Kawashima Toya sighed. "Is there really no trick to clearing this? Can't I just give it a try?"
"Darling, at this moment, there is none," Nyaruko said, her expression graver than ever. "Due to the nature of the banquets, I cannot reveal specific details."
"But I can tell you this: the 'Future' banquet is unique. It is so special that clearing it is statistically impossible."
"Even if Darling were to transform into Hyper Kabuto again and disrupt the flow of spacetime at will, victory would not be guaranteed."
"But I have to go," Toya replied, his voice laced with helplessness.
He couldn't just stand by and watch Jashin-chan be beaten into a pulp, could he?
As a transmigrator and a Savior, how could he simply abandon someone?
"Darling has made his decision. I wish you the best of luck in battle!"
Nyaruko's face turned solemn. "Please prepare yourself fully, Darling. You are about to face the 'Future'!"
.....
1:03 AM.
Kawashima Toya stood ready, dressed in an exquisite white tuxedo. On his back, he carried two swords: the holy Excalibur (Star-Holy Sword) and the demonic Clarent (Sin-Star Holy Sword).
One to uphold justice, the other to combat evil.
In his hand, he held the Ancient Tome.
Even though he wasn't particularly fond of ancient tome, in a situation like this, he needed every tool available. If he didn't bring it now, he might not get another chance.
"Darling, good luck!"
Nyaruko looked at Toya's strange assortment of gear—a tuxedo, two legendary swords, and an ancient tome—and silently prayed for his safe return.
Not far away, Kasugano Sora wiped her tears, her heart filled with sorrow and resentment.
"It's all Jashin-chan's fault! If I had known, I wouldn't have played with her, or even let her move in!"
"If not for her, Onii-chan wouldn't have to take such a risk!"
"Don't cry, Sora." Kasumigaoka Utaha gently patted Sora's head, comforting her. "You have to believe in Toya-kun."
"Has he ever failed to return safely?"
When the time arrived, the rusty, cloudy surface of the Mirror of Past, Present, and Future cleared once more.
An ethereal passageway appeared within the glass, along with the reflection of Toya wearing that same eerie, wicked smile.
Toya looked at his reflection calmly. "I'm going to the Future."
"O Great Savior, I wish you luck." The reflection bowed slightly, stepping aside to open the path.
Toya had no interest in chatting. He walked straight into the tunnel.
"O Great Savior... do you truly believe you can grasp the future?"
Inside the mirror, the reflection watched Toya's back and let out a chilling, mocking laugh.
.....
Somewhere in a Higher Plane of Existence.
Six chaotic auras surged, and majestic, supreme figures gathered in the void.
"He's coming!"
"The wager begins! After countless eras, the Savior who challenged the Past, Present, and Future faster than any other has appeared."
"Place your bets! Guess if the final Savior of the Root's Great Cycle can clear the Future!"
"Impossible. He cannot pass."
"His path hasn't even been fully forged yet. How could it be that easy?"
"I bet on the Savior clearing it!"
"Are you insane? That is the Future. Countless Saviors, even Gods and Transcendent Beings, have fallen at this hurdle."
"Isn't it a bit undignified for entities like us to be gambling?"
"..." The remaining five figures fell silent.
"If he clears it, let's gift him a supreme artifact."
.....
The hazy, misty tunnel finally came to an end.
Toya looked at the world beyond the exit and took a deep breath.
"Let me see just what makes this 'impossible' Future Banquet worth two million Origin Points!"
If he had two million points, he could buy two EX-rank Noble Phantasms from the System Shop.
Toya stepped out of the tunnel, his expression vigilant as he scanned his surroundings for any potential ambush.
"Nothing?"
His blue eyes swept the area, but he found nothing special.
There was only a ruined city. Judging from the wreckage, it seemed to be the Tokyo he lived in.
"Didn't they say it was dangerous?"
"Where's the danger?"
Just as Toya was puzzling over the situation, a meteor streaked across the distant sky, heading straight for him.
BOOM!
A figure crashed heavily into the ground, creating a deep crater.
"Jashin-chan?" Toya peered through the dust and realized the "meteor" was actually the serpent girl. He rushed over to check on her.
"Jashin-chan, are you okay?"
Toya frowned, looking at her battered body. It was unclear how many times she had already died and regenerated. "Jashin-chan, can you speak?"
Jashin-chan struggled to stand up from the rubble. When she saw Toya, she shrieked in terror and curled into a ball, begging for mercy.
"Don't hit me! Please don't hit me!"
"Jashin-chan!" Toya said firmly. "Tell me why you turned into a meteor."
"Who is the enemy?"
Before the battle started, he needed as much information as possible to avoid being passive.
"You're... Toya?" Jashin-chan realized the expected pain hadn't come and looked up in confusion.
"Toya! You finally came!"
She lunged forward and hugged him, wailing loudly. "I was wrong! I shouldn't have snuck into the basement!"
"I got sucked into the mirror and met a bunch of devils!"
"They're here!" Toya's face remained calm as he looked toward the sky. "Looks like I don't need your intel anymore."
"Jashin-chan, run! Don't look back!"
"If you're too slow, you'll die for real!"
"I'm out!" Jashin-chan knew the terror of what was coming and fled toward a temporarily safe spot without hesitation.
"As expected of Jashin-chan. She recovers fast." Toya chuckled, then turned to wait for the enemy.
In the distant sky, a brilliant, gentle golden light illuminated the heavens. A figure with a compassionate yet suffering expression arrived, standing atop a golden lotus, emanating the aura of an Enlightened One.
From the western sky, a mystical aura obscured the sun. A figure with the graceful demeanor of a Sword Saint arrived, riding a flying blade with effortless transcendence.
From the eastern sky, a massive surge of chaotic energy, like the descent of an Outer God, heralded the arrival of a sinister, dark figure consumed by the Abyss.
Three figures, releasing different auras, yet sharing one common trait: indifferent, scornful mockery of the world.
"There's one more!" Toya stared deeply into the sky, his eyes filled with gravity. "The embodiment of Divine Will!"
As the three figures drew closer, Toya finally saw their faces clearly.
"You...!!!"
Toya stared in disbelief at the figures standing in the void. "They're all... me?"
Without exception, all three figures were him.
The only difference was the paths they had taken.
One appeared to be a devout deity of enlightenment. Another seemed to have walked the path of the Sword Saint, seeking ascension.
The last one had fallen into the Cthulhu Mythos, becoming one with the Outer Gods.
Although their paths differed, they shared a common origin.
"They represent the paths I abandoned?" Toya's heart grew heavy.
These three versions of "himself" represented paths he had fantasized about when he first transmigrated.
The carefree Saint, the Monk dedicated to fighting Evil Gods, or the one who stared into the abyss and became the abyss to fight it.
Toya glanced subtly at the sky. "And there's the 'me' who almost became the embodiment of the Divine Will!"
Each of these "selves" was a headache-inducing powerhouse on their own. Now, with the physical manifestation of Will looming overhead, the situation was desperate.