Chapter 9: Sora wants to learn about Gods... Even though he doesn't believe in them

I stared at my phone for a moment, the screen still showing the recently ended call. Sora? What did the kid want? And why the hell was he calling me out of the blue? I had a feeling this was going to be interesting, or at the very least, confusing as all hell.

Hiyori, who was leaning against a wall and still catching her breath from our recent Yakuza fiasco, raised an eyebrow at me. "What's up? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Got a call from Sora," I said, still frowning at the phone. "He hung up before he could say anything else. I think I'm gonna call him back."

"Isn't that the weird conspiracy kid?" Koyasu asked, floating nearby with a half-empty bottle of sake in his hand. "What does he want?"

"No idea," I said, dialing the number back and hitting 'Call'. "Guess we're about to find out."

The phone rang a few times before Sora picked up, his voice low and steady. "Y/N? You called back."

"Yeah, kid. You called me first," I replied. "What's up? Why'd you hang up on me?"

There was a moment of hesitation on the other end before Sora spoke again. "I need to ask you something, and I didn't know if you'd answer if I just came out and asked."

I chuckled. "I might, I might not. Depends on the question."

"Okay," he said, sounding like he was trying to muster up some courage. "I want to study you."

I blinked. "Study me? Like, dissect me? Because I've gotta say, that's not gonna work out well for you."

"No," he replied, deadpan. "I want to study you because you're a god, right? And I want to understand more about gods, how they think, how they operate... even though I don't believe in them."

I couldn't help but laugh. "You want to study gods even though you're an atheist? You realize how backwards that sounds, right?"

"Yeah," he said calmly, "but just because I don't believe doesn't mean I'm not curious. Besides, if you are what you say you are, then there's got to be some kind of explanation. Maybe it's science we just don't understand yet."

I had to admit, the kid was pretty sharp. "Alright, fine. I'll bite. Where are you now?"

"Home," Sora said. "But... I figured you could just teleport or whatever."

"You figured right," I replied with a grin. "Be there in a second."

I hung up the call and looked at Hiyori. "Grab your stuff, we're teleporting."

She gave me a quizzical look. "To where?"

"Sora's place," I said, reaching out and snapping my fingers. A moment later, we were standing in the middle of a modest living room with old furniture, a slightly outdated TV, and a lingering smell of something cooking in the kitchen.

Kurumi turned around from the kitchen counter, holding a plate of food in her hands. "Oh, hello there! Didn't expect to see you two again so soon!"

I grinned. "Surprise! Miss me already?"

Kurumi laughed. "You wish. But it's nice to see you both. Sora's been talking about you a lot since we got back."

Hiyori gave me a side-eye. "I hope he hasn't been planning anything... crazy."

"Oh, he's always thinking about something," Kurumi said, waving it off with a smile. "You know how kids are."

Sora appeared from the hallway, looking a bit awkward but trying to play it cool. "Hey. Thanks for coming."

"No problem, kid," I said, giving him a nod. "So, where do we start?"

"Upstairs," he replied, pointing to a narrow staircase. "My room's quieter."

"Lead the way," I said, gesturing for him to go ahead.

As we headed up the stairs, I could hear Kurumi and Hiyori starting to chat in the kitchen. "Hey, you want some sake?" Kurumi asked cheerfully. "I keep a bottle around for special guests."

Hiyori chuckled. "Sure, why not? Been one of those days."

I smirked to myself. This ought to be good. Those two with a bit of alcohol might end up being more interesting than whatever Sora had in mind.

When we reached Sora's room, it was exactly what I expected—books piled everywhere, a cluttered desk with papers and notes strewn about, and a corkboard covered in conspiracy theories, diagrams, and sketches of various supernatural creatures. The place looked like a teenager's version of a mad scientist's lab.

"Nice setup," I said, eyeing the mess. "You know, for a skeptic, you sure put a lot of effort into researching this stuff."

Sora shrugged. "Like I said, I'm curious. I don't believe it's all real, but I want to understand why people believe what they do."

"Fair enough," I said, leaning against the wall. "So, how do you want to do this? Got a questionnaire or something?"

