Countless divine artifacts burst forth from Niang-Niang's sleeves—flying swords, long staves, compasses, and other treasures, each radiating dazzling brilliance that instantly outshone the sun above.
An oil lamp appeared above Niang-Niang's head, and the power of mythic law descended from it, enveloping the surroundings. In an instant, it drew Aiwass into a world that belonged solely to her.
This was true creation—a universe born from myth, a world of divine origin.
As a god, a Taoist goddess of fertility. naturally possessed dominion over her own mythic system. Every god's power was unique to their origin, and even though they all stood upon the same side of the occult, there were no true points of comparison between them.
In Niang-Niang's former mythic world, the concept of "Hutian World" and similar domains represented the power of creation itself. She naturally commanded such forces.
However, unlike most deities, her divine power was not concentrated within her own being. In the era of her apotheosis, the cultivation system revolved entirely around divine artifacts—thus she became what was known as a Corpse-Disintegration Goddess.
In this current age, had there been no external interference, it would have been Orellius who ascended to godhood. But after Othinus' intervention, the balance shifted toward the scientific side.
In this era, the one to become divine would inevitably emerge from the realm of science.
A god born from science would, by nature, command all the technologies of that system.
Far beyond any scientist from the Dora's World Adventure capable of creating every conceivable device—Niang-Niang's technological understanding surpassed even that.
"Hutian World, is it?" Aiwass murmured calmly, unperturbed despite being trapped within a god-forged world.
"Though I am an angel of the lowest layer, I have read many grimoires through Edward Alexander. While I may not practice magic myself, I have some understanding of your kind."
Aiwass' sharp tongue showed itself once again.
"But you so-called Gods of Magic merely stole fragments of my Lord's power, adding your own petty cleverness to create such crude and blasphemous knowledge."
"Blind, foolish seekers who live trapped within their own delusions."
"You even speak of the 'wishes of magicians,' claiming that self-fulfilling those wishes leads to transcendence—laughable."
"Wishes are endless and unceasing. Without them, why would you Magic Gods so desperately chase after my Lord's miracles and the changes He wrought upon the world?"
Even as countless treasures surrounded her, sealing every route of escape, Aiwass did not show the slightest hint of fear.
"In the past, I once feared you deeply—perhaps even considered you heretical deities."
"But now, having served the Lord Himself, I am no longer the forsaken angel I once was."
As her words fell, a brilliant radiance erupted from her form—the power of Kabbalah itself. This was no ordinary Sephirah, but a point beyond the Ten—one of the Extra Sephiroth, existing above Law yet outside the Tree of Life's core.
This Sephirah represented Physics—a Principle belonging to the Kabbalistic order itself.
The Extra Sephiroth existed on the same level as the Principle of Life, Death, Time, and Space—transcendent yet not central.
Crack—!
A sound like shattering glass echoed. Space-time fractured—the entire Hutian World collapsed.
Aiwass and Niang-Niang returned to their original place, but the surroundings had changed. This region was now a domain of Physics.
Ah—!
With a cry, Niang-Niang was thrown violently to the ground by the shock of her own world's destruction. A force far beyond her comprehension pressed her face into the earth, her beautiful features contorted against the cold surface.
Her eyes were bloodshot, filled with disbelief.
"H-how is this possible?! An angel—how can an angel possess a power greater than that of a god?! What is this power?!"
Her voice trembled with both rage and terror.
"Gravity?! How could mere gravity possibly bind me?!"
"It can't be! Impossible!"
She could feel nothing—none of her divine power, none of her magic. The entire world had turned into something utterly alien and incomprehensible to her.
Even as a Magic God, she could not control anything—not even the dimensions she had once ruled over.
Her eyes saw nothing but countless impossibly small particles, each one forming the very fabric of the world…
Uncomprehending. Utterly uncomprehending.
Where was her magic? The powers of earth, water, fire, and wind? The spiritual energy, the force of the phase, the rules—where had they all gone?
At this moment, she felt like a fish stranded on land. No matter how vast and mighty her existence once was—like a whale dominating the sea—in this incomprehensible place, even breathing itself had become a mistake.
