While powerful magic powers clashed across the lands and the very earth shook violently, a fierce battle unfolded before the God Realm Gate.
"Ah, dammit! I wanted to go at it with a Supreme God too!!"
『There is such a thing as compatibility. This allocation is for the best... Besides, do not be careless, Megiddo. Even Upper-level Gods possess immense individual power.』
Megiddo swung his massive arms, his black fur flickering like a raging fire, his face twisted in a look of pure dissatisfaction at being denied a fight with a Supreme God. While rebuking him, Magnawell unleashed a Breath at the encroaching Gods.
Magnawell’s Breath swept through the area with devastating force, but these Gods were no mere foot soldiers; they were the elite. Those skilled in defense magic immediately surged forward, deploying barriers to block the onslaught.
『Lilliwood, do not step forward... With these numbers, even we cannot sustain our magic power indefinitely. We will be overwhelmed without your support.』
『I am well aware. Leave the recovery and magic power supply to me...』
Lilliwood remained behind Megiddo and Magnawell, manifesting several massive trees around her. The trees rapidly drained magic power from the atmosphere, which Lilliwood then funneled into the two front-line fighters.
In essence, this was a battle of six demons against the entire God Clan. Outnumbered and outgunned, Lilliwood’s role was the absolute cornerstone of their survival.
"…!? What… is this…"
The three were successfully holding their own when suddenly, Megiddo’s arm froze mid-swing. It wasn't just him—Magnawell and Lilliwood also found their bodies paralyzed, held fast by a force beyond their own will.
『...She has finally come...』
『...I thought I understood, but seeing it for myself... what a terrifying presence...』
At the same moment, the Gods ceased their attacks and knelt as one.
There, before the invaders—upon the very battlefield—the pinnacle of the God Realm and the strongest existence in the world descended. The Creator God, Shallow Vernal.
They weren't even facing her directly, yet merely having her in their sight applied an absolute pressure that forced their bodies into unconditional surrender. The magic power she radiated was on a completely different scale. In an instant, it saturated the God Realm, halting all movement.
"It is over for you. Now that Shallow Vernal-sama has descended, your lives are forfeit."
One of the Gods spoke, and it was no bluff. Shallow Vernal was a being devoid of even a fragment of emotion. She would process those who resisted with cold, mechanical detachment. There would be no mercy.
Yet, despite the death sentence, the three demons showed no fear. On the contrary, faint smiles played across their lips.
『...Over? No, you are mistaken.』
『...Yes, this is only the beginning.』
"What...?"
As the Gods looked on in confusion, Megiddo let out a roar.
"Ora! We dragged her out!! The rest is your job! Kuromueina!!"
"!?"
In that heartbeat, the sky of the God Realm was dyed jet-black.
A black mist covered the heavens like a shroud, and as golden eyes peered down, the pressure crushing Megiddo and the others vanished.
Even upon seeing Kuromueina’s arrival, Shallow Vernal’s expression remained a total void. She stood there as if the very concept of emotion did not exist. Seeing this, the Gods did not doubt her victory for a single second. No one in this world could possibly fight Shallow Vernal.
That common-sense notion collapsed the instant the black mist coalesced into the shape of a fist and punched Shallow Vernal far into the distance.
"...Im...possible... Shallow Vernal-sama was... What... is that monster..."
Chronoa, witnessing the sight from afar, muttered in disbelief.
Seeing Kuromueina immediately give chase after landing the blow, Chronoa tried to move.
"Get out of the way!!"
"...I will not move. I will not allow anyone to interfere with Chrome-sama."
Facing Ein, Chronoa released all the power she had been suppressing to protect the God Realm from collateral damage. She needed to defeat Ein and reach Shallow Vernal at once. Ein, however, was determined to stop her at any cost for Kuromueina’s sake.
The two, driven by fierce determination, began a staggering exchange—thousands of blows per second.
Life, too, hurried to conclude her battle after seeing Shallow Vernal punched away.
"I no longer care if the land of the God Realm is destroyed... I shall eliminate you!"
