Kokabiel's POV

  After what felt like an eternity of explanations, reassurances, and Gabriel clinging to me like I was about to vanish into thin air again, I was finally released from my siblings' concerned clutches.

  Not that I could blame them, really. Finding out that a reality-threatening entity was approaching our world with the express purpose of erasing everything we'd ever known tended to make people a bit... anxious.

  Gabriel had made me promise no less than seven times that I wouldn't disappear without warning. Michael had given me a look that clearly said "we're having a very long conversation about contingency plans later."

  Raphael had asked if she could study my biology to find weaknesses in similar entities. She pouted when her syringes failed to even scratch my form. And Azrael had just sighed deeply and muttered something about needing a very strong drink.

  Penemue had tried to insist on becoming my personal assistant again "to help with the upcoming crisis," but Gabriel had physically dragged her away while she reached toward me desperately.

  Now, finally alone in my quarters, I decided to check on the chat group.

  I hadn't looked at it since Klein had so helpfully decided to throw me under the metaphorical bus by telling everyone about Katie. That particular act of friendly betrayal was going to be addressed soon in the near future.

  I pulled up the interface with a thought, and immediately my eye twitched violently as the notification count appeared.

  Two hundred and forty-seven unread messages.

  I'd been gone for maybe three hours. What in the name of all that was cosmic and terrible had they been discussing that generated that many messages?

  Actually, I probably didn't want to know. But morbid curiosity was apparently one of those human traits I'd retained even as an Outer God.

  I scrolled to where I'd last checked, and started reading.

  The messages could be roughly separated into three distinct categories, each more headache-inducing than the last.

  First came the disbelief and complaints, which were about as mature and measured as I'd expected from this particular group.

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: KOKABIEL! Answer us, you riajuu bastard! I thought we had something special! A brotherhood of sufferers who understood the pain of being single forever!]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: How DARE you go and get a pretty girlfriend! And you had the AUDACITY to snatch one from Klein's world when YOUR world has literal gravity-defying oppai everywhere!]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: You TRAITOR! You've betrayed the covenant of single men everywhere! I hope you step on a Lego! I hope your pillow is warm on both sides! I hope your food is always slightly too hot or slightly too cold!]

  I pinched the bridge of my nose. Kazuma was having what humans would call a "moment." He probably is crying in his bed now. I checked just to be sure, and there he was, sucking on his thumb while curled into a ball. Tha's not a picture of good mental health.

  [Flash Goddess: Sob sob. My poor maiden heart is broken into a thousand pieces. How could you do this to me, Kokabiel-kun? And here I was, planning to seduce you when you visited my world. I even picked out a special outfit and everything!]

  [Flash Goddess: Can she do that thing with her tongue that I can do? Can she transform into a cat? I bet she can't transform into a cat. That's a very valuable skill, you know!]

  I decided not to examine what "that thing with her tongue" meant. Some mysteries were better left unexplored. The worst part, I ouldn't really tell if she was being serious without using Omniscience.

  [Last Master of Humanity: Congratulations, Kokabiel-san! I'm really happy that you found someone special! True love transcending dimensions is so romantic! I'm totally rooting for you guys!]

  At least Ritsuka was being reasonable and supportive. She always had been the most emotionally mature member of the group, despite being one of the youngest. I pity the the day she loses it and starts choking world ending beings.

  [Shadow Monarch: Tch! Here I am, stuck in a world where every single woman thrown at me is either related to me or jailbait! I can't even sleep without locking my doors and windows!]

  [Shadow Monarch: The ONLY woman I actually found pleasant and interesting doesn't even look at me that way. And THIS fucker goes on a casual trip to help a friend and somehow picks up a GODDESS?! A literal divine being?!]

  [Shadow Monarch: Why is the world so unfair? What did I do to deserve this? I fight monsters risking my life, I protect humanity! Yet all I get in return is mental trauma!]

  I had to admit, Jin Woo's rant was somewhat entertaining. The normally stoic and intimidating Shadow Monarch reduced to complaining about his love life like a frustrated teenager was oddly humanizing.

  I decided to take a look at what he was complaining about.

  Flashback -Solo/Sister Leveling World

  Jin Woo tried to disguise himself as a miner to sneak into a dungeon to clear it by himeself. But thanks to his guild mate, he was signed up for a predator rehab program after he found out about his ... unusual situation.

  Now here he was, standing in the dungeon with sexual offenders, cursing his luck. After a while, Jin Woo finally managed to get away from them and found the dungeon's boss room. As he was about to enter, a feminine voice called out to him, "Hey, you! What are doing here?"

  Jin Woo sighed, "Oh Great!" and prepared to reply something to ditch her, but then he suddenly stopped.

  The dreary dungeon suddenly seemed feel with light and warmth, and there she was. A beautiful girl with short blonde hair in red armor, casually walking up to him.

  Jin Woo muttered, "Hey....who is that!??"

  In the background, I just died in your arms tonight suddenly started to play. Probably the system, but for once Jin Woo didn't mind. He was already thinking of countless romantic scenarios. Finally a beautiful woman, who isn't related to him or underage! Thank the heavens!

  Jin Woo kept imagining some interesting things and let out a small groan. Then he was snapped back to reality by her voice.

