The world we live in is nothing more than a fragile vessel drifting upon a vast ocean.
The immense continents we see are mere specks of dust within that endless sea.
The darkness coveting this world is always stirring, waiting for its chance.
With a mighty storm liable to strike at any moment, can those of us aboard this tiny vessel truly sleep in peace without the strength to protect ourselves?
...
Outside the Central Palace of the Sorcerer Kingdom.
Under the watchful gazes of Naohara and his two companions, the God of Wind walked away with light yet purposeful steps.
[Kitty~ ♪ Kitty~ ♪ Kitty, meow~ ♪]
[Meow, meow~ Kitty, kitty~ Meow ♪]
The God of Wind hummed his original theme song. With each step, he could not resist looking down at the cardboard box in his arms.
The smile on his face grew brighter every time, as though he were holding the most precious treasure in the world.
"He really is an interesting fellow."
Once the God of Wind had completely disappeared from sight, Momonga turned to his two friends and spoke with a hint of emotion.
The God of Wind, Kikotenshin Nekonyan.
Despite standing on opposing sides, Momonga found himself unexpectedly unable to dislike him.
"He's remarkably sincere in certain ways, as well as optimistic. He lightens the mood by showing others his true self."
Herohero also offered his opinion.
Their earlier conversation had given him a much fuller understanding of this fellow countryman.
"If we're Demon Kings, then he's definitely the classic hero from another world."
He saved others, accomplished great deeds, and then saved them again before finally falling into eternal slumber upon foreign soil, watched over tenderly by his family, friends, and subjects.
There was a reason the Six Great Gods were worshiped as Gods.
Those six might have faked their deaths for ulterior purposes, but so what?
Had they not truly saved humanity?
What mattered were their deeds, not their motives.
That was why the Theocracy had so readily accepted the return of the God of Death.
They did not care why he had returned from the dead. They would simply cheer, rejoice, and worship from the depths of their hearts the God who had once rescued humanity from unimaginable suffering.
"Hmm. We should still find an opportunity to kill him."
Herohero spoke coldly.
So what if he had saved humanity?
That changed nothing. Given the chance, Herohero still wanted him dead.
What did the humans of the New World have to do with him?
A Demon King and a hero were destined never to coexist peacefully.
"A Soul composed primarily of faith should be extremely difficult to erase completely."
"If we decide to act, we'll need to prepare thoroughly. If we alert them without finishing the job, things will become very troublesome."
"Six people accumulating faith for six hundred years amounts to thirty-six hundred years in total. The actual value may vary considerably, but they should possess at least a thousand years' worth of Power of Faith, and that amount is still increasing."
Rather than objecting to Herohero's idea, Momonga began seriously analyzing its advantages and risks.
He did feel somewhat guilty toward the Six Great Gods.
However, Herohero was his companion, and companions deserved his unconditional support.
On that point, Momonga's resolve remained firm.
"For now... don't do anything unnecessary."
At that moment, Naohara interrupted their discussion.
"Naohara, do you actually believe what he told us?"
Herohero asked. Momonga also turned an inquisitive gaze toward him.
Earlier, the God of Wind had exchanged special intelligence with the three of them in return for one use of the [Shooting Star Ring].
To be honest, both Herohero and Momonga remained skeptical of his claims.
"I don't know. But if the Dragon Emperor really did tell the Six Great Gods those things, there's no harm in taking precautions."
"Besides, the Six Great Gods are growing stronger, but so are we~"
"When it comes to the path to divinity, we have far more choices than they do, and our methods are much more efficient."
Naohara shook his head and chuckled.
There was the Six Great Gods' [Faith-to-Divinity Method], the Dragon Emperor's [Primordial Erosion Method], the [Catastrophe Devouring Method] Naohara was currently pursuing, and the theoretical [Divine-class Item Synergy Advancement Method].
They could pursue all four of these entirely different paths at once.
For example, the policies recently implemented throughout the Sorcerer Kingdom were designed to make harvesting the Power of Faith easier.
Their research into the Wild Magic [Erosion] was also proceeding simultaneously. Once they fully understood the spell, they could begin experimenting.
Naohara and his two companions had already selected the World-Class Items they would need.
The Souls required to cast the Wild Magic had also been prepared long ago.
The Deep Darkness Dragon Lord might admittedly have held something back. The version of [Erosion] he provided could be the most rudimentary one, with extremely poor conversion efficiency.
But that did not matter.
They had resources to spare. Demon Souls were plentiful, so they could use as many as necessary.
Besides, there was no reason they could not obtain the best version eventually.
Momonga's primary path was the [Primordial Erosion Method].
His secondary paths were the [Faith-to-Divinity Method] and the [Divine-class Item Synergy Advancement Method].
Herohero's primary path was also the [Primordial Erosion Method], with the [Faith-to-Divinity Method] as his secondary path.
The existence of Wild Magic meant neither of them needed to fear the side effects of the Power of Faith.
The Caloric Stone could also assist with the [Divine-class Item Synergy Advancement Method].
However, the characteristics of Herohero's race made him incompatible with the [Divine-class Item Synergy Advancement Method].
Furthermore, they had not possessed enough time to accumulate sufficient Power of Faith.
There was also the fact that a Divine-class Item embedded with a Caloric Stone could, at best, become an unconventional World-Class Item.
For those reasons, the latter two paths could only serve as supplementary methods to accelerate their progress.
Naohara, however, had chosen to pursue all four paths simultaneously.
The paths of Faith and Erosion posed no difficulty for him.
The [Catastrophe Devouring Method] was a path to divinity unique to him, born from the Curse of the World and the class [Catastrophe Dominator].
The [Divine-class Item Synergy Advancement Method] was likewise a path to divinity derived from the Dragon Destruction Sword, a weapon capable of growth.
Under these circumstances, he could transform and grow stronger at the fastest possible rate.
Naohara
Level: 100+3 (Race Level + Class Level + Bonus Level)
Karma: -436
As the Dragon Destruction Sword continued merging with his draconic body, the class [Dragonslayer] had also begun undergoing certain unknown changes.
The concept of [Dragon] within him was growing ever more profound.
Combined with his occasional trips with Niles to devour the Curse of the World, his bonus level had finally increased by another level.
He was close.
He could feel it.
That distant, elusive Realm of the Gods was becoming clearer and more tangible.
"Gods, huh..."
"It truly is something to look forward to. Perhaps one day we'll even have the chance to return to our former world."
"Who knows~"
"Hmm... The Deep Darkness Dragon Lord has found the Platinum Dragon Lord and is heading toward the Seventh Floor. The timing is perfect. Let's go. We can take our time discussing the future after we've eaten."
"Momonga, notify all the members. It's time to go home for dinner."
"It's rare for everyone to gather like this. I imagine it'll be quite lively."
With that, the three of them leisurely departed the Sorcerer Kingdom, looking like three elderly men out for a stroll.
...
Meanwhile, in the corner of a barbecue restaurant, two Dragonoids were eating.
The Swordmaster Dragon Lord focused intently on grilling the meat, deftly turning each slice with a pair of tongs so that it cooked evenly.
The mouthwatering aroma filled the air.
Suddenly, he snapped his head up and stared in a particular direction, his gaze turning sharp.