The God Hachiman of Rhozgelia

Off to the Skies!

A golden portal is in front of me, shining and humming with the corners swirling and turning as if they were flowing water on a pond. I would not normally try and open the ultra-long range telepathic link that I have with my Servant, my incompleteness preventing me from doing so. But I may as well try every few days.

The tiny lights of Ludtz Town are below me, so small that it may as well be an ant. Up here in the sky, I must look like a star to those on the ground.

I touch the amulet hanging from my neck. It too glowed and hummed in sync with the portal before me, as if they were the hearts of a living creature. It serves to compensate my lacking Divinity and to boost my range.

On the center of the portal was very mirror-like, and I see myself on its surface. Bright red and yellow eyes looked back at me as a large halo nestles itself under my crossed legs. On my back, I lightly flap my wings boredly as I wait.

"Mai… Mai… Can you hear me…?" I speak while hoping for the best.

No response came as the surface continues to ripple. I tap my finger impatiently on my thigh, thinking of other alternatives to reach her.

I can always open the Gate and release my Battleship, but the sight of such a monstrous mechanical behemoth flying in the sky would undoubtedly cause a stir.

The war has been brutal to the country as a whole. This Kingdom, while not as advanced as the technology from the 2nd half of the 20th century in the other Earth, is still quite sophisticated in many areas. Rhozgelia is a massive landlocked place, with tall mountains, deserts and forests. Many Danger Beasts inhabit them, except for some in the skies, so the leading scientists developed flight very early on during long journeys and hover chariots for casual travel. Contraptions made from science and magic were invented, something that even a God would be impressed.

I continue trying again and again, until finally I hear a positive response.

"Hachiman-sama-!?"

The quality of the sound was terrible and jumbled up. I can't see her, but it is definitely my Divine Familiar, Mai's voice. She sounds surprised, as is expected since it is in the middle of the night. Ah, I had left her alone for some time. Divine Familiars do not need sleep, but perhaps she does so because she feels lonely…

"Mai,"I say, "it seems that you are indoors. Go to the Prime Crystal at top of the temple."

It is a good thing that I left that massive gem there. It helps improve the quality of the connection.

She quickly adopts a more formal tone. The image before me stirs, and I can vaguely see her shape now. For a split second, I saw the room that she was in, my own private quarters that she and my golems prepared for me back then. I hear a door being opened as the view changes to reveal the blurry edges of the top-half of her body. Some footsteps later that echoed in the sanctum, the sound of wind can be heard. She must be flying through the massive empty hallways.

"Please wait Hachiman-sama. I am trying to fine-tune the frequency…"The image is still terrible, but I hear a magic circle being opened and then beeping sounds from her end.

Even though she can't see me, I instinctively wave my hand in front of me. "I am in no hurry."

"I see. Where are you now Hachiman-sama?"

I open my Gate, a large map floats in front and I snap my finger to cast a ball of light. The Capital is in the center of everything, and I trace my path to where I am right now.

"Hmm… West of the great plains, and somewhere between the Grezny Mountains and the region of Sacrois."

Instead of an immediate reply, Mai keeps quiet and ponders of my words.

"You are far. Very far. I had expected you to immediately go to the great Fortress-City of Rodina. It is the largest stronghold after The Capital's own, and is difficult to lay siege because it is high on the Mountains. Of all the citadels and bastions aside from here, it has the highest chance of being largely intact."

"Rodina is even farther and is not as populated as the other regional cities. That would take me a month and a half to reach it. Of all the places I had been to, only this place is inhabited."

"What of the other cities? The main road, which is near to where you are right now, has larger cities and towns that enter it."

I shake my head. Not because from her words, but because of the disappointing discoveries I had made along the way.

"No, all of them were reduced to rubble during the war. Ghost towns, cursed places where the people that died left many regrets, grudges and hatred. It stained the air and malevolent entities took advantage of it. I had planned to cleanse them one by one, but I decided to do that at a later time."

I hear Mai click her tongue.

It is only natural for a Divine Familiar to hate twisted and cursed remnants such as them. Since Mai is mine, she also possesses the "Soul" of the Earth Mother. I created her with my essence and Divinity, that also makes her a Lesser Divine Spirit.

There are certain…residues, left by the battle between the Old Ones and my kind eons ago. One of those residues caused the direct creation of something that even Mother never would have thought possible.

They might have been monstrous and titanic creatures, but they still possessed Divinity and tiny traces of their will. As the ages went by, no doubt some of them have even gained consciousness and self-awareness.

There exists another plane of existence: the physical tangible world, and the Immaterium which is the former's reflection and alternate counterpart. A place made of pure psychic energy, even I would not dare venture there for too long.

After all.

The brighter the light, the darker the shadow.

Emotion and thought of sentient creatures can give shape and form, and produce malevolent entities in the Immaterium. And since the first ones to have sentience were the Old Deus, they indirectly created it just by existing. Those entities in the Warp or Immaterium can gain consciousness of their own, and sometimes "jump" into the physical world. They often appear in places like battlefields and places of mass death and feed upon the hate, regret, despair and all negative emotions of the living and those about to die.

