Vol.9 Chapter 5 — Makoto Takatsuki Awakens

Chapter 5 — Makoto Takatsuki Awakens

I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling.

It was dizzyingly high, easily more than ten meters above my head.

Around me, stained glass artwork depicted angels and gods. Where am I? I wondered, looking around. But the moment I shifted, something jumped into my view.

"Makoto!" "Takatsuki!"

Lucy and Sasa grabbed me, clinging with viselike strength.

Ugh... Can't breathe...

"L-Lucy, Sasa..."

I was about to tell them to calm down, but the words caught in my throat.

Tears and snot were streaming down their faces.

U-Uh? Guys, I just woke up—what's going on? I was in the middle of fighting the Hero of the Sun, and then... I remember now!

"Sasa!"

"Wh-What?" she asked.

"He hurt you bad! How are your wounds?!"

"Huh? Oh! I'm fine. My Extra Lives brought me back good as new.

Look." She rolled up her shirt to show her stomach. There wasn't a mark on it. "Want to check?"

She picked up my hand and held it to the spot where she'd been injured.

Her skin's so smooth... Wait, not the time!

"I-I get it," I said awkwardly, lowering her shirt and pulling my hand back.

"No fair!" Lucy sulked, grabbing onto me again. "Sorry. Are you all good too?" I asked.

"Yup. Fine."

She buried her head in my chest. Sasa joined in the cuddle pile as well. "Hero Makoto," said a voice from behind me.

"Sophia?"

"Fool..." she murmured. She placed a hand on each of my cheeks, and I noticed that she'd been crying.

What...had happened to me? My memories were still vague. "When Eir told me you'd died...I...I..." She broke off.

I remained quiet for a long moment. "Sorry, Sophia."

It was coming back to me now. As payment for the transformation, I'd died.

"Takatsuki!" yelled another familiar voice.

Guess it's Sakurai's turn now. "Hey," I said, turning to him. "Looks like I worried you all."

He gave a watery smile, though his tears still fell. "You really did. But I'm glad you're alive."

Have I seen everyone? Who's left? Oh, right! Where's Furiae?

I glanced around, looking this way and that, before spotting the black- haired beauty standing a little ways away. Her mouth was hanging open, and the expression didn't exactly match her otherwise refined looks.

"Heeeyyy? Princess?" I called out. I stood, and then started to walk toward her.

Suddenly, Sakurai spoke up, his voice sounding strained. "T-Takatsuki!

You should, uh, put on some clothes..." "Hm?"

It was then that I realized... I was buck naked.

Whaaaaat?! Why?!

Why had none of them told me?!

"Wear this, Makoto Takatsuki," Estelle said, handing me a robe. I hadn't seen her approach, but I hurriedly pulled on the offered garment. Phew.

I peered around again. Other than my party, Princess Sophia and her guards were present, along with Princess Noelle and her guards, Sakurai, and Estelle. What a strange lineup. Needless to say, the Hero of the Sun was not here. The pope was also absent.

Turning to Estelle, I asked the question that was on my mind. "Ira, was it you who brought me back?"

"It was. I used a Miracle of Resurrection."

At her words, everyone around us practically jumped. Gradually, they all started backing away.

"Ira...you descended?" Princess Noelle asked, speaking for everyone.

That prompted her guards, Princess Sophia's guards, and Lucy to immediately kneel. Sakurai and Sasa hurriedly followed suit.

Since this was the site of a goddess's descent onto the mortal plane, I should've been kneeling as well. However, I had a complaint to make.

"Ira. What happened back there with the Hero of the Sun? We were in real trouble. I want you to deal with it properly."

"S-Sir Makoto?!" Princess Noelle sputtered.

Princess Sophia's shock was nearly identical. "Hero Makoto?! Is that really the tone you want to use?!"

It's all good, guys. Ira's fairly nice.

"I can now explain what happened with the Hero of the Sun," Ira said. "Also, correct your use of the word 'fairly.' I am an overwhelmingly loving goddess."

"Sure."

"Noah's children are always so mouthy... Well, no matter."

See, she forgave me. Ira was just a bit tsundere. Oh yeah—I wanted to talk to Noah as well. She was probably angry about me dying, huh?

Noaaah? Are you watching?

Silence.

Was she that mad?

"Noah is indeed watching," Ira confirmed. "But I currently have a Divine Barrier in place, so her voice cannot reach you."

Got it. I'd have to apologize later.

"To the next point at hand," Ira continued. "I shall have someone explain the sequence of events that took place."

As she spoke, a huge magic circle appeared in the air. It was iridescent, shining with every color of the rainbow. A summoning circle? Who was she bringing through?

Suddenly, a torrent of mana blasted out of Estelle's body, and all of it was sucked in to the circle. No human could've contained that amount of power— any mortal would've run out of mana. A figure manifested within the circle, glowing bright with magic, and began to descend.

Princess Noelle gasped in surprise. "Wha...?"

The woman who'd appeared was tall, blonde, and wearing white armor.

She was also gorgeous. Well, I got that impression, but because she was

radiating so much light, it was impossible to look directly at her. She was definitely not human—intuitively, she felt like a being that existed above mere mortals.

"Raise your heads," she said.

That was when I realized that Princess Noelle, Sakurai, and Princess Sophia were on their knees once again. And it wasn't just them—Lucy, Sasa, and Furiae had also fallen to the floor. Everyone had their heads bowed, and it looked like they'd even forgotten to breathe.

