The Astral Realm.
In a resplendent garden overflowing with life—where stalks of rice and wheat swayed gently under unseen winds, and all manner of fruit trees bore heavy, luscious offerings—a serene figure wandered amidst the abundance.
She was a woman of soft curves and gentle grace, her bare feet sprouting golden stalks of wheat with each step. Springs of clear water circled her ankles, and the folds of her flowing gown drifted lightly about her form. In her hand, she held a dark-brown wooden staff that radiated the quiet pulse of vitality itself.
From afar, she looked sacred and dignified, the embodiment of fertile peace.
This was Edward's first impression upon seeing the Earth Mother.
To be honest, it was entirely different from the image he'd always held in his mind. Of course, all his previous imaginings had been based on the premise that She was still the Ancestor of Sanguines.
But now, Lilith had already purged the corresponding Beyonder characteristics and uniqueness associated with that path. What stood before him was no longer the Sanguine Ancestor—but a pure, transcendent embodiment of the Earth Mother.
Edward stood quietly at the garden's gate, locking eyes with the goddess for a moment before stepping forward into this garden of eternal harvest—or rather, into Her divine kingdom.
Much like the domain of the Evernight Goddess that he had once visited, the Earth Mother's kingdom was enveloped in profound tranquillity. Yet unlike that cold, endless silence, here life abounded. He could feel the faint pulse of creatures hidden among the blossoms, the hum of insects, and the rustling of unseen spirits.
After all, Her Sequence 0 title was Mother. She was not like the aloof and lonely "Darkness."
"Welcome."
The Earth Mother smiled and lifted a pale, radiant hand. The wheat and rice around her suddenly surged upward, intertwining and growing into a magnificent Throne of Harvest.
Edward bowed slightly. "Forgive me for intruding, Mother."
"There is no intrusion," She replied softly. Her voice was warm and low, like the murmur of a stream through spring soil. "No one enjoys being alone all the time. Had I known that godhood meant eternal solitude—trapped here in this cold Astral Realm, watching over the barrier day after day for millennia—I might have chosen to remain at Sequence 2 instead."
"At least then, I would have been freer."
Edward smiled politely, not daring to interrupt.
"When Bethel was not yet exiled," She continued, "he would occasionally visit and speak with me. But after he departed for the starry heavens, no one has been able to reach the Astral Realm easily again."
Edward asked curiously, "Coming to the Astral Realm—or the starry sky—shouldn't be a privilege unique to the Door pathway, right?"
After all, even Emperor Roselle, upon ascending to Knowledge Emperor, had once gone to the moon.
The Earth Mother nodded gently. "Indeed. Some other pathways, upon reaching Sequence 1, also gain the ability to travel to the Astral Realm or beyond. But the Sequence 1s that remain in this world…are either tainted by Outer Deities, or too cautious to dare set foot here."
She sighed softly. "A thousand years ago, I could still occasionally descend into the physical world by channelling through my believers. But now…it has become almost impossible."
"Because you must guard the barrier?" Edward asked.
But that didn't seem right—after all, in the original events, even the Evernight Goddess had managed to descend several times through the Sealed Artifact known as the 'Mother of the Sky.'
The Earth Mother shook Her head lightly. "No. It is because of the peculiarity of the Mother Pathway itself."
Edward understood immediately.
If one were to speak of which god was most at risk during the Mother Goddess of Depravity's invasion of Earth, it was undoubtedly the Earth Mother Herself.
After all, the Mother Pathway had been torn directly from the body of the Mother Goddess of Depravity. Whether by the will of that Outer God, or through the convergence of the Beyonder characteristics themselves, the Earth Mother would inevitably become the vessel through which the Fallen Mother Goddess inevitably sought to reclaim that which was once Hers.
And the result of that "reclamation" could only be—
The fall of the Earth Mother.
Thus, among all the deities, the Earth Mother must be the one most deeply burdened with fear and vigilance toward that ancient corruption.
With this realisation, Edward asked quietly, "Not long ago, the Primordial Demoness allied with the Mother Goddess of Depravity. Did you Seven Gods…ever attempt to intervene?"
The Earth Mother shook Her head. "No."
"Why not?"
Her voice was calm, but tinged with weary clarity. "Because Cheek doesn't dare to go too far. She knows very well that if the barrier truly collapses—if the Outer Gods invade in full—She herself will not escape destruction. But if we were to move against Her, She might panic and act irrationally. During the Pale Disaster, She wasn't gravely injured, but Her consciousness became unstable—partially mad."
"We cannot risk provoking Her again."
Edward blinked in disbelief.
You're the Seven Gods, he thought. Why do you all sound so…restrained and miserable?
The Earth Mother's expression shifted slightly as She changed the topic, Her tone carrying an almost deliberate weight.
"And the reason Cheek became like this…is because 'Lilith' once seized the authority over the Mirror World from her."
The "Lilith" She spoke of, of course, was his Lilith.
"…"
Edward could only stand there, speechless.
…Seriously?
Edward couldn't help cursing inwardly. After all that talk, we've somehow gone full circle—and now the blame's been neatly dumped on Lilith.
Edward sighed inwardly. For the Earth Mother to bring up Lilith so directly didn't surprise him—after all, he had already "confessed" his connection with her to the duke in Feynapotter. As the true Ancestor of the Sanguines, it was perfectly natural that the Earth Mother would know about her.
Still, Edward didn't press for details. The current Earth Mother was merely the Earth Mother—not the Ancestor of Sanguines. And She, in turn, offered no further explanation.
"Come," the Earth Mother said gently. "Let me show you around."
She leaned on Her dark-brown wooden staff and stepped barefoot into the golden fields. Wherever Her feet touched the soil, wheat sprouted and bowed in reverence. Edward hurried after Her, taking in the divine scenery of this harvest-laden realm.