Every hundred years or so, cracks appear in the fabric of reality and release fiends and hellspawn into this world. But they are not that large of a threat as you would think.

Well, at least for me when I was still at the peak of my strength.

If a Warp gate or portal were to open in Rhozgelia, I can accurately pinpoint where and when it will happen. Such is the scope and power that my followers give me through their faith and belief. And that in turn gives me Influence to sense ripples and distortions in the entire Kingdom that is blanketed by the Immaterium.

As I recall, the last one that happened was around thirty years before the war. I just pointed the Flotilla to where it will happen. The Lord of Admirals even presented me the holo-recording of the event. Just as the sky darkened, the Warp gates started opening one by one, the full might of the Flotilla was already bearing down upon them. Destroyers, Corvettes and Frigates at the front, Heavy and Light Cruisers at the middle and then the Carriers and Battleships in the rear. Those small and quick chaos fiends that escaped by the first few salvos were quickly intercepted and shot down by the Fighters.

Ah, the glory days of the mighty fleet. Even I can not help but feel pride as I led them to battle. At the height of its reign, it covered the entire sky. I even have a Battleship and Carrier within my Gate.

I had sent Mai in the sidelines to lend her hand only when needed. And although she was ready to jump into the fray at any time, ultimately, the Warp gates collapsed after a few days of intense fighting. I almost went there myself to finish things, but the Lord of Admirals begged me not to, since it was a show of force for the populace to have faith in mortal-made technology.

It was an era where they wanted to separate themselves and stop depending too much on me.

It was a phyrrhic victory. The Warp monstrosities were pushed back, but at a massive cost. I said nothing when they informed me that they decided to change the numbers and to hide the truth. Their internal affairs are none of my concern, and I made that clear to the Queen. All I need from them is faith and belief to boost my Authority and Divinity.

All in all, the threat of the Warp is not much of a problem. But I cannot say the same for those without Patron Gods of their own, or those that have but are too lazy to act. I admit that I am one of the latter. The Dwarves and Elves can handle themselves, even without the help of their Ancestral Spirits, but they lack the means to effectively locate where and when and incursion by Chaos can happen.

Now that I think about it, most of my siblings are worshiped by Humans, who are one of the more fragile and weaker races. Some stayed in the Elven Dominions for some time before they became bored and returned to Mother. Elves are a boring lot, thank goodness that I did not pity them and take a clan or two under my wing. They keep to themselves. And although they are a long-lived race, they take so very long to develop technologies of their own when compared to the Dwarves and Humans.

Once we Gods willingly return, it takes a very long time for us to manifest back. Together with some of my siblings, I had even wanted to go back several hundred years ago, but watching and playing around with the mortals was too entertaining.

Watching them develop technologies, make their own cultures and traditions, make war with their neighbors over petty disputes and build monuments and temples larger and grander than the last in my name were akin to observing a child growing.

It was very amusing to say the least.

I was startled out of my wits when I hear Mai's voice call out to me.

"Hachiman-sama? You have been out of it for some time. Is there something wrong?" She says in a curious, yet respectful tone.

I shake my head and rub my eyes. "Ah, think none of it. Just remembering the past, that's all-"

I was pleased to see that the connection had become more or less perfect. I can see all the fine details of my Divine Familiar which showed her upper torso up to her head. Her background showed the ruins of The Capital which was under the moonlight, making them look gray and all the more ominous-looking than they already are. In the distance, I can see the silhouette of the massive walls that surround the great city.

But what really caught my attention was…

"..."

"..." Mai stares back at me, unblinkingly and tilts her head to the side. Which causes some of her wet and long hair to drip.

"Mai…" I say in a neutral tone, trying not to sigh out with exasperation.

"Yes, Hachiman-sama?"

"Why are you naked?"

She blinks several times and looks down while touching the smooth and delicate skin on the base of her neck and chest.

"I was taking a bath when you called. I was startled and it sounded urgent so I had no time to dress properly." She says and shrugs, as if it were the most logical thing to say in the world.

I rub my temples as I feel a sudden headache. "In Mother's name… Cover yourself or something. I can't focus with those largethings right at my face. And don't even ATTEMPT to lower my view. I do not want to see the rest of your body. Good grief…"

Taking a bath…? She is a Divine Familiar for goodness' sake. Biological bodily processes do not apply to her nor to myself. The latter to some extent at least.

She calls down to one of the golems who must be standing guard to get her a robe. "Do you like what you see, Hachiman-sama~?" She says and grins with a teasing undertone. She makes some motions that, if my mortal side were more dominant right now, would have definitely made me blush profusely.

Unfortunately for her, the Hachiman right now is the Hachiman from this world. Or at least a large portion of it. That is what I feel from my Divine Core anyway.

I am feeling nothing but slight annoyance and a mild headache at her provocations, but I may as well entertain her for now.