Behind Aiwass, her wings dissolved into ribbons of pure white light, wrapping tightly around Niang-Niang's limp form like a discarded rag doll, suspending her in midair.
Aiwass' expression was one of calm delight.
"Hehehe…"
"The power granted to us angels by our Lord is not something you heretical usurpers could ever hope to comprehend."
She was, after all, a true guardian angel of the Kabbalistic Sephiroth—though one of the Extra Sephiroth.
Even so, the power she wielded was still a fragment of the Truth itself.
The so-called "divine power" of the Magic Gods was, at its core, nothing more than a synthesis of mythic laws—a pseudo-omnipotence. Vast in quantity, yes, but far from the true omnipotence of the Almighty God.
To master even a single Principle was to possess the strength to annihilate every Magic God.
Even if the bearer of a Principle did nothing but stand still, allowing the Magic Gods to assault them for billions of years, they would never so much as scratch the surface of that Principle.
A hundred million blocks of tofu could never damage a single piece of steel.
Aiwass smiled serenely. "Our Lord's power is not for false gods to grasp."
Niang-Niang, still choking under the tightening ribbons, clawed desperately at her throat. No matter how she struggled, she could not break free. For the first time in eons, she felt something she had long forgotten—suffocation.
And yet, within her bloodshot eyes burned a light of fascination and madness.
"Angel… your Lord, your God—is He the One True God, Yahweh?" she rasped.
The so-called Gods of Magic were never perfect beings. Their ascension did not lead to omniscience or omnipotence—they were not the One True God.
Aiwass chuckled softly, her voice both amused and dismissive. "Hehehe… Yahweh? That is nothing more than a false name borrowed by magicians who do not understand what they invoke. You are far from worthy of hearing my Lord's true name."
"However—rest assured. My Lord has commanded me to capture you alive. To Him, you are but another brick for building the new world."
"Bricks for a new world, hmm… I don't fully understand what's happening, but I just heard something extraordinary… hehe… cough, cough…"
Niang-Niang's consciousness gradually faded as the ribbons of light tightened around her. The moment her eyes closed, her body was encased within a golden cocoon.
"Hehe… Magic Gods—can they even be called gods? They are nothing more than magicians."
Aiwass sneered, shrinking the golden cocoon into a capsule small enough to fit in her palm. She held it lightly, her figure slowly fading away.
"There are still quite a few Magic Gods left," she said softly, her voice carrying through the void. "However, my Lord seems rather indifferent to whether they live or die. Their existence or destruction changes nothing."
"Aleister, that fool… he has yet to comprehend even the faintest trace of divine will. A pitiful worm."
She glanced briefly toward the deep reaches of space, where Aleister was still relentlessly hunting down the remaining Magic Gods.
"My Lord has shown a bit of interest in the female ones," she added with a faint smile. "Those shall be left to me and Coronzon. The rest can be left to Aleister."
She knew all too well Aleister's hatred for the Magic Gods.
...
Meanwhile, Academy City's Second District was bustling with excitement.
The city's top esper development institute—the Talent Workshop—was welcoming its second batch of selected candidates.
Camera flashes from the press flickered endlessly as reporters crowded the venue. Representatives from numerous schools and students from across the city had gathered, making the atmosphere lively and electric.
If one didn't know better, they might have thought a major concert was being held.
Saten Ruiko and Kazari Uiharu carefully made their way through the crowd toward the registration desk of the Talent Workshop.
"Look, two more! Aren't those the two with the lowest levels among the chosen candidates? A Level 0 and a Level 1 middle schooler!"
"So unfair! Why would a Level 0 even be chosen?!"
"Yeah! I'm a rare Level 3 and didn't get selected!"
"I heard that anyone trained in the Talent Workshop is guaranteed to become an esper, even if they start at Level 0! I'm so jealous!"
Hearing the whispers of envy and resentment around her, Saten felt a bit uneasy.
Among all the chosen participants, she was one of the few without any ability. She vividly remembered another Level 0 candidate—a petite blonde girl, even younger than herself.
"There are so many people… N-no need to be nervous, Saten! T-this is perfectly normal!" Uiharu said stiffly, her face red and forehead beaded with sweat. Her trembling voice betrayed her composure.
