Talk for hundred years

Once, a masterpiece was crafted from the cold remains of an Elder God. In the palm of the Red King, there existed a piercing sight, belonging to the All-Seeing Eye, capable of perceiving even the longest night.

Somewhere in a realm untouched by conscious thoughts, a space of liminality once existed, created from the breath of a faraway almighty being.

These were some pieces of history that endured within the remnants of their eras. Some had faded into oblivion, while others still persisted.

Much like the two sides of a coin, one representing preservation and the other destruction, so too was the nature of the space they currently occupied.

It was a space that carried the characteristic of the said being.

There's nothing within hearing, and nothing in sight save a vast reach of maddening black slime. Yet, the stillness and the homogeneity of the landscape oppressed nauseating fear upon anyone who set their foot on them.

「In the void」

In the void there's a total of three figure.

"So he did all of that?"

In the midst of a not-so-serious conversation there seated Cera, a young woman with oxblood-colored hair, elegantly styled in a twisted bun, and sporting a slightly tanned skin complexion. She faces a prominent figure, engrossed in their dialogue.

"..."

There is also Yjor on her head, who watch every movement of the figure before Cera.

An old man that radiates an aged wisdom and kindness, while also giving Yjor an otherworldy senses. He previously came without putting any notice and as soon as he saw Yjor, he implored for the snake to lead him to where Cera is.

{...}

"Phhhtt~ Sorry, when I heard it from you it just... hahahaha~ I'm laughing my ass of again! Sorry sorry, so then where're we, Almas?"

The one conversing with her resembled a wise figure straight out of a sword and magic world, yet at the same time, possessed the characteristics of an angelic being from heaven.

He was an elderly man with long blonde hair and a well-kept beard and mustache. Dressed in a white robe that concealed attire emitting a divine aura, he held a golden staff, resting it untouched by his side.

{I hope for you to listen to me after everything I had said, Guide. It's all about that reincarnate and also the figure who ruled over his soul.}

Both of them settled into seats opposite the couches Cera had arranged for U-101.

Despite Cera's light-hearted treatment of his story, Almas, who still held sincere intentions due to his friendly presence in her space, remained unaffected by her mood

"Well, it's not really my problem is it? Besides, your guy is doing okay... though he's not in the best condition, he's still alive after all. Despite some challenges as long as things don't escalate further, it's still manageable."

To be honest, Cera didn't care at all about the person Almas was talking about.

She no longer had much involvement in matters of the soul, reincarnation, or dealings with divine figures engaged in such activities. She had grown comfortable in her role as the Feather Manager within The Void.

In contrast, Almas felt differently. His aged face aged like fine wine displayed a deep concern—a concern about the steps that the eerie figure before him would take.

"Hey... you know we're already past that era right? As long each side keep their tab on the contract, I won't lift my finger."

{Indeed, I'll not put all blame in one side, but this is just my own selfishness. Guide, or the one with the name of Cera, could you please said if you have forgive him. As I don't like meaningless grudge between us, I want to hear it from that mouth of yours.}

"Sure, I forgive him. You're quite stubborn about irrelevant matters, aren't you? Geez."

{The same goes for me regarding the pact you mentioned. No matter how old I am, my mind is as sharp as my beard. Those memories involving you are far from being considered as mere 'eras'.}

The old man lightly brushed his beard, before reaching for his staff with one hand and extending the other for a handshake. His friendly intentions remained evident.

However, Yjor, who had noticed a glimmer from his staff, became highly vigilant and began emitting a threatening aura from within the snake's scale.

This caused the handshake between them to be canceled.

"Calm down Yjor, he's not going to do anything weird. Am I right?"

Preventing Yjor from further intimidating the old man whose staff was shining brighter, Cera shifted her tone to assertiveness towards Almas. She's well aware of his intentions, but she wasn't inclined to favor the god over her Pokemon companion.

{Hohoho, oh please... you misunderstand me, Guide. I genuinely wish for peace between us from the depths of my heart, so please let go of this futile hostility. What I am doing is to show a soul I have chosen.}

Almas retracted his hand before any further confrontation could occur and settled back into his seat, lamenting the fact that his good intentions had been rejected.

