"Who are you?" I was sitting down on a couch opposite to the petite, actually child-looking, girl I was talking to.
Wearing a simple white dress with three buttons on its collar, innocent golden eyes and similarly colored hair, she replied gently with a smile.
"I am Setoria."
She appeared out of nowhere as soon as I went inside the house and dragged me to where we are right now, my living room.
"Oh, the one who left me to die yesterday."
People passing around the block got surprised by the loud whimpering and shouting of a young petite blonde girl as she got thrown out the door of a house owned by a highschool boy living alone.
"E-ehh?!! Let me in!"
The girl who called herself Setoria repeatedly pounded her small fists against my door, making loud sounds that would annoy not just me but also my neighbors, yet I have no intention to open it for her.
I don't have any connections with her and if things come to worst, I can just tell the police that I don't know her and that she's someone crazy who thinks that I'm a relative or something...
Besides, she's the reason why I saw that, after all.
Is there a reason for me to talk to her? After giving me another suffering to bear after the death of my family?
"Kyaa!! Demons! Demons!"
My eyes widened and my heartbeat went faster.
Almost as if by reflex, I quickly opened my door and grabbed Setoria by her hand, pulling her into the house.
"Haa... Haa..." My breathing went ragged and we were both already lying down the floor as I regained my senses.
No, actually, the blonde was on top of me and it was a little difficult to move, so, I sighed and looked up the ceiling as the girl buried her face on my chest, seemingly scared.
Then, Setoria giggled and looked up at me with a mischievous grin as she pressed the tip of her index finger on my lips, "Got you."
"Tch. I almost forgot. You're a goddess." I clicked my tongue in dissatisfaction and flexed my fingers straight.
"Ah-" Setoria's face quickly changed expressions as she knew what was to come.
Inside Tetsuya's house, a loud smacking sound was followed by a girl's short cry.
"You, how dare you! To lay your hands on a goddess! You- You're just a human! How dare you!!"
I just covered my ears casually as Setoria spouted out more insults and telling me about how I am inferior when it comes to our states of being.
"Fine fine." Finally fed up, I straightened up on my seat and looked at her, "Stop it. Don't you remember that you just dragged me into this? Did you think that I want any of this?"
The blonde stopped in her tracks.
"I-..."
Oh, she actually stopped?
"I'm sorry."
"Whatever."
"I'm supposed to be telling you details about what happened to you and why this came to happen."
"You should've told me sooner, right before giving me these crests..." I clicked my tongue again.
"The power was granted to you before the crisis and no information was given so that you won't become too complacent and die first before you start your mission."
"I don't know whether to agree or disagree, but aren't you gods and goddesses supposed to be very powerful and almighty?" I looked at the window in the living room, hoping to get a glimpse of what was outside, but the curtains were closed so I just casually returned my gaze to Setoria.
"Why use us 'lesser' humans to do your bidding?"
"That's a good question." Setoria's lips curved into a small smile as she put her hands behind her back and gazed at me, continuing, "If we were to meddle with earthly affairs, as we're gods, what do you think would happen?"
"We, gods and goddesses, are, no doubt, very powerful. If we were to solve your problem, which are too little for us, it would be like scooping up a drop of water with a basin."
"Now, if you do that, won't the basin be scooping up other materials along with the drop of water?" She made a small smirk.
"Then, that would mean, we won't be solving only your problems, we would also be taking a lot of things from you. Such as lives, places, or even the world. Yes, I do believe that we can destroy the Earth if we were to unleash our powers here."
"I see... The annihilation of the Earth would be very troublesome indeed. That's why you force humans to become your pawns?"
"It's not like we force humans-"
"No, I forgot. You just drag them into this mess."
"Geez-"
"If you're going to spill the details out, do it now. I don't like the idea of having a goddess stay in my house much longer." I let out a sharp tone, somehow hoping that she would notice it.
"You do know what kind of person I am, don't you?"
"I do. It's precisely why I chose you as one of my crest bearers, Shiraishi Tetsuya. You, a man who wishes to conquer the gods, will see their prowess and thus, break your own spirit." Her smirk grew wider.
"Are you really telling me that now, Setoria? You're challenging me?" I stood up, smirked back and made my way towards her, "I think now would be the right time to check if I can conquer one of the gods."
"What are you talking about?" Setoria, unknowing of my intention just looked at me with a normal gaze, devoid of suspicions or other whatnot.
Until I held her shoulder and pushed her against the wall, saying, "I'm talking about this." By which, when I finished saying, the goddess became flustered all of a sudden.
Her breathing became irregular and, maybe it was because she's a goddess, I was able to hear the pounding of her heartbeat as she looked at me with cheeks colored with the hue of a ripe tomato.
"T-Tetsuya, what are you doing?-" I held her lips shut with the tip of my forefinger and I grinned, just like how she did with me back then.
However, all of a sudden, her golden eyes glassed over for a moment and when she regained the shine in her orbs, all of her flustered-ness was shaken off already.
"Something serious just happened."
I quickly withdrew myself, not knowing whether she was joking with me again, but, judging by her reaction, it definitely was something real.
"What is it?" I asked nonchalantly though I was actually curious to know.
"Someone reversed time back by twenty-four hours, not exact, but it's either a day or more." Setoria closed her eyes, "The power doesn't seem to be of Chronotia's..."
She continued, "It can't be... A human? Wait, something's wrong. The accumulated power dispersed everywhere and none was left from the source."
"What are you talking about?"
"Tetsuya, someone made a reset on time. Everything will come back to how it was yesterday, however, it is already destined that I'll give you my power."
"Is it because of a god? Maybe someone's just playing a prank, you are all very powerful, right?" I chuckled, thinking that my joke was accurate, yet Setoria's serious expression didn't change.
"No, it is a human. Though, I don't think that the user is a normal person, he's still not someone who transcends the gods. I analyzed the power."
Setoria looked to the side, flustered again, as she gently pushed me away, "I-It's just a one time use... So, it won't happen again. However, I think that something will surely change."
Her eyes glassed again for a moment, "The reset will happen now."
She looked at me again, now with burning cheeks, "Well then, I'll see you soon, Tetsuya."
Setoria smiled a little.
My vision dimmed.