--- Ren's POV ---
She was truly as beautiful as I expected. Not even Freya could hold a candle to her. This was the best compliment I could think of, and I would've probably expressed it if it was before meeting Ais.
Let's turn back time and focus on Chapter 5.
Back when I was on the cusp of embarking on my reincarnation. I had a fleeting sense of a potential connection between us. However, that sentiment was largely founded on conjectures, as I hadn't truly seen Ais firsthand.
My skepticism extended to the very foundation of the novel and even my own memories, both of which felt fake, stitched together by someone else's hand. Realizing she was real made me doubt if I'd be able to love her as I had been so far.
What if I just liked the version portrayed by the anime or the novel?
I've held onto these doubts for so much time, and I knew I would have to do that before reincarnating. If I perhaps didn't fall in love all over again with Ais, then I wonder, what would I have done?
Perhaps, I'd just choose to become a real God and become strong enough to meet Eve, to fulfill these thoughts, but it's been a while now since this kind of conjecture all disappeared.
I knew my love for her was not something that could change when I saw her picture again after so long, and I knew no one else would make me as happy, or as obsessive. It was a futile thing in the first place.
In addition, I vocalized those emotions mostly because I believed our paths might not cross for an extended period. Admittedly, 800 years might seem substantial to me, but for Eve...
Isn't it just another second? After all, she must be really old-
An unexpected twinge of pain distracted me, swiftly redirecting my attention...
Nonetheless, that wasn't the primary focus.
"I must say, the two of you make quite a charming couple! I've been aware of his affection for you for quite some time, tracing his journey to your side. It's essential to keep him close, my dear."
Her words were vibrant with cheer, aimed at bolstering Ais as I could see Eve patting her shoulder happily. Watching Ais nod in agreement, despite the lack of context, brought a sigh of relief from me.
I expected a huge misunderstanding to start here, but it seems Eve was at least wise enough to make it clear that our relationship wasn't of that nature...
Studying them closely, it struck me just how akin they seemed, I was surprised they weren't sisters. The resemblance between the two was just that high.
Even if the latter is a Goddess, Ais does not lose against her in the slightest.
"...What has led you to this place? I'm certain there's a reason."
My inquiry seemed to evoke a change in her demeanor, her once cheerful expression acquiring a measure of gravity.
"Part of the blame for the situation you find yourself entangled in rests on my shoulders, and I offer my sincerest apologies for that. It appears that the enemies I've been vigilantly monitoring seized the opportunity created by the turmoil caused by your portal to infiltrate this world. I'm here... not only to apprise you of the current state of affairs within this Universe but also to extend my aid. While I may be unable to wield any form of divinity here, I assure you, I'm far from feeble."
She bowed her head slightly, her apology laced with an earnestness that I found unnecessary.
"You needn't trouble yourself with an apology. My presence here was, after all, a result of our deal. I was well aware that the path ahead wouldn't be devoid of obstacles..."
Ais chimed in, her confusion was apparent as she sought clarity.
"So... you are?"
The shift in her tone seemed to jolt Eve out of her solemnity, restoring the warmth to her smile. She patted her chest proudly, almost as if she was about to say something extremely pleasing
"Didn't I introduce myself earlier? Well, I am the Goddess who reincarnated him. Regrettably, due to circumstances, I'm unable to reveal my true name. You're welcome to address me by whatever you prefer!"
True, her actual name couldn't be so casually shared – even Lucy, my trusty system, had limitations in that regard. It made perfect sense that she refrained from telling it now.
It seems Ais was rather surprised by her words, but it only makes sense. Eve has the power to reincarnate people, it's certainly not on the same level as any God or Goddess she had seen so far, and I knew the extent of this even more than her, as I remembered how she could make stuff appear out of nowhere and do even crazier stuff.
Wait, isn't she more like an MC than me? I feel like Kim Dok-ja¹⁹ for some reason.
"...Anyways, let me demonstrate my strength, as proof!"
In an astonishing display of power, her delicate fingertip made contact with the table's surface, and the effects were nothing short of astonishing. In an almost imperceptible span of time, the wooden surface gave way to fracturing lines that seemed to propagate like rapid-fire cracks on a glass pane subjected to tremendous pressure. The initial impact site swiftly grew into an intricate web of splintering lines, etching their path across the table's surface.
Before my senses could fully process the spectacle that was unfolding before me, the table underwent a remarkable transformation. In what felt like a mere heartbeat, the fragmented woodwork appeared to shift and realign, the jagged lines of destruction seamlessly knitting themselves back together. As though an artist's brush had deftly swept across the canvas, erasing all traces of the prior damage, the table reclaimed its former state with an uncanny swiftness that defied the limits of a mortal's perception.
I could barely follow it as well.
The entire sequence unfolded in a disorientingly rapid manner, so much so that it felt as if the table had experienced no disruption at all. The profound manipulation of matter, executed with a grace that rivaled the finesse of the most skilled artisans, left me momentarily stupefied.
The smile she directed at me while she did so was also scary.
"...Let's spar later, Ren. You have no enemy on your level in this world, right? You must be-"
Before she could finish, Ais interrupted her, her eyes holding clear stars of excitement.
"How did you do that?"
She's always been a fan of strength, after all...
"I used my physical strength alone, of course. I have to be careful, I wouldn't want to destroy anything else if I'm not too careful, so I prepared a simple spell to turn back objects before I attempted to show you this little trick..."
I couldn't help but interrupt her
"Wait, just how strong are you then? Won't I die if you hit me once? You know, I haven't had enough of this life..."
Joking around was all I could do. It's not like I could refuse her...
"Don't worry so much! I'll be gentle! I can hold back enough to not kill you"
...The novel's about to end with my death.
Still, now was not the time for that.
"You said you had to inform me, right? Don't change the subject."
---
19: Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint's MC.
Author's Note:
With this, a new character has officially joined the party for a while