He then pointed to his staff with a sheepish smile akin to a friendly neighborhood grandpa, succeed in capturing a hint of interest from Cera and Yjor regarding the blue shimmering crystal embedded within his staff.

"Hmm? Isn't this different soul from what we've been talking? What about the one you talked before? Wait, eeehhhh don't tell me you just wanna boast about it?"

With a quick glance, Cera realized that this was not the same individual Zeimachi had clashed with. The man before her appeared harmless and inclined toward a path of harmony, a stark contrast to Yulijer.

Recognizing that the old man simply wanted to brag his recent discovery, Cera withdrew her previously emanating aura, allowing it to return to its source. Making Almas to be more than delighted when he noticed Cera's different reaction to his recent boasts.

{Hohoho~ Yes, as you said, this is the soul I personally picked and chose when he was born on Earth. Back then, when I caught a slight glimpse of this soul, I was very fascinated by it, hohoho...}

"Well... I'm glad you're amused. So, what about this guy and what awaits him?"

{Don't be hasty, Guide. I picked him because I was impressed by his deeds, and I granted him a few requests. That much, I can guarantee for you. Unfortunately, sigh, he chose a different world from mine...}

"Eyy, don't complain to me. Your world can't keep up with the latest trend. So, what did he want? A system, transmigration, and the like?"

{Fuuhh... yes, I really can't fathom their desires. Razius also told me that most humans will definitely choose the system as one of their wishes. He said, "It's the same as yesterday, and yesterday is the same as the day before yesterday."}

"Well? Enough about Razius and your show-off. What about that guy you mentioned earlier?"

Having fully grasped the direction of their conversation, Cera summoned a golden glass and a round, dark coffee table into existence between them. She then elegantly positioned the two golden glasses on either side of the table.

"What do you want? Just use your head to remember and drink it. It'll appear in your mouth."

Cera instructed him to partake in the refreshment.

The golden glass itself was an artifact capable of conjuring any beverage one wished for with a mere thought, an item accessible to anyone with the same authority as her. However, one needed to exercise caution because the taste would faithfully replicate one's own memories of it.

{Hoo~? Having the chance to be served by you is a once-in-a-thousand-years treat, hahaha! Glug Hmm... it's just as I remembered from years ago. You have my gratitude, Guide.}

"Likewise, you gave me something useful. So is he that troublesome? ... Pwehh, salty."

After sipping from the glass that produced the same salty green tea as before, Cera intended to continue their conversation. This action snapped Almas out of his nostalgic reverie, putting an end to the glimpses displayed by his staff.

He then began chatting, true to his nature, as one of the creator gods of a world known as Iruna.

{Let's see... His former name is Jyu Chuli, but he changed his name to Yulijer after he reincarnated. The cause of his death was an accident, and his wish was to be reincarnated along with-}

"Stop-stop it, just give me his data."

{...}

Curiously, while providing the information, Almas seemed slightly irritated.

God Almas handed Cera an ancient stone tablet covered in detailed inscriptions about Yulijer. The tablet looked incredibly old, as if it had just been retrieved from a dusty corner of a long-forgotten room, covered in layers of dust.

"You lot still use carving? Aren't there plenty of system-based technologies out there? Why you don't use it?"

{Hohoho~ It's just a gift from me to your impatience Guide.}

It turned out to be nothing more than his little prank aimed at Cera's arrogant demeanor. It appeared that not even the tales of the Guide could completely humble Almas himself.

Nevertheless, because he had succeeded in annoying her, Cera forcefully snatched the golden cup she had been served, ultimately causing Almas to taste the bitterness of his own medicine.

"Huumm~ Humu-humu... naruhodo desu ne."

After reading through all the data on the stone tablet, Cera casually placed the inscription back on the table, as if she had lost interest. Her lack of interest stemmed from her enigmatic tastes.

However, what was essential for Cera to glean from the stone tablet were a couple of key details. Firstly, information about the "goddess" who had previously reincarnated Yulijer's soul, and secondly, the reason why Almas had gone to such lengths to apologize to her.

"So this Ulcer(?) belonged to others huh? Like I said, I don't really care. As long the balance will not be shaken, I won't make a move. Fool and Guide will not block your path, but if we did, we'd take the long route as long as you treat us with indifference."

