The girl negatively shook her head.

"Last night you broke into the house...you were hurt badly, so I chose to keep you here for the night...though-"

Lass checked the girl's body, not finding a single trace of a wound or blood. He then shifted his focus back to the girl's face.

"Ok...never mind."

"I know...", the girl answered, "No wounds anymore? I have...seen this before."

"If you don't want to talk about it it's perfectly fine. But just in case you do, I can reward you with a meal and clothes. You know...assuming that's what you were looking for unless you're one of "those people" who want weapons nowadays."

"N-No! You got it all wrong! I wasn't actively trying to get weapons! I was...running away."

"Running away from who? The police? The military? Obsulyte users like us are of high value. But I need to know."

"T-Those people...those horrible people...they fill your mind with god. They...they..."

The look on the girl's face turned grim.

"It's ok, don't sweat it. I believe you."

"Wait, what? You do?", the girl said in surprise.

"I know a fearful look when I see one. A look that wants to forget but can't. I was very specific in my questioning for a reason...now, seeing as god was brought into the equation, I'm assuming you mean the High Clergy? But that's the church...merely charity work.", Lass wondered.

"No...they call themselves heroes. They put themselves into the spotlight...", the girl teared up.

"Oh, right. 'Sect Of Other Light'? But people do just call them 'Chaos Sect' for being not so in the *light*. If anyone goes around in the 30th century and after, spouting god and wreaking havoc, it's most likely these pricks.", Lass scoffed, "With all this shit that's been pulling up lately, these morons surely won't be given enough attention for what they do. You can find shelter here for a while if you want. The house already has empty rooms to begin with. Just stay out of my way, because I'm also carrying very important things around."

The girl jolted up, "Wait...you're not...throwing me out?"

Lass awkwardly looked at her, "Uh...no? Now that I got a better grasp of things and we're not up and arms trying to kill each other, you can of course stay. Sonia always kept telling me stories of actual Chaos Sect victims and how their mentality went rock bottom pretty quickly. Until we can get you further help, you can stay here, sure. But bite me again and I swear, you'll be three-pointed from half the field."

"Um...what?"

"Basketball terms. In any case, I'm also not worried about how others most likely would be in this case. I guess they threw you out because they wanted nothing to do with one of the targets these assholes had their eyes on. But for your good luck, I'm a registered producer of Obsulyte conductive weapons, and seeing as I'm more than a statistic, the cops will care enough to pull up minutes after I send a signal. Truth be told, it's probably because they just want the weapons I've got out back to stay there, but it works for me."

The girl dropped to the floor with tears in her eyes. Lass then tried looking away in dismay, thinking it was his harsh words that brought her back on her knees.

"I, um...sorry? No need to cry about it, I didn't mean for it to come out that way."

The girl looked at him with a smile on her face, "Thank you!"

"Huh?"

"I was traveling for so long and I was constantly trying to get away. But everyone, they would just...I couldn't be helped. I wasn't ever let in anywhere. Trying to find a monastery also has been...bad."

"Hmm...", Lass exhaled, realizing more and more of what the situation was building up to be.

He too knew precisely of that feeling. And that, without having ever felt it. To want and not be wanted...all too familiar through his everyday life and nightmares.

"Look...I kind of know how you feel. But let's not make this awkward, ok? I barely know you so no need to cry over a stranger. I was hoping to get you some of the supplies in my med kit for your condition, but it honestly looks like you're fine. Surprisingly so. If you want to part ways with me after you're done, fine by me, because I have no interest in you much as you don't with me. Then again...", he was getting more and more curious about the girl's almost pristine condition, despite her story.

"I...it's what I do. But it's not exactly how it seems."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"I will show you! Please...", the girl extended her hand, waiting for Lass to respond.

"No.", he firmly said.

"I just want to-", he interrupted her.

"If you want another bite, then you can-", she interrupted him.

"Just give me your hand already.", she firmly stated.

"Ok.", Lass extended his injured hand without another word, giving it to the girl.

A faint spark appeared between their hands, Lass feeling a small jolt of electricity touching right on his wound as he tried to pull away, only to be held in place by the girl. After a couple of seconds, when she removed her hand, the wounds previously there were completely erased, removed as they never existed.

