I’m a little confused!

I mean, I am seeing Hibiscus acting high and mighty. No, I remembered that when Hibiscus got drunk, she did act high and mighty. Maybe that was her true nature brought out by alcohol. As for Casablanca, it seems that she became quite bold and alluring. There’s certain elegance in her countenance that would charm you.

“Wait! Just to be clear, you two are not Casablanca and Hibiscus now, right?”

“Are you dolt? Hath we not introduced ourselves to you?”

“I am just making sure and don’t call me dolt! Apollo? Phoenix!? Then you’re just basically that dumb bird in Hibiscus body at the moment, right?!”

“Even though you are a divine being, thou are being barbaric and impudent. This is the why the very first moment we met, I immediately knew we wouldn’t get along.”

“That’s all the pecking for?!”

“Do not misunderstand it. As a god from another realm, being brought to a foreign world ruled by other gods is extremely aggravating. I simply dislike divine being like you but that does not mean I am your enemy.”

“I understand…”

“Also, currently using a wench as a vessel when I am clearly a man, aren’t we in the same situation, no?”

“Eh? You know?!”

“It’s hard to see the mismatch from your soul to the body because of how compatible it is but yes, I am aware. But thyself have a protest too.”

“What would that be?”

“I am confused about how people of this world view exquisite beauty. It is rather confusing that they see thee as someone gorgeous when you are clearly lacking a voluptuous healthy body.”

“That?! Are you picking a fight?!”

“I would love to, however, on top of lacking any means to actually fight…”

With the cocky expression, Hibiscus, or rather, Apollo glances over to Senya.

“If I ever do something more than what I am allowed to, that wench over there would cut off our link from this body.”

“It seems Your Almighty Apollo is perceptive.”

“I want to be acquainted with thou since, among the people of this world, only thou is capable of such feat of bringing us out like this.”

“I am very much honored to hear that. I would like to request Your Almighty Apollo to refrain from violent acts.”

“I have understood your concern, however, even if thou didn’t wish, Artemis and I cannot simply do anything. It’s already a fortune to be able to use a young maiden as a vessel. Being a speechless chick is actually exasperating.”

It’s amazing that Senya already knows how to deal with them. I am actually quite annoyed at how Apollo speaks and what’s worse is that he is using Hibiscus body and I cannot do anything about it. Even if I hurt his original body, it is no use since it’s not conscious.

“Hmm? Artemis, you are awfully hushed. Thou are burdened with something?”

“No, I am not burdened, dear Apollo. Unlike thou, I lack any external vessel so I cannot express my gratitude to my beloved vessel, to Casablanca. I am going to stay aloof as of not to ashamed her.”

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“I supposed you have taken a good liking for your vessel, no?”

“It is as thou said. This lass saved me from my long time solitude. I can witness whatever her eye sees but cannot directly talk to her or even show my affection. It is troubling. Dear Apollo, do you not like Hibiscus?”

“I am very much happy to have her. I have no complaints having her.”

I wonder what they are talking about. I guess it is something related to the twins saving them and bringing them out to this world. It makes me want to know more about Apollo and Artemis and hear their stories.

“Dear Apollo, must it be, you are bothered by your given name, Emby?”

“I like that names as it is. More like, I like being called by that, however, that midget wench over there refrain from doing so.”

“Ha?!”

Are you talking about me? The midget wench?!

“Hey, I feel like you are antagonizing me not because of my disposition but because of my appearance! If you want to say something, say it right in front of my face!”

“Hmph!”

Apollo stands up from his chair as I provoke him. With a smile that seems to be really belittling me, no, he is, from the start, looking down on me. He walks towards me and I unconsciously take a step back. With his body moving forward without stopping, before I knew it, my back is already leaning on the wall.

“What are you---Hyaa!”