  "Hey, what are you doing making those weird noises over there? "

  Jin Woo replied without thinking, "Uh, fantasizing.." Then he saw the weired out look of her and changed his answer, "Ehem, I meant daydreaming. Just give me a sec."

  He turned around and asked in a hushed voice, "System. Any uh new routes I should know about?"

  "No."

  Jin Woo stopped himself from shouting and whispered, "What? What do you mean no? There's a super hot of age hopefully not related girl right in front me!"

  The girl asked annoyedly, "Who are you talking to?"

  Jin Woo fumbled for a moment before coming up with something. "Uh I'm schizophrenic. What's your name again?"

  The girl spoke with a flourish. "I am Cha Hae In. I'm an S-rank hunter and the vice guild master of.."

  Jin Woo stopped her mid speech, "Yeah, that's great. " He whispered to his system. "System search Cha Hae In route."

  "This route is not yet available."

  "What? Why?" Jin Woo nearly screamed.

  " You still have three routes that are pending completion. Prisoner route, stepmom route, and stepsister route." came systems monotous response.

  Jin Woo grumbled. "I thought I completed stepsister route. What else do I have to do? Marry her?"

  "Marriage would be a viable completion. "

  Jin Woo shuddered. "No, I'm not marrying my sister. System, start a new route now before I lose it!"

  "A new route can also be started by acquiring the interest of the desired heroin."

  Jin Woo sighed in relief. " Oh, so I just have to get her to like me. Well, they don't call me Sun Rizz Woo for nothing. system. Activate voice appeal."

  "Voice appeal activated. "

  Jin Woo turned around and flashed Cha Hae In a dashing smile, then spoke in a deep masculine voice, " Hey there, Cha. You uh come here often?"

  Cha Hae In looked disgusted as she looked at the old id card of Jin Woo which still showed him as an E rank hunter. "Are you really trying to flirt with me as in a rank? How about you get your rank up before you even try to talk to me, peasant?"

  Jin Woo clutched his chest. The system announced in a cheerful tone. " Your aura has suffered critical damage."

  Jin Woo muttered under his breath ,"I'm aware system. "

  To add insult to injury, she added, "By the way, you smell like shit."

  Jin Woo gasped and looked at her with wide eyes.

  In his head the system spoke, "Mission failed."

  Jin Woo sighed. "Aww."

  Flashback Ends

  I shook my head wryly. Poor guy. Hang in there buddy. It doesn't get better.

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: RIGHT?! See, Jin Woo gets it! This is a travesty! A mockery! An insult to all single men everywhere!]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: We should crucify that bastard! Form a coalition! Deus Vult! God wills it! Except God is probably on his side because he is an angel of all things!]

  Robin also decided chime in to add more fuel to the fire. Her message did not put a smile on my face.

  [Girl Who Loves Reading: You boys are certainly lively today. Though I have to admit, I'm curious what kind of person she is. I hope it's not someone secretly evil who infiltrated our group through Kokabiel and will brutally murder and sacrifice us all when our guard is down.]

  [Girl Who Loves Reading: You know, classic seduction scenario. Seduce the strongest member, gain his trust, learn our weaknesses, then eliminate us one by one. It's a very effective strategy actually.]

  [Last Master of Humanity: Robin-san! That's horrible! Don't say such scary things! I'm sure she's a perfectly nice person who genuinely cares about Kokabiel-san!]

  [Last Master of Humanity: Besides, Kokabiel-san is super strong and smart! He wouldn't fall for a honey trap! Right? RIGHT?!]

  I smiled slightly at Ritsuka's faith in me, though Robin's paranoia was actually somewhat touching in its own way. She cared enough to worry about potential threats to the group. Or, she's just making fun of me.

  [The Fool: I didn't know who she was at first, before she introduced herself properly. She's one of the seven Orthodox Gods in our world. Significantly stronger than most beings in our reality. She's... well, she's a big deal.]

  [The Fool: I used to be her follower, actually. One of the Nighthawks who prayed to the Evernight Goddess for protection and guidance. It's... complicated now.]

  [Shadow Monarch: What do you mean by 'used to'? Did you change religions or something?]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: How could he keep following her after knowing his buddy is doing the nasty with his goddess?! That's like... I don't even know what that's like! It's too weird! I'd lose faith too if Aqua started dating one of my friends! Not that I ever had any faith in her.]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: Actually, if someone wanted to date Aqua, I'd probably pay them to take her off my hands. But that's beside the point!]

  [The Fool: ...]

  [The Fool: I'm not going to dignify that statement with a proper response, Kazuma. That's not even close to what's happening here.]

  [Flash Goddess: Ooh, Klein-kun, do you have a picture or something? I want to see what kind of woman caught our Kokabiel's eye! Come on, share with the class!]

  There was a brief pause, and then Klein uploaded an image attachment.

  I immediately felt a sense of impending doom. Why did he have a picture? When did he even take it? That sneaky little guy!

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: FFFFFUUUUUCKKKKK! No! NO! It should have been me, not him! This isn't fair! This isn't FAIR! ]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: She's GORGEOUS! Like, unfairly, impossibly beautiful! And she's looking at him like he hung the fucking stars in the sky! Actually, that mght be accurate considering he was the angel of stars.]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: Anyways, Die! Just die, you normies! May you step on Legos every day for the rest of your lives! May your socks always be slightly damp! May your internet connection forever be just slow enough to be annoying!]

