A vast table floated within the endless cosmic sea.
Its surface was forged from fragments of shattered realities, crystallized mana, divine metals, and stars long extinguished by time itself. Entire galaxies spiraled beneath the transparent foundation like rivers of light while nebulae bloomed endlessly across the void beyond.
This was not a realm mortals could reach.
This was the meeting place of the Gods.
At the center of the cosmic chamber, a brilliant golden radiance slowly descended from above.
The light twisted gently before taking shape.
A woman appeared.
Elegant.
Ancient.
Beautiful.
The World Goddess Kokono rested her chin lazily against one hand as she sat upon her celestial throne, her long white hair carrying faint traces of gold like dawn bleeding through moonlight. Her golden eyes swept across the empty seats surrounding the table while a small, amused smile curved against her lips.
"Well," she mused softly, her melodic voice echoing across the stars themselves, "everyone seems energetic today."
Her smile deepened faintly.
"How troublesome."
One by one, divine lights began appearing around the table.
Deep crimson.
Silver.
Blue.
Pink.
Green.
Orange.
Brown.
Beige.
Dark violet.
Reality trembled faintly with each arrival.
These were not merely gods.
They were the living embodiments of the ideals shaping existence itself.
"Hah!" an orange-haired god barked proudly the moment he materialized. "As expected, I, Brola, am first!"
His grin radiated arrogance powerful enough to split mountains.
"Let's stop wasting time and begin already."
"Oh, spare us," sighed a woman wrapped in soft pink light.
Babylis appeared elegantly beside him, crossing her legs calmly.
"Your ego somehow becomes larger every century."
"At least I possess confidence."
"At least I possess self-awareness."
A soft laugh echoed nearby.
"Now, now," whispered Dryia gently.
The green-haired goddess radiated serenity so profound even the surrounding cosmos seemed calmer around her.
"There's no need to fight before the games even begin."
"Conflict creates growth," another voice rumbled immediately.
The atmosphere heated instantly.
Soruna.
The crimson goddess leaned forward with burning eyes and an eager grin.
"Without struggle, existence stagnates."
Her aura flared violently.
"These games exist to forge true strength."
"Or needless suffering," Mikal corrected quietly.
The blue-haired god sat with perfect posture, his expression calm despite the tension.
"Victory without understanding is hollow."
"How dull," purred another voice.
Dark violet mist curled around another throne.
Lyius.
The Goddess of Desire.
Every movement she made felt dangerous.
Tempting.
Predatory.
"A little chaos makes eternity entertaining," she whispered lazily.
"And dependents become far more interesting once desire begins guiding them."
"Hehe, this is getting good already," Storm laughed loudly as silver lightning exploded around him.
The youngest-looking god dropped upside down into his chair carelessly.
"Please refrain from destabilizing causality before proceedings officially begin," Raisa spoke immediately.
Her layered voice sounded as though multiple beings spoke simultaneously.
Unlike the others, she radiated something unsettling.
Absolute order.
"See?" Lyon yawned from the opposite side of the table. "This is why nobody invites you anywhere."
Roots slowly spread beneath his throne as he stretched lazily.
"Everything doesn't need rules."
"And not everything should be left to instinct," Raisa replied.
Kokono observed all of them quietly.
Smiling.
Because this was always her favorite part.
Not the battles.
Not the deaths.
The gods themselves.
Their ideals.
Their flaws.
Their contradictions.
"Now then," Kokono interrupted softly.
The chamber instantly fell silent.
"Have all of you finalized your dependents?"
"Affirmative," Raisa answered first.
"My children are perfect," Lyius purred proudly. "Beautiful little catastrophes."
"My warriors will dominate," Soruna declared.
"Strength alone is not enough," Babylis countered immediately.
"It is in war."
"War is not existence."
"It shapes existence."
Brola slammed a fist onto the table.
"Power decides everything."
"No," Mikal corrected calmly. "Power reveals everything."
Storm whistled awkwardly.
"Wow. Things got philosophical fast."
Kokono leaned back quietly.
Listening.
Watching.
But unlike the others…
she already knew something was wrong.
The threads of fate had begun twisting unnaturally.
Something had entered the game that should not exist within the balance they created.
A child whose future fractured every prediction.
A boy connected to destruction…
yet born naturally.
Not created.
Not engineered.
Born.
Lyius suddenly smiled wider.
"There is one dependent I find particularly interesting."
Soruna scoffed.
"A single child doesn't matter."
"This one does," Raisa answered quietly.
The layered voices speaking as one sent an uncomfortable silence across the chamber.
"The future surrounding him cannot stabilize."
Kokono closed her eyes briefly.
Shiro.
The dependent chosen by the Goddess of Destruction.
The anomaly.
The boy whose existence distorted causality itself.
Even now, she could feel it.
The imbalance.
The way fate bent around him unnaturally.
Storm sat upright finally.
"Oh. So it's that bad?"
Babylis frowned softly.
"That poor child…"
"He will either become salvation," Mikal murmured quietly, "or catastrophe."
"Catastrophe sounds more entertaining," Lyius whispered with amusement.
Soruna laughed.
"Good. Let him struggle."
Dryia's eyes narrowed slightly.
"You say that now… but his path is already affecting others."
At those words, another image briefly appeared across the cosmic table.
A girl with pink hair.
Bright eyes.
Sword in hand.
Pride burning within her soul.
"The first Sin has already awakened," Raisa stated.
Lyius smiled immediately.
"Ahhh… there she is."
"The Hero's granddaughter," Mikal observed quietly.
"Poor thing," Babylis whispered.
"She chose her path herself," Soruna countered.
"No," Kokono corrected softly.
Everyone looked toward her.
For the first time since the meeting began—
the amusement faded from her eyes.
"She was chosen the moment she saw him."
Silence.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Because every god present understood what that meant.
The game had already begun changing.
Not because of the gods.
Not because of the demons.
But because certain destinies had begun intertwining too early.
Lyon exhaled slowly.
"Well… this'll become messy."
"Messy is fun," Storm grinned.
"Messy destroys worlds," Raisa corrected.
"And creates them," Lyius added.
Kokono slowly stood from her throne.
Divine energy rippled outward softly, causing nearby galaxies to distort.
"The dependents will now begin shaping the future themselves."
Her golden eyes reflected countless timelines simultaneously.
"Whether they destroy each other… or transcend the roles we created for them…"
A faint smile returned.
"…is no longer entirely within our control."
For the first time in countless ages—
the gods themselves felt uncertainty.
Excitement.
Fear.
Curiosity.
The game had begun moving beyond prediction.
One by one, the gods dissolved into streams of divine light.
Conflict.
Compassion.
Order.
Desire.
War.
Nature.
Peace.
Chaos.
Only Kokono remained.
Alone among the stars.
Watching fate drift toward inevitable collision.
And somewhere far below the heavens—
a boy wrapped in darkness unknowingly walked toward becoming the greatest threat the gods had ever created.
Kokono closed her eyes gently.
"May this world survive what's coming."