Vacantly, I noticed that I was the only one still standing. Wait, no, Ira was on her feet as well, though she wore a more humble expression than usual.

Should...I be kneeling too?

I exchanged a glance with Ira, but she didn't say anything. Even a goddess

was deferring to the new arrival, which meant...

"I am Althena," said the woman. She spoke somewhat brusquely, as if confirming my mental speculation.

This was the Goddess of the Sun, Althena, ruler of the world...and she was standing right in front of me.

Everyone knew her as the leader of the seven goddesses, the divine governing pillar of the world. She was the eldest daughter of Jupiter and the goddess of both victory and justice. As the sun goddess, she was the figure worshiped by the majority of the faithful on this continent.

Her body was emitting so much light, and it was impossible to directly make out the details of her features. Her feet didn't even touch the floor as she floated in our eyeline. Quietly, the goddess looked down at us.

Her overwhelming presence was incomparable to the other goddesses— no one had reacted this strongly to Ira, for example—and everyone was on their knees, practically holding their breath.

Ira was staring at me like I should be bowing as well. Ehhh, I'm Noah's disciple, so I'm probably fine. Ira then let out an exasperated sigh.

"Now then." Althena lifted her right hand.

What is she...?

Her intention soon became clear. Another summoning circle formed in front of her, and a man fell through, thumping heavily onto the floor. He was unconscious, but his identity was unmistakable.

Alexander!

The air was suddenly tense. Sasa and Furiae had especially strong reactions—their faces twisted angrily.

So he's still alive... I'll need to finish him off here.

I set Calm Mind to 100%, then muttered, "Right Hand of the Elemental." My preparations went far smoother than they had before.

"Wait," Ira said, grabbing my hand. "Have you taken leave of your senses?! If you attack Althena, she'll wipe you from the planet."

"But that guy attacked us!" I protested.

"W-Wait, my knight! I'm fine!" Even Furiae had run over and grabbed at my arm. Well, she was the one he'd targeted. If she was trying to stop me, I could hardly go against her wishes.

Gradually, the unconscious Hero of the Sun began to stir awake. "Mgh..." he groaned. "What happ—" His mouth snapped shut when he

met my eyes, and he began to scream and thrash around.

Huh...? He was super scared. Weird. He'd been playing the big man before.

"You becoming an elemental lord seems to have been a traumatic experience for him," Ira whispered into my ear.

"Elemental lord?" It wasn't a phrase I'd heard before. Is that what happened when I transformed into an elemental?

"Indeed. I'll explain later."

"You promise?" That sounded super strong! I was interested and wanted to know more.

Still on the ground, Alexander began pleading with Althena. "H-Help me! He's going to kill me! He's going to—"

"Alec, quiet," she said, cutting him off.

His words literally stopped there, like he physically couldn't make another noise. I hadn't seen her conjure a spell or magic circle—she'd just given the order and it had taken effect. At least, I think that's what happened... Perhaps it'd been a miracle rather than a spell.

Silence and tension filled the air of the cathedral. Althena's sharp gaze swept the area, and then she spoke.

"Alexander...is my brother."

All of us let out gasps of shock, even Princess Noelle. The only one who didn't seem shocked was Ira.

If you knew... I really wish you would've told me.

Perhaps Ira read my mind because she looked pointedly away.

That's not cute, you know.

Regardless, there was something I absolutely had to ask. "You expect us to forgive what he did to Sasa and Princess because he's your brother?" My eyes were set in a hard glare.

"Sir Makoto?!" "Hero Makoto?!"

Princess Noelle and Princess Sophia both yelped, their faces pale. I didn't care. I wanted to make things clear.

Althena seemed to pay my glare no more heed than she would a breeze.

She spoke once more, her expression not changing in the slightest. "I do. Forgive it."

What?! What was with this bitch?!

"Mmph!" was all I managed as Ira slapped a hand over my mouth. "Quiet down!" she hissed into my ear.

Urk! Ira (in Estelle's body) is super strong!

Princess Noelle began to speak in my stead. "Lady Althena, I would like to humbly inquire about your brother. Why did he descend to our realm and become the Hero of the Sun? Also, why would he..."

This was a completely natural line of questioning since none of us could hazard a guess. Princess Noelle was her priestess, so Althena should explain, right?

But the goddess's answer was cool. "You have no need to know," she responded curtly.

Princess Noelle twitched, taking a moment to gather herself before

replying, "O-Of course. Very well."

Come on, she's not going to explain? It seemed odd that Furiae hadn't said anything, but when I glanced to the side, it seemed like the situation as a whole had made her clam up. The same went for Lucy and Sasa.

Fine, then I'll have to speak up... But Ira stopped me right away. "Fool! Stop this," she hissed. "Do you know how scary she'll be if you

make her angr—" "Ira, silence."

"Mmm! Mmm! Mmm!"

Ira could no longer speak—her voice had been reduced to muffled hums.

Apparently, Althena had forbidden Ira from saying anything. Did our whispered disagreement set her off? Althena really doesn't have any mercy for her little sister.

Well, if things were going to be this way, I'd take the humble position. For Ira.

"So, what do you want?" I asked.

That...had come out less humble than I'd intended. Still, Althena's brother was the one who'd caused problems, so why should we all be so diffident?