  [Girl Who Loves Reading: Oh my. I can see why Kokabiel was smitten by her. She is indeed quite beautiful. That level of devotion in her expression is... intense. Almost obsessive, actually.]

  [Last Master of Humanity: Kyaa! They look so cute together! This is like something out of a fairy tale! A cosmic entity and a goddess, united across dimensions! It's so romantic I might cry!]

  [Shadow Monarch: I have so many problems with this situation. I need to go kill something. Maybe an entire dungeon's worth of somethings.]

  [Flash Goddess: So that's his type, huh? Devoted, beautiful, divine being with gorgeous eyes and that whole ethereal grace thing going on. Can't blame him honestly. She's a solid 11/10.]

  I looked at the picture Klein had taken—apparently when Katie and I had been saying goodbye at the train station. The angle was candid, catching the moment right after our kiss when she'd been looking up at me with those golden eyes full of emotion.

  The way Klein had captured it, with the lighting from the setting sun and the steam from the departing train in the background, made it look like something out of a romance novel.

  Damn it, Klein. That was actually a really good photograph. Which made this situation even more annoying.

  [The Fool: For what it's worth, I think she used to know him before he became an Outer God. Or even an angel, if I'm understanding their history correctly. This isn't a new relationship, it's a reunion after thousands of years.]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: Oh, so she knew his human self in his past life? The one he doesn't even remember? Talk about dedication! Talk about loyalty! Talk about making the rest of us look bad by comparison!]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: How am I supposed to compete with a love that transcends death, rebirth, and fundamental transformation into a cosmic horror?! I can't even get Darkness to look at me without her being weird about it!]

  [The Fool: I thought you didn't feel anything for her after her... incidents]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: That's different! She's pretty despite her mental retardness.]

  [Shadow Monarch: I need to go calm myself down before I lose my shit completely and accidentally destroy Seoul with my aura. Cha , if you're reading my emotional state right now through your abilities, I'm sorry for the murder vibes.]

  Then came the speculation phase, where the group apparently decided to thoroughly analyze my relationship status and future romantic prospects.

  [Flash Goddess: I wonder how they're planning to make this work long-term. They live in completely different worlds. That's got to be complicated.]

  [Girl Who Loves Reading: She's a goddess, right? Maybe she has the ability to cross dimensional barriers? Kokabiel can do it, so even if she can't naturally, he could probably help her travel between worlds.]

  [Girl Who Loves Reading: Though there might be complications with her divine duties. Gods usually can't just abandon their worlds without consequences. Their very existence is often tied to the reality they govern.]

  [The Fool: I've been through a very emotional and mentally exhausting situation already today. Death and resurrection really take it out of you. And now I'm processing the fact that my patron goddess is apparently in love with one of my friends from another dimension.]

  [The Fool: I wonder how her church would react to this development. Will they start worshiping Kokabiel as well? Build statues of him? Create new prayers? This could get theologically complicated very quickly.]

  [Shadow Monarch: Beats me. But we haven't actually heard anything from the man himself yet. He should be able to clear up these questions and speculations. Where is he, anyway?]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: Yeah, where's the traitor?! Did he forget about us already after getting a girlfriend?! Did pussy make him abandon his bros?!]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: I bet he's too busy being happy and loved to remember his old friends! I hope you stub your toe on every corner! I hope you bite your tongue while eating! I hope your phone always dies at 20% battery!]

  [Last Master of Humanity: Umm... Kazuma-san, shouldn't we just be happy for them? If Kokabiel-san found someone who makes him happy, isn't that a good thing? He deserves happiness too.]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: Oh, sweet, naive Ritsuka. You beautiful summer child. There is no such thing as happiness in this cursed world! Only varying degrees of suffering!]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: Some of us suffer while alone and unloved! Others suffer while being adored by beautiful goddesses! See the difference?! One of these is clearly superior suffering!]

  [Last Master of Humanity: That's... that's a bit harsh, Kazuma-san. And kind of a weird way to look at relationships.]

  [Shadow Monarch: He's in denial and spiraling into despair. Just let him work through it. He'll tire himself out eventually and return to his normal level of cynical complaining.]

  Finally, the messages devolved into shameless spam of mentions, which was honestly just petty.

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: Show yourself, coward! Answer for your crimes against single people everywhere!@Heaven's Wrath]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: We demand an explanation! A full detailed report of the intercourse! @Heaven's Wrath]

  [Flash Goddess: You need to explain this situation properly, Kokabiel-kun~ We're all very curious about the details~ @Heaven's Wrath]

  [Shadow Monarch: You better have a good explanation for this, Mr. "I can't feel human emotions properly" and "I don't understand romantic relationships." @Heaven's Wrath]

  [Shadow Monarch: Because from where we're standing, it looks like you understand them just fine.]

  [Girl Who Loves Reading: I'm genuinely curious about the biological implications. How exactly do Outer Gods procreate with other lifeforms? What would the offspring even be? @Heaven's Wrath]

  [Last Master of Humanity: Robin-san! Don't talk about... those kinds of things here! This is a public chat! What if Kokabiel-san sees it and gets embarrassed?!]

