Photos and identikit of various people were scattered through the police station. Some were men, women, animals, or even some kind of monster girls. Well, a lot of these pictures actually depicted monster girls.
—Looks like they have some kind of prejudice against them…
On another wall, a few scoreboards were pinned with the heroes' ratings ranging from F to S. Mrs. Bullet was a B-rank, and Coolpunch a C-rank. On the other hand, a heroine named Grander was an S-rank, just like a few others, like Iridescent.
—The ranking system seems fun.
From what he'd read in the newspapers, their rankings were based mainly on their firepower, the battles they won, and the quests they completed. The higher-ranked these quests are, the more points they gain. These points accumulate over time until they reach a new ranking. However, even an overpowered superpower only gets someone to B-rank in order to give every hero a chance to shine.
A little further on, on a large cork-covered wall, were hundreds of posters of people wanted by the police and superheroes. For some, a photo or drawing was printed on the poster with〖WANTED〗above their head, and a price accompanying it with the words:〖Dead or Alive〗.
Static. Jack the Stuffer. Elizabeth B. Blood. Cain E. Log. And many others.
"We're gonna destroy some mean villains! As a goddess, this is my calling! Mhm!"
"Cool it, will you? Worst case scenario, all these villains could kill us in a second."
"No way that would happen!" Aqua exclaimed with a bright smile but also with eyes filled with despair. "I… I am too powerful for that to happen, right…? Then everyone will praise me… A-And I'll have followers again…"
—She's basically a clout junkie…
The building they were waiting inside was a small HQ for wandering superheroes, with only a few ordinary officers handling the most mundane issues.
Judging by how the place was built and what it was made of, this world was similar to the one he'd lived in before. TV, phones, the Internet, and everything else made for a good Gen Z lifestyle was there.
The only real difference he saw was the presence of magic and superpowers. Monster girls, too, but it's in the magic package.
There was also Agartha.
Coolpunch talked about it briefly. On good old Earth, it was a conspiracy theory about a possible hollow Earth, and inside of it thrived Nazis, kaiju, and monsters.
—Godzilla coming out the inside of the Earth would be metal. Monster girls, too... But I'm thinking with my dick here.
"Efraaaan! It's getting boriiiing… When are we leaving?" Aqua pleaded, grabbing his arms to slow him down as they both walked through the police station, waiting. "We've been here for twenty minutes already…"
"Just twenty, yeah. I've waited longer to get something to eat from a fast food."
"I wannaaa leave!"
"Shut up. My… mother will be here soon, I guess. An hour, tops. If we leave now, we might get in trouble over nothing."
"I'm tired of waiting... I just want to eat something..."
"Damn, that's crazy."
"Umyu!"
"I said stop with the cute animal noises."
"Mean. Mean, meanie."
"What are you? A kid?"
"I'm a goddess! Stupid human Efran thing! And I don't even understand how you have a mother here! This is stupid! You should have been an orphan! Like in your previous life!"
"Go fuck yourself. What's your goddamn problem now? Bitch." Efran grumbled as he sat and looked at the TV above them, showing a few superheroes fighting a female orc with two short horns and long white hair. "You're the one who brought me here. I thought you knew about it."
"How would I know!? I'm not an omnipotent goddess!" She yelped, as she slumped back in her seat, gradually losing hope. "What if your mother doesn't recognize you? Do you mean ass even remember anything about your life here?"
"Yeah. A bit. Not everything, though. It's like I just swapped bodies. I don't feel any different, as if I'd always existed alongside these two worlds."
"Oh! So that it…" She muttered, readjusting her way too short dress before clapping her hands. "A theory from the gods says that every human lives parallel life in different universes. Some die before others, and some live longer. Once they die, they swap to another universe. Depending on karma accumulated in their life, they end up in a good or evil new world."
"Oh, yeah, make sense now. I guess making you squirt that much gave me tenfold good karma, then. Lucky me."
"—S-Stop bullying me."
"Nah, never. You're fun to—"
Cutting him off, the police station's automatic sliding doors swung open, causing them to turn their heads toward it.
It was a woman in her mid-forties with a foxy but mellow gaze akin to a feline's, further emphasized by her crimson eyes and makeup. Her full lips were also highlighted by her dark red lipstick, with faint wrinkles on either side of the corners of her mouth. Her long black hair was tied up in a bun, letting a few strands fall before her face. She was quite the plump lady, too.
