Chapter Text
Prologue: I only blinked for a second, ¿And now I'm with a goddess?
Darkness.
That was the first thing he noticed when he opened his eyelids, or at least that's what he thought. When he opened his eyes, the boy felt as if he were sitting up.
«I feel like I slept through a whole marathon on the pavement... Did I faint?»
Everything was completely dark, without a trace of light, except for a kind of chair and a table. When he looked down, he noticed something strange: the floor, unlike the rest of the place, was covered with a pattern of black and white tiles.
"Oh, you're awake?"
The female voice broke the absolute silence, and with it, the air seemed to vibrate slightly, shaking the very foundations of that strange place.
When people refer to "time standing still," they surely meant moments like this.
Each footstep echoed in the vastness of the place, slowly drawing closer to where he stood, surpassed only by the boy's heart, which beat faster.
What seemed like an eternity, the next moment a figure appeared beside him, so close that his breath caught in reflex.
She had long blue hair that fell like a shimmering river in an almost nonexistent light, soft and fine, adorned with a sphere that gathered some of it into a ponytail.
Her eyes, the same aquamarine hue, didn't look directly at him... but even so, Subaru felt a small flutter in his chest. The only thing that stood out was the translucent pink coat she was wearing.
The girl walked gracefully to the table, let out a soft sigh, and sat in the empty chair opposite him, crossing her legs with divine elegance, emphasizing her presence.
"Subaru Natsuki-san, welcome to the afterlife. Unfortunately, you are no longer alive. Your existence may have been short... but it's all over."
"Huh?!" "What did she just say?" The sudden turn of events completely confused the boy, going from being dazzled by the beauty at his side to receiving some unfortunate news.
The girl, who had delivered the news, looked at Subaru with those blue eyes. They gave him the vibe of "An Otherworldly Goddess," and if such a goddess existed, she must be it, he confirmed.
Her beauty surpassed that of any idol he'd ever seen on television. Even for him, a hikikomori with zero experience with girls, her presence was overwhelming.
Her soft features held elements of youth but also of mature beauty, giving her a dangerous and enchanting charm.
The beauty was a few heads shorter than Subaru. The clothes she wore matched her hair and aqua-blue eyes.
They seemed to be the same age, he guessed, before placing a hand on his chest to ward off a start.
"Calm down, Natsuki Subaru! Yes, her beauty is otherworldly, and of course she's beautiful... Too beautiful! But you can't get distracted right after finding out you're dead." Subaru tried to remember what had happened before he appeared there.
It was strange. He had left home at night, like any other day. Although he was a hikikomori, he hadn't yet become a complete hermit.
After buying groceries at the nearest convenience store, he was going to head home, and yet, in the blink of an eye, he ended up there.
"T-this...? C-can I ask you something, miss?" Subaru stammered, blushing as he gazed at the dazzling beauty.
"Please, go ahead"
"M-Miss-san, t-you just told me that-I'm dead, right?"
"That's right. You died of natural causes. I know this is all very sudden, but that's how it is."
Subaru trembled slightly in the chair he sat in, timidly raising his hand again, as if afraid that the woman in front of him could erase him from existence with just a glance.
"-Um, Miss-san... I know it's your job and all, but I think you've made a mistake with me. I'm too young to have had a heart attack, don't you think? And I don't remember seeing a truck, or hearing the sound of a gun being fired..."
His voice grew louder as he watched her, waiting for an answer that would bring some logic back to his situation.
The goddess—or whatever she was—looked at him with confusion, as if she were listening to a child who didn't understand why it was raining. Standing up, the beautiful woman approached him.
"Just like I said, you're dead. That's more than enough. There's no need to know more."
"Too close, too close."
Subaru's breath caught in his throat. The girl was so close he could smell the soft floral scent emanating from her blue hair, which now cascaded over her shoulder. Her eyes—blue and bright—were fixed on him.
Without waiting for permission, Subaru leaped from his chair and clasped his hands in supplication, bowing before her.
