A long slumber… and after waking, to destroy the primates of this blue planet… to become the strongest being on Earth.
Was this predestined script really all that interesting?
Sometimes she thought about such pointless things.
Sometimes she would wonder what to eat that day, or which of her freshly delivered blood offerings tasted best… she'd even get bored enough to watch the ants on the ground moving house.
She had lived too long, so most things had become unbearably dull.
For vampires, there were two ways to live:
One — indulge fully in desire, act recklessly, forget everything, and revel in endless pleasure.
Or two — ponder the meaning of life, and pursue one's true worth.
Which way of living was more interesting? She couldn't say herself.
But once, back in her castle, a slave had told her: "The reason you find everything so boring is simply because you haven't found a goal. If you're truly bored, why not try playing a 'raising' game?"
For example… rather than just destroy the world, why not become the strongest Ultimate One (UO)?
That man had been the only human in her castle who refused to become one of her "first embraces."
And when he died, succumbing to illness in his human body, she truly began seeking out new experiences and new goals.
To replace Gaia… and become the executor of the planet's will, that had become her new ambition.
.
.
.
Under a gloomy sky, a bolt of lightning suddenly tore through the clouds, illuminating the forest in a sudden white flash.
Boom!
Thunder followed in a roaring blast that echoed across the sky.
Then came the torrential rain, crashing down on the leaves, the earth, splashing mud everywhere.
A bizarre, blood-red moon hung silently in the sky as a golden-haired woman walked quietly along a secluded forest path.
Her cascading golden hair shimmered faintly, and in the dim light, her eyes resembled lakes infused with crimson gemstones—both eerie and beautiful.
She wore a long white gown with a low neckline, her graceful figure on full display.
Yet from her proud aura exuded the majesty of an empress — cold and untouchable.
Just moments ago, the forest had been bustling with people.
But the moment the rain began, it was as if the entire world had been swallowed by the sound of falling water.
The rain poured relentlessly, yet not a speck of mud touched the woman. She seemed like an otherworldly being, out of place in this world.
And indeed, she was.
She was something not of this Earth.
She came from the moon and was a princess of the Millennium Castle.
—The Moon King, Crimson Moon Brunestud.
(It's Arcueid Brunestud..)

In this world, there existed beings known as 'Ultimate Ones' (UO), the strongest lifeforms.
Each of the nine planets, including Venus, had one such being, evolving endlessly to become the ultimate lifeform.
Only Earth was an exception.
From its very inception, this blue planet had never produced a single Ultimate One.
Perhaps it was because there were too many powerful beings, making it impossible for one to stand above the rest.
Or perhaps... it was for other reasons.
Regardless, from the moment of her descent, it was destined that Earth would soon have its own ultimate lifeform.
At this thought, a faint, enchanting smile appeared on Crimson Moon's indifferent face.
By exterminating the primates of this planet, she would naturally become the strongest existence—Earth's Ultimate One.
Of course... before that, she needed to deal with a few troublesome pests.
For example, the white dragon who had recently drawn the Sword of the Stars, Gaia's chosen ally this time.
Unlike other planets, this one was teeming with humans.
Their relentless growth had even made Gaia feel threatened.
Thus, it created the True Ancestors, modeled after the Moon King, natural mediators, the planet's senses, Gaia's direct means of self-defense against humanity.
In short, Crimson Moon was the natural enemy of primates.
However, Gaia had not intended for Crimson Moon to begin purging humanity so soon.
Instead, it had chosen to ally with the White Dragon of Britain.
Crimson Moon understood Gaia's reasoning.
It wasn't just the white dragon's power that appealed to Gaia... but also the Beast that Alvin had recently brought out from the imaginary number space.
The Mother of Creation, Tiamat.
If the white dragon could persuade Tiamat, who despised humanity, to reconsider this world... then perhaps, in the future, he could also prevent humanity from destroying the planet.
...Surely, Gaia was naively hoping for such an outcome?
Unless pushed to desperation, Gaia would never willingly destroy the lifeforms on this planet.
"You could have taken the straightforward approach, yet you chose such a roundabout way... you're too kind, Gaia."
