On a Godless Planet:Volume2A Chapter 2
Chapter 2: Shining in the Darkness[edit]
That figure shines even brighter in the darkness
●
The park extended east to west.
The Tama River flowed alongside it at a lower level to the south and a wall of concrete blocks was built up high on the other side of the waterway to the north.
The park at the center of that stepped structure had a tennis court and a relaxation terrace on the east and the west sides.
“Did you choose the western terrace for their sake, Kido-douhai?”
On one terrace, Omokane sat on a log-shaped stone chair and she spoke to Kido, who was carrying a parasol.
Kido glanced downstream to the east where the rivers running alongside the park joined together.
“That was not my intent.”
She smiled a little, but the ends of her eyebrows lowered a tad.
“But now that you mention it, I am glad I chose it for that reason.”
Those two faced each other with their seats a short distance away, but someone else sat next to Omokane.
“Um.”
It was Tenma.
She took a look around at the families and children here to enjoy their summer break and at the people passing through on a hike. And…
“This area does seem safe. But with that said, should I really be here, Omokane-senpai?”
“I appreciate your presence here, Sugawara-kouhai. You see, Kido-douhai here is absolutely terrifying when angered, so I like to have you around to buy me enough time for- that is, to have you around as a bodyguard.”
“W-what was that about buying you time!?”
“Calm down, Sugawara-kouhai. I will not allow your sacrifice to be in vain. My survival would be super beneficial for Shinto, so your sacrifice would be worthwhile by default.”
Tenma glared at her for that one and Kido cut in.
“I think you forgot to clarify that me being ‘absolutely terrifying’ is only a joke.”
Omokane refused to look her in the eye and Tenma’s glare homed in on her.
●
“Anyway.” Omokane straightened up. “To be blunt, how were things in Kurashiki?”
Hearing that, Kido took a look around and then turned toward Tenma.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“I see,” said Kido before turning back toward Omokane. “Can I really answer that question here?”
“Would you prefer we speak at the school? The library is nice thanks to the A/C.”
“Going that far would make me one of them, wouldn’t it? …Fine, I can talk about it here. This is about making up for my own mistake, after all. Balancer.”
<Oh, Kido? The ape was just swept away after falling in the river. Care to see?>
“Wait! What did you do to Izumi!?”
<Nothing at all. He did this to himself. The spirits have already been exorcised, but he thought he could walk on the river, made a 70m jump, and broke right through the water’s surface like a stone.>
Kido grabbed Balancer and shook them up and down.
“Then go help him! Hurry!”
“You have mixed feelings about this, don’t you?”
“She has mixed feelings? In what way?”
Kido looked to the side with a hmph, but Omokane answered all the same.
“Kido-douhai intends to cut all ties with Sumeragi-kouhai.”
●
“Huh?”
Omokane answered her underclassman’s confusion with a deep nod.
“Strange, isn’t it? She’s worried about him but still wants to cut all ties. I would really like to introduce her to a good shrine of separation, but no! She insists on doing it herself! I do think that’s admirable. Really, I do. When you get down to it, it means Sumeragi-kouhai’s weirdness is too much even for a god.”
“Your attempts to provoke me are as obvious as a ‘do not push’ sign posted above a big red button.”
<Anyway, why did you call me here, Kido?>
“Eh? Oh, right. You received my reports while I was in Kurashiki, didn’t you?”
<Yes. But I generally do not interfere with the acts of the gods, so while I saw what you did there and share those memories, I will do nothing with that information.>
That told Omokane this was even more trouble than she had thought.
But someone else raised their hand: Tenma.
“What’s this about Kurashiki?”
“Oh, yeah. You have never taken a trip anywhere, so you wouldn’t know. But you are familiar with the Divine States-World Interaction Theory, aren’t you?”
Kido nodded and opened a Revelation Board below her parasol.
“You switched to a Shinto one?”
“My original one was too conspicuous over there. …Anyway, I will provide a quick explanation for your underclassman.”
●
Kido displayed a map of Japan on her Revelation Board.
“This was discovered during a few ‘fusions’ that occurred while humanity still lived on earth.”
She displayed a world map over the one of Japan.
