The one who greeted Tenkei Shiomi in a refined and courteous tone was a young man who looked no older than twenty-five.
He wore a black crane robe trimmed in red, with a fur-lined mantle draped over his shoulders. As he spoke, his eyes were curved in a gentle smile, his bearing carrying an air of detached immortality.
"Fishing with a straight hook…"
Shiomi's gaze shifted to the river where the man's line hung.
There was no proper fishhook beneath the surface, only a slender steel needle with a tiny barb.
"Those who are willing will take the bait," the man laughed openly, completely unconcerned about startling any fish that might or might not be there.
"I can more or less guess your True Name," Shiomi said, shaking his head with a helpless smile and gesturing politely. "But please, introduce yourself properly. After all, you already know who I am."
"Indeed. One should always give one's own introduction." The man set down his fishing rod, remaining seated as he folded his hands and offered Shiomi a respectful bow. "My True Name is Taigong Wang. My Daoist name is Feixiong. A Servant manifested in the Rider Class."
"As expected." Shiomi scratched his head. "So 'Flying Bear entering the dream' truly was a prophecy. Good thing I had someone perform divination before setting out. Otherwise, I might really have missed this."
"Ha ha, Flying Bear entering the dream." Taigong Wang's expression turned nostalgic. "Back then, His Highness King Wen also dreamed thus, and that is how we met by the Wei River while I was fishing. I never imagined Lord Tenkei would encounter the same."
"You flatter me, Taigong Wang. How could I compare to King Wen of old?" Shiomi motioned for Morgan and the others to sit, then took a seat nearby. "For me, that dream wasn't merely foreknowledge. It felt more like a deliberate message, wasn't it?"
"Very perceptive." Taigong Wang's narrowed eyes opened slightly, as if examining Shiomi more closely, before relaxing again. "I am here at the command of Lady Nüwa, awaiting Lord Tenkei."
"…You said who?" Shiomi thought he had misheard.
"I could not observe your earlier battle directly," Taigong Wang continued calmly, lifting his fishing rod again and watching the water's surface. "But the ease with which you eliminated the Lostbelt dependents here speaks for itself. Your growth has been swift indeed."
"You have ascended to the seat of a god. As one who stands between humanity and divinity, fighting for humankind, that is truly worthy of congratulations."
"…I see."
Shiomi was beginning to understand the meaning of that dream, and the reason he had come here.
This was not merely about subjugating Beast IV's candidate, Koyanskaya. There were matters he needed to learn.
"So, Taigong Wang did not come here solely to subdue the incomplete Beast, but also to convey something to my husband?" Morgan asked.
Taigong Wang shook his head gently. "The fairy lady misunderstands. I have many matters to attend to here. The Beast is but one of them. I originally intended to handle it myself. However, Lady Nüwa personally entrusted these tasks to me. I cannot ignore such responsibility and act on my own whims."
"It seems we have much to discuss," Shiomi said. "But after the disturbance I caused earlier, shouldn't we be concerned that Koyanskaya or her subordinates might come to interrupt us?"
Taigong Wang remained composed. "While those dependents are no match for Lord Tenkei alone, if they were to swarm us, conversation would indeed become difficult. However, you need not worry. The beings deployed within this domain act automatically, attacking only those they recognize as enemies."
At that, Taigong Wang raised a finger.
"Besides, the commotion you caused earlier was rather spectacular. Even if they act automatically, those Lostbelt dependents can still assess danger. For the time being, none of them will approach this area. In that sense, we are indebted to Lord Tenkei."
"And Koyanskaya?" Shiomi pressed.
"These dependents have no direct link to their master. The Beast will only sense the massive Mana fluctuation here. Formulating an effective response will take time."
That aligned with Shiomi's earlier speculation. He stopped probing further, adjusted his seated posture slightly, and looked at Taigong Wang.
"Since we can rest easy for now, then please, Taigong Wang, explain the meaning of your coming here. If Lady Nüwa personally entrusted you with this, it must concern something of great importance to me."
"Hmm… Lord Tenkei's guess is largely correct." Taigong Wang smiled faintly. "Before that, however, I would like to confirm something. Have you ever had contact with Mooncell?"
"Not directly. During the subjugation of BeastIII/R, we only received assistance from a higher-order AI dispatched by Mooncell. That incident has since been classified as an Imaginary Number phenomenon. Aside from those of us who experienced it firsthand, only Mooncell should still retain records."
Shiomi did not evade the question.
"I see. No wonder even I found the full circumstances of that event somewhat obscure." Taigong Wang nodded in understanding. "If it was a calculation produced by Mooncell, then so be it."
"Unfortunately, Mooncell didn't disclose much regarding matters related to me," Shiomi said. "The higher-order AI who helped us at the time… BB was constrained by clearance levels. She only revealed a small portion."
"At the very least, you have already accepted that the full truth could not be known at the time." Taigong Wang sounded understanding. "What I am about to tell you concerns only the path that has led you here. As for how you walk the road ahead, and what choices you make, that will always be your freedom."
"Why emphasize that?" Shiomi asked. "Is it because I've obtained Divinity, or—"
"On the contrary." Taigong Wang shook his head with a gentle smile. "It is simply how it should be. As long as Lord Tenkei's choices are true to your heart, and true to those you cherish, that is enough."
"…Is that advice?" Shiomi looked slightly puzzled.
"No. Merely Lady Nüwa's expectations of you." Taigong Wang's gaze remained on the unmoving fishing line.
"…Expectations of me?"
From Lady Nüwa herself?
"Because, from the very beginning, you were a being created by Lady Nüwa, using a certain foundation, for the sake of humanity in this era." Taigong Wang spoke as though recounting an old tale. "'Tenkei' was the name Lady Nüwa chose for you after your creation. Only so that you could move about the world under a more suitable identity as a Magus did Mooncell, after calculation, assign you your current name."
"The foundation you mentioned… what exactly was it?"
"The remnant core of the Great Demon King Lucifer."
The answer fell like a thunderclap.