What was Alistair planning?
Persephone understood.
"Dark Saints?" she asked. "But they seem inferior to Underworld Warriors and Demon Teigu Wielders."
She knew what he intended but was puzzled.
Demon Stars.
Demon Teigu.
Both were divine artifacts with infinite evolutionary potential.
In other words, Alistair's two main forces—Underworld Warriors and Demon Teigu Wielders—could theoretically evolve without limit.
But Dark Saints?
Compared to them, Dark Saints seemed lackluster.
At best, they were copies of true Saints—substitutes, essentially meaningless.
Though perplexed, Persephone remained calm, quietly observing. She didn't believe Alistair would do something pointless.
Behind him, the Dark 88 Constellations in his universe formed rapidly, visible to the naked eye.
As they solidified, the universe collapsed, merging into the dimensional world.
In moments, it transformed into a new universe, with the Dark 88 Constellations shining within.
Alistair withdrew his divine power.
With a casual flick of his finger, the now-colorless Dark Cloths began to stir again.
Not just here—outside, too, the Dark Cloths clashed, colliding fiercely.
When one Dark Pegasus Cloth shattered another, it absorbed it completely.
This scene played out everywhere.
All Dark Cloths battled, as if determined to destroy each other.
Alistair watched briefly, then looked away. "Alright, this clash will take time. Let's wait."
"Okay," Persephone said, standing beside him. "Dust, why are you doing this?"
He chuckled. "If it were the old you, Persephone, you wouldn't have asked."
She covered her mouth, smiling, saying nothing.
Over time, things had changed. Their bond had grown closer.
Unlike Zeus, whom she'd seen, Persephone trusted Alistair.
Naturally, this was a good thing.
Alistair's relationships with his subordinate gods, kin, and clan were strong.
At the very least, he didn't want his situation to mirror Zeus's, where he'd need to guard against his subordinates, and they against him.
That would be far too dull.
Though Alistair didn't need to guard against anyone, that kind of dynamic wasn't for him.
He shook his head, explaining, "These Dark Cloths were originally forged to create true Cloths."
"But after being made, they were discarded."
"When the Mu Continent fell, the Dark Cloths, unwilling to be destroyed, gathered on this fragment."
"Over time, they absorbed endless darkness."
"In other words," he said, grinning, "these Dark Cloths can truly hold darkness. I'm testing that now."
"If they can, I don't mind building a third force."
"If not?" He shrugged, the implication clear.
"I see," Persephone nodded. "If they can truly hold darkness, their potential could rival Demon Stars or Demon Teigu, making them worthy of a third force."
"But," she added, shaking her head, "it's too difficult. Their origin and materials limit their ceiling."
She didn't dismiss Alistair's idea but wasn't optimistic.
The Demon Stars had an immense origin, inherently capable of infinite evolution.
Demon Teigu, though from a single universe, shared that potential, infused with Alistair's demonic concept.
They were living demonic weapons, capable of infinite evolution.
But the Dark Cloths?
Could they break their limits? Persephone wasn't so sure.
Alistair, unbothered, said, "No big deal. If it works, great. If not, no loss."
"The battle's over," he said, looking up, Persephone following his gaze.
During their talk, the hundreds of thousands of Dark Cloths had clashed, leaving only 88, each corresponding to the Dark 88 Constellations.
They hummed vibrantly, as if thanking their master.
Then, they merged into the Dark 88 Constellations.
All was calm.
Alistair smiled. "Let's see if they succeed. I'm curious."
With a flick, boundless divine power poured into the dimensional world.
Darkness enveloped it, and the 88 Dark Cloths devoured it like hungry infants.
"If they can withstand it, they'll evolve," Alistair said. "If not, they'll be destroyed."
"Let them grow."
He turned away. As for divine power consumption?
Sure, by divine standards, Alistair barely qualified as a low-tier god, his divine spark unignited.
But in terms of rank?
He could overpower Demeter in both quality and quantity of divine power.
His weakness was relative, not absolute.
"Ready to leave, Dust?" Persephone asked.