"Mmm! Mmm! Mmm! Mmm! Mmm!"

Somehow, Ira had managed to make that understandable: "Idiot! Be polite! Don't make her angry!" To be honest, it was pretty impressive that she was able to communicate so clearly despite the muffling.

"Makoto Takatsuki," Althena said, looking my way.

Urk! It felt like there was a sword at my throat. Whew, scary.

"Wh-What is it?" I tried to maintain my resolve. We were the victims here, and I had to remain confident in that conviction.

"One of your comrades lost a life to Alec." "That's right, she did. So—"

Althena cut me off. "It has been returned. Check the truth of it." Her tone was nonchalant.

Sasa's life had been returned? I turned to her. "Sasa?"

She hurriedly checked her Soul Book. "L-Look! Extra Lives is back up to five!"

"Oh..." So it was possible to reset that so simply? "Thank you, Althena!" Sasa said cheerily.

"Of course."

Was I the one being inconsiderate? I still blamed her brother for going crazy on us. For now, I'd keep quiet.

"Next," she said, turning her gaze from me to Furiae. Startling, Furiae jumped and hid behind me.

"Moon priestess. This happened because of the cambions—they are ostracized on this continent."

There was silence.

What the hell is that?! It sounds like she's blaming the cambions for their own subjugation!

"Althena, when you say it like that—"

"Wait, my knight," Furiae said, stopping me as I tried to complain. "Mmm! Mmm!" Ira translation: "Right! Be quiet!"

No, you be quiet.

"Ira...just speak," Althena said, apparently finding the muffled noise as annoying as I did.

"Phew... Finally."

"Your sister's scary," I told her. "I did say that, didn't I?" Althena glared at us.

"I...have a request, Althena," Furiae said, stepping forward and kneeling. "I want a place...where the cambions can live in peace..."

Her petition sounded so earnest. Though I guess since she was speaking to the divine ruler of the world, she couldn't exactly act all high and mighty. I guess...

Althena simply nodded. "Understood."

Furiae's hand tightened on mine. I squeezed back. Silence filled the room as everyone present waited for what Althena had to say.

"Furiae, Priestess of the Moon," Althena stated gravely. "I would appoint you as a saint. You may gather the scattered cambions and found a new country."

Saint? That would make her the second one on the continent, the other being Princess Noelle.

So far, in all of recorded history, there had only been two saints. The first had been Anna, the founder of Highland and a person of legend who'd defeated Iblis alongside Abel the Savior—she was also known as the first pope of the church. The second was Princess Noelle, the first princess of

Highland, Priestess of the Sun, and fiancée to the Hero of Light. She had recently taken and passed the trials to be considered a saint.

It was said that saints appeared in order to quell conflict during times of war. They were just as important as the Hero of Light. And now, Furiae had been chosen as the third one to ever exist.

"I'm...to be a saint?"

"Blood of both the cambions and the former royal family of Laphroaig runs through your veins," Ira explained. "Of course, you are free to decline."

"I thought you had to pass the trials to become a saint?" I asked. I was sure Fujiyan had mentioned that.

"Her guardian knight defeated a demigod—Alexander. A feat like that is equal to passing the trials," Ira answered.

Huh, so that was how things worked? I guess fighting against him hadn't been a waste after all.

Actually... Hang on...

"Ira, you claim that I won against Alexander...but Princess Sophia said I died. What's with that?"

"Ah... It's slightly complicated. I'll explain later." "Also, what happened to Noah's dagger? I can't find it."

Ira scoffed. "Would you quit it with the questions? You're way too familiar with us."

"Ira, Makoto Takatsuki...be quiet," Althena said with a glare. In unison, Ira and I both shut our mouths.

"So, Priestess of the Moon." Althena turned to Furiae. "What is your decision?"

"I..." Furiae trailed off before looking uneasily back at me. "You should just do what you want," I said.

She nodded. "Then I will accept the duty."

"Very well." Althena placed her hand on Furiae's head. For a moment, Furiae's body was shining, cloaked in a rainbow of light. "I have given you my blessing. You may now call yourself Furiae, the Saint of Miracles."

Whoo! Furiae was a saint! Wait, did that mean she was no longer a priestess? Was I still her guardian knight?

"Yes, Makoto Takatsuki," Althena answered. "Your contract remains.

Being a saint does not preclude being a priestess." "Huh."

Just in case, I checked my Soul Book—it still said I was her guardian knight. I glanced at Furiae, and it almost seemed...like she was glowing.

"Congrats, Princess. Oh, Saint, I guess."

"You can still call me Princess... Actually, you... Could you call me Furiae?" she asked almost shyly, looking up at me.

"I'll just stick with Princess." I decided it'd be weird to change how I addressed her out of nowhere.

"I see. However! You are still my knight! You aren't allowed to run away!"

"Got it." I wouldn't have run regardless.

Althena looked over all of us. "Noelle, I leave the official matters to you.

You are ordered to take up the pope's role. He will be held responsible for this indiscretion and removed from his post. If there are complications, Ira will handle them. Is that clear, Ira?"

Princess Noelle nodded. "V-Very well, I understand." "Urgh..." Ira grumbled at my side.

"Noelle, Furiae, you are to work together as saints. I want to see Iblis dealt with."

There was a long pause as the sun and moon priestesses exchanged meaningful looks. Then, they both nodded.

"Very well." "Understood."