Lass removed the bandages, "What the-huh. Your Obsulyte powers revolve around healing abilities?", he started to believe her, "My self-healing with my Obsulyte isn't within a nautical mile of this. Though I guess my signature is more on the offensive side."

The girl softly grunted, "Ugh...it doesn't hurt anymore, does it?"

"Having such powers surely is helpful. But with combat you most likely ran into all the time, these abilities are...awkward. Really, who are you? I won't tell anyone, I swear on my life. But I've gotta know."

The girl fidgeted with her hair before taking a deep breath and exhaling for a long while before giving her answer.

"It's not that kind of deal, I swear that to you. I'm Ikarisa. Yes, that Ikarisa-from-the-religious-text kind of Ikarisa."

Lass looked at the girl in awe, "Please let this not be an isekai. Please.", he said with a straight face crossing his fingers.

"A what?"

"Nothing. Just a really big worry of mine. So you're that kind of world-creating goddess from the books, huh?"

"Wait, you're not...scared?"

"Scared of what exactly?"

"The person who's been dubbed the creator of the world?"

"You're a one-and-a-half meter tall petite, brunette to orange-haired girl with abilities not even related to combat. If I was to be scared of something related to you, I have no idea what kind of man that'd make me. Plus, do I look like I treat the Holy Book the Church likes to toss around like anything more than a sci-fi novel?"

"I mean that's...that works for me.", Ikarisa got mixed feelings about the situation.

"I was kind of baffled when you first said it but...cool, I guess. I live in a world where I can pop lighting out of my hands, there are half-human-animal hybrids everywhere and literal laser guns. Had you not looked...well, average, I'd be more surprised. But hey, not saying you're not pretty cool either. My name is Lass. Just so that we get that out of the way."

The girl's eyes widened with surprise as her teary smile turned into a face of pure joy, grabbing Lass's hand with both of hers and shaking it up and down.

"Thank you so much! Thank you!"

Lass looked at the girl weirdly again, "Uh...sure? You seem thankful today."

"I can't even remember the last time that someone...anyone, would be like this. Treat me equally, not as a monster or fear of my name and status. Thank you!"

"Good to see that you at least stop clinging in the corner. That said, how come you're here? No question that a quiet, suburban area like this is a perfect getaway for today's day and age, but...yeah. How?"

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"Before I was brought along with them, I was trying to find out what was wrong. I've never seen the entire world in such a state...not after That Day. I have guessed that my 'brothers' are to blame. Makaro and Kikaro. They were always after me ever since the second half was put into place."

"Second half?"

"The world was originally an empty, distorted place used as their sandbox of destruction by pitting monsters against each other. That was...until I came along in it. Ever since I found a way to turn this into the world it is today, it's only gotten downhill...and for them to be raising these things all over, they must be after me again."

"So that's why the world has become a newly found hell?"

"I assume that's the reason for it, yes. And if it is, then that means that the Sentinels that once protected them must have been deployed in their sovereign prefectures..."

"So that kids' story isn't total bs after all...what was it again?"

"Magi, Drima, Decanee, Izuko and Kako. These five should be everywhere by now, judging from everything going on. Even worse, if my brothers are truly using the full extent of their powers to self-govern, then-", Ikarisa was interrupted.

"Got it, we're screwed.", Lass gave her a thumbs up.

"Wha-no! Not...yet. I strongly believe I can do it. I can find them before it's too late. They already caused Obsulyte users to become straight-up monsters because of it. I can't sit around and watch everyone suffer anymore...the tears and screams...I remember it all..."

"I see...and how exactly are you planning to do it?"

"Battle them...", she quieted her voice down.

"So you're just planning to throw yourself at them again? It sure worked the first time, but now that...well, the sacrifices happened, what are you going to do?"

"I can't do anything else! I absolutely must do something about this!", she raised her arm upwards.

Lass gagged for a brief second, "God on a stick, what the hell?!"

"Wha-"

"Ok, before you do anything at all, please treat yourself to a bath first. Seriously."

"E-Eh?!", Ikarisa blushed.

"How long were you enslaved by the Chaos Sect?"

"I guess...months."

"Months without a bath sounds like the real hell here. Look, we've got some women's clothing from some promo Sonia wanted me to do about a clothing line or something. Didn't even bother so better hope they fit you."

"Sonia?"

