When the doorway appeared, Iris took Orsaga's hand and stepped through with him.
As they walked forward, memories from the beast's life played out before them like a sequence of moving images: birth, growth, hunting…
Iris caught each wave of information as it passed — a living creature directing a prayer toward some other being.
From those scenes she immediately understood where she was: inside the mind of that animal.
Watching the creature's birth and the simple thoughts that shaped its life, she felt how much purer and less complicated its mental world was compared with that of an intelligent species.
Seeing such ethereal things made manifest in this way left Iris both astonished and uneasy. Orsaga's power exceeded anything she had ever imagined. Even the myths she had learned as a child must seem trivial to him.
Noticing her contemplative expression, Orsaga paused the memory at the beast's first awkward hunt and spoke softly:
"Almost every life undergoes growth and tempering. If growth succeeds, we call it evolution; if it fails, we call it deformity. As for tempering: a proper amount is training; too much becomes suffering."
"As a concept-god who embodies these ideas, anything that involves these processes will be linked to me. That is why my worshipers come from such varied places and make such strange requests."
"Sometimes I answer them and intervene. Sometimes I ignore them and let them develop on their own. Either way, whether or not they know my name, they still supply me with power — the only difference is how much they supply."
Iris was stunned. She could not imagine how vast a force the Prime Universe and the countless secondary universes must supply, willingly or not, to entities like him.
After a long moment she asked, "Are all Chaos Gods this powerful?"
Orsaga stroked her hair and replied with a question of his own: "When I first became a Chaos God, didn't Tzeentch and Khorne trouble me constantly?"
Iris thought back and nodded. In those early millennia they had indeed harried him relentlessly; for a very long stretch of time, the armies of Orsaga had clashed with coalitions led by Khorne and Tzeentch. Occasionally, the three gods had even come to blows themselves — while Nurgle mostly watched from the sidelines.
"That they resisted me was to be expected," Orsaga continued. "But have you ever wondered why it lasted only for a few thousand years? For a Chaos God, that span is barely the length of a nap."
Iris could not answer.
Orsaga tossed aside the memory fragment and raised his hands:
"After a period of friction, I learned the full scope of my power and developed it further. Although we are all Chaos Gods, the domains I touch — growth and tempering — reach into almost every system."
"Growth is not limited to living beings; entire universe can 'grow' over time. Other gods' domains — war, victory, valor, life, knowledge, wisdom, vitality, corruption — all directly or indirectly subject beings to trials and ordeals. Those processes force growth, leading to progress, evolution, or deformation."
"In that sense, my concept sits one tier above theirs. No matter how their power manifests, I benefit to some degree. Their pressure becomes rich nourishment that accelerates my development. That is why, eventually, they had to relent."
Iris brightened. "So you're stronger than they are?" she asked.
Orsaga did not deny it; he nodded calmly:
"My concept does enjoy an advantage, so I am somewhat stronger. But the gap is not absolute. I can defeat any one of them. Two of them united, however, would outmatch me."
"And even when harmed, because Chaos Gods are symbiotic with the Multiverse they inhabit, none can truly be slain — at most, injured. And injury means little to a god who can manipulate time; wounds mend almost instantly."
After explaining this, Orsaga and Iris wandered the planet a while longer. Then, with a casual snap of his fingers, their consciousnesses returned to the festival grounds.
Holding Iris by the waist, Orsaga spoke quietly to the thoughts still turning in her head:
"Don't obsess over these matters. I only told you so you could remain calm and continue your life. You worry far too much about threats from other Chaos Gods. You need not fear so much. Understand that although this universe is dangerous, I will always shelter you."
Confidence underlay every word. Iris smiled and kissed him, comforted. She set aside her anxieties and turned her attention back to the performance onstage, even though she had not intended to watch.
After all, the festival exists for the Art God. In a world where gods can descend into direct conflict, deception holds little value. The performers who pass the Art Sanctum's filters all possess genuine artistry, refined through countless trials. Their acts are of high quality; even those unmoved by art can find enjoyment in them after a time. Watching the show was, she realized, a pleasant way to pass the hours.
_____
T/N:
For readers who would like early access, my Patreon is available for just $4 per month. You'll unlock 140+ advance chapters and help support ongoing works.
🔗 patreon.com/user?u=79514336
You may also search Translator-Sama directly on Patreon.
Your support is sincerely appreciated