Divina Comedia

by Chayner

Some say that God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh. But what if he is just doing it for his own amusement? Wouldn't that make creation itself the ultimate joke? With sentient life being the unwitting puppets dancing to the creator's whimsical tune? 「Discontinued.」

2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing besides the original concepts and plots that I have introduced into this story.

---

Chapter 2: Knight to E4

Ophis stared with calm, unblinking eyes at the small cup filled with steaming liquid that was just placed on a saucer in front of her. She was seated at a small table in the middle of a modestly decorated room, idly taking in the fragrant aroma slowly wafting from her freshly brewed tea.

Her grey eyes briefly traveled from her teacup to the opposite end of the table, where an identical cup was being filled with the same hot liquid by the person in whose company she had spent most of the day.

The young man's wife was right next to him, her head resting on his lap as she seemed to be simply enjoying his presence.

Despite spending some significant time in their admittedly pleasant company, Ophis could still not fully shake off the ominous feeling that seemed to linger around the pink haired woman.

On the other hand, however, most of her subtle apprehension toward Hagoromo seemed to have vanished at some point during their time spent together. The white haired deity could still appear unnerving at times, though she could tell that he didn't have any malice toward her.

Neither did Yuno, yet there was something about her that kept putting Ophis on edge whenever she became the target of the woman's fleeting attention.

This was something that confused Ophis. She couldn't say that their company has been unpleasant. In fact, the time she had spent around the two deities had been... nice. The same kind of nice that she used to describe the feeling of tranquility in her home.

Could she just be thinking too deeply into the matter? Maybe this aura of dread surrounding the pink haired girl was simply part of her nature?

Perhaps she should just try to get accustomed to this foreboding presence of hers instead. After all, she knew that there wouldn't be any issues as long as she kept within her own boundaries.

The sound of Hagoromo placing the teakettle back on the table brought the dark haired girl out of her contemplation. Ophis watched impassively as he brought his own teacup to his mouth with refined elegance and took a sip from the warm liquid.

"Thank you for your assistance, Ophis." Hagoromo spoke, glancing at the stoic girl seated across from him. "Your knowledge on this world was very helpful and much appreciated."

Ophis didn't give any visible sign of acknowledgment to his words, except for blinking once as she kept staring blankly at the enigmatic duo in front of her. Though after realizing that she had yet to touch her own tea, she picked up her cup with a dainty movement and drank half of its content, before resuming her silent watching.

Smiling placidly at the girl's behavior, Hagoromo cast his gaze downward to where his wife was resting her head on his lap and began playing with a lock of her rose colored hair. This earned him a happy smile from Yuno as she snuggled her face deeper into the fabric of his robe.

Ophis' monotone voice suddenly cut through the silent atmosphere of the room. " You are welcome." Her delayed reply prompted Hagoromo to regard her in mild amusement as she spoke next. "Before I leave, I have a question."

Hagoromo's lips formed into a light smile. "Let's hear it." He said, taking another sip from his tea.

"Why are you so interested in humans?" Ophis fixated the white haired deity with her spiritless gaze, her eyes gaining an oddly curious glint as she opened her mouth to speak again. "What do you find so entertaining about observing them?"

These questions had been on her mind for a while, though the reason she didn't ask them up to this point was simply because she had wanted to see if she could figure the answers by herself first.

Unfortunately, she wasn't able to do that. The things she garnered about Hagoromo after being around him so far weren't enough to bring her pondering to any satisfactory answer. Therefore, she decided that she would simply ask him now in order to satisfy her curiosity.

Hagoromo's mouth quirked in amusement at the taciturn girl. He was expecting to be asked these questions by her sooner or later. A moment later, he gave his reply.

"Humans are fragile things. Born with no real purpose, and imperfect by nature." He said, sipping the remaining tea from his cup. "They believe to possess infinite potential, when in truth, most are unable to rise past a certain threshold, their own nature being their greatest foe."

Ophis listened intently to the snow haired deity's words, her curious eyes never breaking contact with his amused expression.

"Yet they still try to reach for things far beyond their grasp, some of them unwavering in their attempts." Hagoromo's voice gained a sharper note as he spoke, and a fierce smirk tugged at his lips. "Then there are those who do not yield, no matter what the hardship they face. Those who are simply relentless in their pursuit, unable to give up on what they seek."

His attention was briefly drawn to his wife when he felt her arms wrap affectionately around his waist. After sharing a meaningful gaze with her, he returned his attention on the dark haired girl across from him.

Ophis felt a little unnerved at how disconcerting the young man's expression was, though she instead focused on his speech, which was far too interesting to let herself become distracted.

"The strength of the human will is a fascinating thing to observe. To see how far such flawed creatures can reach just by their conviction alone." Hagoromo continued, more of his ominous nature seeping through his cheerful facade. "Their tenacity as well. The extent of their beliefs. The limit to their resolve. Whether they prevail or give in. Whether they rise or fall. Whether they remain resolute, or ultimately succumb."

She had never considered such things before, and despite the menacing presence that the wise deity was exuding, listening to him speak felt like a novel learning experience to her. She could tell that a newfound interest was being stirred within her by his words alone.

"Their unpredictability is another entertaining aspect that I greatly enjoy." Hagoromo added, his voice gaining a jolly tune reflecting of his internal amusement, yet heavily contrasting with his overall demeanor. "Humans are very interesting beings to toy with, and observing their reactions to the various situations in which I place them brings me quite the enjoyment."

Ophis was focusing so intently on his speech that she looked uncharacteristically absorbed by now. It was more than clear that she found everything he said to be very interesting.

Hagoromo reached his conclusion with a pleasant smile that reduced most of the unnerving atmosphere surrounding him. "This is why I am so interested in humans." Saying that, he took a moment to pour himself another cup of hot tea, before returning his attention on the dark haired girl.

Ophis was silently mulling over what she had just been told.

This perspective of viewing humans was something completely new to her.

Up to this point, she had thought of them to be merely inconsequential existences to her, and had never bothered to consider them any further past this label.

Yet as she was replaying Hagoromo's words inside her mind, she could clearly see that there was indeed more to these humans than what she had initially thought to be the case.

A curiosity was sparked inside her by this realization. It was a rather foreign sensation, and she would definitely ponder more deeply into the subject once she returned to her home.

"I see." Ophis interrupted the brief silence, though despite her curt response, there were faint traces of interest in her otherwise dull voice.

Her eyes caught sight of the remaining liquid in her cup, and she decided to finish the last of her tea by drinking it in a single sip. She idly noted that it still tasted pretty good, even if it was no longer warm.

Glancing back at the white haired deity, she placed the teacup back on the table. "I, shall leave now." By this point, her voice was already back to its usual monotone. "Thank you for the hospitality."

Hagoromo smiled amiably at the stoic girl. "You can visit us anytime you want, Ophis. We will be here for most of the time, so feel free to stop by and say hello."

"Okay." Ophis stood up from the table and stared unblinkingly at the duo for a while, most likely thinking about how to proceed next. "Goodbye." She said after a few moments, before opening a small portal matching of her height behind herself.

Turning around, she walked toward the iridescent void, though she soon felt another foreign sensation course through her as she was about to step inside the dimensional gap. It felt like during the times when she was trying to enjoy the silence of her home, only for it to be abruptly cut short by that loud, annoying dragon.

Not really understanding what this feeling was supposed to mean in this case, Ophis dismissed it and continued her slow paced walk toward her home, her small frame quickly disappearing inside the swirling colors of the gap.

The portal closed itself shortly after, and a brief silence settled over the atmosphere of the room. Though it didn't last long, courtesy of the rose haired goddess.

Yuno gave her husband a playful look. "Aren't you going to say it?" she asked somewhat cryptically.

Hagoromo arched an eyebrow. "Say what, my dear?" His knowing smile removed most of the credibility from his oblivious tone.

Yuno saw right through his act. Not that he put any effort in hiding it to begin with. "You know you aren't fooling anyone here, right darling?"

Hagoromo looked in amusement at his wife. "Oh? Is that so?" he queried airily.

Yuno met his question with a sweet smile. "Yep~" she singsonged.

Hagoromo winked knowingly at his wife. "Then I guess I have no other choice." A smirk twitched on his lips as he spoke. "Looks like it went all according to plan."

Yuno couldn't help the giggles that escaped her mouth upon hearing him voice that last part. He could probably turn it into a catchphrase if he kept saying it so smoothly.

The rose haired goddess kept her affectionate gaze on her husband, simply observing him in the silence that followed their short discussion.

Not taking his eyes away from the smiling face of his wife, Hagoromo reached for his teacup and took a long sip. When he felt the arms wrapped around his waist snake their way up his body, before entwining around his neck, he had an inkling of what his wife was trying to do.

Just as he moved the cup away from his mouth, he was mostly ready for the pair of soft lips that suddenly pressed against his own, an act which allowed Yuno to drink some of the tea that he was about to swallow by deepening her kiss.

A few droplets of the warm liquid trickled down her chin as the young goddess sucked as much of the tea as she could, before her husband managed to finally swallow it.

Once she was done with her sensual plunder, she rested her head comfortably back on his lap, a mischievous smile playing on her lips as she looked at his slightly bemused expression.

Hagoromo kept silent for a few moments while he brought the teacup back to his mouth and drained it of its remaining content.

Calmly placing the cup back on the table with elegant ease, he veered his gaze downward at his smiling wife and met her cerise eyes. They held an impish glint that made her current mood more than clear to him.