  [Flash Goddess: Oh, I'm curious about that too now that you mention it. Robin asking the real questions! Who's the dominant one in this relationship? Does cosmic hierarchy determine bedroom dynamics?]

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  [Last Master of Humanity: YORUICHI-SAN! STOP! MY INNOCENT EYES!]

  [Girl Who Loves Reading: You summon Heroes from legend and fight in a war to save humanity, Ritsuka. I think your innocence sailed away a long time ago.]

  [Last Master of Humanity: That's different! That's work! This is... this is people's private business!]

  I felt my eye twitch again. Of course the conversation had devolved into this.

  I made a mental note to thank Klein very politely and sincerely for starting this whole mess. By which I mean I was going to give him a very stern talking-to about respecting people's privacy and not taking candid photographs without permission.

  But that was for the future. Right now, I needed to redirect this conversation before it spiraled even further out of control.

  I took a deep breath, and started typing.

  [Heaven's Wrath: First of all, she is NOT my girlfriend in the way you're all imagining it. She is a girl, yes. She is a friend, yes. But the relationship is not romantic in nature, regardless of what Klein's suspiciously well-timed photograph might suggest.]

  [Heaven's Wrath: Secondly, she is one of my peerage members now. Specifically, my Queen piece. This is a hierarchical relationship based on power and loyalty, not romance.]

  [Heaven's Wrath: Thirdly, and most importantly, we have far more pressing matters to discuss than my personal life. Matters that actually affect the safety and survival of my entire world.]

  The replies came flooding in immediately, because apparently nobody cared about the "pressing matters" part.

  [Flash Goddess: Ara ara~ She's your Queen, you say? How very bold of you, Kokabiel-kun~ The Queen piece is traditionally the most intimate position in a peerage~ It represents absolute trust, complete loyalty, and a bond deeper than any other. Some might consider giving someone your Queen piece is basically a marriage proposal~]

  [Shadow Monarch: Wait, so you two ARE a thing? Or you're not? You're sending mixed signals here, man. Make up your mind.]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: What kind of "friends" kiss each other like they're trying to perform CPR with their tongues?! Don't lie to us! Klein told us EVERYTHING!]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: We have photographic evidence! We have eyewitness testimony! The prosecution rests its case! You are guilty of being a Riajuu normie! How do you plead?!]

  [Girl Who Loves Reading: That's a rather weak deflection, Kokabiel. Are you perhaps hiding something? Or maybe you're genuinely confused about the nature of your own relationship?]

  I resisted the urge to reach through dimensions and strangle someone. Possibly everyone.

  [Heaven's Wrath: I can't help what you people might think or speculate about. But I'm telling you the objective truth of the situation.]

  [Heaven's Wrath: Yes, She expressed her affection quite clearly. Extremely clearly, in fact, with multiple declarations and physical demonstrations. However, I am currently unable to return those feelings with the same intensity or depth.]

  [Heaven's Wrath: Klein must have been seeing things incorrectly, possibly because he'd literally died just a few hours before and his perception was compromised by trauma. Nothing inappropriate happened.]

  [The Fool: But I saw you two—]

  [Heaven's Wrath: NOTHING. HAPPENED. Klein. We'll have a very nice, very long conversation about privacy, boundaries, and not spreading rumors about your friends later.]

  [The Fool: ...]

  [The Fool: You know what? I just remembered. I think I see Ince Zangwill somewhere in the distance over there. Yes, definitely Ince. I should go check that out immediately. It's very urgent. Mission-critical, even.]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: That bastard ran away! Come back here, coward! Face the consequences of your gossip! The truth shall be free! The people demand answers!]

  I could practically feel Klein's panic through the chat interface. Good. Let him sweat a little.

  [Heaven's Wrath: Kazuma, since you're so interested in kissing and romance, would you perhaps like to experience a kiss yourself? I could arrange for a falling star to give you a very intimate kiss. Directly to the face. At terminal velocity.]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: ...]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: Would you look at that! Aqua seems to have spilled water all over the floor again! That clumsy goddess! I should go clean that up before someone slips and gets hurt! Safety first!]

  [Shadow Monarch: Just tell us straight, man. We're your friends. You don't have to hide or be embarrassed. It's not like you can keep it secret forever anyway.]

  I paused for a moment, considering how to phrase this particular threat in a way that would be clear but not overtly hostile.

  [Heaven's Wrath: Jin Woo, would you like me to make that blonde hunter girl with the interesting scent fetish even MORE aware of your existence? I could arrange for some very awkward situations. Very public, very embarrassing situations.]

  [Shadow Monarch: ...]

  [Shadow Monarch: Message received. Understood completely. I will cease this line of questioning immediately and forever.]

  [Flash Goddess: Boo! You're no fun, Kokabiel-kun! Threatening people into silence instead of just sharing! We're supposed to be friends! Friends tell each other about their love lives!]

  [Flash Goddess: This is important bonding material! This is how we grow closer as a group! By sharing our romantic failures and successes!]

  [Heaven's Wrath: There's nothing to tell, Yoruichi. If and when something develops into an actual relationship worth discussing, I'll inform you all. For now, we need to focus on bigger issues. Issues that actually matter.]