"Yes yes they look wonderful, firm and very healthy-looking. Blah blah blah blah blah blah." I say while rolling my eyes and in a dull tone as she continues giggling and taunting them at me. "I miss waking up to those soft and warm things at my face or you straddling me on my bed without your usual robes on. Whatever, I don't care."

Mai stops giggling and stares at me wide-eyed and an expression full of bafflement and surprise. "R-Really…?" She asks.

I nod dully, before continuing with an equally hollow and empty voice. "Why yes. But what I really missed was having you around at my beck and call, not to mention striping your powers and severely punishing you for your stupid antics that make me the butt of all your jokes."

My words fuel her giggles, until she bursts out laughing while covering her mouth.

Those things that she did to me made me really flustered at first. But as time went on and I started regaining my Divinity and Authority, as well as my memories, it did not make me so much as blink nor blush. In the end, I just leave her to do as she likes.

And, as expected, she loves abusing the freedom that I grant her. Some things have happened that I would rather not say for now. Of course, I punish her every time she does it. Though that hasn't stopped her from doing it again and again...

"I see that you have not lost your sense of humour, Hachiman-sama. Hehehehehehe…" She giggles, and then resumes making very provocative comments and movements.

But that does not mean that the soul of the young Hachiman does not come out. He subconsciously takes control in the presence of other mortals and Rushia, only releasing his God-like power when he feels like it. The other Divinity that he absorbed on the other hand, his namesake from the country that he hails from, rarely reveals himself.

Quite the coincidence.

Like myself, he is also a God of War and a Patron God of his home country. Sometimes he uses the young Hachiman as a vessel, and sometimes he takes over this body entirely. He only did the latter during our little adventure into the Goblin's Den, and seems to particularly love doing battle. Perhaps even more so than myself.

As I recall, there is a medical condition in my other world. A specific term to describe what I am right now… Three or four independent beings inhabiting a single body. We are pieces of the same whole after all, but we don't fight over who controls it. Switching places between us is as natural as breathing. Even though we are one, we still have not fully "merged" per say.

I think it was called… Schiz… Shizoff… Seichizo… Skiezschho… Squizofre... Cheesezo…

I can't remember. I am sure that young Hachiman can word and pronounce it properly if he surfaces again. He seems to be an intellectually adept fellow for his age, not to mention very thoughtful about Rushia's well-being. Perhaps he also has a little sister of his own, back in our other home.

I breathe out a sigh of relief when a golem reveals itself from the corner, carrying a very intricately decorated bathrobe of sorts for Mai. She winks while making unnecessary and extremely sensual gestures in the midst of putting it over herself. Though she deliberately exposes most of her chest and shoulders and leaves it very loose.

"..." She grins while waiting for my reaction, and I just sigh in exasperation.

"I am not going to comment any further on the matter. And this conversation is making me want to just cut the connection entirely." I mindlessly flick my finger at the clouds, to which they instantly part and split into several pieces.

"I am just checking up on you. And no, don't tell me about your progress in the repairs of my Temple, I want to see it for myself when I go back there. Anything new that has happened?"

I gust of wind blows on Mai's face, causing her to move some of her long hair to the back of her ear.

"Many of the birds that you sent to scout all around the country have returned. The Greater Basilisk that went to see one of the underground cities of the Demon Kings have reported it to be utterly destroyed. There is still no sign of Avant Heim, and there are several villages inhabited by the Elves to the West. I think it is safe to assume that they too have not yet fully recovered. The higher-leveled creatures say that they have never seen the flying Rhozgelian vehicles in their life, which must mean that much of the technology is either lost or extremely rare."

Mai stops and looks to the side, her brows are furrowed as she is deep in thought.

"I have also received troubling tidings." Her voice was serious, which made me sit upright instead of completely lying on my back.

"What is it?"

"A golem retrieved and brought me a memory crystal that it found in the Western District under the rubble. It was a recording of the battles that took place after our disappearance. The city did not immediately fall, it changed sides several times and switched from being occupied by our remaining forces and that of our ally's', to those of our enemies for many months. But what has really bothered me were the…appearance of some of the enemy soldiers.

The Orc and Demon infantry were…distorted, corrupted and looked and acted like under some kind of spell. Their green and deathly pale skins were black, as if charred and oozed blood that literally boiled. Their eyes were red and burning and they walked with some sort of smoke surrounding them. It is almost similar to… There were also fiends, and other grotesque creatures." Mai trails off and stops.

I frown. As if sensing my displeasure and unease, the clouds overhead covered the two Moons and thunder starts to rumble.

"If, in fact what we are thinking about are correct…" I say slowly while putting my hands together, "Then this does lead to some very interesting developments…"

I unfurl the full length of my wings and stand before her. The gust of wind that I caused once again revealed the lights of the two Moons above that were covered by clouds mere moments ago.

"Double the watch around The Capital. Make haste with what repairs to the infrastructure you are currently doing. Inform the winged reptilians to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity beyond the walls. And don't waste too much of your magical energy. Leave trivial things to my army of golems that have regenerating cores." I say and flung my hand to the side in a commanding tone.

