A while after the devastating battle with the kami had ended, the emergency conference hall within Shuten Castle was brightly lit.
Around a massive round table, all twelve guardians of Izumo had gathered, and most of them still bore the marks left by combat: stains of blood, scorch marks, tattered clothing, and faces etched with exhaustion.
Yet in each of their eyes flickered a mix of intense emotions such as shock, excitement, disbelief, and a glimmer of hope amidst the despair.
In the quiet hall, the atmosphere was heavy enough to feel almost tangible, with all eyes naturally focused on the person seated opposite the head seat of the round table—Lucian.
He had changed into a clean black kimono, his expression calm, as if the person who had just erased Takamagahara had not been him at all.
At this moment, Lucian finally saw the full lineup of Izumo's twelve guardians.
Going down the line, each face looked familiar—faces from Hoyoverse that were popping up everywhere and were frequently reused across many of their games.
If Welt were here, seeing these familiar faces, especially the faces of the 'Herrscher' he had confronted in the past, he would probably have cursed.
'All familiar faces, but their appearances are quite different... I wonder if their personalities differ too?'
Lucian honestly didn't care much, since in Hoyoverse it was normal for a character to have different variants with distinct appearances and personalities, such as Bronya, Seele, and even Acheron, who differed from their variants in Honkai Impact 3rd.
Maybe the only thing he found odd was that all the Sentinel wielders present were, in fact, female.
Could it be that in Izumo, only women could wield the Sentinels?
Lucian's mind buzzed with questions.
Judging by the attire of the leader, Houraiji Kyuusyou, she appeared to be a serious woman, exuding a mature, commanding presence.
Seeing Lucian glance at her and continue observing her, Kyuusyou took a deep breath, then spoke up, breaking the silence.
"Everyone, we have won… In the thousand-year war against Takamagahara, Izumo has sacrificed countless lives..." Kyuusyou stood up, clenching her fists. "We have prayed countless times, begging the gods to save us, to deliver us from darkness—and finally, today, a god has answered us!"
Right after saying this, she abruptly stretched out her hand and pointed at Lucian.
"His Excellency is the god who saves Izumo! Our Savior of Light!"
All eyes immediately fell on Lucian.
Being suddenly watched so intensely by twelve unordinary beauties made Lucian, unusually, feel slightly awkward, especially when he heard the cringy 'Savior of Light.'
'Ah, right...'
Lucian suddenly remembered that Izumo was a planet shrouded by a black sun, which was actually a Shadow of IX, with no actual sun and no moon. All sources of light in Izumo were created by humans through years of research on the kami's corpses.
Given that, seeing him—who could casually unleash a giant beam of light and even destroy Takamagahara—made him appear godlike in these women's eyes.
Kyuusyou slowly approached Lucian, her demeanor solemn and reverent, as if she were about to say something of utmost importance. As she stood one step away from him, under the astonished yet newly enlightened gazes of all present, she bent her right knee without hesitation and knelt on one knee.
"Houraiji Kyuusyou, on behalf of all people of Izumo and myself, humbly ask Your Excellency to be Izumo's protector!" Kyuusyou stated solemnly, her voice slightly hoarse from fatigue yet still clear and resolute. "Your Excellency's arrival brings hope to Izumo. You are our light of salvation! We wish to follow by your side!"
Her words struck like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, sending ripples through everyone's hearts.
Immediately after, Ana clumsily followed Kyuusyou and knelt on one knee.
"An-Ana Mistilteinn… begs Your Excellency to stay!" Ana said nervously, bowing her head deeply. "If Izumo loses more people... there will be no one left..."
"Xuanyuan respectfully requests Lord God's aid," Xuanyuan chimed in, calmly rising and performing an ancient gesture of subordination toward Lucian. "Please stay in Izumo."
"Well, that's what I was thinking too!" Himiko said energetically, standing up without much formality, her voice loud and clear. "I'm convinced! Please stay, sir!"
Wendy blinked her eyes, then giggled softly before hopping up and kneeling on one knee.
"Please stay!"
Even though she begged seriously, the lazy smile on her face made Wendy seem almost as if she were joking.
"Do we really have to kneel and beg?"
Senti pursed her lips, complaining quietly under her breath, but under the watchful eyes of Mei and Bianka, she reluctantly stood, then knelt briefly.
