PROLOGUE

A Reunion and a Change

Panting, I draw a magic circle on the floor of the spacious room, which is white as far as the eye can see. After receiving the list of Heroes from Great Goddess Ishtar, I sprinted all the way to the Hero Summoning Chamber in the sanctuary as quickly as I could.

Since I broke the rules of the unified spirit world when we saved Gaeabrande, I was put in charge of saving the world of Ixphoria, an SS-ranked world, next. Ranking higher than Gaeabrande, Ixphoria has already become a world overrun by demons. But even so, I feel no despair. Brimming with emotion, I chant the summoning spell while gazing at the Hero’s status written on the list. I thought I had run out of tears, but the corners of my eyes begin to burn anew.

I’m sure Seiya has lost all the memories of our adventure together after his stats were reset. But that’s okay. I’ll be able to see him again, and that’s all that matters. I read the Hero’s name aloud. Before long, the magic circle expels a powerful light, summoning the Hero from the human realm.

He has a tall, fit body with youthful black locks of hair hanging over his masculine face. Just like when I first summoned him, Seiya Ryuuguuin is wearing a T-shirt and jeans while emitting a powerful, godlike aura. I thought I would never see this overly cautious Hero again, and yet here we are, reunited.

Seiya…!

I desperately hold myself back as I unconsciously reach out to touch him.

Ristarte! No! Pull yourself together! Seiya doesn’t remember anything about you!

I tell myself even as the corners of my lips fight to curl upward. After standing up straight and making myself presentable, as a goddess should, I turn my gaze to Seiya once more.

Let’s start over and take our time. Right…Seiya?

I introduce myself to Seiya the same way I did the first time we met.

“It is a pleasure to finally meet you. I am Ristarte, a goddess of this unified spirit world. I have summoned you to this dimension for a certain mission. Seiya Ryuuguuin, you shall become the Hero who saves the parallel world Ixphoria from the evil clutches of the Demon Lord.”

…Silence follows, as expected. Seiya casts me a dubious look just like he did the last time he was suddenly summoned to this world. It feels very nostalgic to me, though.

After a few moments, he finally speaks up.

“Rista. What’s gotten into you?”

“…Huh?”

W-wait. What? Huh? Wait. Did he just call me Rista? Huh? Why?

“You already told me all that last time. Or do you have to say that every time you summon a Hero?”

Wh-wh-wh-what?!

My mouth flaps open and shut like a fish out of water.

“Y-you… You remember me? But when Heroes are summoned, their memories of the past world are supposed to be erased. Why…?”

“Beats me. I remember everything, though.”

I suddenly think back to my conversation with Ishtar.

“This will be an exception.”

Did she mean…that she would allow Seiya to keep his memories?! Th-that’s the only way this makes sense! What a wonderful arrangement!

I am so moved, I begin to tremble when…

“Hang on. After all that training I did, my stats went back down to level one… This is ridiculous. Please tell me there’s some way to fix this system.”

Seiya fires off complaints, but that’s so like him. Seeing the Hero just how I remember him causes the urges I had been fighting back to spill out from within.

“Waaah! Seiyaaaaaa! I missed yoooooou!”

Casting aside my dignified demeanor as a goddess, I leap into Seiya’s arms, bury my face in his chest, and start crying.

“I thought your soul was destroyed after the battle! I thought I’d never see you again! You acted so tough in front of everyone, but in reality, you were in so much pain!”

After bawling my eyes out, I eventually take my face off his chest.

“Ah!”

His clothes are stained with my tears. Well, not only my tears. Some stuff came out of my nose and mouth and… Well, there’s a lot of me on his shirt.

Eeeep! O-oh no… I—I completely lost control of myself! He’s gonna hit me; I just know it…!

I promptly cover my face with my hands, but Seiya doesn’t hit me.

“Huh? Y-you’re not mad? I completely ruined your shirt, though.”

