The attack connected.
Except Anathasia was still standing beside me, a wide smile plastered across her face.
I glanced at the man who had launched it.
His jaw was clenched tight, arm still outstretched, finger pointed directly at her, as if willing reality itself to respond. The other four Transcendents had shifted positions. The two men flanked him on either side, tension coiled in their stances, while the remaining woman supported the green-haired one, who struggled to steady herself.
"Arcurios…" the plant woman said, her voice strained as she wiped blood from her lips with the back of her hand.
"Do not fight her."
Something about her tone made my skin prickle.
Judging by her reaction… she definitely saw a glimpse of it.
"She is…" Her breath hitched. "An existence that does not exist within our scriptures…"
Her gaze trembled as it returned to Anathasia.
"An Outer God… similar to the Divine Outer God of Equilibrium…"
She swallowed hard.
"But unlike Great Rania, who is the balance between Chaos and Creation, she is…"
Her eyes widened, terror stripping her voice bare.
"Pure and unbridled chaotic incomprehensibility."
The rest of the Transcendents froze.
Their gazes locked onto Anathasia as she tilted her head, a gentle smile resting on her face, almost apologetic.
I leaned closer and whispered,
"You're having way too much fun, oi… these are Rania's people, y'know?"
She glanced at me, clicked her tongue, then sighed.
"I won't give them the Arianne treatment, okay? They'll be fine."
She beamed, resting a gentle hand on my shoulder before stepping forward.
As she did, the sand failed to register her footprint.
The sky looked… layered.
Air currents became visible, folding over themselves in thin, translucent sheets—
—and then the entire beach shifted.
Space—no, reality itself rippled outward, like a drop striking a perfectly still body of water.
Something loomed behind her.
An endless shadow without shape or boundary.
When I glanced at the Transcendents, they were already turning away. Blood seeped from their eyes. Their noses bled as they clutched their faces, trembling, desperate not to look at it.
And then—
Everything started to glitch.
I sighed, shaking my head as I reached out and placed a hand on Anathasia's shoulder.
"You'll kill them, oi…"
Even then, she didn't let on.
"They'll be fine," she replied casually. "There's this… reincarnation, or immortality thing they have. They won't die from simple bleeding—"
"Miss Anathasia," a voice cut in, calm but firm. "I don't think that's the case here."
I turned.
Rania was already walking toward us, handing the tongs to Roselia as she tied her hair into a ponytail.
"You're not injuring their bodies," she continued, eyes fixed on the Transcendents. "You're damaging their existence itself."
SNAP!
The sound echoed.
The glitches vanished.
The layered sky flattened.
The visible air currents dissolved.
Everything didn't just return to normal—
It stabilized.
Yet one thing remained.
The endless shadow looming behind Anathasia persisted, unmoving, until she finally let out a sigh.
"That so?" she muttered, straightening her sunhat. "And here I thought they could handle a bit of… ontological pressure."
She glanced back at them.
"But I suppose not."
"…You almost killed them," I said flatly.
My hand flicked her forehead.
She winced.
"I would've brought them back right after…" she grumbled, rubbing the spot.
Rania walked past us, sand crunching beneath her bare feet as she knelt beside the Transcendents.
Despite everything, she treated them gently.
A quiet breath escaped her.
"I already warned everyone," she murmured, soft, but not weak.
"Not to pick fights with others."
We moved closer to Rania, watching her… do her thing.
At the very least, the bleeding had stopped.
They were still coughing up blood, though.
Beside me, Anathasia covered her mouth with both hands, her brows knitting together in concern.
My expression flattened.
Again.
"You did that…"
She glanced at me, then back at them.
"I didn't lift a finger," she said carefully. "So I technically didn't do anything."
"…What's with that 'atoms never actually touch each other, therefore I never punched him' kind of logic?" I deadpanned.
She paused.
Then frowned, genuinely troubled.
"…That's not how that works?"
I facepalmed, letting out a slow breath as I shook my head.
Again.
When we looked back, the Transcendents were gradually regaining consciousness. Rania took a step back, watching as they pushed themselves upright, slow, unsteady, but alive.
