Seeing the pregnant woman's belly about to give birth, Aslan showed an understanding smile.
"So it's him."
Aslan thought he might know which world he had come to and why this city felt so strange.
"Kalki A. Vishnuyasha."
Aslan sighed, muttering softly.
The moves of the Sun King Group and Ouroboros were immense. They had even created an entire world just for Kalki's birth.
Was this the treatment a savior and Candidate of Origin from the divine side should receive?
This treatment was too extravagant, wasn't it?
Yet, despite its extravagance, Aslan wasn't the least bit interested.
After all, he had no desire to be treated like that, constantly toyed with by gods and buddhas until death from the moment of his birth.
He could be a spoiler, but he didn't want to be a pawn played to death by others.
Looking at Kalki, Aslan could only show pitying eyes.
Since birth, Kalki was tightly guarded by four Full Authority Domains (Two-Digit Level).
Even now, Aslan felt the urge to flee.
This time, he had truly seen something extraordinary, something he shouldn't have known.
"Wait, can you not leave?"
As Aslan prepared to escape, a crisp voice rang in his ears.
"My friend, I'm sweating."
Aslan's movements froze. Had he been caught? He shouldn't have been. He had hidden himself perfectly using Spatial Divinity.
If he had been discovered by a Two-Digit Level, he wouldn't be able to stand here at all.
Aslan paused, and the crisp voice spoke again.
"Senior, can you tell me what the outside world is like?"
Kalki's voice carried a beautiful hope for the future, tinged with a trace of suffering from not wanting to be born.
He was acutely aware of his fate and responsibilities as a savior. From birth, he would bear the duty to save the world and begin his efforts.
But for now, it seemed he hadn't yet reached the time of his birth.
"Senior?"
Aslan was slightly startled but also relieved. Fortunately, it wasn't them who had caught him—it was Kalki.
Though he didn't know why Kalki called him senior, in a sense, Kalki wasn't wrong.
After all, Aslan had once been a savior. But he was a savior of the past, not like Kalki, who was born with the mission to save the world.
Aslan was called a savior because he had saved the world and earned merit, while Kalki was born as a savior.
Before saving the world, Kalki was the Son of Fortune, the Son of Destiny. Countless powers and fates would push him to grow.
If Little Garden weren't still far from its true end, Kalki would have been born as a Two-Digit Level, and not a weak one among them.
But now, Kalki was truly pitiable.
Born with the mission to save the world, yet that world was destroyed because of him.
Like a crow, meant to be a bird of fortune foretelling disaster, but because disaster arrived with it, it became a symbol of calamity.
Kalki was like that now. Ouroboros caused Arcadia to fail in conquering Absolute Evil, destroying Arcadia and pushing this world toward its end.
All of it was just to bring about the birth of the savior, Kalki.
It was hard to say whether Kalki was a savior or the trigger that destroyed the world.
"Since you call me senior, I won't hide anything from you," Aslan said casually.
After all, Kalki would learn this information after being born and arriving at Little Garden.
Telling him now wouldn't change anything.
"The outside world is gradually heading toward its end."
As for the reason, Aslan could guess.
The Hindu worldview is divided into four eras: the Golden Age, Silver Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age.
The Iron Age, also known as Kali Yuga, is an era of declining morality, frequent conflicts, the pursuit of material wealth over spiritual values, neglected knowledge and wisdom, social injustice, and increasing environmental destruction.
The Iron Age symbolizes the end. In this era, everything will conclude and transition into the next.
But if it were that simple, Little Garden wouldn't have birthed the Last Trial of Mankind named Kali Yuga.
This world was a preview of these four eras. Aslan understood why the outside world felt so "Indian" now.
Because this world was in the Iron Age.
It stood at the crossroads of the world's end and the birth of a new era.
Even Two-Digit Levels couldn't create a truly perfect world.
That's why a savior had to emerge.
Of course, this was just Aslan's guess. As for the true reason, he couldn't be certain, nor could he reveal it.
The Sun King Group's true pursuit—Lord Vishnu as the Preserver.
"I see," Kalki said after a brief silence, then made a decision.
But how much of that decision was free from manipulation?
"Well then, I can only wish you luck, Kalki."
