"Please, enjoy yourselves. There's no need to be shy."
A woman's voice sounded, friendly and warm, like an evening breeze sweeping through leaves.
Her hair was long, silvery white at the roots and slowly fading into emerald green at the tips.
Her ears were pointed like a fairy's, and her eyes were a clear green, as calm as a deep lake.
Her white gown fell long and soft—adorned with golden leaf-shaped ornaments on the chest.
Those bright green eyes held the wisdom of thousands of years, yet still felt warm.
Greater Lord Rukhadevatta, the being known as the God of Wisdom.
"Make yourselves at home. It has been a very long time since this place was this lively... I'm glad you came."
Facing a Transcendent being with such a kind smile, they should have been able to relax.
But strangely... not one of them truly could. Their backs stayed straight, and their breaths stayed held.
Only Great Perrin Kaelstrom looked delighted. His attention was fixed on the tiny creatures that looked like living plants wearing leaf hats. They walked clumsily, hugging assorted fruits that were almost bigger than their bodies, and arranged everything on the table one by one.
'Spirits? Somewhat similar... but not quite.'
Great Perrin Kaelstrom studied them intently.
It was the first time he had seen this kind of Spirit. There was another reason he was so serious. The energy flowing from these little beings was far more abundant than that of the Dryads, who were literally called 'bearers of nature'!
"Aranara."
"...???"
They were all confused, but Greater Lord Rukhadevatta only smiled.
"They are called Aranara. In your eyes they may look like Spirits, but to me... they are my children."
She said the last sentence with great affection. One of the Aranara even patted the hem of her gown, as if confirming it.
"Oh... Aranara." Great Perrin Kaelstrom blinked in surprise.
On the other side of the table, the representatives of Aethergate Tower, Obsidian Tower, and the Hunter Association hurriedly fumbled for their notebooks.
That was only natural. Those present were, at heart, people who lived for knowledge. The moment they heard something new, their hands moved faster than their thoughts.
The only exception was Artemisia. The woman was happily enjoying the fruit from the Aranara... But her mood soured immediately when a soft, teasing girl's voice rang out.
"My Lux, open your mouth, 'aaah' ~"
"..."
All eyes glanced briefly toward the 'Frost Assassin', who was being fed by the Darkness Spirit, then turned away in unison. No one was interested in meddling in the relationship between an assassin and a Spirit.
Only the people from Obsidian Tower watched with gloomy faces...
As usual, Lux himself paid little attention to Restia Ashdoll's feeding. He lowered his head, lost in thought.
'So... that's how it is.'
He tilted his head slightly. Just now, he had received certain 'information' from the God of Wisdom.
He glanced at the avatar of a certain tree, and...
—Their eyes met.
It was only for an instant, but Lux could see those green eyes smiling at him.
Dendro Archon, Greater Lord Rukhadevatta.
She was the five-star (✯✯✯✯✯) template he had obtained earlier.
From her Archon title alone, it was clear that she came from the same fictional world as Raiden Ei/Shogun and Morax.
It was a bit strange... He had already obtained three templates with Archon titles from Genshin Impact. He wondered whether the system had a hobby of collecting templates from that gacha game.
If he remembered correctly... were there seven or eight Archons? Could it be that the system intended to throw all of them at him...
'Well... if it's really all of them, that might not be so bad.'
Besides, he had once heard from a friend that the Dendro Archon was supposed to be a little girl named Nahida. Why was this one a grown woman?
But that was a matter for later...
Greater Lord Rukhadevatta was actually not the type of Archon who fought directly like Raiden Ei or Morax.
She had no space-and-time-splitting sword technique like Raiden Ei... Nor could she drop giant meteors like Morax...
But do not be mistaken. In a certain way... the God of Wisdom could become invincible for a few minutes if given time. It was just that this method was not something she would choose, given the goddess's personality.
So, what made the God of Wisdom so special? Why had even the most intelligent people of humanity, including Great Perrin Kaelstrom, keeper of the greatest library, gotten involved?
Because they wanted to confirm something.
They had heard the name of the God of Wisdom before. But to this day, let alone humans, even fellow Transcendent beings had almost never met her. This was the first time they had seen her in person.
Honestly, they were surprised... All this time they had imagined an old man with a long beard, a staff, and a heavy gaze.
Unexpectedly, the one who welcomed them was a gentle woman with a captivating appearance. And clearly... this form was far more calming.
Because of that, they no longer hesitated to ask.
The representative of Aethergate Tower, Archmage Fellow Davric, spoke for everyone's question.