He sat down at his desk, pulling out a notepad that looked like it had been through a war zone. The edges were frayed, and it was covered in scribbles, some of which looked like hastily drawn pentagrams, and others were just doodles of... was that a dick? Jesus.

"Alright," Sora said, flipping through the pages. "I've got some questions lined up. Let's start simple."

I raised an eyebrow. "Simple? Kid, there's nothing simple about me."

He ignored my remark, clearly on a mission. "First question: How do you exist? Are you born? Created? Some kind of cosmic accident?"

I laughed. "Cosmic accident? Nice. You're pretty blunt, aren't you? I like that." I leaned back, arms crossed. "Well, it's complicated. Let's just say I manifested from Nothing. There wasn't anything, and then there was me. Like the universe decided it needed a little more chaos."

He scribbled something down in his notebook, nodding. "So, like a self-manifestation. No higher power, no Creator God?"

"None," I said with a shrug. "I'm my own Author. And there were no rules when I showed up, so I made my own."

Sora looked up, squinting at me. "That sounds… lonely."

I shrugged. "At first, yeah. Just me and a whole lot of Nothing. But then I started creating things, just to see what would happen. Mikaboshi, for instance."

He scribbled more notes. "And she's...?"

"The first thing I ever created," I said. "A minor goddess of stars. I raised her like my own daughter. She's a pain in the ass, and I'm proud of her."

Sora paused for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. "Why would you make something in a void? What's the point?"

"What's the point of anything, kid? I got bored. When you're alone for eons, you start wanting to see what happens if you throw a wrench into the works. Why even worry about?"

He nodded, almost like he was impressed. "Alright, that makes sense. I guess. Next question: If you can create anything, what's stopping you from just remaking the universe the way you want?"

I chuckled. "Because that'd be boring as Hell. Where's the fun in living in a perfect world where nothing ever goes wrong? No drama, no conflict... no stories."

Sora seemed to consider that. "So, you like chaos?"

"Chaos is where the good stuff happens," I said with a grin. "It's where the best stories are born. Besides, it's not like I can't fix things when they go too far off the rails."

He wrote that down, nodding again. "Okay, I get that. But if you're so powerful, why do you bother with all this? With hanging around people, with—"

"People are fun," I interrupted. "They're unpredictable. Messy. They get scared, they get brave, they do stupid things for love or money or pride. It's entertaining. Sometimes they surprise you in ways that gods can't."

Sora put down his pen for a second, looking me dead in the eye. "And what about the people you hurt in the process?"

I felt a slight chill in the room, his tone making me pause. "What do you mean?"

"All this chaos," he said, gesturing around his room, "doesn't it cost something? Doesn't it end up hurting people who didn't ask for it?"

I leaned forward, suddenly serious. "Kid, life isn't fair. You're gonna get hurt whether I'm around or not. But yeah, sometimes people get caught in the crossfire. I can't say I'm proud of that, but I don't pretend the world's a fair place either."

He didn't look satisfied, but he nodded slowly, jotting down more notes. "Okay... okay. I guess that makes sense."

I decided to shift gears. "Enough about me. What's with you, wanting to study Gods you don't even believe in?"

He hesitated, then said, "I'm a skeptic, not an idiot. Just because I don't believe doesn't mean I can ignore what's in front of me. You… and the others, you're not something I can just explain away."

I grinned. "So, you're trying to find a logical answer to something that isn't logical?"

He gave a small smile. "Something like that."

I liked this kid. He had guts, and he was smart enough to ask questions most people didn't bother with. "Alright, Sora. What's your next question?"

He looked down at his notepad again, flipping through a few more pages. "If you could choose to be mortal or stay the way you are, which would you pick?"

I blinked. "Huh. That's actually a good one." I thought about it for a moment, tapping my chin. "Mortality's got its perks. Feeling time slip away, making every moment count… It's got a certain appeal. But I'd probably stick with what I've got. I mean, why limit yourself if you don't have to?"

Sora nodded, writing furiously. "So, it's about freedom?"

"Exactly," I said. "No limits, no rules—just freedom to do whatever the Hell I want."

He looked thoughtful. "What about loneliness? Aren't you ever tired of watching everyone around you die?"

I felt a small twinge in my chest. "Yeah," I said quietly. "That part sucks. But the way I see it, if you get too wrapped up in the losses, you miss out on all the good shit. I've learned to live with it."