Aslan knew he'd better not get too involved. What if he was caught outright?
"Thank you, Senior, for helping me decide."
Kalki sincerely thanked Aslan. Though deeply reluctant, he didn't want to be born.
But for this world, a world nearing its end, he had to step forward.
Even knowing that after his birth, he'd be toyed with until death.
But what else could he do? He was the savior, wasn't he? He didn't want this world to crumble and meet its end.
He didn't want any world to meet its end.
Even though he knew that after his birth, nothing would be his to decide.
Kalki still chose to be born.
Aslan, standing nearby, quietly chose to retreat.
He had already greeted Kalki. The only regret was that too many Two-Digit Levels were watching Kalki, leaving him little room to interfere.
Aslan sighed slightly. He wasn't pleased about not causing trouble. His nature always drove him to stir things up.
"Wait, what is Kalki's birth mission to face as the Last Trial of Mankind?"
If Sakamaki Izayoi's mission was to face Absolute Evil, then Kalki's seemed to be facing the Last Trial of Mankind, Kali Yuga.
Or rather, the Last Trial of the Gods, belonging to the divine.
This was also why Kalki was born as a candidate for the Candidate of Origin from the divine side.
Due to technological advancements driving the progress of eras, humans began pursuing material wealth, no longer chasing religion or faith.
As a result, the gods lost faith, leading to their disappearance.
In other words, as technology advanced, mysteries faded, and belief in gods diminished or vanished entirely.
This was the Last Trial of the Gods, belonging to the divine.
Kali Yuga wasn't the first time it appeared in Little Garden. Or rather, before the Dystopia era, Kali Yuga had once wreaked havoc in Little Garden, wiping out the entire Twelve Heavenly Generals and the Indian Pantheon.
Back then, only Indra, by splitting his Spirit Status, single-handedly upheld the Indian Pantheon to overcome it.
But eras cycle. Kali Yuga would inevitably return.
And this time, there would be no Indra to split his Spirit Status.
To truly overcome Kali Yuga, one must resolve the paradox: did humans create the gods, or did the gods create humans?
This was also why Kalki would be a candidate for the Candidate of Origin from the divine side.
"Even if I can't meddle with Kalki, why can't I meddle with Kali Yuga? After all, it's a Last Trial too."
Aslan wasn't content to just watch and do nothing. His nature destined him to always stir up trouble.
But four Two-Digit Levels made him abandon his bolder ideas.
Among Vishnu's ten avatars were Matsya the Divine Fish, Krishna the Divine Sage, Kurma the World Dragon, and Siddhartha the Liberator.
(Note: In Hinduism, Buddha Shakyamuni is considered the ninth Avatar of Vishnu.)
This lineup was too extravagant.
If it weren't confirmed that this was Kurma's domain, Aslan might have wanted to change Kalki's gender.
But his gender was already set. Too bad he wasn't a beautiful girl.
As for how to obtain Kali Yuga's Spirit Status? Aslan already had an idea.
Kali Yuga symbolized the advancement of eras and technology, leading to an end due to dwindling faith in gods.
So, biological technology advancements, where everyone gains power comparable to gods, and human evolution—why wouldn't that be Kali Yuga?
One of two possibilities for biological technology: Absolute Evil, which destroys the world, or Kali Yuga, which evolves humans to rival gods.
Most importantly, Kali Yuga hadn't yet returned or been born.
This gave Aslan plenty of room to maneuver.
It was time to show the gods and buddhas of Little Garden how strong a second-stage Boss could be.
Minutes before Kalki's birth, Aslan chose to leave.
After all, Kalki's birth was a truly significant moment. The Two-Digit Levels' attention would be fully on him.
So, it was better to escape.
But Aslan didn't leave empty-handed. In a place no one could see, he quietly buried a card in this small courtyard.
He would save Kalki's mother when something happened to her during his birth.
Gods and buddhas weren't born easily.
Perhaps this could have a remarkable effect at a critical moment.
But it was a gamble. He bet that Ouroboros wouldn't notice his small move, that they already had other ways to control Kalki.
For example, his sister, the little girl eagerly awaiting her brother's birth, Rin.
Then they would use his mother to control Kalki.
If that happened, don't blame him for seizing the opportunity.