"God of Wisdom... according to various opinions and records, the reason you received that title is not merely the breadth of your knowledge, but..." The handsome man looked at her seriously. "...because you are 'Omniscient'. Is that true?"
"..."
Omniscient.
Literally, nothing could be hidden from her.
There were indeed people who claimed to be omniscient thanks to certain Talents, but all of those were tricks by certain parties for profit.
But the God of Wisdom was different.
Her status as a Transcendent being made the claim sound extremely strong—even if the odds were very slim.
And that was exactly what they wanted to confirm.
The word 'omniscient' itself was no joke. On the human side, there had once been someone who sacrificed his soul for forbidden knowledge, and the result was a terrifying disaster.
That was also what Great Perrin Kaelstrom wanted to confirm. If the God of Wisdom turned out to be truly omniscient like the legends said, then...
Their hair stood on end because... they could already imagine the chaos that would follow.
"..."
Greater Lord Rukhadevatta blinked for a moment, then smiled warmly.
"Your question... should I say that I had anticipated it?"
"..."
"Before I answer, allow me to ask first. Have you ever imagined a kind of energy network that quietly records the memories and feelings of this world?"
Everyone frowned in confusion. Only Great Perrin Kaelstrom looked deep in thought, his fingers tapping softly on the table.
Without waiting for an answer, Greater Lord Rukhadevatta continued in her gentle tone.
"Let's put it this way... 'roots' and a 'tree'. This world has special roots. Invisible, untouchable, yet present everywhere. In the soil, in the sky, at the bottom of the sea. Wherever you step, those roots are always beneath your feet."
What was the task of those roots? To record and store every 'event' that had ever occurred.
Those roots were called the Ley Lines.
"Now the question is, if all those events are recorded... where do you think it all is stored?"
"A tree?"
"Exactly." Greater Lord Rukhadevatta laughed softly. "Like books arranged neatly in a library, everything recorded by those roots is stored in a 'tree'."
The name of that tree was... Irminsul.
"Simply put, Irminsul is the tree that stores all the knowledge and memories of the world, gathered through the 'Ley Lines'."
For that reason, those with access or full authority over Irminsul were extremely limited. More precisely... there was only one.
She was Greater Lord Rukhadevatta, the God of Wisdom.
"So, back to the earlier question. Am I omniscient? The answer is 'yes', and also 'no'."
"W-what do you mean?"
"I do know almost everything about the past and the present. But that does not mean I can read everyone's heart. I can only guess at what is in a person's heart from their actions, or from the wishes they voice that are recorded by the Ley Lines."
Moreover, if asked about other worlds or dimensions, she did not know either. The Ley Lines and Irminsul applied only to this world. So if the goddess were asked to trace the past of a Magical Beast or a human from another world, she would find nothing.
What was more... She also could not find out anything about Rank Unknown beings, because those beings destroyed the Ley Lines the moment they arrived in this world.
"Wait! Then what about the recent events? How could you know?!"
The leader of Obsidian Tower—Archmage Zevrahn Coldwhisper—asked with a furrowed brow.
It was a reasonable question. Take the 'Herrscher of the Void', for example. She was an entity from another dimension or world, yet Greater Lord Rukhadevatta knew her past, even the term [Honkai Energy].
Greater Lord Rukhadevatta was not offended in the slightest. She answered with a smile.
"The answer is simple. I can peek into the future... 'just a little'."
"...Huh?"
This time it was not only the others. Even Great Perrin Kaelstrom was stunned.
"P-peek into the future?"
"That's right... I am nearly 'omniscient' about the past and the present, but that does not mean I cannot see the future. It's just that what I see is only a glimpse, never complete. It was from such a brief vision that I learned the true identity of the 'Herrscher of the Void'."
She paused for a moment, giving them time to digest it.
Of course, they were already more than shocked.
Being omniscient about the past and present was one thing. But the future as well?
Even if only a glimpse, it was beyond reason!
There were indeed a few humans who could glimpse the future, but they always paid an extremely heavy price. Here, however, Greater Lord Rukhadevatta did it so effortlessly. This... this...
"...Insane," someone murmured softly, but clearly enough to be heard.
Greater Lord Rukhadevatta seemed not to have expected it and blinked a little.
If Tatsumaki had been present, that girl would surely have flown into a rage, thinking they were insulting the goddess! Unfortunately, the esper had already left earlier because she could not stand anything involving politics...
Archmage Fellow Davric exerted all his strength to calm his pounding heart.
"So your request that the Frost Assassin get involved in those various events..."
