"I am the goddess in charge of reincarnation for Japan. How did you all end up here?"
"There are no records of you living in Japan in Heaven's registry… or did someone make a mistake and dump you here by accident?"
After introducing herself with her hands on her hips, Aqua stared at Setsuna and his group for a long time.
"Who exactly are you people?"
"First of all, we are not from Japan. Secondly, we are not reincarnated souls."
Shua—
Setsuna projected the Hyperdimensional Star Map in front of Aqua, explaining their origins.
"Beyond the many different worlds managed by Heaven, there exists an even vaster multiverse."
"We come from one of those worlds—one not governed by the goddesses of Heaven…"
...
Ten minutes later—
"Ababa…"
Aqua's brain overloaded, and she fell into deep thought.
Propping her chin on one hand, she pretended to ponder seriously for a long while.
When Tohru thought she must have been completely stunned, Aqua suddenly looked enlightened.
"Oh~~~"
"So you're not dead?!"
She reached out to pat Griseo's head in relief.
"Such a cute child… it'd be such a pity if she died young because of an accident."
"?"
A question mark appeared above Griseo's head.
Bonk—
Setsuna knocked Aqua on the head.
"Can you please watch your words?!"
Talking to her was seriously exhausting.
Aqua was kind by nature, but her brain circuits were far too unique. Most of the time, she spoke or acted without thinking, making her appear… not very smart.
"..."
"Tch—You dare hit me?"
She rubbed her head, thought for a moment, then decided to let it slide. After all, they outnumbered her.
"So? You're from another world—not demons, not angels—then why are you here?"
Aqua sat back down in her chair, crossing her legs and looking seriously at Setsuna.
To a goddess of Heaven, the existence of people from other worlds was still somewhat acceptable.
Then she glanced at Tohru, who exuded a faintly sinister aura, and nervously added a few more words:
"Hey, I'll warn you first—this is Heaven. If you try anything improper with me, the other goddesses will come to help."
"They're way stronger than I am! Some are even goddesses of war who specialize in beating people up…"
"..."
Setsuna almost burst out laughing.
Her divine senses were indeed sharp—she'd already noticed that the dragon girl wasn't exactly harmless.
"We mean no harm," he replied calmly.
"To put it simply, I'm here to expand our territory and recruit companions."
He projected a seat for himself, sat down in front of Aqua, and handed her a tablet.
"Want to visit another world? Here, take a look."
"Eh?"
Aqua curiously tapped on the tablet.
There were all sorts of things inside—informational files about the Starsea Empire for new members, as well as games, movies, and comics.
Back in Heaven, Aqua had always been fascinated by Earth's entertainment culture. She often used her divine powers to secretly smuggle manga and games into Heaven.
She even had Eris store everything she brought up there.
But the things Setsuna provided were far beyond Earth's level—the holographic games and movies were things Aqua had never even imagined.
She randomly tapped one, and a vivid three-dimensional image instantly projected before her eyes.
"Wah?!"
Aqua was startled by the lifelike holographic projection, nearly jumping out of her chair.
"Amazing! I think Earthlings called this a computer, right? But this one's way more fun than the ones on Earth!"
The goddess played with it, utterly fascinated.
Sometimes she launched a holographic movie; other times, she played games.
She completely ignored Setsuna's group—and didn't even care that a whole line of souls awaiting reincarnation was still waiting behind her.
"..."
"Fun, isn't it? Addictive, right? Never seen anything like it, huh?"
Setsuna leaned closer, raising an eyebrow.
"Ahem—"
Aqua hurriedly hid the tablet and sat up straight.
"I told you to look at the Starsea Empire's data, not play games," Setsuna said flatly.
He sighed inwardly. She really was hopeless.
Setsuna opened some materials about the Empire and began explaining them to Aqua.
"The Starsea Empire is an interstellar civilization that spans the multiverse, managing countless worlds just like you do."
"Of course, our control over our vassal worlds is far stronger than Heaven's. There's no chance of enemies arising that could threaten us."
"Oh…"
Aqua was impressed by what she saw.
"That's why I hope to cooperate with this Heaven—to recruit a few goddesses to our side, and while we're at it, develop the isekai worlds under your jurisdiction."
"Don't you think it's boring for goddesses to stay here working every day? And besides, the worlds you manage always have problems—like demon kings popping up every now and then…"
"Just right for us—we can help other goddesses handle those issues. Many in the Empire's bases have too much free time and want to go adventuring in other worlds."
Before arriving, Setsuna had already learned all about this world's structure.
Nominally, goddesses of Heaven held very high status, possessing divine powers and eternal youth.
But doing the same routine work every day, many of them felt bored and lonely.
Aqua often went down to Earth to collect entertainment goods, Eris descended to play in her own world, and there were certainly plenty of other goddesses who couldn't stand the solitude.
With just a bit of effort, they could easily be persuaded to join.
"Hm?"
As expected, Aqua's interest was piqued.
"So you also have many worlds on your side?"
"Of course. And far more diverse than Heaven's—there are sword-and-magic worlds like this one, ocean worlds, high-tech civilizations, even Gundam universes…"
Setsuna guided her patiently.