After setting down the stone tablet, she took another sip from her glass.

{When she discovered her chosen one was nearly dead due to intimate relations, she inquired and learned about that man. Since that man's identity holds significant meaning, she couldn't extract anything useful, which is why she kept making a fuss about it.}

Almas let out a sigh as his shoulders slumped, a stark contrast to his title as the head deity of the world of Iruna. In this moment, he appeared like an ordinary grandfather, pouring out his heart.

As a deity in his world and a prominent figure within the Otherworldly Spectrum, Almas held a significant position that needed to be upheld.

Coupled with his connections that had expanded since his encounters with beings from other dimensions, Almas had formed numerous relationships and acquaintances across many different worlds.

{Just as I was about to pour myself a drink, she requested to meet the one responsible for this, and that's when your name came up from a rather unreliable fellow. She's still young, younger than even the moon itself.}

As he continued speaking, his tone became increasingly meandering, even though he tried to conceal the fact that the "Goddess" in question was his granddaughter. Cera, who already knew this secret, gently patted the god's shoulder.

"Ya... Ok I got it alright. Looks like this'll be a long speech here."

'▀▀▀▀ could you just switch back to Zei's? This old man gonna take his time slowly to explain it after all. I want to see his continuation, so tell me more about his interaction kay?'

She passed the old man the golden glass once again to help him relax and lower his blood pressure. Yjor, who noticed no harm aimed at either of them, leaped to another side of the void to avoid getting involved in their business.

———————————————

In the dark ocean that envelops many souls in the world, there is someone who is enjoying the solitude hidden within that darkness, along with the cold and the feeling of suffocation that engulf him.

He let his body be carried by the underwater currents without much thought, and he allows his sins to sink to the depths of the sea without having to do much that would ultimately prove futile.

... blup... blup...

That's where Zeimachi found himself.

After successfully escaping Sheffield, the man immediately sought out the nearest small boat he could find in the harbor.

Fortunately, he stumbled upon one, although it was old and damaged. Zeimachi only needed to make some repairs before setting sail with the boat, all the while escaping some unwanted attention from nearby ship girls.

He sailed and continued to sail without a destination in mind, until eventually he and the boat were eventually struck by waves that caused them to be engulfed within the rolling sea.

Hehe, hopefully Sheffy won't get angrier.

In a situation where one's instinct should have prompted a swift return to the surface for a breath of air, he chose to defy that instinct.

He willingly allowed himself to be drawn further into the unfathomable depths of the ocean, despite the increasing pressure causing his body and bones to gradually crumble. He even donned a weighted bracelet, hastening his descent willingly.

Haha.

Though he briefly remembered Sheffield's face, someone he had recently encountered in this world's version, it was not enough to rekindle his will to live.

Yeah... it's calming in here. To keep falling deep down into the bottom... and just relax your body.

Sea creatures, some small and others large, became slightly curious and approached him. This brought him a bit of amusement as he had some underwater companions.

However, amidst the amusement of feeling tickled by the fish around him, there was a lingering question in his mind. A question that continued to occupy his thoughts even after the fish had swum away.

Why am I... doing this? ... I can't breath.

Everything felt like he had known and experienced it before, yet it all seemed meaningless.

Succumbing to his darkness, the man's back landed on the soft seabed sand. No light penetrated that pitch-black abyss, much like his soul.

... If only... this is the end.

The weighted bracelet he had donned fulfilled its purpose, carrying him further into the abyss where he made the conscious decision to surrender and cease any attempts.

He sank, closing his eyes, with the sole desire in his mind at that moment: not to wake up again.

Ahh, again and again...

However, just as he was on the verge of relinquishing everything to reach the end of his journey, a powerful blessing surged in his heart, flooding his mind with countless words that urged him to turn back.

["True I have make many mistake, put my trust in the wrong people, got betrayed and making a lot of false choice. But I'll not give up, it's not my thing."]

It was the blessing of never giving up, but for a weary soul like his, that blessing felt more like a curse, binding his will. It was a belief, a decision, a sacrifice, resilience, and many other factors that had already painted the canvas of his life.

'...Fuka-san.'