"That's right. I saw several futures that were... truly terrifying. One of them was a future in which the Demon Dragon Lord fully recovered and reached 'Rank Unknown'. Thanks to Lux's connection with the Yozakura Family, all of its members were able to gather in full when that happened."
Although in the end, another terrifying Rank Unknown also appeared, summoned by a girl in a bikini from who knows where.
But... something still nagged at them.
"Why did it have to be the Frost Assassin?"
Yes. Why him? There were many people far better than him.
Faced with a question doubting her choice, Greater Lord Rukhadevatta answered calmly.
"Because he was the first human to extend a hand to me. Kindness like that... is not easily forgotten."
"..."
Damn it... For the first time, they felt this much envy!
He had helped the God of Wisdom and received that much trust. Wasn't this person far luckier than that Chen Ye?!
"Of course, there are other reasons. Lux is an assassin. As long as there is payment, he completes the job professionally. Even before the Herrscher of the Void incident, he nearly 'died' after meeting True Cthulhu in person. Of course... that does not mean I approve of his profession."
"..."
Everyone looked at the Frost Assassin, who still seemed indifferent.
Usually, people would be traumatized after encountering a Rank Unknown and would refuse any request, even from a goddess. But that youth... was not only not traumatized, he did not seem to mind either.
In this regard... though reluctant, they had to admit the Frost Assassin was indeed quite professional.
The cloaked figure who followed Great Perrin Kaelstrom also stole glances at Lux in secret...
"What did you pay him?"
"As for that..." Greater Lord Rukhadevatta placed her index finger in front of her lips with a slow gesture. In a gentle tone and with a beautiful smile, she said, "...It's a secret."
"..."
Bastard, this time they were truly envious!!
Paying no heed to their screaming hearts, Greater Lord Rukhadevatta turned to Great Perrin Kaelstrom.
"So... has that satisfied your curiosity, Sir Great Perrin Kaelstrom?"
"Not yet. There is still one thing I want to ask."
"Please. Ask whatever you like, I don't mind."
"God of Wisdom, with your 'omniscient' ability, you must already know that I am the owner of humanity's greatest library. Yet among all those ancient archives, I have never found a single record of Irminsul, the tree that holds a storehouse of information as you claim. In other words, even Transcendent beings do not know of it. So..." Great Perrin Kaelstrom stared at her sharply. "...how do you know of it, and how can you access it?"
That question made everyone notice something strange. Lux glanced at him calmly.
Rank SSS really was different... Truly perceptive.
But Greater Lord Rukhadevatta answered at once, with the same warmth as before.
"Actually, the answer is not complicated because... The one you see before you now is the embodiment of Irminsul itself."
"..."
The answer was clear... But as they tried to grasp it, it felt as though the world itself were knocking on their heads.
"T-this..."
Even the tower leaders sounded slightly nervous.
Who would have thought Irminsul could incarnate?!
Great Perrin Kaelstrom ran out of questions.
Without realizing it, he laughed...
No wonder the being before him bore the title God of Wisdom... No wonder no one knew anything about Irminsul...
That was because only Irminsul itself knew of its own existence.
With that, everything finally connected.
All that remained was to ask about the other suspicious matters... the girl who could summon Rank Unknown beings from nowhere, the armored figure who could annihilate a Rank Unknown being in a single strike, and of course the request for help investigating [Honkai Energy].
Wait...
A thought crossed Great Perrin Kaelstrom's mind and made him stiffen.
"You suddenly appeared voluntarily like this. Could it be..."
"You catch on quickly." Greater Lord Rukhadevatta nodded slightly, but her gaze was now more serious. "I will introduce Sumeru City to the outside world. Besides, there is a threat out there far more dangerous than any before."
"..."
Instantly, the room fell silent.
A far greater threat?
"This... in my opinion... for a matter like this I have no authority to get involved. I must report to the Chairman. My deepest apologies, Lady Rukhadevatta." Artemisia bowed respectfully.
"There's no need to worry, Lady Artemisia. This is no secret."
"Even so, I must report to my superior."
"Very well, then." Greater Lord Rukhadevatta smiled resignedly, then looked at the others, who still seemed not to have recovered from their shock. "Actually, there is something important I wish to tell you. But... it is not only you who have come."
"What do you—"
BOOOOOOM...!!
A loud explosion suddenly struck from above, shaking the entire room!
Their faces changed. Could that be the threat she meant?! Without thinking, they went on guard and began preparing attacks.
Unfortunately... this time they were wrong.
"Ouch, ow... that Tenka! Can't she make a teleport that's easier to use? Why is it so troublesome?!"
A tomboyish girl's voice, full of complaints, echoed.
