After reading everyone's replies, Mitsuha Miyamizu felt a slight pang of disappointment.
But then—another message instantly caught her eye.
Shinoa Hiiragi: "Hey, little shrine maiden~ Instead of asking us, why not just ask the big boss himself?"
"Rei Ao-kun can casually hand out divine titles, y'know. A bunch of us got ours from him—like @Stella and @Saeko Busujima!"
Divine titles...?!
Mitsuha's eyes widened dramatically.
Those two words hit her brain like a lightning bolt.
The group admin, Rei Ao, could actually grant someone the status of a god?
Didn't that mean he was above all gods? Like… the God of Gods?
That realization hit her even harder than finding out there were actual deities in the group chat.
Her mind went completely blank.
Even breathing felt difficult.
In her traditional view of the world, gods were supreme beings, revered and worshipped.
But someone with the power to create gods?
That was on an entirely different level.
Just then, Rei Ao spoke up again.
Rei Ao: "@Mitsuha Miyamizu, the 'godhood' we're talking about here isn't quite the same as the shrine deities you offer prayers to."
"In this context, a divine title is more like a power alignment—a rank that represents control over part of the world's fundamental rules. It comes with powers far beyond what normal people can handle."
"Yeah, I can grant that kind of authority to certain individuals. But don't confuse it with the traditional god system tied to worship. It's not the same thing."
Rei Ao's explanation was sharp, clear, and straight to the point.
He broke it down in a way that even Mitsuha could understand.
Not about faith. Not about being worshipped.
This was about granting power. Authority over reality.
Mitsuha: "..."
She stared at the messages.
Her face still filled with confusion and disbelief.
She didn't really get terms like "power alignment" or "fundamental rules," but keywords like "transcendent power," "controlling reality," and "granting abilities" were enough.
This admin named Rei Ao...
He wasn't just strong.
His existence itself was beyond anything she could possibly comprehend.
Maybe not a God-king in the old myths, but undeniably someone terrifyingly powerful.
She sat there frozen.
Her entire worldview had just been flipped upside down.
All she could think was: What the hell did I just walk into?!
…
Anteiku — Upstairs Bedroom
Unlike Mitsuha, who was just confused and overwhelmed—
Touka Kirishima had been watching the group chat with cold, narrowed eyes.
Curled up on her bed, her indigo eyes peered out from behind messy bangs, locked on the glowing screen.
"Gods... handing out godhood..."
She muttered the words under her breath, a bitter, sarcastic smirk forming at the corners of her mouth.
When she saw Mitsuha eagerly asking about guardian spirits, when she saw those so-called gods casually chatting about power alignments like it was nothing—
All the rage and despair she'd buried deep down… erupted like a damn volcano.
She didn't believe in gods.
Not even a little.
If gods were real, then why did ghouls exist—beings who looked human but had to feed on humans to survive?
If gods were kind, why did she grow up starving?
Why did she have to watch her friends get slaughtered by Doves—why did she have to become a killer just to make it to the next day?
If gods were truly omnipotent, why did they just ignore the horror of being born a ghoul?
Why let the cycle of suffering repeat endlessly?
These so-called gods…sitting up high, enjoying their privilege and power—how could they ever understand the pain of someone like her?
Someone crawling through the dirt, bearing a cursed fate from the moment she was born?
All this talk about godhood and power—
To her, it just sounded fake.
Cruel.
A slap in the face to everything she'd endured.
She'd had enough.
Touka suddenly sat up straight.
Her indigo eyes blazed red—kagune triggered.
Her fingers clenched so tightly they went white.
Fueled by raw fury, pain, and helplessness, she fired a message into the chat like a bullet:
Touka Kirishima: "Bullshit! There are no gods! If there were, then why the hell are we stuck with lives this tragic?!"
The message—raw, bitter, and laced with anguish—hit the chat like a wrecking ball.
The scrolling feed froze.
Akame: "Hmm? Tragic fate?"
Inori Yuzuriha: "There's anger in her voice."
Frieren: "This new girl... she's hurting. A lot."
Saeko Busujima: "She sounds filled with despair and rage. Her world must be a nightmare. Kinda reminds me of Couronne back in the day."
Couronne: "I... yeah."
Ayame Yomogawa: "Kirishima-san, are you okay? What happened?"
Tohru: "She sounds like someone fate's been screwing with for a long time."
Yukino Yukinoshita: "Her words are harsh, but I can feel the helplessness behind them."
Miko Yotsuya: "Tragic fate? Wait… are we talking ghosts?!"
Megumi Kato: "Touka Kirishima-san, if you want to talk... maybe we can help?"
Sui: "The sorrow in her words... it's real. I can feel it."
Shizue Izawa: "Don't worry. Take your time. No one here's gonna mock your pain."
Whether they were warriors, gentle souls, gods, or just regular people—everyone picked up on the raw, soul-deep agony behind Touka's words.
The jokes and lighthearted banter vanished, replaced by genuine concern.
Just like everyone had said—this group was kind.
They didn't care if you were from another world,
or if your life was hell.
They were still willing to show compassion.
Touka sat in silence, stunned.
That wave of unexpected kindness—
She had no idea how to respond.