A sudden realization struck him.
"Wait... I almost forgot about my Authority."
A brilliant idea formed in Kawashima Toya's mind.
Authority: Benefactor, You Share a Destiny With Me.
Toya's eyes twinkled with amusement. "I wonder what will happen if I use Cundi's Authority on the 'people' of this world?"
"Will they become blank-faced believers?"
Once the thought occurred to him, the urge to test it became irresistible.
It might bring unexpected surprises. Perhaps the holy light could purify this world that looked like a faded, yellowed photograph.
"Eriri, I'm going out to test my theory."
"If it works, we can leave this world."
Toya spoke seriously to Eriri, who was slurping cup noodles across the table.
"Leave this world?" Eriri looked at him like he was crazy. "Have you lost your mind?"
"I don't want to die for nothing!"
Knowing she still hadn't fully accepted that this world wasn't reality, Toya smiled reassuringly. "Stay in the basement. Don't go out."
"I'm just going to run a quick test."
"With my strength, I won't be in any danger."
Before Eriri could protest, Toya vanished from the basement in the blink of an eye.
"Idiot!" Eriri stared at the empty room and stomped her foot in frustration. "If you wanted to test something, couldn't you have waited?"
"At least wait until those monsters leave!"
Despite her anger and confusion, she mustered up her courage and followed him.
"Maybe Kawashima is right... maybe this world really is fake?"
"Otherwise, why does no one recognize him?"
On the roof of the villa, Toya was preparing to chant a sutra to activate the usurped Authority when he spotted a timid figure creeping out below.
"She followed me?"
"Unexpectedly bold."
"Better bring her up here to avoid accidents."
Toya flickered out of existence and reappeared instantly on the roof, holding Eriri.
"Wha—?! How did I get up here?!"
Eriri shrieked and clung to his arm, looking down at the ground in terror. "Kawashima! Can't you wait a bit?!"
"Wait until there are fewer monsters before testing your plan!"
"Look! They're all gathering!" Eriri's heart filled with despair. "Dammit, we're dead this time."
The emotionless "people" had noticed their presence and were swarming toward the villa like a black tide.
Toya smiled calmly. "Eriri, don't be nervous."
"Watch this."
He began to recall the Six-Syllable Mantra.
His knowledge of scriptures was limited, but the Six-Syllable Mantra was simple. He figured it would be enough to trigger the Authority.
"Om! Ma! Ni! Pad! Me! Hum!"
As the first syllable left his lips, a dazzling wheel of Buddhist light manifested behind him.
Countless golden lotuses bloomed from thin air, stretching toward the horizon.
As the golden flowers blossomed, the faded, sepia-toned world began to shed its old, yellowed skin.
In an instant, the world started reverting to its true colors.
A majestic, holy pressure swept across heaven and earth, condensing into the phantom image of a massive Golden light.
Upon closer inspection, the Golden light bore the face of Kawashima Toya.
The giant figure held a flower and smiled, syncing perfectly with Toya's own expression.
Each syllable transformed into golden Sanskrit characters, branding themselves onto the sky.
The six characters resonated with infinite power, releasing endless waves of brilliant light.
The yellowed decay of the world accelerated its retreat. In the blink of an eye, the entire world regained its original vibrancy.
The expressionless "people" suddenly regained life in their faces. One by one, they fell to their knees, bowing toward Toya and chanting:
"Praise Lord Kawashima!"
"Th-this..."
Eriri stared, dumbfounded. She couldn't believe this was his solution.
"Is this something a human can do?"
"You just... forcefully purified the whole world with light?"
A strange look crossed her eyes. "But why are the monsters shouting 'Praise Lord Kawashima'?"
Toya looked at the imposing Golden light filling the sky with satisfaction. "Not bad. It suits me."
"This fits my image."
"The only one I worship is myself."
As a God-slayer, he was destined to have zero reverence for gods. Cundi's Authority was merely a tool for him to become stronger. Since he didn't respect the divine, the manifestation of the Authority naturally wouldn't take Cundi's form.
The image is born from the heart. Whatever the heart envisions, the Golden Body reflects.
The Golden one could only be him. It had to be him.
"Kawashima, what did you just do?" Eriri asked, eyes wide with shock. "Something feels... wrong."
"I thought your plan would involve finding clues about the world's secrets and solving the puzzle."
"Instead, you just... brute-forced it?"
Toya chuckled. "I was just testing it out. I didn't expect it to work so well."
As the holy light washed over the world, restoring it to normal, a hazy, ethereal passageway slowly formed in the air.
Eriri blinked, staring at the figure standing inside the tunnel—another Kawashima Toya. She looked back and forth between the two. "Since when are there two of you?"
"Which one is the real Kawashima?"
"Don't be stupid. Do I ever smile like that?" Toya knocked gently on her forehead. "Doesn't his smile creep you out?"
"It does!"
Eriri nodded furiously, afraid to look directly at the figure in the tunnel. "His smile is so wicked... like he's planning something evil."
The "Toya" inside the tunnel bowed humbly. "Noble Savior, the banquet has ended."
"Do you wish to leave? Or would you like to continue exploring this beautiful world?"
"Beautiful?" Toya looked up at the sky in confusion. To his surprise, the Golden light hadn't vanished; it still stood tall in the void.
It continued to release soft, holy light, cleansing the surroundings. Golden lotuses rooted themselves in the sky, dyeing the clear blue heavens with a sunset-like glow.
"I'll leave for now."
Even though the eerie atmosphere was gone, Toya didn't want to stay in this world a second longer.
The system had labeled this place as "Unknown Rank" and the mirror as "Currently Inactive." Dealing with such mysterious anomalies was best left for when he was stronger.
"I'm taking her with me."
Toya grabbed Eriri's arm and stared intently at his doppelgänger. "I trust you won't refuse?"
He really disliked this guy wearing his face. That wicked, eerie smile gave him a bad vibe.
"Noble Savior, your will shall be done."
"Please, pass through this tunnel and return to reality."
The "Toya" in the tunnel stepped aside and bowed, signaling that they could leave.
"Are we really listening to him?" Eriri whispered, clutching Toya's hand tightly. "His smile is weird... can we trust him?"
"We can."
With that, Toya led Eriri into the tunnel.
Before leaving, he glanced back at his reflection. "Change into a cute girl next time. Don't use my face. It's weird."
"To change my form, you must complete one of the banquets..."