The Empress, Demeter.

There was a time when I had a conversation with Oko, and her name came up.

Among the four supreme beings of the divine races, Demeter was the one responsible for the concept of "life."

Considering the grand concept she represented, Oko’s dismissive remark that she wasn’t much of a big deal had made me curious. How did Oko view the other supreme beings, then?

I’d never heard of the others. Oko hadn’t mentioned them, and she wasn’t inclined to share more, leaving me in the dark.

In any case.

Despite her association with the concept of life, Demeter wore an expression as if she had lost everything while gazing at the lifeless body of the Emperor.

I couldn’t help but cautiously ask her a question.

"Your Majesty, the Empress."

"…"

"With your authority, can you not bring the Emperor back?"

"I don’t have such power."

"But…"

My words, spoken on the off chance, might have inadvertently struck a nerve.

Demeter gave me a faint, forced smile, but her expression was utterly devoid of life.

"I only guide the flow. And when the time comes, I take it away. A life that has already ended is beyond even my power to reclaim."

Perhaps, like Oko, Demeter lacked the ability to intervene directly in the cycle of life and death.

Feeling guilty for saying something so thoughtless, I lowered my gaze and stood up.

Demeter gently stroked the Emperor’s cheek, her gaze fixed solely on him.

Her eyes reflected a storm of emotions, a turmoil too complex to fully decipher.

It was clear that she would need time.

Time to come to terms with the loss of the Emperor.

I rose to my feet.

The death of the Empire’s heart posed a daunting question: what was to be done next?

Still, the Emperor had given me his final command.

To ensure that, in the end, everyone could smile.

To achieve that, the chaos outside had to be stopped first.

"Your Majesty, the Empress."

"…"

"In fulfillment of His Majesty’s orders, I will take my leave. Please take care of yourself."

A being as powerful as Demeter wouldn’t be threatened by a few humans invading the palace.

She would be fine.

For now, I had to focus on taking care of the task in front of me.

 

The moment I stepped out of the palace, the scene of utter chaos before me felt overwhelming.

How was I supposed to stop all of this on my own?

In the distance, I could hear the sound of buildings collapsing.

I sprinted toward the source of the noise. There, knights were being swept away like sand in front of a rising tide.

The divine beings had finally lost their patience and begun retaliating against the humans.

The knights tried to fight back, but their attacks had no effect on the divine beings.

I needed to find whoever was leading the knights.

If I invoked Oko's name, the divine beings would stop, and by halting the knights, the battle would naturally end.

Among the chaos, I spotted a knight wearing ornate armor—undoubtedly the Vice Commander of the Lintpia Knights.

"Knights! Do not falter! Kill these divine beings here and now!"

Even as his soldiers were being reduced to lifeless heaps, the Vice Commander urged them to sacrifice themselves further.

Something was definitely wrong. The Vice Commander I knew wouldn’t throw lives away so recklessly.

"Stop this, Vice Commander!"

I ran to him, shouting.

When I looked into his eyes, they were vacant, lifeless—as if he’d been brainwashed.

"Raydan Tantan, why are you not attacking those creatures?"

"Vice Commander, please come to your senses! The knights are dying needlessly! His Majesty gave his orders—please, stop this battle!"

"What does that matter?"

Hopelessness washed over me. He was no longer capable of rational thought—clearly under some kind of influence.

If this continued, all the remaining knights would be killed.

"Vice Commander!"

"Get out of my way! Those damned rebels must be crushed immediately!"

This was driving me insane. I didn’t want to commit yet another act of treason, but…

I moved behind the Vice Commander and tapped his shoulder with my fingers.

"What now—urk!"

The moment he turned to look at me, I headbutted him with enough force to knock him unconscious.

I waved my hand in front of his face to ensure he was truly out cold. Only when there was no reaction did I finally relax.

Every time I had to do this, I felt dizzy. Once all this madness was over, I’d need to find a quiet place to hide for a while.

I turned to the knights ahead.

Every one of them wore expressions twisted with fear. They weren’t fighting out of conviction—they were following orders, believing the divine beings had killed the Emperor.

"Everyone, stop!"

At my shout, the knights halted.

But the divine beings, seeing the knights cease their charge, took it as an opportunity to attack.

I quickly dashed forward and yelled at the divine beings.

"Stop as well! By the name of ‘Oko,’ I command you to cease your violence!"

