The God of Origin

On the fourth morning after returning from the Dark Beyond, at 6 a.m., Alexander was still out walking with Ren as usual.

“Ren, don’t you feel like things have gotten a bit more relaxed after being resurrected?”

“Yeah, but I still don’t know what to do with myself.”

“Anyway, I don’t want to end up like Vulcanic and the others, spending our days just eating and playing. I’ve lost interest in the Elven Sword Dance Festival too.”

“Well, we do have more things that can entertain us, and with the sisters’ memories, we know stuff we could’ve never imagined before.”

“I want to ask Eve to give Mio a loyal and outstanding shrine maiden.”

“Who do you recommend?”

“Hecate from Shakugan no Shana!”

“Hecate? From what I remember of Shizuku’s memories, she was indeed an excellent shrine maiden.”

“Exactly. Anyway, let’s go grab breakfast now. This body does get hungry, you know.”

“What should we eat? There are too many options, I can’t decide.”

“How about meat buns? Let’s try everything once anyway.”

“Sure, but the deep-fried buns in Dragon Country taste great too.”

Suddenly, Alexander spotted a familiar face and called out immediately.

“Minhuisi!”

A black-haired, violet-eyed girl looked their way and walked over.

“Hello, Alex.”

“Who’s she?”

“She’s one of my subordinates from the Saint King faction—Minhuisi Zhewei. A half-blood between a human and the highest-tier elf.”

Ren looked carefully and indeed sensed elven energy.

“Minhuisi, Ren and I—beings of the Dark King’s will—are just out for a walk. Also, the Saint King will need you in the future. Make sure you give your best.”

“Yes!”

Ren asked curiously.

“Roughly how many half-blood elves are there? And how capable are they?”

“Counting me, just three. We can’t transform into elf magic armor, but our strength is 15 times that of a human.”

“I see.”

At that moment, a storm of chaotic thoughts flooded Ren’s head.

“Sorry, Alex. I’m heading to see Eve first.”

“Okay.”

Then Ren flew away.

“By the way, Minhuisi, why are you here?”

“Looking after housing. Even if it’s one per person, I want to study hard to stay loyal to the Saint King in the future.”

“That’s a good attitude.”

“But the Saint King is so kind now. A lot of diehard loyalists want to eliminate that big nuisance, Kazehaya Shinjin.”

“Don’t stir up trouble. Isn’t it better to live peacefully? Even though I have the Saint King’s memories, the Saint King now prefers a peaceful life.”

“It’s not me—it’s the others. But if the Saint King says just one word, we’ll all act.”

Alexander felt uneasy in his heart.

(Even though I made everyone do bad things, they’re still helping me…)

“Hey, Minhuisi, why is everyone still helping the Saint King even though she did bad things?”

“Because it’s such a wonderful thing.”

“What do you mean?”

“To be able to work for the Elven King, and do something for her—it’s the greatest honor and happiness for a human. Besides, the Elven King is the world. If humanity were to go extinct, it wouldn’t matter. If we all disappear together, then so be it. And to die by the Elven King’s hand is a kind of honor too.”

Alexander felt more and more pained, but forced a smile to avoid suspicion.

“True. Well then, Minhuisi, I’ll be going.”

“Okay.”

Alexander walked to a lakeside and sat on a bench, staring at the water.

“What a wonderful world this is, and yet I once wanted to destroy it. How stupid. Now I’m in such a slump… I should’ve just stayed asleep.”

Alexander started zoning out, watching people fish. Then Ren flew back.

“What’s with the dazed look?”

Ren appeared suddenly.

“It’s nothing. Just watching people fish.”

“Let me guess—it’s guilt, right?”

Alexander’s expression changed slightly, pierced by Ren’s words.

“I was just guessing, but looks like I hit the mark.”

“Come on… don’t be like that.”

“Guilt from what? Stealing from the storage room?”

“From destroying the world and hurting a lot of people.”

“Then atone properly—for this world.”

“I understand, but there’s something I want to say.”

“Hmm?”

“If Eve could go back in time in this world, I hope she stops me.”

“But changing history means a lot of people would disappear—including Aiko and the fire-cat girl.”

“You’re right. Oh, by the way, why did you go to Eve earlier?”