His body had been crushed by the pressure at such depths, rupturing his internal organs and even shattering his eardrums. It was truly difficult to refer to him now as a human being.

Yet, within the excruciating pain that felt like his body was disintegrating while he retained consciousness, Zeimachi managed to summon a smile from his disfigured lips.

["This world is not filled with beauty, that's why everyone searching for it."]

A black ball of stars shone and emitted a dazzling light that consumed the darkness around it in a heavenly blue radiance, before fading away and returning all the creatures in the deep sea to their tranquil silence.

Not only did the creatures regain their calm when the light of heavenly blue vanished, but his body also reverted to its original form, barefoot, and even his clothes, except for the muffler, which had been swept away somewhere.

His current state seemed undisturbed by the various factors in his surroundings that could swiftly take the life of an ordinary human. Whether it was water pressure, darkness, or even the need for air, Zeimachi appeared unburdened by these concerns.

["...Do you need a reason to live? I have been searching for it for a long times. If you know can you tell me, I want to know the meaning of my journey."]

With his body fully restored, Zeimachi gazed into the darkness that enveloped him.

Just as he could comprehend, there was nothing but darkness surrounding him. The very darkness that once belonged to those ship girls who had sunk and become the wreckage of the deep-sea creatures.

He closed his eyes, trying to recall more memories.

["May we meet in the distant future."]

["I hoped that one day, you will be reunited with the person you cherished."]

["If you wanna rainbow then you gotta put up with the rain."]

["Don't forget to bring Angler fish Zei! This is order from your manager, Cera!"]

His face become more relaxed when remembering those lines. Fictional as they may be, for him who had even reached the land unbounded from the wedges of mediocrity, every touch of them felt very real.

Leading him to his next never ending fight.

Maybe... just one more.

["You know the rules and so do I."]

In the end, he sought one more memory to hold onto, and as he closed his eyes... bubbles of air escaped from his mouth as he coughed out the ridiculous phrase he couldn't bear.

...

....

.....

To think I'll got rickrolled just when I want to die, onore Rick Ashleyyyy!!!

"Huuurghhhh!"

His anger which doesn't make any sense, erupted to the creator of the song.

Being frustrated after being rick-rolled by his own brain, Zeimachi shakes his head until the embarrassing taste begone from his head. Its very hard for him to wash his own idiotness.

Despite that, Zeimachi continued his search for any angler fish in his vicinity, spending more than a few minutes underwater. After locating one of medium size after about an hour, he swiftly swam back to the surface with the soon-to-be-dead fish.

Preparation for decompression... yosh, now let's go.

Once again, he invoked one of the spell stored within the sphere before propelling himself upward.

He swam so rapidly akin to a black marlin, and it didn't take long for him to close his distance with the surface. As the surface became more visible, he increased his speed with the intention of leaping further and beyond like a giant whale.

Nuuu?!

But what bad timing, just as he continued to increase his speed to the surface, he saw several humanoid figures blocking his way. They're not seals, and they didn't resemble ninjas either.

These figures, who had revealed what was beneath their skirts to many creatures underwater, must be ship girls.

Unfortunately, it was far too late to pull out the brakes when he spotted several ship girls in the direction he's heading. All he could do was adjust his direction slightly and execute an emergency maneuver to avoid a collision with those girls.

EVASION!!!

He attempted to scream, but only bubbles emerged, creating a splash and a boom as he shot out from beneath the cold surface of the ocean water.

This sudden emergence served as an emergency warning to the ship girls nearby.

"Cih, Siren ambush?!"

"How!? I didn't pick any sensor before."

"All ship! Battle formation! Look out for any submarine under the water, loading deep charges!"

"..."

If they were the figures Zeimachi thought they were, then from front to back in their formation, the names of the ship girls were Z23, Javelin, Ayanami, and Laffey.

They appeared ready for any underwater attack, diligently guarding each other's backs as per the basic manual. However, one of them, Laffey, happened to notice an unusual sight descending from the air.

"..."「Laffey」 

"Laffey what's wrong?"「Javelin」

"Up there."「Laffey」

All of them were prepared for any potential ambush from the Sirens, but one ship girl urged them to look at the object emerging from the water. Soon, some of her friends followed suit and directed their gazes in the same direction.

