“Do you think she’s still…” Sors asked while twirling her finger towards her head, “You know, scattered?”

“I don’t really know.” Desyra admitted, “But what I know is that we have a bit of time.”

“Because you brought your seduced hero?” Igno asked.

Shrugging Desyra nodded, even if she wanted a scapegoat it somehow ended up backfiring on her. Agreeing with the notion of escape the four of them got up and left. The Shrine Maiden followed behind them. Noticing another person in their party they turned to look at the Shrine Maiden.

“Is it fine for you to leave your humble alcove?” Igno asked.

“No,” replied the shrine maiden.

“Then-”

“Why would I leave you?” spoke the Shrine Maiden with a flush face, “Not after what you did…”

Seeing the expression she made, the four could only look disturbed. It was funny at first but in the end, it was not something too great, unsettling at most. Each of them had experienced things that they would not dare to describe. To them the worst and unsettling thing was not deformed figures nor was it the byproduct of insanity, instead, it was the beginning of an obsession. They knew how things would unfold and the many triggers that lead to horrible events. To fight such a thing an outside source was needed, but it could lead to reliance which was another disaster waiting to happen.

Carefully deciding the words to say, Igno spoke, “I believe, it’s in your best interest to receive permission from your caretakers.”

“I believe they would never allow me,” said the Shrine Maiden, “Nevertheless, I will follow you regardless of their decision.”

“But-“

“NO! I have created my will and no-one will stop me!”

Hearing the declaration, Igno was left in despair. There was only one option for a person like Igno to do. Change their form and disappear. Igno was never the type of person to have neither disciples nor offspring. Due to Igno’s very nature of disappearing whenever.

Whispering to her group, Sors said, “Aren’t we kinda… stuck?”

“Now that you mention it…” Menor thought.

“Shateal!” Desyra shouted, realizing how they messed up.

“So much for being sneaky, unless…” Igno lamented, turning to Menor.

“Did you ask for my assistance just for me to be a deus ex machina for the group?” Menor asked.

With a shy smile, Igno nodded. With Menor’s specialty, at the proficiency he had, he could fix any problem if he wanted to. Be the situation disastrous, impossible, or just pitiful, Menor could wipe everything clean. Ignoring his already boundless power, just with Menor’s specialty alone makes anything possible. It was unnerving that anything he does can be covered up and no one would notice. Luckily he did not have the habit of flaunting his power around.

With a sigh, Menor spoke, “You know my specialty isn’t almighty. If the target has some decent instincts then it wouldn’t work.”

“Yet you got away with many things,” Sors retorted.

“No proof, no case,”

“Just do it,” Igno spoke.

“Fine,” Menor moaned while snapping his fingers, “But you should hurry up and deal with her.”

On cue, the Shrine Maiden began fell into a daze. With no hesitation, Igno disappeared with the dazed lady. Appearing the next instant Igno, held a dazzling smile with the Maiden gone. Seeing such a smile Menor gave a small grin.

Whispering to Menor, Sors asked, “You didn’t, correct?”

Shaking his head, Menor told her he had only done partial manipulation. He at least cut off one of the ways they would have been discovered. Igno could deal with the rest by running away. The only problem left would be the other two-thirds of the situation, or well the last third when Desyra mentioned that she moved Astra’s divine abilities somewhere else. Even if she had done that, it was certain that the words would slip from the female hero’s mouth.

Taking a long and roundabout route, the four looked for a way to escape. In the background, the sounds of battle rang out. If those four could not find any routes of escape, then all they could do was conduct a dash for the exit. It was not too hard to do with their abilities, but they had to be careful with Sors’ passive.

Thinking back, Desyra asked, “How far do you guys think, that little girl had improved since we left her?”

“Considering the amount of time since we met her,” Menor answered, “She should be able to stand toe to toe with extreme luck or so. Also, she should be able to survive for a while in the first place. If Sors is right then she should have reached eternal youth or at least extended life.”

Peeking out a nearby window, Igno spoke, “From the way they fight it seems like that girl and Desyra’s seduced hero know each other.“

Joining Igno in spectating, the three agreed. The current fight was between Astra and the Founder. Every single time they clashed their attacked showed the recklessness they held, unsuited for people experience in swordplay. Also the grand smiles they wore supported the claim. Taking a minute to recall the girl they met, Menor searched through his memories. Not even a second after, Menor was able to solidify Sors’ guess. Yet there was one problem, his companions remembered what they gave the girl but not the reason why they did.

