From the deepest shadows of the fractured chamber, a figure in black watched the battle unfold.
He did not intervene.He did not react.
He merely observed—hands tucked into the pockets of his long coat, posture loose, as though witnessing nothing more than passing weather. The chaos of gods and monsters reflected faintly in his dark, unreadable eyes.
To him, it was all… expected.
Inside the ruined hall, Renher staggered as his thoughts spiraled uncontrollably.
What do I do now? How can I even help?
His breath came ragged, each inhale burning.
Wait… help? In a battle like this?
A hollow, bitter laugh almost escaped his throat.
I'm only human. No—worse. Right now, I don't even know what I am.
Before his panic could fully bloom—
THUD.
The impact tore through the chamber like a thunderclap.
Renher's head snapped up.
The butler's broken body skidded across the shattered floor and slammed into a collapsed column. Divine armor lay in fragments. Golden blood pooled beneath him. His chest barely rose.
"…So fast," Renher whispered, voice shaking. "It hasn't even been a minute…"
Before he could take another step—
The shadow moved.
A massive tentacle slid into the chamber, tearing stone apart with lazy, inevitable force. The air warped around it, reality bending as though afraid to resist.
It was coming for him.
Renher's legs locked.
His gaze darted instinctively toward Aydra.
She was still lying amid the rubble, her glow flickering weakly, her body refusing to rise.
The last line of defense—Gone.
The last path of escape—Nonexistent.
Running is pointless, he realized numbly. Even if I could… where would I run?
Each slow, creeping drag of the tentacle across the floor sounded like a death knell.
Closer.Closer.
The weight of inevitability crushed his chest.
So this is it…
His grip loosened around the mortal sword.
The journey ends before it even started.
A faint, bittersweet memory surfaced.
Kailleen's face.Her voice.Her warmth.
At least… I got to see her one last time.
His thoughts turned cold and hollow.
But what happens to me now? And why… why is something like that coming for me? I'm only human.
The answer never came.
Renher closed his eyes.
And accepted whatever waited beyond the next breath.
Aydra's senses snapped back violently as the thunderous impact echoed.
Pain consumed her.
Every muscle screamed. Every movement felt like her body was tearing itself apart from the inside. Even lifting a finger was agony—magic refused to answer her call.
"Tch… I am never incarnating into a body again," she muttered hoarsely. "It hurts like hell… and my powers are completely strangled."
Then—
She saw it.
The tentacle, rushing toward Renher with careless hunger.
Her eyes widened.
"Renher—!"
Her scream tore from her lungs.
"NOOO!"
The cry rippled through the collapsing chamber, raw with terror and despair.
"Impossible! Not now—NOT LIKE THIS!" she gasped. "Eons… eons of preparation—undone like this?!"
For the first time since the battle had begun—
Aydra went still.
Her expression emptied.
All emotion drained away as she stared at the tiny, fragile human standing before annihilation.
The tentacle loomed overhead.
A moment from contact.A moment from erasure.
Her nails dug into the broken stone.
Please…
Then—
The world shifted.
A shadow moved between death and its prize.
A figure stepped forward.
Black coat.Long pants.Casual posture.One outstretched hand.
The tentacle crashed down with overwhelming force—
And stopped.
Caught.
As effortlessly as if someone had grabbed the wrist of a child.
Reality shuddered in protest.
The Outer God strained. Its tentacle writhed violently, power surging through it in waves capable of annihilating cities.
The man did not move.
Renher felt the pressure vanish instantly. His eyes snapped open in disbelief.
Before him stood a stranger—slim frame, hands steady, casually holding the colossal tentacle as though lifting a fragile relic.
Aydra exhaled.
A slow, relieved smile curved her lips.
"…Of course," she whispered. "You finally decided to show up."
A thunderous BOOM exploded behind her.
She turned sharply.
Across the ruptured sky, a colossal four-armed figure had engaged the Outer God directly—each strike cracking space itself as he drove the monstrous entity backward with overwhelming force.
Now—She was certain.
The situation had shifted.Completely.
"These damn morons…" she muttered with exhausted irritation. "They always arrive at the most dramatic possible moment. And now Renher had to see me like this… ugh."
