Chapter 1: Koalemos

I try to calm my heart. I'll finally learn what abilities I'll have from my blessing. My goal is ever closer.

As I walk to class, my mind can't help but to wander. It's strange. The memories of my past life are so recent, but they feel so distant. My name is the same in both of my lives. I don't know if that's intentional or just a coincidence.

I shake my head. Those kind of questions could be saved until later. Like when all Giants are dead.

Entering the classroom, I take my usual seat next to Jacklyn.

"Hey." She nods in response.

"Curious about what sort of abilities you'll have?" I ask her. She purses her lips as she looks up in thought for a moment.

"Not really. I did some searching online, so I think I know what to expects," she says, shrugging.

"Oho, internet research. So you're an expert then?" I tease with a slight smile.

"Maybe," she answers, the left corner of her lips lifting up into a lopsided gfin.

"Attention!" Jacklyn instantly straightens her spine, sitting up properly. I barely manage to suppress a laugh at her actions. I don't bother to move, just choosing to shift my eyes in the direction of our teacher.

Mr. Apme has his hair cut in a buzz, a dog tag around his neck, and usually wears camouflage clothing. He's like one of those gym teacher's who used to be in the military that tries too hard to make school seem like a military. Though this is a military academy... still, he tries too hard which just makes the impression he attempts to give off fall flat.

I keep an ear open as I focus on his clothing. 'You know, why is he wearing camouflage clothing?' I silently wonder.

'I don't think Giants take in account if you're camouflaged or not before stepping on you,' I amusingly think. It's like a ant trying to hide from a person, we don't even notice they're there in the first place. I perk up.

"-Abilities depend on what God blesses you, your personality, and your skillset. Everyone has unique abilities even if they're under the same God. Though that doesn't stop from some abilities being within the same vein as others, especially among people blessed by the same God," Mr. Apme explains.

"Now, hopefully, all of you submitted the name of your Gods on Friday. If not, well, you only have yourselves to blame." Slowly but surely, he goes down a list of names, telling my classmates what their Gods powers are, giving a basis for their abilities.

"Emery Brewer." My name finally comes up.

"Your God is Koalemos. Koalemos is the God of Stupidity and Foolishness. There are no known people with his blessing, except you," he announces.

I'd like to say I'm disappointed, but really, I'm not. A God is a God, just as a blessing is a blessing.

***

The rest of the day was spent telling how abilities manifested. To sum it up, it's random. They can manifest any time, anywhere. They can be anything too.

An example is that one of the ways Jacklyn's ability manifested is by giving her a bow and arrow. I still have no idea about mine though.

I spent the rest of that day mulling over how a God of Stupidity's blessing would manifest. I end up with nothing to show for it.

Currently, I'm hanging outside the Academy with Jacklyn in one of the many courtyards in this school. It's a day after our Gods were explained.

[Panel: On]

For some reason, I'm on panel.

"How do you feel?" she suddenly asks me.

"Hm? About what?"

"Your God," she clarifies.

"Not bad, really. A God is a God," I tell her. She nods strangely.

"Damn straight!" Koalemos "helpfully" adds.

"You know, a lot of people are talking about you," Jacklyn informs me.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. They're not really saying good things." I blink. I look at Jacklyn.

"Oh my! Jacklyn, are you perhaps worried about me?" I ask dramatically.

"What!?" Her face turns bright red. "No! I..." She stops herself before letting out a big sigh.

"I don't really know what I'm doing," she awkwardly admits. That came out of nowhere.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not really good with people. I thought you were cool, so I approached you trying to act casual, and then you actually became my friend... now people are saying terrible things about you and... yeah," she confesses. I really was not expecting that.

I carefully ponder my words. "I think..." She waits intently for my next words.

"You're worried over nothing," I playfully chop her on the head.

"But-"

"But nothing. People will say what they want about me. Since I don't really care for it, you shouldn't either. No matter what they say, I'm still blessed by a literal God, that automatically puts me in the top 1% of people," I assuage Jacklyn, hopefully reassuring her.

