SSS-Rank Extra: I Got a Chaos System-Chapter 10: The Holy One’s Divine Retreat (Again)

Kazuki took a deep breath, steeling himself for whatever nonsense awaited him outside. He threw on his cloak, grumbling under his breath, and made his way downstairs as quietly as possible. The last thing he needed was some overzealous villager waking up and questioning why their so-called "holy one" was sneaking around past midnight.

The wooden floor creaked under his weight as he carefully navigated the dimly lit hallway. Reaching the entrance, he pushed the door open and stepped into the cool night air.

Lillian was leaning against a nearby post, arms crossed, one foot tapping impatiently. Her long dark hair shimmered under the moonlight, and there was an unmistakable glint of amusement in her violet eyes.

"Finally," she muttered. "I was starting to think you'd fallen back asleep."

Kazuki yawned. "Trust me, I considered it. Now, what was so important that you had to pelt me with rocks?"

Lillian gave him a slow, deliberate smirk. "I lied. I didn't find anything."

Kazuki stared at her. "You what."

She shrugged, completely unbothered. "I just wanted to get you down here."

For a solid five seconds, Kazuki simply stood there, processing. Then, with every ounce of willpower, he resisted the urge to scream into the night.

"You—are you serious right now?" he hissed. "Do you know how exhausted I am?! I barely survived today! There were orcs! A hydra! Exploding poultry!"

Lillian grinned. "And yet, here you are. I must be pretty convincing."

"That or I'm an idiot," Kazuki muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Why am I here, Lillian?"

Her smirk faded slightly, her expression turning just a bit more serious. "I needed to talk to you. Away from the others."

Kazuki raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

Lillian studied him for a moment, then tilted her head. "About you."

A weird chill ran down Kazuki's spine. "Me?"

"You're not a holy one, are you?"

Well. Crap.

Kazuki blinked. His brain, still sluggish from exhaustion, took a solid three seconds to process what Lillian just said.

Then, like any reasonable person accused of something they definitely didn't want to be accused of, he immediately went into panic mode.

Alright, Kazuki, think. You just need to sound confident. Lie like your life depends on it. Because it literally might.

He scoffed, crossing his arms. "Not a holy one? Wow. Lillian. Woooow. That's—frankly—that's offensive."

Lillian raised an eyebrow. "Is it?"

"Yes! You wound me!" He clutched his chest dramatically. "Here I am, chosen by the divine, bestowed with wisdom beyond mortal comprehension, and you—you—dare to question my sacred status?" He shook his head in mock disappointment. "Truly, faith these days is so fickle."

Lillian stared, unimpressed. "Uh-huh. So what divine wisdom have you bestowed upon us so far?"

Kazuki froze. Oh. Crap.

"Uh... well, you see, divine wisdom is... complicated. Mysterious." He waved a vague hand through the air. "It's not something you just hand out like free samples at a—uh—market stall. No, no. It must be—"

"You told a guy to boil his water before drinking it."

Kazuki straightened. "Yes! Exactly! And do you know how many lives that might save? Huh? Ever heard of...uh...divine hygiene?"

Lillian sighed. "That's just basic common sense, Kazuki."

"Common sense?" He let out an exaggerated gasp. "Or celestial foresight?!"

"Common. Sense."

Kazuki felt sweat forming at the back of his neck. "O-okay, well, what about my miraculous survival? The way I escaped the orcs? The hydra? You think that's just luck?"

Lillian tilted her head, watching him like a particularly amusing puzzle. "You mean how you 'valiantly fled' from everything trying to kill you?"

"It was strategic retreat," he corrected quickly. "A holy one must know when to conserve their strength!"

"Uh-huh." Lillian crossed her arms. "And the exploding chickens?"

Kazuki hesitated. "...A divine gift."

"A divine gift?"

"Yes."

Lillian pinched the bridge of her nose. "Kazuki."

"Look, just because you don't understand the sacred poultry arts doesn't mean they aren't real, okay?"

There was a long silence. Lillian simply stared at him.

Kazuki gulped. He could almost hear the sound of his bluff collapsing under its own weight.

Finally, she sighed. "You know what? Fine."

Kazuki blinked. "...Fine?"

She smirked slightly. "I'll let it go. For now."

"...Right. Of course." He let out a nervous laugh. "Because, you know, I am the holy one and all—"

"But." Lillian leaned in slightly. "I'm watching you, Kazuki."

The smile dropped from his face.

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She patted his shoulder, her grip just a little too firm. "Sweet dreams, divine one."

Then, without another word, she turned and walked off into the night.

Kazuki let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding..

"I swear to god, I'm going to have a heart attack in this stupid world..."

And with that, he trudged back inside, fully aware that he definitely hadn't fooled her.

Future Kazuki was screwed.

Just as he reached for the door, a sudden BOOM echoed through the village, followed by frantic shouting.

Kazuki froze. His survival instincts, finely honed from a lifetime of avoiding responsibility, screamed at him to ignore it and go back to bed.

Unfortunately, Lillian came sprinting back, her usual composed expression replaced with something very concerning—actual panic.

"Kazuki!" she shouted.

His heart leaped into his throat. "I swear to god, I didn't do anything!" He immediately threw his hands up in surrender.

Lillian skidded to a stop, staring at him. "What?"

"I mean—uh, yet—I didn't do anything yet! Whatever's happening, it's not my fault!"

Lillian grabbed his wrist. "Shut up and move! There's a hydra outside the village!"

Kazuki blinked. "...I'm sorry, a what?"

A deep, earth-shaking roar answered for her.

His stomach dropped.

"...Oh, you have got to be kidding me."

Lillian was already dragging him forward. "Less talking, more running!"

As the panicked shouts of villagers grew louder and the ground trembled under something very large approaching, Kazuki did what any sane person would do in this situation.

He screamed internally.

And then externally.

Because he was about to die. Again.