God of Youkai + God of Wisdom.
Fusion evolution!
Lord of Spirits and Gods: Kotoko Iwanaga Beast!
As the light flickered,
Alistair couldn't help but feel as if BGM was playing in his ears.
Kotoko Iwanaga had begun her evolution.
Lord of Spirits and Gods!
God of Youkai, God of Wisdom, Hyakki Yagyo...
Layers upon layers of buffs stacked together.
Moreover,
As the God of Youkai, she was highly compatible with Alistair, the God of Darkness. After all, weren't demons, spirits, and monsters a form of dark power?
Undoubtedly!
This was self-evident.
Therefore,
Kotoko Iwanaga's transformation was even stronger as a result.
The greater the compatibility with a deity, the greater the enhancement it brought.
Persephone, Yama, and Izanami had all undergone tremendous transformations after signing subordinate god contracts.
Whereas...
Compared to those three goddesses,
Demeter and Amaterasu fell far short.
This was the gap in compatibility.
And now, Kotoko Iwanaga was much the same—her compatibility was very high.
"Hmm~~~"
Kotoko Iwanaga sensed her connection to demons, spirits, and monsters, leaning on her cane with both hands, a smile gracing her refined features.
Now, she had ascended to the divine throne of Lord of Spirits and Gods. By gradually igniting her divine fire and condensing her godhead, she could become the true Lord of Spirits and Gods.
A beam of light burst from Kotoko Iwanaga's right eye.
In an instant,
All the Hyakki Yagyo vanished without a trace.
"Oh?"
Alistair approached with interest and said, "Kotoko, it seems that with the change in your divine throne, your former throne as God of Wisdom has condensed into a small world."
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
Kotoko Iwanaga naturally looped her arm around Alistair's, happily saying, "In my right eye, it's condensed into a world that can contain the Hyakki Yagyo. With them inside, it's as if they're all empowering me, providing an immense boost."
Kotoko Iwanaga demonstrated briefly, as golden and black mists rose up.
Various youkai phantoms emerged within them.
However,
It was all fleeting, and soon Kotoko Iwanaga retracted it.
Alistair ruffled Kotoko Iwanaga's hair, smiling as he said, "That's really impressive, truly! The second phase has just begun, and the gains are already this substantial. I never expected it!"
At this moment,
Alistair couldn't help but feel a sense of感慨.
The second phase had only just set sail.
The Lord of Hell, Yama, had been subdued and transformed into Taizan Fukun.
Amaterasu?
No need to mention her.
She was merely a subordinate god, nothing to pay special attention to.
Unless...
Alistair thought he could research it further later. If his plans worked out, Amaterasu might just catch up, but that would require future experiments.
And Izanami had become the first absolute subordinate god under his command.
Beyond that!
Kotoko Iwanaga had transformed into the Lord of Spirits and Gods, with extremely high compatibility. With proper nurturing, she could join the first tier below Persephone and Yama—or even rival them without issue.
This didn't even account for the world power, faith power, and divine resources from both worlds.
And...
Alistair recalled his earlier idea. If that concept truly panned out, this time he'd really struck it rich—it would solidify his foundation completely.
"Alright."
Alistair clapped his hands and said, "For now, everything is stable. Next, let's get busy. In the shortest time possible, seize control of all the parallel worlds and prepare to devour this entire realm."
Alistair turned his head and asked, "Izanami, how many worlds did he create in this realm originally?"
"This..."
Izanami hesitated slightly, pondering as she replied, "Initially, he created hundreds, even thousands of worlds. Unfortunately, some were condensed into fruits by my blood, and many more were naturally destroyed, swallowed by the Sea of Void."
"As for how many remain now, I'm not certain."
"Fifteen."
Persephone said softly, "I've opened the gates to all parallel worlds. Besides the source world we're in, there are fourteen others."
"However..."
"Without exception, the destruction in those other fourteen parallel worlds is even more severe."
"As expected."
Alistair nodded knowingly, having roughly guessed as much.
"Let's move quickly."
"Understood."
Persephone nodded with a smile.
Including the source world, a total of fifteen parallel worlds—this Onmyoji realm had truly yielded immense profits.
The benefits this time were extraordinarily high.
Even if
Much of it required growth, that only demanded time and divine power. The matter of status, however, couldn't be described in mere words.
In short!
A total of fifteen parallel worlds—all to be conquered!
In the shortest time possible!
...
Snap!
Snap!
Kotoko Iwanaga leaned on her cane, smiling broadly as she casually said, "Is there absolutely no humanity in this world?"
Oina stood by Kotoko Iwanaga's side, gently replying, "Lady Kotoko, in this parallel world, there are no humans at all. It's a world entirely composed of youkai—the Hyakki Yagyo, all sorts of demons and monsters."