“I don’t care.”

“Huh? Really? Wh-why?”

“…Rista.”

Seiya looks at me, and his face becomes serious.

“I remember you desperately trying to save me, too. Also, when I was on the verge of death in return for using Gate of Valhalla, I remembered how much you meant to me in my past life.”

“D-do you really mean that?”

“I do.”

“Y-you care about me?”

“Yes. Stop making me repeat myself. I mean, I came back this time for you. I heard Ishtar’s voice in my head, and she told me you were going to have to save a world even deadlier than Gaeabrande as punishment for saving me.”

“O-oh… Um… C-could you give me a second?”

I turn away so that Seiya can’t see my face, then I crouch.

Whoo-hoooooo! Wh-wh-what is going on?! I went from hell to heaven! From despair to euphoria! I’m drowning in an indescribable feeling of joy! But…even then, I shake my head.

W-wait! He’s probably just teasing me! Yeah! He’s probably trying to get me to let my guard down so that he can kick me! There’s only one way to find out…!

My heart pounding in my chest, I approach Seiya.

“A-ahem… Hey.”

I casually wrap my arm around his. Seiya’s expression doesn’t change. He doesn’t even say a word, but he doesn’t look like he’s going to attack me, either.

Impossible! He doesn’t want me to stop?! Th-then that means— Wait! I can’t let my guard down just yet! I need to experiment further!

With my arm still around his, I hit Seiya with the puppy-dog eyes.

“Hey, Seiya. Let’s go visit Mash and Elulu the next time we’re free. They really wanted us all to go to that hot spring together, remember?”

The old Seiya would have said, I don’t care, but he immediately replies with:

“Yeah, that sounds good.”

I got a “sounds good”!

“I really put them through a lot. I actually wish I could go see them now if possible.”

Th-this is really happening! H-he’s finally… He has finally…

Fireworks bloom in my heart like beautiful flaming flowers of passion. He has finally opened up to me!! Just you wait, Mash and Elulu! You’re going to be blown away when you see just how lovey-dovey we are now!

“But that’s going to have to wait until after we finish our mission. The next world is going to be even more difficult than Gaeabrande, right? I’ll need to be even more cautious this time around.”

Thereupon, Seiya looks ahead with a sharp gaze.

“Time to train.”

“Whaaaaaat?! Already?!”

“Yeah. I’m going to start with basic training just like last time.”

Seiya shoots me a look. He doesn’t even need to say a word because I know what he wants to say. He wants me to get out of the Summoning Chamber.

“Y-yeah, I’m used to this by now.”

His stoic personality sure hasn’t changed a bit. Tch. I wanted to hold hands and cuddle, but…

Just like last time, I use my goddess powers of creation to create a simple toilet and bed before handing Seiya the buzzer.

“Buzz me when you’re ready, okay?”

Right as I, looking a little dejected, start to leave, Seiya calls out to me.

“Rista, could you bring me something to eat later?”

“…Okay!!”

“Aria, Aria, Aria! Listen to this! Seiya is sooo sweet now! He doesn’t punch me or kick me or crush my boobs anymore!”

“Th-that’s wonderful… Wait, just what has he put you through…?”

I frantically ramble about Seiya in Ariadoa’s room. She has red hair. Her boobs are bigger than mine, and she has way more goddess experience than I do. She’s like my big sister.

Aria listens to me, letting out a chuckle here and there.

“Seiya still has his memories thanks to Great Goddess Ishtar. She must have gotten in touch with all the highest-ranking deities at the heart of the spirit world and worked something out for you. It looks like I have to apologize to her for my behavior earlier as well.”

Aria suddenly pauses and furrows her brow.

“Um… Rista? Are you listening?”

“Y-yeah! I’m listening! I’m listening! I need to thank Great Goddess Ishtar, right? I know!”

“H-hey, Rista… Make sure to keep yourself in check, okay? I know you two used to be in love with each other, but Seiya is a human, and you’re a goddess.”