  [Heaven's Wrath: Specifically, issues involving the potential destruction of my entire world and everyone in it.]

  [Last Master of Humanity: Oh! Are you dealing with another war, Kokabiel-san? Is someone causing trouble in your world again?]

  [Girl Who Loves Reading: Did someone get violently beaten to death and now their faction wants revenge? That seems to happen a lot in your world, based on what you've told us.]

  [Last Master of Humanity: Robin-san! Don't say such things so casually!]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: Okay, now I'm actually curious. What could be so important that even you're being serious about it? You usually handle problems with casual indifference.]

  Finally, they were focusing on what actually mattered.

  [Heaven's Wrath: My world will be invaded by an Outer God in approximately one year. Not a herald, not a vessel, not a spawn or manifestation. An actual, full-powered Outer God in their true form.]

  The chat went silent for several seconds. I could almost feel the collective "oh shit" moment happening across multiple dimensions.

  [Shadow Monarch: Wait. You mean like YOU? Not like those things we fought in Robin's world? An actual similar level entity?]

  [Heaven's Wrath: That's correct. The beings we encountered in Robin's world were powerful, yes, but they were essentially children playing with toys compared to a true Outer God.]

  [Heaven's Wrath: A true Outer God's mere existence can warp reality. Their presence can drive entire civilizations insane or destroy them. Their true form cannot be comprehended by mortal minds without severe psychological damage.]

  [Heaven's Wrath: Although I'm somewhat confident I can defeat this entity, I'm uncertain about collateral damage. The true form of Outer Gods can destroy entire realities just by existing in them. I'll need to go all out, and that's... problematic.]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: Did you just say we're going to witness a battle between eldritch horrors in live 4K resolution?! Isn't that the kind of thing that causes permanent mental scarring?!]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: Like, the "go insane just by looking at it" kind of scarring? The "you start speaking in tongues and worshiping dark gods" kind?!]

  [Heaven's Wrath: Potentially, yes. That's why I need to be extremely well-prepared. The battle itself won't be observable by most beings anyway, it exists on levels and dimensions that mortal perception can't process.]

  [Heaven's Wrath: I don't know how long preparation might take, or what form it will need to take. This is... unprecedented territory, even for me.]

  [Shadow Monarch: I've been studying Outer Gods since we returned from Robin's world. The chat group database has quite an extensive list and classification system. Which specific entity is targeting you?]

  I hesitated for a moment before answering. Names had power, especially the names of beings like this.

  [Heaven's Wrath: Shub-Niggurath. The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young. The entity I destroyed in Robin's world was one of her spawn.]

  [Last Master of Humanity: Wait, Outer Gods can have children?! That's possible?! And you KILLED one of hers?!]

  [Last Master of Humanity: Is that why she's coming after you?! Oh no, this is like a revenge story! A mother seeking vengeance for her child!]

  [Girl Who Loves Reading: Is this my fault? If you hadn't come to help me, if we hadn't fought that thing in my world... would this still be happening?]

  I could sense the guilt in Robin's message, the self-blame starting to spiral.

  [Heaven's Wrath: To answer Ritsuka's question first—yes, Outer Gods can create life. It's not reproduction in the biological sense, more like... crafting extensions of themselves. Fragments given independence.]

  [Heaven's Wrath: And Robin, don't blame yourself. This would have happened eventually regardless. Shub-Niggurath has been aware of my existence since I first transformed. The spawn incident simply accelerated the timeline.]

  [Heaven's Wrath: We would have helped you anyway. It's what we do. It's what this group exists for. Friends help each other, remember?]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: Okay, but real talk here. You're SURE you can take her on? Like, absolutely certain? How confident are you, percentage-wise?]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: I would offer to help, but something tells me I'd be instantly obliterated before I could even blink. Like, not even have time to scream. Just... poof. Erased from existence.]

  [Shadow Monarch: At least you're self-aware about your limitations. That's growth, Kuzuma.]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: Fuck you too, man! Go screw your step-family, you edgy bastard! Oh wait, you already did!]

  [Shadow Monarch: You know what? I'm going to visit your world soon. And when I do, I'm going to make you regret every stupid thing you've ever said.]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: I'll just hide behind Aqua! She's immortal! Perfect meat shield!]

  [Shadow Monarch: You'd use your friend as a shield? That's low even for you.]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: Have you MET Aqua?! She'd probably volunteer! Anything for attention!]

  [Flash Goddess: Boys, boys, please. Your homoerotic rivalry tension is adorable, but maybe save it for later? We're discussing something actually important here. Let Kokabiel explain the situation properly before you two start measuring your little swords.]

  I smiled slightly at Yoruichi's intervention. Even she was taking this seriously, which showed how dire the situation must seem.

  [Heaven's Wrath: Thank you, Yoruichi. As I was saying before being interrupted by those two idiots—]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: HEY!]

  [Shadow Monarch: Rude.]

  [Heaven's Wrath: Moving on. Outer Gods don't have distinct power levels that can be easily ranked or measured. It's not like video game stats or power scaling in anime. Our strength is more... conceptual.]

  [Heaven's Wrath: But if I were to use general terms that humans might understand, Azathoth would be considered the strongest. The Blind Idiot God, the Nuclear Chaos at the center of infinity. Followed by Yog-Sothoth, the Key and the Gate. They're the top dogs, as humans would say. Entities so powerful that their dreams shape reality itself.]