The divine beings froze, their faces a mix of shock and displeasure. Still, invoking her name had the desired effect—they stopped.

Once complete silence fell over the battlefield, I shouted at the top of my lungs.

"Please, stop this pointless battle! Isn’t it absurd to slaughter each other, all because of a single baseless accusation? To kill and die without any proof, trusting nothing but words—it’s utter madness!"

Some of the knights’ faces brightened slightly at my words.

The divine beings, meanwhile, looked frustrated. Considering they had been attacked first, their resentment was understandable.

"I spoke with His Majesty and Her Majesty, the Empress! Her Majesty did not kill the Emperor! It was the Knight Commander who killed him! The divine beings have been falsely accused!"

Finally, the knights began to lower their weapons, slowly coming to their senses. They seemed to question why they had been fighting in the first place.

"You."

A divine being who appeared to be their leader approached me. His expression suggested he had decided to lay down his hostility.

"Why do you side with us?"

"I am not taking sides. There were never sides to begin with. Everyone was simply deceived by something."

The divine leader sighed and gestured to his people, signaling them to stand down.

At last, the signs of a truce began to emerge.

To think that resolving the situation required only a single act of rebellion.

It almost made me wonder—was military hierarchy even necessary? Or was it just an illusion of order?

The divine beings had been calmed, but chaos still raged elsewhere.

I needed to stop it.

Thinking about how many more acts of rebellion I’d have to commit made my head ache, but it was still better than watching the empire fall apart.

Just as I was about to move on, a sharp sound pierced the air.

Thunk.

The divine representative beside me collapsed, and the knights standing nearby were violently obliterated, leaving no trace behind.

My vision blurred in shock.

What just happened?

"Oh dear, that won’t do," a sly, mocking voice echoed.

Turning toward the source of the voice, I saw a child.

She had jet-black hair and eyes, with an appearance that was undeniably cute—yet the sly smile she wore exuded malice. Bowing slightly, she straightened up and spoke.

"Humans wielding the Spear of Longinus are on their way, and yet you command only the divine beings to stop? How unfair."

The girl’s wicked smile deepened.

"Raydan Tantan."

Before I could process how she knew my name, a thunderous roar erupted nearby. It was the sound of enraged humans, their voices filled with fury.

The pact with the divine beings.

The Spear of Longinus was meant to be sealed as part of a peace agreement between humans and divine beings.

And now, at this very moment, that pact was crumbling.

Led by none other than the Knight Commander.

"Execute the traitors immediately!"

Despite falling from the fourth floor, the Knight Commander looked completely unharmed.

I tried to move to stop them, but something invisible blocked my path.

It was as though an unseen wall encased me, holding me in place.

"Honestly, you’ve ruined my plans far too much," the girl said, her tone dripping with mockery. "Perhaps it’s because you’ve been blessed by that meddlesome Observer. Since I can’t directly interfere, I have no choice but to act personally."

As she spoke, the knights lunged at the divine beings, plunging their spears into their bodies.

The divine beings, nearly impervious to normal weapons, were now pierced with ease. It was as though the Spear of Longinus sliced through them like butter.

"No! Stop it!" I screamed.

If this continued, the conflict would escalate beyond control.

The divine beings, their rage reignited, were preparing to retaliate.

Damn it.

Was I truly powerless to stop this?

In my desperation, I silently pleaded for anyone—anything—to intervene and halt this madness.

Then, something strange happened.

The knights who had been attacking the divine beings suddenly reversed their actions. As if time itself had rewound, the spears were withdrawn from the divine beings’ bodies with unnaturally jerky motions.

The wounds on the divine beings’ chests began to close, as if they had never existed.

Only I and the mysterious girl seemed unaffected, both of us observing the phenomenon unfold.

"Tch, so you finally decided to step in," the girl spat.

The invisible barrier surrounding me disappeared. At the same moment, someone stepped in front of me.

"…Sorry, Raydan. I’m late, aren’t I?"

A familiar voice.

Silky white hair, swaying slightly in the air.

"I had to deal with some rather troublesome creatures someone let loose," she continued, her tone sharp.

Though I could only see her back, there was no mistaking it.

The aura radiating from Oko made it clear—she was furious.

"Gaea," she called out, her voice brimming with disdain.

The girl smirked, her expression dark and sinister.