“We should leave now,” Menor spoke with caution.

Tilting her head, Desyra inquired for the reason for Menor’s urgency. In general, there should be nothing that could harm them, so that led to the conclusion it was something troublesome.

Menor continued, “Think of the reason why we bestowed her with such powers.”

Going into deep thoughts, Desyra and Sors instantly remembered the events that had unfolded. Realization struck them like lightning, causing them to go pale. Igno, who could not remember the reason, shrugged, being unable to understand the urgency.

“Reborn King- er- Queen of Gods,” Sors answered quickly before dashing off, with Menor and Desyra following behind her.

After pondering for a few second Igno’s eyes widen in shock. Realizing the truth Igno quickly caught up with the others while cursing at Sors.

Queen of Gods, or King of Gods, was a title given to divine beings that ruled over other divinity. The power they held could easily bend the laws of the physical world. With so much power it was a hassle to even try to deal with them. The annoyance increased with the girl’s obsession with the four intruders. Being a reborn Queen of God meant that she still had her godly powers and abilities on top of the new ones she learned.

“I don’t want to deal with that brat again,” Igno cried, “What have you done, Sors!?”

“Passive abilities can’t be turned off!” Sors retorted.

“Yes, they can!” Igno responded, “Just uninstall that program. Control panel, programs, then uninstall!”

“DODGE!” Desyra shouted.

As they were running towards the exit the wall near them exploded with two figures flying through. Dodging the fighting pair, Sors and her companions increased their movement speed. Even though they could simply teleport out of the area, such simple solutions never crossed their minds. As they continued to run, the pair somehow kept colliding with every building they were in.

“I’ll have your head after this!” Desyra demanded.

“Even if I had spares! You won’t be able to!” spoke Sors.

In mere seconds the four were about to reach the exit of the bamboo forest. The only problem was that the fighting pair finished their friendly match in front of them. Out of all the places and directions, they could have gone, they followed the people who had no desire to be involved. Not only that, each one of the four had dark expressions that could scare off the inhabitants of the abyss.

“What a great match that was, Astra!” spoke the Taush Founder, brandishing a short sword.

“Indeed, Furias,” Astra spoke, “Even if my divine power is gone it feels as if I had grown stronger.”

“How did you exactly lose your divine power?” Furias asked, “Last time we met you sealed yourself into that dumb sword.”

Hidden under bent sunlight Desyra and co hoped for Astra to avoid mentioning them. By hearing the founder’s name it confirmed their speculation. Having only a few choices to choose from, to keep their existence hidden, they choose the most suitable way to stop Astra. Even if the four truly did not care, they all wanted to avoid trouble.

“Yes, I had sealed myself and found my successor,” Astra spoke, “Just recently a met a couple of people that-“

“DRAGON!” someone yelled.

Hearing the name of one of the most fearsome species to ever exist, everyone looked around. The air was immediately filled with tension. Dragons, as legends go, could easily wipe out a nation in one breath. If someone shouted dragon, even as a joke, no one dared to ignore it. Even Furias, who held great ability, looked around trying to locate the dragon.

In truth, Igno was the one that yelled wolf. The moment everyone was distracted Desyra had grabbed Astra, pulling her under the bent light. Using a needle a sleep serum was injected into her. Throwing the sleeping Astra onto her back, Desyra ran after her companions who were escaping the distorted world.

After the false alarm had been invalidated, Furias had discovered her friend had disappeared. Quickly putting two and two together she figured that Astra was kidnapped. Unfortunately, the people who took Astra left no traces behind. Luckily for her, her instincts were trained by one of the best’s hunters in existence. Telling her kin to rest for the day, she repaired the time dilation barrier and left.

“Desyra why did you even improve her instincts,” Menor criticized, “Also drop that living tracking devise.”

“Why don’t you alter her memories first!?” Desyra suggested.

“Laws of stacked consequences! The more something is used the more problems it will bring. Learn it!”

“No excuses!”

“Trudging on to the domain of instinctual memories is not something easily done!”

“That has nothing to do with the current situation!”

In front of the bickering two, Sors and Igno could only smile bitterly. They would love to join the argument, but each one of them had given Furias one or two troublesome abilities. Accusing others of the same problem was just like shooting themselves in the foot. Originally they would usually greet people they knew, or raised, with open arms, but in Furias’ case being constantly praised and respected was not a nice feeling.

