The realm of Gods—a place of creation and of the end—stands united eternally beyond the scope of time. The Nine Gods are now gathering to celebrate the birth of a new God: the Tenth.
In the center of the realm, a giant pillar of light pierces the sky, signaling the successful birth of the new God. But suddenly, the light turns purple, showing that something has gone terribly wrong.
"WHAT'S HAPPENING?!"
"First, what is the meaning of this?" the Sixth asked, glancing at the First God.
"My apologies, brothers, but even I do not know a single thing about this," he replied.
Suddenly, cracking noises echoed from within the purple light.
"IT'S GOING TO EXPLODE!"
All the Gods activated their barrier powers to defend against the blast. A deafening explosion erupted in front of them.
BOOM
The explosion was immense. With a single blast, almost seventy percent of the Gods' realm crumbled into ashes. The Gods stood dumbfounded by the catastrophe.
"I can't believe a single explosion could be this big…" one God muttered.
The First immediately teleported to the center of the destruction. He glanced around and then noticed a little girl?, sitting calmly amidst the ruins. The girl?, slowly lifted her head.
"Are you my father?"
The First froze for a moment, then sharpened his gaze. He extended his hand toward the girl and cast a spell. His expression softened once he finished examining her.
"Brothers, the birth was a success. But due to the abnormal situation, the new God—the Tenth—will be labeled an Irregular," the First announced.
The Gods approached the First and the newborn God. After observing her, they nodded in agreement.
"Indeed, this is the first time I've seen something like this."
"I have no objections."
The Gods returned to their respective places, thinking about the incident. What caused this? Why did it happen? For what reason? Questions swirled in their minds. Suddenly, the Ninth spoke up.
"Brothers, how about we give the Tenth a name? Since the Tenth is an Irregular, I think she deserves a proper name instead of just 'Tenth.'"
"You're thinking about naming her despite what just happened?"
"Shouldn't I?" the Ninth replied.
"Sigh… I suppose instead of thinking too much and achieving nothing, this is fine."
"Indeed. You're right," several Gods agreed with nods.
"Hehe, what should we call the Tenth from now on?" the Ninth asked. Silence followed—until the First spoke.
"I've decided. From now on, your name shall be Arina."
"Ooooh! Sounds good!"
murmur… murmur…
"We have no objections," the Gods said in unison.
"Then it's decided." The First chuckled softly before continuing, "Brothers, as per our tradition."
The Gods nodded and circled Arina. Yellow light appeared beneath her as they raised their hands. Then they began their chant:
"Light whiter than white, and lighter than light.The time of awakening hath come.Thou hast risen, and become one of the absolute beings.We acknowledge thee as one of us,and deem thee worthy to inherit our blessings."
The glowing light was absorbed into Arina's body, filling her with a strange sensation. Her expression twisted as she slowly lost consciousness.
"With this, the blessing is complete. Now… who will take Arina under their care?"
"…"
"Hm. I suppose you're right. Normally, a newly born God receives enough knowledge and a strong enough body to care for themselves. But looking at Arina…"
"Well, what can we do? She is an Irregular, after all," they muttered.
"Brothers, Arina will be under my care from now on," the First declared.
All the Gods stared at him in shock.
"First?! Are you sure? You're already managing countless worlds! How will you babysit Arina while handling all of that? Let me—"
"No, brothers. It's fine," the First interrupted, lifting the unconscious Arina into his arms.
"As the oldest God, it is my duty to handle situations like this. This is not something my younger brothers should worry about. Focus on your own worlds and let your big brother take care of this." He smiled gently.
The Gods fell silent. After a moment, they finally spoke.
"We understand, First. But if caring for her becomes too difficult, you must tell us. We are your brothers too, are we not?"
The First laughed softly. "Thank you."
Thus, the Gods' realm returned to its usual peace—now blessed by the presence of a new God: Arina.
A Few Years LaterArina's POV
"Father! Are you here?" I ran around the room but saw no one.
"Hm? Where'd he go…" I muttered, striking a thinking pose. Suddenly, everything went dark.
"Aaah!"
"Guess who?" a beautiful, familiar voice whispered behind me.
"Eh—umm… Father?"
"Correct." My vision returned, and I spun around, seeing my father standing there.
"Father!" I hugged his leg. He let out a soft laugh.
"How did you know it was me?"
"Because no one has a voice as beautiful as yours!"
"Oh my," he said, patting my head.
"Arina, what brings you here?" he asked.
"Ah! That's—!" I quickly explained.
"So, you've awakened your divinity?" he asked.
"Un!" I nodded proudly.
"That was… quick."
"Ehe~" I giggled.
Normally, one needs more than a hundred years to awaken their divinity—or so Father said. But I guess it's because I'm an Irregular? He told me that from the day I was born, but I never thought too much about it. Looking at everyone else's reactions, I already knew I wasn't normal.
"So, have you prepared for the lessons to become a proper God?" Father asked.
"Yes, Father! I'm always ready!"
"Well then, let's begin."
"Un!" I nodded again.
A Few Thousand Years Later
"Puhha! Phew… as I thought, drinking cold water after lessons is so refreshing!" I said, sinking into my chair.
Thousands of years have passed, huh… Time really flies once you realize it. Now, I've finally become a proper God and am ready to create my own world.
"It's all thanks to Father and my uncles," I said with a smile.
knock knock
"Hm? Ah—Father?" I ran to the door and opened it. "What's wrong, Father?"
"Arina, I want to ask you one last time: Are you ready to become a proper God?"
"Father…" I smiled, looking into his beautiful eyes. "I'll say it again and again. I'm always ready."
He chuckled.
"Then follow me."
A magic circle appeared beneath us, and we teleported.
"I welcome you to the Tree of Life—Yggdrasil. The Tenth God, Arina…" Father paused, then whispered, "…my child."
"So this is the Tree of Life… Yggdrasil," I said, gazing at the colossal tree before me.
I had studied Yggdrasil in my lessons. The Tree of Life—the origin of creation, the place where all Gods forge their worlds. And now, it would be where I'd create my own.
"Arina," Father began, "what I'm about to say is not advice from the First God, but from your father."
"Fa…ther?" I whispered.
"Do not shoulder too many burdens alone. And do not forget to rely on me whenever you have a problem. I have watched you grow since the day you were born. I raised you as my own child. Remember—I am always here for you."
Warm tears fell from my eyes as I suddenly hugged him tightly.
"I, Arina, will not disappoint you," I said, staring into his beautiful eyes.
This was the day that would forever remain in my memory. The words my father and I exchanged… I remember them all.
I swore I wouldn't disappoint him.
I was wrong.