In essence, Lumine… and even Renjiro, did not share a close bond with Alise.
Lumine had only met her for the first time, and Renjiro merely held a preconception of her from before.
So why was Lumine so furious now?
It was simple!
Because Dionysus—the god of wine who recklessly experimented on mortal life, turning them into monsters—evoked in Renjiro (the original) a deep, instinctive disgust and aversion.
Previously, he had only known fragments of prophetic intelligence, which hadn't fully stirred this emotional reaction.
But now…
"The celestial chessboard… all beings are pieces, and even gods are not exempt."
Renjiro, who usually preferred cautious action, now wholeheartedly agreed with Lumine's proposal.
"This time… let's become a true Godslayer… no, a 'Deicide.'"
In truth, Renjiro had long nurtured a somewhat insane plan in his heart:
To seize completely everything a god possessed.
The likelihood of failure—or the plan "fizzling out"—was extremely high.
But this time, it was worth attempting.
As for the potential consequences afterward…
"If you dare commit cruelty upon others, you must be prepared to place yourself in the same position."
"If the gods of this world only ever mouth the pretty words of 'expecting heroes,' then…"
Renjiro transmitted his resolve to each of his "true companions."
"For a world that shelters such a vile god, it just so happens that it needs a 'world-ending demon lord.'"
"Would the gods have anticipated the former 'strongest' suddenly reBerlingg…? I hope… you won't disappoint me."
Thoughts aligned, Renjiro spoke again.
"Mona, focus on locating Dionysus' coordinates."
Within their mental link, Renjiro began fine-tuning the battle plan.
"Start by searching within the artificial labyrinth 'Knossos.' If we don't find him there, scan region by region. He must be within Orario."
"Understood."
The astrologer, equally brimming with anger, immediately set to work.
Suddenly…
"Traveler, this time… let me take action."
Within the mental link, Ei proposed.
Her thought waves revealed little emotion, but she seemed to sense Renjiro's anger, and felt that at least for now, she should make the plan "foolproof."
Renjiro responded:
"One crucial part of the true Deicide will indeed be yours to carry out. But the final killing strike… must be done by me personally."
=======
At a corner deep inside the artificial labyrinth, Renjiro raised both hands and lowered his gaze toward ten secret-silver rings.
Now, their once-pure black ore surfaces had begun to crack, forming golden fissures.
Renjiro could clearly sense that any secret-silver ring with golden fissures had double the mana capacity compared to before.
Through the Ten Rings of the Human King skill, the total mana reserve now could sustain a single original deity manifesting in the world for up to twenty days.
As the golden fissures expanded around each ring, like the intricate coils of a serpent biting its tail, the area of each crack continued to grow.
By Renjiro's estimation, when these fissures expanded from fine threads into full veins, the total mana stored by the Ten Rings would double again.
At present…
"The difficulty lies in where to store Dionysus' enormous divine power after successfully seizing it all…"
Renjiro had yet to devise a concrete solution.
Then…
[After finishing the 'Mortal Chessboard,' feed me the remaining godly power~]
The suggestion from Alise left Renjiro speechless.
The usually unpredictable girl continued:
[You know I've been starving! I'm in dire need of sustenance!]
[Such a cute, super-beautiful girl—aren't you going to feed me?]
[Affection points will skyrocket, UP, UP~]
Renjiro's expression remained impassive.
After a long pause…
"If you can help resolve this issue, I'd be glad."
"But after devouring that scale of 'divine power,' what benefit will you—or rather, we—gain?"
This was Renjiro's primary concern.
Even if Alise couldn't fully answer, he would proceed with the plan.
Because Dionysus must die.
No persuasion today could change that.
And if they could gain a little in the process…
[Of course, there's a benefit~]
In the mental link, Alise explained with self-satisfaction:
[If the divine power stabilizes the Teyvat bubble world, my workload decreases significantly.]
[Then… using your 'Synthesis' and 'Revelation' abilities, combined with Aether's 'Forging' and Lumine's 'Fusion,' a trinity of cooperation can—]
[…completely resurrect this beautiful girl… no, 'rebirth'~]
"Then what?"
Renjiro didn't fall for it.
Mona had yet to locate the main target, and all other enemies were assigned to appropriate forces. He had plenty of time to "chat."
After a while…
[I can make you a soul vessel (an armed puppet).]
"Hm?"
Renjiro's expression twitched.
Seeing his confusion…
[You don't know yet, do you?]
If the girl had a face, it would now bear the (ಡωಡ) expression. Luckily, she clarified.
[Your 'Primordial Human' magic can automatically preserve the souls of intelligent beings who don't want to reincarnate but trust you.]
=====
Once, when Renjiro had awakened his fourth magic, he discovered an end section that even "Falnas" could not decipher.
Now he realized…
"Where did this pure white Lion King come from?"
He muttered in disbelief.
"I didn't expect that simply reviving 'Alise' wouldn't be enough… I even have to awaken my own consciousness development ability to fully utilize this effect."
Though he complained, a calm smile appeared on his face.
Because…
Magic: Agaris Alvesynth.
Skill: Lubrude Bequia
If he recalled correctly, these were abilities once possessed by Alise Lovell.
They had already been analyzed by the Crown of Insight skill. And since Renjiro was not present at the time, he could not access the seven-meter radius of effect.
This meant…
"You trust a stranger like me so much?"
The outsider smirked slightly.
"Well then… first-time meeting with the 'commoner hero'—time for a brief nap."
"I will live up to your expectations from now on."