Furias, who was tracking her friend’s whereabouts, became confused. She knew where Astra was, by instincts, but she could not see nor detect her presence. With the power she held, nothing should be able to avoid her detection, but a few. Thinking of her mentors of the past that she greatly respected, joy had sprouted from her heart. Not wanting to lengthen the chase any longer, Furias increased her power output and soared through the sky.

“She’s getting closer,” Igno warned while changing their form.

“DESYRA JUST THROW THE DAMNED GIRL!” Sors shouted, “MENOR DO YOUR JOB!”

Hearing Sors’ words, both Desyra and Menor groaned. Doing such things was annoying even if they did not take more than a single second. Not delaying the problem any longer, Desyra stopped and threw Astra at Furias. While she tossed Astra away, Menor tinkered with Astra’s mind and did some other long distant things. After disposing of the extra luggage the four of them took off in a random direction.

Suddenly being hit by Astra’s body, Furias crashed and rolled to a stop. Realizing that she had lost her single trace, she was forced to give up. Going over to Astra she checked her condition. Doing a quick check-up on Astra’s body she concluded nothing had been done to her, except being forcibly put to sleep.

Slapping her friend awake, Furias asked, “Do you know who took you?”

With moans, Astra woke up, “What?”

“Someone just abducted you. Their powers should not be normal in the first place as I couldn’t follow them.”

“I… I was abducted?” Astra held her head, attempting to remember what had happened. “The last thing I remember was visiting your followers and our small spar. After that, I don’t remember.”

Seeing Astra having difficulty remembering, a glint of excitement gleamed from Furias’ eyes. She thought to herself that she would be able to meet her mentors. From the hidden presences, she suspected Igno was there, and with the hazy memories, there was a chance it Menor was there too. She had no indication of her other two teachers but she could hope.

With a few minutes of rest, Astra got up and desired to head off in a random direction. When questioned, Astra could only say that she had a grand impulse to go there. Hearing the explanation Furias’ flame of hope grew brighter, as overwhelming desire overriding instincts was a side effect of peering upon Desyra’s looks. Even if Desyra was Furias’ least favorite teacher; she still wanted to meet them again.

Invited her friend to rest at the Taush grounds, Furias suggested that they set off together tomorrow. To Astra’s reluctance, she agreed. Both of them had the power of flight, moving over large distances would be simple for them. The best option for them is to regain the strength they had expended when they sparred.

Watching from a distance, Igno asked, “Do you think she calmed down after what happened last time?”

“I highly doubt it,” Desyra disagreed, “She went on a worldwide domination just because of your slip of the tongue.”

“Well, sorry. I thought she could detect sarcasm.”

“You know, it kind of explains why those priests were chasing us like lustful hargiosds,” Sors pointed out, “In reality, we don’t really change our attire that much, well except for Igno, so we’re are pretty recognizable.”

Nodding, Menor said, “That does make a bit of sense, but that doesn’t solve the problem of the other deities of the world.”

“Wait, doesn’t this line of events lead to the ‘holy war’ path?” Desyra asked, jumping in fright, “You know us having a religion competing with the original gods of this world.”

Hearing such a possibility the four of them couldn’t help but sigh. Sors, who usually took the blame whenever a coincidence happened, nearly fainted. Even she did not expect that they would revisit this world. For people such as them, revisiting a world by accident was near impossible.

“Wouldn’t that mean the ‘thing that eats’ is actually It?” Menor suggested.

With drooping shoulders, Igno moaned, “What’s with this plot twist? I hoped for a small fun adventure, but instead, I’m granted a holy war that decides the future of the world.”

Moaning about an upcoming war, the four decided to head off to the nearest city. Being given the option of escaping the world or fighting for the world, they chose the latter. They were already there in the first place, and cutting a trip short was a waste. Anyone needed to enjoy a trip to the fullest especially since they were going to fight a war sometime in the future.

Back at the Taush’s territory, Astra and Furias were reminiscing about their glorious past. Eating in a private room, they recalled the plentiful memories they experienced. Remembering the times their invasion against a demon king’s castle to forcing a fallen god to submit into servitude, those were great times for them. Along with the two, the Shrine Maiden sat silently to the side. Apparently, after she had snapped out of a daze she barged out of her room and ran head first into Furias.

Being in the presence of two living legends, the Shrine Maiden was shaking in joy. Due to her loyalty and respect, she remained silent. She even was able to hear their legendary exploits directly from them. There was nothing that could beat the experience, except her believed fated meeting with Igno.