“Oh,” said Tenma. “The shape of Japan is similar to the shape of the entire world, isn’t it?”
“Yes. Kyushu is Africa, Shikoku is Australia, Honshu is Eurasia, and Hokkaido is America. And in fact, the ley lines connect those parts of the world with the corresponding parts of Japan. During the Earth Age, a plan was carried out to strengthen those connections so controlling Japan would give you the power of those other lands as well.”
And…
“Since this Divine World is Shinto and thus based on Japan, the same applies to it.”
“I knew about that.”
She was a good and obedient girl. She kept Kido from appearing like a know-it-all.
“Then,” she began again. “The non-Shinto gods who have had a real manifestation generally use the part of this Divine World Japan that corresponds to them when setting up a base here. Although the nameless Shinto gods and spirits and the automatons far outnumber them, so they hold a position more like foreign exchange students.”
“Then where does our school fit into all this?”
“It works like this:”
- Each mythology has a virtual manifestation world in an alternate dimension.
- Each mythology has a real manifestation world in the corresponding part of Japan.
- Our school is a gathering place for those who approve of Shinto working with a human to terraform.
- Due to the interests of the various gods and political conflicts, a lot of gods end up gathering in the Tachikawa area.
“And Kido-kun stopped by Kurashiki for a bit. Do you get what that means, Sugawara-kouhai?”
Omokane’s question caused Tenma to freeze in place for a few seconds while she thought about it.
“According to the Divine States-World Interaction Theory, would Kurashiki be the Mediterranean? So the Greek region? Did you have business with their real manifestation group?”
“You catch on quickly. Let’s just say my home turf decided to cause some trouble related to me, so I was covering it up.”
“Covering it up?”
“Tenma-kun, do you remember what I said about Kido-douhai being absolutely terrifying when angered?”
“I-I wasn’t doing anything wrong. They made a bad move and they knew it, so they were hoping none of it would come to light.”
She corrected them, but both of them turned to the screen floating next to her.
She turned to see what this was about.
<…>
Balancer was displaying a sweat drop.
“Is there a problem, Balancer?”
<Well, I generally do not interfere with the acts of the gods. But…>
But…
<Don’t you think some of the people caught up in that will never be the same again?>
“What did you do, Kido-douhai?”
“N-nothing really. I just got into a bit of a fight, but I happened to be stronger and, um, uh, I did give them first-aid.”
“Is that a euphemism for finishing them off?”
“The 5th through 7th generation mythologies do include gods who kill by breathing in their opponent’s life force, so maybe she means that. Of course, we have a god who gives you a flayed horse as a greeting.”
They’re being cautious now. How strange. Are their standards just that different? But anyway…
“The mistake only occurred because I was overthinking things. I traveled there to clean up the mess it had caused, but…”
She looked to the west.
Past the hills, she could see all the way to Mt. Kumotori in distant Okutama.
She placed her eyes on the dark blue mountains and stood up, adjusting her parasol in the process.
“There is still something I must do.”
She pulled a ticket from her uniform’s pocket for the other two to see.
“Are you headed to Okutama?”
“I am. I got this with a full book of tickets. …Because I need to part ways with Izumi.”
●
They’re having a hard time saying goodbye, I thought.
<Ver.>
<Riverver.>
The river spirits’ anger had been quelled, but now they could not leave the area around the sandbank. They meant no harm, but this would still have an effect.
“The water quality around the sandbank will improve, but the water quality upstream of the Aki River and downstream of the Tama River will get worse. Basically, they will have trouble managing the river.”
I looked over and saw the Fussa region local god seated on the pampas grass with his hands over his face.
“Yeah, this is causing all sorts of problems for the other areas.”
“So he’s worried about his territory causing trouble for the other local gods’ territories?”
Middle management was never fun. But the river spirits did not seem to care as they played with the beachball Yomoji-san threw for them.
<Riverer.>
“Ohhhh, nicely doooone. If only my believers were as cute as yoooou.”
“Are you implying you see your believers like seals you can get to do tricks by throwing food at them? You are, aren’t you?”
Being a monotheistic god can’t be fun either, I thought, but then I saw Sumeragi-kun playing with the river spirits. He was still in his uniform since he had fallen into the river earlier.