"If it comes to it, we may have to go to the former Flugel territories and scavenge for the components we need for our little 'experiment'. The damn Dwarves are a secretive lot, no doubt they would have destroyed similar documents about that. As for the Elves and the Human City-States to the north, leave them be for now. Same with the Demi-Humans like the Lizardmen and the Beastfolk. They are too far anyway."

Gone are Mai's earlier teasing and lighthearted demeanor. Now her eyes shone with the dignity and obedience to an immortal Divine Spirit to her Master.

I put my fingers to my mouth and make a whistle, the loud and shrill sound travelled all around me. Several moments later, I hear the flapping of wings as an Eagle of gigantic proportion appears from above. Its talons large enough to easily hold an Elephant and carry it off to the sky. The Roc, a species very large Eagles. This one, together with Liz and Suu, are one of my many Familiars who pledged themselves to me. She circles around, flapping her giant wings while I continue conversing with Mai.

"Cyra will accompany me on my return, I have been using too much Divinity recently. And I may have a guest or guests with me. Those vials and amulets that I left with my magical energy can last for another month or so. And you can just leave them in my private quarters in the Temple, my Influence is particularly strong there, it will just fill on its own.

"It will be done, Hachiman-sama." Mai gives a slight bow while putting her right palm over her chest. "Your commands shall be carried out without fail."

I bite my thumb while looking the the distant lands and terrain below.

Since some of my Kin are gone, it was only a matter of time…

With nothing to hold them back after all…

This morning was supposed to be simple: Go to the port after we were hired to escort and accompany a ship to another town and make sure that everything proceeds smoothly. I decided to accept this humiliating job for the moment, to use it as an excuse to survey the land more thoroughly.

There are things that you miss on the ground as you zoom across the sky after all. Everything is a blur.

I once flew through a school of hundreds of Sky Manta. The shockwave produced from my speed almost knocked the poor things out of the sky.

"GENJI-SA-!"

"LOOK OUT-!"

I cannot be harmed by any weapon or magic of mortal craft. The heaviest bombs crafted by the Dwarves, the most sophisticated spell of mass destruction by the Elves, the deadliest concoction from Dark Elven alchemy, the largest guns mounted on the Rhozgelian Battleships and Mobile Defense Platforms, all of those have no effect on me.

Only an Old Deus or fellow Divine can even hope to cut the hair on my eyelash. With the former either locked in their eternal prisons or split apart and scattered throughout the world, I only need to worry about the latter.

I am invincible in every sense of the word.

But there are times when I am lax. And though I cannot be killed, I do feel pain. Like several instances when Rushia plucked feathers from my wings.

A flying Corsair having one of its cargo, which weighs roughly a ton, fall from above and hit me on the head is annoying. It does not hurt. No, it was as if a fly buzzed and landed on my head.

I even let my guard down since this Corsair is the first flying vehicle that I have seen ever since my return to this world. I was very pleased to see it.

But still, it is indeed quite annoying. Especially when the impact made me fall flat on the ground to the eyes of many bystanders. Screams followed, even Rushia, who was with Satou Kazuma's party and on his shoulders some distance behind me were not exempt.

"OH MY GOO-! GENJI-SAN?!"

"NII!"

Indeed, it is bothersome that my immaculate robe is now covered in dust and dirt. This is one of the best pieces in my Treasury, the High Priestess of my Temple specifically wove this for my use. Her soul, as well as the other's, are still with me. I still haven't found a way to release them yet.

The most annoying and infuriating thing of all is that my current form has me literally kissing the ground. A God kissing the ground is unthinkable and outright demeaning.

Even more so for a Prime Deity of the Heavens.

For this first time since coming back to this world, I feel absolutely furious. So much, that for a split second, I almost released a shockwave that could had flattened and turned this town into rubble.

I huff out, annoyed and a nerve threatening to pop on my forehead. I lightly flex my fingers as strings appeared in mid air and started taking the damned thing off my back, placing it back on the ground with a deafening sound as more dust covers the area around me. I feel my hair stand on its ends, not knowing that the air around me was threatening to snap and release lightning at any moment.

From inside of my pocket, Suu hastily squirms out like a snake, eyes wide and her blue body slightly shaking.

"M-Master…! Calm down-! The concentration of your magical energy is skyrocketing!" My Familiar says in a frantic and terrified voice in my head. I barely register her words as my Divine Core starts heating up and expanding. Like a Sun about to go supernova.

"If this goes on, your physical body will literally melt away and everyone around will turn to dust! The other Familiars and I will be in danger as well! Your Mortal Core will shatter! P-Please! I beg of yo-!"

WHO DARES…?!

Even though the dust was still trying to settle and I hear footsteps coming my way, I look up at the Rhozgelian Corsair. I clasp my hands together, separating them as a lance of light and fire materializes. Sparks fly as it vibrates, as if excitedly waiting for me to hurry up and hurl it upwards. Arcs of lightning lick the pavement, melting and leaving scorch marks in the process. The earth under my feet groan and shake from the sudden release of Divinity, I hear more and more screams as the buildings around me feel the tremor.