Her bodacious, almost unrealistic breasts and hips struggled to remain concealed inside the sleeveless crimson tube sweater she was wearing. It hugged her body so tightly that one could see the trace of her large areolas through the garment. Her crimson stockings, too, pressed against her fleshy thighs, pushing out a little of its flesh away.
Breathless, the lady scanned the empty room until her eyes locked on his face. Her eyes widened, losing their cool instantly, and became watery in seconds. Approaching him before taking his face in her hands, she looked at his right ear for a second.
"—E-Efran?"
"Yeah?"
Realizing that her wish had been granted, she muttered her thanks to the gods, holding back her tears for a bit longer before embracing Efran tightly, pressing her juicy boobs against his face, something she could only do since he was sitting.
Stealthily stepping out of her office, Efran saw Mrs. Bullet smiling warmly at them before turning back to give them privacy.
"W-Why didn't you come back sooner...?" She lamented between two sobs. "I've b-been worried sick for s-so long... People told me to stop clinging to hope after all these y-years!"
"…"
"D-Do you have any idea how much I've been hurting!?" She cried, hiding her face in the hollow between his head and shoulder before falling to her knees. "N-No… I-I'm sorry… I know none of this is your fault… I-It's just…"
"Yeah, yeah. I understand. It's alright." He tried comforting her, helping her stand back up as he took her in his arms, still oblivious to what he needed to do to comfort a mother figure. After all, he never had a place to call home or a father or mother to ask for help. He was always alone, even if surrounded by people. "…I'm alright. You don't have to worry."
Sitting next to them, Aqua switched seats, feeling awkward since she was a total outsider. Plus, she felt bad for his mom since her child was a total wacko and lacked the basic understanding of empathy.
Also, as a goddess of water, she could somehow sense that Efran's mother was thirsty for him. This isn't morally acceptable, right? Incest is no good, right? But given his mom's body, built like the Venus of Willendorf, Efran might want to fuck her despite being her son.
Mrs. Bullet could also be a goddess of righteousness and tranquil beauty, like Athena, the Greek goddess. Next to them, she felt a bit small. What if she couldn't have sex with him because of that? She was sure her ass would still arouse him and that he would give her a lot of praise thanks to that, but for how long? His praises were different than those of others, and she needed that; it was her source of power.
—I'll get some praise no matter what! It's not time for me to-
Looking back at Efran's mother, a determined yet dopey expression on her face, she laid her eyes on his mom, who was French-kissing him.
"W-What...?"
Efran was just as surprised.
He did what she wanted him to do, meaning a hug, and told her what she wanted to hear, giving the only bit of warmth he knew about as she genuinely seemed to have been broken by his disappearance.
He'd stood up and nuzzled her head against his chest, a tad taller than her despite her stilettos, which made her rub her head against his pecs and collarbone.
Breathing more erratically after that, tears still rolling down her cheeks, she placed one hand behind his head to tilt him toward her and the other on his torso before gluing her lips to his, sharing the chocolate flavor she still had lingering on her tongue as a languorous moan escaped her mouth, simultaneously, stroking his hair.
She wouldn't let go.
She wasn't fierce. She was assertive and mellow—eager to share her feelings, her passion, her joy, her relief, gently scratching the back of his head and neck with her long fingernail, making him tingle all over.
So his mother had some kind of crush on her own son, huh? That said, he enjoyed it, too. As their tongues twirled and rubbed against each other before breaking the kiss apart, he felt like their chemistry was more than sensual.
"Oohh, sweetie…" She whispered, her lips still close to his as she touched them with the tips of her fingers, looking him in the eyes. "You've gotten so much bigger in just over four years. Manly…"
"That's called puberty."
"I… I guess so… You were cute before, but now you are a proud young man." She continued whispering close to his ears. Curious, she brushed aside the hair that hid the right side of his face, revealing his scar, a kind of burn that had even caused his eye to turn white. "W-What is that? Who did that…?"
"This is just a gunshot."
"Y-You could have died…! Can you still see with this eye? Does it hurt?"
"I can see, yeah, but it's a bit blurry and colorless," He sighed as she caressed his scarred skin, passing her thumb on his closed eyelid. "It aches if I keep it open for too long."
"Oh… Dear…" She muttered, putting his hair back in place and keeping a hand on his chest as she ogled him. "At least… Look at the young man you've become. If it were up to me, I'd eat you up.~"
"You'd eat me up? What do you mean by that…?"
"Fufu.~ I just envy the future girlfriend you will have, that is all.~"
"Is my mother really hitting on me now?" Efran chuckled, removing the last tear on her cheek. "I wouldn't mind if you did so, though."