I was startled and let out a small soft shriek as Apollo’s hand fondles my chest. A sudden jolt courses throughout my body upon sensing another person’s touch. Through under my shirt, he caresses it, fondles it and even lightly pinches my nipples. My body trembles and my legs began shaking. I feel like I lost all of my strength.

No one has ever done this to me and to be honest, I never really tried doing this to myself.

“S-Stop! W-What the…hell are you---doing?!”

“Oh? I am just touching some skin. I don’t know how a man would be aroused by doing this.”

“S-Shut up! T-That’s none…ahh..! of your…ngghh…concern!”

“Hey, do you want me to teach you how to become a proper woman? With this and that, you’ll learn how to service a man even with a body as pathetic as this.”

“N-no…!”

“Dear Apollo, stop this at once. You are only disgracing yourself and on top of that, you are harboring anger from an ill-tempered man in this room.”

Artemis reprimanded Apollo. He just shrugs his shoulders and left me alone as he retracts his hand from my body. With a smug plastered all over his face, he returned to his seat from earlier and crosses his leg again.

This asshat…

No one has ever touched me like that in my entire life, even when I was a guy. Holding my body like I was violated, I glare angrily at Apollo who just returned a shit eating grin. From the opposite corner of the room, Ichirou stands there with a death glare directed at Apollo in which he just nonchalantly ignored.

“Dear Apollo, stop with your nonsensical behavior. That was uncalled for.”

“Hmph. She was literally asking for it. Also, a glare like that lad won’t faze me. It had me thinking, what are you? Thou seem not human but at the same time, thou have a component of one.”

“I have no reservation of telling my secrets.”

Ichirou just simply said as he leans his back again on a wall and glare at Apollo. Even though he made it clear that he is powerless, his pride knows no bound and flaunt it like he is the highest among us. I really want to give him a beating but I don’t want to do that on Hibiscus body.

I collected myself and stand on my feet again. This time, I didn’t dare to stand closer to Apollo and instead, kept a considerable distance.

“You are…horrible…a scum! Are you really a god? Get out of Hibiscus now and return to that bird brain-body of yours!”

“Such a troublesome wench when there’s whole lot of heavier woes ahead of you.”

“Don’t try to change the topic!”

“It is the truth. Wench, are thou not in love with someone? Are thou not in deep thought of something? Are thou troubled by your own deficiencies? Mark my word those are just insignificant worries for what lies ahead of you.”

“What do…you mean…?!”

The tension becomes stiff as Apollo’s countenance transitioned from a haughty smile to a solemn one.  Senya and Ichirou felt the gravity of the situation and tense up from Apollo’s declaration as if he has foreseen something already.

Even I cannot help not to gulp in the tension being emitted in the air. I peel my ear open and attentive to catch his words discreetly.

“All of you lot here, especially you midget wench, how much do you know about the current situation of this damned world?”

“I…!”

“No. No need to answer. That was a stupid question. Of course, none of you knows what’s truly happening.”

“……”

“The answer I will get from thou lots are the same. A place teeming with devils and such and a man from the shadows is pulling the strings, am I right?”

I glance over to Senya and to Ichirou. With a grim expression, they both nodded. I could only clench my teeth and fist from the frustration by being looked down by Apollo, however, what he said is actually true. That’s the answer we readily going to say.

I can see now where this guy is pulling his confidence out…

However, I cannot flip out now because of his behavior. Ichirou and Senya are also sucking this up so I have to bear with it too.

“Listen carefully. This world is…”

He pauses. The tension grew heavier as his stare pierces our souls. I froze in my place and my heart started beating.

“In a constant time loop and that time loop has constantly repeated for a ten of thousand years now. Up until now, there were nothing we can do but, as the arrival of that wench, Asagao Lionheart, for this current time loop now got a drastic change. Meaning, Asagao Lionheart, for this crisis, you are the key.”

Air escapes from my lungs and my body rejected breathing.

I can feel my lips going pale as I heard it…

What…what…kind of a joke is that…?!