"Huff....."

I let out a deep breath, taking a step back from the cubical barrier that was now empty.

It had once been full of those white creatures when I started, but none of them could survive.

’At least I know what can actually kill them all.’

The idea that I didn’t have to keep worrying about the Outer Goddess’ eggs gave me a lot of relief.

’Now, all I need to do is execute my plan.’

"They are really brittle."

I turned my head towards Zenith, who grumbled in frustration.

"And why could you kill them all but I can’t kill any?"

"They are immune to mana," I replied, walking towards her. "Of course you can’t when all your attacks use mana."

Zenith folded her arms, clearly annoyed. "I am useless once again."

"Don’t say that," I replied, patting her head. "You did great in helping me."

She gave me a look but didn’t try to continue the topic.

"When is Christina gonna come back?" She asked, fixing her hair. "I haven’t seen her in a while."

"She will be back tomorrow," I replied. "I will bring her back."

Christina had been spending time with her family, and even though I didn’t want to take her time away, I still wanted her by my side.

’Now more than ever when the whole world is going through shit.’

Zenith walked over to one of the now-empty barriers and traced her fingers along its edge.

"Wouldn’t it be better if you call Iffa and decompose them?" Zenith asked, looking back at me.

I let out a sigh and pointed my hand towards it.

The barriers all vanished in the next instant.

"Iffa and the others are sleeping," I said, opening the door. "You should sleep as well."

She walked out of the basement, and I did the same.

We both reached the upper area, walking through the long corridor.

"Something on your mind?" I asked, glancing at her.

"You said they’re eggs," she said. "And if they’re eggs... then something is supposed to hatch eventually, right?"

Hmm....

"Now that you mention it," I mumbled, rubbing my chin. "That could happen."

"Wouldn’t that be a problem?" She asked softly.

And I couldn’t say anything about it.

With how things were, it would be best to eliminate the threat of the creatures as quickly as possible.

We reached our respective rooms as Zenith paused for a long second.

"I-I will see you tomorrow," she finally said, stammering.

I nodded with a smile. "Sure."

I walked inside my room and closed the door.

Taking off my shirt, I fell on my bed, groaning as I did.

I was fine physically, but mentally I was exhausted.

’....I really need rest.’

---

Half an hour after I fell on my bed, there was a soft knock on my door.

"...."

I stood up from the bed, walked towards the door, and opened it.

Nymeria stood on the other side wearing a nightgown.

She stood there quietly, both hands lightly clutching the fabric near her chest as if she wasn’t sure whether she should step forward or run away.

Her long red hair fell loosely over her shoulders, slightly messy as if she had brushed it in a hurry.

"...Did I wake you?" she asked softly.

"No," I replied, stepping aside. "I wasn’t asleep."

She hesitated for just a second before walking in. I closed the door behind her.

"..."

I only looked at her when she sat down on my bed, closed her eyes, and spread her arms.

’...Haah.’

I walked towards her, determined to get over with this.

****

[Unknown Location.]

In the heart of an island thousands of miles away from Himmel, a man sat on a throne made of gold.

The island was going through a storm, with lightning illuminating the entire place.

The man had an illusory face, as if he was made to be the perfect being in the entire world.

His purple hair flowed behind him like a river of silk, long and untouched by wind despite the storm outside.

One of his fingers tapped lightly against the arm of the throne.

At the base of the throne room, a man stood looking down at his feet.

The black-haired man confusingly put forward his left leg and then took it back.

"What are you doing, Samyaza?"

Satan asked, amused at his younger brother’s actions.

"Wondering which leg should I put first," Samyaza replied with a smile. "It wouldn’t be wise to not be on the right footing when talking to you."

Satan scoffed. "Just take the left step forward."

Samyaza put his right foot forward first and walked towards Satan.

"How have you been, my bro—."

"Cut your worthless talking," Satan cut him off. "State your purpose."

"I have several questions actually," Samyaza replied with a small smile. "Would you be kind enough to respond?"

Satan looked at his younger brother in annoyance, but he didn’t reject his proposal.

"I am feeling generous," he said, laying freely on his throne. "Ask your questions."

"What are you up to nowadays?" Samyaza asked. "I thought you were eager to kill Azrael but you haven’t done anything."

Satan tilted his head slightly, as if the question bored him more than it offended him.

"You think I have done nothing?" he asked calmly.

"By all means, enlighten me if you did."

"I have been taking over the human kingdoms," Satan replied, his voice steady. "It won’t be long before all of them will be under my control."

"For what purpose?" he asked, though his tone was still light.

Satan leaned back on his throne as if the question amused him.

"Why should I tell you, brother?" Satan asked with a slight smile. "So you can use them against me?"

"How could I ever do that?" Samyaza replied with a smile. "I could never betray you."

"Ah, betray," Satan repeated, an amused smile on his face. "I remember you used to say something like that to Azrael, didn’t you?"