"R-Really...?! Erh… Ahem!" She stammered before clearing her throat, controlling herself, and returning to her normal state as she turned toward a distraught Aqua. "I am sorry, young lady, to be this intrusive on our first encounter, but are you perhaps my beloved son's… girlfriend?"
"W-Wha—!?"
"If so, I must inform you, young lady, that I disapprove of this relationship. I will not let my boy be with someone such as you, for I will determine which one is proper for a young man of his caliber."
"N-No, h-haha! I am just a friend of his! H-He helped me just a few hours ago—"
"I know when my son does things, it's written all over his face." She glared while putting her hand on her hips. "Both of you got into an illicit relationship, sexual intercourse, not even in a bed. For a young lady like yourself, you should behave and start with an already way too lusty act: holding hands."
"I… Huh… I'm sorry. P-Please forgive me."
"No, I shall not forgive a lusty vixen such as yourself."
"Come on, just forgive her." Efran chuckled. "We both lost ourselves in the moment. It's also my bad."
"I… I do not believe this."
"Just forgive her… Mom."
"V-Very well, I forgive her... just a bit... but no lovemaking without talking to me about it first, o-okay?"
"Sure."
—What the heck is this...? She's 100% head over heels for me, and I'm 100% a momma's boy... Eh, whatever. It's morally wrong, but I like it.
The door to Mrs. Bullet's office opened again, revealing the heroine, who had brought out paperwork and a questionnaire. After a short chat to see if everything had gone well, she invited Efran and his mother into her office while Aqua was left to wait.
Coolpunch had to leave after another villain started wreaking havoc as he saw on TV: a villain controlling electricity or something—Electro-looking-ass.
"So, Mrs. Winter, we had some doubt about... your son's identity, but I assume this is the real Efran Winter?"
"Of course, this is the real him." She chuckled proudly. "He had exactly the same taste as before."
"...What do you mean the same taste?"
"A little tangy, silky-smooth on the palate with a luscious hint of citrus."
"Haha! You have a nice sense of humor, Miss, but please be serious now."
"It really tingled my tastebuds... I almost lost control."
"…O-Okay, so it means you're 100% sure this is your son?"
"Of course! Fufu!~ He also has this cute little scar on his right ear he got when he was five after falling off a bouncy castle." His mom explained as Mrs. Bullet, a bit lost, looked at his ear. "Such a clumsy kid he was."
"You're going to recount my whole life now?"
"There is no need to be bashful, Mr. Winter." Bullet chortled, her eyelids closed with an amused smile. "This is just an interview. Nothing else."
"An interview, huh? You brought me here because I had some weapon with me and because I was covered in blood. You just used Aqua as an excuse to take me to the police station. Stop lying."
"You're imagining things, Mr. Winter. As heroes, we have to act accordingly. We brought Miss Aqua to treat and help her." She articulated with a serious expression. "I advise you to stop making your own theories about our justice... Anyway, this interview won't be long since I'll have to call you back in the coming weeks, but you have to remember that you're, till now, the only known survivor of the Great Pit. My superiors will want to know more, but this information is already classified, and only a few people know about you. We did what we could so you could work and do things without being recognized by your name. You're welcome."
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever, thanks… Can you at least tell me what the Great Pit is?"
"Well, since you fell into it, you don't know the damage it did, huh?" Bullet muttered, bringing a printed paper from the drawer. The image shows a gigantic hole in the ground, dropping inside the Earth so deep that light didn't reach the bottom. "The Great Pit. Its maximum diameter is 7.1 kilometers. A city stood there. It was the main bastion of mankind, a metropolis. It crashed right into Agartha. At least 780.000 were killed, and the damage is esteemed to be around 10 thousand Mercury Coins."
"That's a lotta coin."
"That's also a lot of dead people, Mr. Winter. You seem to be awfully insensitive."
"The death of one man is a tragedy, but the death of millions is a statistic. I'm that as someone who fights on a daily basis, you can relate."
"No, I'm not sure I can."
Sighing after realizing that she and the man she had before her eyes had completely different values, she focused back on the matter at hand. She explained that the Great Pit was responsible for many strange phenomena, including the apparition of monsters, new minerals and plants, and bursts of magical and sexual energy whose origins were unknown. Adventurers were the ones who were sent there to investigate and maybe someday find answers.
Agartha had only been explored for a bit more than 3 years, and adventurers could only explore kilometers away from where the former city crashed because of the monsters, beasts, and humanoid beings living there.
