The other Ying Zheng smiled with clear approval.
"Not bad."
"As expected of me."
The moment those words left his mouth—
Ying Zheng's fist almost flew straight into his face.
"No."
"I am not you."
"And you are not me."
"Do not confuse us."
His tone was cold, decisive.
Even if they shared the same name…
Even if they came from parallel worlds…
He was still himself.
And no one else.
"Excellent."
The other Ying Zheng nodded, clearly pleased.
"Even if you deny it… I am still Ying Zheng."
He then casually extended an invitation.
"Care to join me for a drink?"
"If I'm in a good mood… I might even sponsor you a little."
...
Not far away, Kayo watched the exchange with a complicated expression.
…This guy is way too much.
Constantly bragging.
Mocking.
Provoking.
Just how black-hearted was this version of Ying Zheng?
Still…
There was a reason behind it.
He was genuinely curious.
Curious about another version of himself.
That was why—
the moment Izumi sent him a message—
he dropped everything and came running.
If this other Ying Zheng proved worthy…
Then perhaps—
he wouldn't mind offering some support.
However—
before anyone could react—
things escalated.
Under Kayo's stunned gaze…
the arrogant emperor simply kidnapped Ying Zheng.
Yes.
Kidnapped.
Even though physical force was restricted in this city—
technology wasn't.
And his—
was terrifyingly advanced.
Kayo could only stare as the two figures disappeared.
"…Unbelievable."
Nearby, Asuna and her family exchanged looks.
"…What just happened?"
"He just… abducted himself?"
Even for a city filled with absurdities—
this was something else entirely.
...
Hidden in the shadows, Izumi chuckled.
"Now that's entertaining."
His gaze briefly swept over Asuna—
before his figure flickered—
—and vanished.
The next moment—
Izumi appeared inside the Research Institute.
The place was bustling.
Servants and researchers moved rapidly between stations.
Complex magical and technological systems hummed in unison.
Ignoring the activity around him—
Izumi walked straight toward the central laboratory.
The moment he entered—
a massive purple cube dominated his vision.
Around it—
Asagi Aiba, Akihiko Kayaba, and the planetary wills—
Gaia and Alaya—
were all hard at work.
Streams of data flowed across countless screens.
Without even turning around, Asagi spoke:
"You're just in time."
"The research is complete."
She continued typing as she explained:
"We integrated the world laws from KonoSuba…"
"…and combined them with the divine blessing system from Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?."
"We've successfully constructed a new foundational rule set for this world."
She finally looked up.
"All that's left…"
"…is for you to finish it."
Izumi nodded.
He had been waiting for this.
Ever since granting them access to the world's core system—
they had essentially been programming reality itself.
With Gaia and Alaya assisting—
this task had become far more manageable.
After merging countless worlds—
the rules had become chaotic.
Now—
it was time to bring order.
Kayaba stepped forward—
and handed him something.
A small, glowing seed.
The World Seed from Sword Art Online.
Izumi's lips curled into a smile.
"Perfect."
He activated his authority—
the absolute control over his world.
In an instant—
a vast, overwhelming force descended.
Across the cosmos—
the simulated star map ignited with brilliance.
Everyone in the world froze.
They looked up instinctively.
"…What is Izumi doing now?"
Then—
they understood.
A new rule had been added.
Before every individual—
a translucent interface appeared.
A glowing panel—
displaying their stats, abilities, and attributes.
...
In the city—
Asuna blinked in disbelief.
"…What?"
She raised her hand—
and instinctively opened the panel.
The moment she did—
her body shimmered.
A familiar system activated.
Her SAO equipment materialized around her.
"…This is… a game interface?"
"…He actually did it?"
Her voice trembled.
This meant—
they could level up.
Grow stronger.
Just like in a game.
And she wasn't alone.
Across the world—
everyone reacted.
Shock.
Excitement.
Disbelief.
For those from the DanMachi world—
this was revolutionary.
"A system where you grow by defeating monsters…?"
"Isn't this just another form of blessing?!"
"This is incredible!"
...
Meanwhile—
Izumi continued.
With a thought—
his creation authority activated.
Countless monsters—
were born from nothing.
He scattered them across the wilderness.
Defeat them—
gain experience.
Obtain equipment.
He even embedded Noble Phantasms and rare items within them.
A reward system.
A progression loop.
Now—
even people from ordinary worlds—
had a path forward.
They could fight.
Grow stronger.
Earn rewards.
Exchange them for points.
Izumi smiled faintly.
This was the system.
A self-sustaining cycle.
Others would explore worlds—
bring back treasures—
exchange them.
And he?
He would remain behind the scenes.
The one pulling the strings.
"…Not bad."
He looked over the completed system with satisfaction.
Then—
his gaze returned to Asagi and the others.
After a moment of thought, he spoke:
"Asagi."
"Can you develop a communication system that works across worlds?"
"Something like what we used back in the High School DxD world."
"If possible—"
"Integrate it into this world's rules."
"Anyone who enters this world…"
"Should receive our mark."
"And we'll build something like a network… a forum."
Asagi frowned.
"That's… difficult."
She crossed her arms slightly.
"Some worlds are too far apart."
"Communication won't connect."
"Unlike before—those worlds were practically neighbors."
"If we want long-distance interdimensional communication…"
"…it'll take time."
The room fell into thoughtful silence.
And yet—
Izumi only smiled.
Because this—
was just the beginning.