As the dust began to thin, they finally saw the culprit. A witch girl was holding her head and wincing.
Her wavy blonde hair was beautiful and well kept. Her golden-brown eyes gave off an innocent, clear impression.
She wore a black wide-brimmed conical witch hat decorated with a large white ribbon with lace accents, a white collared blouse paired with a black pinafore-style dress, and a white lace apron at the waist.
But what drew their attention was... the group behind her.
Elves.
"Marisa... are you all right?" Greater Lord Rukhadevatta asked kindly, though there was a note of helplessness in her voice.
"Ah! I'm fine! Long time no see! Oh, Lux is here too! You've gotten snobbish, haven't you, not even saying hi to me?! And besides, why is there another girl with you?!"
"Hm ~ My Lux, it seems you know quite a lot of girls ~" Restia Ashdoll's voice sounded amused, but there was a bit of irritation behind it.
"...It's just a coincidence."
"Hey! Don't ignore me!" Kirisame Marisa snorted in annoyance.
Marisa was about to walk over to them, but Greater Lord Rukhadevatta interrupted first.
"Before that, Marisa... don't you want to introduce the new visitors you brought?" she asked gently.
Her warm gaze swept over the group of elves led by an elegantly dressed elf girl. At the same time, they looked back at her.
At first, the elves were very wary, especially seeing so many humans. But the moment their eyes landed on the adult woman radiating a warm atmosphere, especially on her pointed ears like their own... they were stunned.
And by instinct alone... they knew at once who stood before them.
"Oh right, these are—"
"Honored Goddess."
The voice of the elf princess—Sylara van Tharorien—cut off Kirisame Marisa.
The next moment... Sylara and the entire group of elves behind her suddenly knelt before Greater Lord Rukhadevatta.
"We come from the Tharorien Kingdom. With utmost humility, we beseech Your Majesty..." Sylara's usually calm voice now trembled, her head bowed almost to the ground.
"I speak for all the voices of the Tharorien Kingdom. We beg you, help us... protect us from the calamity that will befall us all..."
"..."
Sylara's sudden conduct stunned everyone for a moment. Then...
"Be calm, child of the elves."
Greater Lord Rukhadevatta's gentle voice drifted to their ears.
"You need not plead to such an extent. Even before you came, I already intended to help."
Princess Sylara's eyes widened.
"But in return, allow me to meet your father."
"A-as for that, I will immediately prepa—"
"There's no need to hurry. You must be tired after escaping the slave traders' hunt. Why don't you rest first?"
"..."
Princess Sylara fell silent. She was briefly startled. How could this Transcendent being know that they had just escaped from slave traders' pursuit? But since it was her command, she and the other elves did not argue.
Besides... they were indeed already exhausted.
"As for the other matters..." Greater Lord Rukhadevatta turned to Great Perrin Kaelstrom and the others. "I think we can discuss them another time?"
"I have no objection."
"In that case..." She looked back at Sylara and the elves with a smile. "Guests from the Tharorien Kingdom, please rest."
***
"That's all I can report."
"..."
In a room provided by the Aranara, Great Perrin Kaelstrom stood facing a screen that had appeared from his communication device. The face on the screen was none other than Grand Marshal Valerian Brightblade.
He reported everything he had discussed with the God of Wisdom without hesitation. Actually, that duty should have fallen to Archmage Fellow Davric. But since Great Perrin Kaelstrom was already there, why trouble someone else?
As might be expected... Grand Marshal Valerian was silent for quite a while. His head had already begun to throb.
"Hah... I thought I could rest for a moment, but just listening to your report, it seems I'll only get busier."
Hearing that weary voice, which could no longer be hidden, Great Perrin Kaelstrom laughed.
"Hahaha! Good thing I'm not the one who took that position!"
"..."
The corner of Grand Marshal Valerian's mouth twitched, but he said nothing.
"The 'incident' of Yozakura Tsubomi alone was enough to cause countless disturbances. Now Irminsul is added, a tree that holds countless information... I don't want to imagine the chaos that will come."
Truly, problems were being thrown at the World Organization one after another without end.
"The good news is that the God of Wisdom does not abuse her omniscience. Otherwise, every region might have launched magical nuclear bombs at each other by now." Great Perrin Kaelstrom shrugged.
"True... That is the only thing I'm grateful for. But it doesn't mean things have gotten better. If even the God of Wisdom, who has been hiding all this time, is willing to show herself, it means the threat ahead is no joke." Grand Marshal Valerian massaged his forehead.
"I don't think it's a big problem. Do you still remember Raiden Shogun?"
