~Monday, the fourteenth of October, 17:30 ~

The shrine, located near the city but seemed to always be empty, now had an extra feeling attached to it. Most didn't really care nor notice what others cared about, but it manifested in different ways. The head-priest had an irritated feeling attached, and Tsukino Scott had a worried feeling attached.

Kaharu Kahari was late to his duties at the shrine. The time he was supposed to be there by had already passed, and the pacing by the head-priest had only increased as the minutes passed. The sloppiness and scoldings for Tsukino had also increased as the minutes passed.

But they both looked at surprise and slight relief as they watched a young man walk up the stairs, having entered sacred ground.

But his appearance didn't match those sacred connotations, he was covered in bruises, displaying a neutral frown and fatigues practically dropping from his body.

Questions immediately arose in Tsukino as to what had happened to him. Although, she could probably guess what he'd done.

By the fact he'd left the classroom without a trace, Tsukino figured he'd probably been in a fight.

She was unsure of what to think, the line between being honorable or despicable was being disturbed, she had no idea which one Kaharu fell into.

She smiled slightly as she realized what she was doing, the mystery was still intact.

Kaharu quickly walked across the relatively empty field in front of the main shrine, sighting an old man catching up to him. He said

"Kaharu! Where have you been!? You're late, you know that right!?"

Kaharu looked over at the old shinto-priest with kind eyes, he seemed like he'd just experienced something extraordinary. His frown remained the same, the bitterness seeping through the gaps between his lips, but his eyes told another story.

Kaharu knew why he was late, and that it was a good reason. But, yet again, he figured that the priest wouldn't understand, nor care to listen to his story. His one-sided beliefs led to him saying

"Old man, call my parents if you want. I don't give a shit today. I'm here, and ready to do my shift."

As Kaharu turned his and walked away, the head-priest looked at him in confusion as he thought

- "Today", he said?

I wonder what that entails...-

Finally deciding to let him off the hook, the head-priest returned to his own duties with a perplexed face.

Kaharu got to his spot again, and with his broom, he started sweeping.

…

~Monday, the fourteenth of October, 17:56~

There was something different with Kaharu's shift that day.

That cold feeling was closer to him, that was definitely the case. Kaharu could feel it, although he had no idea what that even was. As his mind wandered to supernatural causes, he shook his head in disbelief. Like something like that could exist.

Although it didn't feel like a cold wind was the cause to it or anything, it was very clearly a feeling. December wrapping around August, two months equally far apart from the current month, two temperatures that shouldn't mix with each other and two feelings that blended into confusion.

Maybe that warmth was stowed away, surrounded by something so cold because of something that had happened.

~17:57~

Kaharu didn't know what he was going on about, and focused his energy towards doing his job a lot a lot quicker. But he noticed something else out of the ordinary. The silhouette he'd caught last time didn't move as he lifted his head towards it. It stood completely still, glaring at Kaharu with a bright white shine exerting from its eyes. Kaharu waited a couple of seconds for him to draw back, but he never did.

~17:58~

It annoyed him, he wouldn't care usually, but the fact that he didn't draw back troubled Kaharu.

He let go of his broom, which ended in a *PA-PAN*, and faced the silhouette fully with his body.

On that aggressive note, the silhouette moved forward.

With the shadows removed from his face, and body, all of him was revealed in the early-autumn sunlight.

With three horns pointing out of his head, all in different directions, heavy bags under his eyes, wrinkles and light beard on his face, a kimono consisting of different shades of gray and black sandals, The old man yawned as he looked straight at Kaharu Kahari.

There was an eerie blurriness by the edges of his body, and a slight transparency through him, giving him a weird look for the eyes of Kaharu Kahari.

~17:59~

Although he was sure he'd never seen him before, he felt like he recognized the old man. Nothing came to mind, and the old man proceeded to say

"Look, I'm kind of tired of this whole God-business. Would you like to take over?"

Kaharu Kahari just stared blankly at the semi-transparent old man, with furrowed brows leveling with his eyes. What was this old man on about? Had he gone demented? Kaharu felt insulted as he had heard that line, like the old man was questioning his intelligence. He retorted

"Oi, old man! What're you on about!? You take me for a fool?"

A fire was lit.

~18:00~

The old man smiled slightly as he understood the confusion he brought about, he rubbed his horn slightly as he stared back at Kaharu. He directed his tired eyes toward the floor as he continued

"I see you've worked hard for the past couple of days here, and there's usually a reward for those who try their best. I'm exhausted with this work, and I would like to pass it on to someone. You are able to see me, unlike a lot of other people.

So, you seem to be a great fit."

