"Stop acting mysterious, Gaia. There's no point in building suspense. Just tell them the truth already." Alaya's cold voice cut through Gaia's cheerfulness. She glared sharply, reminding her not to play around.
"You're no fun at all, Alaya. With that cold personality, you'll stay single forever, you know~" Gaia teased.
"Fool. Our appearances are mere shells to be understood by humans. We are supreme entities beyond the gods. Don't judge us with human logic."
"Geez, an angry Alaya is so scary."
Savior: "🙄"
Charlie and the other eight Saviors could only watch the exchange between the two supreme entities in silence, like spectators of an unusual comedy duo.
After all, these two were their bosses. Which subordinate would dare laugh at their superiors?
(This might be Gaia's way of easing us before a big announcement) Charlie thought to himself.
While waiting for the two entities from the top of the multiverse to finish their little squabble, Charlie glanced at the other Saviors.
Even with a brief look, he could sense significant changes in each of them. By observing the energy capacity they radiated—something he could see with his Six Eyes—he concluded that they had all grown far stronger since their last meeting.
"Alright! Enough joking around. Apocalypse, time to work!"
As Gaia spoke, a medium-sized book with a brown leather cover and gold-trimmed edges suddenly appeared, floating above the round table.
Then, the book underwent a terrifying transformation. Along its spine and cover, a grotesque face formed, composed of sharp teeth, a long protruding tongue, and bulging eyes filled with malice.
"Gyahahaha…!" A coarse laugh erupted from the book's mouth. "Finally, your numbers are down by one! After this, I'm sure there'll be more casualties. I can't wait to see it!"
As usual, Apocalypse had an intensely hostile and sadistic personality toward humanity. It constantly tried to intimidate and mock them.
"Tsk. Why do we have to use this unfriendly piece of junk?"
"Vile human! Who're you calling a piece of junk?!"
Apocalypse glared angrily at Seat III, Miguel Antonio.
"Hmph!"
*BOOM!*
With Miguel's cold snort, flashes of red and black lightning suddenly appeared around him.
*SHUAAA!*
At the same time, an invisible yet tangible mental pressure spread throughout the room, attempting to suppress everyone present.
It was Haoshoku Haki!
The rarest type of Haki, possessed only by a select few in the One Piece world!
"Pointless, human! No supernatural power works in the Void Sanctuary. At best, it's just a visual effect with no substance!"
Apocalypse's words proved true. Miguel's mid-level Haoshoku Haki, which should have been able to knock out low-ranking Marines like lieutenants, felt like a gentle breeze to Charlie and the other Saviors.
It had no effect whatsoever.
"Retract your Haki, Miguel. I know you just wanted to show off your new power, right? That's such a nouveau riche mindset~" Gaia said with a chuckle.
"It's… it's not what you think! I just wanted to teach Apocalypse a lesson for belittling others!"
Embarrassed that his true intentions were exposed, Miguel hurriedly withdrew his Haoshoku Haki.
(So that's Haoshoku Haki. A power perfect for taking down hordes of low-level enemies in an instant.)
But Charlie also knew that the true strength of Haoshoku Haki only shone at advanced levels, where it amplified every attack of its user.
(Not just me. Every Savior is starting to adapt and master the power systems of the Planar World they've reincarnated into.)
He concluded his analysis internally.
"Let's begin!"
Still annoyed at being called junk, Apocalypse acted.
*SWISH!* *SWISH!*
Two pages detached from its body and floated in the air, orbiting the round table so all the Saviors could see them clearly.
"Only two Quests?" Valentina Claire from Seat IV said, her voice full of surprise.
Her shock reflected the feelings of all the Saviors present.
They all remembered. In the first session, there were four Quests offered. In the second, the number increased to five. Logically, the third session should have had more Quests, not fewer.
"As Gaia said earlier, the Quests this time are different. This is a trial for you all." Alaya explained, her voice remaining flat and cold.
"A trial, huh…? Interesting." Frank Günther from Seat IX muttered, a curious smile spreading across his face.
Clearly, for the Saviors who had survived this far, none were cowards. A new challenge, whatever its form, only sparked their enthusiasm and curiosity.
All eyes were fixed on the two floating pages, waiting to learn what trial awaited them.
"…"
The two pages finally revealed their contents to the Saviors.
[Quest 1: Save the Planar World: Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai]
[Abyssal Devourer: Summoner Type]
[Penalty: Death]
[Recommended Participant: ???]
"…"
[Quest 2: Save the Planar World: Kawaii dake ja Nai Shikimori-san]
[Abyssal Devourer: Parasite Type]
[Penalty: Death]
[Recommended Participant: ???]
"…"
Silence enveloped the Void Sanctuary. The information listed was far briefer but far more terrifying than previous Quests.
The word "Death" as the penalty stood out starkly and mercilessly.
"I see. So this is what they mean by a trial. Unlike the previous two sessions, where we protected protagonists and heroines from Abyssal Devourer assassination attempts to prevent the Abyss from stealing the World Source and causing doom… the Planar Worlds this time are true doomsday worlds."
"Or more precisely, these are worlds where the Saviors of the previous cycle failed to protect the protagonists and heroines. Worlds where the Abyss has already succeeded in stealing their World Source."
*CLAP!* *CLAP!* *CLAP!* *CLAP!*
Frank's voice echoed clearly in the Void Sanctuary. Then, Gaia clapped and gave her praise.
"You nailed it, Frank! You may not be the strongest among this cycle's Saviors, but you're definitely the smartest!"
Gaia's confirmation caused some Saviors' expressions to shift.
Farah Nadia's face on Seat I looked grim. "No wonder the penalty is so severe—straight-up death. If we fail, there's no second chance. Haaah… This is going to be tough."
Anxiety and unease began to creep in. This was the first time they faced Planar Worlds that had truly reached their worst point.
Who wasn't afraid of death?
Especially for those who had already experienced it once. They knew how terrifying death was.
"Don't underestimate yourselves, everyone."
"The reason these doomsday Planar Worlds were chosen is because Alaya and I believe your strength meets the minimum requirements. Rest assured, these worlds haven't been doomed for long. The enemies you'll face, though formidable, aren't impossible to defeat."
Gaia tried to reassure them.
"No need to coddle them, Gaia. If their spirits break over this, we'll just find replacements." Alaya said, both goading and pressuring the Saviors.
As revealed before, this was the final test for Gaia and Alaya in selecting Saviors.
Bitter past experiences—where incompetent Saviors, despite being given powerful templates like Son Goku or Vegeta, still died due to their own inadequacy—had taught a valuable lesson.
Quality was far more important than quantity!
So far, only one Savior had died in this cycle. According to Alaya, the Saviors she and Gaia had chosen this time wouldn't crumble over something like this.
Alaya's confidence proved correct.
The initial gloom that struck Charlie and the others lasted only a moment. Light gradually returned to their eyes. Even Farah lifted her head, her pessimistic expression turning to determination.
Fear of death?
Of course, it was there. But it was overshadowed by their desire to survive, to grow stronger, and to complete the Quests assigned to them.