"...What kind of foolish question is that? Of course I remember. She's the one who has kept the Goddess of Life missing until now."
"Well... I think Raiden Shogun may have some connection to the God of Wisdom."
"...What?"
"Why do you look so surprised? Haven't you ever felt that Raiden Shogun was a Transcendent being, not merely a Rank SS+?"
"It's not that I never thought about it, but..." Grand Marshal Valerian sighed. "Why do you think they're connected?"
"From her introduction."
"Introduction?"
"Earlier, the God of Wisdom mentioned her other title, 'Dendro Archon'. Meanwhile, in the official data from when Raiden Shogun registered as a Hunter, one of her Talents was recorded as Electro Archon, wasn't it?"
"..."
Great Perrin Kaelstrom had never heard the term 'Archon', not even in the ancient archives. But he guessed it referred to the title of a ruler.
"Even if she's not a Transcendent like the God of Wisdom, her power clearly surpasses that of some ordinary SS+ Hunters. Having her on the human side isn't a bad choice."
"After everything she has done up to now?"
"Maybe she's just looking for a strong opponent? Besides, we can't guess what goes on in a Transcendent being's head. You saw it yourself through the satellite footage, didn't you? She appeared suddenly on Cthulhu Island and defeated the Giant King."
"So what do you want me to do? Cancel her bounty?"
"Well, that you have to think about yourself. Either bring her to our side, humanity's side, or make an enemy of someone who may well be a Transcendent."
Great Perrin Kaelstrom had no desire to get involved at all. Joking aside, he didn't want a headache from handling piles of documents that could make a person feverish just from reading them.
"Damn you. You really are adding to my workload."
Grand Marshal Valerian's face was very gloomy. Had he been in the same place, he might have beaten Great Perrin Kaelstrom.
The problem was that the World Organization had already designated Raiden Shogun a fugitive with a high bounty. If that bounty were suddenly revoked, there would surely be a lot of dissatisfaction, especially from those affected by the destruction of Life Forest.
But damn it... However hard he resisted, Grand Marshal Valerian had to admit that Great Perrin Kaelstrom's words hit the mark. Right now they needed more combat power.
It wasn't that they lacked Hunters of Rank S and above. But those who dared fight on the front lines directly, like Raiden Shogun, could be counted on one hand.
"I'll think about that matter. By the way, what's the situation over there?"
"Fine. In fact, I think this place might be one of the places that—"
"You know that's not what I meant." Grand Marshal Valerian narrowed his eyes.
"..." Great Perrin Kaelstrom fell silent for a moment, then chuckled. "Amazing. If you don't count the plant Spirits created by the God of Wisdom, the number of residents can be counted on one hand. But..." His expression changed slightly. "...each of them is stronger than an ordinary Rank S."
Take the girl named Tatsumaki... She was estimated to be on par with Rank SS, perhaps even SS+. There were also several other residents.
Great Perrin Kaelstrom had not seen them directly. But as a Rank SSS, his senses were very sharp and wide-ranging, so he tried to probe them.
Surprisingly... those people seemed to notice the attempt. Instead of getting angry, they let him continue. Although some were clearly displeased about being secretly watched...
But there was one person who made him wonder.
Kirisame Marisa...
Clearly the girl was only an ordinary witch, yet something about her felt off.
She was definitely strong—perhaps on par with Rank S. It was just that... Great Perrin Kaelstrom felt her power was not that simple.
Hearing this explanation, Grand Marshal Valerian only raised an eyebrow and told him to stop.
"Enough. Judging from the situation, they are probably big names who can help us. So... Perrin."
"What is it?"
"I hope you will finish your business there soon, because... we have found a corpse whose body was full of [Honkai Energy]. In our assessment, it may belong to the 'Herrscher' type."
"...Are you serious?" Great Perrin Kaelstrom was stunned.
"I'm not joking about this. Finish your 'other' business as quickly as possible. I'm not sure I can withstand those crazy scholars dissecting the corpse."
"All right, I'll try. But... have you forgotten that the God of Wisdom may be listening to our conversation?"
"..." The corner of Grand Marshal Valerian's mouth twitched. "Of course she knows. That's why I think your business will surely be finished quickly."
"Hahaha!" Great Perrin Kaelstrom could not hold back his laughter.
"One last thing..."
"Oh, there's more?"
Grand Marshal Valerian was silent for a moment, then said seriously. "...A few moments ago, the World Organization detected abnormal movement around the elf territory there. I'm not sure what it is, but don't let your guard down."
