A little while later, Ru had brought out unseemingly from in-between her soft and cantaloupe-like ever dreamed breasts, the card seeped in the color of mystical violet with an intrinsic design of a crescent lunar moon gleaming in the night sky and the yang mitama over its cunning reflection. She took a calm deep breath and a sort of mystifying pose too. The air became subtle and purple lights were surrounding her and those were emanating across the whole room too. It made her hair to flow like water. Then, she casts out with the card, looking in great glory.
"AS PER THE DARK GODDESS RUHIME OF HIMENEA WORLD..."
"I COMMAND THEE...RELEASE THY CHAINS OF CELESTIA HEAVENS MALL!"
"AL RU MEGANAMI NAZU IL REVEREN!".
Thereon, an illuminting white portal had emerged in front of her. It was releasing intense radiance upon anyone's eyes. Though, it wasn't that quite blinding to look at even for a long time. Zeran looked awe-strucked but, not that much, since it seemed he was quite familiar with her action, making him to scratch his chin looking very interested upon what she has done. He was in his thoughts afterwards,
("So that's her chant...").
Soon, he delved back unto his ocean of liquified memories, bringing him back in an awoken trance yet again. This time he was with Mai while they were both at the thick and vibrant green grassland. Mai took a step backward and brought out quite magically from her hand the sky-themed card with a huge white crystal at the center. Such a breezing feeling was then felt. Surreal translucent white lights and rays were seen around and above her. As she casts out,
"AS PER THE LIGHT GODDESS MAI OF AIKO WORLD...I COMMAND THEE...OPEN THY GATES OF CELESTIA HEAVENS MALL!"
"NEZHA MAI AXIM RA ARDUIN!".
Soon enough, he had snapped out of his deep sea trance. Though, his face was now in a deep questionable look, feeling some kind of concern to Mai in his thoughts,
("Mai...that woman huh...").
Suddenly, Ru wore her full-fledged mysterious cloak again in a jiffy. She grabbed his wrist in an eager manner and both of them went through the portal, in which it made Zeran to come back to his normal senses. He saw the fascinating scenery and view of the unique-looking entrance of the mall. The fully glass-encased coven dome-like scenery dyed into the purple night sky. There were different stars and galaxies that can be seen in the naked eye above. The floor was dsigned with modern tiles in a bold monochromatic way. The vacant and open space hallways was freshening to look and tread upon, that was curved in a quite macro-circular way. Glamorous and various types of boutiques and shops were seen from the left and right. Showcasing their high quality wares and expensive prices. Vibrant yellow lights you would see in real malls. Not only that, there were lots of Gods, Goddesses, heroes in different looks, proportions and human-like features. Some with wings, others with horns or with tails or some animalistic/mythical features that were sprawling around the mall quite naturally and majestically to look at. Later, the nice-looking female receptionist with short-hair at the center aisle receptionist desk called unto Zeran and Ru. The two went near the receptionist. The receptionist greets them in a lively manner with added confetti bursting near,
"Ahem..."
"Welcome to the CELESTIAL HEAVENLY MALL!"
"Dark Goddess Ruhime and Hero Zeran...".
Next, the receptionist gave Ru her merit card for her to verify and identify. It has a circular formed ID picture of her and the background was simply a black night sky, as it shines and glitters if flipped upon. As for Zeran, he recalled on how the light Goddesses gain their merit points in his thoughts,
("If I remember correctly...")
("Mai and the other Light Goddesses gain their merits by...)"
("The chosen hero had saved their world...")
("Crushing the Dark Goddesses/other anomalies plans...")
("Sigh...Being loved and admired by the hero...")
("And much more...").
Soon upon, the receptionist called the attention of Zeran. He had stopped on retrieving his recollection and took the notice of the nice receptionist. She explains to him in the most simplest way possible,
"Sir Zeran...Since this is your first time being contracted to a Dark Goddess..."
"The Dark Goddesses gain their merits by...well..."
"Causing a huge fuss/phenomenon upon the world they are in..."
"Testing the hero's will and heart..."
"Making such dire judgements upon their world/chosen hero..."
"And many many more...".
Then, she turned her look back at Ru. As Ru gave her own merit card. The receptionist took it and scanned it in the high-tech contraption near her desk. Later, a clear and huge holographic screen that you would see in a sci-fi world was shown above them that shows,
["...TESTING THE CURRENT HERO'S WILL=200 000 PTS..."]
