Hum! Hum! Hum! Hum!
Amid that strange, rhythmic vibration, towering pillars of light shot into the sky from the nine great altars in the Americas, Greece, Rome, Egypt, Huaxia, Mesopotamia, and elsewhere. They formed branching patterns of radiance that spread in every direction, covering the entire void of each Age of Gods in the blink of an eye.
As those branches stretched out through the Ages of Gods and traced their way back to their source, a colossal tree connecting heaven and earth suddenly took form. Light streamed along its trunk, while galaxies blazed among its branches and leaves, as though it reflected the primordial universe itself.
Then the giant tree linking heaven and earth began to grow at a visible speed, tearing through the Sea of Chaos and unfurling outward in all directions.
Its spreading branches carried a lush green vitality. At the same time, the spatial rifts torn open across the various realms gradually closed, and the Gates of Heaven standing throughout them were sealed one after another.
Drawn by the World Tree, the Nine Ages of Gods once again became World Bubbles. Each was wrapped in its own membrane and separated from the Sea of Chaos. Like fruit hidden beneath the leaves, they withdrew close to the World Tree's trunk, protected by layer upon layer of branches and the surging waves of chaos.
The Gates of Heaven had actually lost their lock on the nations of the earth!
Above the vast tide of nothingness, Michael gazed across the boundless Sea of Chaos, his expression cold and his brow tightly furrowed.
These rats dared not face the might of the Holy Light, so they chose to flee.
But this childish game of hide-and-seek can only preserve you ants for a little while. Once our Lord descends, the world will surely be remade.
Still, gathering and concentrating the Ages of Gods meant handing over vast stretches of the Sea of Chaos, the cradle of primordial life.
If you run, then we will conquer.
The Child of Light raised the flaming sword high and brought it down with icy resolve.
"Lay the foundation for the Lord's descent!"
"Holy! Holy! Holy!"
The angels gathered above the sea, singing hymns of praise.
The Great Hollow that had begun in Egypt was torn open further and expanded.
Under the rhythm of divine might, the pale tide of nothingness surged forward, gradually eroding the Sea of Chaos. All life passed through the same stages: mutation, frenzy, slaughter, extinction, collapse, and finally dissolution into spirit particles gathered by the Gates of Heaven.
After the raging tide swept through, the world was left pale and deathly silent. The native islands and plates that had not been gathered by the World Tree also broke apart and sank one after another beneath the onslaught of the mutated beings.
...
At the same time, on a certain lake island in Britannia.
Samael held a miniature model of Earth made of light. He looked at the nine World Bubbles now fully assembled, each reflecting a miniature of one of the great Ages of Gods and hanging from the tips of the World Tree's nine branches, and finally let out a long breath.
The civilizational belts that formed the foundation of the world had not been severed.
Several thousand meters beneath this place, directly connected to the Inner Sea of the Planet, the Spirit of the Planet slept sweetly like a fetus, wrapped in layer upon layer of World Tree roots.
Yet the etheric reactions inside her body were constantly rising as the world synchronized and the civilizational belts converged.
As far as he knew, the passage in Oceanus leading directly to the Inner Sea of the Planet was theoretically a product of the War of the Titans, not a natural formation.
And the region on the surface closest to the planet's Greater Source was Avalon Island beneath his feet.
That was why Samael had placed Gaia here. With the power of the World Tree and the will driven by Gaia's instincts, he would complete the unification of the nine great civilizational belts, using the will to survive and the intelligence of all things in the world to nourish this Spirit of the Planet and hasten her awakening.
At last, everything had unfolded as the prophecy said. The Divine Spirits had become extensions of Gaia's will upon the surface, synchronizing with the Star Spirit and coexisting with the planet.
Struck by an inexplicable sense of absurdity, Samael looked at the Book of Destiny in his hands and could not help shaking his head.
Everything seemed accidental. Everything was inevitable.
Still, at least they had won three days of breathing room for this remnant world.
At that moment, the violet-haired female warrior dwelling in the shadows spun her barbed magic spear and stepped out of the darkness.
"You're here, Master."
"Master? I don't remember gaining a title like that."
Scáthach froze for a moment and looked at Samael in surprise.
"I heard from the fox that it's a Japanese term of affection for a teacher."
Samael blinked, casually shifting the blame onto the runaway Tamamo-no-Mae, while a faintly teasing smile appeared on his face.
"Teacher? Strictly speaking, when it comes to Runes, aren't you supposed to be my teacher? And aren't you older than me?"
Scáthach thought for a moment, then stated the facts plainly.
"Uh, don't worry about the details. You're still my spear-fighting teacher. I like calling you that. Is that all right?"
The Ancient Serpent coughed awkwardly, then looked at Scáthach with an indescribable hint of expectation.
"Do... do as you like. As long as you're happy."
The Queen of the Land of Shadows felt something stir in her at this sudden whim of her old friend's. She stood dazed for a long while before finally nodding slowly under his burning gaze.
"Master!"
With that call, a smile spread across the man's face. There was not the slightest trace of frivolity in it, only a sincerity so earnest it was almost surprising.
Scáthach watched as Samael opened his arms, wrapped them around her waist, and buried his head against her chest. She could not help shaking her head with a soft laugh.
"You really are acting like a child all of a sudden."
Even so, the Queen of the Land of Shadows instinctively raised her hand and, with practiced ease, gently stroked the back of her old friend's head, granting him endless tolerance and indulgence for this closeness.
She did not understand much about love, but if a man was willing to show you his vulnerable side, then there was no doubt that his trust and reliance on you had already gone far beyond the ordinary.
Just like comrades standing back-to-back at the edge of life and death, each serving as the other's support.
"Master, I'll leave this place to you. If those little ones don't work properly, don't hold back. Beat them half to death!"
After that brief moment of warmth, the Ancient Serpent rose from that soft, generous embrace and gave her a solemn instruction, adding a sly remark along the way.
"Just treat them as your own lazy apprentices. You know what I mean, right?"
Lazy apprentices?
Scáthach raised her dark brows, and a very convincing trace of killing intent appeared on her face.
"Oh, and if Gaia shows any movement, remember to tell me."
With that, Samael dropped a chess piece before the sand table, clapped his hands, and turned toward the door.
"Where are you going?"
Scáthach felt an inexplicable sense of loss and asked before she could stop herself.
"Time is short. I'm going to finish what needs to be done."
The Ancient Serpent waved behind him, and his figure gradually vanished into the pillar of light from the Rainbow Bridge teleportation array.
After a brief flicker, the light faded, and what appeared before Samael's eyes was a vibrant wilderness. Looking out, both sides of the road were covered in lush flowers and grass.
A breeze swept over the neatly divided fields, raising waves through the golden wheat. The sweet scent of ripened grain drifted through the air.
At the end of the road stood an old man in a black hooded cloak. His face was ancient and weathered, and he leaned on a staff as if he had been waiting there.
Behind him rose a majestic city of gold and blue. Residents passed in and out, satisfied smiles on their faces.
Nearby, several Babylonian dragons quietly poked their heads out of the wetlands. In the forest, Ugallu chased their prey. Above the sky, three-headed Lion-Dragons and Wyverns circled and swept past.
Everything was as vivid as it had been in his memories. Everything felt as real as yesterday.
Long time no see, Uruk...
A faint glimmer of nostalgia appeared in Samael's eyes as he walked toward the old man waiting by the roadside.
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