Scáthach no longer minded in the slightest that her meeting with her beloved disciple had been arranged from the very beginning.
Even if she herself had been part of the gods' design, the reality suited her perfectly. There was nothing to resent.
Taigong Wang readily agreed to pass along her thanks.
"If that's the case, then a lot of things make sense." Shiomi nudged a patch of flattened grass with the toe of his shoe, trying to set it upright again. "YHWH knew about this, but couldn't directly stop it. That's why he kept trying to make me submit… or erase me."
A new life born from the remnants of Lucifer, shaped by Nüwa's hands.
Even if Shiomi himself had never been aware, he was undeniably tied to Lucifer.
To YHWH, who had once been gravely wounded by Lucifer, that connection was nothing short of rebellion. Heresy.
Only two possible outcomes existed: submission or destruction.
"To be honest, even Lady Nüwa did not expect you to go as far as you did," Taigong Wang said, referring to the Temple of Time. "It was indeed the only way to defeat the Incineration of Humanity and halt YHWH's creation. But destroying the Ten Commandments also gave YHWH a legitimate channel to interfere in this world."
Fortunately, even after enduring the harshest divine punishment, Shiomi had not fallen. He had survived.
"Then… what exactly am I?" Shiomi asked quietly. "A reborn Lucifer? Or—"
"You are Tenkei. That much you know better than anyone." Taigong Wang shook his head. "Even if you became a god, you would not inherit any of Lucifer's records. In the end, you are merely connected to him."
"The Demon King's son?" Shiomi frowned, his expression complicated.
"That depends entirely on how you choose to see yourself." Taigong Wang looked out over the calm river. "Whether you are Lucifer's child, or a child personally created by Lady Nüwa… ah, no, that is not quite accurate—"
He suddenly turned, fixing Shiomi with a mildly troubled look.
"After all, in the end, you chose to become Tiamat's child. Even if it was only a temporary measure, meant to remind the enraged Earth Mother of her original love for humanity and return her to her slumber in the Imaginary Sea."
A bead of cold sweat slid down Shiomi's cheek. "Is Lady Nüwa… angry?"
He had no idea what the temperaments of these unseen gods might be.
Nüwa and Tiamat were both Earth Mother goddesses. A child created by Nüwa who then threw himself into Tiamat's embrace… that was not exactly ideal.
"Is she? That, I cannot say." Taigong Wang's answer was deliberately ambiguous, and more than a little teasing. "Unless Lady Nüwa herself chooses to reveal her thoughts, none of us would know."
"If we ever meet her, we'll think of an explanation then." Morgan chuckled softly and reassured Shiomi. "I have a question, Taigong Wang."
"Please."
"My husband's ascension to godhood. Was that also part of the plan?"
"Of course. Though the process itself was never entirely controllable." Taigong Wang spoke frankly. "Originally, it would have been enough for him to remain human, merely brushing against Authority. That would have sufficed to fulfill the mission. Yet Lord Tenkei used an unexpected method and gained an additional six thousand years for himself."
There was unmistakable teasing in his tone.
Morgan handled it calmly. Shiomi, on the other hand, felt a little awkward. After all, he had only just met Taigong Wang. They were not that familiar.
"So now that Lord Tenkei has truly obtained Divinity, it is something to celebrate," Taigong Wang added with a sigh. "In fact, one of the purposes of my coming here was to assist you in becoming a god."
At that point, even though it was no longer necessary, Shiomi could not help feeling embarrassed.
"That thorough, huh…"
But the feeling passed quickly.
The greater the grace one receives, the heavier the responsibility one must bear.
Before this, Shiomi had always felt a little arrogant. He had merely stumbled into godhood by chance, yet tried to shoulder everything as if it were only natural.
But now, he finally understood.
None of this had been accidental. It was the inevitable result of expectation and choice intertwining, of following his own will step by step until he arrived here.
It was destiny.
"Ah, I imagine Lord Tenkei is thinking that since all of this is 'fate,' there must be some 'correct' way you're supposed to act now. Am I right?" Taigong Wang suddenly said. "My advice is not to overthink it. You are indeed a chosen savior, entrusted with the hopes of gods across many pantheons, meant to protect the human world and human history. But that is not a reason to force yourself to bear everything at any cost."
"Eh?" Shiomi blinked, caught off guard that Taigong Wang had read him so easily.
As expected of Jiang Ziya, the man who helped establish eight hundred years of Zhou rule. His insight into people was extraordinary.
"Personal happiness and the fate of humanity don't need to be placed on opposite sides of a scale," Taigong Wang continued. "Do your utmost to protect both. That is the proper path."
"You're right, Taigong Wang. I'll remember that." Shiomi nodded in thanks.
He slowly rose from his seat. For a moment he swayed, as though slightly drunk, taking a few unsteady steps before regaining his balance. Then he walked to the riverbank and stared into the clear water.
"If there's anything you still don't understand, ask me anytime. I know quite a bit. Before coming here, not only did Lady Nüwa give her instructions, but my master, Yuanshi Tianzun, repeatedly reminded me that I must do everything I can to clear up Lord Tenkei's doubts," Taigong Wang said. "If a god begins to doubt their own existence, it can become a serious problem."
"There are plenty of things I want to ask," Shiomi replied, resting one hand on his hip. "But I need time to process what I've already learned. And we can't stay here forever. What exactly this Lostbelt region is, and what Beast is planning, are just as urgent."
"You're calmer than I expected, Lord Tenkei," Taigong Wang admitted. "To be honest, as the one delivering all this, I was worried you might be shaken and unable to fight."
"Shaken? If anything, I feel more certain now." Shiomi spread his hands, answering openly. "Having the mystery of my origin resolved, knowing I'm not water without a source or a tree without roots, that's enough for me. It's just that understanding where I come from makes the road ahead feel heavier. The responsibility's hard to ignore."
He turned back to look at Morgan and the other two before continuing.
"Besides, none of them wavered because of my origins. So how could I be the first to lose my footing?"
At that, the three of them burst into laughter almost in unison.