"Do you want me to pour you another cup, my dear?" The corners of Hagoromo's mouth twitched into a smile as his voice gained an amused note. "I enjoyed your unconventional method of drinking tea, though I think that it might easily distract you from the activity itself."

Yuno giggled at her husband. "There's no need, darling." She smiled innocently, though it did nothing to mask the mischief still present in her eyes, or the sensual undertone in her voice. "I just wanted to have a little taste from you, that's all."

Hagoromo closed his eyes in momentary thought. His wife was being as endearing as always in her behavior, though he was going to make sure that her little attempt at teasing would be returned in kind when the time was right.

Humming softly in acknowledgment, the white haired deity brought up his gloved hand and wiped the lingering droplets of tea from his wife's chin. "How about we go take a stroll through the gardens now?" he offered.

"Okay~" Yuno agreed cheerfully, idly observing how the liquid on her husband's glove sizzled away into thin wisps of vapor.

The remaining tea from the kettle was also boiled away a moment later, vanishing into a faint plume of steam.

The two deities stood up from the table shortly after, with Yuno still clinging to Hagoromo's arm in an unsurprising display of synchronicity.

Exiting the room, they stepped into an austere hallway and walked at an unhurried pace toward its far end, passing by several other doors on their way.

After a couple minute of walking, they finally reached the exit, past which they were welcomed by the pleasant sight of their destination. A lavish garden filled with various types of exquisite flowers and vegetation.

The idyllic greenery stretched along the whole side of the building they had left, and it was split down around the middle by a narrow bridge that crossed over a small, clear pond.

Hagoromo took a few moments to admire the pleasant scenery alongside his wife, and briefly wondered whether he should add anything else to the place for the time being or not.

The surroundings themselves resembled those of a traditional Japanese shrine, save perhaps for the partially concealed entrance to what seemed to be an underground chamber of some kind.

The building behind them was the main part of the edifice, with it also being their place of residence. It was moderately sized and it visibly spanned less than a quarter of the entire space delimited by the shrine's boundaries.

The size of the shrine grounds was not that large either, as there was no need for that much space at the current stage of development. The territory could be easily expanded at any time, so there was no issue in that regard.

Not to mention that there was no need to garner any undue attention at this early point in time.

Scattered across the property, there were a number of several smaller housings, purposed to serve as lodgings for those who would be converted in the near future.

The front part of the shrine was mostly an open area paved with stone, though it held the occasional patch of greenery in between to give it a more vibrant atmosphere. Its purpose was to serve as the central gathering place for any visitors or followers.

In contrast, the rear side of the shrine contained the lush garden and pond which were part of the main building, as well as several other miscellaneous structures of varying utilities.

The whole establishment was built into the side of a mountain, at the outskirts of what appeared to be a bustling town, and was surrounded on all sides by sizable stone walls, created from joined mossy slabs, beyond which lay the vast expanse of a thick, concealing forest.

The entrance to the shrine featured a large, red tinted torii gate, which didn't leave much to the imagination of anyone who might have wondered about the purpose of the place.

As for the property grounds themselves, they were bereft of any other presence, aside from the divine couple itself.

Toneri had already departed early in the morning to begin his task of converting the populace of the town, whereas Hidan himself had decided to wander off to the forest in exploration after being told that he could do whatever he wished for the time being.

It made perfect sense, given the nature of Hidan's Inquisition.

After all, this was just the first morning since their arrival, so it would take some time until things started picking up enough for the grey haired man to be able to actively join the stage. But until then, he would have to entertain himself through other means.

Deciding that there was nothing else that needed to be added for the time being, Hagoromo brought his musings to an end and glanced at his wife, quickly drawing her attention.

They exchanged a brief, meaningful glance, and then resumed their walk, their destination being none other than the vibrant garden spanning before them.

---

A pair of green, weary looking eyes stared unfocused at a bright ceiling as their owner became even more slumped in his chair.

Blonde tresses framing a handsome face swayed slightly as the man brought one of his hands to his head in an attempt to alleviate a forming headache.

Despite the tranquil atmosphere of his personal quarters, it still seemed to be a futile endeavor on his part.

An almost inaudible yet somewhat drawn out sigh escaped the man's lips only a moment later as he silently thought back on the cause of his most recent worries.

Less than ten minutes ago, he had just concluded an urgent meeting with his brothers and sisters on a topic that visibly placed all of them in disquieted states.

A couple days before, the watchers gave him reports about a strange activity within the boundaries of the dimensional gap.

He had immediately issued a thorough inspection of the incident in response.

Not only was it his duty as the Archangel and current leader of Heaven, but Michael had been genuinely concerned by the unusual occurrence. After all, the dimensional gap was not a place with much activity to begin with.

The reports had concluded about a large scale battle having taken place, and from that information he had assumed that it had been just another altercation between the two incredibly powerful residents of the gap.

While extremely rare, there have been records of similar incidents in the past.

However, the latest updates received from the assigned watchers had prompted him to drastically reconsider this initial assumption.

Only a few hours earlier, Michael was given a report that had ended up with him having to hastily assemble a meeting among the Seraphs of Heaven, the sole subject of their discussion being the disappearance of the Apocalypse Dragon from the dimensional gap.

Another weary sigh escaped the Archangel's lips as he slumped even further in his chair, as if pressed down by a heavy, invisible burden weighing on his shoulders.

Things were already complicated enough for Heaven ever since their Father had passed away at the end of the Great War. This added worry was truly one of the last things that they needed right now.

Regardless of how he looked at the issue, it was still an unsettling development for the stability of the world.

An entity as powerful as the Dragon of Dragons suddenly vanishing without a trace was not something that could be waved off, even if said entity might have left due to a reason as mundane as boredom.

Not when there was the other, less likely avenue, that Michael didn't exactly wish to consider as being the probable case here, despite there being a real possibility for it to be true.

That was, for the disappearance of Great Red to be the result of some external factor, as it would have been impossible for Ophis alone to defeat the mighty dragon in a battle.

Michael briefly shook his head at the thought, feeling his headache grow at the implications brought on by such a possibility.

Not only would the balance of the entire world be at risk of being severely disturbed, but it might very well also spell a potential disaster for Heaven, if whatever entity that had been capable of such a feat turned out to be hostile.

Being caught up in another large scale conflict was something that Heaven could not afford at this time. The losses of something like that would be a devastating blow to them. One that they wouldn't be able to recover from with the current state of Heaven's system.

Shaking his head a little more vigorously than before, Michael dispelled the grim thoughts slowly gathering in his mind.

Taking into consideration the worst case scenario was something that should always be done, yet there was a difference between that and simply filling his head with negativity.

He was already trying to do everything possible with the limited information that they currently possessed, so dwelling upon such pessimistic scenarios before even knowing with certainty about what they were dealing with was something that he shouldn't be doing.

Feeling all of the previously accumulated weariness finally begin to take its toll on his mind and body, Michael closed his eyes and exhaled softly.

For now he would just have to wait and see what exactly it was that they were dealing with.

He had ordered the watchers to monitor the gap even more closely, so he was going to wait for their next update. Then he would consider his options in detail once more, and decide on the next plan of action.

After all, he was not one to make rash decisions based on mere assumptions. That would only spell out complete foolishness when it came to matters of such a critical importance.

---

The fading sound of footsteps against stone was heard as Hagoromo walked to the edge of what appeared to be a large underground lake.

A little over half a week had passed since their arrival, and the shrine grounds above were already populated with a handful of people, despite the rather early time of day.

His nephew had done an outstanding work during these past few days with the task of converting the populace of the town. Not that he had been expecting anything less from him.

Hagoromo's pale eyes absentmindedly gazed over the body of water glistening before him as he swiftly brought his thoughts back on the task at hand.

Glancing to his right, he was quickly met with a bright smile from his beloved wife who was sitting demurely on a nearby rock. He returned the smile, before veering his attention back on the lake as he extended his right hand above the water's surface.

The skin on his palm split itself open, enough just for a white colored drop to gather from within and fall into the water after the flesh mended itself.

Once the droplet touched the surface of the water, the entire lake shimmered a brilliant white as power and essence suffused through it, permeating it down to the last molecule.

The intense light diminished moments later, however, it never truly faded, as a faint silvery glow remained clinging to the surface of the water, giving it an ethereal feel to anyone who gazed upon it.

Sending one more fleeting glance to the now blessed body of water, Hagoromo smiled appreciatively, before turning around and looking at his wife.

"I wonder what this reminds me of?" Yuno mused out loud as she met her husband's gaze with a knowing smile.

Smirking in response, Hagoromo walked up to his wife and offered her his hand. "May it remain a mystery."

Yuno giggled as she was helped up to her feet. "That's it? No water to wine, or anything like that?" she asked in amusement.

"Impatient, are we?" Hagoromo looked equally amused at her remark. "But I can offer you some bread and fish for breakfast if you want."

"Sure, but then you'll have to feed everyone at the shrine," Yuno replied playfully.

Both of them shared a laugh in response to that, before silence returned once more over the atmosphere as Yuno hugged her husband's arm, leaning closer to him.

Sending one last glance at the gleaming water behind him, Hagoromo began climbing the set of stairs leading outside the cavern alongside his wife.

The blessed lake was going to play an important role in the future development of his religion.

Providing an easy and efficient method of baptizing the converts for them to become true followers of the Esoteric Faith was one aspect.

But there were also some other special properties granted to the water by his power, which would only make the baptism all that more unique to the converts.

Rejuvenation and relaxation were bound to make the entire process feel even more changing to those experiencing it.

---

Her raven brows slightly furrowed in a rather uncharacteristic expression as her gaze continued to sweep over the ever-changing colors of the dimensional gap, as if in search of something unknown to her.

