High above the clouds, a vast floating island drifted in silence.
Its surface was blanketed by an endless sea of golden flowers—miracles born of divinity itself.
This was the sanctum a newborn god had prepared for ascension.
No—not he. They.
Here, the final rite would be completed.
Here, They would ascend to Sequence 0—becoming a true god.
This place would become Their kingdom in the heavens.
A sanctuary for mortals. A home for the faithful.
Amid the boundless golden blossoms, a breathtaking woman danced with unrestrained joy.
She wore a flowing golden dress, her long hair radiant like the sun itself, each strand shimmering with light.
Smiling brighter than the sea of flowers around her, she made her way toward a figure cloaked in black.
The god had not yet completed the final ritual.
And yet, there was no doubt—They were already divine.
The uniqueness of Their sequence was firmly in Their grasp.
Only the last step remained.
The woman opened her arms and embraced her god, her face glowing with uncontainable happiness.
She buried her stunning, flower-dimming beauty half-hidden against Their chest.
Before others—before believers—she was a figure of unshakable brilliance and strength.
But here, in the presence of her god, all burdens fell away.
All armor vanished.
She was nothing more than a girl in love.
Holding onto Them, she whispered in a voice so soft it seemed the world itself was unworthy of hearing it:
"Promise me… once the ritual is complete, you'll be my god, and I'll be your king.
We'll be the happiest pair in the entire world.
Even the gods—and their kings—will envy us."
God and King.
More than lovers—far more.
God was law. King was humanity.
They were pillars of existence itself.
A god could not exist without Their king.
A king could not stand without their god.
They were bound together—utterly, irrevocably.
As she spoke, she reached up, wanting to pull back the hood—to see everything, to etch every detail of her god into memory.
But before her hand could touch it, it was gently caught.
The black-robed god looked down at her and spoke, voice steady:
"Not yet. You still can't see my face."
A trace of playful dissatisfaction crossed her expression, but it quickly faded into eagerness.
"Then hurry and finish the ritual! Once it's done, I'll be your king, and you'll be my god—
and you won't have any reason to refuse me anymore."
The god nodded.
"Yes… it is time.
But before that… there's something I need to apologize for."
She tilted her head slightly in his arms, puzzled.
"Apologize? Why? There's nothing between us that requires that.
What we have is above everything."
For a moment, the god fell silent.
Then, with a hint of tenderness, They raised a hand and gently cupped her cheek, fingers brushing softly against her skin.
"The final ritual of the Justice Sequence… is simple.
And utterly despairing."
Their hand moved to her forehead.
A light touch.
Though she stood at Sequence 1—the Angel of Justice—she couldn't move at all.
"No madness. No grand sacrifices. No complicated rites."
A pause.
"From angel to god, the ritual requires only one thing—
a grand deception… and a death."
Nothing more needed to be said.
For a brief moment, surprise flickered across her face.
Then—only boundless gentleness remained.
Though her body was frozen, though no words could escape her lips, everything she felt was laid bare in her gaze.
Just as she had said—what bound them surpassed all things.
He never needed to apologize.
Even if everything between them had been a lie.
Even if her existence itself had only been meant to serve as the final step of His ascension.
Even so.
Faced with such warmth, even the god hesitated.
After a long silence, the restraint on her body was lifted—
though her divinity, her Sequence 1 authority, remained completely sealed.
She noticed.
And yet, she made no move to retaliate.
Instead, she slowly raised her hand again, reaching for the hood.
This time, the god did not stop her.
But… halfway there, she paused.
A faint trace of regret crossed her face as she withdrew her hand.
Then, leaning back against the arm wrapped around her waist, she let herself fall into a graceful, almost tragic pose—held securely by her god.
"Please… ascend."
The god raised a hand.
She closed her eyes, utterly at peace.
She had no regrets.
Even if everything had been a lie—
no, especially because of that—
She was grateful.
Grateful that a god had chosen someone who once had nothing…
and given her everything she never should have had.
And now—
It was her turn to give something back.
The pain came, just as expected.
A terrifying force tore through her chest—so vast, so incomprehensible that even her soul felt as though it would be ripped apart.
And yet…
Time passed.
The death she expected never came.
Instead, something else surged within her—
Something vast. Something absolute.
The power of uniqueness.
The authority of godhood.
Yes, it was a grand deception.
And yes, it was a death.
But while she had been the one deceived—
The one who died…
Was her god.
Her eyes flew open in shock.
Before her stood the black-robed figure—
no, what remained of him.
A portion of his very existence had vanished from his chest.
Having handed over the uniqueness, he could no longer endure.
They both collapsed—
But this time, it was he who fell into her arms.
Their positions had reversed.
The girl—
No.
The goddess—
Held him tightly, panic flooding her face.
"—No… no, no, no…!"
She poured divine power into him desperately, frantically trying to stop his fading.
It was useless.
He had become the final step of her ascension.
Now that the gift had been given, his death was inevitable.
Realizing this, she broke.
Tears streamed down her face as she clutched him tighter, as if refusing to let reality take him away.
"No… this can't be… it can't…!"
"I don't want this! I refuse—!"
He slowly raised a hand, gently touching her face, soothing her as she fell apart.
"There's no need to cry," he said softly.
"Everything turned out well… didn't it?"
She sobbed uncontrollably.
"No… it didn't! Not at all!
Why… why would you do this…?!"
She could have accepted any betrayal from him.
Anything—
Except this.
Except his death.
Except his leaving.
Hearing her cries, he smiled faintly—
And in her arms, quietly faded into nothingness.
Leaving behind only the golden-haired goddess—
Alone in the endless sea of flowers.
Crying.
The girl became a god.
And the goddess…
Lost her king.