Her lips twitched.
"At least…" she exhaled, "…it ended well."
She forced herself upright as power slowly returned to her limbs, light blooming faintly around her once more.
"Now I actually have to explain things," she sighed. "What a headache."
With effort, she climbed out of the rubble.
Renher is in safe hands now… unless that idiot decides to do something catastrophically stupid.
Her expression darkened.
No—no, he wouldn't. Even he isn't reckless enough to ruin a millennium of planning…
She quickened her pace anyway.
"Still," she muttered, "I'm not gambling on fate today."
Her gaze locked onto the fallen butler.
What she saw made her breath hitch.
His once-pristine form had been reduced to mangled ruin. Divine flesh shattered. Life barely clinging on.
Aydra's irritation vanished instantly—replaced with urgency.
"…You stubborn old fool," she whispered.
And vanished in a flash of fading light.
She reappeared an instant later, clad in new armor forged of radiant gold and deep starlight. In her hand was a flask brimming with shimmering liquid.
Aydra dropped to her knees beside him.
"You stupid butler," she snapped. "Who told you to engage the Outer God directly?"
The butler coughed weakly, a faint distorted chuckle escaping him.
"But madam—"
"No 'but'!" she rebuked sharply. "Drink this. Now. And get Renher out of here immediately."
The liquid glowed as he accepted it with trembling hands.
"The negotiations were complete," she added coolly. "The contract is fulfilled."
The butler nodded silently.
Aydra looked across the battlefield.
Golden streaks flashed through the storm of darkness as more figures joined the clash.
"Now I'm indebted to even more of these fools," she muttered. "Who told them to interfere? I could have handled this if I went all out."
The butler sighed weakly.
"Madam… you cannot fight in this state. Leave the fighting to those who can."
She shot him a sideways glare.
"…You talk too much for someone who almost died."
Less than a minute earlier—
Renher had been on the verge of death when the man in the black coat arrived.
The tentacle strained wildly in the man's grip, yet he held it with unsettling ease.
Renher stared at him, stunned.
Before he could question anything, more figures tore through the sky and charged the Outer God.
Then the man turned slightly.
"So," he said casually, "how is the chosen emperor feeling today?"
Renher blinked.
Chosen emperor?
"How is he this calm?" Renher thought. And who is this guy?
Out loud, he answered cautiously, "Well… I'm awake and alive. That's something, I guess."
The stranger laughed softly.
"You're a funny one. I like that." He tilted his head. "Also, I'm the God of Gambles."
Renher froze.
Did he just—
"Could he read minds?" Renher thought in alarm.
The god replied effortlessly, "No, I can't read minds."
Renher's shock deepened.
"All I do," the god continued lightly, "is gamble on outcomes. And I gambled that you'd think that. It was a very obvious bet, don't you think?"
Before Renher could retort, he blurted out, "Can you please go help Aydra? She was hurt by that thing!"
The God of Gambles glanced over his shoulder and shrugged.
"She's fine. The others are already helping."
Then he looked back at Renher with unsettling interest.
"As for you…" he said softly, "answer me this—would you like to have a child?"
Renher stiffened.
Memories of Kailleen surged through him—her smile, her laughter, the warmth of her presence.
A distant explosion snapped him back to reality.
His answer left his lips without hesitation.
"Yes."
The God of Gambles' eyes widened slightly.
Then he smiled.
And for the first time, genuine excitement flickered across a god's face.
Well then , he said , "gambling is all time fun , we never know what outcome would come , that makes it more interesting"
He turned towards Aydra , both of the gods locking eyes and in a split second he turned towards Renher.
Time to get your wish fulfilled and teleported with him someone.
....
Aydra was looking over renher from a huge distance apart, now that the threat of the Outer god was reduced she could once again regained her calm.
she turned to Butler , now in pristine condition after drinking the panacea.
"hurry now , get renher out of here , while we will deal with this Outer god , i dont like the feeling of him talking with The gambler"
Butler nooded at once and started to make haste.
aydra for a brief second locked eyes with the God of Gambles and a danerous premonition started to come over her.
The thouht of fighting the tentacle dropped from her mind and she teleported over to renher but before she could Renher had vanished with The Gambler .