This lance has enough power to disable a Dwarven Cruiser in one strike! And completely turn it into molten slag if I hit its magical fuel cells! It is more than enough to destroy a puny Corsair put together by some lowly mechanic in a backwater junkyard!

Even my hands have ripped into the chests of my treacherous siblings as I forcibly took their Divine Cores for myself!

ANNOYING FLY! I WILL SHOOT YOU DOWN FROM THE DAMNED SKY!

I grip the magical lance and pull it back as I aim it towards the Corsair above. This will be quick. Its crew would not know what hit them. All of them will be blanketed by the fire from the explosion. Insulting a God is the last thing that they will do.

As I was about to throw it, I suddenly hear Rushia's voice inside my head as our telepathic link is always active.

"NII! NII! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!"

She sounds terrified and worried.

Her voice makes me stop, and then I realize just what I was about to do.

In an instant, the humming lance in my hand dissipates, the shaking of the ground stops and the static electricity in the air fades. When I look down at my bare hands, they are steaming. Cracks have appeared, and within them are golden lights that shone from the damaged vessel that contained them.

Blasted.

I almost snapped.

I place temporary seals, to contain and stop further cracks from happening. The seals completely mask them, and take the colour of my pale skin tone. I quickly touch my face, to see if I have anything similar on them. Thankfully, they don't, and I forcefully take away the glowing in my eyes after Suu pointed it out.

The dust clears as I see the others.

Rushia is the first one to reach me, and wraps her arms around my leg. She's crying, hiccups rack her small body as her hold tightens, refusing to let me go.

"N-Nii! N-Nii! I thought you were…!" She says, before her voice cracks. Her tears begin to darken the small area where she rubs her head against me. I sigh and carefully put my hand on her head, in an effort to make her feel better.

"No. It will take more than that to hurt me."

I look up to see Satou Kazuma and the others breathe out a sigh of relief. I reassure them that I am fine as a small crowd gathers around us. One of the town guards arrive to assess the situation, he recognizes me from the group of mercenaries and adventurers from the other day and says that he will inform the Captain of the Guard right away.

There are some cracks on the houses around from the short earthquake that I had released, as well as the stone road and pavement. People were surveying the area, as well as the large rectangular-shaped metal crate that fell on me.

Satou Kazuma narrows his eyes at the Corsair above which is slowly making its descent on a clear area outside the town. I can vaguely see some figures waving down at us frantically. I don't bother using my enhanced vision. If I do, I might accidentally kill them by using telekinesis to snap their necks or something.

"Tch! What the hell! Those guys must be idiots for being so irresponsible as to let something like this happen!" He says, clearly upset and starts yelling slurs at the flying craft above.

The Crusader, Darkness, nods and frowns as well. "I agree. In such a populated area even. We are not far from the market after all." She looks up to the sky while covering her eyes. "But I must say, this is the first time that I've seen a flying Corsair… We don't have anything like that back at our former home."

The Blonde kneels down and inspects the crate, nodding with a hand under her chin. "Hmm…" She mutters under her breath, "It's a miracle that Genji-san is alright. Still, it looked really painful being hit by something like this so suddenly… I wonder how it felt, hehehehehe…"

Her three companions turns to her at the same time with looks of disgust on their faces.

"You guys felt it too right?!" She says with heavy breaths, "The air suddenly felt so heavy for a moment. The pressure… I almost went on my knees for some reason." Regardless of how she spoke it, her words makes the others stop and think for a moment.

The other two girls look at each other and nod. "Aqua, did you felt it too? It was very strong, and the aura was something I've never felt before. It was like I was having trouble breathing…"

The Goddess nods and looks at the crate that hit me, then takes a closer look at it. "Yeah, it was only for a split second, but I definitely felt it. Maybe it came from here?" She says, before giving the cargo a kick.

Satou Kazuma, who is closest to her, immediately hits her on the head. Rushia definitely would have laughed at the act, if she were not crying on my leg right now.

"Oi! Stop it! I didn't really feel anything like that, or maybe I did but stop kicking that thing! It might be a bomb or something!" Instead of fighting back as usual, she stops and takes several steps away from the massive thing. "By the way Genji-san."

Satou Kazuma turns to address me. "We saw some flashes of lightning or something while you were still covered by the clouds of dust. Was it you?"

"Yes, I must have thought that I was under attack or something." I lie through my teeth.

While they are talking, I bend down and carry Rushia into my arms who still hasn't calmed down to lightly pat her back as she buries her face on my neck. I also whisper some soothing words to calm her down, thinking of what a female like Mai would do if she were in my place. Suu slithers out of the space inside my sleeves and hops onto the ground. No doubt she is feeling relieved that I managed to stop myself just in time. I literally almost killed her after all.