“Ha-ha-ha! Oh, Aria! Come on! I get it! I’ll be fine!”

“Are you sure? Do you really get it?”

Aria lets out a deep sigh for some reason.

“I’m worried about you. I wish I could go with you. A painful past awaits you in Ixphoria. Even if you don’t remember, your soul might when you get there…”

I decide to crack a joke in spite of her concern.

“Don’t worry! I’ll be fine! I have my sweet, loving darling from a past, past, past world with me! Anyway, talk to you later, Aria!”

“R-Rista?! What happened to thanking Great Goddess Ishtar?!”

“Sorry! I’ll do it tomorrow!”

After retiring from Aria’s room, I head straight for the kitchen.

The next day, I make rice balls for Seiya’s breakfast and proceed to the Summoning Chamber when I see Cerceus the Divine Blade and the Goddess of War, Adenela, standing in the hallway. Cerceus, who is very muscular, is actually a meek god who likes baking cakes. Adenela is a little creepy and always looks like she’s about to keel over, but she’s hundreds of times stronger than Cerceus.

“Morning, Cerceus! Your muscles are looking great as always! The bags under your eyes look wonderful as well, Adenela!”

When I cheerfully greet them, Adenela glares at me with a fed-up expression.

“Wh-what a change. W-well, I get that you’re h-happy that Seiya’s alive, but…”

However, my excitement isn’t only due to that. Yesterday, I actually made Seiya stew for dinner and checked how much he changed again. Like feeding a wild animal, I scooped up some stew with a spoon and nervously pointed it toward Seiya’s mouth.

“S-Seiya! O-open wide! Here, say ‘ahh.’”

The anxiety nearly killed me. I was almost expecting to take an uppercut to the jaw. That negative thought crossed my mind, but…Seiya put his mouth around the spoon and chewed the stew in silence.

“I-is it good?”

“Yeah, it’s great.”

…And that’s why I’m in such a good mood today. Plus, I’m about to go to Seiya’s room and feed him the rice balls I made. I’m so excited, I can’t help smiling.

However, contrary to my mood, Cerceus hangs his head.

“So that Hero’s back, huh? Don’t tell me I’m going to have to train with him again… Sigh…”

“Don’t worry, Cerceus! Seiya is a lot nicer than he used to be!”

“What?! S-seriously?!”

“Yep! A lot happened in Gaeabrande, and it helped Seiya grow as a person!”

“W-well, isn’t that something? …Hmm? Hold on! Now that I think about it, his stats were reset, so he should be weaker than me right now! Ha! There’s no reason for me to be afraid anymore! Heh-heh-heh… Ha-ha-ha-haaa!”

As Cerceus cackles…

“You’re sure in a good mood, Cerceus.”

Seiya stands behind him with his arms crossed.

“Ha-ha…ha… Eeeeeek!”

“Hey, Cerceus, I may be weaker than you right now, but don’t let it go to your head. I’ll catch up with you in no time and make sure you’ll never be able to bake another cake again.”

“Wh-wh-whatever could you mean? Oh, come on! I was only kidding! Anyway, forget about that! Welcome back, Seiya! Glad to see you’re doing well!”

What happened to that confidence he had two seconds ago? Excessively rubbing his hands together, Cerceus tries to ingratiate himself with Seiya.

“Wait, Seiya. Did you come over here to ask Cerceus to train with you?”

“Yeah, I decided to cut basic training short this time. Figured it’d be more productive to train with one of the gods here.”

“U-um… I’ve got a cake to bake, so I don’t think I can help… Plus, I’ve got a slight fever…and diarrhea…and my joints hurt… Actually, I think I’m gonna die soon…”

Seiya pats Cerceus on the shoulder in the midst of his obvious excuses.

“Relax, Cerceus. I’ll let you take breaks. You can use that time to bake cakes.”

