"So you mean to say…" A cold voice lingered in the office of the Academy. Along with the three strongest of Humanity that had joined the raid in thew Sanctuary was one veiled woman sitting alone.
The veiled woman was the student of the grand mage and the daughter of the other two's old friend, yet right now she reminded them all of a lioness staring down at her prey.
They were unable to say anything against her domineering words.
Maybe there was guilt at play too, but the reasons only mattered so much.
"We checked all the realms," Lushan's voice eked out. "They are just not there. I am sure by now Eugene Hall would have found us."
"He couldn't be…" Cosmos suddenly spoke up. "Dead, could he?"
Kaiser and Lethe both shook their heads at Cosmos' words. Lethe pointed at the fairy sitting on her shoulder.
"As long as this one is alive he won't die either."
"We're bound by soul! We're soul mates," Titania crossed her arms as she spoke. She tried to be cheerful, but that was proving to be difficult at the moment.
"The other two are alive too, Selphie and Aine are both good as new. They couldn't be in a danger of death."
"This being," Lethe asked again. "Are you truly unaware of what it claimed?"
Kaiser shook his head.
"I may have picked up a word or two."
He was the only one along with Eugene who could stand against the 'being' that they had all come across at the end of Sanctuary.
"It asked us to return where we belong, but I couldn't be sure."
The others in the room got on their toes at the new information.
"It said that?"
"How were you even able to comprehend it?"
Kaiser shook his head.
"I don't know. I didn't understand the words. Or rather, I doubt it even spoke words. It felt like the concept that is carried by those terms is what he invoked."
Concept…
Lethe couldn't help but find this lack of information and the crypticness in all of it unpleasant. Why was she to find it anything else in the first place. It was all unpleasant.
Two weeks had already passed since Eugene had disappeared. She was wrought with worry, but didn't let it show.
Two weeks ago, when all the people that had entered the Dungeon returned like comets from the skies, the sanctuary in the heavens was also cleared over.
The dungeon itself disappeared, leaving behind a pile of Terrifying Teal Tablets and a giant orb much like Eugene had gotten after the event in the other dungeon back in the Eastern Lands.
Such orbs were also found on every clearing of the dungeons, but those easily broke.
This one on the other hand, was unharmed even when Kaiser opened the seventh gate.
"Are you certain," Lethe spoke again, her voice cooling the room down all at once. "That those were the 'concepts' you thought of?"
"That's it what it felt like," Kaiser leaned behind on the chair and sighed. "I just wish he's alright. I really do. I would be like you too if Cosmy here disappeared."
"Ugh, you're disgusting."
"Shy are we?"
Lethe crossed her arms again.
She did not want to hear that from someone else. And she definitely did not want them to start flirting in front of her again.
With a sigh, she stood up.
"Well if that's the case then he's likely at his home."
"Home?" Lushan muttered. "If he was in Apollon he would have already come over to us, right?"
"Not Apollon," Titania continued instead of Lethe. "But his home home. He is not of this world."
"Excuse me?"
"Whazzat?"
Cosmos and Lushan furrowed their brows.I think you should take a look at
"Oh right, you don't know," Kaiser patted their shoulders. "Eugene Hall and his friend, Albert I believe, they are both from a different world altogether."
"DIFFERENT WORLD?!"
"Like those outer gods?!"
"Not like those outer gods, but not unlike them either. Anyway, they were the biggest proof of existence of this absurd concept in the first place."
Lethe ignored the ones behind her and pushed the door open.
"What, where are you going, Student Lethe!" Lushan called out.
"I think I'll finish what he started. I am sure he'll come back soon."
"You just said he can't."
Lethe scoffed. "He'll find a way."
She knew that her lover would burn the world three times over just to catch a glimpse of her. What was crossing over one or two of them to be with her.
"Finish what he started?"
Lethe slightly looked back, her veil fluttered.
Her every movement filled with grace was enough to snap the attention from even gods, what were these mere humans.
"I mean uniting the world."
Leaving those words, Lethe closed the door behind her.
The damage had already been done a whole month back now. The entire world knew of the Outer Gods and the coalition of the Humans, Demons and Gods.
All that remained was to set the pecking order straight.
It was a good opportunity to go ahead and become the 'Queen of the World.' Or was that too cringe?
Eugene would probably laugh at her if she called herself that.
Well, some sacrifices were to be made.
Queen of the World wasn't so bad.
Behind the veil, the one forgotten by all decided to leave yet another mark of herself on this world.
But no matter how many such marks she made, only one mattered to her.
"Don't you dare die…"
***
I am fucking dead.
"Ally against the Outer Gods, so you know of their existence."
Han Jun Ho, my old father's voice was just as imposing as ever. His limiter still seemed active, how foolish was the government thinking they could keep him down with just that much?
"No wait, before that, how do we look so alike."
Charlotte Fonias, my current mother, was also quite the weirdo. Even though the strongest Hunter in the world was facing her down, she was more worried about me.
She too, wasn't using all her strength.
"This is more pressing, white hair."
"No, this is more pressing, red hair! What if he's my son, huh? What if it was your son?"
My old father frowned.
"Whatever, do what you want."
You're not supposed to settle for that you crazy—
I was dragged over by Charlotte before I could say anything.
"Hm… My son wasn't a demon lord though."