About an hour had passed since the party began, and I had finished exchanging greetings with most of my acquaintances. The crowd around Kuro and the others had finally begun to thin out compared to the start of the evening. Just as I was considering heading over to say hello, a dignified voice resonated throughout the venue.
"Listen, everyone. I have adjusted my voice to reach the entirety of the Six Kings Festival grounds. In my capacity as proxy for the God of Space-Time, I shall now convey the words of Shallow Vernal-sama."
I looked toward the source of the voice and saw Chronoa standing diagonally in front of the chair where Shiro-san sat. Even though she was on a stage quite far away, her voice sounded as if she were speaking directly into my ear. I froze mid-step, and the party venue fell silent almost instantly.
If the announcement was reaching the entire festival grounds, then even those not attending this exclusive party were listening.
What exactly did Shiro-san intend to say? Even Kuro and the others were tilting their heads in confusion, so I doubted this was a scheduled part of the program.
"I shall now convey Shallow Vernal-sama’s message verbatim," Chronoa continued. "'The Six Kings Festival, a collaboration between the God Realm, the Demon Realm, and the Human Realm... was a truly wonderful event. I am satisfied. Therefore, as a token of my gratitude for the meaningful time I have spent here, I wish to grant a reward—simple though it may be—to everyone present at this festival.' ...That is all. I will now explain the nature of this reward."
So Shiro-san was giving a reward to every single participant and staff member at the festival? It sounded like a massive undertaking, but what could she possibly be giving out?
Chronoa didn't keep us waiting. "Regarding the reward... I shall grant everyone present an abbreviated version of the Blessing of the God of Life, which will remain in effect until the New Year."
The venue erupted into a frantic buzz. It was only natural; even a blessing from a High God was usually reserved for the likes of kings. To receive a blessing from a Supreme God—even a simplified version—was a staggering surprise.
"Silence, please. Now, regarding the effects... In its abbreviated form, the Blessing of the God of Life will return the recipient’s physical body to the prime of their life as they envision it. Do not overthink this. Simply understand it as the ability to rejuvenate to any age you desire."
Rejuvenation to a chosen age... As expected of a Supreme God’s blessing, the effect was incredible even in its reduced form.
"If you prefer your body from your younger days, you shall have it. If you prefer your current form, your appearance will remain unchanged, but all illness and fatigue will be purged, allowing you to perform at your absolute peak. The rejuvenated body will persist even after the blessing expires. However, as this is the abbreviated version, you may only alter your form once. I will give you a few minutes now to picture your own prime in your mind. Additionally, for the six months this blessing remains in effect, you will be immune to disease, and most fatigue will be fully recovered through sleep."
For races with limited lifespans, this was a dream come true—a literal miracle. And yet, I couldn't shake a strange sense of incongruity.
"The blessing will be bestowed in five minutes. Naturally, you may refuse it. If you do not wish for the blessing, simply hold the thought that it is unnecessary in your mind."
Something felt off. It wasn't the content of the reward, but the very act of giving it. Shiro-san was an extreme egalitarian toward almost everything. For her to grant something specifically to those who participated in the Six Kings Festival felt out of character.
Dear Mother, Father—I couldn't read anything from Shiro-san’s expression as she sat on the stage. But I couldn't suppress this feeling. Was I just overthinking it, or was there some other intention behind this blessing?
Upon hearing of this unprecedented benevolence, most people at the festival venue closed their eyes, immersing themselves in thought to visualize their ideal selves.
However, just like Kaito, there were those who sensed the truth behind this "reward."
Alice, standing quietly behind the puzzled Kaito, turned her gaze toward Shallow Vernal on the distant stage.
(She seems even more serious than I expected. Almost every high-ranking executive under the Six Kings, myself included, is gathered here. In other words, this reward is her way of saying: "I’m going to make sure you’re all in peak condition. Now, come at me with everything you've got.")
Indeed, for those who anticipated an eventual confrontation with Shallow Vernal, this was "sending salt to the enemy"—a classic move by a final boss. She was fully restoring her opponents before the final battle.
(But this confirms it. Shallow Vernal-sama is... probably hesitating. Because she can’t quite make the final decision herself, she’s trying to leave that choice to a third party. This actually gives us a small sliver of a chance.)
Alice recognized that hesitation. The feeling of being unable to simply compartmentalize one's own heart was something she knew all too well. Because of that shared experience, she was able to see through the God's facade.
Shallow Vernal would undoubtedly challenge Alice and the others to a contest where they actually had a path to victory. That was a ray of hope, but...
(On the flip side, precisely because she’s delegating the final choice to someone else... she’s going to be absolutely ruthless with her preparations. She won't pull any punches. I have a feeling this is going to be the toughest fight we’ve ever faced.)
~Blessing of the God of Life~
Temporary Blessing: Allows a one-time rejuvenation. Grants immunity to illness and increases the speed of fatigue recovery.
True Blessing: Allows rejuvenation at any time. Grants the ability to learn Resurrection Magic, immunity to illness, and extreme fatigue recovery (Fully restored with 15 minutes of sleep. It is thanks to this that Kaito feels refreshed after a night's sleep even when exhausted).
Serious-senpai: "Ugh, there’s been so much serious content lately that I’m drowning in work! It’s rough! I’m appearing so often it actually hurts!"
???: "You look pretty bored to me... You're just sitting there drinking cocoa. Also, why such a sweet drink?"
Serious-senpai: "There’s nothing here but cocoa and baby castella, so I’m drinking this because I have to!"
???: "I see... In that case, I think I’ll enjoy the black coffee I brought for myself."
Serious-senpai: "...Can I have some?"
???: "I refuse."