As the date for Kaito’s outings with Olivia and Kaori approached, a separate plan was unfolding in a place far beyond his knowledge.
It was a surreal sight. An infinite white void stretched in every direction, occupied only by a single, colossal round table. Seated there were beings who far transcended the limits of human understanding.
"It seems everyone has arrived," a voice spoke softly.
The one who whispered those words was the host of this gathering—the Creator of Trinia and the pinnacle of the world, the Creator God Shallow Vernal.
"Well, I’m sure we’ll need to talk to more people later, but for now, almost everyone Shiro invited has gathered, haven't they?"
Answering her was a being born from the power Shallow Vernal had once cast aside, the practical head of the Demon Realm—the Underworld King, Kuromueina.
"Personally, I’m just worried that among these eccentric members, we might have some problem children who will cause trouble for my beloved child... Eh? Alice, why did you suddenly put a mirror in front of me?"
Sitting at her seat with her terminal, Eden, waiting in attendance behind her, was a god from another world distinguished by her rainbow-colored eyes and a single mechanical wing—the Machine God, Machina.
"Look closely. The person reflected in that mirror right now is the biggest problem child here, so please engrave that image into your mind and make sure you don't go on a rampage. I’m tired of the title 'Machina-handler' sticking to me; it’s a real pain..."
Delivering the retort with an exasperated expression was the one who could be called the Ruler of the Shadows of Trinia—the Phantasm King No Face, also known as Alice.
"I-I mean, t-this... a-aren't I completely out of place here? This is far too intimidating..."
The one trembling and turning pale as she surveyed the members at the table was one of the Supreme Gods of the God Realm—the God of Fate, Fate.
"Oh, you’ll be fine, won't you? This summons was for those of the Quasi-Almighty Class or higher, and as far as I can see, you more than meet the criteria. Besides, I’m a newcomer to this world myself, so I feel pretty out of place too. Ah, that reminds me—Nebula-san said she would only celebrate privately, so she’s sitting this one out."
Providing a light word of support to Fate was a god who had wandered through countless worlds before finally settling down in Kaito's world—the God of Flux, Canaris. Her voice was bright, though her face remained perfectly motionless.
Every person present was an individual of at least the Quasi-Almighty Class... possessors of literal god-like power. The highest-ranking beings in Trinia had all convened in this single space.
"By the way, Machine God-san, it has been a long time."
"Ah... it’s been about 1.8 billion years, hasn't it? I have to say, I was surprised to hear that the one known as the God of Flux or the Wandering God had settled down with my beloved child."
"Hehe... it’s all thanks to Kaito-sama's charms, I suppose."
"I understand. My beloved child's cuteness knows no bounds. It’s only natural that even a god would be captivated."
"From my perspective, Kaito-sama is more in the 'cool' category, but I suppose everyone perceives him differently."
Canaris, having wandered through various worlds over the years, was an old acquaintance who had visited Machina’s world in the past. At her words of praise for Kaito, Machina nodded with a proud expression, clearly in high spirits.
"Idle chatter is all well and good, but let us conclude the necessary business first. I am sure everyone understands why we are meeting today, so there is no need to elaborate. However, before we begin, there is one crucial matter... all present will enter into a contract."
Shallow Vernal’s quiet declaration caused the expressions around the table to sharpen. Like Shallow Vernal and Machina, gods of the world-creation class held contracts in the highest regard.
After all, if beings of the Almighty Class level were to clash, it could lead to a conflict spanning hundreds of billions of years without ever reaching a resolution. To avoid such friction, it was common practice for world-creating gods to establish contracts among themselves.
Of course, these contracts lacked the absolute power to bind the actions of an Omniscient and Omnipotent God. However, any god who broke a pact made with their peers would lose all credibility, becoming isolated or even targeted as an enemy. For this reason, agreements between world-creating gods were almost never broken.
Establishing a contract here meant that the topics they were about to discuss carried that level of weight.
"First, I forbid any individual actions... no one is to steal a march on the others. If you wish to act on your own judgment, you must obtain approval from at least two other members first. Next, within this discussion, we shall all speak as equals, regardless of rank or ability. For example, if Fate were to deny or criticize my opinion during this meeting, it will not be considered lèse-majesté, nor will it affect our relationship afterward. Indeed, to withhold your true thoughts is an insult to everyone else here."
"I understand."
"Those are the terms. If there are no objections, please touch the table."
One by one, the gathered beings signaled their agreement by touching the round table. As they did, a complex pattern woven from their collective magic power—the proof of the contract—flared into existence at the table's center.
With the preparations complete, Shallow Vernal finally addressed the main subject.
"Then, let us begin the discussion regarding Kaito-san's birthday, which is now only two months away."
~ Meeting Members ~
Shallow Vernal (Almighty Class and an outlier) Kuromueina (Recently reached the Almighty Class) Alice (Quasi-Almighty Class; currently stepping into the Almighty Class through special training with Machina) Fate (Quasi-Almighty Class) Machina (High-ranking even among the Omniscient and Omnipotent Class) Canaris (Omniscient and Omnipotent Class, though slightly inferior to Machina) Nebula (Absent)
Quasi-Almighty < Almighty < Omniscient and Omnipotent <<<< Absolute One Epilogue (The End of the Story): An outlier beyond comparison.
Serious-senpai: "Wait, they’re preparing a massive stomach ache for Kaito!?"