“To ask if she’d consider letting our two original subordinates join the faction.”

“And?”

“She agreed. But anyway, are we having breakfast? I’m starving.”

“Sure, let’s eat.”

Back at home, Anyue was in Eve’s room, discussing how to train everyone.

“Anyue, how about we use clones to act as enemies?”

“Sounds good. Their strength would instantly rival the Elven King level.”

“Also, Shinyin is a growth-type. Kind of like Broly from Dragon Ball Super—the more she fights, the stronger she gets.”

Anyue started commenting.

“She won’t reach our level, right?”

“It’s possible, but…”

“But what?”

“One of her eyes is nearly blind. I could heal it, but she said she wants her brother to win the competition and use his wish to cure her. If Shinjin loses, she’s fine with me healing her.”

“Probably testing Shinjin.”

“Maybe it’s to prevent a harmful wish being made.”

Eve walked over to the window and looked outside.

“Anyue, I’m planning to return to the original world tonight for a big replication. Want to come?”

“Sure. I’ll also catch up on manga, anime, and novels. And if you’re around, nothing can go wrong.”

“Thanks.”

“Just so you know—I have a lot of special powers even my parents don’t know about. I’m way stronger than my father, but no one knows.”

Eve sighed.

“Good thing you’re not an enemy.”

“Fighting me doesn’t just mean death. I toy with souls slowly afterward.”

“Hard to believe you get along so well with little Mio and the others.”

“They’ve been my friends since childhood. I don’t hide anything from them.”

“Same here. Including Lin.”

“Speaking of Lin, she’s apparently surpassed Mio and Shizuku academically.”

“Even though she has no powers, she’s not resentful. Right now, the three of them are still sleeping.”

“It’s fine. Let them rest.”

“As for the enemies beyond the Gate of Origin—how about we strike first? I’m tired of waiting.”

“I’ll go for a big fight at noon and test the power of the god who created the Elven Kings. If it’s weak, the others can use it for training.”

“Got it.”

At 9:30, Mio had just woken up and found Est hugging her in bed.

“Cute little one.”

(But in the original, Est would turn into a sword while sleeping. Mine stays in human form. Maybe Xiao An changed something.)

“Mio, you’re awake?”

Est opened her eyes and spoke softly.

“Yeah. But when did you get into my bed?”

“In the middle of the night, when you were fast asleep. Hugging you feels so good, Mio.”

“Then let’s go eat some soup dumplings later.”

“Okay.”

After getting dressed, Mio took Est to get soup dumplings.

Meanwhile, beyond the Gate of Origin, a girl who looked about 14 descended into the human world’s ocean center. She wore a black combat suit, had fiery red hair and bright red eyes, and spoke in a cute voice with arms crossed.

“So this is the human world. But since that guy’s about to start a war, I better give those cute Elven Kings a little warning.”

She began sensing the Elven Kings.

“Found them. But something feels off.”

Back with Alexander and Ren—although they were in a bookstore, their expressions were tense.

“Ren!”

“You felt it too, right?”

“Yeah, it’s getting closer—and I have a bad feeling.”

“No scanner, no way to contact anyone. Looks like we need to go meet this mystery person ourselves.”

“Right.”

The two left the store and flew off.

The girl, flying at extreme speed, noticed the two approaching.
(Note: this feels similar to ki from Dragon Ball)

Five minutes later, they met. The girl spoke gently.

“You must be Alexander and Ren.”

Alexander replied.

“We’re manifestations of our true selves’ consciousness. Who are you?”

“I’m one of the beings you call ‘from beyond the Gate of Origin.’ But you already know why I’m here, don’t you?”

Alexander’s tone hardened.

“What do you want?”

“The death of all Elven Kings is imminent!”

Alexander and Ren realized she wasn’t bluffing.

They returned to their Elven King forms and readied for battle.

“Trying to test my power or what? Well, might as well kill some time.”

In an instant, the girl appeared in front of Ren and punched her in the stomach.

“Agh… ah… ahhh!”

Then she moved at high speed and hit Alexander in the stomach too.

Both backed off, holding their bellies, blood at the corners of their mouths. The girl smiled.

“Pathetic. You guys can’t possibly react to my attack speed.”