As Life’s body emitted a blinding light, massive boulders manifested in the sky and rained down on Isis like a deluge. Life, who presided over the living, could create more than just organic matter; even inorganic mass was hers to command.
However, the same could be said for Isis.
"...Then... I too... will get... serious!"
"!?"
The pale blue light surrounding Isis intensified as her Magic Power of Death became so concentrated it was visible to the naked eye. As the boulders fell, they simply underwent annihilation, vanishing before they could strike.
"Kuh... Can this demon even kill inorganic matter? But I cannot let this drag on. I must reach Shallow Vernal-sama!"
Against Life, who continued to manifest extraordinary mass to attack, Isis responded by unleashing her Magic Power of Death at full power. It was a terrifyingly beautiful sight—the cycle of billions of lives being born and instantly snuffed out.
"...I guess my expectations were off?"
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
Fate, who had stopped her hands upon seeing Shallow Vernal punched away, muttered to herself. Shaltier tilted her head in curiosity. Fate slowly descended from the cushion she had been lounging on and quietly closed her eyes.
"I thought Shallow Vernal-sama would handle everything in the end... but the situation has changed. I can't afford to hold back anymore."
"...Ah, I'm sensing a somewhat dangerous atmos—Gah!?"
Sensing an unusual shift in Fate’s aura, Shaltier tried to retreat, but she was sent flying by a powerful impact before she could move. As Shaltier regained her footing in mid-air, Fate directed her golden eyes toward her.
"...I'll tell you one thing. In a straightforward fistfight with no tricks, the God of Space-Time is the strongest. But in terms of combat power including abilities, I am the strongest among the Supreme Gods."
"...I thought so. Even with that last attack, I was sure I’d dodged it..."
"It's useless. Now that I am serious, destiny has been decided. Your attacks will not hit me, and you cannot avoid mine."
"...That's terrifying power. Those eyes are, I take it, the 'Eyes that See Destiny'..."
Fate’s golden eyes allowed her to interfere with both present and future destinies. She could perceive Shaltier’s future actions—where she would strike, where she would move. To Fate, the path to Shaltier’s defeat was already visible.
"...I expected you were the strongest. That's why I'm the one who came to face you."
"You think you can win? You truly are a clown... Such a future—eh?"
"Please keep this a secret... after all, it's magic that does not exist in this world..."
For the first time, Fate felt a tremor of agitation. She was looking into Shaltier’s future, but the destiny she saw was shifting.
"(What is this? Destiny is changing? No, it’s as if she’s becoming a different existence... No, there’s something else inside her!)"
"...Hecatoncheir."
"Wha—!? What is that...?"
"It existed in the world I once lived in. A technique to weaponize the heart itself... Now, savor the bonds I have accumulated to your heart's content!"
Against the God of Fate at full power, Shaltier played her final card. The true blade of the girl once hailed as a hero in another world.
Unlike the fierce clashes between the Supreme Gods and their opponents, the battle between Kuromueina and Shallow Vernal felt strangely one-sided.
Within a jet-black void created by Kuromueina, Shallow Vernal was knocked about like a leaf in a storm, receiving blow after blow without a change in expression. She was clearly taking damage, but she did not resist. She simply allowed herself to be hit.
"...I do not understand. Why do you not use that magic? It would end quickly if you did."
Hearing Shallow Vernal’s flat voice, Kuromueina shifted into her original form—one identical to Shallow Vernal’s.
"...Because I have no intention of killing you. I just came to punch you because I was pissed off."
"Why?"
"Why don't you try thinking about it yourself?"
"I see no purpose in thinking. If I am unnecessary, you may dispose of me. If the world is unnecessary, you may destroy it. I have given you the power to do so."
"...!?"
Kuromueina’s irritation reached a boiling point at those detached words.
"Destroy the world? Don't you dare decide that on your own! You created this world, but it belongs to the people living in it! You, who did nothing but create it and never cared, have no right to decide its fate!!"
"I see."
"In the first place, what makes me most furious is how you dump all the judgment onto me while refusing to think for yourself! You created this world—what do you want for it? How do you want it to be? What does it mean to you? At least think about that much!!"
