Opening Ceremony

“Wuwuwu, Destruction, help me! Slaughter is bullying me too much. Waaahhhhh!!!!!”

The adorable creature in its arms continued to cry. Its hair, trembling with each sob, tickled Destruction’s nose.

Destruction let out a tiny sneeze, rubbed its nose, and gently moved Life’s hair back into place.

“I can’t do anything about it. Slaughter has been in a terrible mood ever since that incident. Compared to us, who can go out and wander occasionally, it’s a bit pathetic. Just bear with it for a while. Besides, this isn’t the first time it’s been so difficult.”

After crying for a long time, Life finally managed to stop. Upon hearing Destruction’s words, her beautiful large eyes narrowed, misting over as if she were about to burst into tears again.

“I don’t care! It—it threw that mountain into my lake! I want it to pay!!”

Destruction couldn’t help but smile faintly, watching Life pout, wanting to cry but feeling it would be a loss of face.

“How about this? I’ll—I’ll help you get the mountain out, alright?”

Life, whose emotions had largely been vented after crying for so long, pondered it briefly in her mind.

She then nodded in agreement.

‘Life is so adorable like this; I really want to pinch her cheeks!’

Destruction, almost overcome with emotion again by Life’s head-tilt in thought, quickly diverted its attention to the distance to avoid revealing its inner turmoil.

This shift in focus allowed it to spot Yisha, emerging soaking wet from the lake, glaring fiercely around as she searched for the culprit.

‘Never mind. The blame won’t fall on me anyway; she can do whatever she wants.’

Destruction hugged Life tightly once more, taking deep, ragged breaths. It was as if Life’s very presence could replenish its energy.

Yisha stood beneath a tree, a dark cloud seeming to hang over her head. Facing her were a mere dozen individuals, typically boisterous, who were now uncharacteristically quiet.

At this moment, they stood in unison, their expressions solemn and silent, as if attending a funeral.

As the one standing amidst them, Yisha felt a monumental sense of dread looming over her.

“Um, could we perhaps switch places?”

“Apologies, but this is necessary to send you off.”

Yisha felt herself on the verge of collapse.

“Then, why are your expressions so serious?”

“We’re nervous.”

The leading pink-haired girl stated.

“Nervous?”

Yisha found it utterly peculiar. Imagine, a group of ancient beings who had lived for tens of thousands of years, who by all accounts should have witnessed every facet of life and experienced an incredibly long existence, remaining entirely unfazed by anything.

Yet now, they claimed to be nervous?

“Yes, we are very nervous.”

The pink-haired girl continued, her expression earnest.

“Why are you nervous? And where are Life and the others? Shouldn’t they be here to send us off?”

A slight twitch played at the corner of Yisha’s lips. She had a terrible premonition, knowing that nothing good ever came from these beings deviating from the norm.

“Life and Destruction are repairing this place, Slaughter is guarding the seal, and Order is in the tunnel. So, only we have the ability to send you out.”

Yisha’s premonition was beginning to manifest.

“Don’t tell me you haven’t tried teleportation before.”

The girl’s impassive face finally showed an expression—a smile that felt like spring returning to warm the earth. However, her next words sent a bone-chilling coldness through Yisha.

“Aside from that one time we returned from the mortal world, no.”

‘Ah, it’s over. The landing spot is gone.’

Slapping her hand against her face, Yisha gave up.

Due to the unique nature of the Origin of All Things and the constant threat from enemies, ordinary methods of entry and exit had long been rendered useless here. The sole means of travel was spatial teleportation.

Usually, Life and her group, who frequently entered and exited the Origin of All Things and were highly familiar with teleportation, would send Yisha and the others away.

Their familiarity allowed them better control over the teleportation’s destination and scale, but this time, it was this group instead.

“Everyone, take your positions. Ready~”

The pink-haired girl no longer paid Yisha any heed, instead signaling the surrounding individuals to begin preparations for teleportation.

The enormous and incredibly complex magical formation, intricate enough to trigger trypophobia with a single glance, began to glow. Gradually, the light intensified, becoming dazzling, and the figures of the girls were obscured by it.

When the light subsided, they were gone.

Almost simultaneously, a crimson figure appeared before the magical formation, where the residual light still lingered.

“Oh my, what brings Lord Slaughter here?”

The pink-haired girl’s lips curved upwards into a playful smile.

“You, if you want to cause trouble, just say so. No one’s stopping you.”

Slaughter rubbed their temples in exasperation, speaking with a sigh.

In response, the girl merely stuck out her tongue playfully.

“If it weren’t for a strange feeling from Order, we might still be in the dark. The Kanzaki family, you say…?”

Slaughter murmured lowly, their fingers unconsciously tapping their forehead.

“It’s fine, they’ll be dealt with. Just wait a little longer.”

The pink-haired girl said softly.

“They’ve gone too far, but we won’t need to intervene. She alone will be enough.”

The girl raised an eyebrow. Slaughter’s expression stiffened, and they vanished without a trace.

“Attention, this is not a drill. A Spatial Quake is imminent. All citizens, please proceed to the nearest shelter immediately…”

The piercing alarm reverberated through the air, and the ominous crimson warning lights painted half the sky red. The entire city, roused by the siren, sprang back into a frantic activity.

“Spirit wave reaction confirmed. Target identified: Dancer!”

In a brightly lit corridor, an elder disregarded everyone rushing back and forth. He made his way directly to the control room entrance.

“Identity confirmed: Kanzaki Ieyasu.”

The heavy alloy door slid open. Inside, no one paid any attention to the elder’s arrival; each person was swiftly operating their stations, their eyes ablaze with a fervent, almost fanatical fire.

In the distant open space, various machines encircling the area began to hum to life, powered by a supply of magical energy.

Lines of magic, varying in thickness, were drawn, outlined, and combined in the air, eventually assembling into a colossal formation.

“Initiate experiment. Formation ready.”

There were no superfluous words, nor was any extra communication needed. All they had to do now was wait for her arrival.

The elder smiled, gazing into the distance. His clear eyes held nothing but a profound longing, a longing that sent shivers down the spines of those around him.

‘No matter how much time passes, no matter what power you acquire, no matter how strong you become, it will ultimately be ours!’

He extended his hand, aimed it at the air above the open ground, and slowly clenched his fist.

The moment he clenched his hand, space itself warped, like ripples spreading from an object thrown into a lake. What followed was utter devastation, an irresistible ravaging brought forth by a Spirit—a calamity known as a Spatial Quake!

A colossal shockwave erupted from the twisted space, rapidly spreading outwards and obliterating everything in its path.

It was as if, in an instant, a portion of the city had been scooped away. Or perhaps, it felt as though an immense span of time had passed, with all remaining life having its very essence stolen.

Birth, growth, maturity, aging, death.

Newborn sprouts underwent experiences that should have taken decades, all within mere seconds.

A vast quantity of green light particles was drawn out, then converged upon the girl standing at the center of the massive crater.

She stood there, her frigid expression seemingly indifferent even to the world itself. Her formidable aura overwhelmed all around her, and the massive cannon clutched in her hand perfectly embodied the very definition of violence.

She was a Spirit, a calamity; she was not human, nor did she belong to this world. She had a mission that must be fulfilled, and unbreakable bonds she could not relinquish.

Yet, none of it mattered to her at this moment.

The girl cared neither for the opponent’s thoughts nor for their intentions. However, old friends meeting always warranted a greeting, especially with “friends” who had left such a profound mark.

“Yo, Kanzaki family. Long time no see.”