kscans

Chapter 173 - You are the World's Little One, The Gods' Independence

《Hmph, we are at a disadvantage here.》

《Come.》

《You are one who is connected to the gods. Your judgment will be in the heavens.》

"Huh?"

Numerous lightning bolts pierced through the stunned people. When Romel, who had lost his vision to the blinding light, regained his sight.

The Little One was gone.

《...Have the people awoken?》

《Here as well! Ah, everyone has awoken from the dream!》

In the Celestial Realm, they could see people, freed from the Dark Spirit King's control, waking up and tilting their heads. Just as the Little One had predicted, the Dark Spirit King, having become a god, could no longer interfere with the physical world. Many of the dark spirits also weakened and returned to the Abyss. They had only been able to exert their power because the Dark Spirit King had provided them with infinite magic. Without that, they were spirits whose very existence in the physical world was precarious. The Four Great Spirits born of that world were still stronger.

Many gods wept at the sight of the liberated world.

《It was that child...》

《Was it the Little One? Surely that child did something for us.》

《Did she not give the Dark Spirit King a name?》

《The image became poor midway through, so I could not see.》

《But... ah, my heartfelt thanks!》

As the gods wept with emotion and spoke their thanks to the Little One, a loud bashun sound echoed behind them. When the gods turned around, they saw the Little One held tightly in the arms of a large man.

"Dorfen?"

"Not twice... I will not lose you again!"

The moment the Little One was being abducted by the Higher Beings, even as the dazzling light stole his vision, Dorfen had relied on his judgment and lunged for her. And now, he had come to the Celestial Realm along with the Little One.

《It is time for judgment.》

《This one has rebelled against the gods.》

《An impossible arrogance for one connected to the gods.》

The three golden pillars flickered as if smirking.

But the Little One looked up at them with a sneer.

What are you talking about? Sorry, but I’ve figured it out.

In that final moment, Tsathoggua had shouted. While his vision was stolen by the dazzling lightning, he had predicted what would happen and exposed the logic of the gods.

‘Those guys don’t have a gatekeeper! If you seal them, they can’t get out!!’

Judging that there was only a moment, Tsathoggua, though his words were few, conveyed the core of the matter to the Little One.

While those around her were in an uproar over her disappearance, only Tsathoggua stared up at the sky far above and muttered.

‘Don’t underestimate my knowledge. I know.’

That dim murmur was pierced by the lightning, rolled across the battered Abyss, and vanished fleetingly like mist.

‘I ask the Higher Beings. There are three of you, yes?’

Pushing aside Dorfen who tried to shield her, the Little One growled lowly. The Celestial Realm immediately shook violently.

Narrowing her eyes at this, she raised her voice even higher.

‘You used Cesare and Clyde to wear them down, and you reincarnated me and Merda into Arcadia. You interfered with Earth so that it would not be known. It must have been easy for you, who can manipulate time.’

《What...?!》

The creator god of Earth’s eyes widened in astonishment.

They had made Cesare repeat a life of utter misery over and over again, so that he would be dyed in despair. How wicked could they be.

‘That’s not all. You guided the Dark Spirit King to become what he is. So that he wouldn’t leave the Abyss. You made his heart grow desolate so he would be lonely and waver... because he possessed power equal to a Higher Being.’

Now she understood. The Dark Spirit King had stayed in the Abyss because he couldn't abandon the souls cast down into the abyss. To keep that hidden, he must have disposed of countless souls. Like Hyrulia’s foster brothers. They were lucky enough to be saved by Joker’s web, but he must have been doing similar things in other worlds. He had cast down even innocent souls, slipping them past the eyes of the gods. All to bind Moldre to the Abyss.

As if she had hit the mark, the three pillars of light began to show obvious agitation.

Suddenly, the ground of the Celestial Realm shook. A great tremor assaulted the gods along with the Little One.

‘Support it!’

《《《《What?》》》》

The Little One barked at the gods, who were surprised and panicking at the shaking ground.

‘This is your world! Don’t hand it over to the Higher Beings! Support it!!’

At her words, a light lit up in the eyes of the gods.

They all placed their hands on the ground at once, and as each one poured their full strength into it, the violently shaking Celestial Realm grew perfectly still.

‘That’s right. This is your world, after all.’

The Little One’s lips curved into a grin.

She had deliberately spoken loudly for the gods of the Celestial Realm to hear. To let them know how arrogant the Higher Beings were and how they had toyed with life. Once created and sent out, a being is an individual. They are not something to be trampled on from above.

But the gods did not know that.