Ren raised her right hand, forming a massive black-and-purple thunderball—100 meters wide. The girl clapped mockingly.

“Wow, do you really think that’ll work on me?”

“Who knows?”

Ren threw the thunderball at her.

“Alexander, let’s get out of here!”

“Right!”

The thunderball exploded on impact, raising the air temperature drastically.

While flying away, Alexander noticed Ren was sweating a lot.

“You okay?”

“Yeah… but I went all out.”

“All out? Don’t tell me Eve also limited your power…”

“Maybe. But who is that girl?”

“Hey!”

The girl suddenly flew ahead of them, waving.

“What?!”

“Sorry, maybe those punches were too hard. But I’m not an enemy. You could even say I’m an ally.”

“You think we’d believe that?”

“Then who are you?”

“My name is Qilin. I was born beyond the Gate of Origin. I’m ranked second in power—just below the god who created you Elven Kings. I came to talk to your leader and the other Kings about that god planning to annihilate all of you.”

Alexander and Ren became more serious.

“Why?”

“Let’s go to your real bodies and gather all the Kings first. Just so you know, I’m on your side.”

“Understood.”

“Why are you helping us?”

“I think you’re all cute. And you’re girls. I feel a little sympathy.”

Meanwhile, Eve and Anyue were still clueless, either gaming or chatting.

“Anyue, I heard even if one’s existence is erased, they can still be revived. Is that true?”

“Yeah, but it takes over 3 hours. The underworld’s law magic is really complex.”

“Then don’t go too crazy by noon.”

“Got it. Also, if I find any fun abilities, I’ll copy them.”

“Copy?”

“It’s one of my powers—I can steal all memories and abilities from someone I touch.”

“That means you’ve copied mine too…”

“Relax. Just the memories—huh!?”

“I sense an extremely powerful force approaching.”

Eve pressed the scanner—it showed a shockingly high reading.

“Battle power: 554.84 billion! That’s more than six Elven Kings combined.”

“Did you invite someone over without telling me?”

“No. Aside from Akame and Kurokami, everyone here is accounted for—and their power caps aren’t that high.”

“Then I’m looking forward to a warm-up match.”

“If I go all out against you, it’ll be a lot more fun than just a warm-up.”

“You may not fight dirty, but your fists really can hurt. But anyone else who hurts me gets utterly crushed.”

“Male or female?”

“I make a distinction between punishment and total beatdown. Once, a trainee angel wet herself because of me.”

“You’re a sadist?”

“Yeah, but Mio and the others’ hidden pervy side is hard to see. Even though it’s only toward the same s*x, once it explodes, she’s more of a sadist than me.”

“How do you know that?”

“I’ve been played with by her twice. Honestly, it’s unforgettable, especially when it was during bath time.”

“What did you do?”

“I just teased her, saying she’s even flatter than her sister, and ended up getting ‘H-ed’.”

“How did she ‘H’ you?”

“She rubbed bath gel all over my body, and Shizuku held me while groping everywhere. It went on for over half an hour—I was blushing like crazy.”

“Wow.”

“Be careful or I might do the same to you. But right now, the priority is waiting for that person. If they’re an enemy, we’ll play with them a bit.”

After a while, Alexander and Ren brought the person over. Eve and Kurayami were already waiting in the living room, while Mio and the others had gone for breakfast.

Alexander opened the door, and Kirin walked into the house, waving at Eve and Kurayami.

“Hello, I’m Kirin.”

“And you are?”

Kurayami came over and took a look.

“Not bad strength. You’re pretty impressive, sis.”

“Of course, I’m basically the second strongest in the world.”

Eve spoke up.

“Ari, who is she?”

“I’ll explain in detail…”

A while later.

“So that’s how it is. What’s the purpose of that god?”

“Can we wait until all six Spirit Kings are gathered? It might be an end-of-the-world matter.”

“I’ll go gather them. You wait in the living room. Ari, Ren, prepare food and drinks. Kurayami, keep her company.”

“Alright.”

Both: “Understood!”

The two went upstairs. Alexander smiled.

“We’re like servants now.”

“Yeah, but with Eve around, I feel at ease.”

“That punch earlier really hurt for the first time in a while.”

“She was clearly just playing. But why does a god want to destroy us?”