It had been roughly a week since Ophis returned to the silence of her home, though, for the past few days, she had been feeling rather odd. Like something was amiss, and she wasn't able to exactly tell what it was, or why it was.

When she had stepped back into her liberated home after such a long time, she had felt a little nostalgic at first, but that feeling had quickly faded into one of content upon being greeted by the permeating silence of the iridescent void.

She had thought that she would be able to return to the same quiet life of the times long past, of the days before that annoying lizard had disturbed her silence, though as time steadily drained away, so too did her feeling of content leave her.

It started slowly, at an almost unnoticeable pace, yet after the first two days, it had become clear to her that something about this prevalent emptiness of her home was somehow displeasing her.

This realization had left Ophis puzzled for almost the entirety of that day, and only the fact that the feeling of discontent seemed to become more pronounced by the hour had moved her out of her stupor.

Not that her situation had somehow changed after that, for it didn't seem to matter how much time she spent rationalizing her predicament, because she hadn't been able to find a concrete answer to what was ailing her.

After all, she had experienced very few emotions during all of her millennia of existence, and none of those had seemed to match what she had been feeling for these past few days.

The only thing she was able to figure out, was the fact that her general unpleasant state seemed to become more accentuated every time her mind wandered to the time she had spent in the company of Hagoromo and Yuno.

Ophis' almost imperceptible frown suddenly became more pronounced and her gaze became slightly downcast at that thought.

She knew that the two peculiar entities must somehow be related to these baffling emotions of hers, yet she didn't actually know how.

She had contemplated this topic for the entirety of the past day, but she hadn't been able to come up with anything particularly relevant.

Only that she has most likely become like this ever since her departure from their shrine.

At that time, she had experienced something strange, but she had quickly dismissed the feeling due to not understanding what it could have meant.

Not that she understood it now either, however, after coming to experience it a few more times ever since, she had come to the conclusion that all of this was connected somehow.

The raven haired girl's frown lessened a little once she thought back on the day that she had spent in the pleasant company of the two deities.

Being around them had been nice, although a little odd due to some of the more peculiar interactions she had either witnessed or had been subjected to.

But in the end, it had still been overall nice for her.

Spending that day with them had been one of the highlights in the past millennium of her existence, if not even more.

Her thoughts suddenly drifted to the last conversation that she had with Hagoromo, prompting her grey eyes to become slightly unfocused as she fell even deeper in her contemplation.

His words had given her a new insight on the inner workings of the world, something that she doubted she could have reached on her own.

He was a very knowledgeable and wise entity, that was certain to Ophis.

Sure, she knew a lot of things as well, however, despite her knowledge accumulated over the many millennia of her existence, he seemed to be in possession of much more experience than her in many areas.

It was as if he had experienced living and the very act of existing in much more diversity than her. Which was something that she didn't doubt, since she had spent most of her life secluded in the emptiness of her home.

He was definitely wiser than her. Much, much wiser...

Then...

Perhaps he could help her understand these complicated feelings that she was experiencing?

The little girl's eyes noticeably widened at the sudden thought, and her previous frown completely vanished as it was replaced by her usual blank expression.

She briefly wondered why she hadn't thought of something like that yet, though she quickly discarded that idle thought in the favor of the idea itself.

If there was someone who could help her right now, then it definitely had to be the peculiar white haired deity.

She clearly remembered his parting words to her. He told her that she could come in visit anytime she wanted.

And with that, it was settled for Ophis. She was going to pay him a visit.

A moment later the raven haired girl opened a portal in the swirling colors of the void, before promptly hovering inside, her destination being that of a certain shrine in the human world.

---

On the fifth day since their arrival in the world, the morning found Hagoromo and Yuno walking at a leisure pace on the stone walkways of their establishment, their destination appearing to be the large torii gate that marked the entrance.

The shrine grounds were populated by a considerable amount of people of all ages and both genders, who were either converts or full fledged followers. They were all listening in silence to a sermon that was being held by Toneri in the gathering area at the front of the shrine.

His nephew seemed to be quite absorbed in his speech, and he voiced his words with such zeal that everyone was listening intently to everything that he had to say.

A smirk tugged at Hagoromo's lips as he observed this image of fervent piety for a little longer, before returning his gaze upon the walkway in front of him.

More people appeared to be arriving at the shrine grounds from the surrounding forest, passing through the gate in orderly fashion, though some of them showed a rather peculiar element distinguishing them from the others.

It was something that could easily be mistaken for an odd eye tattoo made in dark ink on their foreheads, when in truth it was so much more to those who knew of its true significance.

For those who held the marking on their flesh, they knew it for what it truly meant. It was the symbol of their faith, though it merely reflected on their skin that which they had accepted to be engraved on their souls.

Hagoromo's attention was promptly drawn to his right when he felt his beloved wife latch onto his arm while walking with a spring in her step by his side.

The people passing by didn't seem to be paying any attention to the two deities, which should have been impossible under normal circumstances, simply due to their unusual appearances alone.

But as things stood, it appeared that the many people visiting the shrine weren't even aware of the couple's presence walking in their midst, as though they were simply unseen to their eyes.

This was most probably the reason why Hagoromo and Yuno could be strolling so casually and carefree on the shrine's grounds in the first place, as there was no chance for them to be recognized for what they were.

Obviously, it was Hagoromo's own doing that ensured they wouldn't be identified until the time was right.

"So where are we going?" Yuno chirped in a sweet voice as she glanced up at her husband with an expression that made her look endearingly cute.

"To welcome our little guest," Hagoromo reminded with a smile. "She should be arriving any minute now."

"Oh, I almost forgot about her." Yuno didn't seem too thrilled at the thought, and it subtly showed in the slight dimming of her gaze. "Looks like she's coming back after all."

Hagoromo chuckled at his wife's words. "You've been playing really nice to her so far." His mouth formed into a smirk that would fill most people with disconcerting vibes. "It would be a shame to scare her off now, wouldn't it? She's going to be a very useful piece in the endgame. I'm planning to have her become the Overseer of this world."

Yuno smiled sweetly in response to that, her previous displeasure vanishing like magic. "You say that, but we both know how you are secretly hoping for me to go on another murderous rampage with the next occasion." Her voice held a teasing note to it as she spoke. "I know how much you love watching me go full on yandere mode, darling~. That delightful eye candy which I gave you while fighting against Kinshiki and Momoshiki has really left you wanting more, hasn't it?"

"Oh my! You read me like an open book, my dear." Hagoromo remarked in faux surprise. "But I can wait for it, if that's what you're concerned about. Being an ascetic priest for most of my life has taught me quite a few things, you know?"

Yuno giggled at that, her smile quickly gaining an impish edge. "Like what you've showed me on our wedding night?" She quipped innocently.

"Oh? So you're going with that one, eh?" Hagoromo asked in amusement.

Yuno tried her best to look as innocent as possible while holding a staring contest with her husband.

Hagoromo's lips twitched with mischief. "Then what about you, hmm?" he asked curiously. "I wonder how much you are looking forward to what you know for sure to come in the aftermath of such an event."

Yuno's cheeks became dusted with red as soon as she realized what her husband was implying. "Jeez, darling..." She quickly averted her gaze in mild embarrassment, her voice being only loud enough for him to hear as she mumbled a response. "Saying such things to a young lady right after speaking of your priestly virtues..."

Hagoromo simply chuckled in amusement at her act. Spinning his words while being coy at the same time was one of her specialties. Though despite the image she was projecting, he knew that she was having as much fun as he was.

Following their exchange, a pleasant silence settled among the two deities.

They soon crossed the red tinted gate and entered the forest, keeping at their walk for another minute or so, before eventually coming to a stop as they looked at a seemingly random spot in the distance.

---

A small portal opened amidst the dense vegetation of the forest, its presence concealed from all but two pairs of eyes.

The petite figure of a raven haired girl stepped out of the swirling colors of the portal, dismissing it with a brief thought as she began walking in the direction of the couple watching her from afar.

"Welcome back, Ophis." Hagoromo greeted the approaching girl amiably. "It's good to see you again."

Yuno already had a cheerful smile showing on her face. "Hey there, Ophis!" She waved in a welcoming manner at the girl. "Likewise."

Ophis stared blankly at them as she gave her curt reply. "I, have returned." Though if one looked closely at her seemingly inexpressive face, they would have noticed the faint glimmer in her eyes.

Both Hagoromo and Yuno easily caught that, the former smiling pleasantly at the dark haired girl, before motioning for her to follow as they began walking through the quiet forest.

Hagoromo glanced at the taciturn girl after a few moments of silence. "So how have you been, Ophis?" he asked with an equable disposition. "No more issues with your home, have you?"

The petite girl's features became furrowed in a somewhat troubled expression. "I... don't know..." Her unsure voice faded in the din of the forest as she kept staring ahead with unfocused eyes.

Hagoromo wasn't surprised by her response, and neither was his wife, though he still arched an eyebrow in curiosity. "How so?" His voice held an amused note to it as he spoke. "Has another annoying lizard decided to settle in there?"

Ophis gave him a blank look in response, but if one looked closely at her face, they would notice the tiniest of smiles upturning her lips. "No..." she replied laconically.

Hagoromo gave a thoughtful nod. "I see." His voice gained some seriousness to it, though his overall demeanor was still one of lightsomeness. "It looks like something is troubling you, Ophis. Do you want to talk about it?"

A thoughtful look accentuated the girl's frown as she pondered the offer. "One week ago... it felt nice spending that day together. But when I had to return home, I felt odd." Ophis explained, recalling how she felt at that time. "I didn't think much of it then. I didn't know what to think of it."