  [Heaven's Wrath: Then there's Nyarlathotep and Shub-Niggurath. Both incredibly strong, capable of ending worlds on a whim, but still below Azathoth and Yog-Sothoth in the hierarchy.]

  [Heaven's Wrath: After them come beings like Cthulhu, Hastur, Dagon, and various others. There are countless more Outer Gods, but they aren't as powerful as these primary entities.]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: Uhh... why is my chat screen flickering? Is anyone else seeing this? Like the text is glitching out?]

  [Shadow Monarch: Same here. The interface is acting strange. Don't tell me these things can sense when their names are being mentioned, even through the chat group's protection?]

  [Heaven's Wrath: Probably not directly. The chat group is protected from their gaze by the collective power of all the World Wills that created it. But names hold power, especially names of beings like these. Speaking or writing their true names creates ripples in reality. Echoes that can sometimes be felt across dimensions. It's why most people use epithets or titles instead.]

  [Last Master of Humanity: That's terrifying! So just by talking about them, we're potentially drawing their attention?!]

  [Heaven's Wrath: In theory, yes. In practice, the chat group's protections should prevent that. Should being the operative word. I'd rather not test it extensively.]

  [Last Master of Humanity: Understood! I'll be very careful about mentioning names from now on!]

  [Last Master of Humanity: But Kokabiel-san, if you were to compare yourself to that... being... targeting your world, how strong would you be? Where do you rank?]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: Yeah! My Lovecraftian lore is a little rusty, but isn't THAT ONE like, super strong? One of the "see it and you're dead" kind of entities?]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: How can you possibly beat something like that?! What's your strategy?! Do you even HAVE a strategy?!]

  [Heaven's Wrath: Well, Ritsuka, the truth is I haven't actually used my full power yet. Not since my transformation. I've never needed to go beyond perhaps 10% of my maximum capacity.]

  [Heaven's Wrath: So I can't tell you with absolute certainty where I rank. But according to my mythos, the conceptual framework that defines my existence as an Outer God, I should be somewhere in the upper tier.]

  [Heaven's Wrath: Even so, taking on a being with eons of experience, who has existed since before time had meaning, who has fought and destroyed countless realities... that would be challenging.]

  [Girl Who Loves Reading: So you might lose? There's a possibility of defeat?]

  I stared at that message for a long moment, considering how to answer honestly without causing panic.

  [Heaven's Wrath: Nah, I'd win.]

  There was a brief pause, and then—

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: DID THIS MOTHERFUCKER JUST SET UP A DEATH FLAG?!]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: DID YOU LEARN NOTHING FROM GOJO?! NOTHING AT ALL?!]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: YOU DO NOT SAY "NAH I'D WIN" BEFORE A MAJOR FIGHT! THAT'S LIKE RULE NUMBER ONE OF AVOIDING DEATH FLAGS!]

  [The Fool: Who's Gojo? Is he someone who fought Outer Gods before? Some kind of legendary warrior?]

  Klein had apparently returned from his strategic retreat, curiosity overcoming his sense of self-preservation.

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: He's a cocky bastard from another world who flexed too much, said he was the strongest, and then got himself chopped up like vegetables for a stir-fry!]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: He literally said "Nah, I'd win" and then LOST! Badly! Very dead!]

  [Shadow Monarch: You really cannot speak in normal human language, can you? Everything has to be explained through metaphors or crude descriptions.]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: IT'S CALLED EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION, JIN WOO!]

  I used my Omniscience to quickly scan the reference Kazuma was making. Ah. That was... actually somewhat educational. And the parallels were unfortunate.

  [Heaven's Wrath: I don't think that particular situation applies to me, Kazuma. I can't be chopped in half like a vegetable. My existence isn't bound to a single physical form that can be bisected. That said, you're right that overconfidence is dangerous. It will be difficult. But I should be able to handle it somehow.]

  [Heaven's Wrath: The main issue isn't defeating her outright or even killing her, though that would take an enormous amount of time and power. The issue is preventing collateral damage to my world during the battle.]

  [Flash Goddess: I understand . Let us know if there's anything we can do to help. Even if we can't fight directly, maybe we can provide support in other ways?]

  [Last Master of Humanity: Yes! Maybe the chat group store has something useful? There should be powerful items or abilities available that could help!]

  [Shadow Monarch: I don't think there would be many powers in the store capable of harming Outer Gods. The World Wills who created this chat group chose us specifically to fight battles within certain parameters. They wouldn't include weapons or abilities that could threaten their own existence. That would be counterproductive and stupid.]

  That gave me a pause. I'd never really considered browsing the chat group store seriously before. Power had always been handed to me without my consent or input. first as an angel, then as an Outer God.

  But Jin Woo had a point worth considering. Even the weakest abilities could sometimes make a huge difference depending on how they were used. Strategy and application often mattered more than raw power.

  I excused myself from the conversation politely.

  [Heaven's Wrath: That's actually a good point, Jin Woo. I'm going to check the store and see if there's anything useful. I'll contact you all later with updates.]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: Wait, you're actually taking my suggestion seriously?! I feel so honored! So respected! This is the best day of my—]

  [Heaven's Wrath: It was Jin Woo's suggestion, not yours.]

