Silence, a stillness like stagnant water.
Even as Roy's words fell, no Outer God responded immediately or made a move.
They stood above, silently observing his performance, as if his posturing meant nothing to them.
But Roy said nothing more, merely gazing at these beings still feigning indifference, maintaining their silence. The mockery in his eyes and the smirk on his lips seemed to confirm their pretense was futile, their bluster incapable of fazing him.
The atmosphere didn't turn awkward, nor would he relinquish control back to them.
If these beings were truly as unbothered as they appeared, they wouldn't have surged forth from the void at the sight of his invisible sword or his words.
The moment they lost composure and emerged, dominance was his.
He hadn't misjudged, they cared, cared desperately, teetering on madness… This was as good as laying his cards bare.
Their attempt to intimidate him by resuming silence was, to Roy, a childish ploy, utterly incapable of giving them another chance.
"Hahaha, you idiots and your antics, I'm at a loss for words."
The silence was first broken by an unrestrained, delicate laugh.
Though an Outer God, meant to stand with her kin in pursuit of the new world, Nyarlathotep unapologetically sided with Roy, wrapping her arms around his neck, stifling laughter with a hand, her mockery unrestrained.
"You could've just stayed in the void, quietly awaiting the outcome, but a little bait, and you all took the hook. What are you doing? What are you even doing? Without Yog-Sothoth calling the shots, you're this foolish? No way, no way, did I forget to craft brains for your avatars?"
"And this posturing should end. If you didn't care, you wouldn't all be here. Thinking you can still act superior? Too naive. From the moment every Outer God showed up, the outcome was sealed."
Nyarlathotep's laughter rang out.
The scene deepened the Outer Gods' silence.
Yog-Sothoth and Shub-Niggurath observed coldly from the sidelines, while Nyarlathotep brazenly defected to Roy's side.
By their original plan and pursuit, their actions were a gross betrayal.
But at this point, pointing fingers was meaningless.
Their priority was convincing Roy, securing the ticket to the new world from his hands.
"…Speak. What do you seek? What will it take to send us to the new world? Name any condition."
After communing through their unique means, the Outer Gods made a reluctant but inevitable choice.
They'd concede a step to Roy, meeting his demands for freedom.
They'd seen his actions countless times in the void, knowing what could happen once he held the reins.
But, alas, the situation forced their hand, even they had to bow.
"No more bluster? Ready to talk properly? That was hard-won… getting you lot to back down."
Roy's gaze swept over the speaking Outer God, a cold smile curling his lips.
Nyarlathotep, beside him, leaned in, whispering with a chuckle, "It's like chasing with the upper hand for so long, then, when you're at a disadvantage, saying… 'Shh, can we make peace?' Utterly pathetic."
"Pathetic?! Nyarlathotep, you dare! If you three hadn't mucked things up, tearing the plan to shreds, would this have happened?"
"Hmph, I do what I want, can you stop me? Breaking rules? Rules for Outer Gods, don't you find that laughable? Especially for me, the most chaotic of us."
"Acting on whim, change, feeling, it's all part of it. Change and breaking rules, it's all the same. You lot have lingered too long in the boss's rotting palace, your brains rotting away. Pitiful."
"You-"
Ghroth's fury blazed, yellow flames roaring across its form, reaching a breaking point, perhaps to cow Nyarlathotep.
Roar!! With a sound like flames erupting, a blinding yellow light spear shot downward without warning.
"Annoyed already? How dull, how boring."
"Ancient Outer Gods, yet bickering like street kids, shirking blame? So enraged you forgot the gap between us?"
"Fine by me. I'm not fond of fighting or skilled at it, but if you're begging to die, I don't mind recycling your body, cutting you off from the new world."
Nyarlathotep pressed a finger to her lips, eyeing Ghroth's attack with a playful tone, though her anger was unmistakable.
Ghroth's flames flickered, its momentum waning.
As Nyarlathotep raised a hand to effortlessly counter the futile strike, a voice intervened, deftly defusing the clash and igniting the tense atmosphere.
Weary of the Outer Gods' mutual accusations and blame-shifting, Roy chose the perfect moment to speak, just as Nyarlathotep and Ghroth were about to collide.
"Hey, Outer Gods, enough pointless squabbling. I don't want to see you destroy Earth in your bickering. Instead of wasting time on nonsense, let's discuss what you care about most, kicking you all out of this universe, sending you to the new world."
"If that's all you want, I can make it happen."
"!!!!"
"?!!"
Simple words, yet imbued with unmatched potency.
In an instant, the world seemed to freeze, halting Ghroth and Nyarlathotep's conflict.
Every Outer God's gaze snapped back to Roy.
"Human, are you serious?!"
Dropping its spat with Nyarlathotep, Ghroth's flaming form appeared before Roy in a blink.
Though its body of fire and gas lacked human expression, emotions were clear without them, as now.