Glancing at the white haired deity, she noticed how attentively he was listening to her. It didn't take her long to realize that it made her feel nice, though she still couldn't explain to herself why.

"I tried to ignore that feeling and got back home. I liked having my silence back after so long... but for some reason it didn't last." Ophis continued in her usual monotone, giving a somewhat eerie air to her speech. "I thought it would be nice to have my silence back. But instead, I felt more odd as the days passed by." She took a few moments to think of how to properly describe those emotions. "I felt like I was missing something. But I couldn't figure out what, and I couldn't understand why."

Ophis made a pause from her speech to gather her thoughts. "When I thought back to the day I spent with you two, I felt a little better. Then I realized something." By now, her frowning expression had lightened a little. "That perhaps you could help me with this. Help me understand what I'm missing... and why missing it feels so unpleasant."

A faint trace of hope glimmered in her dull eyes as she glanced at the white haired young man walking by her side. "Can you?" she asked in a quiet voice, as though unsure of the answer she might get.

Hagoromo met the petite deity's gaze with a light smile. "I can." His confident reply caused the girl's frown to completely vanish. "I think it's something less complicated than what it might seem at a first glance."

Ophis eyed him with a curious expression forming on her face. "What do you mean?"

"Well, let's take it back from the beginning." Hagoromo raised a finger in emphasis. "You felt nice on that day we spent together, right?"

Ophis nodded in acknowledgment.

"But you felt unpleasant at the thought of leaving us?" Hagoromo further queried.

"Yes..."

"And you felt worse the longer you remained in the emptiness of the dimensional gap?"

Ophis nodded once more.

Despite the seemingly patronizing manner in which Hagoromo was talking to her, the way he reiterated her explanation actually made her understand her issue better.

"Yet you felt a little better while recalling the time you spent with us on that day, and that was how you decided to visit us again?"

Ophis gave another nod in response.

Looking at the stoic girl with a placid smile, Hagoromo delivered his conclusion. "You simply wish to recreate the enjoyable experience from that day. That strange emotion you have described is called longing." Seeing the bemused expression forming on her face, he added. "You just want to have more fun, Ophis."

Ophis blinked once as she took in his words, her eyes clearly reflecting her confusion. "Fun...?" The word felt a little strange coming out of her own mouth. Even the way she voiced it sounded as if she had just spoken it for the first time in her life.

Hagoromo smiled in understanding at her. "Before we get further into that topic, please answer me this question."

Ophis simply acknowledged his words with a slight nod.

"How else did you pass the time during the past few millennia, other than having arguments or fights with Great Red?"

Ophis looked thoughtful for a moment, before giving her confident reply. "By staring at the swirling colors of the dimensional gap." The way she voiced it made it seem like it was an obvious fact, and it quickly drew amused smiles from both deities.

Hagoromo had assumed that much to be the case, whereas Yuno probably just found it funny in the way she delivered it as if it was supposed to be a deadpan joke.

Ophis didn't seem to understand what was wrong with what she said, or if anything was supposed to be wrong for that matter, so she just stared blankly at the white haired young man, waiting for him to continue.

"Well, there you have it." Hagoromo pointed out in a manner that amused his wife even further, to the point where she had to bury her face in his sleeve to hide her mirth.

Ophis, though, was still staring blankly at him, looking perhaps even more lost that before. "I... don't understand..." If not for her expression, then her tone clearly showed that she was hoping to receive further clarification on the matter.

His pleasant smile from before returning on his lips, Hagoromo began explaining in more detail to the girl. "Most of your existence was highlighted by continuous boredom and apathy with the occasional annoyance from that loud dragon. So much that it had actually become the default state of being for you."

Listening to that, Ophis looked like she was finally getting closer to understanding the nature of her issue.

A moment later, Hagoromo gave her the last push needed for her revelation. "Then you met us and spent an entire day in our company," he said. "And for the first time you experienced something at the polar opposite side of that spectrum. Enjoyment."

Ophis kept staring in silence at the white haired deity for a while longer, before her eyes visibly widened as it suddenly clicked in her mind.

"Oh..." the dark haired girl muttered in realization, feeling somewhat better now that she finally managed to understand the core of her issue. "Then all I need to do is have fun, and that should make me feel better?"

"Exactly." Hagoromo nodded at her words, a thin smile tugging at his lips.

An almost imperceptible twitch upturned her mouth, though it soon changed into a frown once she was faced with another question that she couldn't answer.

"How do I have fun?" Ophis asked, her tone uncharacteristically serious.

Yuno had to stifle a giggle in her husband's robe at that.

Hagoromo met the dark haired girl's frowning face with a patient smile. "How are you feeling right now, Ophis?"

The question prompted Ophis to become thoughtful for a while as she tried to closely asses her current mood.

It didn't take her too long to come to a conclusion. "Nice..." she muttered as she glanced back at the white haired deity.

Her eyes soon widened for a second time as the answer suddenly came to her like a revelation.

"Yep, that's right." Hagoromo smirked at the petite deity. "You just have to do what you enjoy most."

Staring blankly at him while taking in his words, Ophis mentally revised their entire discussion to make sure that she had properly connected all the dots and hadn't overlooked anything.

Moments later, she came to an abrupt halt from her walking as everything became clear to her. A faint smile soon tugged at her mouth in response. It felt really rewarding to reach a satisfying conclusion after all that effort.

Glancing back at the deity who had so patiently guided her to her answers, Ophis couldn't help the feeling of gratitude from showing on her face. She wasn't sure how her expression looked right now, but she was sure that it reflected at least some of the nice emotions that she was currently experiencing.

Hagoromo observed the girl's genuinely happy expression with an amused smile. "Turns out that you can smile after all." Her face might have not exactly been lit up in happiness as some liked to say, though it was still a significant achievement for her. "Congratulations, Ophis. You look happy now."

"Thank you..." Ophis muttered, her usual monotone disrupted by the gratitude showing even in her voice.

Hagoromo was definitely the most helpful deity she had ever met, that much was now certain to her. And while he indeed had some really eerie things about himself, he was an overall nice person.

"You're welcome." Hagoromo said with a light smile, before bringing a finger up for emphasis. "But we are not done yet."

The raven haired girl wondered what it could be, though without any success in figuring out an answer. "No?" she asked curiously, her eyes staring unblinkingly at him.

Hagoromo's lips widened into his trademark smirked he met the girl's blank stare. "You have to hear yourself say it, after all." He said, sounding increasingly amused. "So, what is it that you enjoy doing most?"

This time Ophis didn't have to think for an answer, as it just rolled off her tongue the moment she registered his question. "Spending time with you two."

Hagoromo nodded at her words. It was time to add the finishing touch now.

"In that case, I have a nice proposal for you, Ophis—"

He was unable to finish though, as a loud shriek suddenly pierced through the silence of the forest, easily drawing the attention of every sentient being on at least a mile radius.

Hagoromo smiled in amusement at the familiar voice that had just managed to scare most of the local fauna into fleeing the surrounding area.

"He's as lively as ever, isn't he?" Yuno remarked with a giggle as she looked up at her husband's amused expression.

"Yep," Hagoromo chuckled in response. "Like a murderous energizer bunny."

Yuno couldn't stop the mirth escaping her lips upon hearing that. She remembered about her old pink rabbit costume and imagined Hidan going on a bloodthirsty rampage while wearing that.

Getting that very same mental picture from his wife, Hagoromo shook his head in amusement at her vivid imagination. Though a short laughter also left his mouth when his curiosity on his zealous follower's activities got the better of him, as he was quickly met in his mind's eye with the image of the grey haired man wrestling a bear.

Both of them shared another laughter together as he sent back to his wife the mental image of a pink bunny costumed Hidan wrestling that same bear.

Once their moment of mirth came to an end, Yuno returned to her previous activity of hugging her husband's right arm, a content smile settling on her face.

Glancing to the side at Ophis, Hagoromo noted that she hadn't been too roused by the earlier outburst that had come from the depths of the forest.

"As I was saying, Ophis," Continuing from where he was interrupted, he quickly regained the raven haired girl's undivided attention. "Since you enjoy being with us, how about you come in visit more often? You are welcome to stay with us as much as you like."

Ophis considered the proposal for a few moments, looking intently at the young man, before giving her curt yet decisive answer. "I, accept."

Hagoromo smiled at the note of excitement present in the otherwise monotone voice of the petite girl. "That's wonderful," he said in a pleasant tone. "Now how about we go back to the shrine and have some tea?"

Yuno nodded happily at the proposal. "Sure, darling~" She also had other things in mind when it came to drinking tea with her beloved, though she was certain that he was already aware of her less ladylike ideas.

The way he just glanced at her with an indulgent smirk was a dead giveaway.

Ophis also seemed to agree with the suggestion. "Okay." Her regular monotone was back in use, though her overall expression looked less like a stone mask. Now it actually reflected some of her dainty childlike beauty.

Resuming their walk, they made their way back to the shrine in the ensuing silence. It didn't last for too long though, as Ophis seemed to remember something and spoke soon enough.

"Hagoromo."

The silver haired deity regarded the petite girl with an arched eyebrow. "Yes, Ophis?"

Ophis looked at him silently for a few moments, though her eyes already told of her intention in advance. "Thank you again..." Her voice was different from usual, softer, and it carried a genuine note of gratitude that showed how much the girl appreciated all the help he had offered her.

Hagoromo smiled pleasantly at the girl, before returning his gaze on the scenery in front of him. "Don't worry about it, Ophis. It has been my pleasure to help."