They're taken aback by the surprise of seeing a person up there.

"Hm? That... tt's commander!!"「Z23」

"What?! That's the commander you're talking about??!"「Javelin」

There, they spotted someone in wet clothes holding a fish flying in their direction. At first, his posture seemed as if he intended to deliver a flying kick to one of the ship girls, but he suddenly changed his pose mid-air.

"Raidaaaa!!! Kiiickkkkuuuu!!! E-Eh you girls?"

"I'll handle it!"「Ayanami」

"W-Wait Ayanami!"「Z23」

Just as they continued to argue, Zeimachi kept approaching them. However, it didn't mean they would just stand there and do nothing.

"Don't underestimate the power of demon!"「Ayanami」

Another ship girl with a petite stature bravely stood at the front of the formation. She firmly gripped the hilt of her sword, and Ayanami deftly deflected the kick while simultaneously created an outburst with her own finishing move against the man's diving kick.

Sparks flew, and the clash of their moves created a burst of wind that rippled through those who were watching.

Just when Ayanami seemed to gain the upper hand, the ship girl executed a roundhouse kick to his hand, causing the angler fish he had caught to escape.

"Not the fish!"

It was almost another disaster, but fortunately, Laffey, who was always ready to jump into action, noticed her commander's distress. She hastily leaped in the direction where the fish had almost escaped.

"I got it."「Laffey」

"Nice Laffey!"

"Laffey-chan! A siren spawn! *Swing*."「Javelin」

Laffey joyfully swung the fish above her head, as if declaring her victory. She also skillfully dodged a friendly fire from her friend who hadn't been aware of the angler fish.

"Its not, and commander is holding it. So its not."「Laffey」

As the tension began to dissipate, Zeimachi who praised Ayanami for her parry approached them.

Unlike the ship girls, who had "rigging" that allowed them to navigate the sea, Zeimachi didn't possess or wear any "rigging" at all. Their reactions were akin to witnessing a rare species when they saw their commander standing on the surface of the sea.

While some of them were indeed puzzled by the sight of the man walking on the ocean's surface with bare feet, he simply shrugged it off, as such sights were quite common in many worlds.

"Hmm, I'll explain it later okay? But phew, you really done a good job Laffey. If you didn't catch it I'll need another hours to search it."

He lightly patted the girls' shoulders as a sign of encouragement.

Laffey hadn't expected to be praised for such a simple task, so she shyly turned her face away and then glanced at her new commander's face with a clinical expression, unintentionally causing some emotional turmoil within the man.

"Umm excuse me but, what did you want with this fish desu?"「Ayanami」

A ship girl with horns, dressed in a sailor uniform and wielding a one-edged sword, approached him. She seemed deeply curious about what he intended to do with the angler fish, as she had been the one who kicked it.

His answer is a straightforward one.

"What? Why asking the obvious, of course I'm going to pleasure myself with this fish!"

...

....

.....

When he later perfectly delivered his message to those girls.

"Can't you just said it normally if you want to eat it!"「Javelin」

"Uhh, that scared me out. To think commander belonged into that side. Thankfully its just a joke desu."「Ayanami」

"Pleasure... with fish... but how?"「Laffey」

"Laffey, whatever playing in your mind stop that. Geez, please take a note that misunderstand is common between miscommunication commander. Y-You should've spoke if you just want to eat that fish from the beginning."「Z23」

"... I'm more interested in how commander will eat this."「Laffey」

As the salty wind passed through their human forms, Zeimachi couldn't help but applaud their synchronized response. The ship girls looked incredibly adorable with their expressions as they stood before their relatively new commander.

Not wanting to dampen the atmosphere, Zeimachi proceeded to introduce himself, and the ship girls followed suit with their own introductions.

"Guten Tag, Commander. I am Z23, current leader for this convoy being tasked to find your where about! Ah, for convinience sake please feel free to call me Z23."

"Good day Commander! I'm J-class destroyer Javelin desu, nice to meet you☆"

"I'm... Ayanami. Sorry for back then, pleasure to meet you."

"..."

While her three friends had already introduced themselves, one of them appeared to be sulking. It was unclear what the reason might be, but it seemed that Laffey was slightly disappointed because her name had been revealed first.