Those two clash like a cat and a dog usually...but I guess it'll be fine...?

"Finally... Ryousuke Sakurai." "Y-Yes?!"

Althena approached him. "My apologies for Alec. I shall take care of him. You are the one who is destined to defeat Iblis. I expect much from you."

"I appreciate your words," Sakurai said with a respectful bow of his head.

Althena's face was the softest I'd seen it. It seemed...like she was only being nice to him?

"Farewell," she said. In an instant, she disappeared along with Alexander.

She's gone...

Things were a bit crazy after that. People flocked to my side when they

heard that I'd come back from the dead. (If that was what'd actually happened... I still wasn't sure.)

"Makoto..." Prince Leonardo wept, holding on to me for quite a while.

Fujiyan and Nina cried too, and the two Ballantine siblings also stopped by. General Talisker, Maximilian, and Florna, the Priestess of Wood—all of them wanted to see me. The Grandsage...didn't visit. Maybe I should have gone to her. I felt kinda sad that she was absent.

After apologizing to everyone for worrying them, I was now ready to get some magic practice in. However...

"No training today, Makoto!" Lucy insisted. Her words seemed to start an avalanche of protests from my other companions.

"Takatsuki...you need to rest."

"My knight, everyone is worried about you. Just stop." "Hero Makoto, at least take a break for today."

Sasa, Furiae...and even Princess Sophia joined in to stop me. I sighed, feeling resigned. "Okay..."

Guess I'll get some shut-eye. I flopped down onto the bed. I must have been more tired than I thought since I soon felt my consciousness fading.

𝘘

I awoke in nothingness, in a place that was completely empty—this was my goddess's space.

Well, it makes sense that she'd summon me today...

After all, I was her only disciple, and I'd technically died. I imagine she must be rather angry. Yet, when I looked around for her, what I saw was...a rather strange sight.

Hmm?

Noah was indeed there, her arms unhappily crossed. That was fine. I could see Eir as well, which was normal too. Then there was Ira. Her being here wasn't odd, but for some reason...she was on her knees. She knelt on the ground, slumping forward, and I couldn't see her face.

Finally, I noticed another figure. She stood taller than the rest and loomed over Ira, her arms crossed just like Noah's.

Huh, so Althena is here too?

Maybe she was angry about how I'd behaved today... I had been pretty

blunt. Slowly, I made my way over to the group. It took quite a bit of courage to join a gathering of four goddesses.

"Oh, you're here," Althena said, turning to look at me. Her expression was completely different than it'd been in the cathedral. She actually seemed rather awkward. "I have business with you, Makoto Takatsuki." She approached, not meeting my eyes.

Where did that merciless look from earlier go? Her demeanor's changed so much from earlier. What's going on...?

I braced myself, waiting for her to continue. Then, finally... "My apologies," she murmured, bowing her head.

I froze in shock. "Wha—?"

"Althena?!" Eir exclaimed, seeming just as stunned.

"My, that was nicely said," Noah added. Even her voice held a tinge of surprise.

Althena then glared down at Ira, and when she spoke, her voice was hard. "You have something to say as well, no?"

Ira rose like a zombie and slowly turned to face me.

"I ovver my deebest abologies... Ihm a wordless guhddess..." "I-Ira?!" I sputtered.

She'd been crying and kneeling...for me?! Wh-What the?! Help! Noah, help!

"Well, Alexander's rampage was her fault." "Haah..." Seriously, what's going on?

"Allow me to explain!" Eir said, flouncing her way over. She snapped her fingers and a whiteboard appeared, floating in midair.

"Today's lecture will be about... Bam! Alec!"

I noticed that Eir was now dressed like a teacher—glasses, a white shirt, and a black skirt. She was pretty well-endowed, so the tight shirt showed off all of her lines. It was pretty hot. Noah had once worn the same outfit, but the two goddesses gave off very different impressions. One of Fujiyan's waifu games had a character like that...

"Makoto..." Noah's voice was sharp. "What do you mean Eir's hotter than me?"

"I didn't think that!" This is slander!

"To cut things short," Althena interrupted, "we goddesses only found out about Alexander recently."

What? But Ira had known about him, hadn't she...? Also, he was Highland's State-Authorized Hero, right?

"Irrie didn't say anything. To us, I mean," Eir explained. She wrote "Alec (Secret)" on the board.

"We were careless," Althena said. "To think, father descended to the mortal realm to have children..."

She seemed exasperated, like she was at her wit's end. Wasn't he some womanizer who wasn't happy with his thousand-odd wives? Oh, and didn't he still want Noah?

"Right, right, that sex demon has a child roughly every fifty years or so," Noah said harshly.

Sex-demon? Really?

"He hasn't been that bad recently!" Althena protested. "Or...that's what I thought. Sex-addled fool!"

"A-Althena?!" You're losing yourself a bit!

My interjection pulled a grunt from her. She cleared her throat. "And that's the problem, Mako. How old do you think Alec is?" Eir

asked.

"Huh? How old?"

Well, he was pretty tall and fairly muscular. Judging from his appearance, probably...midtwenties? Though, with how this conversation was going, I suspected that he was deceptively young. Maybe thirteen or fourteen?

Younger than me?

"Around thirteen?" I asked, leaning on the lower side of my estimate.

Eir giggled, giving me a meaningful look as she adjusted her glasses. That was the same move Noah had once pulled...but Eir showed off her chest a bit. Flirty indeed.