"M-Master…" She says in a respectful tone while doing a movement akin to bowing. "Forgive me for saying this, but you should have more control over your emotions. Lady Mai said that if you get carried away, you'll put your mortal side in danger… Even if we make an emergency reverse-summon, I highly doubt that the combined strength of all Familiars in your service can even halt you for a second…"

I sigh and pat off the dust on my robes, now dusty with a torn and ripped portion. To reassure her, I reach out my hand as she goes up and rests on my shoulder. "Yes, I'll keep that in mind… Oh and be a dear and remind me to repair this back in my Gate, understood? This robe, I mean."

"Understood!"

While the others are busy trying to have their heads grasp the situation, and Rushia in my arms, I look up at the Corsair, holding myself back from opening a Gate and shooting that thing down.

It would be so easy… Launching an explosive projectile at it, creating a tornado just by a single blow at the air, flying up and tearing it apart with my bare hands and wings… I can even summon my army of Familiars to just destroy it for me while I watch from here on the ground.

In a less-glorious manner, hurling Suu at it to eat the Corsair and the crew would definitely make for a rather comical scenario.

Looks like I am going to pay the Captain of that ship a visit…. The Captain needs to be corrected, for this little mishap.

Aqua curiously looks at my hand and tilts her head to the side in thought. Her gaze almost made me believe that a crack had appeared on it. She frowns and bites her finger, before shaking her head and dismissing her thoughts. She locks eyes with me and then takes a step forward and asks if I am injured in any way.

I step back.

A Goddess touching me is the last thing that I want to happen right now. Especially with cracks in my vessel. Even I don't know what will happen.

"No, I am fine thank you." I reply. She looked like she was about to argue, but then just nodded and let the matter go.

Hoh… Did she sense my Divinity…?

Why did they have to land on the outskirts of the town. Walking is such a hassle, I could have flown there or opened a Gate and just teleport on the spot. This must be the area where the flying vehicles load and unload their cargo. There are wooden and steel cranes in the area, as well as support beams for when a craft docks or lands. It is not very busy, the only vehicle here is the Corsair.

…

Ah.

So the Corsair belonged to the four-woman party from the other day whose name is not even worth remembering… The one that led the assault on the bandit's base.

What did they call themselves again… The Hosh-something Pirates…? Such a strange name.

Look at them, jumping from such a dangerous height with their hands over their skirts to keep them down. Skirts for female personnel in the Flotilla is very unpractical. This lot is probably not properly trai-

Ah, I caught a glimpse of something that I should not have. My enhanced vision is a double-edged sword. Sometimes I see things that I prefer not to see. Just the mere thought of it is enough to activate the skill. Oh, that must be their Captain. The one in red and at the foremost running towards us. What a strange article of clothing she wears… Her sleeves are too long and the pirate hat on her head is too big. Did she inherit them from her older Brother or Father?

A hand much smaller and softer than my own clutches me more tightly. Rushia narrows her eyes at the strangers that are coming closer to us. I already had a feeling that she might do something extreme, so I sealed her magic beforehand just in case. She threw a fit earlier, but I told her that if she will behave, I will buy her anything that she wants.

Before the war, flying vehicles were a commonplace, as well as hover-chariots and single-seated variations of it. Some people were looking at it in wonder, which must mean that this sort of thing is not as common as before. But it is a good thing that it still exists, at least. Even I do not know how to build such contraptions. Perhaps replicate it, but manually operate the machine? I will have to ask Mai if I have such a book in my library. She has successfully cataloged everything that I have collected over the millennia after I had created her.

As the young woman draws closer and closer, she almost trips but continues running anyway. I gently escape Rushia's grasp on hand. From the inside of my pocket, Suu once again says that I should stay calm and not get carried away.

Easier said than done, I say…

Her heavy breaths are loud as she stops right in front of me. She leans forward and puts her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. After a little while, she straightens up rather too quickly, her pirate hat almost falling from her head.

"Huuff… Haah… A-Are you the one that-" She says, but I cut her off.

Not literally.

But I can do that with just a twitch from my finger. Though I won't.

For now…

"Are you the Captain of that ship…?" I say in a neutral tone while looking at her dead in the eyes. She has heterochromia, her eyes differ in colour with each other. Now that I give her a good look, she does have a pretty face. I daresay that she even looks rather cute.

She laughs awkwardly, and sheepishly scratches her cheek with her finger. "A-Ahahaha… I saw using the seeker-lens from above. Are you alright…?" Her eyes roam all around my body, scanning for any sign of injury. Though that would be impossible to tell because of my new robes. So she opts to stare and scan my face instead. We are roughly about the same height. My current physical form is not that tall anyway, even the Crusader is slightly taller than me.

Of course I can change my appearance and age at will, but this form is much easier to be in. Looking youthful gives you leniency from adults around.

I lightly gesture at myself as Rushia hides behind me. "I am quite fine. Not a scratch." I put my palms together and give her the kindest smile that I can manage. I even wanted to emit a blinding light behind me, with a halo-like crown adorned with eight sharp protrusions floating behind my head. But that would be too much.

"Now," I say as she is surprised, not to mention slightly unnerved at my sudden change in demeanor, "Which one would prefer? Right or Left?"

