[?]

Ethereal music filtered through the air, the hymns of a thousand individuals becoming a hum that went through the place that I'm currently in.

"You have died once again, Kazuma-san."

I can't help but cover my eyes with an arm. I'm ready to cry, damn it, but not in front of Eris-sama!

"Although, I'll let this resurrection pass. My dad still needs you, after all."

"Huh?"

I stopped and looked at Eris-sama, who was frowning at me like I did something idiotic. Which I did, but it seems like she's angry at someone else.

"You should be lucky that you have all these gods and goddesses in your payroll, you know? My dad needed to pick up your pieces together before he can use [Resurrection] on you."

"Wait, he can do that?"

"Of course!" Eris-sama said, rising up from her seat and placing her hands on her waist. Textbook maneuver, Eris-sama. "Even if he fell from Heaven, he's still a powerful god, you know? He's the one that created most of the relics, after all."

"Eh!?"

"Why is that so hard to believe? My dad's the god of imagination, creativity, and freedom. Who else do you think is perfect for the job?"

...Now that you think about it... "Huh, that actually makes sense if it's true."

"It's most definitely true." Eris-sama replied, settling back into her seat as she smiled. "Well, considering that it would take some time for my dad to piece you back together, how shall we spend the time?"

I perk up. Alone time with Eris-sama? Sign me up, please!

"How about video games?"

Eris-sama blinked, before she smiled and made a game console appear out of thin air.

...I want that power.

"Aqua-senpai told me that you were good at games, and so I was hoping that you could help me with this..."

Said help turned out to be a game from one of those developers, which was a game that was infamous for its difficulty. Although, my enthusiasm was dulled when I saw Eris-sama play as a mage-like character.

...That was not how you play this kind of game, but alright.

"See? I just can't seem to get that out of this boss's patterns."

Ah, I know where she's getting at. I had some problems on that boss as well, considering that the damn thing had an ability to stall the fight by regaining their health...

...Wait. "Eris-sama, how did you get games to play here?"

"Ah." Eris-sama flushed, and I struggled to let out a whine as she glanced towards the side.

She's so cute, damn it! But I met her mother already, so I'm too scared to do anything else, damn it!

"My dad bought me these when was still in Heaven. I can remember both my dad and mother arguing about it while I was already playing, but somehow he convinced my mother to let me keep it. It involved a lot of screaming, but now I look at it and remember...well, remember just how much my dad loves me."

I went silent, and I glanced back towards the game, looking at the game over screen while the boss roared its victory.

"...Sorry to bother you with this, Kazuma. I'll just have to keep on getting better–"

"No, it's fine. I'll help you." I grabbed Eris-sama's hand to keep her from disposing of the game console, and I sent her a smile. "I think I don't know what to do if I just sat here doing nothing."

"You'd probably die from stress."

"Oi!"

That hits too close to home, Eris-sama! That's the way I died, you know!?

"...Also, can you let go of my hand? My mother is quite conservative..."

"Roger! H-How about I show you how to b-beat the boss first, yeah?"

Guildmaster-san, please help me! I don't know if I'll survive meeting your wife again, at this rate!

[?]

"AAAAARGH!"

Eris-sama throws down the controller for the hundredth time in the row.

"Stupid hitboxes! That spear was a few meters away and I still died! That's it! Kazuma, you try!"

...Was it weird that I see Eris-sama as nothing more than a friend now? I mean, who knew she loved games as much as I do?

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. We still have a few more hours to kill anyway, so we might as well spend it on something productive."

A few hours...just how badly was I splattered by Megumin's [Explosion] that I needed a day to get my body to recover?

"...It's done."

"Come on, I know you're lying! There's no possible way that you can just...finish up the boss..."

Eris-sama seems particularly impressed by my level of skill. Of course, I hated this boss with all of my heart, so I made sure that I wouldn't forget the way I killed it. Which means that facing that boss again was a piece of cake, and somehow cathartic as well.

"Kazuma."

"Ye– Eek!"

Too close, too close, too close! Eris-sama, just what are you doing!? I'll die if you do this! Your father would skin me alive! Your mother would keep me in Heaven just so she could torture me to her heart's content! For my sake, please have some self-awareness!

"Y-Yes?"

No, she's too close. Not that I particularly wanted her to do that or anything, but I guess that it wouldn't help if I just...

"Teach me your ways."

...Huh?

"What?"

"Teach me!" She screamed, and I screamed as well when she grabbed my shoulders and all but draped her face on mine. "Teach me how to be a godly gamer like you!"

"W-Why though...?"

"You know how my dad is, right?"

Overbearing, manipulative, seedy-looking, and overwhelmingly a daughter-con?

"Yeah..."

"He bought me this game a long time ago, and he always asks for my progress whenever we meet up! I've been telling him that I got stuck in this boss fight for months, but...but..."

Damn it! Why did she have to cry!?

"He looks at me like I'm a kid!"

...In all fairness, Eris-sama, you're acting like one.

"Not only that, but when I told him how I played, he just gave me a look of...a look of pity!"

Well, you're obviously not supposed to play like that but whatever...

"A-And, he even said that Aqua-senpai was better than me at this game!"

...Guildmaster, you just made it personal.

"Don't worry, Eris-sama. I'll teach you. At the very least, it's my responsibility to make sure that you are better than Aqua at this game."

"Kazuma-san...!"

Eris-sama threw herself forward, her arms outstretched as they hugged me–

"Brat. Keep on dallying any longer and I'm going to drop the [Resurrection]."

"..."

"..."

That bastard just had to have the worst timing.