"..." Great Perrin Kaelstrom was quiet for a moment, then spoke softly. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. Besides, the God of Wisdom must know something about it with her authority."
"I hope so." Grand Marshal Valerian sighed. "Then I'll end our communication."
"Yes." Great Perrin Kaelstrom grinned. "Don't forget to take your headache medicine."
"...I'll remember, thank you."
The screen vanished.
Great Perrin Kaelstrom shook his head lightly with an amused expression. He leaned back, then took out the personal notebook that had been chained to his waist. Slowly, he murmured...
"I think I'll go home soon. Besides... that isn't my business, but that young man's."
***
The night in the Sumeru forest was so quiet.
Moonlight pierced the gaps in the foliage and fell on the surface of the water, reflecting a silver shimmer that swayed gently. In the distance, fireflies drifted lazily like lost stars.
Greater Lord Rukhadevatta sat leaning against the root of an old tree. Her silver-green hair spilled over her shoulders, and her delicate fingers stroked the head of a small Aranara sleeping in her lap. Each gentle stroke made the tiny creature murmur softly in its sleep.
Suddenly, a twig snapped in the distance.
The movement of her fingers stopped. The leaves around her trembled faintly, as if the forest itself were whispering to her.
Her clear green eyes slowly lifted, looking at a shadow behind the trees.
But she was neither startled nor angry. A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"You may come out," she said softly, as calm as the night wind.
She resumed stroking the Aranara in her lap, more slowly this time so as not to disturb its sleep.
"Don't worry. I will not punish anyone who comes with a sincere heart. Come here and tell me... what brings you to seek me out in the middle of the night?"
The bushes behind the tree shifted gently.
A young man stepped out into the moonlight. Hesitantly, he raised both hands slightly to show that he meant no harm.
"I... I'm sorry," he said faintly. "I didn't mean to disturb you, but... there's something I want to ask you."
Rukhadevatta looked at him for a long time without speaking.
Her gentle green gaze traced the face of the young man, half hidden by his cloak, as if reading something invisible to ordinary eyes.
The Aranara in her lap stirred, opened one eye, then fell asleep again as the goddess's fingers stroked its head once more.
"To ask, hm..." Greater Lord Rukhadevatta murmured.
She closed her eyes for a moment, then spoke a sentence that made the young man tense.
"Lugh... A youth with a Rank E Talent called Appraisal. Currently one of Great Perrin Kaelstrom's followers, but before that you were in the same guild as Lux... Shadow Order."
"..."
"Forgive me. At first I had no intention of investigating you. But as the avatar of Irminsul, something you are hiding beneath that cloak made me... uncomfortable."
"...You know?"
"Yes." Greater Lord Rukhadevatta nodded gently. "Didn't I say so? I may not be 'omniscient' as you imagine, but I still know a few things..." She looked directly at the young man.
"...Including what you want to ask now."
"THEN—!"
The young man's voice, which had been trembling, suddenly rose. He stepped forward without regard for courtesy, then abruptly yanked off his cloak.
The cloak fell to the ground. And what was revealed afterward made anyone's skin crawl.
The moonlight laid bare a body that no longer resembled a human's.
Slick, blue-black tendrils jutted from his shoulders and back, writhing slowly as if with a will of their own.
Some crawled along his arms, some dangled from his ribs, and their tips pulsed with a faint purple glow. The skin between the tendrils was pale, filled with dark veins that spread up to his neck.
The air around him felt heavier. The fireflies moved away without a sound.
The young man stood trembling. His chest rose and fell, his eyes were red and wet, but he still stared straight at the goddess.
"Look at this!" His voice cracked. "You... you bear the title of God of Wisdom! Can you do something about this disgusting body?! I've tried everything. Nothing worked!"
Then he waited.
He had seen that look far too many times... eyes widening, steps retreating, faces turning away. His shoulders were already tense, bracing for the disgust that would surely come.
But what came was only silence.
Greater Lord Rukhadevatta did not step back.
She did not frown, nor cover her mouth. The faint smile on her lips remained there, gentle and calm. It was not a mocking smile, nor a smile forced to cover fear.
That smile was simply her nature, clinging to her like water that always flows to lower ground.
She rose slowly and set the still-sleeping Aranara down on the grass.
Her white gown swept the ground as she stepped closer. The tendrils on the young man's body moved restlessly, some drawing back like animals afraid of being touched.
"You, what are you—"
"Shh."
Only one word, as soft as a breath of wind.
The goddess's delicate fingers rose and touched one of the tendrils on his arm.
The tendril tensed for a moment, then slowly calmed beneath a caress as gentle as the one she had given the Aranara earlier.
