Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
At Oceanus, the wall of light where sea and sky crossed rippled with dangerous waves, as if it were being struck by meteorites.
With Quetzalcoatl, Jaguar Warrior, Ishtar, Ere, Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the others gone, Thermopylae's defenses had weakened considerably. Fortunately, with the support of the three great pantheons of Rome, Scandinavia, and Greece, the two sides once again fell into a stalemate. Across the sea, the battle went back and forth without either side gaining ground.
Scarlet Star Eyes! Azure Star Eyes! Dark Star Eyes!
Tiamat, the Goddess of Beginning, rose from the sea. Her elegant emerald dragon body lifted its head toward the sky, her Cross Star Eyes opening and closing with a deep glow. Interwoven streams of Ether light unleashed a dense bombardment across the surrounding airspace.
Wherever they passed, the phantoms of Heaven shattered, and countless angels, like moths rushing into fire, were ignited and wiped away by the bands of light.
Seeing the sea cleared and the defensive line successfully held, Samael let out a relieved breath, then spoke solemnly.
"Mother Goddess, I'll leave this place to you. There's something more important I have to handle personally."
"Aaaa~~"
A high, resonant hymn trembled from the dragon beast's chest. It was both a horn of attack and a firm response.
After a brief reunion came another parting. But to protect peaceful days, someone had to carry the burden first and keep moving forward.
Still, before leaving, he had to deal with that troublemaker.
Samael gathered his scattered thoughts, transformed into a stream of Ether light, and descended on beating wings into the Great Temple of Thermopylae.
Yet the vast hall was silent, so silent it felt dead. In the dim corners, there was nothing at all.
She actually got away?
The Ancient Serpent casually pulled out the lone cross spear stuck in a crack in the stone and spread his divine sense. After confirming that he could no longer catch Pandora's presence, he slowly opened his eyes and shook his head helplessly.
Who knew what kind of mess letting that disaster loose would cause in the future?
Forget it. No matter how much Pandora stirred things up, she would not go so far as to blow up the whole planet. The urgent priority was stopping Velber's awakening.
However, just as the Ancient Serpent lowered his head to consider his next move, he caught sight of a line of words carved into the stone slab beneath the spear tip.
"Thank you for your teachings, Father. I will remember them well. The mystery of the soul and the gate to The Root have already opened before me, so please stay alive. We will meet again. When I come to your side, I will properly fulfill my filial duty..."
The first part was nothing more than threats and intimidation wrapped in a father's sternness and a daughter's smile. The Ancient Serpent could easily imagine how the Daughter of Calamity must have looked while writing it, smiling sweetly on the surface while grinding her teeth in rage inside.
The Ancient Serpent curled his lip, unimpressed.
When debts piled up high enough, one stopped worrying. When lice became too many, one stopped itching.
He already had more than enough trouble and did not care if Pandora came looking for misfortune with him later.
After all, even if Pandora could not stand him now, she could not kill him. That was the most satisfying part.
At that thought, the corner of Samael's mouth lifted unconsciously.
But when the Ancient Serpent's eyes drifted to the signature at the end, his expression instantly froze.
"...Your beloved daughter, Justeaze von Einzbern..."
...
At the same time, a thousand miles away.
Among the fleeing crowd, a silver-haired, red-eyed girl stopped in her tracks and turned as if sensing something, looking toward that battlefield where Heaven and Hell overlapped.
Above the chaotic sea, the blazing white band of light that pierced heaven and earth was like a magnificent crown, beautiful and dazzling.
Be filled, be filled, be filled, be filled, be filled.
The cycle repeats, and five comes next.
The silver-haired beauty picked up a crystal shard like gold and jade, reflecting the river of stars. As she murmured silently, a delighted curve rose at her lips.
Gather spirit particles and fill the contents of the cup. Use that as a wedge spear to pierce a hole through the world and knock open the gate to The Root...
And the highest-quality spirit particles were, without question, the souls of heroes and gods.
I see, I see.
What an interesting demonstration...
It seemed she would not be bored for a long time to come.
The silver-haired beauty, whose charm shifted like an infant, a maiden, and a noble lady all at once, tapped her pale fingertip against her cherry-colored lips. A breathtaking smile bloomed with pleasure.
Boom!
Just as the silver-haired beauty was lost in thought, a string of muffled thunder exploded in the sky, tearing open a long, narrow fissure. The phantom of a small-scale Gate of Heaven slowly emerged.