"Please, Goddess-san! I just want to know if there wasn't some mistake with me. If I really was destined to die at that time, I'll accept it without making a fuss."
Subaru suspected that something else must have happened to him behind his supposed "death"... or rather, his arrival in this place.
The beauty looked at the pleading boy and giggled, covering her mouth with her hand.
"Heh, heh... Do you really think you haven't died, even when a goddess like me is telling you so? What a curious human."
"I-I'm sorry, amazing Goddess-san!" Subaru exclaimed, clasping his hands together in apology.
"It's just that I'm a little confused. When I was still on Earth... I felt as if someone was approaching me, but that was all it was, then I appeared here."
The beauty, with a sigh that sounded more exhausted than compassionate, settled back into her chair and crossed her legs elegantly.
"Very well, so that you will be grateful to me for the rest of your eternity, I, 'The Great Goddess Aqua!', will give you this final reward."
"A-Aqua...?" Subaru repeated the "Goddess's" name as if he were tasting it.
Before he could ask anything more, the goddess extended her hand, and out of nowhere, a thick book appeared, covered in a bluish glow. It floated in front of her, suspended in the air, slowly rotating.
It was a scene that defied all logic... but considering he was in a completely dark, empty space, and with a self-proclaimed goddess before him, Subaru no longer dared to question anything.
Aqua took the book in one hand and began to flip through it with a soft sigh, as if she were simply reviewing a file.
«If the gods are on my side, this must be just an administrative error. It has to be. Please...»
"Hmm-hmm, here it is, Natsuki Subaru! You see, as I said, your death was by natural means... Aahh!" Aqua's scream shattered the room.
Subaru shuddered, opening his eyes just as she had.
Even though Aqua herself had assured him that she was dead, the expression she now wore was not that of a confident goddess, but rather that of someone gripped by panic; the color of her divine face had vanished in an instant.
"T-this... this can't be...!"
Silence returned to the dark place. Only the glow of the book illuminated their faces.
"W-what happened here--- Um, I mean, Goddess-san? Don't tell me there was an administrative error?"
"N-nothing happened. You were just... brought here, that's all."
Subaru stared at her, his face completely pale.
"...."
"...."
"...."
"...."
"What kind of explanation is that?! I don't even remember closing my eyes or seeing the light at the end of the tunnel!"
"This is new for Nini too. As a Goddess, this has never happened to me before! Your... Your death wasn't even registered! There's no cause for anything. It's like... someone else sent you to this place."
"Are you jor-- *Gulp*" Subaru's eyes met Aqua's, and he realized she was serious.
"I've been doing this for a long time, but you're the first one to arrive here with your body and soul intact!"
Hearing that, Subaru's heart leapt into his throat; he was in shock.
"W-wait a minute, Aqua-san? You mean... I'm still alive?!" he asked, his voice trembling.
She didn't notice it immediately, but instead of calling her "Goddess" as he had done until now, Subaru had referred to her by her given name, just as she had introduced herself earlier.
"That's what I said. It's very strange, but that doesn't excuse you from anything. Now you're here." With a sharp slam, Aqua closed the book in her hands. The sound echoed in the void like a distant echo.
Then, she placed a hand on her chest, adopting a proud and practiced stance.
"...This is the first time we've met, Subaru Natsuki-san. As I mentioned, I am Aqua, the Goddess who guides young people who die in Japan..."
"You guide young people...? So, there are other Gods who take care of people depending on their age?"
"Silence while I speak!" she retorted, wagging a finger as if scolding a child. Clearing her throat again, she regained her celestial dignity.
"Ahem... putting aside the inexplicable nature of your 'non-death,' you now have three options."
"Three options?!"
Aqua nodded solemnly, the gleam of her hair reflecting the blue light from the book still suspended before them.
"That's right. And depending on your choice... your destiny could change forever. Now listen carefully. The first option is to return the way you came. But, considering your situation... I'm not entirely sure how to do that."
"Return? To where exactly? The black void or my room with unfinished instant ramen? No thanks!"
