When the God of an Otherworld—the Earth God—made its appearance, Shallow Vernal stood directly before it. Kuromueina took a step back and lowered herself to one knee.
Although Kuromueina was Shallow Vernal’s other half, the actual deity of this world was Shallow Vernal. Furthermore, the visitor was the pinnacle of another realm. In this place, the Earth God and Shallow Vernal were equals, while Kuromueina was treated as one rank lower and remained in the rear.
"Welcome, God of an Otherworld. This is the first time we have met face-to-face."
"Greeting, unnecessary. Question, one."
"And what would that be?"
"Standby entity. Power, immense. Identity?"
The Earth God asked in an inorganic tone who the person behind Shallow Vernal was. With power equivalent to Shallow Vernal's, the Earth God had immediately realized that Kuromueina’s strength rivaled that of the Creator God. Naturally, it was curious about her identity.
"This is Kuromueina. She is my half and my counterpart."
"You, yourself, division?"
"Exactly."
"Understanding."
Accepting the explanation, the Earth God shifted its gaze toward Kuromueina and gave a slight nod. Recognizing this as a sign that she was permitted to speak, Kuromueina bowed her head deeply before addressing the deity.
"It is an honor to meet you, God of an Otherworld. I am Kuromueina."
"Honorifics, titles, unnecessary. You, equal."
"...I see. Then, once again, it’s nice to meet you."
"Acknowledged."
Once the Earth God declared her an equal, she gained the right to speak as freely as Shallow Vernal. Kuromueina stood up and greeted the deity in her usual tone, to which the Earth God replied with a steady nod, its expression remaining fixed.
"...Since you’ve granted me the status of an equal, do you mind if I ask for one thing?"
"Permission."
"Thank you. I’ve heard the basics from Shiro. I know you promised not to harm Kaito-kun... but beyond that, could you also promise not to harm any living being in this world, except in self-defense?"
"Possible. Condition, one."
Kuromueina’s eyebrows twitched. To be honest, she hadn't expected the request to be granted so easily. Her opponent was the pinnacle of another world; it would not have been strange if a request to restrict its movements had been taken as an insult.
Yet, the Earth God seemed entirely unbothered. It confirmed it could accept the request, provided one condition was met.
"...A condition?"
"I, split body, first creation. Therefore, test run, necessary. Combat, requested."
"Since this is the first split body you've made, you want to fight to get used to it?"
"Affirmative."
"...Shiro."
"Yes. I will manifest the space immediately."
The condition was combat. It appeared this was the first time the Earth God had created a split body, and it wanted to engage in a high-intensity battle to calibrate it. Originally, it had intended to ask Shallow Vernal, but it had seen at a glance that Kuromueina possessed power on par with her counterpart. Between the two, the Earth God judged that the conversation would proceed more smoothly if it fought the one who had made the request.
As Kuromueina nodded and stood ready, Shallow Vernal created the same type of isolated dimension she used when she brawled with Kuro. She then transferred both combatants there to ensure the God Realm remained intact.
On one side stood the half of Shallow Vernal, the pinnacle of this world. On the other, the split body of the God who ruled another. Their battle was fierce beyond measure.
Had they been anywhere else, the sheer scale of the conflict would have annihilated several worlds. As it stood, the fight was a perfect stalemate.
"...Phew. The God of Kaito-kun’s world is... incredibly strong. I can’t remember the last time I felt this exhausted."
"Admiration. You, a strong one."
Kuromueina, currently manifested in the form of the black-haired Shallow Vernal, let out a tired mutter. The Earth God lightly clapped its hands in praise.
"Well, thanks. Is it about time we called it a day?"
"Affirmative. Combat, gratitude."
The Earth God agreed to end the session. Kuromueina, still mirroring Shiro’s appearance, nodded once. Then, after a brief pause, she spoke again.
"...I’m only going to say this once."
"...?"
"If you ever break your promise... the moment you do, I will erase that split body."
"You, I, abilities, equal. Execution, impossible."
The Earth God replied flatly to Kuromueina’s sharp, murderous glare. It was stating a fact: our strengths are equal. Even if I break the promise, it is impossible for you to defeat me in an instant.
"...You’re right. My power and yours are almost perfectly matched—as long as I’m in this form."
"Understanding, impossible."
"Until now, I was at my strongest when I looked like this. But you see, even though I said we were different beings, that was proof that deep down, I still thought of myself as Shiro’s half. I believed this was my true form."
"..."
Previously, Kuromueina was most powerful when she mirrored Shallow Vernal’s appearance because she unconsciously recognized it as her true self. But what if that perception changed?
"...The old me was your equal. But... I have a beloved person who changed me."
Black mist suddenly surged, enveloping Kuromueina. The mist contracted and pulled inward as if focusing its density. When it cleared, Kuromueina appeared in her usual young girl form—save for her hair, which had grown long.
"He embraced my heart and supported me with his warmth. That is why, for Kaito-kun’s sake, I can evolve and grow stronger without limit. And so..."
"!?"
For the first time, the Earth God’s expression shifted. Its eyes widened in shock. Before it could even register the movement, Kuromueina was directly in its face, her fist stopped a mere inch from its nose. Even with the Earth God's power, it had been unable to perceive her movement.
"The current me is stronger than Shiro."
"Shock. Perception, impossible."
"Remember this. If you inflict even a single scratch on Kaito-kun... I will never forgive you."
Having delivered her warning quietly, Kuromueina withdrew her fist and exited the dimension.
Once the battle concluded and a few more words were exchanged, the Earth God announced it would begin its observation of the world and vanished. Left behind in the Sanctuary, Kuromueina and Shallow Vernal looked at each other.
"...What was your impression?"
"...Honestly, I have no idea what it's thinking. I tried to intimidate it fairly strongly, but its reactions were always so flat. I couldn't even tell how much of its strength it was actually using."
"I see."
Kuromueina had used the battle to gauge the Earth God’s nature, but the results were far from satisfying. The mystery only deepened.
"...The way it fought was as if it were following a script. It didn't react to feints or lures at all. It was eerie... like fighting a high-performance golem."
"...Which means we cannot afford to be complacent."
"Yeah. I couldn't read its intentions or goals. For now, we should keep a very close watch on its movements."
Ultimately, the Earth God’s true purpose remained a mystery. They didn't even know if the previous battle had truly been a display of its "full power."
With grim expressions, Kuromueina and Shallow Vernal stared at the golden gate where the visitor had first appeared. They couldn't shake the feeling of an impending storm—a seed of anxiety that some great upheaval was about to begin.