Returning to the upper levels from the Sanctuary, Life wasted no time taking action. Using the authority of Omoikane, the God of Thoughts, deities could communicate via telepathy simply by visualizing their target, making it a simple task to reach out to her peers.
Of course, recipients had the option to block these transmissions—a feature Fate had famously abused during her slacker phase.
"God of Thoughts, can you hear me? Connect my telepathic link to all Gods immediately."
"As you command."
Since this method normally relied on the range of the God of Thoughts' authority, it was restricted to the God Realm. Contacting low-ranking gods in the Human Realm or addressing multiple parties simultaneously required Omoikane to manually expand the range of her power.
"A message to all Gods. In fifteen minutes, I will hold an emergency meeting at my temple. All those whose authority might affect the creation of flora or fruit, as well as anyone with knowledge or experience in botany—including agricultural labor—are to gather there at once. This matter concerns a direct request from Shallow Vernal-sama and shall take precedence over all other duties. This is a preliminary session to establish a general strategy; once our course is set, I will seek broader input. All other Gods should remain on standby."
Life refused to settle for anything less than perfection. Shallow Vernal had entrusted her with this task and even expressed high expectations; for Life, compromise was not an option. She knew her own knowledge might have blind spots, which was why she intended to cast a wide net for counsel.
When she arrived back at her temple after sending the broadcast, she found Fate and Chronoa already waiting for her.
"Impressive speed, God of Fate, God of Space-Time."
"Well, when you invoke Shallow Vernal-sama's name, of course we're going to hurry," Fate replied. "Besides, Life, aren't you a bit too motivated? The intensity in your eyes is no joke."
"I can feel your resolve just by looking at you," Chronoa added.
As Fate noted, Life was practically radiating energy. Her eyes, which she usually kept half-lidded, were wide open and burning with a fierce, crimson light. It was clear to anyone that she was operating at maximum intensity.
"Yes. I shall inform the two of you of the general details ahead of time. I was summoned by Shallow Vernal-sama just now..."
Deciding to share the details with her fellow Supreme Gods before the general discussion began, Life explained what had transpired in the Sanctuary.
"I see. No wonder you're so fired up."
"To be personally addressed by name and told that Shallow Vernal-sama expects great things... it is only natural you would be this passionate," Chronoa said. "I am a little envious, but I understand your heart completely. I shall assist you with everything I have."
"Me too, obviously," Fate chimed in, surprisingly sharp despite her usual lethargy. "If that's the goal, it's better to create an actual Golden Riple tree here and hand it over to Baron Rich rather than messing with blessings. That maintains its rarity, and it's right in your area of expertise."
Life nodded slightly. "Yes, that was my thought as well. Flora is life; my authority is best suited for manifesting a new species. However, I want to avoid tunnel vision. Even if I think a method is best, there may be flaws only visible from another angle. I want the widest possible range of opinions."
"A wise plan," Chronoa agreed. "We should also run trials. With my Authority of Time, we can repeat the process of trial and error as many times as necessary. Let us create a masterpiece that will truly satisfy Shallow Vernal-sama."
"The agricultural and plant gods will show up soon, so that's fine," Fate added. "But considering the fruit will be used for Riple Pie, we should probably pull in the God of Cooking and the God of Food for their two cents."
While the Gods were mobilizing within the God Realm, Alice was sitting at the counter of Iris's bar in the basement of Kaito's home. She had just been about to take a sip of wine when she froze mid-motion.
"...Wait, seriously? That side's actually moving? Oh boy."
"Hmm? What's wrong?" Iris asked.
"Oh, it's nothing..." Alice trailed off, then began putting her wine away.
"Why are you putting that away?"
"...Honestly, for once, my pity for the victims has actually outweighed my desire for amusement," Alice sighed. "I'd better arrange some damage control. Though first, I need to pin down that idiot Machina before she makes things even worse."
Alice muttered with an exasperated look. Her brilliant mind began racing at high speeds, calculating the coming storm as she started coordinating support for Marie and Baron Rich.
Serious-senpai: "Even Alice had her pity win out!?"