"Man, this new couch is reealll~ comfy!" I exaggeratedly exclaim whilst leaning back in the cushions.
Meanwhile, said new couch began increasingly wriggling underneath me.
"Nyahhhh! Darling! Come on~! I can't…move! Hnnnghhh!" Kuroka squirmed, worming from side to side, stuck in place as I sat on her back, keeping her pinned onto the real couch.
Ah, Kuroka, Kuroka, Kuroka. What am I going to do with you kitty?
I went to bring her food, and I saw her lazing around in the library reading…okay, I'd call it lewd, ecchi, or similar manga, but I'll be frank, alright?
It was straight porn. Hentai. This little black cat was sitting there on one of the shelves, perched up there like it was a tree, giggling and cackling.
So, needless to say, she's not getting food.
That, and since she can't do something as simple as reading books I've given her a new job.
Couch.
All she's got to do is sit around.
Easy right?
Except I don't think couches are supposed to move so much…
Idly, almost without thought, I swat her right on her ass.
"NYAH~!?" She perks up, stilling, "Daarrllinnngg~!" She continues to whine, but at least she isn't moving as much anymore.
I promptly ignored her, looking back down at my lap where a lonely little book sat.
It's the straight porn book Kuroka was reading earlier. I checked and it was one of the ones sent by Ama.
It's also complete trash, go figures.
I knew my mother had trash tastes, but seriously, I didn't think my cat girl shared them!
…Well, she does play the local equivalent of World of Warcraft, maybe I should have seen that coming.
My bad there.
I huff, closing that abomination of literature, before reaching over to the table across from us and snatching up the food I was planning to bring to her.
Well, was is the keyword there. Mine now. It's her loss, after all, I haven't gotten the chance to cook lately, and while I'm not some god-tier - heh - chef, I know I can make some enjoyable stuff.
Like this pork cutlet, or Tonkatsu, I think it's called. Deep-fried breaded pork cutlet. Took half an hour to make, and it smells delicious.
And if I can smell it real good, I know she can smell it.
Probably why she started squirming again when I picked it up.
"Mmmm! Darling~! Please! Can't we talk about this? I'm sorry!" Oh yeah, now she's begging, sincerely, "Please! Just don-"
Chomp.
Kuroka stopped squirming abruptly, staring off into the wall, as I started eating.
I spared her a cursory glance, and the poor cat looked like her soul had left her body, with the way her eyes somehow whited out and her mouth was slightly agape.
I give her a small pat on the head with my free hand, though that doesn't stir her at all.
Cat girls and food, I swear…
Well, if anything, this should serve to teach her some lesson.
In the meantime, damn, I do cook good! Crunchy on the outside, juicy on the inside, I ought to make this more.
I perk up, as footsteps echo down from the stairwell and into the living room.
I didn't even need to check my senses to figure out who it was, all that was needed was to hear the pace of the footwork.
Uzume, last I saw her, was shambling around like an undead due to exhaustion. So, considering how fast these footsteps are…
Rose came in, though shockingly not in her uniform, instead she was wearing a…tracksuit.
She had her arms wrapped around herself, just beneath her bosom, and there was a…frown? Plastered across her face? She also seemed a little twitchy…I think.
I couldn't tell what exactly was going on, truth be told, though it didn't look good overall.
My gaze swept over to her, and as soon as our eyes might, she stopped, and quickly tried to steel her expression and mannerism.
"A-Ah? Wait, you're both…done?" She started pretty quiet but ended up muttering in increasing confusion as she beheld me and Kuroka.
I snorted, "I am, yeah." I responded easily, before pointing at Kuroka, "She got distracted though, so I'm punishing her."
At that, Rose flashed a genuinely annoyed frown at the cat.
Who was still catatonic. Heh.
"Though," I continue, eyeing her intently, "I saw the way you were when you walked in here." She froze up under my words and gaze, "You okay? Is there something going on?" I asked, plainly and expectantly.
Rose immediately started playing with her hands and looking away, a creeping blush growing across her face as she spoke nothing.
My gaze intensified, as did her twitching, until eventually, she finally broke with a long painful sigh.
"I…um." She uttered and stuttered, still refusing to meet my gaze, "I…finished all my work already and now I don't know what to do!" She abruptly threw it all out, curt and quickly.
I blinked, as her entire face turned red.
Then I started chuckling, and she cringed.
"Ah, Rose…come on over, take a seat." I wave and point her over to a free seat on the couch right next to us.
Reluctantly, and still without looking my way entirely, she does so, almost curling up upon herself when she sits.
Poor girl. I'd hug her, but Kuroka is currently in time-out, so just wait for me!
