Editing Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyoubi:Volume4 Chapter1 (section)

===Part I===

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There was Ai, showing a really stupid face.

The hem of her pajamas was rolled up to her navel. The blanket that was supposed to conceal her had been kicked aside, and was by her legs. Her mouth was agape to the point where one could see her throat, her nasty drool was dripping from the edge of her mouth. Aside from that, leaking from her mouth was transparent sleep talk that was as valuable as her drool.

"…………So sleepy."

Saying such a simple yet perplexing sleep talk, Ai rolled onto the floor..

<i>Thud,</i> and,

She had landed completely face down, and after remaining so for a full second, she fell to the floor..

She did not move. One would think she was dead.

Ai laid in the same position for a while, fidgeting away. She seemingly got cold, for she shivered ‘brr’, and got up.

She opened her eyes slightly.

It was morning, the sun had just risen, the air was cool, and the dust that usually fluttered away remained on the floor. The sunlight shone through the sloppy shutters that formed a prism, splitting into the colors of a rainbow. It was May, but the cold morning was frosty.

She was in the house of Tanya Swedgewood's parents.

One had to wonder if her eyes were actually looking, as Ai stared at this scene, and finally, at the place where she fell. It was a simple bed formed out of a wooden frame resembling a bathtub, covered with straw. A maiden was sleeping within, becoming one with the pillow, blanket and straw scraps.

She was Ai's former classmate and current friend.

"…Un...nnn…"Tanya groaned and shivered before reaching out. "Chirp...chirp", she started looking for her warming bag (Ai) through echo-location (bird chirping). The manner in which that sound blended with the birds was truly adorable.

Ai hopped onto the bed, and Tanya hugged her without hesitation, beaming away. This blind friend of Ai had issues befriending others, and looked so innocent only while subconscious, which made her adorable.

[[Image:Kamisama v04 Illustration 01.jpg|thumb]]

She went back to sleep again, and her consciousness sank into dreamland…

Ai quickly began to snore. Of the whole warehouse, only a little bird, strayed from its echelons, chirped away.

— And then, <i>thud, thud.</i>

The door knock shook the air, breaking the silence.

"Oiii, Ai, are you awake~?"

It was Alice.

"…Looks like she’s still sleeping. Dee, check her out for me."

"Sure~~…hmm…"

Just as these words were said, a head popped out near the door handle. She had black hair that reached her shoulders, and black eyes that showed her curiosity.

The ghost (Dee) looked around for a while, and then towards the bed.

"Yep, she’s still sleeping."

"Goodness gracious."

<i>Ggggiiii.</i> The door was opened with a shrieking creak, bringing in fresh air and sunlight. The two girls on the bed were like woodlice that were flipped over, snuggling further under the blankets while groaning without much enthusiasm.

"Stop sleeping and wake up already! "

Alice stormed into the room, and pulled aside the windows and curtains. The two girls shared a blanket that was not big enough, and ended up having to endure this cruel act by clinging together.

"Oi! How long are you two going to sleep!? Time to wake up!!!!"

Alice grabbed the middle of the blanket, and the duo instinctively shriveled while tugging at that blanket.

"Oi Ai! Wake up! It’s morning!"

"…Nu?"

Ai was rolled over, and finally opened her sleepy eyes, blinking a few times.

"Nu your head. Are you awake now?"

"Unyu…"

Ai lazily reached her hands to the sky.

"??? Whatcha doing?"

"She wants you to pull her up?"

"…She can’t get up on her own?"

<i>Good grief, </i>Alice muttered and pulled her hands. Ai’s head tilted back like a very soft body, but she barely managed to sit by the side of the bed, somehow.

She then raised her hands up to the sky.

"??? Dee, what is this?"

"She wants you to get her changed?"

"…She can’t change her own clothes?"

Alice said as he—

"Are you kidding me, you idiot!?"

Dee started hitting at Alice’s black pupils.

"Ugyaakk!? Wh-what’s wrong with you!? Alright alright!!"

"I’m the one who should say that! You idiot! You actually wanted to change her clothes!? You pervert!!"

"Yo-You’re the one who said that! And nobody’s interested in seeing this brat naked…"

"This is for Ai!"

"Gyaaaa!!!"

Alice spotted a very creepy sight of someone else's thumb growing out of his own eyes.

"And this one for Ai! And this! And this! And this too!"

"Woaarggh!? Gross, gross, gross, gross!"

