Part 1.
“For a human, ya are rather full of yourself, aren’t cha!?” A booming voice slurred, appearing to shake the very fabric of the infinite walls. “Ya, think jus’ cause ya are some summon’d heero, ya can jus’ make any demandz ya want!” It continued.
“Who knew when a god got drunk, he'd switch to a Kansai dialect?” He thought. In the middle of the room sat a long crystal table, flanked by two long pearl-white benches and a square seat at the head and foot.
At the head sat a large, burly white-haired man. He was muscular and sported a full gut. Next to him, standing by itself, was a large wooden staff, from it hung a shark’s fin, a gull’s feather, and three strands of kelp. He was big and loud, and now that he was sauced, he was even louder and more animated than before.
To his right sat a well-figured woman, not like Vathsvala, she was fuller in more places. Large round hips, a bust to compete, fleshy cheeks full of color, and wavy brown hair. She was by far the quietest person at the table, she seemed to just keep a happy smile going, and if you got too close, chances were going to get squeezed by her large loving arms.
Across the table from her sat the most interesting couple he had probably ever seen. On the right was a young woman with fire-red hair and a matching personality, who was even more animated than the drunk titan at the head of the table. She had a bronze tan, that evenly covered her entire lean frame, due to most of it being visible and lack of any line anywhere. The only thing that was faster than her arms, which flew around the table with the speed of a typhoon, was her crimson eyes, which shot from here to there in their sockets, as nothing seemed to keep her attention for too long.
On the left, between the two most hyperactive people at the table, was what seemed like a walking corpse of a man. He was nearly as tall as the other man, but thin, sickly thin. He had pale skin, a sunken face, and white hair. His eyes, which at first, he had just assumed were glazed over with some godly form of glaucoma, were just in fact the way his eyes were. His large white sclera seemed to have swallowed up his pupils, leaving only little black dots in a sea of white. There were a few times he felt the need to reach over and check to make sure he was still with us, though even time he thought that, he just raised a glass and smiled.
To his left sat Vathsvala, who was half drunk by now, and slurring her words too, so maybe all the way drunk. At the foot of the table is where Alex sat, a perfect seat to view the spectacle of five gods sitting around a table getting drunk and laughing together. It was a perfect ending to the day we had had, and a good way to end the year we spent together.
“Ya are an interestin’ hume, ya know.” He continued. “Them others jus’ took their stuff an’ left. Buh yu, ya jus’ had ter make all kindz a demonds, from da godz!” He laughed, then took another swig from his goblet.
“Maybe he has a real issue with the word demand? Is that why he got it wrong again?” he thought quietly to himself.
“Buh, cha ar’ speshul. Ya even got all de godz here togeter. Firs’ time we been togeter in…” her trailed off and began counting on his fingers.
“If you run out of fingers, I will let you use Youta’s toes! HAHAHA” cut in the rambunctious standing on the bench, one arm around the living corpse and the other hoisting a pint in the air. The corpse just lifted his cup to his lips and sipped with a smile on his face, pouring most of it down his front.
“I’m shorry they are like dis.” Cried Vathsvala from his left, slamming the cup on the crystal table with what appeared to be enough force to break it, or at least her goblet.
“Here, let me refill your glass,” he said, secretly refilling it was mostly water and just enough alcohol for flavor.
Next to her sat the large lady, who was still quiet, still smiling. “She is probably passed out and has just mastered the art of sitting straight up while asleep.” he thought until she went for another sip.
“Umm… never mind. Though now I see why they don’t normally get together, this is absolute chaos.” At the end of his thought, the goliath’s head slammed against the table, and he stopped moving. The tan girl had grappled to the corpse and was getting too familiar with mixed company. Vathsvala then wrapped her arms around him and cried more about the state of the group. Alex looked up at the only remaining member, who just sat there… and sat… and sat…
“This time you're definitely…” he thought until she raised her cup back up to her lips. “You guys are seriously a mess. No wonder this world needs help!” he screamed in his head.
Alex grabbed Vathsvala and laid her down on the super couch deluxe. As he went to pull away, she grabbed his arm, and in her slumber, “We did it, we found him. Just as you wished, he’ll save all our children.” After that, she released her grip, and her hand fell.
“Rather coherent, for a drunk’s unconscious ramblings,” he said to himself, walking across the room toward the matching chair.