Crimson Moon looked toward the forest's exit, her cold, beautiful face breaking into a bewitching smile.
In her view, there was no need for such complications.
Gaia only needed to let her descend upon this planet and begin the purge.
Once she took control of Earth... the existential crisis humanity posed to Gaia would naturally be resolved.
Yet, it had chosen to seek out the white dragon first... a truly incomprehensible decision.
But now that she had awakened prematurely... it could only be blamed on the misfortune of those on Earth.
At this thought, Crimson Moon's lips curled into a pleased smile.
Though she believed herself to already be the strongest on this planet, just to be safe, it wouldn't hurt to gather some intelligence first...
With graceful steps, Crimson Moon walked toward the forest's exit...
...
...
A white mask gently settled onto the young man's face.
It fit perfectly, without the slightest gap or dissonance.
Inside the flying vessel, Ishtar stared blankly at the young man, momentarily stunned.
"So it really is you..."
In fact, she had harbored suspicions ever since the first time she saw Alvin in action.
However, because Alvin's identity was the White Dragon of Britain, Ishtar had never connected him to the one who had once stood alone against the gods.
It wasn't until Alvin drew the Sword of the Stars, combined with Gaia's later words, that Ishtar truly began to suspect.
After all, modern-day Britain was now filled with countless "transmigrators."
So... could it be that the one she knew as "Savis" had also become a transmigrator long ago?
The current situation confirmed her conjecture.
Alvin... he was both the White Dragon of Britain and that monster from Uruk, Savis.
Though she had braced herself, the confirmation of this truth still left Ishtar's eyes filled with disbelief.
"Why are you here...?"
"After bidding farewell to the gods back then, you should have died... shouldn't you?"
Yes… alongside the Hero King, he had bid farewell to the gods and to the Age of Deities in Uruk. After that, the Uruk arc came to a close.
At the end of that story, the boy named "Savis" disappeared completely from Uruk.
Alvin had never thought about what might happen after the Uruk arc concluded.
After all, the game never left much room for that.
He took a deep breath, trying his best to calm himself.
"Ishtar—"
"Did you recognize me from the beginning?" Ishtar interrupted him.
Alvin slowly removed the mask from his face, and spoke with a helpless expression.
"At first, I wasn't sure who you were. Or rather… I wasn't sure if you still had memories of the Uruk period."
After all, how could he know that the fate stimulations would be real and he would get into complicated relationships with such beauties.
"Besides, you didn't exactly give me a chance to speak..."
That, in itself, was an admission of his other identity.
Ishtar paused, momentarily silent.
Back when she had first appeared in this world, she had gone straight to extort King Marco, then brazenly kicked over Tiamat's fruit platter, and even gotten into a fight with Alvin.
Even now, remembering what had happened not so long ago, Ishtar felt a lingering sense of having narrowly escaped disaster.
If she'd truly provoked Mother to anger... the consequences would have been unimaginable.
She quickly snapped out of it, lifting her head sharply to glare at Alvin.
"No, that's not what I wanted to ask… You clearly died back when you parted ways with the gods! Why are you in Britain now?!"
"And—and you're even with King Arthur…"
As she spoke, her voice slowly trailed off.
She recalled something King Marco had mentioned when he first summoned her, stories about the White Dragon.
Among them were tales of the White Dragon's relationship with King Arthur… and with Morgan le Fay.
In Marco's account, the White Dragon sounded like an unrestrained scoundrel who did whatever he pleased.
And… he had even married King Arthur.
So he's already someone's husband…?
That thought dimmed the light in Ishtar's pale golden eyes for a brief second, though she quickly hid it behind a faint smile.
"Heh… I should've known. I always thought someone like you wouldn't just die so easily.
Turns out after parting with the gods, you snuck off to Britain and even married King Arthur."
"If Ereshkigal knew… I bet she'd be heartbroken. That idiot really liked you back then."
Alvin quietly watched the smiling goddess before him.
He knew Ishtar was a proud goddess.
Well..she was even worshiped by the gods, after all.