"If you don't like that, then we'll go to the second option, which is to reincarnate and start a new life from scratch."
"From scratch...? Like, baby again?!"
"I can't exactly guarantee that you'll become human again or that your memories will return once you arrive."
"Are you saying I could end up reincarnated without my memories? Even if I do remember them, could I still end up as a slug?!"
"And finally: you'll stay in a heaven-like place, where you can live peacefully, without worries, like a quiet old person surrounded by peace and fluffy clouds."
Silence filled the space once more. Subaru stared at her, his expression blank.
"...Are you serious?" he finally asked.
"Of course," Aqua replied, puffing out her chest with pride. "It's a divine plan, don't you think?"
"Um... well... If that's how it is, Aqua-san, I think it's best if we go back home." With a chuckle, Subaru scratched his cheek.
"AAAhhh?!!"
As Subaru blurted out that idea, Aqua's expression changed completely. Her eyes, once bright and divine, now trembled with a mixture of disbelief and panic.
"Hey, y-you don't want to go back to your boring hikikomori life, do you?! Hahaha! It's not like I don't know how to bring you back or anything, of course not! I am a goddess, after all!"
"That sounded very specific, Aqua-san."
"Ahem, what I meant to say is... asking you to let go of your memories and start over as a baby would be the same as erasing your existence, since your memories would disappear. And heaven doesn't seem to appeal to you either. And that's why... I have good news for you!"
For some reason, Subaru was now a little skeptical, however, Aqua smiled conspiratorially.
"You... like games?"
Aqua confidently explained her so-called "good news."
———
This is a summary of what Subaru understood.
In a world that wasn't the plane they were in—a completely new world—there existed a demon king. With the help of his army, the demon king plunged that world into crisis. Magic, monsters, and all sorts of magical creatures were present.
In short, it was a fantasy world similar to a video game.
"The people who died in that world were killed by the demon king's army, and they were terrified, saying they didn't want to die like that again. Since almost all of them had died at the hands of the demon king or his army, they rejected the idea of being reborn in that world."
More specifically, Subaru understood that if he didn't stop, that world would come to an end, because babies would stop being born there.
"So that's why they summon other deceased people from other worlds and send them there, Aqua-san. That immigration policy seems very careless to me."
"That's true to a certain extent, but not as much as you think. You see, we send people who died young and still have a will to live. With that selection, we send them with their original bodies and memories."
"Aqua-san, but if you only send ordinary people, it would be like sending meat to a spit: they'd end up dying at the hands of the Demon King instantly, wouldn't they?"
"Obviously, it wouldn't make sense for them to die immediately after being sent. That's why we'll grant a privilege to everyone who goes to that world: they can take one thing they like with them."
As he announced this, Subaru noticed Aqua taking some potato chips and eating them.
"It can be a powerful skill, an exceptional talent, or even a god-level weapon... Whatever you want. That way, upon arrival, there will be someone capable of fighting from the very first moment. What do you think? Isn't that good news?"
"I see! It sounds incredible! Natsuki Subaru, the Hero who will be summoned to save the world!" Raising his hands energetically, the boy's motivation increased with each passing second, but then he looked at the incredible Goddess.
"One question, Aqua-san, if I go to another world, what will happen to the language? As a summoned being, will I be able to understand and speak the language as if nothing were wrong?"
"That's not a problem. With the gentle help of the gods, you will instantly learn the language directly in your brain the moment you arrive in the other world. Naturally, you will be able to read and write as well. But there is a side effect: your brain could go blank if you're unlucky... And so, all you need to do is choose a special skill or a weapon."
"Wait, I just heard something dangerous and absolutely terrifying. Did you say my brain would go blank if I'm unlucky?"
"I didn't say that."
"¡You just said it!"
The tension from a moment ago had vanished. He was speaking to a goddess, but her demeanor was similar to that of someone like himself.
For a moment, Subaru felt a pang of fear at the possibility of his mind going blank... Even so, it was a tempting proposition.
