* * *

My vision turned completely white.

And the next moment—

…Something I don’t understand happened.

I should have been in the scorching desert, but—

When I came to, I…

Was inside a cold, metal bucket.

…And inside it, “I” was swaying gently.

“My” body is quite small.

Small enough to fit entirely inside the bucket.

…Body?

Thinking this far, I felt a slight sense of discomfort.

And that discomfort immediately turned into confusion.

Was “my” body always this… slimy and amorphous?

Did I have hands, feet, a face, eyes, ears…?

Wasn’t I… different?

Eyes?

Ears?

If I don’t have those, how can “I”… vaguely see and hear…?

Although questions popped up one after another.

Strangely, “my” confusion didn’t last long.

Because I immediately stopped caring.

It seems that “I” currently can’t think about difficult things for long periods.

So “I” just swayed.

Swaying gently in the cold bucket, not thinking much, “I” was carried somewhere.

But.

What… am I?

That vague question lingered in my mind.

And it made me incredibly uneasy.

* * *

“My” swaying journey ended rather quickly.

After feeling a floating sensation—

CLANG

The bucket “I” was in hit something.

It was probably thrown, and landed on the ground.

The bucket tipped over, and “I” spilled out.

What is this? What is this?

Uneasy about what had happened, I moved.

“…I’m surprised. It’s alive… even though it’s just sludge residue…?”

And then, I heard a voice.

“Looking up” towards the direction of the voice, I saw a man standing there.

A man wearing a white, baggy hazmat suit.

He’s fat, slightly balding, and looks smart.

He must be the one who brought “me”, in the bucket, here from somewhere.

…What’s a hazmat suit again?

Well, whatever.

The man crossed his arms, thought for a bit, took out a small tablet from his pocket, and was about to type something into it, but then—

“…How troublesome.”

He muttered that after yawning, and put the tablet back in his pocket.

And then, he smiled at “me”.

“I don’t know if you’re conscious or not, but… well, you should be happy, right? Your body has become a part of the beautiful ‘Goddess’… who will rule the world we’re creating.”

And he said something… long and difficult for “me” to understand.

And then, turning his back to me—

“You are ‘happiness’.”

—He said that.

He closed the door, and left.

* * *

In the room, which had become dim after the light leaking from beyond the door disappeared.

“I” kept repeating the man’s words in my mind.

You are ‘happiness’.

Those words are very simple, and even the current “me” can understand them perfectly.

So.

“I” was happy!

I see!

So “I” am ‘happiness’!

What… am I?

This is the answer!

Because “I’m” probably stupid.

I can’t understand what “I” am.

But that man is different.

He looked very smart.

So he must be right.

“I” am ‘happiness’!

And then, as I was thinking about myself.

“I”, which had felt like it would dry up with the moisture and disappear…

Suddenly felt… much more “substantial.”

And it felt like… proof of the fact that “I” am ‘happiness’!

“I” am ‘happiness’!

“I” am ‘happiness’!

“I” am ‘happiness’!

“I” was so happy, so happy, that I wriggled my slimy body!

…But then.

“What ‘happiness’… you lunatics…”

I heard that faint voice.

I turned my attention towards the source of the voice.

Even in the dimly lit room, illuminated only by a small emergency light, “I” can somehow see what’s there.

So I understood.

There was a woman lying there… as if buried… in large bird wings, bones of unknown shapes, and some kind of purple flesh.

She was a strong-looking onee-san.

With brown skin, well-defined muscles, and a very beautiful face.

But the woman was in bad shape.

I don’t know why, but her right arm and both legs are gone, and blood is flowing steadily.

She’s breathing heavily—hyuu, hyuu—as if in pain.

I felt… sorry for her.

And I felt incredibly sad.

Even though “I” am ‘happiness’.

This onee-san looks so pained…

“I” crawled towards the woman.

“Ha… Are you worried about me?”

The woman, looking at “me” approaching, said that with a pained smile.

Yes, that’s right, Onee-san.

“I’m” worried about you.

Because you look so pained, and unhappy.

Even though “I” am so ‘happy’…!

“I” thought about what “I” could do for the woman, beside her.

I thought, while wriggling.

As I thought, and thought, and thought, in my stupid way—

I came up with an idea.

“I” am ‘happiness’.

Then if Onee-san also becomes “me”!

Onee-san will also be ‘happy’!

“Wh-What!? Stop…”

“I” moved my body with all my might, and first enveloped the woman’s head with “my” body!

Even though “my” body is small, I can do that much!

“Ga-Gabo, goho…!?”

The woman struggled at first, but soon stopped moving.

And after waiting for a while, the woman’s head had completely become “me”.

It’s strange.

It seems that “I” can turn things other than “me”… into “me”!

This is the ability “I” have… which I somehow understood since I woke up in the bucket!

I didn’t understand what this ability was for… but—

Now I clearly understand.

“I” am ‘happiness’.

So “I” have to turn everything into “me”…

And make everything ‘happy’!

That must be “my” mission!

Now that I’ve realized that, “I” can’t afford to be leisurely.

First, I completely turned the woman’s motionless body into “me”.

And the bones and flesh scattered around, I also turned them into “me”.

In that way, I made “myself” bigger and bigger.

The bigger “I” become, the more things “I” can turn into “me”!

And after realizing that I can also turn metal and ore into “me” along the way, “I” grew even faster.

I don’t like things that are hot, cold, or dry…

Turning various things into “me”.

Making various things ‘happy’.

“I” became bigger and bigger!