"What do we do?"
Shichen and the others stood around Kazuma Satou's headless body in silence for a moment before Darkness spoke up.
They weren't exactly scared—Kazuma's death had just come far too suddenly.
No one had reacted in time. The odd part was… she didn't seem to feel much about it, either.
He was a teammate, after all.
"So that's what a person looks like without a head," Megumin observed with interest.
"Is this really the time, Megumin… Shichen, can you save him?" Yunyun asked.
"Not like this, no. But…" Shichen shook his head and looked to Aqua.
The others turned to Aqua as well.
"Huh? Why are you all looking at me?" she asked blankly.
"Alright, alright—hurry up and bring him back," Shichen said.
"Why? What for? He's not even useful," Aqua replied with a look of disdain.
"Useful or not… you brought him here."
"He brought me here. If not for him, I'd still be living it up in the divine realm," Aqua pouted.
"That's not how to look at it. Without him, how would you have met me? Is the divine realm really more fun than here?"
"…I guess not," Aqua thought it over and realized being by Shichen's side was better than the gods' realm—he pampered her, there was great booze, and sleeping was so comfortable.
Back in the divine realm it was different: people she hated, piles of work, and boring days.
"Right? Anyway, you're the one who got him—bring him back. You can't just leave it."
"Hmph~ I've summoned lots of people. I can't look after them all. Whether they live or die has nothing to do with me… But since you asked, Shichen, I'm willing to help."
"Okay, okay—yes, I'm asking," Shichen said, ruffling her hair with a grin.
"Heh-heh~ Don't forget a bottle of wine as my reward."
…
In the divine realm—a snow-white hall like a Roman temple—Kazuma Satou sat in a chair, dazed.
He had just learned he was dead—and, right, it all came back to him.
He just hadn't expected to die again so soon. What a trash isekai—he'd have been better off not transmigrating. Nothing like the novels.
He'd come here only to suffer!
"Kazuma Satou, you left Japan to reach this world, only to meet such misfortune… Brave soul from another world, at the very least let me use my power to send you back to Japan in your next life—born into wealth, wanting for nothing. Be reborn somewhere you can live happily."
The girl on the mysterious stone seat before Kazuma spoke.
She was beautiful, a little ethereal, wrapped in a loose white feathered robe, with long silver hair and fair skin—hazy and dreamlike.
Kazuma had just learned her name: Eris—the goddess worshiped in the world he'd just died in… and also its currency unit.
"So I really am dead. Well, fine—no more suffering in that world, and I get a happy next life," Kazuma said, a hopeful smile creeping onto his face.
He was truly done with the other world: no cheat, weak stats, completely useless—basically a background extra.
He'd transmigrated for nothing.
Might as well have stayed a shut-in.
"Well then, Kazuma Satou…" Eris raised her right hand toward him.
Just then, an annoyed voice echoed from the vault of the temple.
"Kazuma, what are you doing? Hurry up and come back. I already resurrected you, so stop playing dead."
"Huh? What's going on?"
Aqua's voice reverberated through the empty hall. Kazuma looked around, startled.
"W-what? That voice… Is that Aqua-sama? So it wasn't just someone who looks like her!" Eris gasped, wide-eyed, staring up into the air.
"Hey, Kazuma, can you hear me? Shichen told me to revive you. I've already cast Resurrection, so you can return now. Is there a goddess in front of you? Tell her to open a door to this side."
Aqua's voice rang out again, convincing Kazuma this wasn't a hallucination.
Right—Aqua was a goddess.
"Aniki asked you to revive me? He's the best! Got it, I'll head back now!" Kazuma shouted up toward the ceiling.
Compared to his original world, he still preferred the isekai—swords and magic, and he'd already learned some skills. He might get stronger. Maybe someday he'd be surrounded by beauties and hit the peak of life.
But Eris hurried to say, "W-wait—please wait, Kazuma Satou! That's not allowed. I'm terribly sorry, but you've already returned to life once. By the laws of the heavens, you cannot be resurrected again. Could you please tell Aqua-sama?"
"Huh? Seriously? Don't tell me I got my hopes up for nothing. Aqua, this goddess says I've already been resurrected once, so by rules or whatever, I can't be revived again," Kazuma called out, disappointed.
"Haaah? Which goddess is spouting nonsense? Hey, state your name! I'm an elite in charge of the Japan region, and some backwater goddess dares talk to me like that? Who even are you?"
Aqua's furious voice boomed—if she didn't complete the task Shichen gave her, she wasn't getting any good booze.
Eris's face went stiff.
Kazuma, not noticing, answered, "It's Eris-sama."
"Eris?" Aqua got even more annoyed. "Oh, that stuck-up Eris who got so full of herself being the state religion here she even became the currency unit? Want me to snatch her—uh—pads for her push-up act?"
"I understand! I understand! We'll make an exception! This time will be a special case! I'll open the door right away!" Eris blurted, cheeks burning. She snapped her fingers, and a plain white door appeared in front of Kazuma.
"Aqua-sama is as unreasonable as ever…" Eris muttered under her breath, then composed herself and said to Kazuma, "There, that will lead back to the mortal world… Normally, this is forbidden. No matter who, even a king, magic can only resurrect a person once. Kazuma Satou, please tell Aqua-sama not to do this again."
"Got it. I'm going," Kazuma said excitedly, and rushed through the door, vanishing.
Phew.
Eris let out a helpless sigh and was about to dismiss the door when a figure began to form.
She froze for a heartbeat, and then the figure stepped through. When she saw who it was, her mouth fell open.
"Oh~ so this is the divine realm? Kinda underwhelming," the newcomer said.
The place was empty—nothing to see except, well, its owner.
"Sh-Shichen!" Eris exclaimed.
Of course it was Shichen. Using Aqua as a relay, he had sensed this place, and slipped in while the door to the mortal realm was open.
In this world, there was no dimensional wall between the divine realm and the mortal world. Anyone who'd been here could warp back and forth. Coming here wasn't hard for him at all.
"Hm? You know me?" Shichen asked with a smile.
"N-no… I've only heard of you…" Eris said quickly, forcing a neutral expression.
"Is that so?"
"Leaving that aside—how did you get here? Why can you be here?" Eris asked, flustered.
"I came because I wanted to."
"…That can't be so easy."
"Don't worry about that. You look… familiar," Shichen said, eyes on her.
"Eh? D-do I? You must be mistaken," Eris said, clearly nervous, turning her head to avoid his gaze.
"A mistake? You really do look alike—even the figure's the same," Shichen said, strolling closer, hand on his chin, unabashedly looking her over from head to toe.
"P-please don't stare at me like that," Eris said, stepping back and folding her arms over her chest—ample, but still…
"By the way, Aqua called you a 'padded-up goddess' just now. What's that about? And something about stealing your—pads?"
"Waaah! Don't say it!" Eris yelped, flushing as she flailed toward Shichen, trying to clap a hand over his mouth.