There are forces at work in every world, in every system, in every verse. The deities are the conscious power. Sentient. Living. They move according to their own wills. The will of the world is the subconscious. Reactive. They act like a body’s immune system. “You want to trick the will of the world?” It was a ridiculous notion. Unlike the goddesses, the will of the world moves immediately to remove threats. It can be as simple as an unfortunate disaster. If Kiryuu were to be noticed in his full power, the will of the world would most likely defend itself. It would bypass all attempts of killing him with forces of nature. I would go straight to erasing him out of existence. “Of course. Getting erased is a pain to deal with,” he knew because he has experienced it before. He was already able to sneak in. Because of the automated nature of the will of the world, he was not deemed a threat. That was the advantage of the goddesses. They have the freedom to act. It was because of that freedom that he was noticed. Ah well, no plan is perfect. “Couldn’t you do that on your own?” “There are grave repercussions if I were to do that on my own. I’m off duty after all.” If he were ‘working’ then he would have access to the necessary tools and abilities to do so. In exchange, he would have restrictions on how he can act. Right now, if he were to return, he would definitely catch the attention of the will of the world. He needed to make it think he was not an enemy but an ally. He had to appear as if his presence was intended. “You need me for it,” Maia figured out why he kept baiting her. She was his contingency plan. It didn't even need to be her specifically. It could be anyone of her sisters as well. He was prepared in case someone like her would take action with his presence. Still, she felt uncomfortable with this man in front of her. “If I may be permitted to speak,” Myrina raised her hand a bit. Right now, Alexios and Myrina were sat down on each side of the throne. Maia ordered them to stand by. Given what happened, it wasn’t as if they had a chance anyway. They can understand that much. “Sure. What is it?” Kiryuu responded. Even Maia waited for him to reply. It was clear who held the seat of power. It was the person in front of the goddess, hovering in the air in a sitting position. “May I humbly request for you to put some clothes on?” Myrina stated. There was a short awkward pause. “I guess so,” he shrugged his shoulders and turned to Maia. “I thought you were enjoying the view so I ignored it.” “I am more terrified of you than I am aroused, you lewd man!” She knew the kind of person he was. She recalled the majority of the memories she scryed through. It caused her cheeks to redden. “So you were at the least bit aroused, huh?” He teased and lazily waved his hand. Threads appeared out of thin air and wrapped around his body. They formed into regal set of clothes trimmed with fur. There were parts of it padded with leather. It gave him a bit that adventurer look. “It’s not like I plan to do anything. Vena would kill me,” he got onto his feet and showcased the back and the sides of it. “Those women,” Maia spoke up. She saw how his paths crossed with several significant personalities. That was quite normal for an otherworlder, more so a hero candidate. Still, she was concerned. “What are they to you?” She cared for their world. She cared for her sisters. She also cared for the inhabitants of the world. She worried for those that he had interacted with. “I’ve gotten my memories back. That doesn’t mean that what I felt for them wasn’t real,” his memories during that time remained with him. What he felt for them was genuine. Although, thinking about Vena’s eyes, he was a bit worried. “I see,” she found it cruel to consider those women as some sort of trophy to own. She found some semblance of assurance in his words. Still, she noticed it. “You seem bothered.” “I’m getting rusty if you were able to tell.” “It’s about the elf, isn’t it?” “Yeah…” “Are you worried?” “Of course,” he sighed. “It can’t be helped if things go awry. She has those lovely eyes, after all.” “If you ever end up heartbroken,” Maia bowed her head. "Please don’t destroy anything." “I-I don’t go that far!” He averted his gaze as he denied such claims. She looked at him with a bit of confusion. Did he forget she saw through his memories? She raised an eyebrow at him. “Fine, I’ll try not to do anything of the sort.” “Please.” She was relieved, for now. “I told you. I’m on vacation,” he extended a hand out towards her. Back to the business of tricking the will of the world. Also, he can’t enjoy an ‘otherworld story’ if there is no world to begin with. “So do we have a deal?” “Do I have a choice?” “Yeah, you can try and stop me if you want.” She sighed and hung her head. There was no way she could do that. “Fine. You win,” she resigned and took his hand. “Lovely,” he bowed and kissed the back of her hand. She froze