That was from about six months ago.
I groaned as I slowly sat myself up the floor of Alisa's chamber and scanned my surroundings, just to make sure that it wasn't all a dream.
The room was circular and the walls, along with the ceiling, glowed a gentle purple. There were signs of explosion and tremendous magical use, charred areas amongst the floor and some of the walls burned down to cinders.
Alisa's ether crystal throne, her symbol of power, stood proudly, still and quiet as if a mountain boasting its inability to be brought down by mere ants, us humans.
There was an ethereal feeling in the air that would make a lot people instantly think that they don't belong to this place and I'm one of them.
"Why am I still here?"
"Where else would you want to go? You belong here now, don't you, Tetsuya?"
I heard Alisa's voice again just as soon as I asked myself. Her words didn't make sense. Why would she ask me that? Why tell me that I belong to this place when I came here to see to it that it falls to ruin.
Why is she still here?
"Aren't you supposed to be dead already?!" I exclaimed in frustration and I looked over to my comrades, hoping that they too, have recovered, as my wounds were already alright as I looked at them, yet dissatisfaction marked my face when I saw that they were still dead and unmoving.
Not even a single breath can be heard from them and I pounded the floor with my fists, finding and trying to find a way to let out my anger against Alisa and perhaps, myself.
"What do you even mean, saying that I belong here?"
"You're wasting your energy, Tetsuya-kun. I wouldn't want my champion to be all exhausted now. Unless you want to rest and have me service you while you're at it. But, there's no chance that would happen, is there? You hate us gods after all, down to your very being."
Her playful tone went to dead serious at her last sentence, however it didn't matter to me. I've already 'killed' this goddess named Alisa, so why should I be afraid of her?
"Champion? What are you talking about?"
"Oh, I guess I haven't told you yet, but, since you're the one who killed me, you, my little Takeshi, will be the one to fight for me against the other gods and their champions."
Playful laughter ensued.
"Fight against the other gods..." I lost myself as soon as I heard her last words.
Is it real? Can I really, through becoming her so-called 'champion' fight and kill the others?
I want to conquer the gods. That's the only reason why I'm here. To kill one would be the only solace to my existence. To kill many would glorify my life.
"Yes, once again, you'll fight against the other gods and their champions. But, this time, you'll be able to kill them for sure."
"No. You're supposed to be dead already. Why are you still here?..." I put up a resistance, yet even I knew just how meek it was, because I was already getting curious about what has happened to me, and not in a paranoid manner.
From the start, it has always been about killing the gods. The ones that I've placed all my anger and blame upon. It has always been about destroying and conquering them and if this goddess would happen to help me kill some more, perhaps, I'd grant her forgiveness if she were to take off my frustration.
"I have to say this again, aren't you supposed to be dead already? Why did killing you made me your 'champion'?..."
"Did you really think you can kill me with that", She coughed, "piece of trash, Exophio?"
A seductive chuckle.
"You can't kill me with something that's fake and mass manufactured, Tetsuya-kun."
I hate saying it again and again, even if I do say it in different words every time, but then I asked again, "What are you saying?"
"That 'God-Slaying Weapon Exophio' is nothing but a token given to people who can be considered as champions of the gods."
"It's given by Setoria to people who are worthy to become used by us. Not people who can kill us."
I said nothing.
"Meaning, you believed in it, in that little ticket, all this time only to become a toy for us celestials."
A sadistic laughter.
"How does it feel, Tetsuya?"
I clicked my tongue, "Tsk.", it would be one thing to be used by a god, but, if I can kill several gods in return, I wouldn't mind it.
Would I?
"Are you mad?"
I didn't give anything as a response, instead, I looked up to the chamber's ceiling and gave off a sigh.
"How pitiful. You played yourself right into our hands. No matter how much hatred and blame you've placed upon us, your naivete and those very ideals of conquering the gods has caused your own doom - the reason as to why you are in this state right now, the thing that you hate the most, becoming a plaything for the gods."
"Haha..." I laid out a small chuckle as a response to the words she sent as provocations.
Then, my chuckle grew into loud laughter as I covered my face with my hand.
"Hahaha!!!"
"Oh? Are you, perhaps, broken now? Laughing so as to give yourself even just a tiny ounce of comfort after discovering that all of your efforts and deeds were in vain?"
The goddess feigned curiosity, or maybe she really was questioning me, not knowing the answer herself, but it didn't matter, to me, at the very least.
"Does a goddess even make assumptions? I thought you were all powerful? But, hey, I already killed you so I shouldn't be asking that either." I don't know what I'm talking about, yet I continued, "Do you think that I still care about that? Well, I don't know the answer myself. But-"