"HRK! With that tone I can't tell if you're being serious or sarcastic." She cleared her throat once again. "Anyway, I guess I could give you something." She went silent in thought. "Oh, I know! How about I give you a special skill!"
"Oh?" Is this my chance? Will I finally be the OP character I wanted to be? A Goddess giving me a skill, that's gotta be OP, right?
"Yes, it's perfect! I shall grant you the skill Transparency."
"What's that do?!" I asked as she touched my forehead and a surge of power traveled through my body. "Can I become transparent now to make it hard to see me? Is it like a stealth skill that makes it easier to sneak up on enemies?"
"What? No, that's lame. This skill allows you to see through people's clothes, like they're transparent." She winked at me.
"What! That's useless! Just like everything else you've given me!"
"Whaaaaaaa! How dare you call one of my special skills useless! You're just ungrateful! Every other hero I've had before you loved that skill!" She put her hand to her hips like she was a child scolding someone.
"What kind of perverted heroes did you chose?! I bet the reason you lost all the tournaments before is because the heroes you chose don't get stronger, but instead live their life with a harem of women!" I stood up out of my chair and leaned down to get near her face.
"Wait, the AI told you about my losing streak but not about the tournament! Is it trying to make me look bad!?" She made a fist and gritted her teeth before looking at me and giving me a divine scowl. "And how rude of you! Actually, you're the only hero I've ever had that's had a harem. All the other ones were just able to get the girl they loved and settle with her and die happy. But you chose to get a whole harem. What, is one girl not enough for you? You're so sleezy."
"Don't give me that pitiful look, you know I'm not sleezy. I haven't done anything with those girls. And what do you mean, 'I'm the only one with a harem'?" That makes no sense! And I'm definitely not sleezy. I didn't choose this life, nor the girls. So that was invalid!
"Sure," she sighed. "But did you mean what you said?" She looked at me, her divine eyes serious.
"Huh? Which part are you talking about? The useless Goddess or the useless AI?"
"Hrk! Neither, you idiot!" Her face was flushed. "I'm talking about the part where you said you liked it here." She had crossed her arms as she spoke.
"Huh? Oh, yeah." I replied. "I do. I meant what I said. I enjoy it here. I'm definitely living a better life here than I ever did in my world." My eyes were downcast at the thought of returning there. "Wait, you said after this was all over that you'd send me back. Do I have to go back?" I asked broody.
"Well, no. You can stay here, as long as you don't wish to go back. But if you want, I could always send you back."
"Nope." I instantly replied. "I'm never going to want that, so take the last part back. And if I ever ask you to send me back, don't do it. I'm probably just being stupid, though I don't think I'd ever ask for that for any reason." I mumbled the last few parts.
"Are you sure you wish to stay? This world is…dangerous for someone like you. You're weak. Weaker than anyone in this world."
"Well even so, the world I came from is much worse than this. I can live with being weak, I did it in that world. But this. This is a different kind of weak. I'm stronger in this world then I ever was in that one. Hell, if you sent me back and I kept all these stats, I think I'd be one of the strongest people in that world, though not the strongest."
"So, your world is full of weaklings?"
"Well, yes, but no. Yes, in the sense that half the time you can't make a joke about anything anymore without someone crying about it on social media and trying to cancel you."
"Social…Media?" She tilted her head at the word.
"Huh? Oh, it's basically a complaint board."
"Ohhhhh, okay. That must really suck," she smiled. I knew what she was doing. She was trying to be therapeutic, let me vent my frustration out. Go on a rant. It felt nice.
"Don't even get me started," I sighed. "But to really answer your question, we have some strong people. Some are strong physically, other mentally. Although the mental kind is rare." I grumbled. "This place really is better. In more ways than one." I finished.
"You're cute when you go on a rant," she laughed. "Like that time in Torppau's office," she chuckled at me. I could tell she was mocking me.
"Hey! At least I'm not stupid AND useless! Seriously, how do you spell someone's name wrong you useless Goddess?! Even the skills you have are useless!"
"Whaaa! H-Why are you being so meaaan!" Her attitude changed back to that of a child. "Know what! I'm going to punish you know!"
"Ohhh, what are you gonna do? Take away my transparency skill you gave me? Go ahead, not like I'm ever gonna use it." She had her fists clenched and her face was red from anger. She really looked like a kid that was about to throw a tantrum.
"That's it! If you're gonna be like that, I'm sending you back to your world." She raised her hand, aiming it at me.
"Huh?!" I threw myself at her feet. "No, please my Goddess! Don't send me back. I'll do anything." My secret technique. Begging. I was really good at it, even in my old world.
Heh, I once even convinced a restaurant to give me food for free because I didn't have the money to pay for it. What's the secret to it? Simple. You have to undermine yourself, make yourself look like the lowest of the low and then beg for mercy.
"Please Goddess! I'll do anything!"
"Anything?" I looked up at her to see a sadistic smile and my face went blue. She looked like she was enjoying this.
"Er…yes. Anything." I replied.
"Okay then. I won't send you back. But only on one condition."
"And what's that?" I asked.
"You have to win the tournament. Prove to me why you deserve to stay." She crossed her arms with a smug smile.
"You kidding me?! How am I supposed to do that when I'm weak?! You even said yourself I'm the weakest of the weak."
"I know. But since you were so mean to me, it's the only way I'll allow you to stay." She smiled smugly.
"Tsk, fine." I lowered my head in defeat and looked at the ground. "I'll do my best to win for you."
"Really?" Her eyes widened at my response and her face went red.
"Well, yeah. You told me it's the only way you'll allow me to stay. So, I'll do my best to prove I deserve to be here!"
"And to prove I'm not a weak Goddess to all the others?" Her eyes shun as she asked the question.
"Er…sure. I can do that too."