From behind her, the other three girls are slowly making their way towards us. A petite young woman with bunny ears wearing a white and strange dress of sorts, a strikingly beautiful half-elf with tan skin, and a tall female Human who has an air of a swordswoman.

The girl before me tilts her head to the side, still rather confused and taken aback at the suddenness of my question. "I-I… I don't understand what you're getting at…"

"If you are a true Captain, then you will not hesitate to choose from either two." I give her a reassuring smile. "Now, pick."

She blinks several times and puts a hand under her chin in thought. Looking back at her crew was to no avail since they too looked lost and had no clue what to say. "U-Umm… Right, I guess?"

Without another word, I backhand her across the face. The sound was rather loud, and she staggered a bit and fell to the ground with her hands bracing her fall.

A shout emerges from behind me where the others were waiting a small distance away. Some passing people and guards around look to our direction, but then they just shrug and ignore us completely.

"H-Huh?! He hit her! He hit a girl!" The Goddess says in a shocked voice. I turn, and from the corner of my eye, I see all of them except Satou Kazuma wince at what just happened. In fact, I see him pump his fist in the air with a victorious smirk.

What a strange man… Is he a sadist, I wonder? Him and the Crusader would definitely make a good match. Ah, but he did something with the Goddess, some nights ago…

Well, that is no concern of mine.

"G-Genji-san!" The Goddess says and stomps over to me, her face flushed and fuming. "You're not supposed to hit girls!"

I arch a brow questioningly.

Then, I put both of my hands on her shoulders and lightly pull her closer to me. She yelps at my touch but does not move away.

"Lady Aqua…"

"Y-Yes?" She says nervously as she fidgets from how close we are. I can honestly feel her own Divinity from my hands.

Ah… With just one thrust, I can take her Core and eat her myself. Perhaps that will be enough for me to return to full strength.

I push away those thoughts and focus on the matter at hand.

"I do not know which Kingdom, Empire, or Society you are from, nor do I care. But here in Rhozgelia, incompetence, crime and disrespect are punished equally to all its citizens. No matter what thing you have between your legs, nor your upbringing. You are punished regardless of those things."

I gesture towards the Captain of the ship, who is on the ground lightly seething and rubbing her cheek.

"A Captain is accountable to all things that happens on his or her ship, especially something as serious as what happened earlier. If today was the same time period as nearly two hundred years ago, she would be tried in the People's Court, and then either imprisoned or have her rank stripped and sent to serve as a Slave Labourer in the mines or fields for several years."

Aqua gulps, and then slowly nods when she understands my words. "I-I see… I guess it's different here too…"

I nod. "Quite so. When negligence that almost causes death happens, the life of the perpetrator is in the hands of the one who he almost killed. It is either imprisonment or legal slavery." The Goddess has a difficult and conflicted expression on her face.

I let go of her, and then look down on the Captain of the Corsair. "What is your name?"

The Captain flinches at the tone in my voice.

"Houshou…Marine…"

Her crew is quiet the entire time. They must have expected something like this to happen. And while I did see a sword about to be drawn and a slight spike in magical energy from them, they just stood and did nothing.

Had they tried anything, I would have sealed away their magic and held them in place by raising the ground under them.

I put my arms across my chest and eye her crew. They stared back at me for a moment until they backed down and looked away. The Captain looks at me expectantly, eagerly waiting for what I will do next. I stare at the girl on the ground for a few more moments, and then extend out my hand to her.

"I hope you excuse me, Captain. But as per tradition and doctrine in the Flotilla, I had every right to 'correct'you, yes?" Her eyes go wide for a bit, and then takes my hand as I help her get back up.

She nods and lets go of my hand. "Yeah… I didn't expect anyone in this Town to be familiar with the things that used to be done in the Flotilla…" With that, I feel the tension in the air start to dissipate when they hear the cordial tone in our voices. Her crew gives out a collective sigh of relief from our exchange.

"It's been a while since I got slapped like that though. Ahahahaha!" She laughs it off while scratching the back of her head.

"Well, just be careful not to do that kind of thing again…" As I was about to bring out another topic, Rushia peers from behind my leg and makes hissing noises.

"You hurt Nii!" She exclaims with an angry tone and stomps her small feet, "It's a good thing that Nii is strong! If it were anyone else, something really bad could have happened!"

The Captain is taken aback by words from the little girl. She may be small with her soul slightly tainted by Necromancy, but she is still the daughter of a Lord, which makes her of Noble birth. The Captain sports an apologetic-expression while giving a slight bow with her right hand over her chest.

"Yes, I'm sorry and I don't have any excuse for what happened…"

Just as the little girl was about to release another barrage, I gently put my hand over her head and start patting to calm her down. "Rushia, relax. She is forgiven and I am not one to dwell on grudges anyway."

From the corner of my eye, Satou Kazuma and the others look aghast at my words. The Goddess, with her shrill and high-pitched voice starts demanding some unreasonable things from the crew while they just awkwardly take it in. She says nonsense, such as monetary and material compensation, wealth and even servitude of some sort. Most of what she said was money.

