"Cruciform Siege Cannon." Tachibana Ginchiyo's cold eyes fixed on Toori Aoi. Behind her, a floating, high-tech cannon materialized, its muzzle glowing as energy gathered within.
"Thousand Rose Cross." A calm, detached voice echoed. A cross-shaped blade flew forth, striking the cannon's barrel—and it fell silent. The attack failed. Tachibana turned her gaze toward the one who had intervened: a purple-haired woman with no expression on her face. "Shield of the Queen," she said flatly. "Why do you hinder me?"
The Shield of the Queen—the personal guard of Queen Elizabeth of England. The woman before her was named Walsingham, and in truth, she was an automaton.
"In the divine sanctuary, life and death fall under the sole authority of the Goddess of Time. We have no right to pass judgment," Walsingham said evenly.
"Oho! Then let's catch him and bring him to the Goddess! I do so love a good game of tag," came a gleeful voice. From above descended a skeleton in a black cloak—Christopher Hatton, another of the Queen's Shield, a lich and grand judge of the undead.
"One, two, three, four... soldiers, come join the game!" Hatton crooked a bony finger, and skeletal warriors clawed their way out from the ground, laughing eerily as they rushed the terrified Toori.
"Forgive me, but we of Musashi need no help from England to capture one of our own." A silver-haired woman leapt to stand before Toori. Her curled hair shimmered like steel under the light, and her modest figure was unmistakable—Nate Mitotsudaira, knight of the werewolf clan.
"Silver Lock—release one seal!" Nate's attire flared with radiance as a silver chain burst forth, binding all the skeletal soldiers in an instant. The Silver Chains were her weapon, sealed within her clothing until summoned.
"Everyone, please remain calm." From above descended a golden-haired woman with three pairs of black wings. With a graceful motion, black magic surged from her fingertips, freezing Toori in place. She was Margot Knight, one of the twin leaders of the witch clan.
"We shall personally escort Toori Aoi before the Goddess of Time for judgment," said another woman as she landed behind him—black-haired, with the same six wings. White magic swirled, sealing Toori's voice. This was Marga Naruse, the other leader of the witch clan.
The two witches were lovers—a sight Kurumi adored. Double harvest? Double harvest? Or... double harvest? she mused with a sly grin.
"The Divine One commands: bring the noisy one before the throne." At the entrance to the grand hall appeared a woman with heterochromatic eyes—Tomo Asama, the shrine maiden chosen by the Goddess herself. She sighed, giving Toori a weary glare before lifting him effortlessly with telekinesis and floating him into the temple.
"Divine One! My foolish brother meant no disrespect. I beg your forgiveness," Kimi Aoi said earnestly. Her tone was measured—humble enough to appease Kurumi, yet confident enough not to displease.
"His punishment shall be decided later. First, speak your wish. Do not spoil my divine mood," Kurumi's voice rang out coolly, her divine authority weighing heavy over the chamber. None dared to utter a word.
"I beseech the Goddess—please resurrect Horizon." Kimi stepped aside, revealing the silver-haired automaton before Kurumi's gaze. Horizon's blank expression remained unchanged—just as it had been when she'd called Toori a pervert.
"Wait, Divine One!" Pope Innocent suddenly fell to his knees. "Horizon's soul was forged into one of the Logismoi Óplo (Mortal Sin Armaments) and entrusted to the Eight Great Dragon Kings. If she is revived, those weapons will vanish—and the Dragon Kings will suffer immense loss. I humbly beg the Divine One to allow Kimi to choose another wish."
"You dare speak out of turn?" Kurumi's voice grew sharp. "My blessings are absolute. You have offended me. Your punishment shall come later." A single glance from her crimson eyes sent cold sweat running down the pope's back. Realizing his folly, he cursed his own impulsiveness—while the other Dragon Kings wisely remained silent.
"Kimi Aoi," Kurumi said from her throne, "I offer you two choices. First: I can restore Horizon as she was before her death—little Horizon, to live again and experience a childhood anew."
"Second: I can return Horizon to her current form, with the ten years she spent as an automaton remaining part of her growth. Speak your choice. Will you have the young Horizon, or the grown Horizon?"
High upon her divine seat, the Goddess's decree silenced the hall. None dared to interject. The pope's reckless outburst had already proven—none could defy the will of the Goddess of Time.
"Divine One, please resurrect the young Horizon," Kimi Aoi said, bowing deeply.
"Temporal Divergence." Kurumi snapped her fingers, and the power of time surged through Horizon's body. In an instant, two Horizons appeared before everyone's eyes. Kurumi had drawn forth two versions of Horizon from different points in time. "Ordinarily, two identical beings cannot exist in the same timeline. But I am the Goddess of Time. Under my divine protection, both may coexist."
Kurumi clenched her fist, and shadows formed from temporal energy enveloped one of the Horizon. "The automaton Horizon shall remain under my divine protection for eternity," she declared, "to ensure that the Logismoi Óplo never vanish."
As her words echoed through the temple, several attendees stole sidelong glances at Pope Innocent, their eyes gleaming with schadenfreude. Their expressions all seemed to say, That's what you get for overthinking! The Goddess had already prepared for everything.
Inside, Kurumi was delighted. Jackpot! Another emotionless, adorable girl just like Inori!
"Time Reversal." Her cold voice resonated, and before everyone's eyes, Horizon's body rapidly grew smaller—until she had transformed into a tiny, doll-like child.
The little Horizon blinked in confusion, fear dawning in her eyes. This place was strange; everyone here was a stranger. She was terrified.