"The answer iiiis...one year old! Too bad, Mako!"

I sighed. "Oh, so he's one— Wait, what?! Only a year old?!"

Hold on. The dude's built like a brick shithouse! He's like two meters tall! How is he only a year old?! Is he living on a weird time scale, like "one year in the divine realm is ten for the mortals" or something?

Noah shook her head. "Nope. When Eir calls him a year old, she's saying that a year on the mortal plane has passed since he was born."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa—that's gotta be a joke, right?" He spoke really well and was ridiculously strong. And, during our fight, he'd used a whole bunch

of magic. What did being a year old even mean anymore?

While I was busy reeling, Eir wrote "Alec (1 y/o)" on the board. But putting it like that made him sound like some adorable kid. In reality, he was seriously grumpy.

"His rapid aging is due to him being a demigod with the blood of the Godking in his veins," Althena said with a pained expression. "In a year, demigods can grow tremendously...in a physical sense. However, without enough time spent learning, they lack understanding of normal behavior. Of course, what happened should not be allowed, however..."

"Irrie here dealt with his education," Eir trilled. Ira groaned as she slumped forward again.

I thought back to when we'd first met Alec. He'd tried to come for Furiae back then too, but Estelle (or Ira in Estelle's body) had commanded him to stop, and he'd obeyed her.

"If that was the case, then surely his education was perfect, right?" With Ira raising him personally, he should've been fine. She was a goddess after all.

"Sure, but that's the problem..." Noah said. "Ira let a human take on his guardianship partway through."

"It was because he started acting rebellious! He wouldn't listen to a word I said!" Ira exclaimed. "But then, the pope was soft on him, so they went full- on grandpa/grandson! I figured that, divine blood or not, he was already a year old, so it'd be fine..."

"Nope, one isn't old enough," Eir said, writing "Ira (X)" on the board.

We should add several more Xs. At least that explained why Ira was on her knees—she was essentially the one who'd caused all of this by not raising him properly. Man, what a pain.

"Ira, why did you not tell the other goddesses about him?" I asked.

"I thought they might be against him if they found out. But I wanted to be in the best position possible against Iblis..."

Ira then laid out her reasoning. A thousand years ago, back when the demons ruled the continent, faith in the Sacred Deities had waned. Mortals, having grown disillusioned with the gods, had lost their faith. Ira explained that she didn't want to go through that again...or anything similar.

Using her knowledge of the future, Ira predicted that humanity's defenders had about a fifty percent chance of winning against the Great Demon Lord.

She'd searched for all kinds of ways to improve our odds but hadn't found anything decisive. She'd been frantic, combing every inch of the land and using Estelle to seek out useful people.

And then, she'd found him—her father's secret child. "As soon as I saw him, I was sure he was the answer!"

It made sense that the supreme god who ruled the world would have hidden his conquests well. He could visit his lovers, and nobody—not Althena, the other goddesses, or any other divinities—would be any the wiser.

"So Irrie brought him up as the Hero of the Sun," Eir concluded.

"Why the Hero of the Sun?" I asked. "Couldn't he have been Cameron's

—"

Ira cut me off. "No. Cameron gaining such a powerful hero out of nowhere would have destroyed the balance of the six nations. The western continent is at peace with Highland at its core. Having two countries of a similar strength like that would only lead to war."

"I see..."

As a goddess, I guess it made sense that she would consider these factors.

She had to balance the fate of everyone on the continent, not just her own faithful. Regardless, she'd still messed up big time...

"I thought that if the Hero of Light won against Iblis, we could just take Alec back to the divine realm. But if he lost, I wanted Alec as a hero in reserve..."

"Well, as far as it sounds, the plan was pretty well thought out," I offered. Alec's demigod strength had taken out Sakurai in a single strike, so he should be just as useful against Iblis. I'd experienced his power firsthand.

"Well, Ira's lack of supervision led to it all falling apart," Noah said into my ear. She was still holding on to me, and her breath tickled my skin. Why did it smell so sweet? Still, she didn't seem to be in a bad mood...hopefully.

Althena, though, wore a definite frown on her face.

"The situation is dire. The Daemons will consider this to be interference by the Sacred Deities, so there is now a chance that they will also try to interfere. Actually, the other gods could be a problem too..."

"Can't we say that it was to stop the elemental weapon?" asked Eir. "The Daemons surely see it as a threat."

"Indeed... But they will not accept that excuse."

"Elemental weapon?" I blurted out, despite how serious Eir and Althena's conversation sounded. Was that different from the elemental lord Ira had mentioned?

Eir shook her head. "They're the same thing, Mako. An elemental weapon...an elemental lord... That is what you became."

"I'm...an elemental weapon?" Had I really used such an extreme spell? "The Titanea's believers sacrificed themselves to become beings capable

of controlling all elementals," Althena explained. "The mortals call them elemental lords."

"By the way, bringing them back is against divine law, so when they're found, they're immediately destroyed... But we brought you back specially, Mako!" Eir cheered, cute as ever.

No. There's nothing cute about that. I've gone down a pretty risky path...

"Well, even Noah seemed blindsided by it this time. Isn't that right?"

"Of course I was! Makoto's my only believer! If I lost him, I'd be back to zero!"

"She was in a right tizzy when you did it," Eir said.