She must really love money.

That, or perhaps she has obligations and debts to pay.

Ah yes.

These Foreigners do not know our ways.

I clear my throat to catch their attention.

"What I did was a symbolic thing in the Flotilla. All citizens who desire to have a ship or join a crew must undergo training under the Kingdom's flag. When a subordinate makes a mistake, their superior usually corrects them. Whatever one has done after being corrected is automatically forgiven, to a certain extent at least. In a serious case such as this, it can be applied to myself."

While I was explaining, I placed a watchful eye on the crew for their reactions. Most of it were positive, meaning that the tradition has not disappeared even after this country was torn apart and brought to ruin.

"If I made a mistake as grave as that, I would likewise to the same and accept the punishment with dignity." I add.

The only male in the other group nods in understanding, yet he remains frowning and giving the Captain a displeased and upset face. "I see… That's too laid back…"

The Captain only laughs awkwardly at their reactions.

She also took my slap quite well. She must be an experienced Captain if she managed to recover from the shame and humiliation quickly.

Hoh. Now I am interested in her. I wonder what kind of person she is. So far, most of those that I have become acquainted with are women. Kind women of good character. Even the little sister of the Arch Wizard is very polite and a good and obedient child. What was her name again… Komeko…?

She introduced me to the other Crimson Demons who were living on makeshift tents outside the Town's walls. Their friend, Yunyun, wanted to come along, but as the daugher of their Clan's Chief, she has many responsibilities to take care of. They truly are impressive, if their magic was not taken away from them. Their innate skill and affinity makes me think that they might have been handcrafted by someone, perhaps a fellow God.

The Captain fidgets and switches her balance between her legs. "W-Well, the guards gave me a warning, and a representative of the Guild informed me that you'll be coming with us. I'm told that the proper authorities are on their way after seeing what happened earlier. No doubt I'm going to get an earful… So, we may be a bit late… Ahahahaha…" She starts whistling poor and terrible tune as some spit goes flying here and there. A tiny bubble floats and pops onto my robe.

…

Disgusting.

I take back my earlier statement.

Is this girl seriously a Captain? The busty and white-haired one looks more responsible than her…

What were the names of her crew again…? Sumiya Yuuko was kind enough to tell me several nights ago. She is quite knowledgeable and I have already gained her trust, along with that of her Parent's. I believe that she will be an incredible asset when I finally announce my return.

She was more than happy to be at my side and pour my drinks, even more so when I asked her to show me around town. Thanks to that, I have more information gathered than if I went on with Rushia and myself.

As for the Goblin Slayer and his party, they are on a similar mission and had departed yesterday. We will rendezvous with them in approximately three days. They are with a strange group. He did not tell me their names, but he mentioned something about Shield Hero of some sorts.

The name sounded familiar, so I have decided to enter my Gate sometime and search for something similar in my Grand Library. Unfortunately, I do not know the title of every book that I have. Mai is sure to know since she spent who knows how long cooped up inside me.

Now then…

I eye her the three women behind her. All of them refuse to meet my gaze for some reason. Then, I use a combination of my Mystic Eyes of Time Perception and Presence Concealment, and then peer into the depths of their souls and aura to get an idea about these people.

They do not appear to be physically strong. Though the Half-Elf's magic reserves are above average, the other three, including the Captain, do not possess any remarkable abilities that I can sense with this level of sight.

The one with bunny ears is Usada Pekora… The Half-Elf, Shiranui Flare. And tall and white-haired lady is Shirogane Noel… Right…?

"Sorry, but I think we may be late for an hour or so… At least until we're done." The Captain says with an apologetically.

I sigh and shake my head in exasperation.

"The Client will be displeased, but this cannot be helped… Ah yes, I have not introduced myself yet, have I?" I ask, and she gives me a wry smile in response.

"The little one behind me is Uruha Rushia." The little girl narrows her eyes and then sticks out her tongue. The Captain on the other hand, is unfazed and even lightly giggles. Then, Satou Kazuma and his companions introduce themselves to our new partners who we will be working with for a while. He does so reluctantly, that much I can tell. The only reason why he accepted this job in the first place was because the reward is particularly high after all. If not for that reason, he would prefer staying and looking for other things that would bring money to his pockets.

"As for me, you may call me Genji." I give her a slight bow, and she returns one of her own. The Captain gives me a friendly smile, one that contains no malice, sourness nor hard feelings from what I did earlier. She is quite the professional, I will admit that much.

"Genji, huh. That's a pretty cool-sounding name. Anyway, we are the Houshou Pirates!" She says and grins, putting her hands on her hips. Rushia, vigorously nods at the compliment given to me.

Houshou Marine then extends her hand once more, and then gives me several friendly pats on the shoulder.

"Glad to have you!"

Yes.

The Halo and Warhammer 40k reference was not a coincidence. And Naofumi, Clingy Racoon and Birb Loli will make an appearance soon.