“This chair is even more of a sin than that couch is…” he thought to himself, after taking a seat. “I wish you wouldn’t put too much pressure on me, lady. I promised to do what I can but saving everyone… that is a tad unrealistic.” he looked back over at the sleeping beauty that was resting on the couch. Alex twirled his wedding band that he was still wearing. “I don’t know what happened between them, but I guess getting past your first love is hard, no matter the world you are in.” The couple by now had gone quiet, with the hot head curled up and sleeping on top of the half-dead guy. He looked at the only remaining resident of the table, and after a few minutes of her being motionless, he had assumed she had called it quits, only for her to take one more sip. “Whatever…” With that last thought, he passed into a slumber.
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Part 2.
“Papa, papa! The aquarium, we going to the aquarium.” Squeaked a small, excited voice.
“Yes, we are. Sunshine Aquarium. Even better than the one next to home.” Alex replied.
“I wanna see, I wanna see!” she chirped. Rushing from the bench to the other side of the car, to look out the window.
“You won’t see from the train. Silly chick!” he said with a smile. Sitting back on the bench, letting the small bumps of the JR Saikyo line relax me. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and thought back to what had happened earlier.
“Can you take Hina today? I have to go see his parents.” Sumire said while adjusting her makeup in the mirror.
“Alone? You don’t normally go alone to your parents.” He said, pausing for a second, before continuing. “How about we all go together as a family?”
“Yeah, you and my dad. That will go great.” She said looking up with a smile. “No, take her, have fun today. They said that they wanted to discuss some things and that I should come alone.” She placed her hand on his chest and looked up at him. “You know how he can be. I am sure it won’t be too long, then I will come join you guys. Take her to Sunshine, she loves aquariums.” She said before planting a kiss on the lips.
“Okay, I’m sure it will all go as you predict. It normally does.” He reached his arms around her, engulfing her and planting a kiss on her cheek, before whispering in her ear. “totemo aishiteru.”
Only to have her look up at me, blushing and wearing a silly smile. “motto aishiteru.” She said through her smile, before pushing him away. “I need to finish, knowing you, you’ll just end up ruining my makeup.”
“Then I’ll go see what the little one is up to. Hopefully, she hasn’t flown away,” he said, wearing a silly smile on his face. Out in the main room sat a little girl, wearing twin tails and munching on her breakfast. “How’s my little chick doing?” he asked.
“Did mommy kick you out of the room because you were messing up her makeup again?” She said pointedly.
“Umm… something like that!” Alex said through a laugh. “You are growing up way too fast.” he turned his head around to see the program on the TV that was playing, Toto Neechan. “Are you actually watching this?” he looked at her surprisingly.
“Eh… it’s what’s on.” She said with a shrug.
“Well, I got a surprise for you. You want to go do something fun?”
“Sure…” she said breaking into a smile. “What is it?”
“You and me, we, are, going, too, SUNSHINE!” he said with excitement, throwing his hands in the air. Her eyes lit up with joy, and she giggled, only for just a moment.
Calming herself and returning to her previous façade. “That sounds like a lot of fun, daddy. I will be happy to accompany you to the aquarium.” She replied very monotone.
“You know, it is just you and me in the room. You can be excited a bit, not like I will tell any of your friends.” Alex said with his hands on his hips. They then just stood there, staring at each other in silence, until they both broke out in laughter. “Go get dressed, I’ll clean up here.”
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
“Yoshi! Aquarium!” She yelled as she ran down the hall to her room.
“Silly kid. Just be a kid and enjoy it while you can. The world will catch up before you know it.”
The clackity sounds of the rails brought him back, panicking, he looked around. “Hina! Hina! Where are you?” Cue the dirty looks from yelling on the train, but he didn’t care, his daughter was far more important than any sort of social stigmatism.
Moving through the crowd, pushing people apart, Alex could see a man huddled in the far corner. As he got closer, he noticed two small feet on the other side of him. “Hina, if you can hear me, scream!” Just then a cry came from the corner.
It only took a mere second. Using his size and mass to push through the crowd, pulled the man back, and saw his daughter on the other side of him, tears in her eyes. “Daddy…” The weak cry that escaped her lips was all it took to break me.
The man tried to say something, but he wasn’t listening, nor did he care. With his right hand over his face, he slammed the back of the man's head against the side of the car, once, twice, three, four times. Alex brought him down while raising a knee into his gut, lifting him back up, and bringing him down again, this time to his face, before throwing him to the ground. He then dropped his full weight on the man's arms, pinning him to the ground, while Alex continued to assault his face. The only sounds that could reach Alex were his moans of pain and the sound of his breath between punches. Tunnel vision had crept in, and all he could see was the man's face, which wasn’t damaged enough to his liking.
“I’ll kill him. I fucking kill him. Then… then I’ll…” he screamed internally as he felt himself being pulled back by arms grabbing on his right and left shoulders.
