A building stood all alone in what appeared to be the divine realm, asserting its presence with obnoxious intensity. The entire structure was festooned with gaudy electric lights. Since the surroundings were already bright, it was manageable, but had it been in the middle of the night, the flickering probably would have given me a headache.
"...House of the Luck God?"
A neon sign was mounted near the roof at the front of the building. It flashed on and off with a brilliance reminiscent of a pachinko parlor’s signage. If the writing was accurate, this was apparently the home of the Luck God.
There were plenty of things I didn't understand. For instance, why it looked exactly like a gambling hall, or why I was even in the Luck God’s divine realm to begin with.
Still, standing around wasn’t going to change anything. I didn't even know how to get back. Having no other choice, I stepped up to the entrance, and the glass doors slid open on their own. Apparently, they’d even reproduced automatic doors here.
Inside, music blasted at a deafening volume. It actually made my ears ache.
The interior was one massive room filled with rows of machines. They looked like slot machines—and for all I knew, there were actual pachinko tables in here, too. Despite the noisy atmosphere, not a single soul was in sight, which made the space feel oddly eerie.
Wait, I was wrong. Someone emerged from the shadow of a slot machine. It was a young woman wearing a bunny suit, though her head sported cat ears instead of rabbit ones. Did that make it a catsuit? She was holding an old, weathered pot in her hands. I couldn't imagine what kind of theme she was going for.
"Welcome to my house! To you, the lucky one, I grant the honor of becoming my follower!"
...If I hadn’t misheard her, she definitely just called this place "my house."
Did that mean this woman was the Luck God?
I didn't know for sure, and frankly, I felt like I was about to learn a truth I’d rather avoid, so I decided to just gloss over it for now.
"I'm the Apostle of Ren-kun... I mean, the Destiny God, so I’ll have to pass."
"Guh...! In that case, I’ll just make you my Apostle, too!"
"Ah, no, that really won't be necessary..."
"Why not?! You don't need to be so loyal to a newcomer like him! He’s the god of destiny, not the god of luck, you know? A lucky boy like you belongs with me!"
Well, she had a point.
As she said, Ren-kun was the Destiny God, not the Luck God. I’d heard that while he might grant a sliver of luck to help someone forge their own destiny, the actual bestowing of good fortune wasn't within his primary authority.
That said, I didn't see any reason to jump ship. It wasn’t as if I’d become Ren-kun’s Apostle because I was looking for a lucky break.
Perhaps because my reaction was so lukewarm, the woman launched into a relentless recruitment pitch. Judging from the things she was saying... she really was the Luck God after all.
No matter how much she scouted me, I had no intention of switching sides, but that left me with the problem of how to return home.
As I stood there, troubled, the space beside the Luck God suddenly warped.
"Hey! Don't you go trying to poach other people's Apostles! Wait, gah! It’s too loud! What’s with this place!?"
Ren-kun stepped out of the distorted space. It seemed he’d sensed my predicament and come to lodge a formal complaint. Thank goodness—now it looked like I’d actually be able to leave.
Ren-kun reflexively covered his ears against the building's racket even as he spoke. It really was a cacophonous din, yet for some reason, I could hear their voices perfectly clearly. It was a strange sensation.
"Don't go barging into someone else's domain without an invitation... Oh? What’s with that look? Between you and the boy here, aren't you both looking quite cute?"
"Ugh, please don't say creepy things like that. Besides, you’re the one who’s lost it. Why are you dressed like that?"
The Luck God and Ren-kun stared at each other in mutual surprise. I remembered hearing once that Ren-kun’s appearance was tailored to my own mental image of him. Did that mean the Luck God was also being influenced by my subconscious?
No, no, no. I didn't have this kind of image of the Goddess of Luck, I swear.
"Is it really that weird? I just stitched together the images this child associates with luck..."
"No, it's a total mess..."
Apparently, this chaotic scene was the result of connecting every "luck" related concept I had in my head. As Ren-kun said, it was a disaster. The slot machines and neon signs probably came from gambling. Were the cat ears from a maneki-neko? And that suspicious-looking jar... was that a Luck Pot?
"We can't even have a proper conversation like this. Switch back to your usual form. Ruto would prefer that too, wouldn't you?"
"Yeah."
I had no idea what her "usual" form looked like, but I figured it couldn't be any worse than this. I nodded in agreement with Ren-kun, and the Luck God let out a small sigh. "Fine, have it your way," she murmured.
In an instant, the world around us transformed.
The gaudy, tasteless building vanished, replaced by a vast grassland bathed in soft moonlight. Mysterious flowers emitted a faint, pale blue phosphorescence, asserting their presence with quiet elegance, while butterflies with translucent wings danced through the moonbeams. The atmosphere was ethereal and enchanting.
Even the Luck God’s appearance had changed. In a complete reversal from before, she was now dressed in refined, understated clothing. Her long hair shimmered like spun silk under the moon, making her look like a true goddess. Well, she actually was one, but still.
If she’d looked like this from the beginning, my first impression of her would have been a whole lot better.