Chapter 156: Go back to Iravan

"I didn't know that there was a shrine here." The middle-aged woman, who is Ari's neighbour and Masaki Aomine's mother, points at the house. "Is it rain god?"

"Why is there a rain god's shrine here?" The middle-aged woman's companion asks her, "Did Takayama girl sell this house?"

"I didn't know we could have a shrine here," Aomine Masaki's mother glances at the woman. "We should go inside and pray."

"Yes, we should." The other woman grins at him. "We should take advantage of the opportunity."

Sitting in the corner and nearly invisible to the women, Ari lets out a pronounced sigh. Not only that her house is taken over, but the entire exterior of the house is also being changed. It looks like a modernized shrine from outside and the four fellows of that damned god aren't listening to anyone. 

"We should go inside and kick them out." Cina peers at Ari. "Mother, don't be sad. We will get your house back."

"Why do we need it though?" Rilyah furrows her brows. "Renasir is fine. We can just go back to Iravan."

"Did you forget that I can't make a gate yet?" Cina smacks the back of Rilyah's head. "Do you want Mother to travel through different universes? It will take forever to reach Iravan."

"How many times have I told you?" Rilyah scowls at Cina. "Don't use violence. We are in this situation because of you."

"Since I don't remember it, I won't take responsibility for it." Cina raises his chin and wrinkles his nose. "Give me some credit. If I didn't make the gates, we wouldn't be able to leave Iravan. Ai would have died."

The third moon grabs Cina's hair. "We wouldn't need to leave Iravan if you hadn't attacked Kresi."

"Mother, help me." Cina looks at Ari with moist eyes. "Rilyah is bullying me."

"Am I not your elder twin?" Rilyah slaps his face. "I should discipline you when you are being wayward."

"We aren't really twins." Cina grasps her wrist and glares at her. "Don't fight with me for no reason."

"It's a good reason."

"It happened ages ago."

"So what? Technically, Renasir lost her house because of you. If you hadn't--"

"Quiet!" Ari raises her hand and looks at them coldly. "Did you come here to fight."

Rilyah releases Cina and glances at Ai who is shaking his head at her. The corner of her lips curl down. "Renasir, I am just keeping in check lest he becomes crazy again."

Ari takes a deep breath. "How did you come here and why are you all grown up? It hasn't been a month since I woke up in this world."

"Only a month?" Rilyah gasps. "We used the seeker gate to come to this world. I wanted to come to the time before you died. I think that I wasn't specific enough. That must be the reason why we ended up in ten years in the past." 

Ten years are long. Ari looks at Ai who smiles at her. The little toddler has grown up into a wonderful boy. Where's Adira then?

"This world is a little different from Iravan." Rilyah continues, "We are growing fast. I think that we are also following the laws of this world. The gods are strange. I don't understand why they need shrines. In addition to that, there are certain rules that we have to follow whether we like it or not. We can't enter a place without the permission of the owner. I heard that the gods of this world also die."

"They disappear back to the place where they came from." Cina adds with a low voice, "Some gods might come back though. Their powers come from the faith of people. So, if the faith becomes stronger, they can come back. I also heard that there are other realms close to this world. I met some demons a few weeks back."

"Did you went to hang out with demons again?" Rilyah glowers at Cina. How many times has she warned this guy? This god always hangs out with bad people. "Those demons are bad influence."

She's like a mother. Ari stares at Rilyah. She must have had a hard time in the last decade. It's not easy to raise two kids when one is a kid herself. 

"They are not that bad." Cina hunches his shoulders, looking down on the concrete. He mutters with a soft voice, "They are my good friends."

"What, good friends?" Rilyah pulls Cina's ear. "What about the time you broke into a mall with those demons? They are always up to no good."

Ari leaves the two gods alone and turns to Ai who is no longer 'Little'. He's a foot shorter than Cina, but he's taller than her. "You have grown up well."

"How could I not?" Ai shifts closer to her. "I wanted to be someone my mother could rely upon."

"Cheesy." Ari smiles at him. This is why she went so far. At this moment, she doesn't regret anything. If she's given the same choice, she would do it again. She runs her fingers through the boy's hair. "Do you miss your brother and father?"

"I missed you more." Ai takes her hand. "When I was young, I started calling you Mother because I heard that you were going to be a mother. But I realized that you are truly my mother. I don't know if I was going to be born if my real mother wasn't killed by Kresi. But you freed me from a nameless life. I gave me a true name and I was able to become a part of the world, thanks to you. You are the most important person to me."

After listening to his words, tears well up in Ari's eyes. She sniffles. Honestly, she's missing the days when this boy was a cute toddler with chubby cheeks. But he's growing into a handsome man. "I wish I could watch you grow up."

"I am still young." Ai makes a face. "Mother, when are my sisters going to come out? I have been waiting for them for so long. It's been a decade."

"Don't say it like that." Ari rubs her belly. "I am starving. Let's go to a restaurant to eat. Then, we can think about the situation."

"My sisters must be hungry." Ai chuckles. He can no longer hear his sisters' voices. It must be because he's no longer a child. He is not sure. But how long does it take for babies to come out? They are halflings. It shouldn't take too long.

On their way to the restaurant, Rilyah asks Ari, "Renasir, why don't you leave with us?"

"You are at it again." Cina scowls at Rilyah. "We don't have any means to go back to Iravan since I haven't recovered yet."

"That's true." Ari says to them with a light tone, "Besides, I am pregnant now. I don't want to take any more risks. I don't know if Adira remembers me or not. What if I go back and he's still the same thick-headed bastard?"

"Renasir." Rilyah gives her a look. "Your language…"

"You" --Ari flicks the third moon's forehead -- "are old enough to hear a few cursed words."

"Ai isn't old yet." Rilyah protests, "Don't teach him bad things."

He's not a kid. Ai releases his breath. He can't figure out why Rilyah is so protective of him. He already knows enough about bad language, though he just chooses not to get influenced.

"Whether we leave or not, we can't let some stray gods take over our mother's home." Cina comments, "We must kick them out of her house."

"We can't do that." Rilyah slaps Cina's arm. "And why do you always talk about using violence?"

"But why do they need my place though?" Ari halts in her track. She has never heard of a god without a shrine. "If I find them a new place for their shrine, they should leave."

"I agree." Ai nods. "We should talk to them about the situation first."

"Why should we be nice to them?" Cina frowns at Ai. "I am a god. Rilyah is also a god. You are nearly a spirit. She's the renasir. We can easily overtake them."

"The gods of this world are different." Rilyah massages her head. How many times has she said this to this guy? Maybe God Cina lost his IQ in Qeshaya. "We can't offend the gods here. Renasir might get into danger."

What should they do? Ari closes her eyes, salivating for some tofu stew. First, she should eat; and then, she should go back to her house and talk to those thug gods.