for a few seconds before she withdrew her hand. He chuckled as he straightened up and winked at her. “Feel free to call me anytime. Just let me know ahead of time, alright?” “Hmp,” she tried to ignore the implications and closed her eyes. A magic circle glowed from under him. “What name should I call you?” “Kiryuu is fine. I like how my name ended up like that in this world anyway,” he said with a shrug. “Very well. By my power, I, the Goddess Maia, declare you, Kiryuu, as my chosen hero,” she muttered with her eyes closed. Her voice had a grand air as she spoke. An insignia resembling a moon burned onto the back of his right hand. After she was done, she turned to him. “How many hours do you wish to pass?” “Hm, give Rionna a couple more hours to rest up.” “You still address her as—?” “For now. I still need to play my part.” “I understand. A few hours shall pass.” Time flows differently in that realm. Both Maia and Kiryuu were well aware of that. A few hours in that realm can be a few minutes or a few days in the world depending on how they wished it to be. However, it could only flow foward. Maia asked as a way of showing her willingness to cooperate. This was all for the sake of her beloved world. She doesn’t have a choice but to go along with his whims. “Don’t be too lonely without me now,” Kiryuu winked at her. He was once more enveloped with a blinding light and disappeared. Vena calmed down soon enough. Kiryuu’s sudden disappearance surprised her but it wasn’t an unknown factor. Rionna knew that it was done by the goddess. This is the first time she ever saw someone summoned by the goddesses. She rolled around in the bed, clutching the pillow that still had his scent on it. There was nothing she could do but wait. Outside, Raful was standing guard. Slowly, the door to Hilde and Rionna’s room opened. Rionna’s face peeked out, “Go rest, Rionna,” Raful called her out. He was on guard for this specific reason. Rionna had been wanting to go to the church ever since the incident. He knew about it so he wanted to make sure she won’t sneak out. “Hmp,” she pouted and closed the door. Since she can’t go out the door, she decided to go out the window instead. ‘Rest.’ A soft voice whispered in her ear as she was about to open the windows. Rionna sighed. She found it ironic that she convinced Vena that everything was alright. Yet, she herself was worried. “Fine, I get it,” she muttered and resigned herself to getting some rest. She sighed and dragged herself to bed. She fell asleep the moment she laid down on the bed. After all, she already pushed herself to join in on the celebration. She was already at her limit. She woke up at around lunch time. She slept well. She can easily recover her physical exhaustion with healing spells. But those can’t relieve her mentally. That sleep was well deserved and refreshed her even for a little bit. Shino and Dessa were caught up to speed. The two were out cold when the transfer occurred. The two of them, plus Hilde, were given some hangover treatment by Rionna. That woman is adept in treating alcohol related statuses. Shino had a look of awe on her face. She looked back at the time where she thought him weak and powerless. It was after that time that she stopped relying solely on her eyes. She knew that her decision to follow him had not been wrong. Dessa seemed pale. The goddesses and the demon lords were natural enemies. One can assume that she worried for her master because his soul was linked to hers. In reality, she was worried but for the wrong person. ‘Whichever goddess you are, please don’t do anything stupid,’ she thought. Like Vena, she was more worried about what he would do. She peered inside his head enough to feel that way. Hilde was frustrated with herself for being unable to do anything. Given her state, it was understandable. She worried for his well-being. She felt like she still owed him for all that she has done. After they settled down, they decided to have lunch first before they go their separate ways. There was nothing they could do at this moment anyway. Raful and Hilde needed to go back to the guild. The other four planned to go to the church so that Rionna can commune with the goddess. The sudden oracle seemed to be an isolated incident. As their party left the tavern, they were greeted with many onlookers. Some people were gathered around the tavern, waiting for something. It was highly likely that there were witnesses to the ascending light a while ago. They were curious, as they associated that kind of light with heroes and the goddesses. There was a huge crowd that gathered but it dispersed after a few hours of nothing else happening. Some stuck around and just loitered in the meantime. Eyes turned to the significance of the group that just exited the tavern. People started to get a bit more lively. “Priestess,” someone called out to Rionna. It was Lysis. Her team had come to the scene to investigate that