<Ver.>
“Wow, you’re so cute! But don’t play around too much. Hey, hey, hey, hey, don’t grab at me there! Ahh, wait, no, no, no, no. Yes, that spot’s better. Good, good, good, good. No, wait, that’s too much!”
“Are you planning to marry the river?”
“You’re the worst.”
“Heyyyy! Why don’t any of you assume it’s a joke!?”
“Is this that thing where you can make river spirit babies by shooting your load into the river?”
“You mean like in salmon hatcheries where they squeeze the males out into a barrel of eggs to fertilize them?”
“P-please, not a word more! I’ll never be able to look at the Tama River the same way again!”
The Fussa region local god had collapsed on his side and stopped moving.
“Did that statement kill him from shock?”
“No, he still looks alive to me. I think he’s just lost the will to live.”
Now I felt kind of bad. But anyway…
“Okay, then let’s freeze all this for Senpai-san’s sake.”
“D-don’t do that! What if I get frostbite!? I’m coming! I’m coming! I’m cooooming! Oh, but I don’t mean it like that! I mean I’m getting out the river so I can come to you! …Wait, that came out wrong too!”
“Make like a salmon and jump out of that river.”
I was pretty sure salmon didn’t jump out onto land, but it still got Sumeragi-kun out of the river.
●
We prepared to eat a late lunch together. We were on the Fussa side of the river on a picnic blanket we had spread out together. But…
“Senpai, we already ate, Senpai, so what should we do, Senpai?”
“Um, you don’t have to say Senpai that many times.”
“I know! But it gives me more virtue points every time I say it! My verbal prayer wheel is spinning like a Tyrrell six-wheeler!”
“Eh?”
I slapped my right cheek. My faith meant I didn’t filter my thoughts in front of her, but that one had been pretty bad. And part of it was repeat material, making it even worse. Not to mention…
“Does that mean you get virtue points whenever you address me too?”
“It wouldn’t work with meeee because he calls me the club preeeesident.”
“Yahoo! I wasn’t talking about you! It doesn’t work with guys! And that isn’t discrimination! I just don’t like guys! Oh, Kuwajiri, how did you manage to cram even more scorn than usual into that glare!? More like that please!”
“You really are the worst.”
“Now, now.” Shifu-senpai waved a hand back and forth. “So what will you do, Senpai-chan? Want to take a walk around the park with Sumeragi-chan?”
“No, I was actually thinking we could have a meeting about tomorrow’s terraforming, but I think I’ll ask those spirits some questions first.”
She turned toward the river where the river spirits were still floating around.
<What is it, ver?>
“Why were you causing so much trouble upstream?”
<?>
It looked like they didn’t know what she meant.
“They probably have a different standard for what those words mean.”
“Like what?”
“Like how anyone other than you can see you’re an idiot, but you see yourself as normal.”
“Yayyyyyyyy! Toooooooo bad! I don’t see myself as an idiot! I see myself as a dung beetle! Calling myself an idiot in Senpai’s presence would be far too presumptuous! I’m just a filthy dung beetle! Ahhh, but the radiance of Senpai’s boobs is purifying me! Can you feel this dung beetle’s powerful faith!?”
<I can, dung beetle.>
“You don’t get to say that! Only Senpai can call me a dung beetle! Okay, Senpai! Call me a dung beetle!”
“Um, you’re not an insect. And you should really stop talking about such filthy things.”
“Did you hear that, Balancer!? I’ve ranked up from Dung Beetle to Unspecified Non-Insectoid Being! That’s the power of Senpai’s divinity for you!”
<I thought you were an ape, but it seems you have a long way to go before reaching that point.>
I traded insults with the AI for a while.
But in the meantime, Senpai was exchanging ideas with Shifu-senpai, the busty Mesopotamian, and the others. After coming up with a few ideas, she tried speaking with the river spirits again.
“Hello.”
<Hello, ver.>
“Oh.” Kuwajiri looked up. “This might work.”
Senpai clenched both fists to psyche herself up. Great job, Senpai! I love how your boobs get squished between your arms!
“Eyes forward.”