"I'm just getting worked up over nothing?" She asks, more to herself than me it looks.

"It's not nothing. I mean, your concern is nice, Jacklyn, thank you," I tell her sincerely.

"I- um, yeah." She averts her eyes from mine with a red face.

A socially awkward teenager who seems to be trying to find herself, if her name and hair is anything to go by, is my best friend in this place. Well, Koalemos is there too. It's hard to get a closer friend than someone who literally talks inside my head.

What a weird life I have. Though I don't think it's all that bad. Without notice, a stray thought enters my head. I turn towards her.

"You do know that there's no reason to feel guilty for trying to approach someone to be friends with them. Right?" Not thinking it was possible before now, her face somehow turns even redder. Her gaze moves to the floor, as if trying to drill a hole through the ground. This indeed is a manga world. At this point, I won't be surprised if steam starts coming out her ears.

""She's totally into you Eman! That's not a look of someone who just, 'Wanted to be friends with you,' I'm telling you!"" Koalemos insists.

"Eman?"

""Yeah! It's my nickname for ya, how'd you like it?""

I don't give him the satisfaction of a response.

[Panel: Off]

***

"So, how do you feel?" I say while lying on my bed.

""About what?""

"About people disparaging me and you, I guess."

""They're just adolescent children in my eyes. Why should a God care what a mortal says?""

"Then do other Gods ever talk negatively about you?"

""All the time. They call me, 'The Most Human God.""

"That's an insult?"

""It is to them. Gods hate nothing more than to be compared to their inferiors. In this case, Humans who were made in their image. It's really funny,"" Koalemos chuckles.

"Funny how?"

""Hmm,"" he hums to himself.

""I'll tell you once you're ready.""

"Ready? How do I become ready?"

""I don't actually know. But, trust me, it'll blow your mind!""

"And I've suddenly become less curious." I roll my eyes. After that short chat, I try to go to sleep. Tomorrow would be our first spars.

""Want me to sing you to sleep?""

"No thank you," I tell him in a monotonous tone. The first time he did that I couldn't sleep all night. It seems being a God doesn't make you a great singer if Koalemos is anything to go by. Or maybe I just can't understand it since I'm human and he's a literal God.

Which is really weird. I have a God speaking to me in my head. That'd be absurd in my last life. Actually... that's absurd now.

***

{Chapter 4 - End}

[You have gained +2 Charisma!]

[Consumers are curious about why you have a voice in your head!]

[Consumers like that you comforted a friend.]

[+150 MP]

"Charisma could be okay..." Though a concerning pattern is showing up. The limit of the amount of stats I can get per chapter seems to be 2. Or maybe I'm just missing something...

***

Lining up with other students as Mr. Apme ordered, we stand inside the cool gymnasium. This time, I'm paying full attention to everything he has to say.

{Chapter 5: Spar(1)}

[Special Event: Change Your Fate!]

The world pauses.

[The Mangaka of Gigantomachia has noticed your growing popularity with his readers, and decided to see if you're worth it or not to include you more often in his story. Prove your mettle.]

"I-isn't something like this a bit too soon!?" I ask, panicking.

[The very beginning of every story is an introduction to the main characters, supporting casts, ect. Especially for shounen manga which usually has a wide variety of unique characters. Let's just say that in these short few chapters, you have introduced yourself very well!]

The world resumes.

[Panel: On]

"You!" Mr. Apme points to me. My eyes quickly swerve to one side of my vision, and to the other in an instant, to see if he really is pointing at me. He was, or, well, still is.

"Yes?"

"Everyone. Look at him." A whole buttload of eyes suddenly shift in my direction.

"Yeah, look at me!" I decide to roll with it, public speaking and the like never having really bothered me. Our teacher frowns.

"Now, Emery Brewer, come up to the arena." A pit forms in my stomach. I'm probably not going to like where this is going.

"Now, Rai Akimitsu, come up to the arena."

Rai excitedly hops into the arena. Probably just happy to fight in all honesty.