"Hmm… but wait! Heaven has strict rules. A goddess cannot neglect her duties—we all have our assigned worlds to manage."
"Goddesses are responsible for guiding world development and maintaining peace and order…"
Although she was clearly tempted, Aqua suddenly shook her head firmly.
No matter how scatterbrained she might be, she hadn't forgotten her identity as a goddess.
"Don't worry—you can entrust the worlds to me. I guarantee I'll manage them better than you do."
Setsuna had already anticipated this response.
"Huh?"
"Entrust… the world?"
Aqua blinked in confusion, hearing yet another advanced term from him.
"Of course. We have plenty of experience managing vassal worlds. Not only can we help them develop rapidly, but we also ensure no Demon Kings or world-ending threats arise."
"Even if one does, it'll be efficiently and completely eliminated the moment it appears. Our Sophon monitoring system can detect and neutralize Demon Kings at the embryonic stage."
Setsuna replied calmly.
"For real?"
Aqua wasn't sure where his confidence came from.
Her divine intuition told her that the man before her wasn't lying—but what he said was far too outlandish.
After a moment of hesitation, inspiration struck her.
"About cooperating with Heaven—that's not something I can decide on my own. I'll need to consult the others…"
"But before that, you'll have to do me a favor."
Aqua stood up, hands on her hips, staring at Setsuna.
"You said your people can easily defeat Demon Kings and manage worlds, right?"
"I just happen to have a friend—no, a junior—whose world is in trouble. Can you deal with it?"
"If you can defeat that world's Demon King, I'll believe your words and help you contact the other goddesses."
Pfft—
Setsuna couldn't help but laugh.
"The junior you're talking about… is it Eris?"
"You even know that?" Aqua exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with rare intelligence.
Eris was indeed another goddess of Heaven, Aqua's junior, and the one in charge of the world where the KonoSuba story took place.
That world had produced a Demon King, causing its monsters to grow stronger. As a result, the number of humans dying in that world skyrocketed—so much so that most refused to reincarnate there again. Human population continued to decline.
To prevent extinction, Heaven had begun transferring people who died young in other worlds into Eris's world, granting them divine blessings to defeat the Demon King.
Of course, Setsuna had already planned to go there. He intended to recruit some of the girls from that world anyway—and it would be the perfect chance for Fu Hua, Griseo, and Tohru to warm up and have some fun.
"I accept."
Setsuna agreed readily.
"Excellent."
Aqua was quite satisfied with Setsuna's straightforwardness.
"Then…"
She summoned up her divine presence and power.
Raising both hands, she floated gracefully into the air, her entire body wrapped in sacred light.
Holy and elegant.
"From this day forward, you shall be my champion—Aqua, Goddess of Water's Hero."
"I will send you to another world to defeat the evil Demon King."
"That world's long peace has been shattered by the Demon King's army. People struggle to survive while monsters rampage freely—the citizens live under constant terror and bloodshed…"
She recited the standard lines for summoning a hero, doing her best to maintain the dignity befitting a goddess.
"Speak, hero—what do you wish to take with you to that world?"
"Even though you're from another realm, the rules remain the same. We must bestow a divine artifact upon a hero who fights against a Demon King."
"Be it a holy sword, enchanted armor, or an ancient grimoire—you may choose."
Shua—
Dozens of parchments flew out from Aqua's hands, each marked with mysterious runes and symbols, scattering before Setsuna.
Every sheet represented a different cheat skill available to reincarnated heroes.
There were sacred weapons—swords, spears, and bows—blessings that boosted strength, agility, perception, comprehension, and all manner of fantastical magic abilities.
"Oh?"
Fu Hua and the others looked on in curiosity.
To directly grant someone a supernatural ability—divine authority certainly had flair.
"Would these powers still work outside this world? Say, in the Starsea Empire or other isekai?" Tohru asked curiously.
She and Setsuna instantly began imagining ways to use divine authority to enhance the Empire's overall strength.
"No idea. I've never met aliens before. Maybe we can try later," Aqua said, shrugging.
Then she urged Setsuna impatiently:
"Anyway, let's handle the matter at hand first!"
"Hurry and pick one! Every single one of these abilities was hand-selected by me—they're guaranteed to make defeating the Demon King easy!"
"..."
Setsuna briefly scanned the parchments. For him, these "cheat gifts" given to reincarnators were far too weak.
He already had countless weapons—loot from the Overlord and Goblin Slayer worlds—now only kept as collectibles.
Magic specialization? Even if its power rivaled that of a starship's weapon, his Eternal Snowfall and Herrscher powers far surpassed any local magic.
He might as well pick something amusing.
Without hesitation, he pointed at Aqua.
"You."
"Oh, then please stand within the magic circle and don't step out—" Aqua began automatically, standing up…
Then froze.
"Wait… what did you just say?"
Shua—
A golden portal suddenly opened in midair nearby.
A short-haired blonde angel with white wings descended gracefully, surrounded by divine light.
