"W-what now?" I managed, still reeling from his sudden decisiveness. Buddha snorted as he stood up. "Yes, now. No point in holding this off." He made his way past me, out the door, with me scrambling to follow.
"What about Ragnarök? What if I'm needed?" I called after him.
He scoffed. "You weren't supposed to be here in the first place. Whether or not Humanity wins, I'll make sure they survive."
I frowned, a nagging thought pulling at me. "I have something to do before we leave."
He nodded casually, "Meet me in the garden when you're done."
I made my way toward where the Shinto Pantheon was staying. As I approached, the guards nodded. "You're expected."
'Does she know?' I wondered as I entered the chamber. Amaterasu sat at a table, tea already poured. "Judging by your expression, you're here to say goodbye?"
'Mind reading?'
"I can't read minds" she chuckled, "Call it a woman's intuition. I've lived a long time. Now, sit."
I lowered myself into the seat across from her and picked up the cup of tea, my hands feeling oddly clumsy. "Before you go, I would like to give you my blessing."
I nearly choked. "W-why would you do that?" The thought of receiving a blessing from a deity was surprising enough, but especially from her. We had barely spoken. And while not every god hated humans, most didn't go out of their way to bless them at this moment.
She chuckled. "You've made me laugh, something I haven't done in a long time. You remind me of someone I once knew. And it's no great ordeal to grant you a blessing."
I wasn't convinced, but she continued. "It won't last forever. Where you're going, it'll likely fade, and if you find someone worthy of it, pass it on."
I sighed, weighing the offer. A blessing was better than none. "Alright" I nodded.
"Fantastic. Let's begin, shall we?"
She stood, moving behind me. As she pulled my shirt off, I felt her warm hand touch my back. "Stay still, this may burn a little."
Burn was an understatement. It felt like molten lava coursed through my veins. I grit my teeth, trying not to wince, until the sensation finally subsided.
"And done," she said, stepping back. "Take a look." She handed me a small mirror.
A red tattoo now circled my neck, shaped like a ring of flames. "Very stylish, no?" she teased.
I touched the mark. 'Warm.' It pulsed gently under my fingers. Amaterasu sat back down, gesturing for me to listen.
"It pulls in lifeforce from the sun's rays. A very small amount, but enough to help with your... problem," she said, cutting me off before I could ask how she knew.
"You'll also gain a slight increase in strength and an affinity for anything fire related. That's it." She smiled lightly, watching my reaction.
'Basic, but the lifeforce part is amazing for now.'
I nodded, getting up to leave. "Thank you."
"Oh, one more thing."
I turned back as Amaterasu approached and leaned down, giving me a light kiss on the forehead.
'What...?'
"A little good luck charm for your journey ahead" she winked.
I made my way to where Buddha was waiting. He was casually leaning on the grass, as if he hadn't just fought an intense battle. 'I still can't believe this guy is Buddha.'
"Yo~ you're finally here," he called out, lazily waving a hand. "I thought I was going to die of boredom. You ready?"
He got up, brushing off his clothes like we were about to take a stroll instead of… whatever this was.
"Ready as I'll ever be" I muttered. "So, what do I need to do?"
Buddha smirked, summoning his Divine weapon out of thin air. The sight of it made me instinctively take a step back.
"Oh nothing~ Just stay there lookin' pretty." He twirled the weapon effortlessly, his tone way too casual for comfort.
I took another step back, unease creeping in. 'I'm not in full condition to run, and even if Buddha isn't either… I'm screwed if this goes sideways.' "What are you doing with that, Buddha?"
He spun the weapon like it was a toy, then suddenly rushed me with lightning speed, stopping just short of impact. It felt like we were back to chatting about the weather, except for the giant blade inches from my chest.
"Stab you~" he said with a grin.
And he did.
"Fuc-!" was all I managed to choke out before everything around me dissolved into a burst of lights.
The next thing I knew, I was falling face-first into solid cement.
"Fuck you" I groaned, my voice muffled by the ground.
Once I'd gotten up and dusted myself off, I took stock of my surroundings. I was in an alleyway, the walls grimy with signs of wear. 'Concrete means modern, right?' I muttered to myself, taking a deep breath to settle my spinning head.
That's when I noticed the wooden pendant lying next to me, with Buddha's face carved into it. I picked it up and flipped it over, finding a note inscribed on the back:
[Yo Ryou! Sorry if I scared you, but it was pretty funny, right? Anyway~ this pendant charges with magic, both ambient and your own, sweet, huh? It shouldn't take long to charge for each world. Oh, and it binds to you once you put it on, so no one can steal it! Good luck! – The Honored One.]
I stared at the inscription, resisting the urge to toss the thing across the alley. With a sigh, I looped it around my neck, feeling the pendant hum faintly as it settled against my chest. 'Let's hope he wasn't joking about the "no stealing" part.'
I stepped out of the alley and was immediately smacked in the face by a flying newspaper. Ripping it off, I scanned the front page for the date.
Year 2171.
'Fantastic.'
I probably should've waited until night. I could feel eyes on me as I walked through the city. The people I passed seemed anxious, which, I suppose, made sense. Then there were the ones stalking me, who I now identified as Heroes.
I figured it out when I looked around, Heroes were everywhere. Billboards, paintings, ads on the sides of buildings, and even stores selling different figurines. 'My Hero Academia, the anime where fans go crazy over the smallest details. And where killing is frowned upon.'
I crossed the street, scanning for the cheapest place to eat. I wasn't too worried if they lost their minds and decided to attack me for how I looked. I wasn't at full strength, maybe around thirty to forty percent. But it should be enough to knock someone over the head if needed.
Finding a cheap spot wasn't hard, and stealing small amounts of money from people I passed was even easier. Never much, just enough. I entered a small udon stall.
"What'll ya have, sonny?" the old man behind the counter asked.
"I'll take the cheapest bowl of udon you've got, old man." I paid him, and he shuffled off to prepare the order.
I sat down at one of the seats, glancing around as I waited. That's when two people walked in. One wore a red qipao, and the other a blue, skin-tight bodysuit. The Dragoon Hero: Ryukyu, and "Nejire-chan." 'With all the talking she does in the anime, you'd think she'd come up with a better name.'
The old man told them there weren't any open tables unless they wanted to share with someone. They agreed, and the man directed them to my table.
He asked if it was alright. "Not like I own the table, old man. Know when the food's coming?"
He laughed and promised it wouldn't be long before walking away. The heroines sat down across from me.
"Sorry about this, sir, but as you can see, there aren't any open tables," Ryukyu said politely.
My eye twitched. 'Sir? Do I look that old?'
"It's fine. People need to eat," I replied, shrugging.
Just then, someone hurried over with my bowl of udon, dropping it off before running back to the kitchen. I wasted no time, digging in. 'Feels like I haven't eaten in years.'