'Haah, of course. I'm so fucked.' I do my best to not react to the very unfortunate news I've been given. Well, it's just an ass kicking, all things considered, so not that unfortunate.

""You're so fucked."" It's still annoying that he can cuss and I can't. What's even more annoying is how quick he is to dismiss me.

"Class, today I will be teaching you the difference between the top, and the bottom. Emery, here, has the blessing of an obscure God. The complete opposite of Rai, who has the blessings of Zeus, and Heracles. Who do you think will win? Point at your bet."

'Isn't teaching students to gamble illegal?' I silently wonder. I watch helpless as literally everyone points to Rai. Except for one person, that is, Jacklyn, who is pointing at me. She gives me an encouraging thumbs up.

'It's really nice that you believe in me, but girl... you are a terrible gambler,' I think. I try to ignore the bad feelings welling up in my chest at everyone expecting me to fail.

"People like Emery, who try to kill Giants without the blessing of a Major God or Dual-Blessed all end up dead. Especially with a God as obscure as his."

'Dude, why are you talking like an expert? Giants have been arround for not even five and a half years!' I mentally say to him, this guy finally beginning to grate on my nerves.

"That's more than half of you all who will die in a foolish attempt to kill a Giant." I can see Jacklyn becoming demoralized. Okay, it's offical, he's taking it too far.

"Is that really true though?" I speak up. Mr. Apme's head turns towards me so slowly that I swear I can hear the bones of his neck creaking.

"What?" He asks.

"I'm asking if it's true. And even if it is, should you really be telling us this?" I scratch the back of my neck as I say this. An itchy spot is soothed.

"I mean, telling us we're all probably going to die, doesn't really make people want to fight hard. Plus, there isn't really much of a precedent of... well, us, Giant-Slayers, or at least, ones in the making." I gesture to all my classmates.

"So how do you know that's even true?"

"..." He stays silent. Which is weird, as I for sure thought he'd be angry. Or something. Not... quiet. Deadly so, even. Actually, it's kinda suspicious. Like he's been caught saying something he shouldn't have.

It takes a second for it all to fit together inside my head. 'Yeah...' I realize.

Ever since I got my memories, I have been a bit weirded out. How this academy came together, the international train, why the governments were so quick to work together. Because in my past life, all the governments in that world wouldn't unite even if there was a world ending threat. Even if they did, they wouldn't do it as to only take five years. All that couldn't be done in just five years! Even if Gods and Giants exist, that's just jumping way too many sharks. That leaves only one conclusion.

'So Giants have existed for longer then? And the governments somehow hid mass-murderers the size of skyscrapers from the general public?' I muse amusingly. Which then means there is a precedent for people not having a Major God or being Dual-Blessed dying for trying to kill Giants.

Eh. I'd believe that over everything only taking five years to be built, constructed, and for negotiations to be done. It'd also make sense considering how fast that Giant-Slayer appeared back then, when my parents were killed. That was the first day Giants appeared, how would it be possible for a Giant-Slayer to respond so quickly if they weren't already a thing?

I shake my head. "Whatever, don't bother answering if you want. Let's just get this over with," I annouce to everyone. I look over at my opponent.

With his shining golden eyes, a big wide grin on his face, he bumps his fists together, all the while saying, "I like the way you think!"

"Alright... well, you asked for it." Mr Apme shrugs before declaring,

"Anything is allowed, abilities, weapons. As if a real life fight to the death. Understood?" He asks. He gets a nod from both of us.

Mr. Apme may be insensitive, but maybe... he was trying to protect the people blessed by Minor Gods?

'I don't know,' I tell myself. Doesn't change the fact that I still dislike him, or that he tried it in a shifty way.

"Yes, Mr. Apme!" Rai says cheerfully. All I do is nod in understanding.

"Good."

As I look at Rai, the negative emotions brewing inside of me intensify. Just because he has two blessings, one Zeus and the other Heracles, just because he's the protagonist...

'They really think I'm going to lose to THIS guy?' I think to myself in disbelief.