Her palm traced along the tendril, then the pale skin beside it, then the dark veins creeping across his shoulder. There was not the slightest hesitation in her movements.
The young man's breath caught. Something hot ran down his cheeks.
"You consider yourself filthy," Rukhadevatta said softly. "But have you forgotten who I am?" She chuckled beautifully.
"I have seen things far filthier and more terrible. But your appearance... is clearly not one of them."
"...Aren't you disgusted?"
In answer, the goddess raised her delicate, pale hand and calmly placed it on one of the tendrils writhing on the young man's chest.
Lugh flinched, his whole body tensing. But the touch was so gentle, just like when she had stroked the sleeping Aranara. Her fingers moved slowly across that slick surface, without hesitation and without trembling.
The tendrils that had been writhing wildly all this time gradually stopped. One by one they went limp, as if no one had ever touched them without fear before.
"Disgusted?" Her voice sounded very clear. "If you wanted to make me feel that way, you would at least have to represent all the evil in this world."
At the end of the sentence, her tone sounded like a joke.
But just from hearing it... Lugh felt the weight on his chest lift a little.
In a hoarse voice, he began to tell his story.
"I shouldn't... have been greedy. During the attack on Cthulhu Island, I found a legendary item called the Hollow Ring."
"..." Greater Lord Rukhadevatta listened with concern.
"Through Appraisal, I knew the function of the legendary item that three other guilds were after. I have been looked down on for a long time. So I thought I could use it to become one of the strongest beings. But I never expected..." Lugh laughed bitterly. "...I would end up like this after forcibly sealing one of the Rank Unknown beings."
Who was that Rank Unknown? Lugh's tentacle-covered appearance alone answered it. It was... True Cthulhu.
Actually, Lugh could not be entirely blamed. True Cthulhu itself had approached him first.
That Rank Unknown being had been dying after fighting the 'Herrscher of the Void', and the only thing that could heal it was the legendary item Lugh held...
Lugh's only mistake was thinking he could become strong by sealing one of the strongest beings. He did succeed in sealing it, but the price he had to pay was his present appearance.
Even worse... instead of gaining tremendous power from True Cthulhu, he inherited its immortal body. That was the biggest reason behind his current form.
"I see. No wonder it was hard for me to sense you. It seems the being you sealed interfered in this too..."
"So I beg you, Your Majesty... please, do something..." Lugh's voice was very weak.
Earlier, when he heard the legend of the God of Wisdom, he had even begged Great Perrin Kaelstrom to bring him here.
"I see..."
Hearing that somewhat delayed response, Lugh lowered his head. It seemed there truly was no way out for his appearance.
But Greater Lord Rukhadevatta's next sentence left him stunned.
"Restoring your appearance... is not impossible."
"R-really?!" Lugh's eyes widened, then lit up with eagerness.
"Yes." Greater Lord Rukhadevatta smiled. "But I have one request."
"T-tell me! I'll do anything!"
"It is not a difficult request. I only ask you to be patient."
"P-patient?"
"That's right." She nodded slowly. "Until the time comes, could you keep your current appearance for now?"
"..."
"You can't?"
"I-it's not that I can't, but..." Lugh hesitated. "...Why?"
"I cannot tell you yet. But don't worry. It will surely happen, and it won't be long."
"A-all right..." Lugh nodded hesitantly.
Enduring for a few days or even a few months was not a problem as long as his appearance could return. Besides... he was sure the God of Wisdom would not break her promise.
***
"...What are you doing?"
Amaterasu no Kitsune frowned, looking at the white-masked youth in front of her.
Uzumaki Menma was drawing intricate circles on the ground, filled with unfamiliar letters she could not read.
Without turning around, Uzumaki Menma answered in his hoarse voice.
"I don't know. I don't know myself. I'm just following that 'woman's' orders."
"That woman..." Amaterasu no Kitsune narrowed her eyes behind her golden fox mask.
An inhumanly beautiful silhouette surfaced in her mind, making her hair stand on end. "...Who is she, really?"
"Witch of Vainglory, Pandora."
"Is that the 'Witch' I'm thinking of?"
"Unfortunately, no. Just like me, an Outsider, Pandora is also an Outsider. In her world, the concept of a 'Witch' refers to entities with the potential to destroy that world itself, because their authority is essentially the manifestation of calamity." Uzumaki Menma fell silent for a moment. "I don't know how strong she really is, but I think you've already felt it firsthand."
"Are you mocking me?" Amaterasu no Kitsune's face was very gloomy. "...Then why do you obey a crazy being like that?"