“Some novel plot?”

“The novel already ended—what plot is left? And what’s with this divine voice?”

“Guess we’ll have to slowly figure it out.”

Meanwhile, Mio and the others were eating soup dumplings. Even though the group was large, it was lively.

Nibecol drank a bowl of soy milk in one go and looked up at the sky.

“Mio, the weather seems to be changing.”

“No worries. If it rains, I’ll teleport you all back instantly.”

But Nemesis smiled quietly.

(Something fun is coming.)

After a while, Mireia’s detector beeped.

“Hello?”

“Mireia, it’s Eve.”

“Lady Eve.”

“Mio’s detector seems broken—can’t reach her. I’ve arranged for four Spirit Kings to meet around noon for an important meeting. They’ll probably fly in by 12. But the content is extremely serious—someone is trying to wipe out all six Spirit Kings.”

“Understood.”

“Lady Mio…”

“We all heard that. You spoke too loudly. But since it concerns the survival of the six Spirit Kings, something big is happening.”

“What should we do now?”

“Finish eating and go home to discuss. But let me make it clear—I won’t be taken down so easily. You all be careful too.”

Shizuku nodded.

“Right. Just in case, I’ll go check on Shinjin. Restia, you come too.”

“Yes, Shizuku.”

“I’ll go with Est. The rest of you finish eating and head home.”

Then Shizuku, Restia, and Est grabbed Mio and teleported away, while Mireia suddenly had a bad feeling.

“I hope nothing serious happens…”

Back at home, Kirin got serious.

“Eve, I have some bad news to share.”

“Bad news?”

“The god created the Spirit Kings. But the Spirit Kings created a massive number of Spirit weapons. So before I arrived, the god cast a spell over all spirits worldwide.”

“What kind of spell?”

“Spirits can no longer transform into Spirit Arms. But the god’s goal is to eliminate the six Spirit Kings without harming innocent lives.”

Alexander spoke.

“What’s the reason for this attack?”

“I’ll explain once all the Spirit Kings arrive. I don’t like repeating myself.”

“Fair enough.”

“But the food here is delicious. How did you make it?”

“No idea.”

Kurayami stretched and took a sip of water, then mentally communicated with Eve.

(Eve, are Mio and the others like Broly—those growth types?)

(More or less. Mireia and the rest too. They’re not much now, but once in real combat… heh.)

(I wanna play with Mireia again.)

(Come on, little Kurayami, don’t mess around.)

(Oh, getting bold now—calling me ‘little Kurayami’.)

(Just kidding.)

(But let me play with that god.)

“Hey, Kirin-sis, is that god strong?”

“Very strong. She has many powers, including time travel to the future.”

“Wow…”

Kurayami was delighted.

“I really want to fight her.”

“You’re still too young. Let the adults handle it.”

“But the Spirit Kings are also very powerful.”

“No matter how strong, they can’t match even a tenth of my power.”

Alexander and Ren broke out in cold sweat.

“So, Kirin-sis, is that god male or female?”

“Female. Looks like a young girl, just like me. But don’t be fooled by appearances—she’s a loli over a billion years old.”

Alexander sat next to Eve.

“Kirin, do you think reconciliation is possible?”

“Not sure. But trying to eliminate the Spirit Kings is because they went too far and got arrogant.”

“Too far?”

“I’ll explain once all Spirit Kings arrive.”

About half an hour later, Mireia and the others returned. Eve explained everything.

“Lady Eve, so now none of the spirits can turn into Spirit Arms!?”

“Correct. Where are Mio and the others?”

“They went to see Kazehaya Shinjin.”

“Without Spirit Arms, don’t expect anything from him.”

“Then how do we fight?”

“Energy waves and physical attacks. As for swords, I’ll forge a few good ones later. Even if they’re not Spirit Arms, train yourselves just in case.”

Kurayami glanced at Nibecol and snapped her fingers.

“Nibecol, how many clones can you make?”

“Thirty thousand at most.”

(Eve barely gave Nibecol any power. If it were me, forget thirty thousand—even three hundred million would be no problem.)

“Not bad. I’ll count on you for the frontlines.”

“Alright.”

Just then, the detector beeped. Eve picked up.

