Prometheus broke his seal?
How?
Who freed him?
No one knew.
All that was certain was that the God of Wisdom, who once challenged a God-King with his intellect, had returned.
In an already chaotic era, what would happen next?
It was like pouring fuel on a fire.
The era led by Persephone and Apollo was thrown into even greater turmoil.
Of course, none of this concerned Alistair. His divine fire had nearly consumed that goddess, and the curtain had fallen on that chapter.
"Phew…" Alistair exhaled, the portal's cooldown nearly complete.
Demeter was absent, but Persephone?
She sat gracefully, a God-King in her own right, far surpassing her mother in power.
Alistair surveyed the room. Almost everyone was present.
Well, except for those he deemed his "canaries."
Crossing his legs, Alistair scanned the group. "Since everyone's here, let's not waste time. We'll handle the fourth world—the finale of phase one."
The women nodded.
Sayuri Sawamura, Akane Kosaka, and Hiromi Kato quietly took notes.
As his secretaries, this was their task.
Alistair rubbed his brow. "First, once we've dealt with the Overlord world, phase one is officially complete. Phase two? We'll discuss that later."
"For now, phase one isn't over, so I won't say more."
"Our approach to this world is simple: total conquest."
"Though," he added, "given this world's strength, conquest will be easy—almost too easy. Still, stay vigilant. You never know if some troublesome entity might appear."
Alistair's tone was calm but cautionary. In a world with such bizarre settings, who knew what might pop up unexpectedly?
A background character, perhaps?
Theoretically, with Persephone's super-single-universe strength, no issues should arise in these worlds.
But, as the saying goes, better safe than sorry.
If something went wrong, it'd be a hassle.
So, preparations were essential.
The women nodded earnestly, ready for the task.
"Data-wise, everything's set, right?" Alistair asked, eyeing each person.
Utaha Kasumigaoka, Najenda, and Kanae Kocho nodded. Everything was confirmed, no issues.
"Good," Alistair said, satisfied.
Persephone spoke gently. "This is a trial for everyone. This world isn't particularly strong, but preparations must be thorough. After that, it's up to you to act."
"Us?" The women froze, momentarily thrown off.
The finale of phase one, handed to them?
Alistair lit a cigarette Persephone offered, saying nothing.
She smiled. "Ker will accompany you, and Dust and I will follow later. But we won't interfere much."
"How should you proceed?"
"What needs to be done?"
"All of it—it's up to you."
Persephone's gaze swept over them. "You have ten days. No rewards, no punishments. Just finish within ten days."
"Yes!" The women nodded, resolute.
Though they felt a bit overwhelmed, they knew it was time to step up.
Persephone smiled warmly. "The Demon Stars will be assigned to you. Remember: everything must be settled in ten days. Don't disappoint."
"Yes!" they affirmed.
Alistair's lips curved as he listened to their determination. Standing, he raised a hand.
Instantly, a radiant portal materialized.
Without needing further instruction, the women stepped through.
"Heh," Alistair chuckled, his smile wide.
Persephone spoke softly. "Dust, isn't this a bit premature?"
She was concerned. It seemed too soon.
Only a few months had passed.
For the newest members—Utaha Kasumigaoka, Eriri Spencer Sawamura, Megumi Kato—just three months!
Was this really fine?
Pandora and the secretarial team glanced over, curious but silent, lacking the authority to comment.
Alistair shrugged. "They'll have to face it eventually. I have a feeling we'll soon be able to open two portals at once. When that happens, they'll need this experience."
"Besides," he added, "if I managed every world's conquest myself, that wouldn't be ideal."
Sure, Alistair often slacked off.
But him overseeing everything changed the dynamic, the mindset, the approach.
It was undeniable.
Preparations were necessary. Training them early was key.
His canaries? He didn't care much about them. But his chosen kin? He held high expectations, carefully nurturing them.
"Speaking of which…" Alistair mused. "They don't need divine sparks. They each have their own paths. So, what do we do with the divine sparks I have?"
He was troubled by this.
Hypnos, Thanatos, Morpheus, the Styx God…
He held 3,003 divine sparks.
With that many, he could train a batch of lower gods in months.
But now? No suitable candidates.
His kin?
Please.
Alistair had clear plans for them. Their futures were set—Underworld Warriors, Demon Teigu Wielders, paths with immense potential. They just needed time to grow.
Absorbing these divine sparks might cause issues, limiting their potential.
Unlike Nezuko Kamado, who absorbed the Demon God's divine spark, tied to Hell's foundation. Though Hell was weak, its rank was undeniable. With nurturing, she'd rise.
In essence, Nezuko's status was akin to Hell's Yama.
Mount Tai's Lord.
Enma.
Yama.