Perhaps this ruckus finally reached the dream world.

"…Nyu…?"

For Ai finally woke up.

"…Ahhh…good morning, Mr. Alice …."

"Get out of here, you pervert! From my body!!!"

"…What are you being so noisy about early in the morning?"

"Ah, good morning, Ai—"

"?"

Ai could only see Alice flailing about. And yet, she could hear Dee's voice. Where was Dee hiding?

"Over here."

"?……Hiii!"

That immediately shook her awake. The voice came from Alice’s mouth, and one could see Dee's glittering eyes peeking out from there.

"Get out of here, you idiot!"

"Ah, Alice, you didn’t brush your back right tooth enough. There’s still plaque."

"D-Don't look! Don't you look at such places~!"

Guaahhh~!! Alice cupped his head in his hands, and Dee finally crawled out of his belly.

"…Woah."

It was a terrible scene, resembling that of a rotting marsupial.

"Anyway, good morning Ai. Do get dressed quickly."

"Yes~"

"And next, prez…goodness me, she’s fallen so far… "

"Mr. Alice, you can’t call her that. She’ll get angry."

"Oops, that's right."

Ai reminded Alice, and then gazed at Tanya's sleeping face. The latter’s expression was serene and gerene, and the ‘class rep’ look she used to have back in school was gone. Ai looked at her with endearment, and combed her bangs away from her.

Tanya said that after that day that she was willing to be a ‘good-for-nothing’. Not only did she end up oversleeping, she would argue with others, and learned to rely on others. At this point, she was snoring away, reaching her right hand out, "Chirp...chirp" seeking the hot bag that was missing.

Ai catches his hand and calls out to him.

"Miss Tanya."

"…Nn?"

Wiping the corners of her eyes, Tanya woke up.

"Ah, good morning, Ai…"

"Yes, good morning."

<i>Pfft. </i>The two of them exchanged morning greetings as they lay there laughing. Somehow, they were embarrassed and yet overjoyed. Recently, they were either waking each other up, or being woken up by the other.

Yes, this had been the case recently—

But that would end on this day.

"Ah…"

Ai remembered this fact, and glanced aside to look at the table. There was a neatly ironed white shirt there, along with the similarly well-kept Gravkeeper garb.

These were the travelling clothes she did not wear recently.

"…Ai, are you really going?…To search for Miss Scar?"

Tanya's expression looked grim, and she gently hugged Ai gently from behind.

"You do not really need to, right? You don’t have to go look for her…"

"……"

"This place is fine, you know. We can live and spend time together. It'll be fun."

"Sounds like the devil’s tempting me…"

"Sure, why not?"

"Yes, it is. I'm sure it'll be fun and happy for us, forever. "

Despite her words, Ai unhooked her arm from Tanya, and retreated away. She landed with both arms outstretched, and turned her face behind.

"But I'm going to keep trying, just a little more."

"Until you give up?"

"Until I give up."

<i>Yes, </i>Tanya nodded her head slightly, took out a brush and patted the space next to her. Seeing this, Ai hopped over with all the energy of a puppy invited to stroll.

"Stretch your back."

"Yes."

"Turn over there."

"Yes."

Tanya slowly began to comb Ai's hair.

The brush gently stroked her head. Each strand of hair was tugged at.

It was Ai's favorite feeling.

"…You can come back anytime, you know."

Tanya braided Ai’s hair into a finer bun. She turned Ai’s hair into a canvas, creating a hairstyle the latter could not do on her journey. Ai lowered her hair, remembering the feel of the brush pulling her hair back and the warmth of the hands swimming through, <i>yes,</i> and nodded.

The journey was about to begin again.

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The gasoline filled the blue car, the bread and soup filled the human bellies, and the milk filled the baby, before the group boarded the car.

It was late in the morning, and the dew had already evaporated. The maintained engine let out the noises of an exhaust pipe. Julie was in the driver seat, in the middle were Celica and Alice, and Dee was camped on the roof, looking at the others who had remained behind.

Ai popped her head out from the passenger seat, and greeted the trio of the Swedgewood family.

"Goodbye everyone."

"Yes…"

Tanya wiped her eyes with the apron, tugging at her parents by the side.

"Young Ai, our daughter has said that we are willing to let you stay forever…"

Tanya’s parents held up their daughter, as though wanting to make up for all the time they were separated from each other, showing concern for the group that was about to depart. The mature looking Zerady Swedgewood had a fine mustache, while Polka Swedgewood was a little overweight. Tanya’s parents were so kind and gentle, and it was because of those parents that Tanya herself was kind and gentle.