“Little Dark, it’s Shizuku. We’re a hundred meters above the academy.”

“What’s up?”

“Well… Shinjin has a severe cold, but neither sis nor I can treat him.”

“You’re Spirit Kings, for crying out loud. Just use healing magic through your thoughts. But he’s allergic to holy power—try your dark power instead.”

“Got it.”

Kirin tilted her head.

“What do you mean ‘for crying out loud, you’re Spirit Kings’?”

“They use human bodies and live as humans. Alexander’s human name is Kamikoshi Mio Wescott. Ren’s is Kamikoshi Shizuku Wescott.”

“I heard from Flu. Alexander lost because he used a human body. Why haven’t they learned not to use one?”

Alexander sighed.

“My true self is a defeated warrior’s body. Most people know that. The other identity is human, and very few know. When using a human body, we must speak and act carefully.”

“Do the other Kings also use human forms?”

“Not sure. Depends on them.”

“Should I get a human name too?”

By noon, all Spirit Kings had arrived, including Mio and Shizuku.

Kirin lit up upon seeing them.

“So this is Alexander and Ren!? So cute! Wanna be friends?”

“I don’t mind. But please explain everything clearly. And just call me Mio.”

“Same here. Shizuku is fine.”

“Then I’ll explain it all now. Have your subordinates listen closely—the key reasons the god wants to destroy only the six Spirit Kings.”

“1. The god created you to guide and nurture humanity. You broke that rule. Instead, you rule over humans, don’t stop their wars, and spend your days partying. How will peace ever come like that?”

“2. The primordial power was meant for you, but you took it early and created massive armies of spirits and angels.”

“3. A family’s life is worth fighting for!”

Alexander was puzzled.

“A family? We’re supposed to be allies.”

“You’re mistaken. You’re actually blood-related sisters, created by the same mother.”

“Family ranking?”

“Light—1st, Dark—2nd, Fire—3rd, Earth—4th, Water—5th, Wind—6th.”

“I see. No wonder Bevahl acts so childish.”

“Hey, Ari!”

“Sorry.”

Isaria spoke up.

“About the god—what do we do now?”

“I’ll go talk to her. But you must correct your behavior. Guide humanity properly. If you want to be kings, have kind and broad hearts, like Isaria. But also prepare an escape plan—if I fail, you run.”

“No need for that!”

A girl identical to Mio suddenly appeared.

“Who are you!? Copying my form!”

“Still don’t get it? My lovely child—Alexander!”

“Hey! What are you doing here!?”

Kirin shouted.

“I knew you’d spill the beans. That’s why I came. But after seeing this city… I might change my mind.”

“Change of mind?”

“Alexander, fight me on behalf of all Spirit Kings. If you entertain me, I’ll let it go. If not, I’ll erase all of you.”

“They’re your daughters! Are you insane!?”

“Exactly why I must test them.”

“But erasing them is too much!”

Mio stepped forward, patting her chest with resolve.

“I understand. As their elder sister, I must protect them.”

“Good. Let’s fight in the sky, hand to hand. I’ve already removed the Spirit Arms ability from all spirits.”

But Alexander stepped up and held Mio’s hand.

“Are you really going?”

At this moment, Alexander didn’t want Mio to go. Mio patted his head.

“Yes. No matter what, a Holy King never loses.”

“……”

“God, you want to fight using my form?”

“Yes. Show me how much you’ve grown!”

“Then follow me.”

Mio flew out the window. The god followed.

Vulcanic was worried.

“Alexander hasn’t regained full strength. How can she fight?”

At ten thousand meters above, the god smiled.

“I know everything about you. You’re not from this world, are you?”

“What do you mean?”

“We’re just characters in a novel. Everything here was made real by your friend, Eve.”

Mio became alert.

“How do you know that?”

“From the memories of my daughter’s soul. You and your sister have parts of Alexander’s soul, right?”

“Correct. Other than you, only my friend at home might know.”

“She doesn’t. But I thank you all for bringing my daughter Alexander back to the right path.”

“I believe in her. But what’s your goal? Surely not just idle chatter?”

“I just want to fight. Since my birth, nothing has ever defeated me.”

“I see.”