“Th-they are forward! I’m looking directly forward from my head!”
<She’s saying that way is forward and you need to turn your body around to face it.>
We traded more insults while making sure not to get in Senpai’s way.
●
This might work. I silently repeated Kuwajiri-san’s words as I began the conversation. I knew what I needed to find out here:
“We would like to know what happened upstream that caused them to run wild like that.”
Exactly. So first…
“How are you feeling?”
<So-so, ver.>
That would mean that they ran wild while “feeling so-so”. So…
“What did you do?”
<?>
That must not have been the right thing to ask.
“As spirits, they’re affected by changes to their phase and mold, so any changes to themselves are a passive thing. I don’t think they think about things in terms of actively ‘doing things’ the way we do. It probably depends on the group, but this group at least doesn’t seem to.”
I see. In that case, I thought. I need to express the effect on their surroundings in a way they can understand.
“Did something happen, ver?”
<Something happened, ver?>
●
“U-um? What is that supposed to mean?”
“Doesn’t it mean something happened?”
“That was a question, so I don’t think so.”
“Kuwajiri.”
“Spirits like them are the environment itself, so everything is always just ‘happening’ around them and something ‘happening’ is nothing special to them. So I think they aren’t sure what you’re asking about.”
●
In that case, I thought.
…So it isn’t something they did.
And it isn’t something that happened either.
Then why had they run wild?
Something had definitely happened in their environment, but if they did not see that as a change, what had they seen it as?
“Umm.”
Someone spoke up while I was trying to figure something out.
“Senpai, the way you wiggle around while you think is the best, Senpai!”
Then it hit me. If the spirits did not see the changes to their environment as changes, then how did they perceive themselves as they went wild?
“Was it scary, ver?”
<–––––––>
They all looked up from the river’s surface.
“Bingo.”
“I don’t get it.”
“What Sumeragi-kun said gave me the hint I needed.”
“Ehh!? My Senpai worship helped you out, Senpai!? Then my love for your big Senpai boobs gives you more Busty Senpai Points!? More! More and more points!”
“Can someone please shut up that dung beetle?”
“Kuwajiri-san, that is not what Sumeragi-kun is.”
<Correct. He is much worse.>
I explained while watching the amusing scene of Sumeragi-kun grappling with Balancer in the river.
“For example, Sumeragi-kun’s faith is something inside him, but it can take many forms, can’t it?”
The spirits were the same. So where did they perceive those differences?
“On the inside. They are the environment themselves, so they accept their changes as natural and cannot really perceive the external expressions of those changes. So they only perceive the environmental changes as the changes inside themselves.”
“So the spirits run on emotion?”
I didn’t really get how the system worked, but…
“Was it scary, ver?”
<It was scary, ver.>
“It was scary, ver?”
<Very scary, ver.>
They all nodded.
“Then,” I said before asking a question I hoped would get through to them. “What was scary, ver?”
They all exchanged a glance. They either had shared memories or were a single being, so they may have been checking to see if they all had the same “change” inside them.
And…
<This, ver.>
Water splashed and the river rose up.
The river spirits were showing us “this”.
●
Kuwajiri recognized it.
The river spirits had created what appeared to be a 5m model. Their memories were an internal thing, not a recording of what they had seen external to themselves. That meant their memories would be as vague as a dream, but it was clear enough to get the gist of it.
“The lower body is a bunch of snakes.”
That was not all. There was still the upper body.
“It’s a woman.”
Balancer nodded.
<This is a common type of water spirit. Many mythologies have a goddess much like this.>
“Um, yes, I suppose so. Yeah. Maybe it is common.”
Shifu was being weirdly noncommittal. It was strange enough for the others to look puzzled. And she must have noticed it herself.
“Yeahhh.”
Meanwhile, the river spirits collapsed. Senpai-san turned back toward them so she and the idiot could speak to them.
“Good work, ver.”
“Who’s a good boy, ver? You’re a good boy, ver.”
<I’m a good boy, ver.>
Meanwhile, Kuwajiri checked with the others.
●
“Shifu-senpai, is this what I think it is?”
“Oh, you can tell? Um, can you all leave that thing to me?”
“I would like to know why.”