These words earned him a knowing look from his wife that he mentally returned through their bond a moment later.

Ophis stared at him for a while longer, as his previous smile had yet to fade completely from her mind's eye.

His welcoming smile was nice to look at. She liked how it made her feel, reminding her of her home.

Moments later she also looked away as her thoughts eventually drifted off to something else.

In the meanwhile, while not visible on his face as it was masked by his trademark smile, Hagoromo was slowly becoming more and more immersed in his thoughts.

Everything had gone as smooth as he had expected it to go, and all he had to do now was to slowly introduce Ophis to some of his plans pertaining to his little religion project. So that in time she would become more and more receptive to his ideas, until the point when he could finally have her become the Overseer.

It might take a while for that to happen, but even so, it wasn't something that wouldn't work in his favor by the end. After all, this stage was an ample one, and there were still many more actors who had yet to be assigned their own roles for the play.

---

Two male figures were having what looked like a serious conversation as they sat at a table in the corner of a modest and sparsely populated coffee house.

Both of them wore rather peculiar attires and one of them had hair of a somewhat unusual color, with it being crimson red.

The air surrounding the two men was steadily growing somber, something which easily hinted toward the nature of the matters that seemed to be discussed among them.

"So what you're saying is that the Dragon of Dragons has been missing from the dimensional gap for the past week?" the younger looking of the men spoke, a light frown setting on his handsome features.

"Yes," the older looking one replied, crossing his arms over his partially exposed chest. "From what I've heard, it seems that Heaven has drastically increased its surveillance over the dimensional gap."

The younger, red haired man sighed at this particular information. "Then I assume that whatever this is, it goes beyond Great Red simply deciding to leave on its own accord."

"Who knows?" the older man spoke, his violet eyes glinting with slight amusement beneath the golden bangs that framed his otherwise black hair. "It could be just that." Stroking his goatee in a thoughtful manner, he added. "Or perhaps something else might be at work here..."

The red haired man looked at his companion inquisitively. "Such as?" he prodded a moment later.

The dark haired man's demeanor became more serious as he spoke. "What if someone, or something forced the Apocalypse Dragon to leave the gap?"

The crimson haired man met his friend's words with a raised brow. "Isn't this a little too far-fetched, Azazel?" he replied skeptically. "Not to mention that there's also the Infinite One we should take into consideration when speaking about this. And as you surely know, these two aren't known for being on friendly terms with each other."

Despite receiving a fair amount of skepticism on his theory, Azazel didn't look like he would give up so easily. "No, I mean, think about it, Sirzechs." He seemed even more serious as he pressed on with his idea. "What if some extra-dimensional entity had entered the gap and for whatever reasons threw Great Red out?"

Sirzechs seemed to ponder his friend's words for a few moments, though his blue-green eyes never lost any of their previous skepticism. "You realize how improbable something like that sounds, right?" he questioned calmly. "We don't even have any recorded proof of the existence of other dimensions in the first place."

A look of frustration crossed Azazel's rough features at the crimson haired man's words. "Yes, but that doesn't mean they can't exist!" Pausing after his sharp retort to recompose himself, he continued with less heat in his voice. "I'm a scientist, right? I may not look like it, Sirzechs, but I know quite a lot about stuff like this."

Sirzechs gave another sigh, however he could not disagree with that last part. His friend definitely had a lot of expertise when it came to the scientific domain. He was so passionate about the subject that he could easily be called a research fanatic.

"Alright, Azazel—" the crimson haired man spoke in agreement, though was interrupted mid sentence by the arrival of the waitress with their orders.

He thanked the waitress with a kind smile, before mouthing her a silent apology for his companion's previous outburst as she turned around to leave.

Once the waitress was far away enough from their table, Sirzechs glanced back at Azazel and gave him a serious look. "Even if we are to go by your theory, we can't exactly assume anything about this entity's whereabouts." He said, before taking a sip from his coffee. "For all we know, it could have simply returned to where it had come from after doing whatever it did with Great Red."

Azazel nodded in agreement. "Of course," he also took a sip of his own coffee, before adding with a small smile. "But I still have a feeling that whatever we are looking for is still somewhere around here. Call it my scientist intuition."

Sirzechs stared at his friend for a few moments, taking notice of the smug smile tugging at the man's lips. "You know something more, don't you, Azazel?" he questioned, eyes slightly narrowing.

The dark haired man crossed his arms over his loosely tied, wine colored coat, and smirked. "As a matter of fact, yes, I do."

Taking another sip from his coffee, Sirzechs made a gesture with his hand, urging his friend to continue. "Elaborate, if you will?"

"Well, apparently, Ophis had also been sighted leaving the dimensional gap on multiple occasions during the past few days." Azazel revealed, his mood doing another one-eighty as he once again became visibly serious. "I don't know any details yet, but for the Infinite One to act in such an unusual way given the circumstances, well... it definitely raises some suspicions to me."

"I see..." Sirzechs pursed his lips, a frown marring his features once again. "But this still sounds incredibly far-fetched to me. We can't just assume all of this with as little information as we currently have. I'm sure that you know it as well."

"Yeah, I do." Azazel responded after a few moments of silence. "But I also know that depending on how much of my theory turns out to be true, this could actually become a very serious issue. Especially if we end up dealing with something hostile."

Sirzechs' frown deepened. "I'm aware of that, Azazel. I just hope that it doesn't actually come to be," he replied, fighting down the urge to let out a weary sigh. "Another war is the last thing we need..."

"I completely agree with you on that," Azazel spoke, a look of understanding in his eyes. "I'm all for solving whatever this turns out to be in a peaceful manner." His gaze suddenly hardened as he continued. "But if push truly comes to shove..." he trailed off, leaving the words hanging in the air, yet easy to be guessed from the somber expression that hung on his visage.

---

A little over a day has passed since his pivotal discussion with Ophis, and Hagoromo was currently taking a stroll through the garden behind the main building of the shrine.

By his side, the smiling figure of his wife was walking while holding onto his right arm, her cerise eyes alternating between admiring the vibrant surroundings bathed in the dim light of the evening sun and her husband's measured strides.

Sitting on the porch several feet away from them was Ophis, who was also gazing at the scenery, albeit with a neutral expression on her face that made it very hard for one to guess her current mood.

Hagoromo's eyes, however, were only absentmindedly sweeping over the many trees and flowers decorating the ground as he seemed to be more focused on his thoughts rather than the scenery.

During these past few days a number of key members of the supernatural world have begun to notice the disappearance of a certain dragon, a development which seemed to have stirred quite the amount of unrest amidst their higher chain of command.

The most notable of these supernatural groups were the Three Factions that consisted of the beings mentioned in the Bible, the so-called Angels, Fallen Angels, and Devils.

From what he had seen of them so far, they seemed to be an amusing bunch that would definitely be given fitting roles as some of the most important pieces on his board.

Then there were also Ophis' frequent visits to the human world, which have also added even further to this general state of consternation.

Though unfortunately for him, no one had yet made the connection between the petite dragon deity and the small, uprising religion from a certain town in Japan, and neither had anyone realized the true intent behind said religion. So it seemed that it would take a little longer before he would go for a major move in the game.

But that was neither a hindrance, nor an issue, as it gave him plenty of time to play several other minor cards for an increased entertainment. It were those little things that often culminated into something grand when properly nurtured.

Such as what he intended to do next.

He had been contemplating visiting a certain deity of the Hindu pantheon for a while, and he supposed that right now would be a proper time to do just that. His omnipresence ensured that he could be anywhere he wished, without truly leaving Yuno's side, so he could pull the strings to his heart's content whenever he decided.

Glancing at his wife, Hagoromo easily drew her attention.

Yuno looked up at him with an affectionate smile. "Hmm?" she hummed curiously.

Hagoromo had his trademark smile playing on his lips as he spoke. "This evening I'm going to show you something interesting."

Yuno gave him a knowing look. "Making another move, are you?"

"Yep," Hagoromo smirked in a disconcerting fashion. "I have a role for Shiva that he won't be able to refuse."

"Not that he has any choice for that matter, right?" Yuno asked in amusement.

"Now, now, my dear, you know too well that they all have a choice in the end," Hagoromo pointed out amusedly. "It's just a matter of whether they can see it or not, you know?"

Yuno giggled in response. "How devious." Was all that she said in reply, before earning herself a chuckle from her husband.

Continuing their stroll in comfortable silence, the two deities stopped near the porch where Ophis was lounging idly while looking at a distant tree in the garden.

Following her impassive gaze, Hagoromo smirked when he realized what it was about. He didn't make any comment on it though, as it was not a matter requiring his attention for the time being.

Yuno seemed to take notice of that particular tree as well, however she merely sent it a prolonged stare for the time being.

Hagoromo glanced back at the raven haired girl. "You know, Ophis," His light voice quickly drew her attention.

"Yes?" she asked, a curious note entering her blank gaze.

"You might want to cut ties with that motley crew of yours," Hagoromo suggested. "They are obviously of no use to you anymore, and some of them are even planning to betray you once they get the chance."

Ophis' eyes slightly widened at the information. "I see..." she muttered, still processing his words. The reveal was admittedly surprising, though most likely because she had never considered the option. "Thank you for telling me this." Her gaze held the note of gratitude that her voice wasn't able to properly convey.

Hagoromo smiled thinly in response. "You are welcome." Turning around, he left the stoic girl to her own thoughts, and walked off in the opposite direction. After taking a few steps though, he suddenly vanished in thin air, as though he had never been there to begin with.