“I made all the spirits lose their Spirit Armor powers to help you. In your original world, you were just an ordinary human who didn’t know how to use cold weapons. Fists and kicks are more convenient for you. But don’t worry, I’ll keep your identities secret.”

“Then let’s start the fight!”

“Bring it on!”

The two of them charged forward, fists clashing, causing strong winds and tremors on the ground.

“As expected, your original body is stronger. That punch just now was impressive!”

“The real show is just getting started.”

The two continued fighting at extremely high speed.

Back at home, the others noticed loud bangs coming from the sky. Mireia swallowed hard.

“Everyone, it’s too dangerous to leave everything to Lady Holy King. Let’s all go together!”

“No…”

Qiling shook her head.

“She’s doing this for your sake. As the eldest daughter, she must take responsibility.”

At that moment, the god pointed her hand at Mio and used gravity. Mio crashed into the ground, forming a deep crater and struggling under the weight.

“Oh, this gravity is 500 times stronger. Seems I shouldn’t underestimate you.”

“You brought me down from that height, but I won’t lose!”

Mio aimed her palm at the god with full power and unleashed a massive energy wave. The god quickly used a hand blade to strike at the wave.

“Hah!”

But the energy wave was so powerful it reduced the hand to ashes.

However, the god wasn’t angry. Instead, she burst into laughter.

“Interesting. That’s the first time in my life I’ve felt such pain. Hit me harder!”

Mio broke into a cold sweat.

“How about you use your real body? Let me see your full strength.”

“But I don’t like people seeing my true form.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’ve been a loli for a billion years!”

Qiling and the others arrived. The god instantly regenerated her arm.

“You’re also a loli… little Qiling!”

“How dare you say that! Clearly, your real body and Alexander’s human form have the same flat chest!”

“Ha! You’re asking for a beating.”

Qiling grinned mischievously.

“If you wanna fight, let’s do it, Shanyingna!”

Mio flew into the sky, staring at the god.

“Shanyingna is your real name?”

“That’s right. My full name is Shanyingna Kan Yuanqiu Di Bing.”

What a strange surname.

“Let’s not talk about that. Let’s continue fighting.”

“But I have a move that might kill you.”

“No problem. I’m immortal. Even if not a single cell remains, I’ll recover.”

“Bragging won’t help you.”

Mio flew even higher, placing her hands on her hips and gathering energy with all her might.

Eve noticed.

“That’s the Kamehameha stance! But firing it from that height will destroy tens of thousands of kilometers of land.”

Shanyingna shouted at Mio.

“You wouldn’t dare unleash a full-power attack from there! You’d destroy everything!”

But Mio had already fully charged the energy in her hands. The other Spirit Kings, seeing her serious eyes, were completely terrified.

“She’s serious!”

Seeing Mio’s eyes, Shanyingna instantly knew she was about to be attacked.

“No… no way!”

But Mio suddenly disappeared and reappeared right beneath Shanyingna’s feet, giving her less than a second to react.

“It’s over…”

“Hah!”

A massive energy wave obliterated Shanyingna, leaving not even ash. The aftermath also destroyed many buildings.

Eve clapped.

(That’s what Goku used on Cell. As expected of little Mio.)

Mireia was shocked.

“We totally forgot about instant transmission!”

Suddenly, glowing particles appeared and reformed into a glowing ten-year-old girl. Her clothes remained the same, but her hair turned silver and eyes became purple.

Qiling laughed loudly.

“You idiot, Shanyingna! You let your guard down. But your original form is kinda cute.”

Shanyingna flew over.

“Laugh again and I won’t play with you anymore!”

“Sorry.”

Mio walked over to take a look.

“So cute. You look just like a human.”

Shanyingna yawned.

“That was fun just now. You win.”

“That’s great.”

“But you spent a lot of energy on that last attack, right?”

“You got that right.”

“But I was just playing around. You need more training at your level.”

“Understood!”

“As for Kana, I’ll go back and teach him a lesson—don’t worry.”

Shanyingna turned to the other Spirit Kings.

“And all you daughters, listen up. Starting today, you’ll train humans well with your respective subordinates. Stop any wars, resolve issues among sisters through discussion, and no more life-or-death battles. Otherwise, I’ll really erase you. The seal on your Spirit Armor will be lifted in three months.”