My goddess was still clinging to me, and I murmured, "Sorry, Noah." I couldn't see her expression, but I was pretty sure it would be an angry one. Slowly, I turned to look.

My breath caught in my throat.

Her clear eyes were fixed on me. That smile was the same as ever—kind, like someone watching a clumsy child. A smile full of love.

Ah...she's gorgeous. How can someone be so beautiful? But...

"N-Noah?"

Why did I stutter?

"Say...Makoto." Her voice was loving, with absolutely no hint of anger. I forgot to breathe. I couldn't even blink, and I hesitated to move a finger.

I felt as if I was a deer in headlights—my body petrified like stone.

Quietly, gently, lovingly, her voice caressed my ear in a whisper. "Do you remember the first promise you made after you became my believer?"

Crap... She was super mad.

Her smile was brilliant, without a single shadow cast over it. As her hands rested on my shoulders, I could still feel her breath on me. I didn't have the time to get nervous though—in my mind, memories from a year ago

played out.

Back then... That first promise...

"You're the only believer I have, so you'd better not die that easily! I have high hopes for you."

Shit.

I'd well and truly disregarded that vow.

"Hmm, it looks like you do remember," she said. "Y-Yeah..."

She rested her pale hand on my cheek. Her beautiful features drew in closer, and she whispered right in my ear. "You really broke your promise, didn't you? Naughty boy."

The sweetness in her voice sent a shiver down my spine. I gulped. "Naughty boys get punished, don't they?"

Her tone, her eyes, and even her hand as she stroked my cheek were all gentle. Too gentle... It was scary.

"That's what we call 'abuse of power.'"

"So that's how she manipulates her believers..." "Piling on the pressure with charm as always, I see."

I could hear Eir, Ira, and Althena commenting from behind me. "Quiet in the audience!" Noah snapped.

"No, there is something that must be said," Althena countered, moving closer. "Noah, the fault lay with Olympus this time, so we allowed Makoto Takatsuki's resurrection, but...there will not be a next time. There will be no arguing—he will simply be destroyed. A 'warning' is not enough. You must deal with your disciple properly."

With that, Althena's fierce, authoritative look was back. So, Noah telling me off...wasn't going to be the end of it.

"I know, Althena," she sighed. "Makoto, look me in the eye." "R-Right."

Both her hands grabbed hold of my shoulders. My gaze was trapped by her ocean-colored eyes.

"In the name of Noah, I command thee," she said gravely. I gulped. "No full-elementalification! Ever☆!"

Then, with that easygoing statement, she bumped her head into mine. A

moment later... "Gah!"

It felt like my body was being bound up by something I couldn't see.

No, it wasn't just my body—these restraints were piercing my mind. It was like I was being stabbed all over. Sweat poured off me; my balance faltered. I couldn't even stay standing, so I put my hands on the floor. My vision flickered, spinning. How do I breathe? Bile rose in my throat, almost as though my insides were being minced.

Then, gradually, the feeling eased.

"N-Noah?" I gasped, looking up at her for an explanation.

I wanted to hold on to something, and I found myself clinging to her leg.

She looked down at me with a smile—that same loving smile as always. "That was a Divine Edict. You can't become the elemental lord of water

anymore. I ordered your soul not to let you."

My head was still spinning a bit, but I could understand. This was what it felt like when a goddess gave an order to her disciple. It was...intense. I couldn't even consider using the spell like that again—there was no way I could break her edict.

"That should be enough, right, Althena?" "Yes, it will be."

Judging by their short conversation, Althena was satisfied.

"Besides, Noah, that elemental magic skill you created is broken," said Ira. "Why would you allow it to be trained without an upper limit? We cap skills at a thousand mastery for a reason."

"Eh, it's all good. I think people should be rewarded for the effort they put in."

"But the excess power will destroy the user..."

"You're so stubborn, Ira! Aren't you supposed to be young?" As they had their little argument, a detail caught my attention. "Goddesses create each skill?" I asked. I hadn't known that.

"Yes, we create them and imbue mortals with their power," Althena replied. "However, a strong skill takes a longer time to craft. The Hero of Light skill, for example, took a thousand years."

"A thousand years?!" I couldn't help but yell. If that was true, then it made sense that no one had been born with it since Abel. Princess Noelle had talked about bloodlines carrying skills...but that had nothing to do with it.

Maybe I should tell her at some point.

That brought up another question though.

"If it's so rare, then why does Sakurai have it?" It took a thousand years to create, so surely Althena could've given it to someone already on the continent rather than an otherworlder.

There was a long pause, then... "Who knows...?" she muttered.

Hm? Althena had answered everything else really clearly, but now she was being vague. The reason must have been super complicated.

"Come on, Althena, don't play it up—you just like his looks, don't you?" "Hey! Noah!" Althena protested.

My eyes widened. "Huh? That's why?" The truth was shocking.

"She has always put too much stock in looks," Noah said. "Well, her first love fell for me, so— Ow! What're you doing?!"

"Enough, Noah! I have a mind to increase your sentence!"

"Hah! Just try it! A few more years won't change a thing at this point!" "You always have to have the last word!"

Noah and Althena just kept bickering, but it wasn't a hostile fight. I don't get it... I thought they were bitter enemies.

"Noah and Althena are childhood friends," Eir said. "What?! They are?"

"Yup. Noah is the youngest of the old gods and Althena is the oldest of the new gods, so they were born at roughly the same time."

