Chapter 6 – Rules and powers

The window revealed the dawn. Nugu took me to the living room on the first floor.

"Sit on the table."

On it, there was a semi-transparent white tablecloth with a vase of flowers and four chairs.

"I'd better sit in the chair," I joked.

She puffed out his cheeks, walked to the kitchen and brought a cup of coffee.

"I'm going to take a shower, have breakfast and don't move from here."

Despite being dead, we did our basic needs.

The first sip of the coffee impressed me, with a taste, merely, of milk.

I was exhausted from sleep. More than a gift, it seemed like an unjustified punishment.

At half an hour on the clock, she came out all dressed up with her hair brushed and sparkling. She was dressed more maturely in a short-sleeved white shirt with a brown skirt.

"What are you looking at so much? You can also take a shower." She avoided eye contact.

…Did you look at her that much?

"I don't have a spare," I reminded her, shaking the collar of my tunic.

"I left another one for you in the bathroom. Put that one in the washing machine."

…Washing machine? I thought she would use her divine powers.

On a hunch, I feared for the clothes a girl might give me.

I entered the bathroom and was surprised that it was so ceramic; then, I looked in the mirror.

I had the same appearance as the only past life she remembered: I was twenty-two years old; short wavy brown hair and dark brown eyes with light highlights.

I was scared to see that the bathroom didn't have a lock, but I doubted we were going to spy on it.

I picked up and read the label on one of the soap boxes above the bathtub: approved by the goddess herself, designed for women who want a cleansing that will help them reach maturity. With its advanced formula of carefully selected ingredients, it will give you soft and radiant skin: reflecting your elegance. Transform your cleaning routine into a path to maturity and beauty with our soap!

…I'll pretend I haven't read anything.

Once I showered, I saw the clothes she left me. It was a white short-sleeved t-shirt and short tan pants; his concern was evident.

I cautiously opened the door, stuck my head out and called to she:

"Nugu. Can you come for a moment?"

"What's going on? Don't know how the faucet works?"

"Aren't these jeans too embarrassing?" I showed it, she took it and examined it strangely.

"E-Excuse me? What's so strange about it?" She turned it over, looking for breaks or defects.

"I would show too much skin, I wouldn't feel comfortable…"

She was surprised by my strange mania.

"What difference does it make? I'm sure it looks good on you," she insisted; I didn't like being pressured.

"You could exchange it for a long one. Please?" I begged and she agreed to my request.

Once I came out, I was sitting looking at the landscape having just finished drinking.

"You have finished? Follow me."

She took me to the first room on the left up the stairs. It was a white classroom, with a window on each side of a blackboard in the center; and nearby, an adult-sized desk followed by a small one. On the sides there were shelves with toys and books.

I didn't see this room in his memories, but I knew the reason for its existence.

"Sit here." She pointed to a desk tailored to her.

"Wouldn't it be better if I sat on the big one?"

"No way! I'm the teacher, sit there, I'll teach you the rules," she demanded, getting into her role.

I sighed and sat at his small desk.

She put on some glasses from his desk, grabbed a piece of chalk, and on tiptoe tried to write at the top; in vain, she grabbed a chair and climbed on.

"What happens if I disobey them?"

"You can't, it's normal to comply with them, it's like breathing. And even if you did, you would be punished." Once she wrote them down, she dictated them: "All beings in the Nexus are subject to the rules…"

"Wait. What is this Nexo?"

"It refers to the spaces inhabited by gods," she explained and continued:

"Rule 1: Do not destroy or extinguish universes.

Rule 2: Do not injure or kill or extinguish a being.

Rule 3: Do not interfere in a foreign universe.

Rule 4: Do not make a god or bring anyone alive into the Nexus."

"If they weren't there, what would happen if I died?" I placed my hands on the desk.

"You can't, it's to prevent unnecessary suffering. Even if you die, your soul will not."

…Dying after doing so would be strange.

She adjusted his glasses and continued:

"Rule 5: Souls will reincarnate alone after 168 hours.

Rule 6: It is prohibited to poison or use drugs with malicious intentions.

Rule 7: Satisfied souls will reincarnate alone in the same universe.

Rule 8: Sinful souls will appear in the universe of sins.

Rule 9: You need special permission to not be subject to any rules.