Kaharu, with a vein about to pop, prepared himself to blast the old man again, but the old man flashed another smile as he preceded what Kaharu was going to say

"You may not know this, considering both your humanity and age. But, there are a lot of things in this world you don't know about. Maybe don't even have the ability to know about.

If I were to put it in brief terms for you, I'd say 'Gods exist'.

I mean, it's a little bit more complex than that, but I don't have the energy to explain it.

All I'm asking is if you would like to 'take over' this shrine. If you do, there will be powers for you to receive."

~18:01~

Like an overwhelming breeze blowing against his entire body, Kaharu felt his bind blow away with the wind as a new sense of spirituality flew over him.

He didn't want to believe it, it didn't make any sense after all. But the longer he stared, with his vicious eyes, at the old man in front of him. The less he saw the figure of an old man, and more did he see the figure of a collection of energy, the details to his outside didn't match with his interpretation of humans.

The horns, the transparency, the aura, the confidence. It was all unique.

But the attitude he encountered in the being in front of him didn't appeal to his liking at all. No matter what he was, Kaharu didn't like that way of being treated.

It deeply disturbed him, like he thought he was so much better than Kaharu.

Even if he was a God, even if that entailed him actually being better, Kaharu didn't accept that position over him.

He wanted to rebel.

~18:02~

He quickly took off his jacket, making sure he placed in a very safe spot, and placed himself in a position ready to attack.

The gun was ready to fire, and the old man could sense that as well.

As Kaharu charged towards him, the old man calmly said

"I figured something like this would happen.

But sadly, you don't possess the ability to hurt me."

*KADON*

Kaharu's fist stopped right in the middle of the old man's torso, making Kaharu draw his attention upward towards his face. The old man smiled smugly as he said

"In fact, since you don't have the proper permissions..."

~18:03~

Kaharu saw his hand stop completely, freezing his position in place. That sensation had never been felt before, he instantly directed his mind to a state of emergency.

His hand hadn't even scraped his opponent, what did that say about his strength? Kaharu had forgotten fact that the person in front of him was a self-proclaimed God.

But he was soon reminded as a pain, similar to lightning in how it struck, quickly possessed his body. As he rolled on the ground, the old man continued

"You'll probably get affected by the 'divine retribution'."

~18:04~

Kaharu struggled on the ground as he looked up at the person whom he held responsible for it. The old man approached the Kaharu in pain with a frown displayed on his face. From that angle, Kaharu quickly realized something.

The old man said

"I'm not trying to hurt you. But that must've been pretty convincing.

I'm not really forcing you either, but I'm gonna ask again.

Would you like to become a God and take over this shrine?"

Kaharu remembered the statues he passed by on the first day he worked at the shrine, and the old man that stood in the middle of them.

He realized who he was, and as the god reached out his hand in help, Kaharu accepted his defeat and grabbed the hand.

~18:05~

It was deeply frustrating, but Kaharu saw the benefits in not going against him right then. His problem of powerlessness could finally be fixed, a road to strength had opened up. Even if it meant swallowing his large pride he's built up since making a change.

But a deep-rooted embarrassment and thirst for revenge would be planted deep in Kaharu's subconsciousness.

"Alright, I'll do it."

~18:06~

10 minutes.

10 minutes was all it took for Kaharu Kaharu, from a smaller city near Tokyo, to cross the border of mortality. Even though there was a road ahead for him, and that absolute power was not guaranteed, he was on a level that not many humans were.

That went for a lot of things in Kaharu's life, but this was one of the first, what he thought were, good things that he was deemed special in.

He saw a clear road in front of him, no obstacles in front of him, no darkness to obscure his view, and no alternate road to distract him. His path was chosen, that was what he perceived.

He smiled slightly.

…

~Monday, the fourteenth of October, 22:44~

The crowd hurried home, like they usually did at that time. The businessmen who'd worked late, students who'd stayed at a cram school to get into university, and people who'd been out shopping late all rushed to get home.

"Hey, young lady, would you like to hang out a little bit?"

The answer was no, as a rather attractive woman turned around to continue her business.

Correcting his angle-filled school uniform, he smacked his tongue at the rejection. He'd hoped his pick-up game had improved since his 'rebirth', but that seemed to not be the case. He shook his head to his own comment, there was no way his pick-up game was bad. These humans just didn't understand it. He was sure of it, letting his confusion subside within him.

He looked at his hand with a smug and wide smile, and eyes filled with both torment and a lust for power. Caught up in the moment, he brought his eyes towards the prey he just let escape. Or that's what he wanted it to think.

*SNAP*

"Hey, young lady! Are you sure don't wanna hang out for a bit?"

"No, of course------"

The young kid's red hair bopped in the air as he, filled with thoughts of power and influence, walked with spread legs and a false smile.

…