It was the same for the Higher Beings. They thought it natural that those they created would prostrate themselves and revere them. They reveled in receiving this and in protecting the gods.

It was probably better than being oppressed. If the gods were fine with it, perhaps she was being presumptuous.

But the Little One saw it.

The astonishment and indignation that appeared in the eyes of the gods who heard her story.

They were angry about what she had said. In other words, they did not wish to be ruled by the Higher Beings.

Well then, there’s only one thing to do, nyo♪

Exposed so nakedly, the three lights soared high into the sky. A tremendous fury instantly filled the air, making the gods’ limbs stiffen.

《Ugh? This is...》

The wrath of the Higher Beings...?

The gods, though convulsing minutely, kept the earth in check. A small resistance. As if irritated by this, the three lights pierced the Celestial Realm with a sharp sound.

The Higher Beings descended around the Little One.

《You know too much.》

《You have disturbed the harmony of the gods.》

《We will retrieve you and correct this harmony.》

The right hands of the Higher Beings reached for the Little One. Seeing this, many gods started to run.

《Forgive us!》

《This child has saved many worlds!》

《She is still but a child, have mercy!》

《Enough of this tediousness! Support her! Protect her!!》

Dozens, hundreds of gods rushed in, inserting themselves between the Higher Beings and the Little One. The right hand of the gods held the power of destruction. If the right hands of the Higher Beings touched a god, that god would be annihilated. Apparently, they couldn’t bring themselves to harm the gods who were like their own children, and so the Higher Beings, growing impatient with the gods swarming to protect the Little One, returned to the heavens once more.

《How foolish. We are the parents who gave birth to the gods and created the stars of the world... Regret this.》

They must have provoked the wrath of the Higher Beings. Countless bolts of lightning roared and fell from above the Little One. A storm of unavoidable lightning assaulted Chihiro. The flames of Megiddo, as depicted in the holy scriptures. The flames that burn only the human world do not affect the gods. In other words, even if the gods tried to protect the Little One, it would pass right through them.

《《Chihiro!》》

‘Lady Chihiro!’

Chaos and Abyss’s eyes widened in anguish as they screamed. And Dorfen too. But the girl, with light, dancing steps, masterfully dodged every bolt of lightning. A terrifying arrow of light filled Chihiro’s vision. But she could see its landing point as if it were in her hand. As if she could see a little into the future. With a strange clarity in her mind, the Little One suddenly remembered.

Ah, from that time.

Back when the Little One was Fatima. The Higher Beings had given her something. It was a blessing from the Higher Beings. A transfer of divine power bestowed upon one who would later become an O-saki. Normally, it was something one should receive from the gods of the world they are born into, but the Higher Beings were greatly indebted to the former Little One. It was apparently given in gratitude.

The mark on the left hand is the power of regeneration to build the future. The mark on the right hand is the power of destruction to settle the past. The mark on the forehead is the power of the gods to unite them, interfere with the world, and construct it.

Tsathoggua had said so when the mysterious marks appeared in the Abyss. As a result, a little bit of the power to manipulate time resided in the Little One. That must be why the path of the Higher Beings’ lightning appeared doubled in her vision. They surely never expected to be thwarted by the very power they had bestowed.

A wicked smile spread across her face, and the Little One shouted to achieve her goal.

Now that they’ve retreated is my chance.

‘I won’t accept it!’

This was the Celestial Realm.

As many gods watched, the Little One’s final battle began.

‘Parents don’t spoil their children and tie them up in knots! Anyone who does that is disqualified from being a parent!!’

A rain of lightning struck with a deafening roar. Dodging it, Chihiro raised her right hand. On the back of her hand shone the golden glimmer of an equilateral triangle.

‘Skuld!!’

As if responding to the Little One’s cry, the atmosphere trembled, and a metallic sound rang out, gakin.

《Eeek? S, sister!》

《Stop it!》

A low, curse-like voice descended from the heavens.

Ignoring it, she now raised her left hand. On it was an inverted golden equilateral triangle.

‘Urd!!’

Again, a hard sound, and a pained cry echoed from high above.

《Stop...!!》

Finally, with both arms raised, the Little One looked up to the heavens and smirked. On her forehead shone a hexagram, completed by the two triangles.

And the revelation she received when she was blessed by the Spirit Kings at the Table of the Gods.

The words of power that could destroy even the heavens. It was a name.

A blessing that fixes the existence of the gods, and also a curse that seals their interference with the world. Naming.

‘Verdandi!!’

《Stop it!!》

‘These are your names!!’

With a loud gakin sound, the lightning vanished, and silence filled the Celestial Realm.

