…I probably shouldn't be getting used to this. Dying, that is. Adventuring was dangerous work, sure, but most people were content with only dying once on the job.

But then, most people don't have a literal goddess in their party.

As I sat in a surprisingly comfortable wooden chair, waiting for the Goddess of Luck to appear, I couldn't help but wish that the two had traded places. I probably wouldn't have died nearly this many times with someone actually competent at my side. But then again, Lady Eris wouldn't have insulted me after my first death, and thus incited me to drag her down to this world with me. Unlike that damn useless mop of blue hair…

`"I… Don't want to say it, Kazuma, but you really can't make a habit of this." A gentle voice shook me out of my thoughts, and my gaze lifted to see a set of soothing, purple-tinted eyes, framed by an angelic face.

"...Sorry," I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling a healthy dose of remorse after even the slightest of rebukes from such a fair-haired beauty. Though her appealing looks weren't what made her shine so brightly in eyes. This was a goddess with a personality actually worth praising, after all.

Eris huffed lightly, a small smile adorning her face. "I know you don't intend to. I'm sure Lady Aqua doesn't mind abusing her power so blatantly." She looked down to the ethereal floor, her expression losing its light-hearted glow. "But, Kazuma," her eyes locked back on mine, and I couldn't help the small shiver that ran through me from the seriousness of her tone, "no one should have to go through that so many times. Dying so painfully like that. I-I hate to see you suffer…" She ended softly.

I gulped. Now here was a true heroine, taking pity on me! I let my arrogant thoughts run around, attempting to drown the sudden swell of guilt I was feeling.

"Pshh, once you've died and come back more than once, you get used to it. Hell, the pain is barely an inconvenience anymore!"

The Goddess's eyes widened at that. Too much, Kaz.

"... I see. I will talk with Lady Aqua about that later. For the meantime, please, just… Take it easy. I can't force you to stop adventuring, but maybe you could just focus on easier quests…?"

Her eyebrows had raised slightly with the hopeful lilt in her voice.

(Calm down, heart. You can't have a heart attack in the afterlife… Right?)

"Sure." My voice was a bit squeaky, but I didn't trust myself to say anything else. What have I ever done in my life to deserve Lady Eris?!

"Kazumaaaa!"

Always one to butt-in in the middle of a tender, emotional moment, a light blue glow shone from overhead, accompanied by a high-pitched whine.

"Kazuma! I've finished piecing your body back together! You can come back down now!"

I sighed. "Well, it was a pleasure seeing you again, Eris. I wish I could see you without having to die first."

The goddess in question blushed at my bold declaration, in a way that was awfully familiar… Say, didn't I know someone else with silver hair and purple eyes? But their bust size was totally different… What was that thing Aqua always went around saying?

I looked up to the cracks of blue forming in the ceiling.
"Hey! Aqua! What's that thing you're always saying about Lady Eris?"

"Eris pads her chest! She's totally jealous of me!"

There was a pause, as Eris stammered and blushed uncontrollably, before the voice in the sky got even whinier.

"Hey! Kazuma! Why does she get to be called Lady and I don't!?"

My attention was on the girl sitting opposite me, who was squirming in her seat and muttering half-hearted denials.

"You're Chris, aren't you?" My voice was even, for once not failing me.

Eris/Chris's eyes widened in shock, her mouth dropping into a silent o.

"It's alright." I winked, deciding to take a page from my thief mentor. "It'll be our secret." I snapped my fingers, but nothing happened. Oh, right. I had no power here.

"Ahem-" blushing furiously, Eris waved her hand, and I was showered in shimmering light.

"Please be careful, Kazuma. And," she managed a wink back, "I'll see you soon, my student."

Oh, my heart! If I wake up just to die from another heart attack, I swear I'm never coming back!

My vision was obscured by white fog, and I felt the familiar sensation of being flown back into my body, my chest heaving with a sudden intake of breath. It felt a lot like being dunked in a cold lake…

"Kazuma!"

"Finally."

My eyes fluttered open, and I was greeted by the sight of my party staring down at me, wearing varying expressions. I noticed that Darkness's armor was blackened, portions of her clothing blown away, though surprisingly she didn't seem too happy about that. Her lips were drawn in a thin line, and her normally vibrant blonde hair appeared dim. Megumin was perched on Darkness's back, and her eyes seemed to be glistening, though it was different from the usual red glow. A shadow passed over me, which revealed itself to be Aqua leaning over, her light blue eyes filling my vision. My head was resting against something warm and soft, which I quickly realized was the water goddesses thighs.

"Did Eris do something really embarrassing? You know, she-"

"Ah, what happened while I was gone?" I quickly interjected, not willing to hear my favorite goddess be bad-mouthed by my least favorite one.

Darkness, who had held a solemn expression as she stood over me, filled me in. "After the Nemean Lion… Got you, I was its next victim; even after its ravenous, unrelenting attacks, I held my ground, bearing through the… Immense pain…" Her voice trailed off, as she sunk into a familiar downward spiral of masochism.

And they call me a pervert.

Megumin continued, "Since Aqua buffed Darkness's defense, I used explosion on her and the lion, and scattered the great beast to the far ends of the earth." She waved her hand dramatically.

"Well, I'm glad I was a good appetizer…" I muttered bitterly.

A small hand gently patted my head. "You were, Kazuma." Aqua said blissfully.

…If I wasn't so comfortable, I would have whacked her. She was good for some things, at least, as I let out a soft sigh, basking the feeling of her lush thighs molded against the back of my head.

Megumin gave me a piercing look. "Comfortable?" She nearly spat.

Hey, it's not my fault you're so malnourished. I wasn't about to say that to her though, even if she wasn't much of a threat at the moment. Instead, I opted to stand up, surveying the battered landscape around us. What once had been a flourishing green field next to a forest, now was a brown crater, with upturned trees scattered here and there.

"Wow, your explosions have gotten a lot bigger, Megumin." She looked away, but not before I caught her tiny smirk.

"Yes, they are much more potent… Painful… Exhilarating…" Darkness continued in her own personal little fetish world, almost throwing the Crimson Demon off with her thrashing.

"Ugh, can you take over Kazuma?"

I sighed.

"Sure."

After slinging the wizard over my back, we began the long trek back to town. As we progressed, mostly in a companionable silence, I started to notice a few peculiarities among my party.

Darkness seemed like she wanted to say something, but kept hesitating; Aqua would occasionally look a bit more confused than normal before shaking it off; and Megumin gripped my clothes much tighter than usual, which I hadn't even known was possible. It felt almost… Desperate, like she was afraid letting go would result in something worse than just falling to the ground.

As the sun dipped lower and lower in the sky, I couldn't help but feel as though something had changed after I'd returned from my latest death. Whether it was the girls, or me, I couldn't tell. But things were different now. Eris was right; I needed to be more careful. Resurrection was something I should never take for granted.

It was time to work smarter, not harder.