light as well. She also had a feeling that it involved them somehow. “Nothing to worry about. All is well,” Rionna spoke loudly for everyone to hear. She also addressed the other people that came out of curiosity. Dessa suddenly looked up as she sensed something in the air. A loud rumbling from above was heard. The clouds parted. A ray of light shone down from above. A couple of meters from Rionna, a magic circle started to form. People stepped back and away from it. It was only around two meters in diameter but people got as far away as possible just to be safe. Lysis and her team instinctively prepared for combat. A sound of low fanfare could be heard, gradually picking up and rising in tone. A stream of light, like the one saw before descended onto the magic circle. The ground shook. A figure could be seen within the stream. The fanfare got louder as the notes hit their peak. It caused the crowd to cheer. A feeling of elation washed over them. They bore witness to it. The arrival of a hero. A gust of wind blew away the magic circle and the stream of light. Kiryuu turned his head towards the tavern’s entrance. His eyes locked with Vena’s. He took a step forward. Vena took a step back. Her eyes didn’t activate on their own when he descended. She did it on her own because of her curiosity. She was struck with awe. Normally, a person’s aura would simply wrap around their body. The various colors of his aura behaved differently. It coated him in some form of translucent armor. Several wings protruded from his back and extended out to the sky, almost infinitely. As the stream of light disappeared, his aura started to transform. It became the normal looking one that wrapped around his body. Her shock made her take a step back when he approached. “Ah…” Kiryuu noticed and stopped. He scratched the back of his head and averted his gaze. He was right to worry. He didn’t know what she saw with her eyes but she was certain she caught a glimpse of who he was. “It can’t be helped I guess.” He smiled weakly. When Vena saw that expression, she felt her heart ache. ‘What am I doing?’ She asked herself. She forced herself to step forward but her feet wouldn’t move. “It’s daunting, isn’t it?” Dessa whispered in her ear. She might not be able to see Kiryuu in the same way that Vena could. But she can see the kind of mana he was exuding during the descent. Her legs almost gave way but she managed to keep herself upright. Vena nodded. It was indeed overwhelming. But Kiryuu had always been a peculiar one since the beginning. It was because of her eyes that she got interested in him. Vibrant colors. A strange aura. It was still the case now. There were more colors, more strange forms, but it was still the same man she knew. It was true that her eyes saved her countless times. She wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for that ability. She wouldn’t have met the people she did. Rionna, Hilde, Raful, Dessa… and Kiryuu. His aura may have led to their paths crossing but it also showed her his feelings towards her. Even now, she could still see a wispy part of his aura extending towards her but it was slowly withdrawing. He was more to her than just someone with a strange aura and identity. Her jealousy when he scuffled with Shino. Her despair when he almost died. The night where they drowned in passion. They were all real. ‘I’m a fool,’ she thought as a Dessa gave her a push. It gave her the start she needed and she quickly ran towards him. Kiryuu perked up when he heard running footsteps. Vena jumped into his arms and buried her face in his chest. She clutched his shirt, just like how she did before. “It really is you,” she said. “Yeah, I’m back,” he embraced her tightly and nuzzled her hair a bit. “Sorry if I startled you.” “Mn,” she shook her head. “I should be the one to apologize.” “Was it scary?” “No, it was beautiful but… overwhelming.” Her eyes didn’t activate on their own. It meant that he was not a threat to her at all. Still, she wanted to know. She looked up at him and asked. “Kiryuu… who are you?” “…” He averted his gaze and coughed. “Kiryuu…” She reached out and held his head gently. She then forced him to look at her. Kiryuu obliged. He felt his neck would break if he resisted. “Please look at me when I’m talking to you.” “Yes, ma’am,” he replied almost immediately. She was smiling but it felt dangerous to disobey her right now. “I won’t force you if you don’t want to tell me but… I really want to know everything about you. About the man I love,” her hands slid down to his chest. She looked up at him, all puppy-eyed. She did not realize she was overloading Kiryuu with her adorability. “Vena…” He leaned towards her. “Kiryuu…” She blushed inched closer and— —a hand grabbed Kiryuu’s face in an iron grip. “What are you making a scene in public for?” Hilde had intervened. She was also glad that Kiryuu had returned. After Vena had ran towards him, their group approached