"Lemme guess," I began, "you blasted through everything…which was probably mostly just the stuff my mother was sending, then did all the small things, and now there probably won't be anything new for you to look at for the foreseeable future?"
After a long moment, Rose nodded, almost ashamedly so.
I shook my head at her, "Oh Rose…that's nothing to worry about. That just means you're doing an insanely good job." I pause to munch on a pork cutlet, "And since you're doing a really good job, that just means you deserve the free time."
She twitched at my words, before beginning to squirm in place, "But…I don't know what to do with that free time, that's the problem…" she mumbled.
I shrug, "I dunno what to do with mine half the time either," I confess, easily, and that's true especially now, "but you'll figure it out. I usually just train. Or do stuff with the girls."
Huh. Speaking of…
Fuck it, why not?
"Speaking of," I continued with a snap of my fingers, "I've been meaning to do something for or with you since you did such a great job. Wanna go out?"
Rose blanked out, much like Kuroka is still.
I watch, concerned yet intrigued, as she slowly falls onto her side on the couch, keeping her exact pose, still as a statue, the entire time.
…Did I just break her?
Hmm, maybe I was a bit too frank. I guess to someone like Rose, she probably heard something like 'wanna go on a date' or similar.
I'll come back to that with her later, I suppose. Or whenever she unfreezes herself.
I sigh and continue eating my pork unopposed.
Well, with these two out of commission for who knows how long, I suppose that leaves me and myself.
No point in trying to hide from this now…especially after that short conversation with Rose.
What am I going to do now?
The thought nearly makes me click my tongue in reflex, as deep within my chest, the unfamiliar feeling of worry and anxiety surges forth.
All this time, I had a guideline. A plot outline, to follow.
This will happen around here, this will happen here, this attack here, and so on.
I got too used to having that, I'll admit right upfront. It was easy, far too easy, or at least it made me feel that way. Even with the hiccups and divergences along the way.
But now that metaphorical cushion is, for the most part, gone.
Yeah, I know the ExE will come in something like thirty years or so, but they are essentially a non-factor in the grand scheme of things.
It hasn't even been a full year since I woke up on top of that mountain, puking my guts out, and look at me now!
The strongest person I've seen so far is Tobio, and I'm convinced that if the sun was out, I could probably take him right now. Even in his bullshit Abyss Side Balance Breaker.
It wouldn't be easy, for sure, I become more deity than man in my sun-infused state, and the closer to noon it becomes the closer to a full deity I am, and he does have a straight up god slaying sword, something similar, although likely not as powerful as the True Longinus.
He could probably fuck me up, but no, I think I could win. Probably.
…Maybe I should call him up for a spar sometime.
Regardless, the point I'm trying to make is that I'm not exactly strapped for power here, and if in not even a year I can rival one of the strongest characters in the setting?
Give me twenty-nine more, and I'll clean ExE, Trihexa, Great Red, Shiva, Indra, and whoever else I need out. At the same time.
Hell, add the Spirit Gods in there too, the Machine Gods we need them, and even then I'd wash them.
Power…isn't a problem for me anymore.
There are still a few people I can't fight right now of course, and the sun is a power-up that isn't always available, that's true.
But still, at this point, I've got, and need, nothing but time to fix that.
Time, huh…
I slowly put a hand on my chest, and breathe deep…though it's just a normal breath.
Look at me, getting all bent out of shape over time passing. I'm fairly certain I'm immortal now, in the aging sense anyway, I can't be having a little freak out over time.
My gaze falls upon the still catatonic Kuroka, before sweeping over to the dissociating Rose.
I think, ultimately, we'll be okay.
Besides, it's not like there's absolutely nothing for me to do.
I've got the Spear of Destiny under my bed right now after taking it from its dead owner, something that most certainly isn't usual.
That, and the entire thing with the Church and the sword, and Him. I've got suspicions, though they aren't good ones.
…Maybe, it's time I be a touch more proactive, and make my own little guideline, hmm?
With that in mind, I scarf down the rest of my pork, and throw the empty plate onto the table, before leaning over to Kuoka's ear.
"I'll tell you what, kitty." I utter down at her, "You finish your job by tonight, and I'll make you some…chicken?" I decide.
And almost as soon as I uttered the word, light returned to her eyes.
Stiffly, almost robotically, she turns her head as much as she can to look at me.
"...You…Y-You mean it, darling~?" She mumbles out, sniffling slightly.
I roll my eyes at her obvious act, before smiling slightly.
"I mean it." I state.
"Yayyyy~Nyah!" She exclaims suddenly, fully revived just like that, her arms and legs sprawling out in joy.
I chuckle at her, before patting her on the head and quickly adding, "But! You gotta take Rose with you when you do…she's got plenty of free time right now that she doesn't know what to do with anyway."