“What?! R-really?! You’re gonna give me time to bake?!”

“Of course. From now on, I’m going to respect your free time and put that above my training.”

I whisper to Cerceus:

“See? Seiya’s a lot nicer now!”

“Y-yeah, you’re right! He really is!”

But that’s when Seiya sternly declares:

“You get one minute every five hours to rest, and you get to sleep once every three days for three hours. Got it?”

“…?! That’s ridiculous! What kind of sweatshop training is this?! The conditions are beyond unreasonable! When will I have time to bake?! I can’t even beat an egg in under a minute!”

Cerceus shakes my shoulders, tears in his eyes.

“What part of Seiya is ‘a lot nicer now’?! His tyrannical personality has gotten even worse!”

Wh-what the…? That’s weird. I thought he was nicer now…

Out of nowhere, Adenela pushes Cerceus out of the way and tries to strike up conversation with Seiya.

“S-S-Seiya, forget C-Cerceus and t-train with m-me.”

I’m taken aback when I see her. She’s blushing like a maiden in love! What the…?! I’m pretty sure she knows about our relationship in a past life! Was her love for Seiya suddenly rekindled?! This is the first time she’s seen him in a while, after all…

I watch in suspense, but Seiya simply stares at Adenela as if bored.

“Yep. You’re just as spooky as ever, Adenela. The more I look at you, the worse it gets.”

“Y-yes…! I—I love you…!”

What the…?! Is she even listening to what he’s saying?! She even looks happy to hear him say that! What’s going on anyway?! Seiya’s just as awful to her as he used to be!

And then Seiya looks back at me, and his cold expression warms a bit.

“Oh, hey. I’ve got an idea, Rista. I can train with Cerceus and Adenela at the same time. That way, I can shorten the amount of time I need.”

Cerceus lets out an “Eek!” but I smile and nod back at Seiya.

“Y-yeah! That’s a great idea!”

Seiya turns on his heel, but he looks back at me once more.

“Let me know when the food’s ready, Rista. We can eat together in your room. Is that okay?”

“Y-yeah! Of course!”

Dragging poor Cerceus along, Seiya and Adenela head toward the Summoning Chamber while I just stare in blank amazement.

Ohhh! So that’s what’s going on! Seiya’s only nice to me! Hee-hee-hee! Why do I feel so superior to everyone else now?! But it does make sense! After all, we were tied by the red thread of fate in a past life! Not only that, but we worked together to defeat the Demon Lord of Gaeabrande! I mean, how much more in love can you get?!

A few hours go by before Seiya actually shows up in my room. I welcome him with the feast I lovingly prepared.

“How’s the rice ball?”

“It’s good.”

“And the salad?”

“It’s good.”

Oh my gosh! I am sooo happy! He won’t say anything other than “It’s good,” but regardless…I’m on cloud nine!

As I watch him dig in to my home cooking, my heart suddenly starts to race.

I—I could probably kiss him, and he wouldn’t get that mad. Sh-should I do it?! I missed my chance last time, so should I do it now?! Just a kiss on the cheek! Ahhh! Hff…! Hff…! Hff…! Hff…!

But all of a sudden, the door flies open without a knock, and Adenela barges inside.

“S-Seiya! C-Cerceus r-ran off again!”

“Okay. I’ll be right there. Looks like he needs to be disciplined.”

After gulping down the rest of his meal, Seiya leaves the room with Adenela.

Sigh. Looks like I missed my chance again. But…whatever! There’s no need to rush! I’ll have plenty of opportunities from now on! Hmm… I can’t wait to go to Ixphoria! Saving SS-ranked or even SSS-ranked parallel worlds should be a walk in the park now! After all, I have my dear, sweet Seiya by my side, and we’re madly in love!

…That was the happiest I had ever been. But, of course, it didn’t last long. As expected, my feelings would soon be crushed, ripped to shreds, and left to fade away into nothingness.