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Alfia's heart was pounding.
Mika had just exposed the feelings she had kept hidden for so long, forcing her to confront them.
'Dammit, Yahweh. If it weren't for your meddling, my feelings would have remained a secret.'
She complained silently, but was she truly regretful?
Before, yes. She had been.
But now, facing Mika, she hesitated.
Their eyes met, a silent conversation passing between them, a torrent of unspoken emotions exchanged in the subtle shift of their gazes.
'He's reading my mind...'
Alfia knew this with absolute certainty because she, in turn, could read his. Such an opportunity was rare. No one liked having their thoughts laid bare; a certain level of defense was only natural.
But now, Mika had opened his heart to her.
And in his heart, she saw it: he loved her. He knew she loved him. Yet, he had never acted on it.
He had been waiting for her to choose.
'Ah, so that's how it is...'
The moment she understood, the walls around her heart crumbled. She was no longer guarded, no longer afraid.
She no longer regretted being pulled into this mess by Yahweh.
"I want to know what you truly feel, Alfia."
"But... I think you already know," she replied, her voice soft, her smile radiant.
The next moment, they kissed.
"Mm...hah..."
This time, Alfia was the one who initiated it.
Feeling the intensity of her passion, Mika no longer hesitated.
They fell onto the bed.
"Wait... Athena and Yahweh will be back soon."
"Don't worry," Mika whispered in her ear. "They won't be back tonight."
Tonight, Athena's mission was to keep Yahweh occupied, to create this very opportunity. After all, with those two around, Alfia, with her reserved nature, would have never revealed her true feelings.
"It seems you were prepared."
"Of course. Did you only just realize what kind of man I am?"
"No... I just hadn't expected it."
"Then don't think. Just feel."
————
The next morning, when Mika and Alfia emerged from their room, they found Yahweh and Athena playing chess.
"You've been playing all night?" Mika asked curiously.
"Is that so strange?" Yahweh said, moving a piece before turning to look at them, a teasing glint in her eyes.
Alfia blushed, unable to meet her gaze.
After all her earlier reluctance, her protests, last night, she had been the one to act. She couldn't bring herself to face Yahweh now.
Mika, however, his skin long since thickened by such encounters, simply walked over to the chessboard and began offering his unsolicited advice.
He was promptly reprimanded by both Goddesses.
But the lighthearted squabble broke the tension. Yahweh, pleased with the outcome, no longer teased Alfia. After all, she had gotten what she wanted.
While she and Alfia were out of the room, she and Athena had come to an understanding. Athena had assured her, once again, that she had no intention of competing for the "first" position.
While Yahweh had been skeptical before—after all, Gods were notoriously fickle, their promises often fleeting—Athena's actions, her willingness to help, had finally convinced her.
And so, Yahweh's plan to use Alfia to counter Athena was no longer necessary.
But she didn't regret it. She had always wanted to see them together. Now, her wish had been fulfilled.
That same day, Riku, Schwi, and Couronne returned from their expedition—their last before the final battle. From now on, they would seal the settlement, cutting off all contact with the outside world until Mika and his companions returned victorious.
This was why Couronne had joined them. The future was uncertain.
————
"Once this war begins, there will undoubtedly be stalemates, and the other races might start to roam. You have to be prepared," Mika advised. "But with your intellect, Riku, I imagine you've already thought of everything."
"Yes. We're ready," Riku replied, his expression serious despite Mika's relaxed demeanor. The fate of their entire settlement rested on his shoulders. He couldn't afford to be careless.
"Good. I've given you all the necessary tools. As long as you use them wisely, you'll be safe. Besides, you have Schwi." Mika nodded at the mechanical girl standing behind Riku.
After a year together, Riku and Schwi had fallen in love. All they needed now was a catalyst to bring their feelings to the surface. In the original story, it had been the life-or-death game they were about to play. Fearing he would never have another chance, Riku had confessed his love to Schwi.
But that was the past.
In this new future, their ending would be different. It would be happy.
The thought filled Mika with a deep sense of satisfaction. He had changed their fate. He had saved them.
He had always been fond of them, this tragic couple from his past life. If not for his desire to see them together, he would have declared war on Artosh long ago. But then, they would have never had this chance.
Now, he was content.
It might have been self-indulgent, but it was a feeling he cherished.
"And now... all that's left is the battle." A fire ignited in Mika's eyes.
————
"So, this is it?"
Outside the Elven capital, Mika and his three companions stood on a hillside, gazing at the magnificent city before them.
It was their next target: Kainath, the creator of the Elves.
She had been Athena's initial choice. If Mika hadn't expanded his target to include all the Gods, the only casualties in this war would have been Artosh and this God of Forest.
Why Kainath?
Because, through the Elves' magic, Mika had the most complete understanding of her. This would allow for a more targeted, more efficient, and less risky attack. After all, their plan was to eliminate her without anyone noticing.
The more they knew about their enemy, the greater their chances of success.
"It's beautiful," Mika commented, admiring the city's architecture. The Elven architects clearly had a keen sense of aesthetics.
"As a race that can use magic, they can conceal the less...sightly aspects of a city and be more daring in their designs," Yahweh explained. "With magic, even the most fantastical creations can be brought to life."
She and Athena had already gathered intelligence on the city during a previous visit. She, too, had been impressed by its beauty. After all, she had never seen anything like it, not in Orario, not in any of the other worlds she had visited.
But now, she feigned a casual indifference.
Alfia, standing beside her, rolled her eyes. But considering Yahweh was her superior, she remained silent.
"I see. No wonder it feels so... surreal," Mika said, then turned to Yahweh with a smile. "As expected of you, Yahweh. You know everything."
"Hmph. Of course I do," she replied, her lips curving into a smug smile, though her eyes were filled with delight.
"Alright, that's enough sightseeing," Athena interjected, steering the conversation back to the matter at hand. "Mika, can you sense the God of Forest's presence?"
"Presence?" Mika closed his eyes, his Nen expanding outwards, carefully searching for Kainath's aura.
But he found nothing.
"No. This level of detection is insufficient," Mika said, opening his eyes, a hint of frustration in his voice.
As the city's patron God, Kainath's aura permeated every corner of the capital. And as a God who preferred to operate from the shadows, she was a master of concealment.
Her mastery of Elven magic, a system she had created herself, allowed for a level of precision that made her presence practically undetectable. And with her aura already suffused throughout the city, her concealment was perfect.
Mika couldn't find her without revealing his own presence.
"Just as I thought," Athena said with a sigh. She had encountered the same problem during her earlier visit. She had hoped Mika, with his diverse abilities, might have a solution.
"Then we'll have to use the other plan."
"Which is?" Mika asked.
"A direct approach. We'll set up a barrier around the entire capital, then search for her openly. Once we find her, we'll drag her into a pocket dimension and finish her there. The only problem is how to do so without alerting the Elves."
"Leave that to me," Mika said, understanding her plan. "During my research on Sacred Gears in the DxD world, I gained some... valuable insights."
Mika was referring to the Forbidden Balor View. He had developed a similar ability, though it was still in its nascent stages. It couldn't be used against opponents of his own level, but in this situation, it was perfect.
"If you're confident, then I'll leave it to you."
Athena readily agreed.
Mika, Athena, and Yahweh began setting up a large-scale barrier around the Elven capital, preparing to block any potential leaks of energy from their upcoming battle.
However, just as they were about to finish, they were interrupted.
Jibril had arrived.
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