"I understand. From now on, Lady Aqua's duties will be temporarily transferred to me."
"This hero's wish has been approved according to divine law."
"???"
"!!!"
"Wait!!!"
Aqua's face turned pale.
"What is this?! You're really sending me with him?!"
"Bringing a goddess along violates the rules! And you—why did you pick me?!"
"Because it'll be fun," Setsuna said with a grin.
"And maybe you'll learn something along the way."
As the teleportation circle glowed brightly, Aqua screamed at the top of her lungs:
"Wait, wait, wait!!!—"
"No! He tricked me!!!"
"Safe travels, Lady Aqua," the angel said respectfully, bowing deeply.
"When you have safely defeated the Demon King, we shall send someone to bring you home."
"???"
"I don't even know what this guy can do! I just wanted to test him out!"
"I'm a goddess, sure—but all I can do is heal! How am I supposed to fight a Demon King—ahhhhhhh!!!"
Aqua's despairing screams echoed throughout the chamber.
Click—
With a flash of white light, Aqua and Setsuna's group vanished into the teleportation circle together.
"Go forth, heroes from another world!"
The angel spread her wings and blessed them in a clear, ethereal voice.
"I sincerely hope you can defeat the Demon King of that world."
"The goddesses of Heaven are all watching over you…"
...
A brief wave of dizziness passed.
The vision around them rapidly contracted—then expanded again.
When Setsuna opened his eyes, he found himself in a strange, new world.
Axel.
The beginner's town of the KonoSuba world.
Everything around him—the architecture, the townsfolk's clothing—radiated a medieval atmosphere.
Warriors in armor, robed mages, and merchants shouting at their stalls filled the streets. The entire place exuded a classic fantasy charm.
"Oh, a textbook isekai setting."
"It's kind of like human towns back home," Tohru said, scanning the area with nostalgic eyes.
"Mm… it really does feel like a game world," Fu Hua agreed, nodding.
Coming here as an immortal from Shenzhou truly felt surreal.
"Just wait until you see the cabbage army," Setsuna chuckled.
Beside him, Aqua looked completely devastated.
She threw herself at Setsuna, sobbing, her face buried in his chest as she rubbed her tear-streaked cheeks against his clothes.
"Why did you bring me here?! I can't go back now!!"
"What do I do?! What do I doooo?!"
According to the angel, the only way Aqua could return to Heaven was by defeating the Demon King.
The problem was—she had no idea what Setsuna and his companions were capable of. The Demon King in this world was notoriously powerful.
No reincarnated hero had ever completed the mission. Some even caused disasters worse than the Demon King's army.
"Is this girl really a goddess…?"
Tohru, Fu Hua, and Mio all had black lines forming on their foreheads as they watched her panic.
"Why are you so worked up? It's just a Demon King. How hard can that be?" Setsuna said calmly, pressing Aqua's shoulders to steady her.
"Three days. That's all we need to completely wipe out the Demon King's army."
"After that, we'll recruit the companions we need, help Eris straighten this place out, and finish everything in—at most—a month."
"Huh?"
Aqua's face twisted dramatically.
"Three days to destroy the Demon King's army?! Are you insane?"
She leaned closer, standing on tiptoe to press her hand against his forehead.
No fever.
Then she used her divine power to check for curses or mental debuffs. None.
So she started lecturing seriously:
"How about we go to the Adventurer's Guild first? Take a few beginner quests to level up?"
"No matter how confident you are, a hero should start with small steps—gradually improving…"
"Low-level quests usually involve slimes or little monsters. I'm not good at fighting, but since you've got a team, that should be fine, right?"
Trying to act like a responsible goddess, Aqua genuinely thought about how to guide Setsuna so she could one day return to Heaven.
"?"
Setsuna couldn't believe his intelligence was being questioned by a fool.
Bonk—
He tapped Aqua on the head.
"Watch and learn, airhead."
With a wave of his hand—
Hum—
A massive interstellar battleship materialized above Axel, casting a dark shadow over the entire city.
"Wha?!"
Panic erupted.
Adventurers, merchants—everyone on the streets—froze in shock.
"What is that?!"
In a world of swords and magic, the sudden appearance of a space battleship was beyond comprehension.
It was one of the ordinary battleships from the Eternal Snowfall. Setsuna rarely deployed the Juggernaut itself in atmospheric conditions.
Looking up, the ship loomed over the entire city—its underside a vast expanse of dark gray armor, its frame lined with sharp contours, cannons, and missile launchers.
"???"
The townsfolk of Axel, having never seen anything like it, instinctively felt terror.
Some reincarnated adventurers who did recognize science fiction tropes nearly fainted.
"What the hell is that?!"
"A spaceship?! How can this world have spaceships?!"
"Is that someone's cheat skill?!"
"Why did I only get swordsmanship when I reincarnated?!"
"Eh?"
Aqua's jaw dropped in disbelief.
Neither Heaven nor any of the worlds she managed had ever seen technology like this.
She'd seen heroes wield swords, bows, and even magic—but flying warships?
This was a first.
"What the…? A Hero of the Fleet?!"
...
—
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