"H-Huh..."

How long ago must that have been? Just how old were they...? Wait, I'd better not bring that up. Scary.

"Noah sided with the bad guys in the war a thousand years ago, and Althena started sulking, so they haven't talked for a while, but they made up today."

"Okay..." That kind of patience was honestly...crazy. Who holds a grudge for a whole millennium?

Midway through their fight, the goddesses had started running around faster than my eye could follow. Now, they came back over to us, breathing heavily. Noah stood for a moment, panting, then seemed to remember something.

"Oh, right. Eir, give the dagger back to him."

I jumped. Eir has Noah's dagger?!

"Whoopsie! Here you go, Mako."

I let out a sigh. The dagger, which still glowed blue, was back in my possession. Thank goodness... Thought I'd never see it again.

"By the way, where'd you find it?" I asked. My fight with the Hero of the Sun was a blank spot in my memory. I'd probably dropped it while battling him.

Eir awkwardly avoided my gaze. "Hmm, well, it doesn't really matter, does it?"

"Ah, Eir was the one to stop you after you defeated Alec," Ira said.

Huh. So I'd defeated Alec. But wait... According to Princess Sophia, I'd been dead. If I had won, how could that be true? It didn't make sense.

Ira nonchalantly put my confusion to rest. "When you became the weapon, Eir killed you."

I was stunned into a long silence. Finally, I took a double take at Eir in her teacher's getup. "Huh?"

"Sorry, Mako, I took you out☆" She giggled and stuck out her tongue at

me. Though, she did seem a bit embarrassed that I knew the truth.

Cute...and utterly terrifying. No, really—that's scary!

I backed away instinctively.

"H-Hey! Don't look at me like that. You were in the sea at the time, so that's my domain... I wasn't happy about the decision either! I didn't want to mess with Sophie's crush!" Eir stepped in closer. "Besides, we brought you back right away, so please forgive meeee☆ We're all friends now!

Coochiecoochiecooooo..." "E-Eir..."

In order to distract me from my panic, she'd wrapped her arms around my body, pressing her marshmallowy chest into me. I felt my mind growing distant. So soft...

"There we go, Mako. There, there. Good boy." She stroked my head like I was a child, and I buried my face in her soft chest. "Yuuuup, mama's here."

I couldn't manage a retort—I felt myself almost waking up.

"You're charming him!" Noah yelled. Suddenly, she launched herself at Eir, striking her with a flying kick.

Th-That was close. Charm magic might not faze me...but direct attacks like that worked well on virgins...

"Ma. Ko. To?" Noah angrily pulled Eir off me and then squeezed me in a hug of her own. "You're such a naughty boy! You shouldn't be ogling other goddesses!"

"No, I wasn't..." Unlike Eir, Noah was relatively slender, but she had much more of her skin on show.

"How are you so calm?" Ira asked, shocked. "Two goddesses hugged you...and you barely reacted!"

"Huh? I'm not calm at all."

"And yet you're holding a conversation. Normally, people would completely lose their cool... Oh well. I guess, considering everything that's happened, I should do something nice for you as thanks."

"I-Ira?!"

"You don't have much experience with women, do you? Tee hee, I'll teach you! Be grateful!" Her demanding tone was rather rude. Slowly, she came closer.

"Ira?! What are you saying?!" Noah exclaimed.

Eir shook her head. "Irrie, you can't be so casual about these things." "I don't want to hear that from either of you... Come on, Makoto

Takatsuki! Over here."

"No! He's mine!" Noah insisted, tightening her grip. Ugh...can't...breathe... It felt like I was a toy they were tossing around. Then, suddenly, my vision started to blur.

"Makoto, it's time," said Noah.

It sure seemed that way. I knelt, then bowed my head to the four goddesses. "Got it. I'm sorry for worrying you, Noah. Althena, Eir, Ira, thank you all for talking to me."

"Makoto Takatsuki, if something bothers you, then push it all onto Ira," said Althena.

Merciless...

Ira slumped. "Urgh..." "S-Sure," I answered.

"Bye, Mako," Eir said with her usual smile.

When I looked at Noah, she seemed to be wearing a slightly more somber expression than usual.

And just like that, my consciousness faded away.

𝘘 Lucy's Perspective 𝘘

I woke up to sunlight streaming in through the window. Guess I overslept...

I'd barely gotten any rest until yesterday because I'd been spending all my time training. But now that Makoto was back, the relief must've gotten to me.

Well, whatever. Let's go see Makoto!

I got out of bed, dealt with my hair, and washed my face in the mirror.

Then, I quietly slipped into Makoto's room.

His bed was empty. "He's not even here?!"

For pity's sake, he must already be training.

I sighed and headed down the stairs. In the kitchen, someone was humming cheerily. My nose was soon greeted with the smell of freshly baked bread. I could hear a pot of soup bubbling heartily on the stove, and ham was sizzling in a pan.

I stepped into the room and saw a girl standing at the counter wearing a pink apron.

"Morning, Aya."

She offered me a wide smile "Morning, Lu!"

The whole inn had been booked, and we supplied our own food. Though Aya was a hero, she was still doing the housework.

"Have you seen Makoto?" I asked.

"He said he was going to train in the garden."

I scoffed. "He should be resting... You seem like you're in a good mood, though." I never would have guessed that she'd been crying nonstop until yesterday. It wasn't like I had much room to talk—I'd felt much the same.