Samyaza’s smile didn’t fade, but it stopped reaching his eyes.

"Why bother with old feelings?" Samyaza said, shaking his head. "What happened was out of my control."

"Making everyone hate Azrael was in your control, taking his place was in your control, killing his companion Adam was in your control."

Satan counted them on his fingers with a small smile.

"Supporting him to his face and then leaking all his plans was in your control."

"Oh, now. Don’t make me a villain, brother," Samyaza said, shaking his head in defeat.

"And don’t you know, ’fate’ is such a bitch. She told Azrael everything I did and he let it happen."

Satan stepped down from the throne slowly, each step echoing across the golden floor.

"Don’t you think Azrael was really cruel?" Satan said, his voice brimming with anger. "How could someone be so selfish as to let his best companion die along with his child?"

Samyaza didn’t answer immediately.

For the first time since entering the hall, he stopped smiling altogether.

"Of course, he was selfish," Samyaza said, smiling again. "He was the most selfish person."

"Wasn’t he!?" Satan exclaimed. "You know, that’s why I want to torture him for hundreds of thousands of years."

Satan smiled at the mere thought of doing all that to him. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"I. Want. To. See. Him. Suffer."

The storm outside roared louder, as if reacting to his mood.

Samyaza looked up slowly. "He will get all that, brother," he smiled. "Rest assured."

Satan stood in front of his brother and asked, "Anything else you want to know?"

Samyaza pointed at the sky. "The seeds of the Outer Goddess," he said. "Why are you not doing anything about it?"

As far as Samyaza knew, Satan saw Lumina as his own territory, something he inherited from the Creator God.

From his knowledge, Satan should have been furious at a being outside of his control trying to take everything.

"Oh, that thing?" Satan said, looking up at the ceiling. "Don’t worry about it."

He had a nonchalant look on his face like he didn’t care about the threat she possessed.

"She is nothing but a part of my plan," he said. "In the end, she will be my nourishment to reach a level beyond Father."

’Your pride will be the reason of your death, brother.’

Samyaza wanted to say that to his face but held back.

Instead, he just smiled. "As expected of elder brother," he said. "You have a plan for everything."

Satan watched him for a few seconds longer than necessary.

Then he smiled. "Someone is jealous."

Samyaza felt his eyelid twitch, but he controlled his expression.

"No, brother," Samyaza said. "I have nothing but goodwill for you."

Satan didn’t reply, but he didn’t believe his brother’s words either.

"Anything else?" he asked at last.

Samyaza nodded, drew in a deep breath, and asked, "You already know who Azrael’s reincarnation is, don’t you?"

The question lingered in the hall like a thin blade.

The storm outside quieted for a brief second, as if even it wanted to hear the answer.

Satan slowly walked back and sat down on his throne once again.

"Azariah Noah Aljanah," he said with a smile. "A descendant of a family you created when you came under the influence of Azrael."

Samyaza kept his posture relaxed, but his eyes sharpened. "So you do."

Satan rested his chin against his knuckles. "You think I couldn’t find him by myself?"

"So..." Samyaza looked into his eyes. "If you know, then why is he still alive?"

Satan’s smile didn’t fade as he leaned back.

"You see, I care for my brother a lot," he replied. "And when Morningstar made a request, I couldn’t deny it."

The look on Samyaza’s face finally changed; his body immediately tensed up hearing "his" name.

"And what request might that be?"

Satan smiled even more brightly. "That I would allow him to have Azrael first."

"Brother, Morningstar will kill Azrael’s reincarnation the moment he sees him."

Satan thought for a moment like he was trying to think deeply about his words.

But in the end, all he did was smile like a manic.

"So be it."

****

[Uzume Household, Akasha.]

In a room that was completely shut, and heavy with the smell of incense, a boy lay in the center with his entire body covered in bandages.

Everything below his neck was unresponsive no matter how much he tried.

The boy was none other than Zavien, who had been left to rot like this by Himmel.

And in the eyes of the young man, there was nothing but hatred for Himmel.

Every breath he took felt humiliating; he was a burden wrapped in cloth.

"Himmel..." he whispered weakly.

Memories replayed again and again in his mind.

The overwhelming pressure... The way his body had failed him.

If Himmel had killed him, it would have been simple.

But he had left him to live like this.....

"I’ll kill him...."

He said in a weak voice, like he was afraid Himmel might be around.

But as he kept staring at the ceiling, the world slowly turned blurry.

In the blurriness, Zavien saw the silhouette of a snake....

An enormous black snake that was bigger than the sun itself.

An ancient elderly voice echoed in his mind like a ringing bell.

"You need strength, boy?"

Zavien’s eyes fluttered as a tear trickled down his eye.

He smiled, staring at the black snake like he had found his lifeline.

****

[P.S:- Read Author’s thoughts.]