As they walked, the landscape around them shifted constantly—every few dozen paces seemed to pass through a different season. From ordinary crops like rice and barley that existed in the physical world, to surreal flora that could only bloom within the Astral Realm, every plant was in its peak state of abundance. The sight filled Edward with a strange sense of satisfaction—a primal thrill, as though some ancient agricultural instinct within his bloodline had awakened.
The powers of the Mother Pathway, Edward knew, were not limited to plants. They extended to all forms of life—animals, and even humans—allowing one to become a "mother," to nurture and birth new existence. In this, the Earth Mother was similar to the Mother Goddess of Depravity. Yet here, in Her divine kingdom, he saw no such manifestations.
Edward continued observing as he walked, occasionally activating his [Regression] ability to analyse the essence of the things he saw.
Eventually, they reached a grand castle woven entirely from vines, trees, and blossoms. The Earth Mother stopped there.
"There's not much more to see beyond this point," She said softly.
"Understood," Edward replied.
Her serene gaze swept over the endless garden. "It's not as fascinating as you imagined, is it?"
Edward smiled. "When a god personally acts as my guide, everything becomes fascinating."
"Is that so?"
The Earth Mother's lips curved gently. "Then you're welcome to visit again. To explore my kingdom fully…would take some time indeed."
Edward bowed slightly. "Thank you, Mother."
"Tell me," She said, tilting Her head, "whose divine kingdom do you plan to visit next?"
"I haven't decided yet," Edward admitted. "May I hear your suggestion?"
The Earth Mother pondered for a moment. "The Lord of Storms and the Eternal Blazing Sun may have ill tempers, but they're not hostile toward a Wanderer entering their realms—especially since…" She paused, eyes glimmering. "…you are the master of the Sefirah Castle."
As expected.
The commotion caused when he had ascended to Sequence 3 and truly claimed the Sefirah Castle could never have escaped the notice of the Seven Gods.
"With my recommendation," She continued, "the God of Combat's kingdom should pose no issue either. The God of Knowledge and Wisdom, and the God of Steam and Machinery—both are reasonable to deal with."
"As the master of the Sefirah Castle, you have no conflict of interest with any of them. In fact, when the time comes to face the Outer Gods, they'll need your help. Giving you favour in advance is only natural—just as they once did with Mr. Door."
She paused then, Her tone changing slightly. "As for the Evernight Goddess…"
Her eyes met his. "I do not know."
"…"
Edward was stunned. What do you mean, you don't know? Aren't you two thousand-year-old co-conspirators—the closest of 'girlfriends'?
"She seems to have her own calculations, her own vision," the Earth Mother said softly. "She is not someone who would ever place her fate in another's hands. For millennia, she has been laying down her own secret arrangements.
"No one knows what she's thinking. No one knows what she truly intends."
Edward frowned. "But no matter what the Evernight Goddess plans, her ultimate goal should still be the River of Eternal Darkness, right? To use it to ascend to a higher Sequence?"
The Earth Mother's expression didn't change. She met his eyes and said, "But the tributaries of the River of Eternal Darkness have almost completely dried up. Do you understand what that means?"
Edward's heart tightened.
"It likely means the main river has also withered."
"…"
It was the first time Edward had ever discussed this matter—especially with a god—since learning that the river had dried up. He asked quickly, "Do You know why it withered?"
"I don't," the Earth Mother admitted with a shake of Her head. "That's a Sefirot unrelated to me. Naturally, I do not keep close watch over it. But the few times I've cast My gaze in that direction, it was already gone.
"Even if you become the Lord of Mysteries, you will not be able to help Evernight recover the River of Eternal Darkness."
"That is why," She added softly, "I can no longer understand Her."
Great…Edward thought grimly. She was already terrifyingly cunning in the original timeline, and now she's turned into an even greater enigma. Going to 'trade' with her for the Planeswalker characteristic—am I insane?
He fell silent for a while, then asked cautiously, "Your Holiness, if I were to approach the Evernight Goddess to negotiate for the Planeswalker characteristic…what do you think She might still be interested in?"
The Earth Mother smiled, a faint, meaningful curve of Her lips. "At this point, the only thing you have to offer—"
"—is your future."
My future?
The words struck him instantly.
Of course. Every gift from a god has its price—the only uncertainty is when you'll be forced to pay.
"I understand."
The Earth Mother nodded slightly. "Then feel free to wander my realm a little longer."
With that, She stepped away—Her bare feet treading on wheat and springs as She drifted into the distance.
Edward found a broad tree and sat beneath it, leaning against the trunk. He let his thoughts quiet as he gazed across this world where reality and wonder intertwined.
When his spirituality was nearly spent, he rose, sought out the Earth Mother to bid Her farewell, and ended the summoning. Returning through the Sefirah Castle, he reentered reality to rest and recover his strength.
In the Sefirah Castle, shrouded in its ever-present grey fog, a certain figure crouched inside a birdcage—watching Edward's fading image.
Amon adjusted his monocle and chuckled. "Oh~ planning to wander the Astral Realm like Bethel did, to digest your potion, are you?"
He gave a languid hop, landing on the floor of the cage. Stretching out both arms and wings, he sprawled lazily on his back.
"Ah, so boring. If I can't find a way out soon, I might as well just take a nap."
He paused, eyes glinting mischievously.
"But then again…what if, when I wake up, this guy has already found a way to advance to 'Door'? Wouldn't that be troublesome?"
He sighed theatrically. "Fine, fine. Better keep myself busy, then."
With a flick, Amon bounced back onto a perch and began pecking at it like a woodpecker, the sound echoing softly through the misty expanse of the Sefirah Castle.
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.