While White Yaksha and Black Rabbit were still staring at Izayoi—the newly certified "rare species"—in utter confusion, Ren Kuroda calmly voiced his own hypothesis.
"When I fought him earlier," Ren began, glancing at Izayoi, "I noticed something. Not only does he have the power to shatter heaven and earth… he can also destroy Gifts themselves."
He folded his arms thoughtfully.
"And that ability to 'shatter Gifts' doesn't seem like something he consciously activates. It feels more like a trait inherent to his body."
Izayoi smirked but didn't deny it.
"Laplace's appraisal," Ren continued, "is also performed through a Gift. If the target is someone whose very existence can negate or destroy Gifts… then the appraisal would naturally fail."
In other words—
It wasn't that Laplace was wrong.
It was that Izayoi was incompatible with the system itself.
"Hey, hey," Izayoi cut in, raising a hand casually. "I do think your guess makes a lot of sense, little bro."
He tilted his head slightly.
"But shouldn't Gift abilities be considered classified information? It's one thing to tell the young lady and Black Rabbit—we're all in the same community, after all."
His gaze shifted toward White Yaksha.
"But she's from Thousand Eyes. Who knows? Maybe one day we'll end up as enemies in a Gift Game. Is it really wise to just spill that kind of intel?"
In Little Garden, Gift Games were everything.
A community's Gifts were among its most critical assets for victory.
Sure, No Name and Thousand Eyes were on good terms now.
But what if, someday, they stood on opposite sides of a game?
Ren shrugged.
"Relax. At this stage, No Name isn't even remotely qualified to become an opponent of Thousand Eyes."
He looked directly at White Yaksha.
"We're not on the same level."
"And even if she didn't know about our abilities—do you honestly think we'd stand a chance against her?"
The others fell silent.
Ren continued evenly.
"After going through that Gift Game, I realized something. There's no way White Yaksha is merely a four-digit existence."
He gestured upward vaguely.
"If she were only at that level, how could the gods and Buddhas of Little Garden tolerate all fourteen Solar Authorities being in her possession without objection?"
That alone defied logic.
"Combine that with what Black Rabbit told us earlier—upper-tier communities aren't allowed to interfere with lower-tier ones. In fact, they can't even freely appear in the lower levels."
Ren's golden eyes sharpened slightly.
"So my guess is… White Yaksha originally belongs to the upper tiers of Little Garden."
"And not just any upper-tier existence. One of the strongest."
"She's here in the lower levels because of some agreement with the gods and Buddhas above. Or perhaps… because her true power is sealed."
The moment he said that—
White Yaksha's expression changed.
Even Black Rabbit only knew that White Yaksha was a "former Demon Lord."
But Ren?
He had arrived in Little Garden mere days ago.
He had interacted with her only briefly.
And yet—
He had deduced nearly the entire truth behind her presence here.
But Ren didn't stop.
He continued as though discussing simple academic theory.
"In Little Garden, the existence of gods, Buddhas, and even Star Spirits is rooted in human legends and cosmology."
"So when we talk about the sun, the oldest and most influential theory would be the original geocentric cosmology—the idea that the heavens revolved around the earth."
"A celestial law that existed even before humanity formalized the concepts of 'heaven' and 'earth.' A worldview that once stood at the very pinnacle of cosmic understanding."
"With that kind of foundational achievement behind it, your spiritual rank—within Little Garden's cosmology—must have been among the highest."
He paused briefly.
"But as human history advanced, knowledge of astronomy deepened. The geocentric model was questioned… then overturned."
"In Little Garden's framework, when a myth or achievement weakens, the corresponding spiritual rank declines."
"Even so," Ren concluded, "in human perception, the sun remains one of the greatest celestial bodies."
"And you, who govern both the Sun and White Night—there's no way you're merely a four-digit existence."
"And no way you naturally belong in the lower levels."
Silence.
Then—
"Clap. Clap. Clap."
White Yaksha slowly applauded.
Her initial disbelief had transformed into something else entirely.
Appreciation.
The way she looked at Ren now was no longer that of someone observing an amusing toy—
But a peer.
"You're called Ren Kuroda, was it?"
She smiled faintly.
"Forgive me, Black Rabbit, but I must ask."
She stepped forward lightly.
"Would you be interested in joining Thousand Eyes?"
"Your strength was already impressive. But I hadn't expected your perception and intellect to be this sharp as well."
"As you deduced, I was once among the top existences in Little Garden."
"My presence in the lower levels is indeed the result of a special arrangement with the gods above."
She tilted her head.
"If you don't wish to join Thousand Eyes, that's fine."
"How about becoming the East District's Floor Master instead?"
"In my view, whether in strength or intelligence, you are more than capable of handling the position."
Black Rabbit.
Asuka.
Yō.
They all froze.
It felt as though Ren and White Yaksha were conversing on an entirely different frequency.
Even Izayoi, who had long suspected White Yaksha was extraordinary—after all, ordinary four-digit beings did not command fourteen Star Beasts—hadn't analyzed her background this thoroughly.
Ren had essentially unraveled her origins on the spot.
Black Rabbit, after a few seconds of stunned silence, suddenly realized what was happening.
"W–Wait a moment, Lady White Yaksha!" she protested urgently, panic flooding her expression as she looked at Ren.
This was blatant poaching.
And she had no leverage to stop it.
Thousand Eyes was Little Garden's most powerful commercial alliance.
No Name, by comparison, didn't even have a proper name or flag.
Its members were mostly minors.
Even if No Name were to rise again one day, could it truly reach the heights of Thousand Eyes?
If Ren accepted—
Black Rabbit wouldn't even have grounds to blame him.
"So," Ren said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin, "you're saying that clearing the hard-difficulty Gift Game earns me a reward of joining Thousand Eyes and becoming a Floor Master?"
He looked at her seriously.
"I have to admit, that's a very generous offer."
He paused.
"But I'd like to ask something first."
"Can I exchange it for cash instead?"
Silence.
Then—
The griffin nearby choked.
Izayoi burst into laughter.
Yō and Asuka smiled in relief.
Black Rabbit threw herself at Ren and hugged him tightly.
She was a Moon Rabbit, and in her excitement she began bouncing repeatedly—
Which caused Ren to panic internally.
"Black Rabbit—! Easy—! My stamina can't keep up—!"
White Yaksha stared at him for a long moment.
Then she laughed softly.
"Oh?"
"It's clear from your words that you're declining my invitation."
She tilted her head curiously.
"May I ask why?"
"As far as I know, you haven't even been part of No Name for a full day."
Joining Thousand Eyes.
Becoming a Floor Master.
These were opportunities others would desperately chase.
White Yaksha had expected hesitation.
Temptation.
Conflict.
But not—
Such a clean, immediate refusal.
She truly wanted to know.
Why?