“Why three months?”

“Because I said so. Qiling, let’s go!”

“Okay. Bye, everyone!”

The two disappeared.

Alexander ran to Mio.

“Are you okay?!”

“I’m fine, but she wasn’t serious at all. Even if all six Kings attacked at once, they wouldn’t match one ten-thousandth of her power.”

Mio’s sudden teleportation attack startled Eve.

“An’yue, no one but us could have taken that attack from Mio just now, right?”

“Yeah, but she’s growing fast. Maybe someday she’ll match us.”

At that moment, Mio remembered something.

“I need to go to the divine realm.”

“Huh?”

“Est and Restia stayed there for lunch—I forgot to bring food!”

Mio instantly teleported away.

“Thank you, Mio.”

Meanwhile, with Shanyingna—

“Shanyingna, why is Alexander so strong?”

“Who knows? But many trials still await Alexander (Mio) and the others.”

“I wanna go play!”

“Why do you lose control whenever you see someone cute?”

“Because cute is justice!”

“You’re hopeless.”

At 1 PM, Eve prepared a feast, and everyone—including the Spirit Kings—ate together.

Mio raised her cup.

“Sisters and everyone, let’s work hard for the sake of human peace from now on!”

Everyone: “Yes!”

“Also, Shizuku and I have decided to pass our original names to our Will.”

Alexander asked,

“Why?”

“Because Shizuku and I want to live as humans now. Plus, Shizuku doesn’t have her old memories. As for Will’s Ren, she only has them due to a special spell.”

“The original body is… too much.”

“Shizuku agrees, right?”

“Yes. The Spirit King positions will be yours. But if you don’t behave, we’ll take them back. The other sisters will support you.”

“I understand.”

“Me too.”

Mio nodded.

“Then once again, please take care of things, Alexander and Ren Ashdoll!”

Eve and An’yue just smiled awkwardly and kept eating.

That night, Eve and An’yue told Mio and Shizuku they’d return to the original world for a few days. After they left, Mio went to the bath—and found Alexander already inside.

“Mio, you’re not participating in this year’s Blade Dance Festival, so what’s the plan?”

“I’m not sure, but having Mireia and the others watch the divine beings can be good data. Also, I’ve planned new rules for the festival—I’ll personally participate to avenge you!”

“Do you even know swordplay?”

“There’s no rule saying you have to use swords. Plus, normal people can join.”

“Normal people can join?”

“Let me explain. Imagine a city with eight schools. Each sends a team. The team that beats the others represents the city. Then they fight other cities to represent the nation.”

“So basically, local, to national, to global!”

“Exactly. Excellent fighters can join the Blade Dance Festival. I also want to see the standard of others in our country. Mireia, Yugudora, and Luminarius will go first—Shizuku and I will mostly observe.”

“You girls still need more training. Ren and I can teach you some techniques.”

“Thanks. By the way, I’m going to visit Alesia tomorrow.”

“She’s working as a shepherd now, right?”

“Yeah, and she loves animals. Est often helps out too.”

“That’s nice. Should we invite her to the festival?”

“I’ll ask tomorrow. If she doesn’t want to, we can’t force her.”

“Right. While you visit Alesia, Ren and I will fly to the snowy mountains.”

“Why go there?”

“There are special fruit trees that double strength when eaten. But there are also many magic spirits—without skilled companions, it’s dangerous.”

“Sounds like the dark fruit. Ever since I came to this world, all I’ve done is eat for free without offering anything.”

“Go check the offering grounds. There should be staff.”

“What kind of offerings?”

“Mostly food and clothes, but I don’t touch any of it.”

“Why not?”

“Waste of time. I don’t even need to eat. But now, even in my original body, I get hungry.”

“So you’re not purely a spirit.”

“But this bath is really relaxing. Unlike Shizuku, you bathe every day.”

“That’s right.”

Mio swam over and hugged Alexander. Alexander blushed.

“What are you doing?”

“Just as I thought—hugging you feels nice. The texture too.”

“Don’t get all pervy on me!”

Mio grinned mischievously.

“Aw come on—what’s the problem? We’re both girls!”

She hugged tighter.

“Stop clinging to me!”

“What’s the problem?!”