At that moment, to demonstrate her "Goddess" abilities, Aqua leaped into the air and began to float, dropping several scrolls onto the ground.
"Come on, choose! I can grant you one and only one power that won't lose against anyone. For example, a powerful unique ability, or it could be a legendary weapon. Go ahead, it can be anything. You have the privilege of taking this one thing to the other world."
After listening to Aqua's explanation, Subaru took the catalog and began to look through it.
...There were "supernatural strength," "super magic," "Arondight holy sword," "Murasame demon sword"... and many other names.
"I can choose one ability or weapon to take with me. How worrying, having too many options in these cases makes me very indecisive. What should I do...? Since I'm going to a parallel world, I really want to try using magic, or I could also choose swordsmanship."
"Hey~ hurry up~ no matter what a NEET hikikomori like you chooses, can you just pick one and go with the flow? Anything's fine, hurry up~ hurry up~"
"Hey hey! As a goddess, you should be here helping me decide something, Aqua-san. You're not being nice to me at all. You could give me some emotional support... or let me use your lap to calm down a bit."
Aqua pointed at him indignantly. "Who do you think I am?! I'm not a pet, I'm a goddess!"
"When I'm reincarnated, I'm going to file a complaint with this place's customer service."
Aqua looked at him with a laugh. "Heh heh... try it if you survive the tutorial, NEET hikikomori."
Subaru remained silent at Aqua's harsh words, mainly because... she was right.
To change the subject, he scratched his cheek, a bead of sweat forming on his brow, and looked up at the Goddess, murmuring casually:
"Aqua-san...? This place is completely empty, I only see darkness."
"Hmm? And what's with that question?" Aqua replied curtly as she continued eating her chips, the crunching echoing in the eternal silence.
Subaru blinked. It wasn't hard to see that conversations weren't this Goddess's strong suit.
"Come on, NEET, I just asked you. Why the sudden question?" "And why do you have such a grumpy face?"
"Why the sudden response?! This is my natural expression, okay? I can't make any other kind of face."
Subaru's sanpaku eyes only made her expression look even more malevolent, which didn't help at all.
With that last thought, Subaru sighed, finally putting two and two together: the absolute silence of the place, the absence of other souls, and how clumsy Aqua was with the right words... he understood everything.
"About what you said earlier, Aqua-san, I was just curious about this place. I thought that, being here alone all the time, you must have really long days... you know, like a NEET heavenly guardian?"
The potato chip Aqua was about to pop into her mouth stopped mid-slice.
Silence filled the air once more.
A vein popped out on her forehead.
And Subaru... knew he'd made a mistake.
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A HEAVENLY NEET, YOU DAMN EARTHLY HIKIKOMORI?!"
"I-I'm so sorry, Aqua-san," he replied in a trembling voice, simply playing with the ends of his hair as he tried to compose himself.
"Haah... That doesn't matter anymore. Seriously, people these days have no respect for the gods. Just hurry up and choose~ There are still plenty of dead souls waiting in line! Just pick your blessing already before I collapse from boredom."
Subaru, not quite understanding Aqua's irritated tone, interpreted the goddess's words in a completely different way.
"Aqua-san must be feeling very bored and lonely here? What should I do?" With a suddenly serious expression, he timidly raised his hand.
"Aqua-san, just to confirm... you said I can take anything with me, right?"
Aqua, with a weary sigh, waved her hand as if shooing away a fly, and responded in kind.
"As I said, if you're willing to fight the Demon King of that world, you can take something valuable from this place. Tell me, what is it you want?"
Subaru considered it seriously for a moment, then pointed to the "object" he wished to take.
"I choose you."
"Alright, then please don't move from the center of this magic circle... Huh...? What did you just say...?"
Time seemed to stop for Aqua, and she turned around in surprise.
"I understand. Well then, I'll replace Aqua-sama in her duties from now on."