Surprisingly enough Yuno didn't follow him, choosing instead to remain standing next to the porch as her eyes quickly darted back to that particular tree from earlier.

Meanwhile, Ophis regarded the rose haired deity with a curious gaze as she wondered about what was going to happen next. She had an inkling about it, though she wasn't exactly certain of her intentions.

Yuno took measured steps until she reached the object of her interest; a completely normal tree, with the sole exception being the black furred cat perched on one of the thicker branches.

The feline's hazel eyes seemed to be watching the young woman's every move, and when she finally stopped below the shade of the tree, it suddenly jumped off the branch, nimbly landing on the ground.

Yuno silently observed how the black cat diligently licked its paws while sitting on the grass a couple feet away from her. "Aww~, aren't you a cute, little kitty?" she spoke sweetly.

The feline paused from its actions and meowed in response, before turning its head to stare at the spot where Hagoromo had disappeared only moments earlier, as though it could somehow understand what had actually transpired there.

Yuno took a couple more steps, allowing her taller frame to cast a looming shadow over the feline as she stared at it with a disconcertingly sweet smile. "You seem to be a very curious kitty, eh~?"

The cat simply swerved back its head, as if regarding at the young woman once more.

Yuno tilted her head to the side, giving her an eerie note to her demeanor. "But did you know about that one saying~?"

The cat let out another meow, brushing its left ear with a paw as it continued to look at the woman who was no longer smiling by now.

Crouching down at the feline's level, Yuno met its eyes with a narrowed stare. "About how curiosity killed the cat?" Her tone suddenly became cold and sharp as she said that.

The cat didn't seem to react in any manner to the rose haired woman's words, however, if one looked closely enough, they might have noticed how its dark fur was standing on its end.

"You should be careful, little kitty." Yuno brought her face closer to the feline, her eyes reflecting a terrifying darkness from mere inches away. "Because if you become too curious, that saying might become true, you know?" Tilting her head again, the gesture could only be described as menacing when accompanied by the expression present on her face. "Especially if you become curious about something that is forbidden."

Once she was done speaking, her visage suddenly reverted back to its former brightness, another angelic smile gracing her features, as if she hadn't just issued a subtle death threat only seconds ago.

"So, will you be a good little kitty~?" Yuno asked in the same sweet tone as before. "Or a bad kitty that would have to be punished~?"

The cat seemed to be rooted in its place in response to the young woman's monologue, though after a few seconds of unresponsiveness it regained its previous motor functions and bolted off amidst the foliage, quickly disappearing from sight.

Looking seemingly pleased at the result, Yuno turned around to glance at the raven haired girl sitting on the porch and waved cheerfully at her. A moment later, she began walking in her direction.

Ophis didn't know how to respond to that gesture, even more so after just witnessing what had transpired between the rose haired woman and that cat. As such, she decided on simply staring blankly at her as per usual, all the while contemplating about how unnerving Yuno could be whenever it came to matters related to her mate.

---

Reaching his destination, Hagoromo took a few moments to admire the cold and unforgiving scenery that welcomed his eyes.

The snowy peaks of the Himalayas made for quite the imposing landscape, which aptly reflected the dangerous beauty of nature.

The air was chilly and a snowstorm was currently sweeping all over the place, though neither of that seemed to be bothering him. The cold gusts of air whipping at his long hair actually felt refreshing to him.

His pupils suddenly faded to faint outlines in the white background of his eyes as he focused power to his dōjutsu.

Looking at a seemingly random point in the distance, Hagoromo easily discerned the rather curious sight visible some miles away to his left.

The lone figure of a young looking boy with black and green hair was sitting still upon a large rock on one of the neighboring tall peaks, as if frozen there by the icy climate.

The image alone was enough be considered peculiar in and of itself, however, the identity of said youth made it even more so to Hagoromo.

If one took a glimpse of the boy's visage, they would be able to tell his dour mood from his expression alone, though to those of a more supernatural persuasion other signs might hints at that as well.

Nevertheless, it was clear to Hagoromo how the boy was the reason why so many storms were ravaging the mountains in the vicinity.

What would have looked like a pleasant youthful face in other circumstances, was currently twisted in a snarl of sheer hatred and anger. Hagoromo could also tell the lingering sense of futility in his expression, though he couldn't yet tell from where exactly it originated.

Without any further ado, the white haired young man made his way to speak with this apparently upset deity, though he kept his speed slightly below that of sound, so as to not cause any unneeded surprise.

Once he got close enough to the youth's line of sight, he slowed down and hovered the rest of the distance at a somewhat languid pace, until finally descending on the same peak as the boy.

True to his expectations, as soon as the boy visually registered his presence, he didn't look very thrilled at his sudden arrival and quickly turned to regard him with the full extent of his ire.

"You..." the youth hissed, his voice low and his face a furious snarl. "You have no business here!"

Hagoromo wasn't the least fazed by this open display of hostility.

He knew that he arrived at a rather delicate time in regards to this deity's temper, though it was still a little over the top for him to be met with such animosity.

"Well, that lacked a bit on hospitality," Hagoromo remarked lightly.

However, this only served to further incense the youth, prompting him to vanish from his spot as the rock he was sitting on shattered from his sheer speed.

Hagoromo nimbly sidestepped the vicious jab aimed at his face, maintaining eye contact with the enraged deity more out of courtesy than anything else.

Dōjutsu or not, he could still pretty much fight with his eyes closed if he wanted. He might actually do it at some point, as it should be really entertaining.

The boy, on the other hand, seemed surprised at how his attack was avoided in such an effortless manner, having yet to even lower the arm he previously used to strike with.

"I understand that my timing wasn't the best—"

Hagoromo was interrupted by the green and black haired boy attempting to hit him with another fierce strike.

He dodged this attack with the same natural ease as before, angering his opponent even more with how nonchalant that made him seem.

"—But I'd like to have a more civil discussion with you."

Managing to finish his sentence, Hagoromo gracefully evaded another strike from the irate deity, this time a kick aimed at his torso.

The youth looked more and more frustrated with each blow that he failed to land on the silver haired intruder. "Who are you?!" His features were set in a scowl as he snarled. "I cannot foresee anything about you!"

Hagoromo gave a disarming smile in response.

The boy didn't seem to take the admittedly nice gesture for what it was, and instead made for another lunge toward the young man.

This time though, Hagoromo made no sign of intending to dodge and simply caught the enraged deity's fist in his left hand, holding it idly as the mountaintop behind him got obliterated by the force put behind the attack.

The black and green haired youth once more appeared to fall prey to a momentary shock, though he was quickly jostled out of it by the unpleasant sensation he felt enveloping his fist.

It was a sinister feeling that made his skin crawl in unease. And it seemed to come from that pitch black glove covering the young man's hand.

Not knowing what this was, the boy instinctively recoiled backwards, but wasn't able to get any further than a couple feet as he suddenly froze in midair.

He tried to struggle, yet all of his efforts appeared to be in vain as he couldn't get his body to move even an inch under the invisible force that seemed to be holding him in its unyielding grip.

Searching for any possible clues to his predicament, the youth looked at the person standing on the snow in front of him. Though as soon as their eyes met, shock completely robbed him of any further attempts at struggling as a single word managed to leave his mouth in barely a whisper.

"Saṃsāra..."

Hagoromo smiled knowingly at the shocked boy. "To answer your question, Shiva." His soft voice completely belied the weight of his next words.

"I Am."

Shiva gave no response to that. He was just staring at those piercing eyes of rippling violet as if caught in a trance.

Seeing this, Hagoromo released the shocked deity from the force keeping him bound and lowered him back on the snow covered ground.

Once those two words managed to sink properly into Shiva's mind, he instinctively bowed his head in deference.

He uttered no apology, for he knew there was no need. He felt rueful, and that was enough. Those eyes would see it, and they would judge accordingly.

The fact that he wasn't punished yet was enough to make him realize that he had been forgiven for his previous hostilities.

After a few moments of silence, Shiva slowly raised his head and met those mystifying eyes for a second time.

They contained such power and authority that he couldn't help but stare in fascination at them.

Though their wielder himself...

Shiva could hardly find the words to describe him.

This being... incarnated change.

He was the cycle.

And those eyes...

They held the crystallized aspects of it all. They reflected the cycle itself.

It made him and his brothers seem like cheap imitations in comparison. But oddly enough, this thought didn't seem to bring him any anger.

Only awe.

He guessed that it only made sense.

After all, he was standing before a being that transcended the natural barriers of the world.

He could not compare himself with something like this, and he was strangely content with it.

"The great, almighty Shiva."

The boy was soon brought out of his thoughts by Hagoromo's enchanting voice.

"The man whose avatars' each and every step in the mortal planes caused the realms of heaven to shake in fear at the daunting prospect of their doom."

Shiva was visibly taken by surprise upon hearing these honest words of praise and would have allowed a small smile to lighten his visage at the fond memories, if not for what came next.

"The great destroyer."

It was spoken in a soft voice, yet still clearly heard by him.

A deep frown overcame his features and he almost flinched at that last word.

Hagoromo noticed the reaction, though simply continued as if he hadn't.

"Part of the perpetual cycle that is Saṃsāra."

This made Shiva flinch. Twice. Both at the mentioning of the words 'cycle' and 'Saṃsāra'.

Hagoromo saw it clearly, though allowed a contemplative silence to settle for the time being.

Shiva couldn't help but think once more about how sick and tired he was of being decreed by Fate as the destroyer.

Hagoromo simply mused on what he had learnt about the Hindu god of destruction.

The powerlessness that many seemed to blame on fate was nothing new to him.

