At the center of the God Realm, the Human-Demon Allied Forces and the Gods finally reached the Sanctuary. What they found was Shallow Vernal standing with her back to them, gazing into the distance, and Kuromueina biting her lip in frustration before a massive, cocoon-like object.
At first glance, it appeared as though Shallow Vernal had emerged victorious, but that was not the case. Kuromueina had won the battle. That was precisely why Shallow Vernal was now permitting her to touch the Cradle.
Alice, sensing the tension immediately, deduced that the root cause lay within the Cradle of Forgetfulness. She flashed to Kuromueina’s side in an instant.
"Kuro-san! Wait... This is... Tsk! This is the third-worst scenario among my projections..."
"...Kuromueina... Shaltier... Can you... undo this?"
"I can. In fact, undoing it is incredibly simple. It doesn't require complex procedures, and there aren't any interference-type formulas at all. But just how many layers are there? Even I can't grasp the full scope. This magic formula wasn't made to prevent cancellation; it's a formula designed solely to consume time during the dispelling process!"
Indeed, the magic formula applied to the Cradle of Forgetfulness was elementary. It was so simple that even a novice could unravel it given enough time. However, these simple spells were stacked in impossible numbers—an amount that could swallow multiple worlds. Unraveling them one by one would take an astronomical amount of time.
Shallow Vernal slowly turned around to face Alice and the others, whose expressions had grown as stiff as Kuromueina’s.
"...It is only natural. I spent six months crafting this. Therefore, is it not logical that it would take at least six months to undo, no matter how fast one works?"
"I see. Because it’s a brute-force strategy of sheer volume, our options are limited. You’ve certainly caused us a lot of trouble..."
Even as she replied to Shallow Vernal, Alice’s mind raced at ultra-high speeds. Could she use Kuromueina’s Prologue? No, that was impossible. The Prologue was an ability that made the impossible possible, but undoing this formula was not "impossible." Even if she assumed it was impossible to finish within the time limit, there was no clearly defined deadline set in the first place.
Instead of honestly undoing it, could she simply destroy the Cradle? As that thought crossed her mind, Alice looked toward Kuromueina, who shook her head as if perceiving her intent.
"...No. We can't destroy it. Kaito-kun’s Blessing has been temporarily revoked. His soul has dissolved into this Cradle, melding with its very structure. If we destroy it, there's no telling what will happen to him."
Alice ground her teeth. Her mind whirled incessantly, but no effective solution presented itself.
(None of these methods have a success rate over twenty percent. The fact that all of them have only a sliver of hope... Is this a countermeasure against Kuro-san’s ability? That means Shallow Vernal-sama knew about it in advance. Damn it! The risk is too high. Think. I need to combine multiple methods to boost the probability...)
It was a strategy that effectively held Kaito’s soul hostage, ensuring that neither Kuromueina nor Alice could resort to forceful measures. In a sense, it was a devilish countermeasure.
Sensing the grim situation, Chronoa and Life stepped forward on behalf of the Gods and bowed their heads to Shallow Vernal.
"...We are deeply sorry, Shallow Vernal-sama. We were unable to fulfill the role assigned to us."
"It does not matter. I did not expect much from you to begin with, and the result was irrelevant. This is ultimately a battle between myself and Kaito-san; all other conflicts are merely side-shows external to the board. Now that you have finished your roles, you should rest."
Kuromueina’s eyes widened, and her shoulders began to tremble as she watched Shallow Vernal speak with that monotone voice and a faint, thin smile.
"...When? When was it?"
"Hmm? What is the matter, Kuro?"
"When did you switch! Where did the real Shiro go? Answer me, Earth God!"
At Kuromueina’s passionate cry, every gaze fixed on Shallow Vernal. Then, with a sound like shattering glass, her form shifted. She transformed into an Angel with pure white wings.
"Now, I wonder when that was? At the very least, the one who first spoke with you in the Sanctuary was the real one."
"...Eden-san... I wondered where you’d gone. Just whose side are you on, anyway?"
"I am not particularly on either side."
"Do you even understand what's happening? Kaito-san’s memories might be erased! I thought you were fond of him?"
"Is there some kind of problem with that?"
Eden tilted her head as if truly puzzled. Alice glared at the deity who had previously given her advice, only to now appear in a position that aided Shallow Vernal.
"I do not care which side wins. Even if his memories vanish, if that is what lies at the end of my Beloved Child's choice, then I shall affirm it. I shall love my child as he is now, with his memories. I shall love my child as he becomes, without them. I shall push him toward ruin if that is his path, and I shall embrace him as he falls. I shall use my love to affirm every possible outcome of his choices. Yes, that is right... the presence or absence of memories is a trivial matter before my love."
"...I knew it. The God of Kaito-san's world is completely insane."
Eden wore a distorted smile, making no effort to hide the madness seeping from her. Whether Kaito remembered anything or not was irrelevant to her absolute devotion. In a sense, Eden loved Kaito more than anyone else, and for that very reason, her mind was more warped than any other. Even if his choice led to destruction, she would support it with overflowing love and a radiant smile.
To her, it truly did not matter who won the match.
"Well, I shall at least answer your question. If you seek Shallow Vernal... she is inside that."
Eden gestured toward the Cradle.
"As for me, you might call me the Referee of this contest. I shall interfere if there is foul play, but otherwise, I am here only to watch over the match between my child and Shallow Vernal. Therefore, Alice... I cannot permit the plan you are currently entertaining. I will not allow you to throw cold water on my child's struggle."
"I suppose I could always eliminate the meddlesome Referee before I commit the foul play."
Even while speaking, Alice had been refining her plans and had settled on a few with high success rates. The most promising one involved using Hecatoncheir’s Ultimate War-Form to exponentially increase her dispelling speed. She was on the verge of executing it when Eden intervened.
"Indeed, your Hecatoncheir’s Ultimate War-Form is a magnificent power. Infinite growth and evolution... I see. Certainly, you might eventually be able to win, even against my omniscient and omnipotent main body."
"What did you say? No way!"
A staggering pressure suddenly weighed down on Alice. She looked up and saw it.
There was a star in the sky. In the God Realm, which had been plunged into night, an incredibly alien and impossibly massive presence loomed—the Iron Star. It was Eden’s omniscient and omnipotent main body.
"Shall we test it? Will you grow enough to transcend omniscience and omnipotence before the match between my child and Shallow Vernal ends? It seems like a losing bet for you. Oh, and of course, my main body also possesses the capacity for infinite growth and evolution. I do hope it doesn't turn into a tedious game of cat and mouse."
"Urgh..."
"If you understand, then intervene through proper channels. You should already have the hints you need to reach him. There isn't much time left. Shallow Vernal set the battle for thirty days within the Virtual World, and half of that time has already passed."
Alice remained silent, listening.
"My child's Victory Condition is to escape from the Virtual World. To do that, he must reach a place where he can clearly recognize that the world is a fabrication. The hints for that location are already within your reach. Once you find it... Kuromueina, you must touch the Cradle and call out to him. If he recognizes the world as a virtual one, your voice will reach him."
"...Eh?"
Eden’s words sounded like advice. No, they were unmistakable guidance.
"...Seriously, what are you thinking?"
"I told you, did I not? The result is irrelevant to me. However, if you must know which side I am cheering for... surely my answer goes without saying?"
Serious-senpai: "...I’m starting to think this woman is the real Last Boss. That level of madness and presence is terrifying."
???: "Eden-san really never wavers. She’s been consistently deranged from the start."