"Oi oi, you've got to be kidding me..."
Looking up at the solitary purple-haired woman in the sky, Nia Honjo felt her scalp tingle:
"That sealed mother of ours actually kept this trick up her sleeve?"
"The Tenth Sephira Malkuth - the force symbolising material foundation, the final omnipotent creative force."
In that moment, Nia understood many things, and precisely because she understood, her scalp crawled:
"Using the Tenth Sephira as the core, supplemented by power surpassing the Three Pillars of Kabbalah, then temporarily manifesting omniscient and omnipotent power by reclaiming the Chokmah Sephira..."
"To leave such a contingency plan..."
Nia's teeth chattered. She finally understood her own importance to Mio Takamiya as the Second Sephira's Angel governing omniscience.
Should she return, Mio Takamiya could potentially revive and briefly regain True God-level power.
And that power would serve as Mio Takamiya's foundation for escaping the Divine Kingdom.
In essence, Nia herself was one of Mio Takamiya's contingency plans for escape.
Yet, ironically, she had chosen to cooperate with Luo Shu.
Even more ironically, Malkuth, symbolising the Tenth Sephira, had been stripped away by Luo Shu using Calamity Authority.
With the escape plan foiled, Nia hardly dared imagine the wrath of her so-called mother.
At this thought, Nia couldn't help but retreat several steps, hiding behind Luo Shu.
Seeing her cowardice, Luo Shu showed no contempt but instead stepped forward slightly, shielding Nia completely as he gazed up at the girl in the sky:
"How should I address you?"
"Mio Takamiya? Or Tohka Yatogami?"
The figure above merely looked down at Luo Shu, her eyes filled with murderous intent.
Faced with Luo Shu's inquiry, she closed her eyes. When they reopened, the killing intent had receded by a third—not vanished, but restrained further:
"I have no name."
The girl's tone was calm, yet carried the dangerous undercurrent of a volcano gathering strength.
"Whether it's Mio Takamiya or Tohka Yatogami, these names are merely your own definitions of me."
At this, the purple-haired girl narrowed her eyes, fixing her gaze on Nia Honjo, hiding behind Luo Shu.
"Ah. So it was you who betrayed me, Raziel."
Hearing this, Nia shrank back, unable to suppress a whisper:
"It's definitely Mio Takamiya—or rather, part of her consciousness."
"I'm dead, dead, dead... This pressure's worse than when Kurumi loses her temper. Definitely Apostle Rank..."
At this thought, Nia's face turned ashen.
Though forcibly separated from Mio Takamiya, this fragment naturally possessed power at Apostle Rank.
"Will you not answer?"
The girl in the sky—bearing part of Mio's consciousness—asked indifferently.
Nia's betrayal stirred little emotion in her. Only when seeing Nia standing behind Luo Shu, only when meeting Luo Shu's gaze, did her killing intent surge uncontrollably.
'It's him!'
'That demon who stole everything from me, who sealed me here!'
'Kill him, and I'll regain my freedom!'
Spiritual intuition and instinctive hatred flooded her newly awakened mind, yet the fragment of Mio's personality within her restrained the bloodlust. Instead, she studied Luo Shu through narrowed eyes.
Meanwhile, emboldened by Luo Shu's protection,
Nia cautiously peeked out and ventured:
"Even if I hadn't betrayed you, I'd still die, wouldn't I?"
"Though I fused with your power, every Spirit besides your current vessel is just a thief who stole fragments of your strength through accidents."
"Facing us—who stole your power—would you really spare our lives?"
The celestial girl responded flatly:
"I see. So that's your reasoning."
She offered no explanation, only slowly raised her massive sword.
Reading her expression, Nia knew reconciliation was impossible. Swallowing hard, she warned Luo Shu:
"Be careful, Luo Shu. That's likely the Final Sword manifested by the Tenth Sephira's inverted Angel, Nahemah."
"It inherently possesses the power to devour civilisations—the antithesis of matter, capable of delivering slashes that dissolve and consume all things."
Frowning, Luo Shu asked:
"How do you know this, Nia?"
Nia froze. These were indeed details she shouldn't possess.
Raziel couldn't divine Apostle-level intelligence unless the Apostle permitted it.
At this thought, Nia Honjo couldn't help but look up at the cold-faced girl in the sky. After hesitating for a moment, she asked:
"Why are you doing this..."
The girl above didn't answer, instead fixing her gaze directly on Luo Shu: "You bear no killing intent towards me?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu countered with a question:
"Do you think killing me would solve anything?"
The other party fell silent upon hearing these words.
If she killed Luo Shu, would her mother truly be liberated?
The wisdom her mother had instilled in her told her that it was impossible.
If Luo Shu died, the Divine Kingdom would restart, and another Luo Shu would come before her once more.
And then, she would still remain a prisoner.
The outcome wouldn't change in the slightest. As long as the master of the Divine Kingdom refused to release her, nothing would ever truly change.
Faced with this situation, the girl's newly born intellect found itself utterly bewildered:
"What exactly do you want?"
"Help me become a god!"
Luo Shu's words were simple yet brutal, completely stunning the girl.
So much so that the will of Mio Takamiya within her immediately voiced its vehement protest:
"Why should I?!!"
Imprisoned here for no reason!
Stripped of most of her power for no reason!
And now, she was expected to help the very culprit ascend to the Divine Throne of True God?!!
What kind of outrageous nonsense was this?
"Once I become a True God, I'll release you."
Luo Shu gazed deeply at the girl with his pitch-black eyes:
"Or to put it more bluntly, once I possess power sufficient to prevent you from killing me, once you no longer pose a threat to my life, I'll set you free."
"Why should I?" The girl's tone grew even more furious.
"Because you have no choice."
Luo Shu let out a cold laugh as his entire form began to twist and collapse, transforming almost instantly into the greatest cosmic catastrophe.
Within the Divine Kingdom, what does it matter if you're an Apostle?
Without power equivalent to an Angel Rank, you're simply unqualified to negotiate with him.
Faced with Luo Shu's readiness to fight at the slightest provocation, the girl opposite him fell silent.
Struggle flashed across the girl's expression as she glared at Luo Shu with indignation and resentment.
After what seemed like an eternity, she finally said coldly:
"Shall we fight then?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu smiled.
"Agreed!"
Only the victor has the right to determine the outcome!