["...ENSLAVING THE REINCARNATE HERO KING ZERAN NOAH AETHER=2 500 000 PTS..."].
The receptionist gave Ru a pleasant look on her face and another confetti was presented upon,
"Congratulations! You have done one of the epic feats that alot of Dark Goddesses would die for!"
"That's a multiple decades worth of games or other expensive luxuries!".
As he heard that, his face was a mix of shock and surprise whilst, he was even questioning the raison d' etre itself,
("GEH!? I'M THAT VALUABLE?!")
("And is that even MERITABLE?!").
Though the receptionist tried to cheer the ploblematic Zeran by telling him,
"Don't worry Sir Zeran...you'll also be rewarded for being contracted to Ruhime..."
"Here...It's a Ruhime plush doll in her explicable image...".
She brought out a plush doll that looked almost identical to Ru's key features. Even the dress and hair color were quite exemplary in the similarity of her facial features yet, in a cuter and plushier way. Zeran looked at it but somehow in a quite unnoticeable way to others, the Ru plush doll turned its head like it was alive and stared at him in return, turning Zeran to feel very creeped out, with shivers in his spine even in his thoughts,
("Okay...did that Ru doll just...stared at me?!")
("I must be imagining things now...").
Though, to relieve himself from the the very tensed up feeling, he looked up quaiantly, that made his focus on his thoughts to change later on,
("If I didn't have that PERMANENT MEMORY STORAGE ability...")
("I'd be shocked with my very soul...with all this...the Goddesses and this Mall...").
Later, as Ru took her merit card, Zeran accepted the adorable and cuddly Ru plush doll. Though, he just made it vanish and transferred it in his infinite private storage within his extraordinary ability. The plush doll looked down as if it tried to tell it was sad in the midst of space. The two left the receptionist area then went around the extravagant mall stalls and shop windows. Zeran was seeing lots of dazzling Goddesses carrying shopping bags with them coming in and out of the stores with happy and blissful faces. As he saw them, there was a convincing grin upon his very expression, turning him to say in his thoughts,
("Yeah...the whole thing about the GODS and GODDESES are like they are theADMINISTRATORS of their world...")
("These points are their reward for doing that...where they can buy any luxurious things at one of the HEAVENLY MALLS...")
("It would seem cruel but...")
("I think the GODS and GODDESSES seem to see their worlds as GAME SIMULATIONS...I'd say...").
He overheard the angelic voice of a cute loli-like Goddess with pink twintails while she was standing and looking at her smartphone,
"Awww...Yuusha-kun died..."
"Oh...well...time to meet him!"
"Hm-hm♪!"
"I hope Yuusha-kun won't be mad at me and would still like me..."
"And maybe...".
The loli Goddess turned red and looked flustered. Suddenly, she exclaimed with an embarrassed face,
KYAAAAAAAH♪!.
Zeran looked very disturbed later on. Soon, there was a sudden air and barrier around Zeran and Ru that isolated both of them. Sadly, the others didn't noticed it, since, it seemed the two were the only ones focussed and aimed upon. As for Zeran, he was very disturbed in his very thoughts and feeling irritated yet again,
("Great...not this sh*tto again...")
("These sudden WELCOME monsters are really getting on my nerves!").
The both of them were alarmed. They prepared themselves with their respective weapons for the upcoming battle. The golden claw for him. While the kitchen knife and enchanted revolver with, 7 magical bullets loaded in it for Ru. The both of them stanced and posed back-to-back with each other, looking very determined. Thereon, a small young drake about the double of their size had emerged. Its wings not that fully developed but its fangs are very much equipped with sharp fangs all around. Its full body was like the sunset. As it's just a younger version of a dragon. Lastly, it has a some sort of nametag/ collar that says " WELCOME".
"GRRRRUUUUAAAAAHHHHRRRKKK!"
,while its roar reverberated around the barrier and echoed it out that was irksome to anyone's ears.
Soon, the dragon bursted out fire from its gaping mouth, that was going to hit on both Ru and Zeran. Thankfully, both of them were able to dodge its heated breath. Though, in Ru's case, her dodge was very outstanding to seem since she twisted her body, similar to to a female ice skater would do and started to shoot out rounds of enchanted bullets at the monster. Zeran was mesmerized by her stunt yet again. Moreover, the monster was having glacial ice upon its body due to the magical bullets shot at it and made its body to move slower. Soon enough, Zeran snapped out of his awe-strucked look and he casts out with his arm looking and posing like a cannon at the monster,
"OMEGA AERO BOMB!".