Like before, the moment they saw her, they immediately dropped to one knee. Heads bowed.
"Divine Outer God of Equilibrium… you are here…"
The bulky man's voice trembled with reverence.
Arcurios, was it?
This world really loved names that were a pain to pronounce.
Rania's expression softened.
"You don't need to kneel," she said gently. "Please, stand."
The five Transcendents obeyed without hesitation.
The plant woman spoke next.
"We are… grateful, Great Rania. For saving us from—"
Her gaze drifted toward Anathasia.
She flinched.
Then looked away immediately.
Rania let out another tired sigh.
One of the three men spoke up next.
"If I may ask…" He hesitated, waiting.
Rania nodded.
For a second, she went completely silent. She glanced back at us, met with Anathasia's wry smile, then forced herself to face the Transcendents again.
"She is…"
Her voice shook slightly.
"My teacher."
—
A few minutes passed.
A profound silence settled over us. Only the faint sizzling of meat on the grill and Roselia tending to it filled the air.
I leaned closer to Anathasia as she watched the Transcendents.
"Say," I murmured, gesturing vaguely behind her, "isn't it about time you put… that away?"
"They're not trying to fight you anymore."
She hummed, folding her arms before nodding. With a snap of her fingers, the endless shadow began to recede.
Slowly.
The Transcendents, no, the mortal gods stopped trembling. Their shoulders visibly relaxed as Anathasia pulled it back.
They turned to Rania again, expressions caught between confusion and terror.
The plant woman hesitated.
"Men… tor…?"
Rania nodded, stepping aside and allowing them a clearer view of Anathasia.
"This… seemingly unassuming lady," the woman said carefully, gesturing at her, "is the Divine Outer God's mentor…?"
Anathasia rubbed her temple.
"Why does this feel like something I've seen happen multiple times already…" She folded her arms again, glancing at me.
"This is usually the moment where plot devices start glazing the protagonist like—"
"'This is impossible! My attack should've killed you!' or 'They're not from this world…' or something," she shrugged.
"Basically what happened earlier."
I sighed.
Again.
"What kind of shows have you been watching lately?"
"Isekai where the protagonist is secretly overpowered, acts weak, then reveals their strength and the cast goes—"
"Okay. I get it," I cut in, running a hand through my hair. "Is that why you're acting like… this?"
Anathasia paused. Looked at the five mortal gods. Then shook her head.
"I prefer being an antagonist instead of a protag."
"That doesn't answer anything…"
When we looked back at Rania, the Transcendents were already gone. She smiled at us, dusted her hands, then casually walked back to the portable grill.
"Well… that was something." I mumbled to myself.
"Oh yeah, that reminds me," Anathasia suddenly said, lifting a finger. "Don't we still have a research paper we need to submit by January 4th?"
My body stiffened instantly.
"Who's in our group again…?"
Anathasia counted on her fingers.
"There's Arianne, then Robert… and Joseph."
She paused.
"Also, our title's been approved. But we still have to defend Chapter One."
I stared at her.
In silence.
"And our papers…?"
"Back at home. But I can bring them here if you want, though."
For a moment, I looked around us. The beach. The sky. The absurdity of it all.
Then my eyes landed on the three, now grilling vegetables instead.
"Say, Anathasia."
"Hm?" Her gaze followed mine.
"Outer Gods should be near-omniscient, right?" I said slowly. "And I'm assuming Rania and Roselia are also experienced in formal writing, considering they're basically nobles."
"And…?" she tilted her head, crossing her arms, mirroring me.
"How about asking them to help with our paper?" I said. "It's about politics anyway."
For a brief moment, her eyes widened. Then she nodded.
"Good point…" she breathed. "Rania *was* a noble, and an extremely talented student, before she became the Equilibrium."
Her gaze drifted to Roselia.
"As for Roselia… she was, and still is, a noble. But before she became an Outer God…"
She paused.
"She was a politician."
"From Earth."
I went silent.
"Hold on," I said slowly. "What?"