The entire village had gathered at the edge of the lake.
From where they stood, the water stretched endlessly, calm and wide, reflecting the sky like a mirror. Compared to it, the beastmen group looked tiny, like scattered dust at the shoreline. Even the elder beastmen had never seen so much water gathered in one place.
No one spoke.
Some stared with their mouths slightly open. Others rubbed their eyes, as if afraid the scene would disappear if they blinked. The elder leaned heavily on his stick, his breathing uneven as he took in the sight before him.
"This much water…" someone whispered.
"I can't believe it.... and it's so clean…?"
At the very front stood Maleta.
Her posture was straight, her tail still, her eyes fixed on the lake. The light reflected in her gaze, making it look almost as if her eyes were glowing. Slowly, she turned around to face the gathered beastmen.
Her voice was steady.
"Do you believe now?"
No one answered.
"If they were our enemies," she continued, her tone firm but calm.
"This lake wouldn't be filled with water."
She paused, then added quietly,
"It would have been filled with blood."
The weight of her words sank deep. Several beastmen lowered their heads. Others clenched their fists, finally understanding what had been standing beside them all along.
Far behind the crowd, Sumi and Tokarou stood together, watching everything unfold.
Sumi leaned slightly closer and spoke in a low voice.
"Darling…"
Tokarou nodded once and answered just as quietly.
"From what I've heard, the Fallen Angel was once a deity," he said.
"She was the only one who tried to protect demi humans and other races… not just humans."
Sumi listened without interrupting.
"But the other gods favored humans," Tokarou continued.
"When she went against them, they turned on her. In the end… she fell."
He paused.
"They say she was killed. The first and only god in this world to truly die. But the stories also say her children are still alive somewhere in this world."
Sumi blinked slowly.
"So… we're playing the children?"
Tokarou didn't answer.
Sumi glanced at him, then smiled faintly.
"Having skills is really useful."
Tokarou looked at her.
"Yeah," he replied. "If we want information about this world… then we'll have to play the role they believe in."
Sumi closed her eyes briefly.
"Then let's see, darling…" she said softly. "Who'll play the better god."
She opened her eyes and looked at him, a small smile resting on her lips.
Tokarou met her gaze.
"We'll see."
A low murmur spread through the air, growing slowly, like waves gathering before reaching the shore.
Tokarou and Sumi lifted their eyes.
Ahead of them, the beastmen were gathering. One by one, they stepped forward, their movements hesitant at first, then firm. The crowd thickened, forming a wide semicircle facing the lake and facing them.
Then, without any signal, knees hit the ground.
The sound was soft, but it echoed heavily.
Heads bowed. Tails lowered. Ears flattened in submission.
At the front, the elder beastman took a slow step forward. His body trembled slightly as he leaned on his stick, then, with visible effort, he lowered himself onto both knees as well. The stick fell gently beside him.
"I apologize… for my rudeness earlier," he said, his voice rough, aged, yet sincere.
"For doubting you. For speaking without understanding."
He lowered his head even further.
"If you truly created this lake…" his voice wavered.
"…Then we, the beastmen tribe, ask for your help."
A brief silence followed.
"We… we need this lake."
As those words left his mouth, memories flooded his mind.
A scorching sun overhead.
Cracked earth.
A child tugging at his clothes with weak fingers.
"Elder… elder… my throat hurts…"
Another voice, trembling.
"Is there any water left… even a little…"
A woman kneeling on the ground, holding an infant close.
"My baby… please… my baby is thirsty…"
Crying. Dry lips. Empty containers tipped upside down again and again.
The elder clenched his fists against the ground.
Behind him, many beastmen felt their chests tighten. Some bit their lips. Others squeezed their eyes shut, remembering the same scenes.
Tokarou and Sumi stood quietly before them.
They did not Speak. They did not move.
Tokarou's eyes slowly swept across the kneeling figures.
'They still don't fully believe us…' he thought.
Beside him, Sumi's lips curved into a faint smile.
'Watch me, darling…'
She stepped forward.
The moment her foot touched the ground, the dry soil darkened. Clear water seeped outward, spreading in a thin circle before soaking into the earth as if nourishing it.
Her second step followed.
Flames wrapped around her legs, not wild, not destructive. Controlled. Calm. Instead of smoke, the air burst outward in soft explosions, scattering glowing particles that drifted like sparks in the wind.
Each step she took left behind ripples of light.
The fire warmed the air. The water cooled it.
The two forces moved together, perfectly balanced.
The beastmen stared, frozen.
Some shielded their eyes from the light. Others leaned forward without realizing it, drawn in by the sight.
Maleta stood among them, her eyes wide, her breath caught in her chest. A small, uncontrollable smile formed on her lips, and warmth crept into her cheeks.
Sumi stopped a short distance ahead.
Her voice was quiet, but it reached everyone.
"If you believe in us…" she said.
The air shattered.
A sharp sonic boom tore through the space she stood in, forcing several beastmen to flinch and press their hands to the ground.
She vanished.
Wind rushed past them.
In the very next moment, she appeared far away standing calmly on the surface of the lake itself. Water rippled gently beneath her feet, steady and unmoving accepting her presence without resistance.
A collective gasp swept through the crowd.
Slowly everyone turned toward the lake.
Sumi stood there, her back to them, the endless water stretching before her. Sunlight reflected off the surface, casting shimmering light around her figure.
Then she turned her head.
Only slightly.
She looked back at them from the corner of her eyes.
Her expression was calm. Serious. Certain.
"We will make sure," she said, her voice carrying cleanly across the water.
"that everyone can share their suffering… and their happiness together."
No smile followed those words.
Only a straight voice saying those words.
The wind settled. The light faded softly.
Behind the kneeling crowd, Tokarou let out a slow breath.
'Having magic is surely useful…'