I'll leave it unsaid that Rose will keep the cat on track…or will help, anyway. Food might just be enough of a motivator by itself to keep her in line.
Still, better be safe than sorry. Plus, it gives Rose something to do while I go and do the thing I just thought of.
Sorry, Rose! We'll do something together, just the two of us, soon! I promise!
Kuroka doesn't seem at all perturbed by the added condition, instead simply nodding along happily.
That all said and done, I finally stand up, Kuroka giving a cute little huff as I do before she springs up onto her feet.
She takes one look at Rose, and doesn't even question the silver-haired girl's state, instead she merely calls out, "Oh Rooossee-chyan~!" As she stalks toward the girl like she was a piece of meat.
…Someone is really motivated by chicken, it seems.
I turn away as Rose begins to revive herself at Kuroka's proddings.
In my case, I head for where Rose just recently came down from, the staircase.
Though I'm heading up for a different room, to see a certain someone.
I need some advice…
Like, for instance, how does one raid a cathedral for a precious artifact without inciting war? Just how much mind control would that take?
~ A New Sun ~
"...Huh?" Uzume slurred and drawled out through half-lidded eyes, although despite being half awake and only half shambled out of her bed, she seemed shockingly attentive, "...Sorry, can, can you…run that by me again? Need to make sure my ears are working…" she grumbled out, disbelievingly.
Ah, don't worry Uzu! You'll be believing your ears real soon!
"I said," I enunciate clearly, "how much mind control do you think I could get away with on priests and exorcists before others noticed they were very clearly mind controlled?"
Uzume's eyes slowly open all the way, as she simply stares at me.
"Nori." She begins, nigh on fully awake now, and most definitely not pleased by that fact, "Why."
"Well, you know Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi, right?" I click my tongue while saying the blade's full and true name, yeah, never doing that again, "The Kusanagi Sword." I correct aptly, despite how odd it feels.
Uzume rolls her eyes at me, "Of course I know about it." Before huffing and sliding off her bed…she was pretty much completely naked.
Not at all shocked, and I don't particularly care at the moment.
She continues about as unperturbed as I am, "I was there when Susan," she snickers a brief moment, "gave the sword to your mother. I remember she really liked the blade too…" she adopts a slight frown, "shame what happened to it. Nor that we don't know where it is now."
I blink at that.
Did…did she not tell Uzume about where the sword is? Granted, her letter didn't say when she found the location, but I assume she's known for at least a little while, no?
Then why not?
Well, I guess that's being left to me.
"St. Mary's Cathedral in Tokyo." I suddenly state.
Uzume stops right in the middle of putting on a very thin robe that really shouldn't count as proper clothing, before slowly turning to me.
"...what? What about that place?" She prods, confused.
And so, I elaborate, "That's where the broken sword is currently at."
Uzume stares at me, the slight bags under her amethyst eyes make her stare seem…a little crazed.
All of a sudden, she strides toward me, and grabs my face, cupping it with her hands as she looks me dead in the eye.
Oh, yeah, there is a little crazy in there, would you look at that?
"...Where did you hear that from?" She asked, softly yet demandingly.
I reached up, grabbed her wrists, and slowly made her unhand me, holding her still before I started speaking again.
"...Mom told me." I answered plainly.
Uzume blinked at me, several times, "H-Huh…but she…really?"
I nodded, slowly, "Yeah. Yeah, she did."
"But that's…she never…" She gazed off, looking lost, before suddenly snapping back into the now with a growing frown, "It's…been in Tokyo. This whole time!?" She hisses, and her aura flares.
In the past, I've seen glimpses of her power, and I've always been able to sense it in its suppressed state.
Back then, she likely would have sent me flying with a flex, nowadays though?
Uzume's aura explodes forth, and I maintain my grip on her wrists with ease, even as the multicolored waves of Holy Spirit Power roll off her like rays of fresh dawn light.
Nowadays, it's much more like a light show…an, admittedly, very pretty light show.
It was like someone took everything that made a sunrise beautiful, and jammed it into her aura. Every color, every sparkle, every dazzling shine.
If she put this on full blast and started dancing, I could see why my mother would come crawling out of her girl failure cave.
Unfortunately though, in the grand scheme, Uzume isn't very strong. Loki probably could've beaten her had they ever met or fought.
It makes sense really, Uzume isn't a warrior deity. None of what she does is battle-worthy, and although she's known, compared to say Inari…well, she may as well not exist.
All that's to say, even as I stand in her aura going full blast…I'm not particularly worried.
In fact, I'm not affected at all.
Instead, I merely pull her right up against me, free one of my hands by letting go of one of her wrists, and with that newly freed hand.
"EEP!?"
Slap her right on the hiney. Like one would a baby.