Yet there was something different in this case, which made the situation of this weary deity much more genuine.

This world actually had a Fate that dictated to some extent how things were supposed to go.

It wasn't exactly a sentient personification, though it still was a metaphysical force nonetheless. Much like gravity, if he were to make an analogy for the sake of example.

And Shiva was tangled rather tightly in its clutches.

But much like gravity itself, this force was nothing before his power.

A subtle smile twitched at the corners of Hagoromo's mouth when an idea formed in his mind.

Opening his mouth to speak again, his violet eyes sought the green and black haired boy's gaze as soon as he drew his attention.

"Would like to escape your fate, then?"

Shiva stared at the powerful deity in incomprehension, until the words finally clicked in his mind. His eyes soon widened noticeably at the proposal.

"What...?"

Hagoromo smiled in amusement at the boy's not so eloquent response, before reaching with his hand in front of him.

Shiva simply watched, still looking dazed from hearing the previous offer.

Thousands of thin, black threads coalesced around the unmoving form of the boy, all of them attached to various points of his body and seemingly without end.

Hagoromo lightly grasped one of these strands and held it for the youth to clearly see.

A moment later, the thread began to dissolve in his gloved hand, until nothing of it was left behind.

Shiva's eyes widened even further when he suddenly felt a slight liberation as a result of this gesture on Hagoromo's part.

It was a minute feeling, yet its meaning was more than clear.

Freedom.

"This is what I offer you. Unhindered liberation. Freedom from Fate itself."

The boy stared at Hagoromo with an unreadable expression on his face. "And what would you ask in return?" he asked with a note of wariness in his voice.

The offer, while incredible, still seemed almost too good to be true. And Shiva was no fool. He would gladly accept freedom, but not at the cost of enslaving himself to another master.

Hagoromo kept his pleasant smile as he retracted his hand, the other black threads of absolute fate clinging as tightly as before to the wary deity.

"What I ask of you is nothing much." Hagoromo's words were soft-spoken and they seemed to reduce some of Shiva's suspicion. "Only three things."

The boy listened, not finding anything to reproach yet.

"First of all, I simply wish you to show me that you are worth me denying Fate its claim," he revealed. "And everyone as well. Show them that my previous words have not been misplaced, and that you are indeed the mightiest of the Hindu pantheon."

Shiva was momentarily taken aback by the honesty present in Hagoromo's voice.

The first request was definitely reasonable, and it also seemed to strangely appeal to his own intentions. He had been contemplating that idea for a while, but he had never found the actual incentive to do it due to his resignation to Fate.

"Secondly, I wish you to pledge that you would never obstruct or hinder the growth of my little project in this world, that is, the Esoteric Faith."

That was a name that he hadn't heard of before. Though he supposed that it was only natural for such a being to set about creating a religion for themselves.

But anyway, he didn't mind this either. He hadn't been one to willingly seek followers for his own religion, since he hadn't exactly cared about such matters.

He had always been this powerful due to the aspect he embodied, and he wouldn't mind losing what little power he received from their faith should his followers renounce him.

He briefly wondered why would such a being even start a religion in the first place, since he was certain that he wasn't doing it for the power boost either. This thought intrigued him a little, but he filed away his curiosity for a later time.

"And the last one?" Shiva asked, sounding more curious than anything else, and perhaps even slightly eager to make his decision.

Hagoromo smiled wider when he noticed this. "Lastly, I would like you to heed my summons for only three times."

Shiva ponder everything for a brief while, before opening his mouth to give his reply. "I accept."

"Very well," Hagoromo said after a moment. "Then I will fulfill my end of the agreement right now."

Raising his left hand once again, his palm was outstretched and his fingers poised to cut akin to a blade.

White flickers sparked forth from his pitch black glove, covering it in a silvery haze, beneath which the symbol of the crescent moon shone a deep dark.

He made a languid slashing motion with his hand, cleanly severing all of the black threads attached to the hopeful looking youth as they began to quickly fade away.

Shiva immediately felt the results of Hagoromo's act as a sensation of unadulterated liberation washed over the entirety of his being.

It was an almost indescribable feeling, however Shiva didn't get to dwell upon it for too long, since his attention was quickly drawn back to Hagoromo when he noticed something rather odd happening to their surroundings.

Time seemed to have reached a standstill, and an overwhelming pressure suddenly blanketed the nearby area to the point where Shiva found himself barely standing.

When Shiva's gaze finally reached Hagoromo's visage, he noticed that he didn't seem to be affected by this incredible pressure, and that he was now glancing upward with an eerie smile on his face.

The boy's eyes quickly followed suit, though only to widen in shock at what they beheld.

A red miasma, shaped akin to innumerable thin strings, had come forth and completely covered the skies above them, with black specks mixed into it at random intervals.

Shiva stared at the ominous image for a little longer, before glancing back at Hagoromo once he came to a realization.

"Is that... Fate?" the boy breathed out in a barely audible voice.

Hagoromo didn't give any response as he continued to simply gaze at the portion of changed sky, his smile becoming even more disconcerting alongside the rest of his expression.

The flesh in the middle of his brow suddenly split open, revealing a sight that shocked Shiva to his very core.

A lone eye of deep crimson similar to the young man's two purple ones, yet incredibly different beyond the mere aesthetics of the nine tomoe adorning its concentric lines.

If those purple eyes held crystallized aspects of the cycle, then this sole crimson one held power over reality itself.

As Shiva continued to stare at this indescribable sight, he realized that he had been holding his breath for the entire time, having forgotten to even breathe in the presence of such formidable authority.

And the longer he stared, the more he realized that he could subconsciously understand what this eye conveyed.

Comprehension of the laws of the universe itself. Powers over the very laws that bind even the gods themselves.

Shiva felt himself instinctively kneel before the snow haired young man.

And how could he not? How could he not pay due reverence to that which seemed to govern over all of creation and dictate reality itself?

Shiva was pulled out of his thoughts when he felt the pressure weighing down on him suddenly vanish as the time also resumed its normal passage.

His gaze was quickly brought to the sky above when he noticed the image of that crimson eye manifest over the portion of the sky that was being covered by the red and black threads of Fate.

And then, he witnessed something that clearly cemented one thing in his mind.

The image of those innumerable threads instantly shattered like glass, vanishing into nothingness, and Shiva then knew with certainty before whom he had been standing this whole time.

God.

Not the deceased leader of the angels.

No...

A True God.

And then he bowed his head in reverence before Him, for it would have been an unfathomable offense to not acknowledge His divinity upon having witnessed such a display.

Giving one last dismissive glance at the dissolving fragments of the shattered representation of Fate, Hagoromo allowed the skin of his brow to knit itself closed as the projection of his Rinne Sharingan also faded away from the cloudless sky.

His visage held an unassuming expression, as if he hadn't just forced the metaphysical force known as Fate to instinctively reel back in fright after his previous display of power.

He supposed that despite lacking the proper sentience, even this Fate knew better than trying to oppose his will after he had dropped the metaphorical kid gloves.

Especially when such an opposition could have easily led to total anarchy.

Which was one of the main reasons for why it must have backed down, because, after all, sacrificing all of the sentient life in the universe would have made Fate's existence something moot.

Moments later, Hagoromo glanced at the kneeling Shiva before him and spoke in a rather disingenuous tone.

"Fate, eh?"

Shiva raised his head upon hearing Hagoromo's voice, and for a moment didn't know how to react. The frivolous smile on His face was a little too much for him, perhaps more so considering their circumstances.

Hagoromo's following words didn't exactly help the boy's situation either. "Yes, that's right." He said with a lightness that really didn't fit the general atmosphere. "But isn't it unfortunate that she turned out to be so shy?"

Shiva didn't now what to say in response to that, so he opted to remain silent instead. It was the safest bet anyway. He really didn't feel properly equipped to deal with this eerie side of God right now.

"I introduced myself so nicely to her, yet she still ran away." Hagoromo didn't seem to mind Shiva's silence. He simply continued talking, as if his words weren't even truly aimed at the reluctant boy kneeling before him. "I can't begin to imagine why she even acted like that."

Pausing for a moment to consider something, Hagoromo glanced back at the silent youth. "Do you think I scared her off somehow?" he asked with the same smile still in place, though not in a manner that hinted he might be waiting for an actual reply.

For a moment Shiva felt like nodding to that, though his better judgement quickly did its job and prevented him from doing that. He wasn't sure if this whole thing was supposed to be a joke, despite how it seemed, so he wasn't going to take any chances.

He'd just seen too much this evening, and God of all things was now starting to make him feel a little uncomfortable.

Fortunately for him though, Hagoromo seemed to be done toying around with him.

Shiva was momentarily surprised when Hagoromo extended his right hand to him.

It was a symbolic gesture on his part, and as soon as the boy realized that, he gladly accepted it.

"Anyway, that aside, it looks like we can wrap things up for the time being." Hagoromo said with a serenely amused expression. "Besides, I'm sure that you might need some time for yourself right now. Eventful day and all that."

Shiva felt himself subconsciously relax once he noticed Hagoromo's change in demeanor. If he were to be honest, anything else was better than that eerie smile from earlier that gave him the chills just from looking at it.

He knew that he couldn't hope to understand God, though he really hadn't expected to be shown such an unusually menacing side so soon after their meeting and without any warning whatsoever. So his shock was understandable and to be expected.

Taking the offered hand and helping himself back to his feet, Shiva actually found himself looking at the white haired God with a strange smile on his youthful features. "Thank you..." he said a moment later.

"You are welcome." Hagoromo replied amiably.

