Chapter 0: The Day My Life Got Too Complicated

Do you like a fucked-up story with no Plot, Overpowered Characters, unique Comedy, a cool Power System, and extraordinary World-Building?

If so, then this might be your best read! Sure, maybe I'm not as much of a good protagonist as Klein Moretti from Lord Of The Mysteries, Fang Yuan from Reverend Insanity, and Kim Dokja from Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, but at least give me a try!

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The first time I saw Hiyori, I was sprawled out under a cherry blossom tree, trying to nap away a particularly boring day in Kyoto. The Edo period wasn't exactly what you'd call exciting for a God, and I was really just passing time, waiting for something interesting to happen.

My eyes fluttered open when I heard a rustling in the bushes nearby. I didn't need to use my omniscience to know who it was—I could feel her presence. Powerful, but not like mine. Her energy was blessed, not divine(hey, that rhymes). I yawned and stretched, pretending I didn't notice her watching me.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," I called out lazily, half expecting her to scamper away like a frightened rabbit. But instead, a girl with yellow-orange hair, tied up in a ponytail, and fox ears peeking out from the top of her head stepped out. Her orange-brown eyes locked onto mine with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. She had a fox tail swishing behind her and was wearing a white kimono with red trims, paired with red hakama pants. I sat up, suddenly a bit more interested.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice firm but tinged with curiosity.

I grinned, adjusting my kimono. "Just your average God taking a nap. I'm Y/N, The God of Reality." I tapped the side of my nose, leaning in conspiratorially. "I also dabble in swordsmanship, you know... the usual."

She blinked at me, clearly unimpressed. "A God, huh? He doesn't look that powerful…"

Ouch. That hurt. But I was used to it. When you've been around as long as I have, you learn not to take things personally. "And you are?" I prompted.

"Hiyori," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm a Kitsune. And if you're a God, why are you just lying around like a lazy bum?"

I shrugged. "Because, my dear Hiyori, there's not much to do when you've already done everything."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "He's either an idiot or a stalker… maybe both."

"You're thinking pretty loudly, you know."

Her ears twitched, and she took a step back, suddenly wary. "What do you want from me?"

"Straight to the point, huh?" I said, standing up and dusting off my hakama pants. "Well, how about this? You become my worshiper, and I'll grant you a favor. Anything you want."

Hiyori raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "And why would I want to worship you?"

I pretended to think about it for a moment. "Because I'm awesome?" I offered. "Or maybe because I can do stuff like this." With a flick of my wrist, the sky above us shifted from day to night and back to day again, just because I could. I made the cherry blossoms around us bloom out of season, petals swirling in the air in a whirlwind of color.

She didn't seem impressed. In fact, she looked a little annoyed. "You're showing off," she accused. "And it's not even that impressive…"

"Come on, that was at least a little cool!" I protested, pouting.

She sighed, rubbing her temples like she was dealing with a particularly stubborn child. "Look, I don't need a God. I'm perfectly fine on my own."

"Are you though?" I asked, leaning in a bit closer. "I mean, what if you run into trouble? What if there's a particularly nasty Demon around the corner? What if…"

"I can handle myself," she interrupted, her tone final. "And I don't need a God to do it."

I was silent for a moment, genuinely stumped. This wasn't going the way I'd planned. But then again, when did things ever go according to plan?

"Okay, fine," I said, holding up my hands in surrender. "But how about this—if you ever need help, I'll be there. No strings attached. Just think of it as a… friendly offer."

She looked at me suspiciously. "Why are you so interested in helping me?"

"Because," I said, giving her my best smile, "I think you're interesting. And because it gets pretty lonely being a God, you know? Having someone around who actually talks to me instead of just praying for stuff… that sounds nice."

She didn't say anything for a long time, just stared at me like she was trying to figure out if I was serious or just messing with her. Finally, she sighed again, this time sounding almost resigned. "Fine. But don't think this makes us friends or anything."

"Of course not," I said, grinning like an idiot. "Just… acquaintances. For now."

She rolled her eyes and turned to leave, but not before throwing one last comment over her shoulder. "And stop following me around. It's creepy."

Well, that could have gone better. But I couldn't help but feel a little triumphant. She hadn't said no. And that was something.

As I watched her walk away, her tails swishing behind her, I couldn't help but smile.

And hey, maybe one day she'd actually start liking me. Stranger things have happened.