Chapter 13: Japanese Showbiz & Mexican Gods
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A bit later, I and Ruby were dressed in our uniforms as we sat at the dining table and ate. Tsubasa was there too today, dressed as well, and Ai was sitting on a chair beside her.
"But mama~ if even Onii-Chan is starting his career, what about me?"
While Ruby certainly found it very funny that I was going to be tortured through this thing, she also felt left behind. Though I had an urge to correct her that this was not the start of my career, because this will never be my career, I held back the urge and ate breakfast.
"You know my classmates were asking me what I do… Some even made fun of me because I was attending the Performing Arts Program without actually having anything going on in my name. Oh! Did I tell you I met Shiranui Frill? She didn't recognize me either…"
Ai gave Ruby a hesitant smile. "Ah, Ruby baby, your case and your brother's are a bit different…"
"But I wanna! Mama!" She jumped from the table and went around to hug Ai from behind. "Make me an idol already!"
I stared at her antics with deadpan eyes, noticing that she stuck her tongue out at me. How silly.
Ai was sweating as she chewed on her lip, and it lasted until Tsubasa joined and took Ruby's side. "I mean, Ai-san, you started at the age of 12, right? I don't see an issue if Ruby debuts at 15."
Ai sighed with a defeated look. "Fine. I… kind of wish you didn't want to be an idol; it has its downsides. However, since you have a wish, your mama will grant it."
Ai didn't want her daughter to be stalked and potentially killed, is what she meant. Ruby woke up that day after I passed out after healing Ai, but neither of us ever told her what had truly happened when she was asleep. So, oblivious as she was, she grinned widely at Ai's words and kissed her.
"I love you! Mwah!"
"Mhm, silly girl, finish your food. Aqua, darling, look how you inspired your sister to start her own career too. Ahaha, come on, smile a little."
My deadpan stare, as I munched on food, shifted from Ruby and to Ai as the mother-daughter pair began to giggle at whatever they found funny.
What is this? Unbelievable.
Hah, indeed, the world is harsh for kind souls such as I, living hard lives while always getting taken advantage of.
* * *
After we ate breakfast, we left for school. Ruby tried to mess with me on the way, but a spank in public made her shut up. Tsubasa was a bit worried about the whole ordeal, though, unsure if I will make a fool out of myself, but I told her to rest assured.
She mistook my oblivious little boy to act to her as a real trait. Haah, I couldn't help but shame my head. She had no idea I had stolen her heart without even trying.
I paused on my way. We were right around the school and the road was filled with cherry blossom trees on either side. The rosy leaves fell and I couldn't help but look at the sky with a sigh.
"Once again, I've stolen a maiden's heart without her realizing."
Sometimes it was hard to live life with my uncontrollable charisma. Though I suppose in the dating show, I'll have to take a bit of an active approach. Maybe I will use my personality from Sorcerer of Eternity life there, back then I used to take daughters from Kings and Emperors as payment for my help. On a second thought, nevermind, that'd be an overkill. I'll just flirt normally.
I caught up to the two girls who were already inside the school and went our own way to our classrooms.
….
Classes went without any issues. After the homeroom ended, Shizuka sensei came near my seat and asked if everything was going well. She did give me the heavy duty of taking care of another student, so perhaps she thought should keep tabs on me.
I and Shoko told her everything was going well, and she seemed pleased with that. A few hours later, lunch break happened, and I was surprised when someone came to look for me.
"Hey, Aqua!"
From the door of the classroom, Tsubasa waved her hand at me. The other classmates turned to look at her, the boys shockingly staring at her massive chest, while I waved back.
Why's she here? I wondered for a moment while I was already making my way to her while Shoko followed me.
"What's up?"
"Let's eat together. Ah, this must be Shoko, right?"
I think I told her and Ruby earlier that I would like to eat alone today, yet Tsubasa was here. Perhaps she was too curious about Shoko whom I told her about yesterday.
Oh well. It was unavoidable, they'd have met later anyway.
"Let's get out of here first," I told them and walked out of the classroom, making our way to the backyard of the school.
While walking past the hallways, I talked to Shoko and Tsubasa simultaneously with my voice and hands.
[–Her name is Tsubasa Saitou. She is the daughter of my uncle, my cousin. She's in 2nd year of the General Program.] I told Shoko, who nodded rapidly.
"Her name is Shoko Nishiyama, she is my classmate. Cute girl, deaf by birth, teacher told me to take care of her, but I like her so it's not a bother, you know the rest." I said to Tsubasa who just listened with a smile.
"She's cute," Tsubasa said. "Ahh, sadly I don't know sign language, I'd have loved to communicate with her more directly. When did you learn it, though?"
"A long time ago."
Shoko chimed in. [–What is she saying?]
[–She's calling you cute.] I said, seeing no point in lying. Shoko blinked, blushing, and Tsubasa turned to look at me surprised.
"D-did you just tell her what I said?"
"Just the first bit." I shrugged.
"Naughty, you shouldn't have. Now I feel embarrassed." She walked around from my right side and to my left, beside Shoko. She took out a small notebook and pen. Oh, she came here prepared. "Here, we don't need Aqua anymore, we can talk using this. Ah, Aqua, one last translation please."
I raised an eyebrow at her but told Shoko about it anyway. She quickly nodded, taking the notebook from Tsubasa, and smiled.
The rest of the day went smoothly. I told Shoko about my acting gig that was forced upon me, and she seemed really excited about it. She said she was excited to see me on television… and regretted that she won't be able to hear my voice, and asked me in a pleading voice if there would be subtitles for the show. I didn't know, but I told her there would be.
Though perhaps there won't be any need for subtitles, at the rate my emotions were progressing.