“Stop, what are you doing!? I kill him for touching my daughter! I’ll break him!” He screamed hysterically. It took three officers to pull Alex away, and there was a major delay on the line that day. They never made it to Sunshine, and the look in his daughter’s eyes when she saw him hurt worse than any beating ever could.
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Part 3.
“Hey, hey, wake up! Wake up!” said a disembodied voice, pulling his consciousness along, until with a start and a gasp he awoke. “Are you okay?” It asked worriedly.
“Yeah… I’m good.” Alex said pushing the disembodied voice back, only to feel something incredibly soft in his right hand. He looked up, at his hand, blushed, gave one extra squeeze, then looked up at Vathsala’s face, which was also red, and smiled. Then came a loud smack!
“Look, I’m sorry. I don’t know quite what came over me. Initially, it was an accident, but then, I just couldn’t seem to help myself afterward.” Alex said, staring at his right hand. “I don’t know about this world, but back home, there was a shortage of perfect breasts in the world, it would have been a shame to not enjoy yours while I could,” he said with a grin.
“What the actual ff…” he thought to himself. “Truly sorry I said that." He threw up both hands in hopes of a ceasefire.
“Putting that to the side, what was it? You were having a terrible dream. You were screaming and flailing about in the chair. You also had tears in your eyes.” She said with concern.
“Ah… that…” Alex paused, thinking about how best to address it. “It was a bad memory from back home. Involving my daughter.” he paused again. “It marked a change in our relationship, we were never quite the same again. Something happened, and I acted poorly, and it scared her.” He said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I wish those memories would honestly just stay buried. But I am fine.”
She eyed him for a good while before crossing her leg. She began, “We have given you what you requested, though it was a little unorthodox. The time is drawing close. So, we should go over your course one more time.” She said authoritatively.
“You will begin your journey in the court of Hordin, in the Faustian Principality. His men are the ones that have summoned you. They will likely go to war with the Andorian Empire. The emperor has styled himself a Demon Lord. If this is true, simply beating him to death will not work, you will need one of the hero’s swords, ‘Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi’, which is far to the Northeast, or somehow sneak into the Imperial Capital, Agerdoria, and steal the ‘Ame-no-Habakiri’ from the emperor’s treasury. To do that you…”
“Wait a fricking minute!” he interjected. “Who named those swords? Was it you, or the brats that came before me?”
“The Hero has the right to name his holy sword; However, since you have forgone the title of Hero, you will have to use one of the blades that already exists to accomplish your goal.” She responded.
“Those chuuni little twats…” he said half laughing, half crying. “Am I seriously going to have to use one of those swords to do this?” he asked begging for a no.
“That is the only way to defeat the Demon Lord. He is weak to the holy energies that are built up with the blade that the Hero uses. We just have to hope there will be enough to still be effective.” She shot him a confused look, wondering why it was such a problem. “Those sound-like great legendary names for swords. Who wouldn’t want to wield such great weapons?” She asked.
“You’re correct if they were in fact the original blades. These blades, however, are named after blades from legend. So those brats, who wished they could use those historical weapons, named their swords after them… and before you start, no, I can guarantee you it wasn’t out of respect or honor.” He left his hand up in her direction and took a breath. “Now I get to use them… at least it wasn’t Excalibur. Sorry, continue.” Alex dropped his hand and returned his attention to her, only to be met with sparkling eyes.
“That would be an amazing name for a sword! Are you sure you don’t want to be a Hero!?” She said excitedly.
“Positive,” he responded dejectedly at the idea of using a sword named after an Arthurian Legend.
“Regardless, before you will be able to use the weapon to slay the Demon Lord. You will need to acquire the blessing of each god’s apostle located at each shrine around the world. There are six in total. With the blessing, you will obtain the power to wield one of the legendary swords and strike down the Demon Lord.”
“Chotto chotto… you mean… If I just take the Hero abilities I could forgo this entire venture, sneak into the capital and kill the Demon Lord?” he questioned.
“Yeah… you are the one making this whole thing difficult. To be honest, I am not even sure if this method will work, we just sort of made it up on the fly, and with the absence of the six gods, it is hard to say if you can receive his blessing to make it all work.” She looked at him wide-eyed in disbelief. Bewildered by the fact that Alex had just figured this out. “By the way, you are stuck doing this now, you already have the abilities you requested and the other gods have left to make their preparations. Plus, I am rather curious to see if this will work out in the end.” She finished with a reassuring smile. He was starting to dislike that smile. “Also, you promised me. You would make it work. You would figure out a way to fix the problem for good right!?”
