The party held at the Arclesia Empire’s imperial castle was finally drawing to a close, punctuated by the fireworks that signaled the end of the Founding Anniversary Festival.
Despite several disruptions—namely the War King Megiddo’s uninvited visit and Lilia’s abrupt teleportation—the event had proceeded relatively smoothly afterward, concluding without further incident.
As one might expect, Lilia looked utterly spent after being interrogated by a relentless stream of nobles. For better or worse, she had grown accustomed to this kind of sudden scrutiny ever since receiving Chronoa’s Provisional Blessing, which allowed her to handle the pressure without faltering.
Even Empress Chris felt a wave of relief wash over her. She had navigated the Founding Anniversary Festival safely, and a faint, relaxed smile finally graced her lips.
But in the midst of that calm atmosphere, the expression on Fate’s face shifted. Until then, she had remained perfectly nonchalant, staying composed through the War King’s arrival and Lilia’s disappearance. Now, however, she looked visibly panicked.
“...Goddess of Space-Time!? This... this is bad!”
“H-Hey, what’s the matter, God of Fate? Wait, what is this!? No... It can’t be...”
“There is no mistake. It’s Shallow Vernal-sama... B-But why?”
Chronoa, who had been eyeing the flustered Fate with suspicion, and Life, who had been dozing with her eyes closed, realized the cause of the panic just a moment later. They sensed it: Shallow Vernal, their Absolute Master, had manifested within the capital.
“What is the meaning of this, God of Space-Time! Shallow Vernal-sama said she wouldn't attend this year’s...”
“Y-Yes, she definitely stated she would not participate in the Founding Anniversary Festival. There is no way Shallow Vernal-sama would go back on her own word...”
“...It’s over,” Fate whispered, her face pale.
““Eh?””
As Life pressed her for answers, Chronoa looked on with a bewildered expression. The agitation of the Supreme Gods was evident to everyone in the room, causing the Six Kings and Chris to catch their breath at the sudden turn of events.
Fate seemed to have realized something, and she muttered with a look of pure dread.
“The Founding Anniversary Festival ended with those fireworks just now.”
“What!? So that’s it... This is grave. If Shallow Vernal-sama has arrived, it will cause an uproar that makes the War King’s visit look like a minor scuffle...”
“Regardless, I’m going there! I’ll use my Authority to drive people away and make sure no one can get close to the area.”
“Please, God of Fate. I shall immediately contact the God Realm and send reinforcements. God of Space-Time! I leave this place to you!”
“U-Understood. I have it handled.”
The Supreme Gods acted with incredible speed. Fate declared she was heading to the site immediately and vanished via teleportation. Simultaneously, the God of Life returned to the God Realm to mobilize the High-ranking Gods under her command.
“...G-Goddess of Time-sama...”
“Forgive me, Arclesia Emperor. This is an emergency. For the time being, everyone in this venue must remain inside and wait. If word spreads that Shallow Vernal-sama has arrived, it could trigger an immense panic.”
“I-I understand. I will ensure that everyone currently in the castle is strictly forbidden from leaving or making any contact with the outside world.”
Shallow Vernal was the God of the World. The number of faithful who would give anything just to see or pray to her was staggering. Her presence was fundamentally different from the Supreme Gods or the Six Kings. Even during the Hero Festival, opportunities to see her were limited to a fleeting moment on the final day. If the secret leaked, it was entirely possible that everyone in the capital would surge toward Kaito’s stall in a single, massive wave.
If that happened, panic would be unavoidable. That was precisely why Fate moved instantly to blockade the site. If the spread of information could be suppressed there, an immediate uproar could be prevented... but it would be disastrous if someone who had already witnessed her appearance told others before Fate arrived.
Regardless, they needed to respond in haste. Before long, in response to Life’s request, High-ranking Gods specialized in information concealment, such as the God of Thoughts, gathered and began their work.
For now, the greatest concern—a massive panic—could be prevented, but the problem was how Shallow Vernal would act afterward.
It went without saying that to the Gods, Shallow Vernal was an absolute existence. If she were to say she wanted to go around looking at the nearby stalls, there was no way to stop her. In fact, the only ones capable of even cautioning Shallow Vernal about her actions were Kuromueina or Kaito.
“...Chronoa-sama, what do you think will happen now?”
“Since the Underworld King is not here, Miyama is the only one who can voice an opinion to Shallow Vernal-sama. We can only pray that Miyama somehow persuades her and that she returns home early.”
In response to Lilia’s question, Chronoa replied with an indescribable expression. Seeing that even Chronoa, a Supreme God, could do nothing but pray that Kaito would handle it, both Lilia and Chris clutched their stomachs in shared misery.
Serious-senpai: “As expected of the Last Boss. Her stomach-pain-inducing power is in a league of its own...”