"Tch, no fight? Lame."
Nyarlathotep, striking air, grumbled but landed beside Roy and Ghroth.
Ghroth had no interest in continuing with Nyarlathotep or stirring trouble.
Whatever Roy had done, however arrogant or rude, was irrelevant now. The Outer Gods didn't care about such trifles. Their sole focus was whether Roy's words were true, what he was plotting, and what they'd pay for their desire.
Everything they'd done pointed to one goal: achieving a long-coveted outcome.
They sought to escape this fragile, collapsing universe, to find a new possibility, a world offering freedom from fate, a new life.
This was their obsession, their drive to reach the new world.
To them, nothing else mattered. To reach the new world, to escape, they'd shed infinite power and vast forms without hesitation, starting anew.
But this kid, who'd opposed them, refusing to cooperate, now offered this boon willingly? What was his angle?
When Outer Gods fretted over a human's intentions, it was humiliating.
But when that human was Roy, capable of earth-shaking acts, daring to bind them, the stakes changed.
Learning from past mistakes, they feared he'd set a trap.
But this time, they overthought it.
Their endless speculation warped the situation.
Seeing their eager yet wary gazes, Roy shook his head, exasperated.
"When did I ever say it was impossible? That you had to stay on Earth, trapped in this universe?"
"Stop projecting, will you? Think you're some lovable, friendly beings? Only lunatics would want to see or summon you."
Roy scanned the increasingly stunned Outer Gods, continuing, "From the start, you chased me, threatened me, saw me as a tool. Did you ever ask my opinion?"
"Why can I coexist peacefully with Yog-Sothoth, Shub-Niggurath, Nyarlathotep, openly? Just because they love me? Have deeper feelings? Don't kid yourselves or make assumptions. What about M'shithra? He's not in love with me, is he?"
"They didn't make things hard for me, didn't force me. They stayed by my side, waiting for my choice."
"Calm down and think about your actions from the beginning, Outer Gods."
His words plunged the Outer Gods into a deathly silence, rendering him even more inscrutable.
If he spoke truth, the more they'd done, the more they'd erred.
But… why?
They'd dictated his fate from the start, seizing his body to complete their concepts.
Roy, a visitor from beyond touching the ultimate, had suffered endlessly because of them.
Everything he'd gained, experienced, unfolded within their scripted framework.
Now, as the fruit ripened, they sought to squeeze every last drop of value from him.
Such hatred, such irreconcilable conflict, yet Roy treated it as a trivial matter, brushed aside?
This absurd turn baffled even the Outer Gods.
"Surprised? Shocked? Think I shouldn't let go so easily?"
"True, your actions against me, those excesses, I won't just laugh off. But that doesn't mean I must wage war against you all."
"…Why?"
This choice was incomprehensible to Outer Gods.
Lesser beings, swayed by emotion or driven by anger, did strange things, clear to them.
Roy should've been one of them, destined to be, but too much was taken, leaving him incomplete, merely human.
So why this choice?
"I'd love to tear you apart for revenge, but it's pointless, and I can't. Even those on this planet aren't your true forms. Killing you now would be a scratch. If I had nothing, I'd go all out, make you suffer."
"But now… I've let it go, or rather, accepted it. I have more important things to do, cherish this world I love, live well in it. You're the uninvited intruders. You took much, made me suffer, but I gained treasures far outweighing that."
"So, I'm drawing a line, too lazy to haggle, stepping back slightly."
Roy's breezy words stunned the Outer Gods.
This… was letting go?
Trading his body for a mere planet and prearranged, false experiences, calling that even?
No… words failed.
But they saw his sincerity.
For this world, a peaceful life, he'd set aside his supreme crown, choosing reconciliation…
Even Nyarlathotep, clinging to his neck, paused in shock.
"Don't stare. If I must sum it up, I want you out of this universe more than anything, even more than you do. I'm done entangling with you, tired of mutual restraint. It gains me nothing. Understand, you pests?"
"If you're weary of fighting and ready for my plan, stand behind me. Those clinging to delusions, stand opposite. We'll settle this here."
Though Roy wouldn't forgive those who toyed with, threatened, and manipulated his fate, he wouldn't string them along forever.
This was the optimal window. He held the conversation's reins, and that sufficed. Doing nothing would drive the passive Outer Gods mad.
"Smart. I love straightforward talks."
"Indeed, dragging this out or scheming is dull… I prefer direct solutions."
Surveying the "audience" around his stage, Roy faced the Outer Gods, his reckless grin fading to icy calm.
"Outer Gods, let's move to the next phase. I can overlook your past recklessness and wrongs. But… rather than your inner turmoil, hear my terms before deciding. We've reached the finale."
"…"
Silence persisted; no Outer God spoke.
He continued, "Let's wrap up this mess here. I've no time for your childish games."
"And you damned things, our accounts aren't settled yet!!"
___
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