“I did… I wish I knew beforehand what kind of ridiculousness that promise would lead me on, but a promise is a promise, and I would rather not swallow a thousand needles.” he sighed
“Your first hurdle will be when you arrive. Never has a summoned not been a Hero. So, it is likely that they will think you are a failure. You just have to convince them, not to remove your head from your body.” She replied eagerly.
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Part 4.
“Yup spent a good bit of time getting to know the five of them. And let me tell you… you get a little sauce in their system, it turns into an animal house.” Alex chuckled. Alone. The rest of the room was dead silent. “Shit… tough crowd,” he said under his breath.
“What do you mean, five? There are six Gods of the world.” Yelled an old, tired voice from the crowd.
“Well, due to some circumstance, one of the Gods couldn’t find the time to join us. I had with me Finora, the Fire Goddess. There was Youtoma, the God of the Winds. Ternora, the Goddess of the Earth. Oh, Hyppodimo, The Water God. The Goddess I spent the most time with was Vathsvala though. The two of us were together… for say… around a year during your summoning ritual. Just the two of us, in an infinite, bright room, with deceptively comfortable furniture.” he said, accompanied by a mental groan.
“A year? How so? The spell only for an hour, much faster than the rituals from before, do our advancements at our magic academy, no doubt!” He finished with a salute to his right, and a group of scholarly gentlemen gave a salute in response.
“Well, I am not quite sure how physics works in a world where mana is everything, but I can only say. Time moves differently in the Gods Realm. It seemed like it didn’t move at all. Not that we were up there watching you or anything.” he said with a wave of the hand, shaking off the notion that a mortal could be all-seeing from inside the God Realm.
“I definitely could, at any time, look down on the world and see anything or anyone I needed to.” he thought to himself.
“If you spent a year with the gods, why did you waste your time, and not come down a Hero!?” begged a man to the right.
“I didn’t waste my time and I chose not to be a Hero. During the year there, I spent learning the languages of the world, while maybe not eloquent, I am competent in all the most common languages of the world. Be it Elf, Hume, Dwarven, or the Shinjūgo spoke in the courts of the beast continent. I have also learned the history and geography of the world, along with the history of my predecessors. Not to mention, I got to sit down and customize my abilities with the gods. Each one of my abilities is a blessing from them.” he said standing proud of all the accomplishments he had made in a year.
“Who knew what a year of almost no sleep and a micro-management style goddess could do? As far as those skills being blessings… a total lie. I had to fight tooth and nail for my abilities. I am mentally exhausted just thinking about it.”
“I see, so it was not time wasted. Rather impressive for one so young as yourself.” The Lord said with an amazed look.
“Don’t let the new body fool you, Mr. Hordin. While not as advanced as you, I am certainly older than I appear. If you were to combine the ages of my real self and this body, I would even your man, or grizzly, beat for years, if only slightly.” Alex's look dropped back to a serious one after his response.
It had just struck the room that, while no names had ever been spoken, other than that of five eccentric gods, he knew the names that were never spoken. Even that pudgy stutter of a priest, Vardi, and the Princess on the dais, Eline.
“It appears, you know of us, yet you have failed to give your name.” Said the Prince, in his princely chair.
“No, I haven’t. I gave it to you earlier, in fact, you took it from me without my approval. You just have yet to read it aloud. It is there, in the big fat book in Vardi’s hands.” his gaze dropped to the book, then returned with a bullish glare back at the Prince.
“That is not wrong. Fine then Vardi. Read, aloud, his status for all to hear. The fake Hero.” Hordin boomed.
He took his time to avoid any chance of stuttering as he read each piece of information found within the text. “Name: Alex Satō, Age: 21, Male, and he is a Summon. He is not a Hero! The…there i…is no men…men…mention of Hero. On…Only tha…that he is Gi…Gi…GiftOfTheGods!” He blurted out the last bit as fast as he could to any stutter.
Name: Alex Satō
アレクス・佐藤
Age: 21
Gender: Male
Race: Summon
Level: 1
Health: 200
Magic: 25
Stamina: 35
Strength: 30
Intelligence: 34
Wisdom: 27
Dexterity: 25
Active Skills:
Create Level 1
Manipulate Level 1
Destroy Level 1
Inspect Level 1
Skill Steal Level 1
Passive Skills:
Party Growth Acceleration Level 1
Titles:
Summoned
Gift of the Gods
Beast of Shinagawa
Affiliations:
Gods of Creation
“I am Alex Satō, and I was summoned to save your world.”