"Uh… I also think you're super amazing!" Senti said rapidly, forcing a smile. "Stay and protect Izumo, okay?"
Seeing even the unscrupulous Senti kneeling, Theresa straightened her small body as best as she could, knelt on one knee, and raised her face, trying to make her voice sound firm.
"Theresa also begs you! Please stay!" Theresa exclaimed, her face flushed red with embarrassment and earnest pleading. "W-We need Your Excellency! We really, really need someone like Your Excellency as our pillar and hope for the people!"
Seeing her companions, who were just like her own sisters, begging, Sirin, who remained seated, felt her expression slowly shift.
Except toward Kyuusyou, she had always been a proud woman, defiant toward everyone, but upon seeing the sheer power Lucian wielded in a single motion—a power that rendered all her pride ridiculous—and watching her companions kneel one by one, begging him, she began to struggle internally.
In the end, respect for his overwhelming power and the desire to survive outweighed her pride.
Sirin said nothing, did not kneel like the others, and only stood up, pressed her lips together, and slightly lowered her ever-proud head.
Even though she didn't kneel, this silent bow was her final act of stubbornness and her greatest acknowledgment of Lucian—even those who saw this were surprised.
Sakura sighed softly, then rose gracefully, as gentle as a feather.
Like Sirin, she said nothing and simply bowed deeply toward Lucian, performing an ancient ceremonial gesture filled with complex emotions. Even though the fox mask she wore hid her expression, the depth of her bow spoke volumes.
Azta followed right after, kneeling down and lowering her head without saying a word.
Seeing the scene, Mei and Bianka exchanged a silent glance, then stood up in unison.
Who would have thought that the one who had taken her first kiss was the hero who saved Izumo?
Mei couldn't help but feel that the kiss didn't seem so bad.
Bianka, her ice-blue eyes now free of any previous wariness and filled solely with recognition and plea, took a deep breath before stepping forward, her right fist pressed heavily against her armored chest like a loyal knight pledging allegiance, then knelt on one knee.
"Bianka Duran humbly requests that you stay!" Bianka said solemnly, her voice ringing out with conviction. "Lead us and carve a future for Izumo!"
At this point, except for Lucian, no one remained seated.
All twelve guardians, representing Izumo's highest combat strength and authority, lowered their heads in their own ways, offering Lucian their dignity and their plea.
Outside the conference hall, on the vast plaza before Shuten Castle, citizens listening via broadcast also knelt toward the Castle.
"Please, Lord God, stay!"
"Please protect Izumo!"
"Please stay! We will do anything!"
Countless voices from the citizens merged into a torrent, faintly audible through the conference hall's walls.
Lucian calmly looked at the kneeling guardians before him and listened to the deafening pleas from outside. Scenes like this were nothing new to him, which was why his expression remained largely unchanged.
Ultimately, after remaining silent for a few seconds, he glanced at the glowing light sources outside the conference hall's large window, at the gloomy, reddish sky, then swept his gaze over the scarred yet hopeful faces before him.
"Firstly, there's one thing I need to clarify: I am not a god. I am far from godhood."
Lucian admitted calmly, his gaze falling on Mei, who stood closest to him, before shifting to the leader of the guardians, Kyuusyou.
"But while I'm not a god, I do have the ability to protect this world and give you true sunlight, so... I'll give you a chance to choose again: do you want someone who isn't a god to watch over Izumo?"
Hearing this, the eleven guardians turned to Kyuusyou, seemingly leaving the decision to her.
'Not a god but capable of destroying Takamagahara and granting sunlight?' Kyuusyou thought inwardly, glancing at Lucian skeptically. 'How is that any different from a god?'
Although confused, she decided not to dwell on it, since what mattered most was not whether he was a god, but his absolute strength to protect and lead Izumo, becoming its hope and pillar.
Kyuusyou took a deep breath, then responded.
"Even if Your Excellency is not a god, you are undeniably still the Savior of Light. On behalf of Izumo, I once again request Your Excellency's protection!"
Lucian felt slightly awkward at the over-the-top title, but even so, to complete the script, he had no choice but to accept this perfect opportunity.
"As you wish, I will protect Izumo," Lucian replied calmly, nodding softly. "And by the way, that Savior of Light thingy is way too cheesy. From now on, just call me Boss, or call me directly by my name, Lucian."
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