"Toori, where are you? Save me, Toori!" The small girl stumbled backward in panic, colliding with something soft and warm. She turned and found herself looking up at a beautiful woman with a gentle smile—sweet and comforting. Horizon instantly felt at ease; this big sister seemed so familiar, so kind.
"Horizon, welcome back." Kimi knelt and stroked the little girl's head tenderly. Taking Horizon's small hand in hers, she led her to Toori. Kimi then placed the child's hand in her brother's and, holding his immobilized arm, forced him to grasp it tightly.
"Foolish brother," she said with a serene smile, "your big sister entrusts Horizon to you."
Then, still smiling in contentment, Kimi sank to her knees before Kurumi, bowing with the ritual grace of a shrine dancer. "Divine One, I have no regrets. I dedicate this life entirely to your service."
Unable to move or speak, Toori's tears streamed down his face. His body was bound by black and white magic cast by Margot Knight and Marga Naruse—precautions born of foresight. They knew that if Toori had been able to shout or struggle, an angered Kurumi would have shown him the true terror of divine wrath.
"Kimi Aoi," Kurumi said, "in time, you will understand—becoming my vessel is a divine blessing beyond measure."
Temporal energy swirled around her, enveloping Kimi completely. Her body dissolved into light as her time and soul were absorbed into Kurumi's being. As the aggregate of countless human consciousnesses, Kurumi could now transform into Kimi's form at will.
As the Goddess, she could also separate Kimi's timeline whenever she desired. In other words, this so-called 'devouring' was reversible. Toori's despair over losing his sister was, in truth, unnecessary.
"Pope Innocent," Kurumi's gaze turned upon him, her tone as cold as fate itself. "Now, I shall punish you for your insolence toward me. You may speak if you have any final words."
"I have none, Divine One," he replied obediently, bowing low. He was utterly subdued. As expected, the Goddess's wisdom was as vast as the sea—her judgment flawless.
"Pope Innocent," Kurumi continued, "your Logismoi Óplo—Stithos Porneia—shall be held by the Temple of Time for one year." She pointed, and a beam of shadowlight shot from her hand. The armament left Innocent's body and floated into Tomo Asama's grasp.
The pope's expression crumpled. A year later would mark the selection of new temple knights. But with his armament confiscated for ten days beyond that, he risked being disqualified. The thought of losing such prestige pained him deeply.
"Toori Aoi," Kurumi said, her voice echoing through the hall. "Since my vessel has entrusted Horizon to you, your punishment shall be this—you will raise her alone. No one may offer you aid or relief. Your survival or ruin shall depend solely on your own choices."
"The Divine One is merciful!" cried Matsudaira Motonobu, lord of the Far East, bowing low in gratitude. Horizon was, after all, his own daughter—the cherished little princess of the East. His joy was genuine.
Kurumi rose gracefully from her throne, her expression serene. As she descended the steps, her Divine Aura surged forth, pressing upon all who stood nearby. The assembly instinctively stepped aside, clearing a grand path for the Goddess of Time.
Stepping out of the grand hall, Kurumi stood at the temple gates. Raising her hand, she summoned the Book of the World. Her finger touched the sacred tome, and a blinding white light flared. The pages of the book opened, releasing a radiance that enveloped the entire world. Once more, the Goddess of Time decreed her divine revelation.
"On the tenth day of the first month of the first divine era, I, Kurumi Tokisaki, Goddess of Time, bestow a miracle upon the Far East from the Temple of Time. A great clock shall appear in the sky."
As the divine words fell, the blue sky split open, and a colossal clock manifested above the world. The hour, minute, and second hands all pointed to twelve.
Kurumi's divine decree continued: "When the clock begins to move, the Harmonic Divine States shall converge upon the Far East as their center. When the hour hand completes one full rotation, all artificial continents shall unite as one. The overlapping spaces shall become a single realm. The Sky Era shall enter an age of rapid advancement. I name this miracle the First Clock Transformation. Thus ends my decree."
Tick... tock... The massive second hand in the sky began to move. At the same moment, all across the world, the floating artificial lands started to shift, soaring through the skies at tremendous speed toward the Far East. Within a single day, every continent of the world would merge into one.
"Glory to the Goddess!" From every corner of the world, people fell to their knees, offering their utmost reverence and devotion to Kurumi.
This world, in truth, was one long destroyed. The continents of the Earth had long since sunk beneath the seas. To survive, humanity had taken to the skies, creating vast floating continents through artifice—lands they called the Harmonic Divine States. The era they lived in was known as the Sky Era, and the inhabited skylands together were known as the Harmonic Divine Realm. The human domain was called the Resonance Space.
When the endless cycles of history completed one full revolution, the Earth's continents would rise once more from the ocean depths. Those living in the skies would return to the surface, heralding a new Land Era.
Such was the nature of this world—ruined and broken, bound eternally to an endless cycle. Time and history repeated themselves without end.
No matter how far civilization advanced, it would always regress, returning to its primitive beginnings. Even if humanity did nothing—merely idled away existence—the world itself would rewind from its primal age back to an age of science, and then fall again.
Thus, every being of this world lived in sorrow, for evolution had long been sealed. History was a ring; time was a ring. The world was shackled by its endless recurrence. No one could see the faintest glimmer of hope.
But then—the Goddess of Time was born. The circular flow of time was severed. Time began to move forward again. The ring of history was broken, and at last, the world could progress.
The dead world had been revived by the Goddess of Time. And thus, Kurumi Tokisaki, the Goddess of Time, became the Supreme Mother Goddess in the hearts of all—the highest, most revered divinity of their faith.