‘It’s about time you let your children go!!’

The gods, who had been staring at the girl in stunned silence, noticed the change. Their bodies felt light. The interference of the Higher Beings that had restrained each of them was gone.

《What in the world...?》

The Little One, who had collapsed as if her strength was spent, explained while panting.

‘It just means the Higher Beings were gods after all.’

The Higher Beings who manipulate the past, future, and present. The gods born from their amusement were their children. In other words, it was equivalent to the relationship between humans and gods. And the Higher Beings were dolls of light. Remembering this, the Little One had grown suspicious.

Chaos and Abyss had once been dolls of light. The two who had received their names from Chihiro and taken their current forms.

...Were they not the same?

《So you gave them names...?》

To the faces that couldn’t hide their astonishment, the Little One nodded. The covenant that binds the gods. If this also applied to the Higher Beings, then by giving them names, they would become unable to interfere with the Celestial Realm. That is what the Little One had thought.

And Tsathoggua’s final words.

《The Higher Beings do not have a guardian.》

In other words, there was something like the door to the Abyss in the Celestial Realm as well, and the nameless Higher Beings, just like nameless gods, could pass through it freely. But by being given names, the restrictions of the gods would take effect, and they would no longer be able to pass through that door. This had to be done after they returned to their high place, sealing them in. In essence, it was locking the door. That was what naming did.

Since the thing was a door, it could be opened and closed. Perhaps there were special considerations for the three pillars of light who ruled the heavens, or the Dark Spirit King who ruled the Abyss.

But Tsathoggua had said it. A guardian was needed. And the Higher Beings did not have one.

In the Abyss, Tsathoggua had led Cesare, along with Katsumi, to the door. Cesare was a being of darkness. In other words, the door that was closed after being named probably needed a guardian to open it. With Cesare as the guardian, the door to the Abyss could be opened and closed.

With this, the three pillars, who apparently had no such guardian, should never be able to manifest again. Because she had received a blessing from the Higher Beings, the Little One had been granted the right to name them, just like a god.

‘Looks like I hit the jackpot.’

Looking up at the now silent heavens, the Little One beamed.

‘The gods will stand on their own too. You Higher Beings can just watch over them, nyo♪’

She didn’t know if they were truly the Norns. She had heard that some worlds called them that, but it wasn’t certain. Still, Chihiro couldn’t think of any other names, so she gave the Higher Beings the names of the three sisters.

And for things to take a diagonal, upward twist was her default setting.

A hexagram shone on the forehead of the Little One as she slowly stood up. It began a light resonance. Drawn in by the resonance from an unknown source, the Celestial Realm began to shine with a golden light.

《This is...》

‘Wha?!’

A golden sash billowed out from the Little One’s entire body. Countless sashes undulated, spread out, and filled the Celestial Realm like ripples.

《The power of creation...?》

The earth instantly began to sprout, grass and flowers grew and bloomed. Large trees stirred in the distance. They too grew and transformed into a forest. Looking up, there were golden clouds in the sky. Before the stunned and motionless gods, a world was created in no time at all.

‘Nyo?’

The Little One had a puzzled look on her face.

What a creature you are...

The gods who were nearby trembled, their eyes shaking, and they all knelt before the Little One. The gods looked up at the startled Little One, who flinched back, and smiled softly as tears streamed down their faces.

《It’s over... Now a world has been created in the Celestial Realm too. We thank you. Truly...》

《We are endlessly grateful for you liberating so many worlds.》

《We who could not defy our parent gods... have committed many mistakes.》

The powerful yoke that the Higher Beings had placed on the gods. The Little One had smashed it. By giving the Higher Beings names, the Celestial Realm had acknowledged the Little One as its master. And it had created the world she desired in the Celestial Realm.

For the gods, who could do nothing but watch over each star in a white world close to nothingness, something called life had finally arrived.

《We’ll be busy from now on. I want to build a house and try making one of those things called fields.》

《I prefer to be near the water. I’d like to try my hand at fishing.》

《We’ll need blacksmiths and carpenters too, won’t we? Is there anyone who has an O-saki skilled in such things? Let us borrow their power and build our world.》

Hands from Chaos and Abyss were placed on the shoulders of the Little One, who was staring dumbfounded at the suddenly energized gods.

《You really are... a delightful girl.》

《To think you would create a world in the Celestial Realm. The Higher Beings must be stomping their feet in frustration.》

Drawn in by the two who laughed so merrily, the Little One also began to laugh.

All’s well that ends well.

With the birth of a new world, the Celestial Realm became a very lively place.