Sadly, to no avail, nothing came out from his cannon-posed arm, turning himto feel utter disturbance and lacked composure in himself. His shocked face sweated out lots and he exclaimed in his thoughts,
"WHAT HAPPENED TO MY SKILLS?!".
His extraordinary vision was suddenly activated and in his very eyes he saw the alarming text,
["...NOTICE: SKILLS CHANGED AND REMOVED..."]
["...CURRENT ELEMENT NOW...DARK..."]
["...SKILLS: 0..."].
His face was more in dismay, as he saw those information with his own eyes. He felt that everything he had earned and worked hard for was all gone in a flash. Ru noticed that he was being very down in his isolated world. So, she let out a motivational smile and nod at him yet, her face was being like an ideal demonic lilith mixed with a sexy voice of an sensational angel,
"You can still do it...Hero...".
As he witnessed her inspiring expression and heard her voice, his whole confidence was back. Though, it seemed he was boosted too much that he shouts out with crazy determination,
"GWOH!".
That sudden moment, he rushed quite recklessly unto the drake. The drake focussed on him and swung its rugged tail directly. Due to his enhanced senses and even motivation, he was able to dodge its lethal tail. Though, the monster opened its mouth and tried to swell up a strong charge of a flame in its gaping mouth aiming at the eager boosted Zeran. Ru kinda noticed that it will destroy him with its dangerous charged attack. So she exhaled and tried to recall upon what she knows about the monster,
"Let's see...I only got one shot at this..."
"I hope this works...".
Soon upon, she put her aim unto its eye and shot at it. As the enchanted bullet hit upon its eye directly, the monster lost its composure and made it to feel its severe pain of its eye pierced and even enflamed due to the magical bullet encased with fire element. Its gaping mouth and charging energy was gone, as its faucet was closed. More than that, the monster shouted with grave suffering, turning Zeran to have a huge opportunity. He was able to stand in front of the monster and slashed the monster's body with lots of strikes and furies with his shining claw in blinding speed and amazing reflexes, making the monster's body to have lots of claw-marks and ripped out flesh. The monster tried to retailate but,with its weakened state and blurred vision, it wasn't able to damage much of Zeran. As the monster tried to let out another claw attack, he dodged it barely. Though, he countered it with a powerful piercing jab at its sensitive body with his golden claw, that turned the monster's innards inside-out as it penetrated through, in a gruesome way. Thereupon, the monster fell down defeated but, soon enough the whole monster vanished very mystically with its body dispersed into tiny shining particles and ascended upon. The barrier around the two was now gone and they were no longer isolated, as they were now back at the Celestia mall. Soon, Ru knacked out a sexy smiling grin upon her beautiful face and said at Zeran,
"Ara?♪"
"What can you say about the WELCOME monsters that you always come upon here...Zera?".
Zeran vanished his golden claw forcefully and responded to her by letting out a sarcastic smile on his very expression and said,
"Hmph...One word..."
"Annoying...".
The two continued to tread along the curving hallways relentlessly. They saw more and more varieties of Gods and Goddesses along the way. Their eyes also met the eccentric boitiques and shops too. Though, soon enough both of them were able to find the smartphone shop named "ARS". As they entered inside the, the whole shop was very neat, having a simple modernized shop interior clad in all bright white. The area was filled with showcased smartphones and gadgets on white wooden desks and inside the isolated glass cubes. The place was very spacious. The whole shop was soothing and refreshing for both of their eyes and mind. A little while later, as she was done paying at the automated cashier with her purchased battery and charger. As both of them were near the exit of the store, Zeran felt that someone at the back pulled his cloak abruptly and even forcefully, turning the both of them to come to a sudden stop. Then, he also heard a gracious, soothing effeminate voice but, with added agitation behind his back,
"And where do you think you're going?!"
"Zen?!".
As he turned around, he saw Goddess Arseia, his own mother with a furious look upon her face, in which her face was very utterly terrifying to see. Especially for a son to see his mom seething with burning eyes looking at him with a cold stare. He seemed to have turned white in his very soul and he felt sweaty for some reason. Thereupon, there was an awkward feeling around the place. Though, in his very expression he just showed her a humorous and embarrasing smile. Then, he said,
"Oh...h-hey...m-mom!"
"Ehehehe...".