Guild Courtyard, Afternoon
The Hero Guild was unusually calm. Birds rested on windowsills, guild trainees trained lazily in the sun, and laughter drifted from the cafeteria. It was a rare moment of peace.
Ash leaned against a railing, watching over the courtyard with a calm expression. Koharu sat beside him on the bench, sketching something in her notebook.
"You've been quiet," she said.
Ash smiled faintly. "Trying to enjoy the silence. It won't last long."
Koharu nodded. "You always say that."
"Because it's true."
She glanced at him. "Still thinking about the gods?"
Ash didn't answer. His eyes, sharp as always, were locked on the distant mountains.
"I made a promise. No matter what's coming… we'll be ready."
Rei and Misaki's Home
Misaki stepped out of the shower, toweling her hair. Rei sat on the couch, polishing his gauntlets with surprising care.
She smiled. "You know… you never used to care about your gear."
Rei shrugged. "Kaien said something the other day. 'If you can't respect your weapon, you'll never respect your own strength.'"
Misaki sat beside him. "Sounds like Kaien."
There was a pause.
Rei looked at her from the corner of his eye. "You're not nervous?"
"About what?"
"Living with me. Training together. Sharing this… space."
Misaki leaned her head on his shoulder. "I'm exactly where I want to be."
Rei's body tensed for a moment—then relaxed.
"I see."
Misaki closed her eyes. "Just don't disappear again."
"I won't."
And for the first time, he didn't just say it.
He meant it.
A Shadow Watching
Far across the city, hidden within the ruins of a forgotten shrine, a cloaked figure kneeled before a flickering altar.
"My lord," the figure whispered. "The vessels have returned. The balance shifts."
A divine voice echoed, deep and otherworldly:
"Then the time has come. Let them taste peace—before we shatter it."
The rain had just stopped when Ash pushed open the creaking doors of the mission hall.
Inside, the air was warm with energy. Heroes gathered around glowing boards, discussing intel and rumors, exchanging jokes and glances. But for Ash and his team, today felt different.
Rei stood silently beside him, his expression unreadable as ever. Misaki, a few steps behind, adjusted the hairband on her wrist. Kaien lounged against the wall, pretending to be disinterested, and Koharu leafed through a thick black notebook filled with handwritten scribbles.
A new mission flickered onto the screen.
> Mission: Class-B
Target: Rogue noble in Mt. Kuro ruins
Details: Suspected possession of unregistered relics. Possible connection to ancient divine symbols.
Status: Active
Team Approval Level: Minimum 3 required. Auto-approval for Rank A and above.
"Divine symbols?" Misaki blinked, tapping the screen.
Kaien leaned in, intrigued. "Divine and B-class don't mix."
Koharu flipped her notes. "Mt. Kuro's ruins were once part of an abandoned monastery. There's no record of divine activity in the last fifty years."
Ash folded his arms. "We check it out. If something's off, we report back."
"And if it's real?" Rei asked, his voice low.
Ash's eyes narrowed. "Then the gods are more involved than we thought."
Mt. Kuro – That Evening
The ruins loomed over them like silent sentinels. Cracked stone pillars reached for the sky, moss-draped and forgotten. Fog clung to the forest floor like smoke.
Ash led the charge, his footsteps light against the stone path. Misaki followed closely, her gloved fingers occasionally brushing the hilt of her dagger. Rei trailed behind, eyes scanning every shadow. Kaien and Koharu circled the outer edge.
"I feel...something," Misaki whispered.
"A tremor in the mana," Rei confirmed. "Someone's been tampering with the ground's flow."
They moved deeper into the ruins until they found the target.
A man dressed in noble robes stood at an altar. He didn't look up. His hands were bloodied, and strange runes were drawn across his chest and neck. He chanted softly in an ancient tongue that made the air vibrate.
"Stop," Misaki called out, stepping forward. "You're under arrest for violating artifact laws."
The man didn't move.
Then, without warning, a golden mark flared on his forehead. The ground shook. A thunderous pulse of divine energy ripped through the ruins, and a brilliant figure of light erupted behind the altar. Ten feet tall, faceless, yet impossibly radiant.
Everyone froze.
A deep, otherworldly voice boomed across the sky.
"To those who defy the heavens—your time ends soon. Return what is sacred, or face annihilation."
Then the light shattered. The noble's body fell with a crack—his face twisted in agony, chest scorched from the inside. No one said a word.
