Kazuki walked leisurely along the sidewalk, occasionally tossing peanuts into his mouth. Beside him, Reiji had both hands tucked into his jacket pockets, his face as cold as ever.
"Oi, Reiji, doesn't today feel weird?" Kazuki chewed as he gazed up at the clear sky.
Reiji glanced at him briefly before looking straight ahead again.
"You always think something feels weird, Kazuki."
"Hah? I'm serious this time! I feel like we're being watched." Kazuki darted his eyes left and right, searching for anything suspicious.
Before Reiji could respond, a golden light suddenly enveloped them. The world around them vanished in an instant, and before they could react, they found themselves in a completely different place.
Kazuki fell onto a cold white marble floor, while Reiji remained standing with his usual blank expression, though his eyes narrowed slightly as he tried to grasp the situation.
"Damn, what the hell is this?" Kazuki got up, patting the dust off his pants, still confused.
Before them stretched a grand hall. Towering golden pillars lined the room, and the walls were adorned with paintings of majestic and dignified gods. However, the most striking sight was the old man in a loose white robe, sitting on a golden throne in the center of the hall.
The old man smiled broadly, his white beard swaying as he chuckled.
"Finally, you've arrived! I've been waiting for you two!" His voice was friendly, but there was something suspicious in his gaze.
"Oi, old man. Who are you, and why are we here?" Kazuki asked bluntly.
The old man stroked his beard before raising his hand dramatically.
"I am the god who watches over this world! And I have summoned you to save it from the Demon King!"
For a moment, silence filled the room.
Kazuki and Reiji exchanged glances.
"Hah?" Kazuki frowned.
"So you kidnapped us without permission just to deal with another world's problem?" Reiji added in a flat tone.
The god chuckled.
"You will be granted power! You can become heroes! This world needs you!"
Kazuki scoffed, crossing his arms.
"Listen, I don't care about this world. If you're really a god, why don't you deal with the Demon King yourself?"
The god laughed awkwardly and scratched his head.
"Well, I can't interfere too much... cosmic rules and all that..."
"Oh, so you just want to make other people do your dirty work?" Kazuki was starting to lose his patience.
Meanwhile, Reiji remained silent, simply observing from the side.
"This is bullshit! I don't care who you are! Do you think you can control other people's lives as you please? You pervy, shrimp-brained old geezer! You probably just want to see cute girls fawning over the hero you choose, you damn lecherous god! Why don't you find someone else?!" Kazuki began spewing insults without restraint.
The god's face started turning red with anger. The veins on his forehead tensed, but Kazuki showed no signs of stopping. In fact, he became even more fired up after seeing the god's irritated expression.
"Oi, old man! I bet the only reason you won't defeat the Demon King yourself is that you're useless! Maybe you're just a low-rank god pretending to be important! Or maybe you're a god who's already been fired! Ah, or maybe you can't do anything because this world has stopped believing in you?!"
The god clenched his fists, his face now completely red like a boiled crab. His hands trembled with rage, but Kazuki's words kept hammering down on him like a relentless storm.
"You know what else? I've seen tons of NPCs like you in cheap games. An old man who appears at the start, gives out a crappy quest, and then disappears right after the first arc! You must be one of those gods who only talk big but run away the moment real danger appears, using 'cosmic rules' as an excuse!"
Kazuki grinned widely, enjoying every second of his rant. Beside him, Reiji crossed his arms, his expression still cold, but his eyes gleamed with interest. He had never seen someone dare to insult a god like this before.
Truly fitting for his best friend—always able to surprise him.
"Kazuki, you really have no sense of fear, do you?" Reiji commented casually, but he made no effort to stop him.
"Why should I be afraid?" Kazuki laughed. "He's just an old god who can't do anything but spew nonsense!"
The god finally snapped. With a thundering voice, he roared.
"You!! Insolent human!! I won't let this insult slide!!"
With a wave of his hand, a golden light engulfed Kazuki. His body felt hot, then cold, then... strange. A drastic change coursed through him, and before he could fully grasp what was happening, he found himself on the floor, sitting with his now small hands supporting his body.
"Oi, what the hell did you do to me, you stupid—" Kazuki's voice suddenly sounded softer, higher. Something was wrong.
Reiji looked at Kazuki with slightly widened eyes, then slowly grinned.
"Oh? This... is interesting."
Kazuki frowned and immediately felt something off about his body. He looked at his hands—smaller, softer. Then, as he moved his head, a few strands of long, white hair fell in front of his eyes. He quickly touched his head and felt something furry and soft—fox ears. With trembling hands, he turned around and saw a thick, fluffy white tail swaying behind him.
"W-Wait... WHAT IS THIS?! WHY DO I LOOK LIKE THIS?!" Kazuki screamed in panic.
The god laughed triumphantly, crossing his arms with a smug expression.
"Hah! That's what you get for your big mouth, insolent brat! I've cursed you into a cute and beautiful fox girl! Enjoy your new life!"
Kazuki stared at the god in shock and fury.
"You bastard! Turn me back, you crazy old man!!"
The god smirked even wider.
"Not only that! I've also removed your fox bloodline and replaced it with healing abilities! But of course, I added a little fun side effect!"
Kazuki froze.
"...What side effect?" His voice was filled with suspicion.
The god chuckled mischievously.
"The worse the injuries you heal... the more aroused you'll feel!"
Silence.
Kazuki, who had just started coming to terms with being a fox girl, completely froze. His eye twitched, and his face turned beet red.
"YOU PERVERTED OLD MAN!! DO YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY?! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU, YOU SHRIMP-BRAINED GOD!!"
He tried to lunge at the god, but his new body was smaller and lighter, making his movements much slower than before. The god only laughed heartily as he watched Kazuki struggle in frustration.
Meanwhile, Reiji simply stood to the side, watching with amused eyes. He looked Kazuki up and down, then smirked.
"Kazuki, you're really cute now."
Kazuki snapped his head toward him, his face growing even redder.
"Shut up, you bastard! If you laugh, I'll kill you too!"
Reiji let out a small chuckle.
"Hahaha... Sorry, sorry. But honestly, this is pretty entertaining."
Kazuki growled, his ears twitching in anger. He wanted to vent his rage, but his new body felt too small to do anything.
"Listen, old man! You can't just leave things like this! I swear, I'll find a way to return to my original body, and when that happens, I'll beat the crap out of you!"
The god simply chuckled.
"Feel free to try, brat. But for now, enjoy your new life!"
With a wave of his hand, a bright white light surrounded Kazuki. In an instant, he was gone from the divine hall.