The little one's eyes narrowed as if he had sensed something strange. He paused, his tiny hand clutching the golden retriever's fur, and tilted his head toward the hill looming in the distance. His voice, soft and curious, carried a faint edge of displeasure.
"Huh? A devil? …No, it doesn't seem like that. But what is this annoying feeling?"
He squinted, as though searching for the truth hidden behind the rocks and the earth. Then, without hesitation, he patted the dog's back.
"Cosmo, let's go and see."
The golden retriever barked softly, wagging its tail, and together the two made their way toward the hill where fate was already shifting.
Far away, deep within a dim underground base, a group of men and women dressed in ordinary clothing crowded around a giant screen. Their eyes glittered with madness. As the image flickered to life, they erupted in cheers.
"Hahahaha! We made it!" shouted one man, leaping from his chair so quickly that his cup clattered to the floor, shattering into pieces.
"Our ceremony is finally complete!"
Another slammed his palms together, trembling with excitement. "The flesh and blood of seven people — each representing one of the seven deadly sins — have been gathered! With their sacrifice, we've finally completed the summoning ritual of the Ancient Gods!"
"Ten years of work!" cried another voice, almost breaking with emotion. "Ten years of blood, sweat, and death… all of it has finally paid off!"
They clapped each other on the shoulders, laughing wildly, drunk on the ecstasy of their own insanity.
But none of them noticed that in the shadows of the base, the grotesque monsters sealed inside rows of glass tanks had suddenly gone still. Their twisted bodies and hungry eyes were frozen mid-snarl, as though they too sensed something immense and terrifying rising into the world.
RUMBLE…
The ground beneath the base shuddered violently. Dust fell from the ceiling as the massive structure groaned under the pressure.
At first, the cultists weren't afraid. In fact, their grins only widened. They knew this was not an earthquake. This was the awakening. The Ancient God was stirring.
On the giant screen, a live feed displayed the colossal altar they had constructed in the mountain. It had taken them years to build, and it now shone like a wound torn into the earth. Yet the altar was cracking apart. Stones tumbled, blood splattered, and gore sprayed into the air like a fountain.
Then, from beneath the rubble, something massive tore through.
A colossal red arm, covered in jagged scales slick with blood, burst free. Each claw was the size of a car, and the limb pulsed with unholy power. The very sight of it drove terror into the soul — and yet the cultists only grew more frenzied.
"The Ancient One rises!" one screamed, tears streaming down his cheeks.
Another fell to his knees in worship. "With the old gods summoned, the world will be ours!"
"Yes! What country, what superhero — none of them will matter. Wealth, power, women… it's all within our reach now! Hahaha!"
The room exploded with laughter.
But suddenly, a sharp cry cut through the madness.
"Wait! What's that?"
A blonde woman in glasses jabbed her finger at the screen, her voice shrill with disbelief.
The others turned sharply, following her gaze.
There, standing atop the broken altar where the Ancient God was clawing its way into the world, was a little girl in a camping outfit. Beside her stood a golden retriever, its fur glimmering faintly in the sparks raining from the cracks of the altar.
The girl's ponytail swayed gently as she tilted her head, gazing up at the towering monstrosity with wide, innocent eyes.
The cultists froze.
"A… a child?" someone muttered.
"And a dog?"
For normal people, the sight of such innocence would have sparked pity, even protection. But these fanatics had long abandoned their humanity. To them, a child was nothing more than meat — a tool for their ascension.
"Heh," sneered a fat man, licking his lips cruelly. "Just a child and a mutt. How lucky — more blood food for the god!"
The others nodded grimly, their smiles returning.
"Yes… let her be eaten. A fitting offering to celebrate the resurrection."
But the child — Sally — stood calmly upon the fractured altar, sparks bursting around her like tiny stars. Her big, jewel-like eyes stared unflinchingly at the massive red arm clawing free.
She felt it clearly: something horrific was clawing its way into reality from beneath the altar.
And then, with a roar that shook the heavens, the Ancient God pulled itself further out.
ROOOOAAARR!
The sound was so deafening that it felt like eardrums were shattering.
The beast's enormous body stretched a hundred meters tall. Though its waist and legs were still trapped in another dimension, its upper body alone towered forty to fifty meters above the altar. Its scales dripped with blood, its maw gaped wide, and its presence filled the chamber with suffocating dread.
Compared to this giant, Sally — a little more than one meter tall — was no more than an ant.
The Ancient God let out another triumphant cry, a roar to declare its rebirth.
But then… it stopped.
Its massive head lowered. Its burning eyes squinted.
There, standing below it, was the ant. The little girl.
And she… was looking directly at him.
Not with fear. Not with despair.
But with disgust.
That trace of disdain sent a shiver through the monster.
The Ancient God's fury erupted. How dare she? How dare an insect — a child — meet his gaze with such insolence?
"I am a god!" he rumbled, his voice shaking the mountain itself. "How can an ant look at me so?"
He raised a claw, ready to shred the tiny body into dust.
But then… he hesitated.
A dangerous, suffocating aura emanated from the child. No, not just from her — but from the golden retriever as well. The god's instincts screamed a warning.
"What is this? Who is this child? Why do I sense several powerful presences within her?"
"And that beast… that beast is not normal. It reeks of danger."
For the first time since his resurrection, the Ancient God faltered.
Then, in the silence, a tiny, innocent voice rang out.
"Wow… you're so ugly. And your body smells awful. Almost like those demons. Are you a demon?"
The Ancient God blinked.
Demons? He, an Ancient God, being mistaken for a mere demon?
Before he could roar in rage, the little girl added cheerfully, "Oh well. Doesn't matter. You'll be eliminated anyway. Sister said devils and demons will all be wiped out."
The golden retriever wagged its tail, barking happily.
"Wang! Wang!"
Sally giggled. "No, Cosmo, last time Sister wouldn't let me fight. But this time… this time it's my turn. I want to do it myself!"
The retriever barked again, as if in encouragement.
"Thank you, Cosmolla~" the girl said sweetly, patting his head. Then she turned back to the looming monster.
Her ponytail swayed as she raised her chin. Her little voice was soft, but it carried the weight of thunder.
"Mr. Devil, I'm going to make a move now."
The Ancient God barely had time to comprehend her words before it happened.
BOOM!
A wave of unimaginable energy burst forth.
The sky itself seemed to collapse as crimson ripples surged outward like a tide. The air turned heavy, space itself shuddered, and the very stones at Sally's feet lifted into the air.
Her pupils, bright as jewels, glowed with a dazzling red light.
The world trembled under her power.
An overwhelming force — vast as the sea, unstoppable as the storm — came crashing down upon the Ancient God.
And for the first time in ten years of their fanatic faith, the cultists watching on the screen felt their triumphant laughter choke in their throats.
Because the child they thought was prey had just become the hunter.
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