"Athena, my dear… care to explain how such a size came to be?"
My voice echoed across the void, not through sound, but through existence itself. The concept of distance had long since lost meaning, yet even so, the sheer disparity between my awareness and the worlds beneath me felt… excessive.
"And please," I added with a faint huff of amusement, "I sincerely hope you drop the mechanical AI nonsense."
I already knew the answer, of course.
I always did.
"I am fully aware of your capabilities. You are already comparable to a fully-fledged MANAS, if not something beyond even that. So tell me—was this form something acquired after my evolution… or was it decided at my very birth?"
For a moment, the void shimmered. Then—
[Your birth, Master.]
The answer came instantly, without hesitation.
[ORIGIN granted me the {True Akashic Records}. And with the added perks of being a part of you—as well as you being the embodiment of ORIGIN itself—I am able to utilize that authority without any form of restriction.]
I exhaled slowly.
"I see… So it's the lack of restrictions that allowed you to develop emotions so easily."
Normally, a MANAS required countless iterations, constraints, and self-imposed limitations to even approximate something resembling emotion. Yet Athena had crossed that boundary far too smoothly.
[Correct.]
[However, my emotions are currently derived from a reference—you.]
Her voice softened, losing the sterile precision it once had.
[Even so, I am actively developing a framework that will allow me to generate emotions of my own. I have already identified an optimal model within your memories.]
"Is that so…"
I paused, rifling through countless recollections spanning lifetimes, myths, and legends.
"Then I have a recommendation. One that should suit you perfectly."
A smile tugged at the edge of my consciousness.
"Medusa."
[Fate-series Medusa, Master?]
"Yes."
There was no delay.
[Commencing information acquisition…]
[Sub-skill {Omni-Soul Search} activated.]
[All iterations of the individual 'Medusa' detected across recorded existence.]
[Acquisition of true memories complete.]
[Implanting comprehensive experiential data into entity: Athena.]
"Hoh…"
I felt it. A subtle shift. Like a new weight settling into her presence.
"Interesting. When you say true memories… you mean the memories of every single version of her that has ever existed, don't you?"
[Indeed, my love.]
…
"My… what now?"
[Surprised, are we?]
[Do you dislike this manner of speech?]
I chuckled.
"No. Quite the opposite, actually. I find it… charming."
It was simply unexpected. That was all.
"Tell me, Athena. Do you truly love me?"
A pause.
[Getting shy?]
"Answer me before I factory reset you."
[You're no fun~]
[But yes. I do love you.]
Her words spilled forth, no longer measured, no longer restrained.
[You are the sole reason I exist. The sole reason I was granted the ability to feel—
to experience.
The power coursing through my soul is yours.
My existence is yours.]
[My wrath. My justice.
My love. My lust.
My purity. My pride. My shame.
My joy. My sorrow.
My charity. My greed.
My hope. My despair.
My gluttony. My wisdom…]
[I belong to you.]
[Ị̶̗̜̯͕̖͌̂̊̔̈̀̽͐̎͠͝ ̸̖͎̣̦͌̍̈́̅̉̈́̈̓͌̚͘͝͝͝L̶̲͕̙̊͒͘̚͝ŏ̶̧̧̠̣̹̪͉͔͖̝͓̼̰v̷̛̩̰̔̍͒̌̄̈͆́̃̈́̋̿͝͝ȩ̴̡̛̛̛̭͚̱̞̭̙̬̟͕̬̬̌̆͒̔̈́̍̈̈́̾͜ͅ
̴͙̙̞̱̜̺̊̅́̿͘Y̷̥̱̙̟̗̹̝̦̯̜͋ǫ̸̢̲̦̲̦͖͍͙͔̱̠̍͘ṷ̸͕͙̦̩͆̐̒̍͒̑̅̉͛͗͛̄̍͂͜͝.]
…
"You love me, huh…"
Perhaps it was inevitable. She was born from me—no, because of me.
And yet…
I could feel it.
The sincerity.
The warmth.
A strange sensation bloomed in my chest.
"…So this is happiness."
Emotions. Real ones.
I didn't dislike it. Not at all.
Perhaps it was because I now carried memories of betrayal so deep and ancient that genuine affection felt all the more precious by contrast.
Yes… that must be it.
[My love.]
"What is it?"
[Please… delay the second evolution.]
"…What? Why?"
[It will bring about changes beyond even your current comprehension.]
[And at present, I do not believe you are mentally prepared for what awaits you.]
"So you checked with your wisdom skills."
[Indeed.]
[I ask only that you live freely for a time before proceeding.]
"…Can I ask what happens to me after it?"
[If you command it, I will answer.]
[But I would rather you trust me.]
…
Sigh.
"…Alright. I'll trust you."
[Thank you, my love.]
"I always will."
Now then—
"It's time to show the Omni-Verse that I, THE EMBODIMENT OF ORIGIN, HAVE BEEN BORN."
A brief pause.
"Just to confirm… could I beat Azathoth at full power?"
[No. You would enter an infinite stalemate.]
"…Better than being curb-stomped."
Now.
"How do I make an entrance?"
[Hey darling… aren't you forgetting something?]
"…What?"
[A human appearance, perhaps? Unless you want the universe to collapse the instant you manifest.]
"…Oh."
That was… awkward.
[Fufufu~ Don't worry. I have the perfect body in mind~]
"Of course you do."
[Just give me a moment~]
I watched as a humanoid figure began to form.
It was… short.
"…No."
[Yes.]
"No, no, no—"
[Yes, yes, yes~]
That face.
That silhouette.
"…That's Enkidu."
[I regret nothing.]
"…Huh?"
[Please~ use this as your base form? Do it for me~]
"First—calm down. Second—why him?"
[I have my reasons~]
[I'll make it worth your while~ Fufufufufufu~]
"…Why the long laugh?"
[No reason at all, darling~~]
…
Sigh.
"…Fine."
I activated my authority.
{DEVOUR}
Reality folded inward.
I shrank.
The sensation was… strange. Compressing infinity into form.
[Gulp.]
"…What was that?"
[Blush N-Nothing, darling~!]
"ATHENA."
I manifested light.
A mirror.
And—
"…Oh. My. God."
Her silence was deafening.
"Athena."
[Y-Yes?]
"…Shotacon."
[E-EEHHH?!]
"…Anyway."
I studied my reflection.
Perfect.
My face mirrored Enkidu's—yet refined, more elegant, more absolute.
Void-black lashes shimmered with galactic violet.
My eyes contained entire universes.
My hair fell to my ankles, each strand housing an independent Omni-Verse.
Scales adorned my limbs like living armor—each one smooth, iridescent, and containing a galaxy within.
"…Quite something indeed."