Other than that, I was really expecting a Devil to come to meet me by now, I did get stronger overnight, but if they could sense it they didn't show it, and so I was left alone for another day.
I didn't mind that, I preferred that. At least for today, I did. Because I'll have to go act on a stupid Dating Reality Show after school ends, I preferred some space before that. Unfortunately, that time came soon, and I found myself on the filming set in no time.
* * *
[Third Person Point of View]
Countless dimensions were interconnected with Earth, belonging to pantheons of Gods both large and small. For a mortal magician to enter them, they'd have to find the gate, if it's in an underworld then the gate is located on the surface, but if it's a heaven, the gate can be found in the sky.
In the vast sky of Central Mexico, a very experienced Space Mage would be able to find the gate to Topan, the Thirteen-Layered Heaven of the Aztec Pantheon.
Each layer held countless souls and also Gods, taken by the Gods based on their divinity type. The first heaven, for example, titled the Ilhuicatl-Meztli, which means the Sky Where the Moon Moves, is taken by Lunar Gods and Weather Gods.
The 9th Heaven, Ilhuicatl-Teoiztac, which means the Region of White, is taken by the King of Gods and Dragon, Quetzalcoatl.
This realm was shrouded by a purely white sky, with luminous stars spread across. The clouds in this realm were golden and green, as was the endless forest that existed there. The entire forest surrounded only one thing, a fortress of white marble, tall enough to touch the sky.
Quetzalcoatl allowed only her servants to live in this palace. The Tzitzimitls were the servants who lived in the palace with the duty to serve their lord. They were all minor divinities, Gods so to speak; the majority of them perform day-to-day tasks while some hold the power to destroy human cities.
One such guy was the Jaguar Warrior. Built like a unit, he walked through the hallways and approached the room of the Lord of this realm. He stopped in front of a large door and paused for a moment before knocking on the door.
"Come in~"
A sweet voice came, and Jaguar Warrior pushed the door open. He walked in and paused, finding the Lord, the God in Spirit, Quetzalcoatl herself, in a not-very-respectful attire.
Her long blonde hair fell on the loose shirt, a common human cloth in this era, that she was wearing. The shirt was loose, but not loose enough because it wrapped around her large breasts alluringly. The fabric reached down to her waist, and she was wearing nothing under, from the looks of it. She crossed her leg to cover her privates and looked at him with her emerald eyes while lying on the bed.
[Image Here]
Jaguar Warrior closed his eyes, sighed in his head, and bowed. "You summoned me, lord? Beyond that, I must comment that you shouldn't get that comfortable wearing such a thing. It doesn't suit you, in my humble opinion."
In his opinion, who was wearing an armor made out of a Jaguar hood, something more beastly would suit her. The Goddess was too influenced by modern human culture, perhaps that was to be expected because she spent her time in her room in front of her computer or phone all day long.
"My my, you're questioning my choice of clothes now? You've come far." As usual, the Goddess' voice was as ethereal as that of a seductress, yet at the same time that of a mother.
But Jaguar Warrior was not fooled by that. He recalled that day when he saw the true form of this being, a serpentine dragon that dwarfed mountains, who went toe-to-toe against his previous Lord, the Jaguar God of Night who was Quetzalcoatl's rival.
Quetzalcoatl won. But instead of taking the Jaguar God Tezcatlipoca's life, however, she claimed Tezcatlipoca's strongest avatar for herself. That was him, who didn't even have a name anymore and was simply known as the Jaguar Man. It had been a long time since that incident.
That smiling and cheerful appearance was not to be fooled with. That woman was the King of the Aztec Gods, even God Kings from other Pantheons such as Zeus and Odin wouldn't want to fight her.
"My apologies, lord." Jaguar Man kept his head down and apologized for his brass tone.
"No, it's fine. Stand up." She waved her hand at him. "I have a job for you."
Of course she did. He was her first pick for anything. She showed him off like a trophy by giving him any job she could.
"What is it, lord?"
The Goddess leaned her back on two soft pillows. "You remember the Box of Xolotl? That went missing a few dozen years ago?"
"Yes? What about it?"
Xolotl was the Dog God of Death, he was the brother of Quetzalcoatl. A few dozen years ago, a box belonging to him had gone missing. There was a big uproar from that incident, but the box was never found.
"That box's location was recently found. A devil, from the Three Factions, had it. We are unsure how, but it seems that he stole it using some method. He died a few days ago and that's when the veil that he was using to keep the box hidden was undone. We were alerted about the location right away, but we didn't make a move since it was in the Devil's Underworld."
It'd have been more trouble than worth it if they invaded the Devil's Underworld for it. Even if it was very important.
"Then?"
"Then, as I said he was killed, and the box was picked up by the guy who killed him. Turns out it was his subordinate. You know about the concept of Stray Devils, right? It's one of those cases. The Stray fled to the human world, and now we are ready to go retrieve it. It was last seen in Japan last time, and oddly, its trail is gone now."
Jaguar Warrior frowned, hearing her out as she ended the speech with an order.
"I want you to go down there in Japan and bring the box back. Oh, two sisters of two Satans are there, be careful not to hurt them unless necessary. Other than that, destroy anybody, shred blood, but you have to bring the box back here."
That was a sudden order, to go to Japan of all places, but an order it was. With another bow, Jaguar Warrior promised.
"As you wish. I'll be back with the box as soon as possible."
For a second, he wondered in whose possession it was currently. However, soon he decided it didn't matter. He would go and retrieve the box, and if there was any form of resistance, he would simply destroy the source.
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Master4thWall Note: Sad, failed the goal this time too. I'll lower it a bit again, this time we go for 2555 powerstones! If we reach that mark in the next 24 hours, I'll post two chapters at once! Vote!!
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