. "I didn't say it would be easy. But it's not impossible either."

"How so?" Zenkichi raised an eyebrow.

"You can travel to other worlds, right?" Brunhilde's smile widened. "Worlds that... are ravaged by regenerating demons that could only be killed by the Sun?"

"What–"

Zenkichi paused, not because he realized the solution to his Divine Core problem, but also because he sensed a familiar presence appearing in the living room.

'This electricity... It's Lilith–'

"Your Highness, I have returned."

"Who are you?"

Both Lilith and Brunhilde simultaneously said, blankly staring at each other.

Lilith pulled out both her magical guns out while Brunhilde created multiple magical circles around her. Both women narrowed their eyes, ready to fight if necessary.

"Your Highness, who is this... strange woman?"

"I asked you first, bitch."

"Who you calling a bitch, you witch?!"

"Ha! That's the best you could come up with?"

The two hissed at each other, the tension between the two was intense.

Zenkichi's face twitched, 'Why is this happening?'

....

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