And especially in front of him, she would never want to show any weakness.
That's why, even after confirming his identity, she still maintained her goddess-like poise, laughing and chatting like a longtime friend meeting again after years.
But what she truly felt inside… only Ishtar herself knew.
On the surface, she seemed spoiled and stubborn.
But to Alvin, she was more like a paper tiger, quick to anger, quick to strike back.
Yet for the things that truly hurt her… she would bury them in her heart and never let anyone see.
Because she was a goddess of heaven, she had to uphold her pride no matter who she faced.
At her core, she was someone who rode high when the wind was in her favor, but faltered when it turned, beautiful, but fragile beneath the surface.
"Alright, looks like the owner of this vessel has already left. Let's head back."
After saying that, Ishtar quietly turned around and began walking away.
She didn't even look at Alvin even once.
While confirming his identity had initially made her happy, that joy faded once she remembered everything Alvin had been through with those two sisters in Britain.
And she had no grounds to confront him.
After all, back when Alvin had confessed to her, she never gave him a clear answer and just said she'd think about it.
Now, whether Alvin was with Morgan or had married Artoria… it had little to do with her.
At least, she had no right to blame him.
Back when the gods were still alive, the only person who ever made her stumble was the Hero King.
But now, far from home, the boy who had once confessed to her, the one she .… was already someone else's husband.
'If I'd known this would happen, I wouldn't have come looking for him…' Why did I even accept Gaia's summon…?
Ishtar stepped out of the chamber, unconsciously biting her lip as her eyes began to blur with moisture.
However, suddenly, a hand gently pressed against the top of her head, softly ruffling her hair, making her freeze for a moment as she turned around in surprise—only to see Alvin, who had, at some point, already cleared out all the jewels from the chamber and placed them in her hands.
With his other hand, he gently stroked her smooth golden hair, his eyes filled with helplessness.
"Actually, a lot happened after parting ways with the gods... I can't really explain it clearly."
"But the promise I made back then still stands—I'll stay with you until the Age of Gods truly ends."
He had said these words to her once before, and Ishtar naturally remembered.
Yet, she clearly wasn't used to having her head touched so affectionately.
So, her face gradually reddened as she muttered in a low voice:
"D-Do you even know who I am? Don't just casually touch my head... I'm the Goddess of Heaven."
Alvin pretended not to hear, continuing to gently stroke her silky hair before ruffling it upward, deliberately tousling it into a mess.
Ishtar shot him a fierce glare.
As the embodiment of beauty (EX rank), she carried the full dignity of a goddess.
However, with her slightly flushed cheeks and shimmering, teary eyes, her gaze carried a hint of vulnerability and allure, no matter how you looked at it, it lacked any real intimidation.
Soon, she lowered her head again.
...Well, though she was usually arrogant, for a goddess like Ishtar, who was accustomed to absolute obedience, a bit of "rebelliousness" was actually a plus in her eyes.
And because she was a tsundere, when she said "don't," it didn't necessarily mean she truly disliked it...
If this were Morgan or Lily, doing something like this would probably land him straight in a dark underground chamber.
But since it was Ishtar, it was fine.
Sensing the atmosphere gradually softening into something ambiguous, Alvin chose the right moment to speak: "Let's head out first. An alien vessel descending from the sky... we should report this to Britain as soon as possible."
Ishtar, belatedly snapping out of her daze, glanced at the large bag of gems in her hand before stealing another look at Alvin.
Only then did she let out a barely audible "Mm."
...
After nearly ten more minutes, Alvin safely led Ishtar out of the flying vessel.
Along the way, he carefully searched every corner of the ship but found nothing particularly remarkable aside from some gold.
The interior of the vessel seemed to have been deliberately sabotaged—when he tried activating it, the ship showed no response whatsoever.
'An extraterrestrial being... just who could it be?'
Gazing at the torrential rain outside the vessel, Alvin couldn't help but murmur to himself.
.
.
.
P.S: It's not Crimson Moon..it's Arcueid Brunsteid, so, if there's any mention of words like Crimson Moon or Moon King...just remember that it's Arcueid Brunsteid..