Kaien arrived seconds later, breath ragged. "What the hell did I just feel?"
Ash looked toward the crumbling altar, the divine energy still humming faintly in the air.
"The gods…" he said quietly, "they're watching us now."
Rei clenched his fists. "Let them watch."
Later That Night – Hero Guild Dorms
Thunder rumbled in the distance. Rain trickled along the windows of the guild tower.
Inside, the team gathered in the private strategy room. The warmth of the lamps did little to ease the tension.
"That wasn't just a threat," Koharu said. "It was a targeted message. The timing, the location—"
"—was deliberate," Kaien finished. "They're warning us."
Ash's jaw tightened. "They're testing how we respond."
Rei stood by the window, looking out at the storm. "Then we respond with power."
Misaki stepped toward him, her expression softer. "I don't care what's coming," she said gently. "As long as you're by my side, I'll fight."
Rei looked at her—truly looked—and nodded.
Outside, lightning cut across the sky.
The era of divine silence was over.
In the realm beyond time and matter—where light bent in impossible ways and stars bowed in silence—sat the Supreme Lord upon his obsidian throne, his presence cloaked in golden flames that no mortal could withstand.
Around him stood the gods, cloaked in radiant robes, their faces hidden by veils of power.
One god stepped forward, his voice resonating across eternity.
"My Lord… your vessel is ready."
The Supreme Lord's eyes opened slowly. The universe shifted with the motion.
"Is he aware?" the Supreme Lord asked.
Another god spoke, hesitant. "No… not yet."
The Supreme Lord's voice grew colder. "Then what is he doing?"
Silence filled the divine chamber.
The gods glanced at each other—none dared answer.
Then a voice, calm and weathered, broke the stillness.
A tall figure stepped out from the back—his presence gentler, but no less powerful.
He wore robes resembling a sage, and a teacher's staff hovered at his side.
"I've been watching over him," the teacher-god said. "He doesn't know what he carries… but his instincts are sharp. Too sharp."
The room was quiet.
Ash sat cross-legged on the wooden floor, staring at the ceiling in thought. The moonlight spilled through the half-open window, casting long shadows across the walls. The air was still, but something deep in his chest felt...off.
KNOCK KNOCK
The sudden knock startled him.
Ash stood up slowly, cautious. He approached the door and opened it—
And froze.
A man stood before him. But he wasn't just any man. He radiated something... not human. Calm. Timeless. Divine.
"God... Why are you here?" Ash asked, his voice low, almost a whisper.
The figure smiled faintly. "Don't call me God anymore."
Ash narrowed his eyes. "Then what should I call you?"
The man turned his back slightly, looking up at the moon. His expression was unreadable.
"Call me Tenma."
"Tenma...?" Ash repeated, confused. "Why the sudden change?"
Tenma finally looked back at him. His voice was calm, but urgent.
"Because your friend's life is in danger."
Ash's eyes widened. "What? Who? Is he here? Where is he!?"
He stepped forward, heart racing, but Tenma raised a hand to stop him.
"Listen carefully, Ash."
The wind outside howled through the trees.
"The Supreme Lord has made his choice... He wants Rei to become his vessel."
Ash's world paused.
"What...?" he whispered.
"Rei's existence is no longer ordinary. He's being watched, guided, even manipulated." Tenma's voice was steady. "If this continues, Rei will be consumed—not physically, but spiritually. He may lose himself."
Ash's fists clenched.
"No. I won't let that happen."
Tenma nodded. "Then prepare. Because from this moment on... nothing around you is as it seems."
Ash sat still. His mind spun in circles, thoughts crashing, no clarity in sight.
"Rei… a vessel… the Supreme Lord…"
It didn't make sense. Or maybe it made too much sense—and that's what terrified him.
He clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms.
His breath was shallow.
Then—
A flash of white light blinked through the window.
In the center of the room now stood Tenma, godly presence cloaked in a black coat, silver hair glowing faintly. His expression was unreadable—somewhere between calm and urgency.
He glanced at Ash.
"Your brain's frozen," he said quietly. "So I'll act."
He turned toward the door, then paused.
"Ash… you care about Rei, right?"
Ash looked up, dazed. "More than anything."
Tenma nodded once.
"Then don't move. I'll protect your friend for now."
Without waiting, Tenma disappeared.