You didn't expect this, did you? I've time-traveled again!

"I didn't say anything, you misheard me."

"Ah! I heard you! You said I'm not a goddess!"

The two returned to the lord's manor amidst their bickering.

That's it.

Suoh Takeshi chose this silly goddess as the [clearance bonus].

There's also Kazuma Sato, who made outstanding contributions in defeating the Demon King alongside Takeshi Suoh, so the Heavenly Realm made an exception and allowed him to choose one of the [Completion Bonuses].

He chose the goddess Eris.

Unlike Suoh's troubles in the Heavenly Realm, where he was taken away by the "most unpopular" goddess, Sato Kazuma took away the "most popular" goddess in the Heavenly Realm, who was the one most wanted to work under him, instantly becoming the public enemy of the Heavenly Realm.

But these things have nothing to do with them.

Upon arriving at the dining table, they found that the team members had already gathered.

"Martial Arts!"

"Wu, you're back?"

"Yo, Wu."

"Suoh-senpai!"

"Master Wu!" x2

"Wu, you didn't summon me!"

"Brother, welcome back..."

Warm greetings kept coming.

Before we knew it, there were so many people in the lord's manor.

Aqua, Darkness, Megumin, Yuuyu, Beatrice, Princess Alice, Kazuma Sato, Eris, Claire, Rhine... Familiar faces he hadn't seen for a month made Takeshi Suoh feel happy.

"Alright! Is everyone here? Let's eat!"

"I'm starting!" x11

Everyone enjoyed a noisy breakfast.

These idiots, I really don't know where they get so much energy, they're always making a ruckus and they don't seem to get tired.

However, being noisy is in their nature; if they stopped making a fuss one day, they wouldn't be themselves anymore.

After dinner, the group didn't just stay home idly.

Because of the Demon King's previous descent, all the demons became restless, and even after a year, there was no sign of the situation calming down.

Thanks to the large number of adventurers who came to this beginner village, the restless monsters were gradually suppressed.

Now only the final touches remain.

Although Suoh Takeshi had just returned, he did not feel tired. However, before he could get up, Aqua, who had just run out, hurriedly ran back from outside.

"Oh, right! Wu, there's a letter for you."

"letter?"

As a celebrity in this world, he receives numerous letters every day, whether people know him or not.

However, he usually ignores it, and Aqua couldn't possibly forget something like this.

“This letter is a bit strange.” Aqua shook the letter in her hand and offered to explain: “It didn’t appear in the mailbox, but directly on your desk in your room. I saw it when I went to see you this morning.”

"Oh?" Suoh Takeshi raised an eyebrow.

interesting.

Instead of taking a direct approach, is it choosing an unconventional method to attract attention?

It must be said that it did catch my attention.

But when he saw the white envelope with his name on it, a strange feeling welled up inside him, a vague urge to grasp it, yet it slipped away.

He had a premonition that it would reveal the truth behind everything.

Seeing Suoh Takeru in a daze, Aqua asked with concern, "Takeru? What's wrong? Are you alright?"

"Ah...it's nothing." Suoh Takeshi shook his head.

No matter what, he has to face it.

He snatched the envelope and opened it in front of everyone.

[To His Excellency Suoh Takeshi]

[To all the troubled young men and women with extraordinary abilities: If you wish to test your talents, then abandon your family, friends, possessions, and everything in the world, and come to our 'Miniature Garden'!]

The moment I finished reading this letter, it felt like the mystery had finally been solved.

The shackles hidden deep in memory were swiftly and decisively unlocked by the appearance of the "key".

It was as if I was telling myself that the time had come, and my thoughts became clear in an instant.

Unknown memories flooded my mind in an instant.

------

"Hey, hey, hey, are we really going to do this?! We have other ideas, right? This is too risky! Let's give up, okay?"

The speaker was a handsome man wearing a black bowler hat, a black tailcoat, and round monocles.

At this moment, he was no longer as elegant as usual; instead, he was waving his hands excitedly, as if trying to dissuade the person in front of him who wanted to go his own way.