He nodded. "We've done what we needed. I won't wait around for the outcome. Success is great, failure is fine. I've provided the fuel—if they can't succeed, they're too useless."
"They wouldn't even make good collectibles."
Persephone chuckled. "That's a cold statement, Dust."
He rolled his eyes. "I'm the God of Darkness. Why keep something useless? For display?"
"Alright, alright," Persephone said, nodding with a smile.
Michiru Hyodo, Izumi Hashima, Tokino Himekawa, Ranko Morioka, Eijika Mizuhara, Sonoko Machida, Mayu Sagara.
What was their purpose?
Sayuri Sawamura, Akane Kosaka, Hiromi Kato—these three kin were exceptional, capable in decision-making and leadership, worthy of Hell's Council.
The others?
Standard collectibles.
Alistair had no expectations for them. They could live as they pleased.
Weren't they just his canaries, kept by the God of Darkness?
He knew Persephone saw through him.
"They're my collectibles," he said. "Supporting characters, not very useful, but great for keeping around. I was an anime fan once, you know."
"So, you do have a collector's streak," Persephone teased.
"For heroines and supporting characters, sure. Weapons? Nah."
Chatting, they left the dimensional world hidden in Death Queen Island's volcano.
His past? Nothing to hide. It was meaningless.
Past was past.
Present was present.
As for heroines and supporting characters?
Yes, those with potential would be nurtured.
Those without?
Collectibles, kept as canaries.
So what?
As the God of Darkness, why pretend? Alistair embraced his desires.
"Persephone, envelop Death Queen Island," he said.
"Alright," she agreed. "It'll be our second base, after Andromeda Island."
She had no objections.
The Sanctuary? They wouldn't care. They couldn't stop Andromeda Island, nor Death Queen Island.
No contest.
Main gods were mere pawns before a God-King.
With Death Queen Island settled, Persephone tapped her lips, thinking. "Dust, with your divine power, the Dark Cloths have a good chance of evolving."
"Indeed," Alistair nodded. "Darkness and light are second only to chaos, with limitless potential. If they can withstand my power, they'll evolve."
He understood this well.
Time? Space?
Those were nothing.
Not that he disrespected their ranks, but in essence, chaos was supreme.
Below it were light and darkness, with everything else ranking lower.
That was the nature of rank.
Chaos itself?
Alistair's instincts told him to avoid it. He could strive to make darkness surpass chaos, but touching chaos itself? Not a good idea.
He shook off the stray thoughts. "Let's find Prometheus and head back. After conquering the fourth world in phase one, it's time for phase two."
"Pity," he added. "We'd best avoid the Dragon Ball world for now."
That world's powerhouses—Persephone versus Beerus, the God of Destruction? Hard to say who'd win.
Simply put, Persephone was super-single-universe, still within single-universe limits.
Theoretically, every God of Destruction could destroy a universe with one strike, also single-universe level. As for angels, the Grand Priest, Zeno's guards, Zeno, or the Dragon God…
That world's depths were vast. Without certainty, Alistair wasn't touching it.
Why?
It wasn't familiar territory. The Saint Seiya world was playable because he had foundations here. In Dragon Ball? He'd be a stranger, and who knew what could happen?
Without confidence, best to steer clear.
No need to risk it. With his 666 rank and Dimension Star Map, steady progress guaranteed a glorious future. Why gamble?
"That world…" Persephone shook her head. "In terms of destructive power, Gods of Destruction rival God-Kings. Their angels might surpass me, but whether they reach Primordial God level? Hard to say."
"Regardless," Alistair shrugged, "that world, even if not omniverse-level, is at least multiverse-level."
Persephone agreed.
The Saint Seiya world was omniverse-level, but likely the lowest tier. Why? The only omniverse-level being was probably Chronos, the Transcendent God of Time.
These were distant matters.
For now, focus on the present. Complete phase one, and deal with the rest later.
Alistair wasn't in a rush. With steady progress, all issues would resolve.
"Let's go," he said.
Persephone nodded, and they vanished, leaving Death Queen Island.
The Sanctuary sent Saints to investigate, only to find, helplessly, that the island was enveloped in God-King-level divine power, beyond their reach.
***
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