Raynare lay sprawled on the bed, limp as a rag doll, her body marked by the wild intensity of what had just transpired. Her eyes were unfocused, breath shallow—completely spent, utterly undone.
"Raynare, you've still got a long way to go…" Tenra murmured in her ear.
She tried to speak, lips trembling, but no sound came. Exhaustion had stolen even her voice.
Tenra chuckled softly, then pulled the covers over her and slipped on a bathrobe. He made his way into the bathroom, a space more palace than home—wide, luxurious, the pool always filled with steaming, spring-fed water.
He sank into the warmth, eyes closing as the fatigue of madness faded from his muscles.
Light shimmered. Water gathered and shaped itself into Queen Undine, her slender fingers settling gently on Tenra's head as she perched on the edge of the pool, massaging him with quiet devotion.
"Undine, report. What's happened while I was away?"
Tenra let himself relax beneath her touch.
"Yes, Master."
Her voice was soft, melodic, as she began to recount the latest developments.
Following Tenra's orders before his departure, Undine had led the familiars—disguised as humans—through Kuoh Town, distributing demon flyers laced with the hidden [Codex of Divinitas et Diabolus].
It was the first step in spreading his faith. A crucial step.
At first, everything went smoothly. Within days, thousands of flyers had been handed out. At this rate, even brute-force tactics would quickly build a base of believers.
But good fortune never lasts. The [Codex] soon caught the attention of the Church and other gods' followers.
This world was thick with deities, each with their own worshippers—politicians, teachers, drifters, even the stranger passing by. Priests and pastors often walked among ordinary folk, blending in so seamlessly they were impossible to spot.
Inevitably, the [Codex] ended up in the hands of clergy and foreign believers. As expected, they despised it. Most would curse and toss the book aside, but the more perceptive might notice something odd and report it up the chain.
Tenra had anticipated this. His foundation was still shallow, his power limited. If the Church or another god targeted him too soon, his budding faith could be snuffed out before it ever took root. So he'd prepared.
He'd layered the [Codex] with surveillance spells, and assembled a "cleanup squad"—Raynare, Mittelt, and Kalawarner, his trio of fallen angels.
Their mission: eliminate any threat to the birth of Tenra's faith.
"How did Raynare handle things?"
A sly smile touched Tenra's lips. He'd given Raynare free rein—any method was fair game. With her twisted, dark personality, he doubted she'd be gentle.
Undine's answer proved him right. Anyone who tried to snitch was dealt with—bloodily, without exception.
A bit ruthless, perhaps, but Tenra only chuckled. Every new faith, every god's birth, was baptized in blood. He wouldn't force belief, but anyone who tried to block his way? Death was only fitting.
He closed his eyes, letting his mind drift into his spiritual sea.
The [Codex] had been distributed far and wide. Time to see the results.
Within his mind, the [Codex of Divinitas et Diabolus] hovered, radiating sacred majesty. Dozens more golden threads now connected to it—each one a believer.
Compared to the number of codices given out, this was nothing. But Tenra wasn't discouraged. It was only the beginning. If he kept at it, his followers would grow.
Each golden thread stretched out into the void, seemingly identical, but a closer look revealed subtle differences.
If ranked, Aisha, Yubelluna, and the other girls were fanatics—their faith poured power into him. The new recruits were shallow believers, their contributions barely a trickle.
Some threads flickered, dim and uncertain—hesitant souls, still wavering on the edge of belief.
Tenra frowned. Recruiting believers was only half the battle. Strengthening their faith was just as vital. If all he had were shallow, easily "disconnected" followers, numbers alone wouldn't matter.
As he pondered how to deepen their devotion, one golden thread pulsed with an unusual energy. Tenra's eyes snapped open in surprise.
"Master?"
Undine paused, noticing the change in his expression.
"Keep going."
He closed his eyes again, curiosity piqued.
Undine resumed her gentle massage, asking no further questions.
Tenra's mind was already racing. Just when he needed a breakthrough, one appeared—his [Codex] had awakened a new ability.
He followed the strange golden thread, anticipation building.
Somewhere in Kuoh Town, in a room decorated with relics of the Warring States era—
"Oh brave and mighty god, if you truly exist, please answer my summons and appear before me…"
A figure clad in samurai armor knelt on the floor. From her voice, it was clear she was young—a girl.
Before her lay an open [Codex of Divinitas et Diabolus]. She was calling out to the god described within, longing for a sign.
If a Church member or another deity's follower saw this, they'd laugh themselves sick. Summoning a god? How adorably naïve.
The great ones aren't so easily summoned.
But this girl, it seemed, was blessed with extraordinary luck.
Light flared in the room. Under her wide-eyed, astonished gaze, a figure began to take shape.
Tall, imposing, bathed in holy radiance—the very image of the brave and mighty god from the Codex.
"G-God? Are you really… the god?"
She'd only been trying her luck, never truly believing it would work. But she'd done it—summoned a god.
Heavens!
Tenra clenched his fists, feeling the surge of power. Smiling, he looked down at the kneeling girl.
"Yes. I am God. You called, my faithful believer…"
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