Taking a sip of tea, Furias asked, “Hey, Shrine Maiden what’s your name? Also, why did you leave your room? You’re supposed to cultivate in there for a few years.”

Bowing with her hands clasped together, she replied, “I’m Vendra, one of your great grand nieces. I have been tasked to take up the role of shrine maiden… until recently. I had met someone that I had become deeply fond of and desire to follow them.”

“Oh? And who might that be?” Furias insisted.

“A person that held the sacred name of Igno, similar to one of your brilliant mentors.”

With eyes full of delight, Furias asked a bit more, “Was that person alone?”

Shaking her head, Vendra explained, “No, there were two more people. Unfortunately, they were careful enough not to speak each other’s names.”

Laying back in her chair, Furias fell deep into thought. The chances of her respected mentors appearing had jumped, but anyone could have taken the name Igno. Furias descended onto her heritage’s territory because the Bell of Disaster was rung. To be exact, the current place was in chaos, as so many things had happened with no culprit in sight. That alone verified Igno’s existence since Igno had a habit of touching things that should not be touched. Desyra could be added to the list because only she had the ability to override instincts with desire, shown by Astra.

The problem left was Menor and Sors; there was no evidence to pin them down. Her friend’s unsure memories could have been a sign of Menor, but hitting your head too hard can cause the same effect. When Farias asked around for signs of guests, there were none. Even Enad, who had a great memory, said there were no guests. Which only means that Menor could have deleted all traces of him.

Sighing, Farias spoke, “Tomorrow we’ll head to the Millar Kingdom. I heard the king there had recently died. It should be the best place to start searching. Right, Astra?”

“Indeed, my instincts are pointing in that general direction,” replied Astra.

“Also, Vendra, you’ll be joining us. Your eyes should have finished developing by now.”

Jumping in surprise, Vendra desperately explained that she was not suited and unworthy. With a slight smile, Farias explained that the leaves she had been drinking may have been a bit poisonous, but they provided a special substance when consumed over time. The substance produced, from the leaves, created a mutation in the consumer when indigested. Their eyes would develop differently than normal eyes, creating a pair of magic eyes. Once the eyes became fully developed, they would allow the person to see the flows and fluctuations of magic in the environment.

“You were held in your room because your eyes had not developed enough. In the early stages of development, there is a risk that you would die, due to unstableness and overflow of information. Now that you had lived for a few years and your eyes should have stabilized, so you should be fine.” Farias spoke.

Hearing the explanation, Vendra doubted the words she heard, but because it was the Founder speaking then it must be true. Performing a bow, Vendra accepted the proposal of journeying outside. There were a few reasons for her to do so, but seclusion and desire were the main driving forces. Fortunately, she was able to travel with two experienced legends.

“I never did get the chance to ask,” Astra spoke, “You never did tell us who your favorite teacher was, out of the four of them.”

“Desyra is the worst one of the bunch,” Farias replied, “Igno is a little better, but the habit of touching things brings too much danger.”

Hearing their desired person being bad-mouthed Vendra and Astra glared at Farias with murderess intent. With a deep sigh, Farias knew it was best to prove her point. Igno and Desyra had countless followers despite their rejections. It was in those two’s nature to gather people around them. Farias herself saw firsthand the might of the cults that developed for the two.

“If I had to say, Menor and Sors are about even,” Farias continued, “Well, Menor might be a little bit higher. Despite their cold and devilish nature, both of them hold vast responsibilities and they deeply care for those around them. It may seem wrong but that is the truth. The choices they make, take a lot of consideration on their part. If I had to admit it, they were pitiful; with a single glance at their eyes, you can see the endless pain and suffering they had experienced. All they could do is put on a smile and exist”

“So is that why you went on that campaign years ago?” Astra poked.

“Yes…” Farias spoke with a sad smile, “I thought they needed to be recognized, but in reality, it was unneeded. I was foolish; I could not see the truth nor their warnings. It resulted in me being abandoned. I regretted it… Ha-ha… It’s all in the past now.”

“And that’s how the Great Conquer disappeared, and then created a long-lasting clan that has been hidden from the world for who knows how long.”

With a greatly needed laugh, Farias’ mood returned to the usual joyous one. As the past was the past, it shouldn’t be changed.

Off somewhere in the middle of a field, the four former teachers stumbled upon a lush mansion that displayed the grand wealth the owners had. They had been invited by its owners to stay for the night. Coincidently the once clear blue sky had turned into a muddy grey overcast. Having experienced the line of events before the four of them began making another bet.