Whether elves, orcs, monsters, kaiju, or whatever species, they seemed to chase and kill humans trying to enter their part of the world.
As for the questionnaire, it was a tedious task he had to complete to know if his academic grades were still similar to before and adequate for someone his age. If not, he had to take a slight re-education course.
Apart from that, the only thing he really needed to focus on knowledge-wise for now was history.
His few recollections were of his family and his house, not school. That said, he didn't mind learning all that stuff since he had to familiarize himself with this new world, learn new things, and test his limits.
"Mommy and Grandma will help you learn all of this!~ I'll even call your big sister! Even if she lives far away, I'm sure she'll come here as soon as possible!~"
"Eh. Grandma and big sis. I'll be in your care then."
"Of course.~"
"I just hope doing all of that won't be dead-boring."
"Mmm... I know how to make homeschooling fun.~" His mom cooed as she gently pinched his cheek, now in front of her car. "It's alright! Really! Grandma is a teacher and I'm not too bad myself!~ We'll take good care of you, sweetie."
"So, what about Aqua?"
"Oh, the girl. She goes back to her parents. Simple. I don't even know why you ask."
"Nah, it's not that simple. She has nowhere to go."
"The poor girl has no family?" She asked, raising her eyebrows before looking at the inside of her purse. A second later, she was handing Aqua a few strange-looking coins. "She can rent a good room for two weeks with that. Enough time to find a job."
"H-Huh...? Mrs Winter?"
"No, you won't come with us. I already refused to see you as a potential girlfriend for my dear boy."
"She comes with us or I'm not following you."
"T-This is... Grr... A-Alright... But she won't sleep with you! You'll sleep in two different rooms... A-Am I clear?"
"Crystal clear." He chuckled. "Thanks."
"I-If it's for you, s-sweetie, then..."
His mom was quite easy to take advantage of. Not that he wanted to be an asshole right off the bat, but it's good to know he has someone who would be pretty much ready to do anything for him.
Since he was raised by militia forces, he never met someone like that. He always had to be on his toes. But with a woman like her and a former goddess at his side, he was serene about his survival enough to sleep without worrying about getting shot during his sleep.
A second chance at life.
The long drive home plunged him into his most pragmatic musings—the lore of this world, its geography, its politics, and its women. He had hardly seen any men. Well, good for him, but he was curious.
He had to learn why. Train, create. He will not waste this life in stagnation.
But for now, he needed to lay low.
His special power. Aqua had told him that after being Isekai'd, each person received an extraordinary power related to their last action or desire. That way, he already knew what it was tied to.
He just needed to find what it truly was.
From what he saw when he arrived here, then in the car with Coolpunch, and finally, in the precinct, there were many strong people, all probably stronger than him, mainly thanks to their superpowers. Superheroes, villains, not to mention people who use money or their networks of influence to rule and dictate.
That's what life as a militiaman had taught him. It's all a matter of preparation and planning in order to minimize risks. Better safe than sorry.
Outside, as the sun set, winged heroes were flying around, monitoring the surrounding area, proving once again that this part of town seemed to be in the throes of violent protest and looting.
As for the buildings, they seemed to be built on top of ancient modern structures blended with more recently constructed wooden edifices from which vegetation was coming out.
—What the fuck happened to this world?
This contrasted with their neighborhood—a suburban neighborhood with large modern Japanese-style houses. After half an hour's drive, they finally arrived at their destination, the car pulling into the garage before they entered the premises.
His mom placed all her belongings on the coat rack before inviting Aqua to go upstairs, take the first bedroom on the left, a guest room, and make herself feel at home, even bathing and watching TV afterward.
She could stay there as long as she helped out around the house and found a job. One of her friends had also left her wardrobe there. So she could help herself.
"T-Thank you a lot, Mrs. Winter."
Aqua climbed the stairs, uneasy, doing what her landlady told her to do. It was either that or she had to live as a hobo... She knew how to do stuff in a full-on fantasy world, but this one was half-that and half-something else... and she still wanted to fuck. No way she will disobey now.
—That's a big house for just two people.
Paintings, some artworks, a colorful living room, a state-of-the-art TV, and a full-size sofa. Kitchen with central island and bar. Other smaller rooms adjoining all this, not to mention the upper floor.
The TV was still on, a pile of stuff lying on the armrest as if someone had hurried off as quickly as possible. The paused film, meanwhile, appeared to be a woman's erotica.
"So..." His mother murmured, caressing his hair. "What about taking a bath together like when you were younger? Fufu.~"