Ai beamed as she gently refused Zerady’s goodwill.

"Thank you uncle, but I have to go. I want to."

"…Is that so?"

Zerady did not force the issue any further, and turned to Julie, who was at the driver’s seat.

"Young Julie."

"Yes."

"We’ll leave them to you."

"…Yes."

That reply caused Zerady to ask worriedly,

"Do take care of yourself too, you know?"

"…Yes"

Julie shriveled. While Ai felt that Julie looked adult-like, it seemed Zerady deemed him as still a child.

"Now then…"

Julie lifted the side brake, as though to escape from this predicament, and stepped on the pedal.

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The car drove away.

"Ai!"

The cat moved away, and so did the sight of her friend. Tanya was crying ten meters away, and it was truly a heartbreaking sight. The friend that was by her side moments ago was twenty meters away. The next moment, they were thirty meters away. A warm landscape drifted away without question, giving rise to a sense of frustration that had her wondering if she committed something that was irreversible.

Her precious friend was crying in the distance. And yet, for some reason, she was not there. She knew that she should be there to comfort Tanya as her friend, she knew she should have wiped her tears away and told Tanya not to cry, she knew that she should not be the reason for Tanya’s tears

And yet,

Ai grabbed the window frame of the passenger seat.

And yet, Ai was going. She made her friend cry, she declined the offer from a kind person, and she was headed back to the wilderness.

The scent that had been missing over the past few days caused her nostrils to be parched, one of dry sunlight and sand.. The cold wind caresses the nape of her neck, overwhelming the warmth of the city and the house in an instant, causing Ai to no longer remember the smell of Tanya. The cold caused her to put on the cloak she had removed due to the heat, and her yearning sharpened her heart that had relaxed due to the gentleness afforded.

The feeling she first had awoke in her once again, the feeling she had when she swore an oath at the peak of that hill.

She was going to save the world.

"…Oooonne day!"

Ai cried out, her guts burned by her ‘helplessness’. Despite it being tragic, despite her causing sadness in her friend, her soul just could not stop, and she eked out the words of farewell from her soul.

"One day! I promise!"

<i>I'll see you again!</i> She could not utter those words.

Ai did not have enough confidence in herself to make such a promise.

And yet, Tanya did not care about any of that.

"Yes! I'll see you again!"

Tanya shouted.

So Ai had no choice but to shout back with a big smile on her face, but with tears streaming down her face.

"Yes!"

Even though they might never meet again, even though it might be a lie.

"Absolutely! I promise! We will meet again!"

Someday, they will be reunited.

Ai waved my hand strongly, completely emotional.

She could see Tanya respond similarly in the distance.

Ai kept watching, until Tanya blended into the landscape.

"Let's go…"

She sat properly in the passenger seat and looked ahead.

"Let's find Miss Scar first."

And continue onward.

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On Monday, God created the world.

On Tuesday, God distinguished the order and chaos.

On Wednesday, God honed the numerical values.

On Thursday, God allowed the Time to flow.

On Friday, God overlooked every corner of the world.

On Saturday, God rested.

And so, on Sunday, God abandoned the world.

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15 years ago, God suddenly appeared before humanity, and told them.

“That world is overflowing with people. This world will come to an end. Ahh, I have failed.”

Leaving only these words behind, God vanished, and back then, while humans were lavishing hymns on this world of Spring, they were left quaking. Their species existed for less than a hundred million years before they finally met God. However, those first words from Him, were words of farewell.

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From that day on, Man could no longer die.

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Their hearts ceased to beat, their flesh rotting. The Dead could continue to act.

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From that day on, Man could no longer be born.

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The flames of the factories had extinguished, and new humans were no longer built.

After God no longer inhabited this world, humans screamed in agony. Millions shrieked to the point of vomiting blood. The Living quickly whittled down in numbers, and then the entire world was filled with the Dead.

And so, the gravekeepers appeared.

These gravekeepers were the final miracles that God had granted for the sake of Man.

Gravekeepers would never age, and never know fatigue. God gave them the most ideal of bodies humans could ever think of, had them build graves, and bury the wandering Dead, their work being ensuring the peace of the Living. At this point, Man could finally rest.

Children were no longer born, the Dead roamed, and the Gravekeepers ran.

Such were the End Times.

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