Saten smiled awkwardly. "Uiharu, it looks like you're the one who's nervous."
Uiharu puffed up her cheeks, trying to look serious. "N-not at all! I'm a member of Judgment, remember? I don't get nervous." Her childish attempt at a stern expression only made her look more flustered.
Saten chose not to tease her further. Just then, she overheard a few students talking nearby.
"Hey, have you noticed that all the candidates selected for the Talent Workshop are girls?"
"Wait, you're right!"
"And come to think of it, even all the new Level 5s are girls!"
"Tch, we've known that for a while. I even heard some rumors about the real reason."
"Oh? Spill it."
"Don't tell anyone I said this, but according to my buddy's girlfriend—who's friends with a Tokiwadai student—the director of the Talent Workshop is apparently some pervert who likes 'selecting' female students for special training."
"What?! No way… that's insane!"
"Think about it! How else do you explain that all the trainees are cute girls? It's obvious, isn't it?"
"Whoa… that's actually kind of scary. You think all the new Level 5s were… 'selected' that way?"
"Shh! Keep your voice down!"
"But it makes sense, doesn't it? Every single one of them is a beautiful girl!"
"Unbelievable…"
"Seriously, what's going on with Academy City's upper management—"
"Shhh—!"
Saten's expression turned complicated, her fingers nervously clutching the hem of her skirt.
Scouted… by perverted means?
As a girl who adored reading gossip magazines, she was no stranger to that kind of rumor.
And now that she thought about it… it really was true. Every single chosen participant was a girl—and not just any girls, but exceptionally pretty ones.
Although Saten didn't consider herself especially pretty, she certainly didn't think she was unattractive either.
Gulp— Cold sweat trickled down her neck.
Hehe… No way. That's impossible. It's just my imagination.
After all, Academy City had strict regulations against such things. There was no way something like that could actually happen—absolutely impossible.
Besides, except for a couple of high schoolers, all of the selected candidates were middle school students. Adults couldn't possibly be involved with them… right?
Gulp… Come to think of it, that term "loli" had been trending recently… and all those scandals about lolicons and perverts…
Uiharu's voice suddenly pulled her out of her spiraling thoughts.
"Eh? Saten, what's wrong? Are you hot? You're sweating so much! Or are you just nervous?"
Saten snapped back to reality, quickly sticking out her tongue with an awkward smile. "N-no, I'm fine, hahaha…" she said, scratching her head in embarrassment.
"Come on, let's go."
Still feeling uneasy, Saten followed Uiharu nervously through the entrance of the research facility.
The lobby was already crowded. Some girls stood off to the side, arms crossed and watching silently, while others sat elegantly on sofas, fixing their makeup. A few small groups chatted cheerfully together.
When Saten and Uiharu entered, most of the girls gave them only a passing glance before returning to their conversations.
"They're… they're all high-level espers…" Saten whispered, inching closer to Uiharu. "Do you think we're the last ones to arrive?"
"Hey, move out of the way, will you?"
A voice from behind startled Saten, and she jumped aside immediately, turning to look.
Golden hair caught her eye. She recognized the girl at once—it was another Level 0 like herself, a foreign student from Britain. What was her name again? Fu… something?
"Eh—Level 5?!" Saten's eyes widened as she noticed who was standing behind the blonde girl, her breath catching in her throat.
She had recently memorized all the names and ranks of the Level 5 espers, and she knew that two of them—Rank 3 and Rank 4—had been invited to join the Talent Workshop.
Mugino Shizuri clicked her tongue. "Tch… making such a fuss. If it weren't for the chance to boost my powers, I wouldn't waste time hanging around with a bunch of little girls."
Takitsubo Rikou yawned, pulling at her cheeks sleepily. "Mmm… looks like we're the last ones to show up."
Kinuhata Saiai nodded slightly. "Super looks that way," she said, scanning the room.
Because of Mugino's arrival, everyone nearby turned to look. Those who recognized her immediately whispered among themselves.
Across the room, Gokusai Kaibi set down her makeup box, pursed her freshly glossed lips, and shot a brief, knowing glance toward the group.
"Item, huh…" she murmured with a sly smile. "Hehehe… looks like they really came."
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