The petite woman's appearance was indeed beautiful enough to make ordinary people lose their minds. But to the highly sensitive Amaterasu no Kitsune... she did not hesitate to call her a humanoid being with a hidden personality.
"Do you think I'm the type to obey other people's orders?" Uzumaki Menma said indifferently. "Just like you, who are forced into this now, I'm the same. Besides, in her own way, she can control my mind through her authority."
"Like that gloomy man?"
"Not quite. The mind control of Danzo and Pandora are different. Besides, it wasn't Danzo's original ability to begin with. He's just a cowardly man. Even so, he's not that bad since he's useful for 'dirty' work."
"No wonder his power is weak."
"Don't be mistaken. That man can sometimes be far more troublesome. Don't be surprised if one day he sacrifices his life just to kill you."
"..." Amaterasu no Kitsune raised an eyebrow. Honestly... she felt the man would never do that.
But considering Uzumaki Menma was not one for pleasantries, there was a chance it was true.
The atmosphere between them was silent for a moment.
While Menma was still busy with his circles, Amaterasu no Kitsune quietly observed him...
Then she opened her lips.
"...I'm curious."
"..." Uzumaki Menma's movements stopped for a moment, then resumed. "Curious about what?"
"Our first contact back then. Was that arranged by that crazy woman?"
"Mostly, yes. But..." Uzumaki Menma lifted his head and looked directly at the nine-tailed golden fox woman.
"...In a small part, I was genuinely curious to meet a nine-tailed fox in this world. Though it turned out not to meet expectations."
"What do you mean, it doesn't meet expectations?" Amaterasu no Kitsune's tone turned cold.
"..."
Uzumaki Menma chose to stay silent, and that only added to the Transcendent fox's irritation.
Just as Amaterasu no Kitsune was about to continue, she stopped.
Several people appeared to be walking toward them. She narrowed her eyes but let them approach.
Uzumaki Menma himself quickly stood and turned around.
It was a group of humans dressed as hunters with full weapons. Behind them followed several military troops. There was also a Magical Beast shaped like a winged tiger with a chain around its neck.
More precisely... all the slaves in the group wore chains carved with strange runes around their necks.
Amaterasu no Kitsune's gaze was very cold at the sight. It wasn't that she pitied them, but she simply disliked seeing those slave chains.
This group was none other than the slave-trading group, the Chainbinders.
"So you've arrived. Then, let's begin."
"<<𝐊𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐚... 𝐒𝐞𝐢, 𝐁𝐲𝐚𝐤𝐮, 𝐒𝐡𝐮, 𝐆𝐞𝐧, 𝐊𝐮, 𝐍𝐚𝐧, 𝐇𝐨𝐤𝐮, 𝐒𝐚𝐧, 𝐆𝐲𝐨𝐤𝐮...>>"
As he spoke each name with forceful intonation, a giant mandala began to form above his body, glowing with a dark red light.
Then...
"<<𝐊𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐮>>"
The moment the incantation was complete, supernatural beings emerged one by one from the mandala floating in the air! Nine different entities, five in beastly forms with terrifying auras and four in humanoid forms with various weapons, shot forward immediately!
***
Meanwhile... Lux was holding a template card, with Restia Ashdoll leaning affectionately against his side.
The card radiated a dazzling rainbow light, a sign that it was five-star (✯✯✯✯✯).
But strangely... the card also gave off a chill that was completely out of proportion to the splendor of its light.
Behind the glittering rainbow lay a heavy silence, like a dirge whispered in an empty room.
On the surface of the card... a silver-haired girl stood in a fragile pose, as if she had just awakened amid the ruins of her world.
Her purple-black cloak was tattered, its edges ruined as if burned by fire and eaten away by time. Its color faded from deep black to dark purple, then to a reddish-orange tinge at the ends, like a dying dusk. Beneath it, a deep purple gown with thin gold embroidery wrapped her body, adorned with a clear gem at the waist.
Her tall black stockings were covered with fine cracks, a diamond-patterned strap circled her thigh, and a torn ribbon on her sandal fluttered gently.
Her skin was pale as porcelain. She looked beautiful, but that beauty felt like a shard of glass that remained whole only because no one had touched it yet.
Yet behind all of that... lay a thick aura of destruction.
Her gaze was empty, as if she had witnessed too many things that should never be seen.
One red-purple eye looked straight at Lux from behind the bangs covering her face, as if the picture were alive and appraising him...
And the girl's name was clearly written on the card.
Her name was...
『Yatogami Tohka - Beast Tohka (✯✯✯✯✯)』