Shiva became silent after this, choosing to simply look at the deity who had liberated him from Fate itself.

"That being said, I'll be taking my leave now." Hagoromo said after a brief silence, opening a space-time rift behind himself.

"Of course," Shiva spoke in reply a moment later.

Before taking his leave, Hagoromo addressed the youthful deity one last time. "If you ever want to talk again, you can find me most of the time at my shrine in Kuō Town."

Shiva nodded earnestly in response. "I'll keep that in mind, Hagoromo."

Giving the boy one last pleasant smile, he turned around and stepped inside the bottomless void. As the portal closed in his wake, Hagoromo's lips widened into a smirk.

The irony of this encounter soon prompted him to begin chuckling to himself, leaving the nothingness surrounding him as the sole listener to his mirth.

After all, he had offered Shiva something that he would have eventually obtained by simple conjuncture, had he actually desired something else instead.

Because sooner or later, all those who associate themselves with him eventually become completely untangled from the strings of fate. Though that obviously happens simply because they become entangled in his own strings, of course.

But he was digressing.

So in the end, all that he had done for Shiva was just simply speed up this process through a direct intervention.

But he supposed that it still had to count for something, because he had after all offered Shiva what he had been desiring the most.

And that was what should actually matter, right?

---

Hagoromo absentmindedly noted that he returned earlier than he expected. The darkness of the night was just settling in as he took a stroll on the scarcely populated streets.

His meeting with Shiva had gone rather smoothly, and it had lasted much shorter than what he had expected. He must have made a really nice impression on the boy.

Letting out a small chuckle, he glanced idly at the faintly illuminated surroundings, simply admiring the nighttime scenery in silence.

The moonlight was leaving a much better impression than the street lamps, he quickly noted.

But that was no secret. Moonlight had its own unique charm. And street lamps just weren't good at being ominous.

Anyway, he supposed that he could pull one more string before calling it a day.

Ergo the reason why he was heading to a certain park.

Omnipresence was nice, and that was an undisputed fact, however it still didn't beat a good walk through the woods under the moonlight.

It might not be an exactly enthusiastic one, but it was still going to be pretty decent.

Especially since he had more than just a vague idea about what was supposed to happen there just about now. Foresight was a nice thing to have. Or maybe divination in his case?

Either way, it looked like he was going to have a masterful timing once again. It almost gave the impression that he had planned it all to the last detail, or something.

Ah, yes, details. It reminded him of a rather amusing saying.

The devil is in the details.

Metaphorically, yes, he could see how that might be true.

Literally, though? Well, it might be a little different in that case. Especially in this world.

But he was digressing again.

After a couple more minutes of strolling down the moonlit streets, he finally reached his destination.

Though as he entered the park, he idly wondered how much of an impact this intervention was going to have. He had a feeling that it wouldn't ripple enough to become something too notable, though he wouldn't mind being shown otherwise.

Surprises were always welcomed.

Although if nothing else, this should turn out to be amusing enough to be at least worth the time investment.

So either way, it was a win win outcome for him. The best kind, that is.

Stopping from his walk after another minute, Hagoromo took in the slightly intriguing scenery laid out before him. It looked somewhat familiar.

Numerous black feathers were scattered on the ground around a fountain, with some of them floating across its surface, giving a rather eerie appearance to the entire area.

Some feet away from the fountain there was another interesting sight. A plain looking teenage boy with a gaping wound in his abdomen was lying in a pool of his own blood, pretty much already on death's door.

Now for most, this gory image might have been one of dire urgency. Something that would have sparked an inner desire to help and whatnot.

For Hagoromo though, it was nothing new. He'd seen enough of these situations that he could actually estimate the time of death without even trying.

As such, the dying boy could easily wait for a bit longer.

Besides, he was more intrigued by those peculiar jet black feathers scattered all across the place, anyway.

Hagoromo picked up one of the lustrous feathers at his feet and examined it for a few moments. It was actually his first time seeing one of these in person.

Fallen angels, eh?

The only supernatural entities he had so far interacted with in this world were that oversized lizard with a loud mouth, Ophis, and Shiva.

So naturally, he was a bit intrigued by this.

He let go of the feather and watched idly how it fell back on the ground.

From what he knew so far about this world, the fallen angels looked like the most interesting of the three biblical factions to him.

They were no longer in the grace of heaven, yet they were neither completely scorned.

Their lives were also probably filled with longing and frustration, as most of them certainly wished to regain the favor of their maker.

Ergo, they should be the easiest to sway in his grand play.

But that aside, judging by how things seemed to be currently playing out, he could tell that he was going to meet some of these fallen angels soon enough.

Hmm...

Ah, yes.

The dying boy.

Putting aside his thoughts on the fallen angels for the time being, Hagoromo glanced back at the brown haired boy bleeding out on the pavement next to the fountain.

Unsurprisingly, he was still alive. Not that the boy dying would have been much of an issue.

Hagoromo took a moment to acknowledge the child's tenacity. Humans could be very persistent when desperately clinging to life.

Though this kid was persistent in more ways than one. Even on death's door and he was still mumbling something about wanting to fondle a pair of breasts. The obvious fixation he had with the female anatomy was truly something else.

One could only imagine what would happen if the boy instead focused all that energy somewhere else.

Hagoromo let out an amused chuckle. That was highly unlikely.

But still, the kid's obnoxious perverseness just gave him a nice idea.

Walking up to the dying boy, he looked down and spoke, his voice soft and charming. "Tell me, child, would you like to live for another day?"

It was only polite to ask this before attempting anything else.

While most people would indeed jump at being offered such a thing, who was to say that this kid would also do the same?

Assuming that would be foolish, right? After all, who was to say that there weren't people who preferred to die in these situations instead.

People should really consider the wishes of others more often, before making their selfish decisions.

Hagoromo's lips held a disingenuous smile as he continued to look at the dying child, awaiting a reply.

A weak, garbled sound was everything that he received after a few moments of deathly silence.

Well, he wasn't expecting the boy to be able to talk coherently in his state. Not that he needed to, anyway. The desperation in his eyes was more than enough for an answer.

Hagoromo's smirk widened to disconcerting proportions. This was going to be amusing, alright.

An sudden light emanating from the boy's pocket in an intense red momentarily drew his attention.

The bright glow died down considerably a couple moments later, before a piece of paper floated in the air from that same pocket.

Snatching it from midair, Hagoromo really didn't need to look any closer at the leaflet to know what it was.

His expression became even more ominous as he held the faintly glowing paper between two of his gloved fingers.

He clenched his hand into a fist a moment later, crushing the leaflet with impunity.

Tough luck for the devil team, it seemed. But he really didn't feel like letting them somehow spoil his fun. Or steal his credit for that matter. That wasn't nice either.

If they wanted the boy, they should have come in person to get him, not rely on fickle schemes. After all, scheming was not just for anyone. It took some real skill and finesse to employ it.

Not to mention that some of these devils actually seemed to believe that simply being good at chess somehow made them chess-masters.

There was a magnificent bastard that disagreed with that right here.

Though it was still pretty funny to see them try and fail, so there was that.

But anyway, even when putting that aside, the way things stood right now, he had arrived here first. And there was this other saying, right?

The early god gets the dying child.

Or something like that. He supposed that it would be different depending on the world.

Hmm...

Hagoromo opened his hand moments later, revealing the leaflet nowhere to be seen anymore in his gloved palm. Not even dust was left behind.

Smiling as forebodingly as earlier, he veered his attention back on the boy at his feet.

He looked pretty much dead now. Most likely had passed away at some point during that previous light-show.

Well, it was hardly an issue to him.

Bringing souls back from whatever afterlives existed in this world was not even a challenge to him. He didn't even have to knock first. Can you imagine that?

What kind of loose security did these domains have? Or maybe it was just his authority that superseded everything?

Eh, semantics.

Bringing his right hand over the boy's wound, his eyes turned a deep violet as the symbol of the sun shone brightly on his palm.

A green glow enveloped the corpse after only a moment as life quickly returned back to it.

The gaping wound on the boy's stomach mended itself alongside his shirt in an instant, and in mere seconds he looked as good as new. Even the bloodstains from his clothes were gone.

The only difference being the clear outline of two sizable lumps beneath his dress shirt and blazer.

Well, that, and the fact that his face now looked somewhere between androgynous and female.

So technically, it was more of a her than a him at this point. At least, physiology wise.

Hagoromo chuckled.

He might have offered to resurrect the boy, though he had never specified, nor agreed upon any details about the resurrection itself.

So there was no blame to put on him. It wasn't his fault.

It had all been fair game, as some would say.

Speaking of which, what was that about earlier? With the devil and the details?

Heh.

Letting out a silent chuckle, Hagoromo idly looked at the unconscious form of the teen sleeping at his feet.

A snap of his fingers later, and the former boy promptly disappeared in a plume of smoke.

Providing a complete service was another polite thing to do.

Snapping his fingers again, Hagoromo caused the drying puddle of blood at his feet to sizzle away.

He knew how hard it was to clean blood from pretty much anything, so he was being really thoughtful with this. After all, you never know who might stumble upon a pool of blood in a park and accidentally dirty themselves.

How nice of him, right?

Satisfied with his work, Hagoromo walked nonchalantly past the alleged murder scene and continued his nightly stroll through the park.

He briefly wondered how that kid would react once she woke up. He supposed that it would be something amusing.

But that aside, he was certain that he had just done the former boy a great service.

With how much the teen was obsessed with the female form and anatomy, Hagoromo was certain that the change he had made would be seen as positively thrilling.

Right?