"Holy! Holy!"
Several Force Angels and Archangels, having folded through the spatial rift to this place, sang words of praise while brandishing flaming great axes and greatswords, diving down toward the evacuating crowd.
"Spear, Runes, grant me strength!"
Fortunately, dozens of Valkyries escorting the refugees charged up to meet them, ensuring that the panicked ordinary people could flee safely.
Awoken by the chaos of the crowd, the silver-haired beauty frowned in displeasure.
Tch, what a nuisance. It seemed she would have to move farther away.
Then the silver-haired beauty turned and gazed faintly behind her. A silent spiritual voice flowed softly from between her lips, and her teasing smile carried a deep, unreadable meaning.
I'm truly looking forward to our next meeting. Once I grasp the mysteries of The Root, I will be sure to "love" you properly, Father.
"Achoo!"
On the walls of the ruined Persian capital, a certain veteran workhorse who had been urgently transferred there from Thermopylae through the Rainbow Bridge suddenly felt a chill and sneezed hard.
Which damned bastard is talking about me behind my back now? It can't just be me being too sensitive, right?
"Are you all right, Samael? Need to rest for a bit?"
The Celtic Queen, smelling of blood and fire, tossed him a wine flask, gesturing for her old friend to take a breather while kindly checking on him.
"Don't worry, it's nothing. Business comes first!"
Samael rubbed his itchy nose, immediately collected himself, and spoke gravely to Boudica.
"The gods of Persia and the Roman Pantheon have already descended, and Ares will arrive shortly. Leave this place for them to handle. Take those fairies with you right away and come with me to Avalon! I'll explain the details on the way!"
"Good!"
Although the Celtic Queen did not fully understand, she nodded solemnly out of trust and rose to gather the fairies of the six great clans, assembling them before the city gate. They began preparing to build a great altar and shift through the Rainbow Bridge.
"Right, and make sure not a single one is missing!"
After thinking it over, Samael did not forget to add one more reminder.
For these lawless fun-seeking fairies, ordinary morality and law were completely useless restraints.
Many of their actions were not for profit at all, but simply for amusement and interest.
Because of that, these little things were the hardest variables to control. Even Samael could not predict their logic, much less guarantee that they would obey.
On top of that, in one divergent history from his memory, it had been the six great fairy clans slacking off that led to the white colossus destroying every civilization belt on the surface.
As a result, Samael could not help being a little oversensitive when it came to the six great fairy clans.
"Jigu, jigu, jijigu..."
Just as the Ancient Serpent was feeling troubled, a shadow fell from above, and a simple, adorable voice reached his ears.
"Right, you too, Cernunnos. You're coming with us."
Samael turned calmly and greeted the fluffy creature standing behind the city wall with a smile. The gloom on his face was swept away by that gentle, peaceful aura.
Forget it. One step at a time.
While the Ancient Serpent was distracted, three emerald pillars of light rose into the sky one after another, merging into a colossal tree born from the abyss and grown among the stars.
In an instant, the earth shook, the tectonic plates shifted, and the haze over the chaotic sea thinned. Drawn by the bands of light, the scattered worlds gradually fused into one.
Maya, Rome, Greece!
Three places had already completed the construction of their great altars and the integration of their civilization belts into the World Tree so quickly?
Much of the frustration in Samael's chest faded. While relieved, he could not help feeling somewhat uneasy about how the other Ages of Gods would respond.
...
At the same time, within the Great Qin Palace.
A handsome middle-aged man sat before a desk, dressed in a black, cloud-patterned robe with wide sleeves and wearing a Heaven-reaching Crown. He had a sharp-featured face, long eyes, the chest of a bird of prey, and a jackal-like voice. Without even showing anger, he carried authority. His overwhelming pressure and deep, mountain-still bearing made others instinctively feel the urge to bow in reverence.
Then the man lowered his crimson eyes and looked faintly at the fluorite in the box. As time passed second by second, his brow furrowed more deeply. Standing below the court, Tamamo-no-Mae kept her smile in place, but felt the muscles in her face slowly stiffening.
"Interesting. You brought this thing, woman?"
Unexpectedly, His Majesty the Emperor of Great Qin, seated behind the desk, suddenly lifted his thin lips into a meaningful smile and toyed with the fluorite in his hand with great interest.
Carved upon it in small seal script was a single line.
"When the First Emperor dies, the land shall divide. The one who brings down Qin shall be Hu!"