She giggled. "Well, Takatsuki told me, 'Don't push yourself. I'll always be with you.' Ahhhh!"

"H-Huh." He came out with some pretty good lines sometimes. I wonder if he'd offer me one too.

"So I said it too!" she continued. "I told him, 'We'll always be together.

I'll never let you go!' And then he said okay!" She gave me a cute grin.

She was adorable, but...those words seemed awfully heavy. Was I imagining things?

"The food'll be done soon. Go get Takatsuki and Fuu, would you?"

"Sure." I waved at her before heading off to the garden and to Makoto.

As I went to step outside, I saw someone—the moon priestess, sitting vacantly on the sofa in the dining room. Oh, wait, she was a saint now, right? Her looks hadn't really changed, but she seemed to have some kind of holy aura.

And she—the most beautiful girl in the world—was currently sitting like someone had sucked her soul out.

"Morning, Fuuri," I said.

A beat of silence passed, and then she jumped. "M-Mage?!" she sputtered, staring at me. "You okay?"

"I am. Just...yesterday was too much. I'm overwhelmed." "That makes sense."

It wasn't much of a surprise. A few days ago, the Hero of the Sun had suddenly attacked her. Makoto had driven him off but had also vanished and...died. The whole party, myself included, had fallen to despair. Then, suddenly, he'd come back.

And on top of that, Fuuri had gone from being a priestess to holding the rank of saint. No wonder she was exhausted.

"Aya said the food's nearly done."

"Thank you... I don't feel hungry, but I'll eat."

"That's right! You have to eat properly! Stamina is everything for an adventurer! Although, you're going to organize a whole country, aren't you? Maybe you won't be able to keep up adventuring."

"Who knows..." she mused.

That sigh was kinda alluring. I was a girl, and I still found my heart racing.

"I'm going to go get Makoto now—want to come along?"

"T-To see my knight?!" She flapped around, her face bright red. I didn't think I'd said anything weird...

"He's just healed up—well, come back from the dead—and he's already started training again. We need to scold him and tell him to take it easy." I grabbed her arm and began tugging her along with me.

"W-Wait! Wait, mage! I'm not ready!"

"You don't wanna collect him from the garden?" "I-I'll pass!"

"Okay...?"

Well, with no other choice, I headed out to the back garden alone. Before I got there, I turned to look at Fuuri.

"I-I wonder if my face is red," she muttered to herself, blushing furiously and putting her hands over her cheeks.

Ahh, she fell for him...

I sighed and strode out to the garden. There was a small river flowing through it, and Makoto was sitting cross-legged in front of it with his back to me. I stepped over to him, waving.

"Makoto! It's break...time..."

Huh? What's that?

I saw something new—a blue fish, gleaming and swimming through the sky. It was only around the size of my pinky finger. Makoto must have made it with his water magic, but...

"Wow. It's tiny, but he even sculpted the scales and fins. And it's moving almost like it's alive..."

It wasn't just one either. Hundreds of little blue fish were swirling in a complicated dance in front of me.

"Huh...?"

Something else flitted past me. Many somethings... Hundreds of butterflies, all made of water. Their wings and transparent bodies were moving just like the real thing.

At that point, I felt a trace amount of mana above me.

It wasn't an attack spell. This much mana could never hurt anyone. But there were so many water creatures... So many...

How is this possible...? What's going on?!

These creations filled the sky. And each one of them was practically a carbon copy of a real animal. I tried to touch one, but it vanished. Since I have a lot of fire magic mana, it must have clashed and broken against Makoto's water magic. Which means...

This had to be his spell.

He was controlling all of them. Tens of thousands of creatures.

They glittered in the sunlight, seeming almost ethereal. I was a mage though, so I found myself shivering at the absurd number of active spells. My gaze fell upon my lover, horrified.

Makoto was just happily playing with Twi. He looks so at ease... But he's

controlling all of these creatures! Impossible... What was going on?

I made my way through the swarm of water animals and came to stand at his side.

"Morning, Makoto!"

"Morning, Lucy," he said. He must have already noticed me because he didn't jump when I spoke up from behind him.

"So...these spells are yours, right?" I asked, pointing at the creatures in the sky.

"Yeah. Pretty, aren't they?"

"That's not what I'm talking about! Just look at how many there are! What in the world is this?!"

"I just feel really good."

"It's weird! Did you get some special skill or something?!" "Skill? Hmm, Althena and Ira didn't say anything..."

"Althena? Ira?" Those were the goddesses we'd met yesterday—they'd been utterly overwhelming. I felt myself shaking just remembering it.

"Well, maybe Ira forgot to explain. She's kinda clumsy. Althena's surprisingly friendly though."

"Y-Y'know, you shouldn't be talking about them like that!" The things he was spouting were horrifying. Did he even know what would happen if their believers overheard him?!

"It's fine. They're both nice. I'll just check my Soul Book..." "How are you so easygoing about this..."

As I spoke, Makoto pulled out his Soul Book. I hugged him from behind, reading it over his shoulder.

I couldn't see any new skills. "See, nothing's changed," he said. "Hmm, right..."

But then, I noticed. My eyes went wide. "Huh?"

"What's up, Lucy?"

I heard his voice, but I couldn't respond. Written in his Soul Book was a single line.

Water Magic Mastery: 999

Wh-What in the world?!