She freezes up, her body doing a full shiver, and her aura abruptly shuts off like one would water from a faucet.
"Enough of that now," I chastise down at her, "you're gonna scare the girls if you keep that up."
She winces, "Sorry, it's just, Nori!" she grabs my shoulders, "It's just so…ugh! Tokyo! Right there!? Of all places!?"
Her aura sparks around her as she fumes, barely contained.
"If I had known…" She grumbles and trails off, her threat unspoken yet clear.
Yeah, I think I know why no one told her anything about this, damn.
I raise an eyebrow down at her, "Well, now that you do know, you're still not going to do anything…brash, alright?" I hold my palm slowly, "Or else I'll spank you like you're a child throwing a temper tantrum."
"E-Eh!? N-Now hold on!" She stutters, trying to pull and get away…and failing, "Eheh…there's no need for that! I'll be good! Okay? Okay!"
I glare down at her steadily.
She chuckles, nervously.
Eventually, I sighed, and let her go, giving her the chance to breathe a sigh of relief.
"We're not storming the place and bringing it down before making off with the sword bits," I continue, crossing my arms, "I had this idea, of using my eyes to trick priests or exorcists into either giving up the sword willing, or telling where it is exactly in the cathedral, allowing me to sneak in and grab the pieces."
"...Oh." She also crosses her arms, but for her, it's to pout, "Couldn't you-"
"No." I interrupted her, "I'm not gonna blow up the place on the way out, either."
Her pout grew several fold.
"Ideally," I continued, rubbing my eyes in slight irritation, "they wouldn't notice the sword bits are even gone, because I'm not just going to take the sword, I'm going to leave a fake behind." I smirk, "It'll be like the thing never left."
Uzume hummed at that, turning and looking at me intently, "...How can you be sure they won't tell the distance."
"Well," I sit next to her, hand settling on my chin in thought, "they haven't been able to fix the sword, right? Everybody knows that."
Uzume nods in agreement, so I go on.
"If I had to assume, that's probably because they aren't exactly skilled at working with Holy Spirit Power." I speculate, "Because they aren't, I figure that as long as I make something close enough to the original in appearance and feel, they won't notice."
Uzume tilts her head in consideration, "...that would require you to sneak in at least twice, or mind whammy certain people at least twice."
"Yeah, neither of which is ideal, I'll admit. Though what with the place being under renovations…" I muse, trailing off as I do.
"If it's going under renovations, they could have moved the sword to a temporary location for safekeeping." Uzume holds up a finger to note.
I click my tongue at that.
That would be the most likely case, but it's the Church, so I'd give it equal odds they kept the thing in place, just under more guard to compensate.
Though, it would be best to not have to guess at all in the situation, because it could also be a trap, or something else.
Granted, in her letter, she said she could sense the thing there…
Still, better be safe than sorry…and start a war and all that.
"To figure out all that, definitively, most definitely going to need to mind whammy someone." I reiterate, "Which brings me back to my original question…" I trail off, turning and raising an eyebrow directly at her.
Uzume shook her head in exacerbation, "And here I was, thinking you were just talking nonsense again…okay, let's see." She taps her finger against her chin, "Mental manipulation is used commonly by Vampires and Devils, and Humans are always susceptible to it, so they have protocols specifically for catching and detecting such spells…especially for the higher ranked members." She looked at me intently.
"So…I need to find someone in the middle of the pact, then?" I try, and she nods to that.
"Yeah, they wouldn't know everything you need, sure, but they'd be the best to draw from to at least start getting what you need on your own. I'd say, at best…" She hums, thoughtful, "You could get away with mind-whammying someone twice…maybe three times? Depends on the target, and how smart you are about it."
She smiles, and pokes my nose, "For instance, mind whammying a priest after they've been secretly getting blackout drunk at a bar? Easy to get away with, they wouldn't question the gaps in their memory then…but jumping a guy right after work…?" She trails off, expectantly.
I chuckle and push her finger away, "Yeah yeah, I got it. Don't be an idiot, and I have some breathing room."
…Does this mean I have to start stalking priests now?
That's going to get really weird real quick.
I better not find anything freaky, or shit, I might start killing.
Accidentally, of course.
Wait a minute…I could just make my clones do that shit for me!
In the meantime.
I stand up, "Well, this is certainly a start, Uzume…get some actual clothes on," her pout returns, which I ignore easily, "and let's take this to the living room and see if there's anything else to think about."
Now at that, the purple-haired goddess smiles almost…devilishly.
"...Still no exploding things." I tact on before turning away.
"Awwww! Come on! Norrriiii!" Uzume exclaims and whines behind me, as I cackle and walk away.
Ah…this is going to be a productive evening, I think.