Hell's three tiers. If Alistair wished, he could use Hell as a core, absorb two worlds, and boost Hell's power, propelling Nezuko to main god level in no time.
But there was no need. Without a proper steward, Hell's gains would be wasted.
Until a suitable steward emerged, Hell would remain dormant.
Alistair preferred quality over quantity. Even if it meant lower gains now, he wouldn't compromise. That'd be embarrassing.
"As for the divine sparks…" Persephone mused. "What about the demon clan children?"
The demon clan—Nezuko's creation, Alistair's first kin. Their talent was undeniable.
In appearance, they resembled the demon clan of Mount Oe from Demon Slayer, but their essence was distinct.
These demons wielded Blood Demon Arts—flashy, chaotic techniques.
They were more like magic-wielding demons.
"Not quite right," Alistair said, shaking his head. "Their talent is solid, but they're meant to manage Hell. In the future, whether it's Hell or the Underworld, they'll handle it. They're not suited to inherit divine sparks as a combat force."
That was the key difference between Nezuko's demon clan and true demons.
True demons: rowdy, warlike, chaotic.
The Pure Land's demons, though varied in personality, took their duties seriously.
It was in their core nature.
They valued their roles, approaching every task with utmost dedication.
"It seems," Persephone said, shaking her head, "we won't find suitable candidates soon. We'll have to wait for new worlds in the next phase."
Alistair nodded. "Take it slow. These things need time and careful consideration. Quality over quantity."
"Even if there's no one suitable now, better to leave them unclaimed than assign them carelessly."
"Mm," Persephone agreed, nodding.
They chatted a bit longer.
Alistair stood, stretching. "Let's go, Persephone. I should check in. I'm hands-off this time, but I still want to see."
"Heh," Persephone chuckled, covering her mouth. "As expected, Dust, you're always so kind, no matter the occasion."
Alistair said nothing, stepping into the portal with Persephone.
Would leaving cause issues?
Please.
Demeter was still there. Though she slept soundly now, she'd awaken instantly if trouble arose.
Besides, all the gods' attention was now on the newly freed Prometheus.
Their focus was entirely on him.
"…"
As the two left, the room held only Pandora, Sayuri Sawamura, Akane Kosaka, and Hiromi Kato.
The atmosphere grew quiet. The four exchanged glances, each lost in thought.
"Alright," Pandora said, standing first, adjusting her gold-rimmed glasses with a smile. "Time to work. The Underworld and the three Dark Multiverses keep us busy."
"Miss Pandora," Sayuri said thoughtfully, "should we manage Hell as well?"
"For now…" Pandora paused, considering. She'd planned to sideline Hell but reconsidered. "We'll see. Until a proper steward is found, Hell won't be developed or enhanced."
"But before that, Hell's tasks still need handling. That's our job."
"Akane, Hiromi, after finishing with Dark Multiverses 002 and 003, tackle Hell's matters."
"Got it!" Akane and Hiromi nodded. It was their duty.
Pandora continued. "Dark Multiverse 002's faith system is fully established. For 003, Ker's working quickly, but it needs time. The main task is stabilizing faith."
"Beyond that…" She sighed. "The Underworld."
Thinking of the Underworld gave Pandora a headache.
Short-staffed!
Desperately short-staffed!
The Underworld was stretched thin, no exaggeration.
Faith power was manageable. With faith systems in place and faith nations built, a generation or two—forty or fifty years—would solidify them, providing a steady stream of faith power.
Notably, for gods, faith power could boost growth, but its absence wasn't detrimental.
Why?
Neither Alistair nor Persephone were faith-based gods. Faith power enhanced them but didn't control them.
Becoming a god before gaining faith versus becoming a god through faith—two entirely different concepts, incomparable.
Beyond faith power, world power required more consideration.
First, aiding a world's progress to gain world power.
Second, integrating into a world's operations.
For example, the Underworld's control over life and death naturally yielded world power.
Now, the three Dark Multiverses' life-and-death cycles were managed by the Underworld. No need to elaborate—the workload was staggering.
The Underworld was run ragged, no joke.
"What a headache," Pandora sighed, shaking her head. "Sayuri, let's go. We've got plenty to do."
"Alright," Sayuri replied, smiling.
The four women left, each with a mountain of tasks. The Underworld, Hell, Dark Multiverses—endless work awaited.
No time for rest.
"Mm…" Demeter sauntered in lazily, lounging on the sofa like a regal queen, a faint smile on her lips. "So, it's getting busy again, huh?"
"Sister…" she murmured softly.
Only one goddess could be called "sister" by Demeter.
Hestia.
How had Demeter obtained Aegis? It wasn't hard to guess—someone had helped her. And who? That was obvious.
***
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