Furthermore, Laffey felt that since their commander already knew her name, there was no need for her to introduce herself.

"... It's fine, Laffey is Laffey anyway. Laffey, I'm not trying to get you to fix it. Definitely not at all."「Laffey」

That's what she expressed, though in reality, she was only pouting because she couldn't surprise Zeimachi with the introduction she had planned.

"It's just a small part of it, but yes. We did plan our introduction together if we coincidentally got met you, Commander."「Z23」

"Ahaha... it kind of embarrassing when I remember it."「Javelin」

Zeimachi couldn't help but feel a bit remorseful for unintentionally ruining the surprise they had planned. As a result, he decided to ask Laffey how he could make it up to her.

"Then... date."「Laffey」

This idea though, wasn't part of those starter ship girls' original plan.

He slightly put his brain to works, and after some consideration, Zeimachi found himself owing Laffey a date. This decisions surprised those around them, who couldn't help but exclaim in astonishment.

"Unfair! I wanna go too! ... I-I mean, Laffey-chan! You're going to trouble the Commander if you ask him for a date on your first meeting!"「Javelin」

"First come, first served. Commander, it's fine right? For me to be the first line asking for a date?"「Laffey」

With pride, Laffey flashed a peace sign as if to claim victory over the other three. On the other hand, she also displayed a very close and friendly demeanor towards the man, which was quite different from what he currently had in mind.

What... is happening? Why are they acting as if they're close to me? I haven't increased their intimacy for the past few months, so how is this possible?

"No matter what, our mission has been cleared. I'll send our report through radio we've found commander, so let's prepare to sail back."「Z23」

"Ouu!" Everyone

While Z23 was reporting her message to the academy channel, Zeimachi, who had managed to break free from Laffey's hold, began to discard a few items he didn't need. Ayanami and Javelin, seizing the opportunity, approached their commander.

"Commander, what did that bracelet do?"「Ayanami」

"It looks heavy."「Javelin」

Calmly and with a hint of teasing, Zeimachi once again explained the purpose of the bracelet he was wearing.

"Eh?"「Ayanami」

"Why would anyone do that?!"「Javelin」

"Commander, isn't tools like that supposed to make you stay afloat instead of... drown?"「Z23」

Although initially both of them, including Z23 who had just finished her report, thought that their commander's thought process was a bit unusual, Zeimachi explained that the purpose of wearing those bracelets was to catch live anglerfish at great depths.

They then turned to Laffey, who was standing not far from their commander.

"Hn?"「Laffey」

Laffey was playing with the anglerfish in her hand, as she rarely encountered this type of fish and could hold it.

When the break and jokes were over, they all began to prepare themselves to sail again.

Zeimachi briefly asked if the distance back to the academy was far or not, and Z23 confirmed his guess, stating that it was indeed quite a distance. Just how worried those girls are, Zeimachi later have to face a some fragment of it.

"And do you know how worried we were!?"「Z23」

Hearing Z23's heartfelt emotions, Zeimachi couldn't help but wonder at how deeply the ship girls cared about him. Even though he hadn't been very close to them since his arrival, they seemed to appreciate and feel a connection with him because he had saved their friends.

Sorry.

That was all he could say, and only a few head pats he could offer. All the attention and affection he felt from the girls were painfully affecting his dead heart. However, that didn't mean he could show it to them such unsightly sight.

"I-I'm not the kind of girl who you can fool with just a few headpats! When we back to the port, make sure to get back to work, Commander."「Z23」

"Hee, Nimi is embarassed~"「Ayanami」 

"Nimi-chan is embarassed~"「Javelin」

"Nimi is red."「Laffey」

"I-It's not like what you think!!!"「Z23」

Seeing the scene before him, Zeimachi felt a different atmosphere from the cold and quiet depths below. He felt... something, he didn't want to name it, and he didn't want to admit it either.

However, the lively atmosphere, filled with everyday banter, made him feel like he didn't want to die, even if only temporarily.

After a session of head pats, they followed Z23's lead back to their home. They continued to tease each other, often interrupted by their commander, who joined in their casual conversation.

Yet again, this same scene...

Everything appeared normal, or at least it was supposed to be.

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