"A friend. As for your previous clothes, leave them to the side and I'll be sure to throw them in the incinerator. I'm going to the forge for a bit while you're at it, ok?"

"Um...", the girl hesitated.

In a brief moment of her hesitation, a large growl was heard coming from her way.

Lass looked at the girl's stomach, "I don't need to guess much, do I?"

"Uh...sorry.", Ikarisa looked away.

"No reason to. Even gods need food, no? Nowadays at least, we can mass produce anything we want with chemicals that may cause you to have a long-term brain cell decrease. How about this: You take a soaking double bath so I can point my face directly at you without having to gag on it, and then I make a ton of food? I swear I have more things than guns in that kitchen."

"Yeah...thank you again."

As he nodded and Ikarisa headed upstairs to find the bathroom, Lass carefully made his way back into the forge, slowly opening the door to get inside.

"So...Regina was it? Are you still alive?"

"Oh, I'm perfectly fine. Your bank account isn't. You always used my devices to log into your online payment services. And replacement parts are already on their way." Regina said on speaker.

"Ok, fair enough. But please, lower the god damn volume." Lass put on the lab glasses, "Have you managed to recover video footage from last night before she took down the cameras? Specifically, a face shot?"

"Yes, I already have and I ran her face through multiple prefectures MCA and criminal databases. I even went as far as to check the birth records of every single hospital. She is a ghost."

"That only solidifies that what she said is true."

"I thought you said you trusted her?"

"So you heard that? Yeah, I did, to an extent. It never hurts to double-check if something looks believable. Then again, I dunno how much that 'god' part is true. She might be brainwashed, she might be a liar...I'll keep my guard up."

"You have some serious trust issues."

"So someone comes up to you with the conversation caption being "Hi, I'm god, I created the soil you walk on.", and despite being believable I'm not supposed to double check that?"

"You're fair enough. Human emotions are complicated."

"That's precious coming from you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Before they could argue again, the front doors bell rang. Lass hearing the ring he moved to the door, opening it only to find a heavily armed man, looking at him.

"Hello, citizen."

"Yeah, hi. What's a military man doing here?"

"Hunting down a dangerous individual. May I please come inside your house?"

"N-", Lass was pushed aside.

As the soldier entered the house, he looked around the kitchen and living room. He grabbed his weapon tighter as if he knew that what he was looking for was there.

"Lass, this is Regina! The Holo Visors from the forge have an innate microphone and headphones for wireless usage. I scanned him, this guy isn't a soldier at all, nowhere does he fit in a military record database. But he is in the criminal record base. Chaos Sect extremist!"

"Didn't need to tell me anything more when he barged in."

Lass grabbed the pistol he had previously dropped on the floor and pressed it behind the intruder's head.

"Don't say a single word. Move over there, now."

He directed the intruder to the forge., closing the door behind him.

"Ok, now that you can't be heard, I guess I'll just finish you off."

"How the hell did you even find out?", the intruder angrily said.

"Maybe don't barge inside someone's home without permission. Also this." Lass rolled his eyes as he pointed up.

"Got 'em." Regina bragged.

"Do you even know who the one you're housing is?"

"I had my doubts until you solidified them for me. You're seriously after a petite girl for all this? You, morons, don't have anything better to do?"

"Anything better? The better was destroyed by the bastards that decided to toy with the world! While she's still powerless, we might just have a chance to give her to her brothers! She is a god, like those false ones who made us all suffer over-seas!"

"And do you even know where her brothers are? You're giving me a moral high ground talk while I saw her scrapping for food in my house, covered in rags and smelling of death?"

"That's all they deserve...you have no idea of the horrors we've seen. Those who we lost and the monster's atrocities...there is no god. There never should've been one."

"You realize there's much more to this, right? You have a shit load of atrocities under your belt that I can't even count. You're off it."

"You want to trust her? Fine! Go ahead! See the lies that corrupt your life along with everything else!"

As he rushed Lass and lifted his weapon, Lass raised his gun and prepared to defend himself. However, before they could both land a single strike on each other, a heavy blade flew across the room, perfectly penetrating through the intruders' side and coming out the other end, killing him in an instant while throwing his body along the way of the blade's momentum. A brief moment of silence came from Lass, standing in utter awe of what had just happened.