But then I heard—

"No way? Kroya, aren't you the goddess who governs life and death, love and happiness? You've always believed in the possibilities of humanity, so why are you suddenly saying something so insecure?"

The one mocking him was a woman with short, wavy blond hair, wearing shell-shaped earrings, a pure white long robe over a purplish-red camisole, and black knee-high boots with heels.

She is a rather young and beautiful woman.

"There has to be a limit! You know what a canary is, right?"

Hearing the mockery, the man in the top hat... no, Kroya shouted excitedly, "Even that two-digit powerhouse—Jehovah—had to exhaust countless efforts to achieve that!"

These words silenced the beautiful woman named Canary.

She clearly understood how difficult what they were about to do was.

It is practically impossible to achieve; there is only a theoretical possibility of success.

But as the air seemed to freeze, another man chuckled softly and said, "But there's still a possibility, isn't there? And if we can do it, we can gain double-digit strength in one go, and the current problem will be easily solved, won't it?"

“That’s true!…Although that’s true!” Kroya rubbed his head excitedly and continued to persuade, “Leader…Kasukabe has already gone to find a solution, we don’t need it…!”

“Kroya! You know that Takaaki is no longer ‘qualified’! So… I’ll do it myself! Even if the hope is so slim.”

The harsh reality left Kroya speechless, unable to utter a word of advice.

In the end, he could only mutter softly, "Hey, Wu... you're confident, aren't you? You're confident, aren't you?!"

The voice carried both inquiry and pleading.

I received a confident reply.

"Of course! Otherwise, I wouldn't have acted rashly. Rather, you two can 'look forward' to me now."

"Ha... I'll look forward to it then."

Kroya couldn't help but smile wryly and didn't try to dissuade him further.

"Then let me explain the battle plan again."

Fearing that the two might act impulsively after he left, he chose to give them another reminder beforehand.

"I will split myself into countless parts, and the [Gift of Heroes] traits will be attached to the soul of each 'me,' and then they will save the world and gain the faith of their world..."

"Wait a minute, isn't this the same thing that two-digit god-like being did?"

"They're quite similar."

"But will those people agree to you doing this? They'll definitely try to sabotage it behind your back!"

"Probably. But that's when I need your help, Kroya."

Kroa, who possesses the "Crossroads of Life and Death," can forcibly lead him there and cause the boundary between life and death to shrink and return to nothingness.

At that time, the immense pressure from death would cause his [Gift of Hero] to evolve into [Gift of Hope], and he would not choose [Life], but would actively choose [Death] in order to escape the enemy's pursuit.

After all, he was already dead at that time, which was a fait accompli, so how could anyone find him?

All the other "lives" were merely bait laid out in the open to attract the enemy's attention, allowing the only "death" to escape smoothly.

【The Only Hope (Wish_One)】

Once he obtains it, he can become a god by absorbing the power of faith through its special properties!

No, it is to become the center of the divine group!

He naturally gained his own universe worldview, possessing power comparable to a two-digit god-like being!

This is the complete picture of the plan!

"But it's still too dangerous."

Kroya couldn't help but clench her fists.

"Even the first step of the plan is extremely dangerous. It is the eternal crossroads where life and death, the human realm and the divine realm, are forever intersected. Once we reach there, no one but me can escape. Unless we truly enhance our own gifts as Wu said, we will definitely lose our true nature and perish."

A single mistake could lead to certain death, and even if death is avoided, other problems may arise, such as the loss of one's nature, thought, emotions, and memory... not to mention, you sought death in the first place.

The plan sounded wonderful, but all three people present knew that it was a feat that was virtually impossible to accomplish, and that the slightest mistake would lead to a disastrous failure.

Such a failure is something no one can afford to bear.

however!

"But someone has to do it, doesn't he? Especially since I'm the most suitable candidate. Besides, putting ourselves in a do-or-die situation is the best approach."

He chuckled lightly, showing no fear of dying at the slightest mishap, but rather a resigned acceptance of death.

Which known powerful being has not faced countless calamities?