“If you trust what my wife says, I’ll trust what your wife says.”
“Deal.”
“Do you…do you have to say these things in front of people!?”
“Yeah, thanks. I’ll explain this to Senpai-chan later.”
“What about Suuuumeragi-kun?”
“It’d be best if he didn’t know. I’m probably overthinking it, but this has to do with our upperclassmen’s generation. I’ll let you all know if I figure anything out and Senpai-chan can pass it on to Sumeragi-chan if it’s something we can tell him.”
How to put this?
“Hopefully I’m completely wrong about this.”
“Then what was all that about?”
“A spirit or something was running wild upstream of here. That much we know and that’s probably good enough for now. If Shifu-senpai is indeed wrong about this, then acting too soon would be a bad idea. So if anything happens, Shifu-senpai can let us know.”
“Shifu, no keeping secrets from me.”
“I know this isn’t the time, but I’m happy to hear that.”
“For real though, keeping the really bad stuff secret only makes it worse. After I check on some stuff, I’ll tell you anything I’ve figured out. Does that sound good?”
●
“Hey, Senpai-chan? Can we chat after we’re done here?”
I left the river spirits with Sumeragi-kun and turned toward Shifu-san.
“Is it about tomorrow’s terraforming?”
“Hm, not really. It’s more about being extra careful. For the terraforming stuff, how about we have a meeting at Bikkuri Donkey tonight?”
“We just ate a big lunch and now you’re talking about a high-calorie dinner?”
“The calories don’t count when you eat out! Everyone knows that. And while we’re there-”
She was cut off by a Revelation Board suddenly appearing next to us.
“Hey, you lot. You’re meeting up at Donkey tonight? Good, because I’ve got something to discuss with you.”
“What’s with you, Mucho? If you want to buy Karamucho, you should go to the convenience store, not Bikkuri Donkey.”
“Um, I was planning to stop by Inageya when I had the time, so do you want to join me? They’re probably cheaper at a supermarket.”
“The Daiei at the north entrance was remade into a Topos discount store last year, so they might sell it by the box there. They should have ginger ale there too, so how about it?”
“That sounds great! Let’s go, let’s go! I’d heard rumors about the local Inageya’s croquettes, so I was hoping to try them! See you at 4 this afternoon!”
The Revelation Board vanished.
●
Everyone fell silent and hung their heads for a while.
“Didn’t she want to discuss something?”
“I am so sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologize for her.”
“But I really am sorry.”
Then another Revelation Board popped up. It displayed exactly who they expected.
“Whoa, that was close! I nearly forgot!”
“Eshita-chan? Think you can actually tell us what you want this time?”
“Sorry, sorry! Forgive me, okay!? Okay, um…oh, yeah!”
Eshita-san’s voice reached us all.
“We’ll meet up in front of Tachikawa Central at 4! Cause I only know where that and Will are! Don’t forget!”
The Revelation Board vanished.
●
Everyone fell silent and hung their heads for a while.
“Again, I am so sorry.”
“And again, you don’t have to apologize for her. But if you want to, I won’t stop you.”
“Again, I really am sorry.”
Then yet another Revelation Board popped up.
“Hey! Who distracted me with talk of Topos, Karamucho, Inageya, and croquettes!?”
“That would be you, idiot.”
“You just called me an idiot! An idiot!! Is that any way to address such a cute goddess (of a higher divine rank, I might add)! Don’t you know only idiots call people idiots!? That’s based on the Code of Hammurabi! How’s it feel to be an idiot, you iiiiidiot!?”
“None of that disproves her assertion that you’re an idiot.”
“…”
“I’m not an idiot!”
“Hey, Mucho, quit being a total weirdo without letting me join the fun! Keep it up and I’ll rub snot on your Revelation Board and then that’s all you’ll be able to see from your end!”
“How childish are you!?”
“So what is it you wanted to talk about, Eshita-chan?”
That snapped Eshita-san out of it. So…
“Shamhat has informed me that a DC inspector is coming.”
Everyone immediately exchanged a glance, but she had more to say.
What is the meaning of this? I’m already here, so why would they send someone else without even telling me first? And apparently it’s one of the Olympus gang.”
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