With a flash of white light, a winged woman appeared out of nowhere. In short, she was a woman who resembled a…
“An angel?! They exist in this realm too! How incredible, this is truly a luxury!” Subaru exclaimed in amazement, his eyes sparkling as if he had seen a video game character come to life.
“…Huh?”
A magical blue circle appeared around Aqua’s feet, who screamed in surprise, just like Subaru.
“This… looks like a summoning circle? Shouldn’t this have happened to me before? I mean, shouldn’t this summoning circle have appeared first when they were in Japan?”
“Wait, Aah! What’s going on?! Huh, this is a lie, right? No, no, no, no, wait, no, this is weird! Choosing a goddess is cheating! It’s invalid, right?! Something like this is invalid! Wait! Wait?!”
As Aqua panicked, tears welling in her eyes, Subaru stared at the Goddess, confused.
"Hmm? Aqua-san, why are you crying? Weren't you supposed to be bored here? Come on, look on the bright side: now you can go to another world without having to fill out any paperwork. There, you can be a charming Goddess!"
"Ehhaah! You heard that, didn't you?! This was a mistake! He just gave himself away!" Aqua cried, desperately pointing at Subaru as the circle beneath her feet glowed brighter and brighter, lifting her into the sky.
Suddenly, the voice of the winged woman—the supposed angel—resonated with divine calm, completely ignoring the chaotic scene unfolding around her.
"Have a good trip, Aqua-sama. Please leave the rest to me. We'll send staff to welcome you back as soon as the Demon King is defeated. Before you return, I'll handle all your duties."
"Wait! Wait! As a goddess, I possess healing powers, but not fighting powers! It's impossible for me to defeat the Demon King!"
The angel who suddenly appeared ignored Aqua, who collapsed to the ground crying, and smiled gently at Subaru.
"Subaru Natsuki-san. You will be heading to another world to become one of the heroes vying to defeat the Demon King. You will receive a gift from the gods the moment you defeat him."
Subaru blinked, still processing the idea of a "Parallel World" as he was lifted up.
"...Ohh, another gift!? Thank you so much, Angel-san!" he exclaimed, awkwardly bowing while still floating.
"That's right, a gift befitting a savior of a world... You will be granted one wish; it can be anything you desire."
That meant Subaru could still wish to return home once he finished saving that world.
"Wait! Giving that awesome speech is my job!" Aqua groaned on the floor after the angel took over her duties.
"Relax, Aqua-tan. We just have to do it like in visual novels: enjoy the journey, meet new characters, defeat the final boss, and have an unforgettable adventure. Besides, since you're a goddess, this adventure will be even better!"
"No! Going to another world like this, noooooooooooooooooo!" were Aqua's last words before she vanished along with him in a blinding flash of light.
"Go, hero! I pray that you will be victorious among all the candidates, and become the one who defeats the Demon King... Well, I bid you farewell!"
"Waaah~! That's my line~!" And with the angel's solemn announcement, he took his leave.
———
The carriage passed along the road and came to a screeching halt.
"...Another world...hey, it really is another world. Huh, really? Really, from now on I'll be able to use magic and have adventures in this world?" Subaru was trembling with excitement, his eyes gleaming with skepticism.
In front of him were houses built of red brick, the streets identical to those of medieval Europe. There were no cars, bicycles, power lines, or communication cables.
"Ah...aah....aaaaah.........."
Noticing this, he took a closer look at some people passing by.
"Animal ears! There's someone with animal ears! And elf ears! Is she an elf? With those fine facial features, she definitely is! Hello, parallel world!"
"Aaaaaah..aaaah...aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Subaru turned his head and looked at Aqua, who was hugging his head and making strange noises.
"Aqua-tan? What's wrong? Ever since we got here, you haven't stopped... AHG!"
Aqua tried to strangle Subaru with her tearful eyes and hands, and if it were up to her, she would curse him for all eternity.
And so, Subaru Natsuki—a professional hikikomori, a master of laziness and failure—was transported to a new world... alongside the "Goddess Aqua" to end the Demon King's tyranny.