He put his pen down and leaned back. "I get that. Sort of." He seemed to be done for now, but I could tell he had more questions brewing.

Meanwhile, downstairs, I could hear Hiyori and Kurumi giggling. I knew that sound all too well—Kurumi had probably cracked open that bottle of sake she was talking about. I smirked, imagining those two getting tipsy and letting loose.

"How's your mom doing?" I asked, nodding toward the door. "She seems like a handful."

Sora rolled his eyes. "She's a total embarrassment most of the time. But she means well."

"Yeah," I said with a grin. "I kinda like that about her."

"Of course, you do," Sora muttered. "You've been flirting with her non-stop since we met."

I laughed. "What can I say? She's got that cheerful, sexy, single mom thing going on. Plus, it's fun to see how far I can push it."

Sora shook his head. "Whatever. Just... don't get her in any trouble, alright?"

"No promises, kid," I said, winking.

I could hear Kurumi's loud voice drifting up the stairs. "And then he said, 'No, that's not a fox, that's my wife!' Can you believe it?" she burst out laughing, and I could hear Hiyori joining in, her usual composed demeanor breaking down into giggles.

"Sounds like they're having a good time," Sora noted, looking a little embarrassed.

"Yeah," I said, leaning back against the wall. "Maybe I'll go join them in a bit. But first, let me ask you something, Sora."

He looked up, curious. "What?"

"Why do you want to know all this stuff?" I asked, crossing my arms. "What's in it for you? You trying to prove something?"

He seemed to think about it for a moment before answering. "I guess... I want to see if there's any reason behind all this. The gods, the demons, the monsters… I want to see if there's some kind of pattern, some meaning. Even if I don't believe in fate or destiny, maybe there's a logic to it."

I nodded, impressed. "That's a pretty deep answer, kid. You might just find what you're looking for, or you might not. But either way, I think you're on the right track."

Sora smiled, a small, almost shy smile. "Thanks."

I gave him a nod and stretched, feeling a bit restless. "Alright, I'm gonna head downstairs and see what those two are up to. Don't get lost in that notebook of yours."

He rolled his eyes again, but I could see a hint of appreciation in his expression. "I won't."

I made my way back down the stairs, where I found Hiyori and Kurumi sitting on the floor, laughing like old friends. The sake bottles between them was nearly empty, and both of them looked a little flushed.

"Hey," I said, grinning as I walked in. "Looks like someone's having a good time."

Kurumi waved me over, her smile as bright as ever. "Y/N! Come join us! Hiyori was just telling me about that time you tried to fight a dragon with a broomstick!"

I winced. "Oh god, not that story."

Hiyori was grinning, her cheeks pink. "Hey, it worked, didn't it?"

"Yeah, but at what cost?" I muttered, sitting down next to them. "That broom never recovered."

Kurumi laughed, leaning in a bit closer. "You really are something, Y/N."

"Right back at you," I said, giving her a playful wink. "You ever think about doing something crazy again? Like maybe a trip to the underworld or a ghost hunt?"

She gasped, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "A ghost hunt? That sounds like a blast! Do you know any good haunted spots around here?"

Hiyori, still giggling, rolled her eyes. "Careful, Kurumi. With Y/N, 'haunted spots' usually means something that'll try to eat you."

"Hey, that's part of the fun!" I argued, grinning. "Besides, you said it yourself—you've got to enjoy life while you can."

Kurumi leaned in even closer, her face just inches from mine. "Maybe I like a little danger," she whispered, her tone teasing.

I felt my grin widen. "Is that an invitation?"

Before she could answer, Sora's voice called from the top of the stairs. "Mom, please stop flirting with the god of chaos. It's weird."

Kurumi giggled and pulled back, giving me a playful wink. "Guess you'll have to wait for that ghost hunt."

"Fine by me," I said, chuckling. "You let me know when you're ready, and I'll bring the ghost."

Hiyori poured the last of the sake into her cup, sighing contentedly. "You know, it's actually kind of nice having people around who don't freak out over all this stuff."

Kurumi raised her cup. "Cheers to that!"

I clinked my cup against hers, nodding. "Cheers." As we all took a drink.