Those would be all of them. Any questions?"

I knew with certainty the question I wanted to ask. I placed my elbows on the desk, intertwined my fingers and brought my head closer, conveying seriousness:

"Yes Why are you so cute?"

As if I didn't notice his appearance, she became depressed:

"My hair and my tail… A-Aren't they creepy to you?" She tried to hide her concern by holding the tail with both hands and covering his mouth with it.

"The one who asks the questions is me."

"E-Eh?…"

"What does it matter that you are different? I like it."

After all, she took good care of her hair and made an effort to make others like her. If it were up to me, I would make every cat live forever.

She blushed with a smile and thanked me.

"As for the rules, they are fine. It's hard to believe that goddess designed them. Having souls reincarnate alone avoids some of the work."

Nugu nodded, and someone entered the door.

…Why does the bell exist? Only Chiouri uses it!

It was A, lying on top of the turtle that moved around her; she being the lazy goddess, I thought she was even lazy to ring the doorbell. She stayed in the room with her eyes closed.

"Sorry, A, I'm busy; waits for me to teach her the basics." She seemed asleep without listening to her. "If they were clear to you, we will move on to the powers."

…Now comes the interesting part.

"Can I do anything? How do I use them?"

"Why do you suddenly become interested?… It's difficult to explain; first you look for the pose that relaxes you the most."

"Chiouri does it by begging and you hug that stuffed animal, right?"

"Yeah. We all have different talents and triggers; the basic thing is to reincarnate souls."

"Chiouri had invisibility, telepathy, teleportation and some more. You also can?"

"D-Don't say crazy things! I can't do any of that… Chi is talented, she's an outlier!"

"…Nugu, who are you talking to? I don't want to open my eyes, I'm very sleepy," a girl asked that resonated in my head.

I thought it would be A, but his voice wasn't as vague as I imagined.

"You didn't find out what happened at the meeting, did you?"

"…There was? Thé." She raised his head level to bump it against the poor turtle, and stuck out his tongue belatedly. She spoke gracefully without a change of facial expression: she was like a doll.

Nugu looked at her, accustomed, with disinterest.

"He is… H-He doesn't have a name yet, he will live with me from today."

"At this point I should put one on."

"…What do you think of AA? It's easy to remember," A suggested.

"It's confusing with yours… What if my name is Godwhohasnonamebutislookingforone?"

"…Oh! It's a little long, but it would work. Nice to meet you Godwhohasnonamebutislookingforone!"

"T-That's not the problem!" She interrupted, upset by so much nonsense.

"Then what should I call myself?"

Thinking, she began to devise one, wagging his tail in a questioning manner.

"What do you think Koly?"

…It's the stuffed animal I saw in his memories…

"If my name is Koly, will you hug me instead of your stuffed animals?"

"H-Huh!? H-Of course not!?" She answered, looking from side to side.

…It doesn't sound bad having welcomed me.

"Decided. Sounds like I am your protector, I don't dislike." I gave her a smile.

Nugu seemed happier than usual.

"…Koly, hahaha! It's a ridiculous name!" A mocked.

"Yours is more so…" I reproached; she hit her head again and stuck out her tongue; her face was funny, like a sleeping cat taking it out.

"But I still don't know how to activate them."

"…I could help you figure it out." Slowly, she opened his dull purple eyes. "I see…"

"If you open your eyes it is normal for you to see."

"…Not in that sense, hahaha!" She hit himself again; it was strange to listen to her without seeing expressions. "Let's go to Nugu's room." The three of us went. "Now, lie down on the bed."

I followed his steps and lay down; the turtle threw A next to me.

"H-Hey! Wh-What are you going to do!?" Nugu was shocked by her action.

"Does this have anything to do with my powers? Could it be that you have confused yourself with procreating?"

"…Hahaha, hug me."

"I think this is wrong." I thought you were kidding me.

"…Nugu already did it with you, now it's my turn."

"Did something happen to me while I was asleep!?"

She rolled his body to stick to me:

"…Do it, and you'll see."

"Then don't call the police and tell them I did it without your consent!" As I did so, I felt that loneliness disappear, like going to a comforting fireplace in winter.

I was unconscious, it was the same sensation, but this time a gray stain devoured my existence.