At the same moment,
In the heavens, before one of the central magic mirrors in the gathering hall of the 10th Angel Activity Chamber,
Over 30 goddesses stood frozen, their faces filled with shock and panic at the bizarre events unfolding.
Especially Melt, who rushed to the mirror, clutching it with a look of utter disbelief.
"Arena!? … Corrupted!? H-How did this happen!? It's not even been 10 years yet! Why!? What did you all do!? This is beyond just teasing! Grace… Grace isn't ready! If you're going to mess around, can't you at least have some limits!?"
The fiery goddess shouted at the other goddesses, who stood stiff, unsure how to react amid their confusion and shock.
Because an Arena and Corrupted Monster were supposed to appear only every 10 years during the first 30 years. After year 40, they'd occur more frequently, especially as fewer heroes remained—the more heroes vanished, the more often and smaller the Arena would become.
Unless, of course, so few heroes were left that Corrupted monsters would spawn almost every time points were sent to attack them—likely the system's way of wrapping up the goddesses' activity cycle to start a new one faster.
"Huh!? I-I don't know anything about this! I only sent 25 points! How could that create an Arena!? I'm not involved!"
"W-We don't know either! We just sent a tiny bit of points! Look at the screen! Only 25 points! Even with the bonus, that's just 100 points! How could that make Corrupted monsters!?"
"Y-Yeah! I don't know anything! I didn't think it'd turn out like this!"
"Right, right! How would I know, meow!? I just sent a tiny bit of points at that guy, meow! Shouldn't it just make slightly upgraded monsters, meow!?"
Though it seemed to start with the 29 goddesses who sent points to attack Grace, it was true they didn't intend for things to escalate this far.
They began openly denying any fault on their part.
"Urk, no… No way… They've entered the Arena! Grace and her guardian are in danger!"
Melt's breathing grew heavier and more erratic as she saw the Corrupted monsters step into the Arena, her panicked voice echoing louder than ever.
Every goddess knew how dangerous these monsters were—not just their high levels but their boosted stats, health, attack power, and intelligence, plus their ability to strengthen nearby monsters…
"Everyone… Please, help! Save Grace!"
"Huh!? Why should we help!?"
"Yeah, meow! Why us!? It's not our fault, meow!"
"Right! Take care of your own!"
"You're the ones who caused this, aren't you!? All of you made this happen! If not you, then who!?" Sob
"Not me!"
"I'm not involved!"
"I had nothing to do with it!"
Melt pleaded with every goddess, but they all refused. She turned to the instigator, Freeze, a stunning woman with azure hair and eyes, model-like figure.
Grab! Swish!!
"Freeze!! Please, help! Sobbbb… Please…"
Melt, pale and tear-streaked, clung to Freeze's arm, sobbing before all the goddesses. The sight left them speechless, even those who'd never gotten along with her.
"I… I…"
Thud…
Freeze was stunned by Melt's demeanor, her voice trembling, a stark contrast to her usual confident self. Melt's knees gave out, collapsing to the floor, before she crawled to the other goddesses behind.
"Twist, Flow, Cozy, Umbra, Gas, Dash, Sniff, Blush, Meow… Someone, anyone, please help! Save Grace!!"
"..." x28
But the response from all the goddesses was silence…
Swish… Thud!!!
"I'm begging you! Please! I'll lick your feet! I'll clean the bathrooms, take out the trash, do anything! Please!!"
-Graaah!!! Piyong!!! Bufree!!!-
Thud!! Thud!!
"Ahh, no!!! No!!! They… They're casting [Power Up] spells on each other! If… If they attack, they… Sobbbb!! I'm begging, don't just stand there!!! Please!!! Save Grace!! I'm begging!! Sobbbb!!"
Melt crawled back, slamming her head on the floor, her dignity and beauty gone, pleading with the 29 goddesses, her face a mess of tears and snot, her forehead red and bruised from hitting the ground repeatedly…
"Even if you beg… Freeze, you started this, didn't you!? Do something!"
"Yeah, it's your fault, Freeze!" x11
"What are you saying, Cozy!? You led the point dump! You all did too, just following along!"
"Right! You too, Cozy!!!" x10
"Me!? Why blame me!? Everyone did the same! Meow, Umbra, you did too!"
"Don't blame me, meow! I was just following, meow!"
"Yeah, we didn't do anything! We just sent points like you did!"
"I-I'm not involved! Who'd know it'd turn into this!? This never happened before!"
"Help if you want! I'm not lowering myself to help! Who here would!?"
"No way I'm helping!"
"I'm not helping either, hmph!"
The goddesses started bickering, shirking all responsibility.
"No, no, no!! Will no one help!? Sob… Urk… There's got to be a way! Right, Sunrise! Sunrise might know what to do! I… I have to get Sunrise!!!"
And when all responsibility from the goddesses who'd teased Grace ran dry, the only one who came to mind, who might help, was Sunrise, the top goddess above all others.
Whoosh!~~
"No need to fetch me… Your voice is louder than anything. Everyone can hear it."
But before Melt could go, a figure of transcendent beauty appeared—perfect curves, flawless skin, flowing golden hair, radiating an aura of divine grace, her face exuding saintly kindness. She stepped through the door from the outer gathering hall, followed by several other goddesses.
Melt, her black hair disheveled, her twisted face streaked with tears and snot, crawled toward Sunrise with hope.
Grab!! Shake!
"Sunrise!!! Please!!! This has to be a mistake! Save Grace! Please!!"
"…"
Sunrise, shaken by Melt's grip, glanced at her face, then at the mirror, instantly understanding this was something that shouldn't have happened.
"This must be a mistake, Melt. I don't know how it happened, but this shouldn't occur before the 10-year mark, no question."
Hearing this, Melt's face lit up with a faint smile of hope.
"Yes… Yes, right!? It's a mistake! So, Grace will be saved, right!? You… Everyone will help Grace, right!?"
"No, Melt… No one can help her… No matter how much we want to. You know why, don't you?"
But the abrupt refusal wiped the budding smile from Melt's face, plunging her into deeper despair, especially with Sunrise's deadly serious expression.
"No, it's not just that you know why… You know best why, don't you, Melt?"
"......"
End of Chapter 98
You Know Why, Don't You, Melt