Past Arc 23
Second installment of today's session
Gyulie had taken action.
The idea of a dragon stealing the star's energy was beyond Gyulie's expectations.
She stood speechless at the sheer improbability of her kin's behavior.
Yet, what was done could not be undone.
And it was easy to predict that, left as-is, Sariel would sacrifice herself.
Gyulie was certain Sariel would volunteer, saying, "That is my duty."
In contrast, Gyulie asserted that she herself was the one meant to fulfill this role.
As a dragon, she believed she bore responsibility for her kind.
But Sariel shook her head.
Not out of concern for Gyulie.
A more practical matter.
Namely, the fact that Gyulie’s power was insufficient to compensate for the lost energy.
Gyulie is a deity, yet her power is overwhelmingly inferior to that of Syriél.
She lacks sufficient strength to compensate for the lost energy.
Saving the star required Syriél’s sacrifice.
This is understood.
It is not accepted.
Syriél fought for humanity.
She worked for humanity.
To conclude with this outcome is not acceptable.
Gyulie considers.
How to save Syriél.
Flee together to another star.
Syriél would not agree.
Syriél cannot choose to abandon the star, nor humanity.
Therefore, saving Syriél requires saving the star.
To achieve this, reliance on another deity is necessary.
The deities present on this star are Syriél and the Dragon.
The Dragon left, abandoning Gyulie.
The Dragon could not be relied upon in this matter from the outset.
Thus, reliance must be placed on a deity other than the Dragon—outside the star, within the cosmos.
Yet that is not simple.
The Dragon is deeply involved in this matter.
The Dragon has established a major power within the cosmos.
Few deities will intervene in affairs entangled with the Dragon.
Of course, none is entirely absent.
Opposing forces to the Dragon exist. Seeking aid from them may shift the situation.
But that is a double-edged path.
After all, Gyulie herself is the Dragon.
If Gyulie dies on the spot, that may be acceptable.
But should the Dragon launch an offensive against Syriél’s star, that possibility cannot be ignored.
To oppose the Dragon is to be of equal or greater power.
To mobilize such a force means provoking the Dragon.
And if something occurs on a star only just concluded—something the Dragon has just processed—it will not remain silent.
Worst case, the two factions will collide.
What of the angels?
That is not a reliable option either.
Angels are a species loyal to the mission bestowed upon them.
Exceptions exist, but communication is nearly impossible.
If only Gurye is killed, it would be acceptable. But the stray angel Syriel may also become a target.
Angels are also an opposing force to the Dragon.
Summoning angels will inevitably provoke the Dragon.
The current balance of power among the gods is a fragile equilibrium.
A minor trigger could ignite conflict between major factions, spreading flames across the realm.
In such a scenario, the star where Syriel resides would be the first to suffer.
The balance must not be disturbed.
Therefore, the only viable option is an independent, unaffiliated deity—neither aligned with any faction.
A god capable of provoking a dragon yet unapproachable even by dragons.
One who must be eccentric enough to grant such a request.
Such a god existed.
‘How delightfully intriguing this has become.’
And Gurye had made contact with that god.
Whether one could truly call it a meeting was ambiguous.
An endless, sightless darkness.
There, Gurye stood.
No form was visible—only a voice echoed.
Gurye had certainly transferred directly toward that god.
The god’s location was known to Gurye alone.
For that god was universally known to be one never to be touched.
Known as the Final God, Death God, Demon God, Absolute Contradiction...
A god with countless names, yet never known by its true name.
A god without allegiance to any faction, yet possessing power too great for any faction to ignore.
"Please, I beg your aid. A nameless god."
『Ah, lacking a name must be inconvenient. Yes, you may call me D.』
From the darkness, the voice of the god known as D echoes.
Gyurie, though lower in rank, is still a god.
Yet Gyurie cannot perceive the darkness at all.
Nor can Gyurie sense its own body—its presence grows faint.
It feels as though the darkness is consuming everything.
Yet Gyurie senses that, should D so choose, this would not be illusion—but reality.
The destination of the transfer was this space of darkness.
Gyurie suspects a spatial ability has isolated it, but that is all—only speculation.
No understanding of the technique’s structure. Nothing to grasp at all.
At the moment of being trapped within this space, Gyurie had no actions left to take.
The disparity in power.
All Gyurie could do was recount the circumstances and beg for assistance.
Given the magnitude of the power gap, merely not being killed outright was fortunate.
Gyurie was experiencing, for the first time in life, the sensation of fear.
Even when meeting Syriels, a faint fear had stirred—but this was incomparable.
The dragon known as Gyurie felt like an ant moments before being crushed.
And the source of this fear was not solely the awareness of the power gap.
The god known as D was utterly unpredictable.
Begging for D’s aid was akin to placing a bet.
Among the gods capable of saving Syriels, D was certainly the most compatible.
And the most likely to succeed.
But whether D would respond remained uncertain.
D’s behavioral pattern: “Does it seem interesting?”
That is all.
If it seems interesting, it becomes a savior or a destroyer.
That is D.
An existence beyond reason.
Dragons, Sariel, and other deities—within Gyulie’s knowledge, they all operated under a consistent order.
Even when the dragon stole stellar energy, Gyulie felt disbelief, yet also acceptance.
That was the dragon’s logic.
It was Gyulie, not the dragon, who acted out of character.
Dragons have their own logic, and act accordingly.
There is a clear system.
But D has none.
Acts on whims, without any order.
Worse still, this god possesses immense power.
Despite being solitary, it commands the vigilance of major forces, including dragons.
Yet precisely because of that, Sariel can be saved.
With that power, the god can be moved—if one can make it think something is interesting.
"Interesting."
The gamble succeeded.
"Very well. I will lend my strength. However, I only guarantee the preservation of the stars and Sariel. Whether those two are saved depends on the people on the ground."
The gamble was won.
Yet it marked the beginning of Gyrie's long and arduous struggle.