"That is for you to decide. You are me. Your judgment is my judgment."
"Stop... messing... with me!!"
Kuromueina’s fist slammed into Shallow Vernal’s face, snapping her head back. Kuromueina glared with eyes burning with rage.
"You're just running away! We might have been one originally, but the things we've seen and the ways we think are different now! I love this world! I love the beautiful world you created, and I want to live alongside it!"
"..."
"What about you?! You're the one who made it! Then take responsibility and decide for yourself how you'll interact with it! Don't just decide it's over! Stop relying on me and find your own feelings!!"
"..."
The scream of her other half—the scolding from the part of herself that loved the world—reached Shallow Vernal. She stared at Kuromueina in silence. Then, without a word or a change in expression, she punched Kuromueina back.
"Guh!?"
"..."
"...You counterattacked for the first time. Why?"
"...I wonder? Perhaps... I did not want to lose?"
"What... so you do have a heart after all."
"...It is inexplicable. My thoughts are wavering. It is not rational."
Shallow Vernal stared at her fist in wonder before slowly turning her gaze back to Kuromueina. Seeing this, Kuromueina wore a small, happy smile and raised her fists again.
"Then, shall we have a proper fight? Maybe then you'll understand."
"...Shall we... I will confirm, as you say, whether I possess a heart and emotions."
Their fists clashed. Since they were originally the same being and neutralized each other's abilities, the struggle became a pure exchange of blows. Every strike carried enough weight to collapse the world, yet Shallow Vernal, experiencing her first fight, looked almost joyful.
How long did they fight? Eventually, both Kuromueina and Shallow Vernal collapsed onto their backs within the jet-black void at the same time.
"...Ugh... I'm exhausted..."
"...I am tired."
Kuromueina breathed heavily, and Shallow Vernal echoed her sentiment in a flat but tired voice.
"...So? Did you figure out if you have a heart?"
"...Yes. So this is a heart, and these are emotions... They are terribly uncertain and irrational."
"Well, obviously. Do you think they're unnecessary?"
"No... they are irrational, certainly, but I see... they are not bad things."
Though spoken detachedly, Shallow Vernal’s voice was softer than before. She had found the heart she believed she lacked, and it had begun to change her.
"...I shall think about it. What I think of the world, and what I want for it... That is my responsibility as its creator, is it not?"
"Exactly. Well, Shiro, you seem like a blockhead, so if you're stuck, you can always talk to me."
Kuromueina nodded with satisfaction.
"...Shiro?"
"Yep! You're Shallow Vernal, so Shiro! And you have to call me Kuro."
"Kuro, Shiro... Those are rather simplistic abbreviations."
"Shut up!"
Exchanging gentle words that made their previous violence seem like a distant dream, they stood up. Kuro returned to her girl-like form, and the jet-black void vanished, revealing the God Realm once more.
The flow of time had been different within the void; they returned almost immediately after Shallow Vernal had been punched away. With a wave of Shallow Vernal’s hand, the God Realm Gate, the injured Gods, and even the invading demons were restored to their original states.
Shallow Vernal’s voice announcing the end of the conflict echoed through the realm. The demons, satisfied with their mission, lowered their weapons.
The war between the God Realm and the Demon Realm—the struggle that would be passed down as legend—ended in a draw. It was a reconciliation that gave the Creator God a heart.
"...Being tired is a first for me."
After the demons had returned home and she had informed Chronoa and the others of the draw, Shallow Vernal stood in the Hanging Garden, gazing at the world.
As she watched the creation she had long ignored, a vision appeared before her eyes—one that spanned past, present, and future.
She saw the figure of a human man with light brown hair, looking directly at her with powerful, unwavering eyes.
"...Who is this? I am facing a human? Will such a future truly come? The future is uncertain; it is not guaranteed to happen this way, but..."
A small smile touched Shallow Vernal’s lips.
It would be 20,000 years before that vision became reality. And it would be that human youth who finally gave her the answer she sought: what she truly thought of the world, and how she wished to exist within it.