  [Advocate of Gender Equality: I TAKE IT BACK! YOU'RE DEAD TO ME!]

  I closed the chat interface with a small smile and pulled up the store menu.

  The interface materialized in front of me, displaying an overwhelming array of options organized by category, power level, and cost. I'd glanced at it a few times before but never seriously browsed.

  At the top of the screen, a notification caught my attention.

  [You have: 1 Discount Voucher - 50% off any single purchase]

  I clicked on the voucher to examine it, and a small note appeared alongside.

  [DxD World Will: It's not much compared to your ridiculous cosmic powers, but I hope it helps! Ganbare, Aniki! Fight for your cute little world will! Aren't I the greatest World Will ever?! The most thoughtful?! The most supportive?! Praise me! Tell me I'm amazing! ( ?° ?? ?°)]

  I chuckled despite myself. The World Will's attempt to be simultaneously helpful and insufferably annoying was almost charming in its consistency.

  Even with the 50% discount, I had about 600,000 points accumulated—from daily login bonuses over the years, and the substantial payout from the One Piece world adventure.

  That meant I could acquire an ability that normally cost up to 1.2 million points.

  I started browsing systematically, filtering by price range and potential utility.

  There were some impressively powerful abilities available. Reality manipulation, time control, absolute defense, conceptual erasure. All useful, all expensive, but nothing that particularly stood out as game-changing for my specific situation.

  Most of these powers were things I could already do to some degree through my nature as an Outer God. Buying them would just make those abilities slightly more efficient or easier to control.

  Then I noticed a category I hadn't explored before: Unique/Variable Powers.

  These abilities had (???) marks beside their power ratings, indicating they could range from nearly worthless to absolutely ridiculous depending on the user, the circumstances, and how creatively they were applied.

  I clicked to expand the category, and several interesting options appeared.

  [Adaptive Evolution - 800,000 points]

  [Probability Manipulation - 950,000 points]

  [Boundary Manipulation - 1,100,000 points]

  [Conceptual Anchoring - 750,000 points]

  And then, Two entries made me stop scrolling entirely.

  [Authority: The Qliphoth - 1,000,000 points]

  I clicked to expand the details, and a comprehensive description appeared.

  Authority: The Qliphoth

  The power to embody and manipulate the inverse tree of life—the realm of shells, of what is discarded, of potential unrealized. This authority grants dominion over the space between existence and nonexistence, the boundary where things cease to be.

  Applications include:

  Negation of enemy abilities through inverse reflection Creation of anti-space where normal laws don't apply Transformation of attacks into their opposite nature Establishment of a domain where your opponent's strengths become weaknesses Manipulation of the conceptual "shells" that protect reality from void

  Warning: Extremely difficult to master. Requires deep understanding of Kabbalistic concepts and inverse philosophy. Potential for catastrophic misuse. Not recommended for beginners or those lacking cosmic-level comprehension.

  Power Level: (???) - Ranges from completely useless to potentially omnipotent depending on user skill and understanding.

  Then there was another one.

  All Fiction (Medaka Box) [1,000,000 Points]

  The ability to turn any aspect of reality into "fiction"—effectively denying its existence entirely. This power operates on a level that transcends causality itself, allowing the user to declare that something "never happened" and make that statement retroactively true.

  Applications include:

  Erasure of damage, wounds, or death by making them "fictional" Negation of enemy attacks by declaring them "never occurred" Removal of concepts, events, or even natural laws from reality Automatic activation upon user's death, resurrecting them by making their death "fiction" Works on abstract concepts—can erase colors, sounds, time, causality itself No defense exists against something that simply "didn't happen"

  Special Properties:

  Functions even after user's death (posthumous activation) Cannot be blocked, countered, or resisted through conventional means User can choose what they erase with precision or broad strokes Erased things leave no trace—reality rewrites itself as if they never existed

  Warning: Extremely dangerous to use carelessly. Erasing fundamental concepts can cause reality collapse. User must have absolute clarity of intent. Side effects can be unpredictable when applied to cosmic-level entities or abstract concepts.

  Power Level: (???) - In the hands of someone who lacks imagination or will, nearly useless. In the hands of someone creative and determined, potentially capable of defeating entities far beyond their normal ability to harm.

  Note: Originally wielded by Misogi Kumagawa, a human who used this ability to fight beings who should have been completely beyond him. His success was based not on power, but on creative application and refusing to accept defeat.

  I read through the descriptions three more times, my mind already calculating potential applications and strategies.

  These two was perfect.

  If used correctly, Qilippoth could allow me to create a battlefield where Shub-Niggurath's immense power would work against her. Where the very nature of reality could be inverted, twisted, made hostile to her existence while remaining stable for mine.

  As for the other, the beauty of All Fiction wasn't in its raw power—though it was certainly powerful. It was in the conceptual elegance of its application.

  If Shub-Niggurath attacked me, I could simply make that attack "fiction." It never happened. Reality would rewrite itself to accommodate that truth.

  If she tried to corrupt my world, I could erase the corruption. If she attempted to drive my siblings insane with her presence, I could make their madness fictional. If she managed to kill me somehow, the ability would activate automatically and make my death never occur.