at a leisurely pace. The two were starting to get caught up in their own little world. Even the crowd eventually turned silent. Hilde felt a little jealous. She stopped herself from running up to him because of her position as the guild master. She had to maintain an appearance in public. At least, that was her opinion. “I missed you too, Hilde,” he said, his hands on her wrists as she was tightening her iron claw. “Hilde… my head is cracking…” “Seriously, you are so troublesome,” she muttered under her breath and loosened her grip. Kiryuu took this chance to pull her into his arms. She punched him in the gut but she didn't withdraw. Gasps and murmurs waved through the crowd. There were some jealous gazes as both Hilde and Vena were pretty famous beauties in the guild. There was a sound of collapsing armor that caught everyone’s attention. Heads turned towards the man that was on his knees as he looked at the sight of Kiryuu with Hilde and Vena in his arms. He wore an extravagant set of armor. It had some dirt and scratches but it maintained some of its sheen. Standing beside him was a woman donning a similar set of armor. Except hers showed signs of enduring countless battles. They were well maintained but the years showed. What was prominent about her was her long flaming hair of a rich red color. “Get up, Albion,” the woman sighed and shook her head. She then walked towards Kiryuu’s group. “You, assist the prince,” Lysis ordered one of her men. “Y-yes, ma’am,” the newest recruit fumbled a bit but saluted and did his duty. He went to the prince who was still kneeling onto the floor and offered his hand. The prince shoved him away and got up on his own after snapping back to reality. The recruit bowed his head and apologized before returning to formation. “Good job, recruit. Keep it up,” one of the knights patted him on the back. These past days, Lysis had trained him harshly. She drilled into him the proper discipline befitting of a royal guard. The haughty noble from before was gone, molded into a promising knight. He wouldn’t have apologized if he were the person from before. He would have bragged about his peerage and family, even to a foreign prince. Lysis’ training changed him. Simply put, it was hell. The other knights could empathized as they have also experienced it. Being a part of the royal guard was an honor and a privilege. Lysis made sure to maintain the high standards of its members no matter what. “We apologize for the detour, Princess Fianna,” Lysis addressed flame-haired woman. “It’s fine. I was curious as well,” Fianna wasn’t bothered by it at all. Anyone would be curious upon seeing that light. Now, they finally know the cause of it. She turned to Kiryuu with keen interest. “I get to meet a hero, after all.” Maia watched the scene unfold with bated breath. Her aides were recuperating so she was alone for now. She wanted to be sure things go well after he descended. She was the one that added the fanfare to Kiryuu’s arrival. The crowd were in awe. Good. This would help cement the fact that he was chosen as her hero. There should be no issues from the will of the world. Then came the most important bit. At first, the elf was taken aback from what she saw. When she finally ran up to him, Maia heaved a sigh of relief. She got up from her chair and staggered a bit before making her way to the exit. A door appeared in front of her and opened. As she exited the large white and empty space, someone called out to her. “Sister, you look ill,” a voice called. It was from a woman who had similar features to Maia. She was a bit shorter and more slender. Her hair was tied in a bun. “Mero,” Maia addressed her. “I am fine. I am just extremely exhausted.” “I see. It was that soul, wasn’t it?” “That soul?” “That very weak soul. Wait, don’t tell me… Did you went overboard with your blessings?” “Y-yes. I suppose so,” Maia decided to go along with the misunderstanding. In actuality, she used up a large part of her divinity to attack Kiryuu a while ago. Merope misunderstood that Maia used her power to give blessings instead. “I told you, dear sister, that is not your virtue,” Mero sigh and placed a hand on Maia’s shoulder. A healing light spread throughout Maia’s body. It was but a temporary relief. “You’re… right…” Maia realized something else from those words. It was because she had been doing things that were not her virtue that things have fallen to pieces. She prided herself as the eldest sister and as a powerful goddess. Perhaps things would have gone better if she had bowed her head to him in the first place. “Did you turn him into a hero?” “Yes, I did. I’m sorry. We promised to do it together.” “It’s fine. The others have also found their heroes so it’s just a matter of time.” “Thank you. I shall be in my room if you need me.” “Go rest, sister.” The two parted ways and Mero entered the audience room, a vast white and empty space. “A weak soul, huh? Interesting.”