  Even better—if I needed to prevent collateral damage, I could erase the damage itself. The DxD world's barrier gets destroyed? Fiction. Never happened. Heaven gets erased? Fiction. The timeline resets as if the destruction never occurred.

  This wasn't about overpowering Shub-Niggurath through superior force. This was about denying her the ability to affect anything I chose to protect.

  And the truly brilliant part? Even someone like Kazuma could use this ability to fight Outer Gods effectively. It didn't require overwhelming cosmic power—it required creativity, determination, and the will to deny reality itself.

  A human with All Fiction and enough imagination could theoretically defeat beings infinitely stronger than themselves, simply by refusing to accept that their opponent's attacks or abilities "existed."

  The original wielder, this Misogi Kumagawa, had apparently been a normal human who'd used this ability to fight opponents who should have been completely beyond him. Not through superior strength, but through creative application and sheer stubborn refusal to accept defeat.

  That resonated with something deep inside me. The idea that victory wasn't always about being the strongest—sometimes it was about changing the rules of engagement entirely.

  But there was a problem.

  Even with the 50% discount, these abiliies cost 1,000,000 points. With my current balance of 600,000, I was short by 400,000 points.

  I closed the store interface and leaned back, staring up at the ceiling of my quarters in Heaven.

  I could fight Shub-Niggurath without these abilities. I was confident in my base powers.

  But the collateral damage... that was what concerned me most.

  If my siblings died, if Heaven was destroyed, if the DxD world was erased from existence... what would be the point of winning the battle? What victory could possibly matter if everything I cared about was gone?

  The entire reason for fighting was to protect them. Failing that primary objective would make any technical victory meaningless.

  I needed to be smart about this. Keep the fight contained outside the world barrier, in the dimensional void where reality itself was already unstable and wouldn't be further damaged.

  But the DxD world's barrier was already weakened. The World Will had shared a portion of its essence with me to help me regain my emotional capacities, creating a permanent connection but also leaving it more vulnerable than before.

  Ensuring the battle didn't breach that barrier and spill into the world itself... that would require precision, control, and probably some abilities I didn't currently possess.

  I sighed and closed my eyes.

  For now, all I could do was explore the true depths of my power. Map out my capabilities, find the limits, understand exactly what I could do at full capacity.

  I hadn't really tested myself since the transformation. Hadn't needed to. Nothing in the DxD world could threaten me enough to require going beyond 10% of my maximum output.

  But now I needed to know. Needed absolute certainty about what I could do, how far I could push, what my actual limits were.

  I had my own personal dimension, A realm that existed outside normal space-time, where I could cut loose without worrying about accidentally erasing nearby galaxies.

  That would be the perfect place to train, to experiment, to truly understand the scope of my abilities.

  I opened my eyes and stood up, preparing to enter my personal realm.

  But before I did, one thought kept nagging at the back of my mind. Something I'd never shared with anyone, not even my closest siblings.

  I had the ultimate power. The ability to reset everything. To unmake and remake the omniverse itself, returning everything to its beginning state.

  But using it came with a cost. A terrible, absolute cost.

  It would erase me as well. No resurrection, no rebirth, no lingering consciousness. Just... gone. As if I had never existed.

  I'd seen this end. Seen the moment when I would need to make that choice. The vision had come to me during my transformation, a glimpse of a possible future that felt more like certainty than possibility.

  This was what made me different from other Outer Gods.

  I wasn't eternal. Wasn't truly immortal in the absolute sense.

  I was the only Outer God who would die someday, out of my own choice, to protect the ones I love.

  The only one with a definite end written into my existence.

  I'd never told anyone about this. Not Gabriel, who would cry and refuse to accept it. Not Michael, who would try to find a way to change fate. Not Katie, who had already lost me once and would be devastated to know she would lose me again. Not even my friends.

  I kept this knowledge locked away, hoping desperately that I could change that inevitable future. That I could find another way, another solution, some method to protect everything I cared about without making that final sacrifice.

  But the vision remained. Showing me the moment when I would have no choice left but to use that power. To end myself to save everyone else.

  I shook my head, forcibly pushing those thoughts away. That was a problem for the future. Maybe the distant future. Maybe never, if I was clever enough and strong enough and lucky enough.

  For now, I had training to do. Powers to master. A battle to prepare for.

  I opened a rift to my personal dimension and stepped through.

  The space beyond was mine. A realm where I could shape reality on a whim, where the laws of physics were suggestions I could ignore. A place I could test the absolute limits of my power without worrying about consequences.

  I let my true form begin to emerge, shedding the comfortable human shape I usually maintained.

  Wings of void and starlight unfurled. Eyes opened across multiple dimensions. My presence expanded, filling the realm with cosmic authority.

  This was me. This was what I truly was beneath the pleasant facade.

  A being of impossible power and terrible beauty. Something that should not exist but did anyway.

  And somewhere out there, another being like me was approaching. Coming to my world with intent to destroy.

  I smiled—an expression that would drive mortals insane if they saw it.

  Let her come. I would be ready.

  I had too much to lose, too many people counting on me, too many precious things worth protecting.

  Failure was not an option. Even if it meant staring down my own end, I would protect them.

  All of them.

  No matter the cost.