"Excellent."
Kotoko Iwanaga smiled, her right eye flashing with overwhelming youki as she said, "Then, here, we'll seize this parallel world and turn it into the cradle of the Hyakki Yagyo."
With Kotoko Iwanaga's command issued,
Ghost kings, great youkai...
One by one, they entered this world—conquering, subjugating. Those unwilling to submit?
Death was their only option!
The male great youkai from the source world had also arrived, joining the battlefield: Shuten-doji, Ibaraki-doji, Ootakemaru, Shirazou, and others...
They had been incorporated into her ranks after Kotoko Iwanaga left Yomi no Kuni.
However,
Only as members of her Hyakki Yagyo, not as familiars.
Now, they would charge into this parallel world.
In the future,
Kotoko Iwanaga planned to cultivate this parallel world into a pure Hyakki universe, to develop her Hyakki Yagyo.
As for whether it would succeed?
Hmm~~~
Kotoko Iwanaga felt it was no problem—Alistair would surely agree!
"Ah?"
"Kotoko, you got here so quickly?"
Shalltear arrived with her group just then, blinking at the sight of the Hyakki Yagyo rampaging everywhere.
Kotoko Iwanaga turned her head, leaning on her cane with both hands, and smiled, "Shalltear, you're late. But this world is all youkai—perfect for joining my Hyakki Yagyo."
"That's true enough."
Shalltear took out a crystal ball and said, "Here, these are the demons, spirits, and monsters from two other worlds—all captured. Handing them over to you."
"Thank you."
Kotoko Iwanaga smiled in gratitude.
Shalltear waved it off, "No big deal. Alright, I'm off. I need to hurry—if I'm too slow, the other parallel worlds will be snatched by everyone else, and then my contributions won't stand out."
"Though..."
"If my contributions aren't high enough, will His Majesty punish me?"
"Wouldn't that make me even happier?"
Shalltear's thoughts wandered, her cheeks flushing as dark distortions twisted within her.
Kotoko Iwanaga watched this, her eyes gleaming.
Yes!
Shalltear would make a great friend—in a certain sense, Kotoko Iwanaga and Shalltear were quite alike.
More precisely,
Kotoko Iwanaga, Albedo, Shalltear.
These few were cut from the same cloth.
"No!"
"That would be too embarrassing!"
Shalltear shook her head hastily, waving as she said, "Kotoko, I'm heading out."
"Alright."
Kotoko Iwanaga nodded. She had no interest in conquering other parallel worlds.
Mainly because
This parallel world had no humans at all—just demons, spirits, and monsters. It was perfectly suited to her.
"Hmm~~~"
After Shalltear left, Kotoko Iwanaga mused thoughtfully, "Given the reproduction rate of demons, spirits, and monsters, if it's too fast, might that cause issues in the future? At that rate, this parallel universe might fill up quickly."
"Don't be ridiculous!"
Kasumigaoka Shiyu appeared behind Kotoko Iwanaga at some point, retorting, "Kotoko, do you think these demons and monsters are like pig demons? Eating and breeding all day? It won't be that fast."
Kotoko Iwanaga smiled in greeting, "Shiyu, are you here to bring me gifts too?"
Kasumigaoka Shiyu grinned teasingly, "As expected from someone who's latched onto a powerful ally—talking so boldly now, Kotoko?"
"Sigh!"
"So this is you demanding a gift?"
"The state of the world these days!"
"What will become of our Dark World Tree's future?"
"The Lord of Spirits and Gods openly accepting bribes?"
Kasumigaoka Shiyu's combo of jabs would have left someone like Maine or Eriri blushing and speechless.
Unfortunately,
She was facing Kotoko Iwanaga, who just smiled and said, "Shiyu, I've latched onto Alistair's support. Want an introduction? With your sensual, black-stocking, alluring vibe, Alistair would definitely like you—just strike a few poses."
Kasumigaoka Shiyu smiled, handing over two crystal balls, "Kotoko, these are for you then."
"No problem."
"No problem."
"You can count on it."
"Good."
Kasumigaoka Shiyu and Kotoko Iwanaga exchanged glances, the two women completing a shady deal.
Kato Megumi watched this silently, unsure what to say. She wanted to retort but didn't know where to start.
However,
Considering retorts weren't her forte, Kato Megumi gave up and continued watching quietly.
Kasumigaoka Shiyu and Kato Megumi left as well.
Alistair had just arrived, watching the scene with amusement as he laughed, "Kotoko, using me in a trade? Is that really okay?"
Kotoko Iwanaga turned, her eyes lighting up as she happily ran over, smiling, "Alistair, you won't mind, right?"
"You..."
Alistair helplessly tapped Kotoko Iwanaga's nose.
It could only be said that
Alistair was truly lenient toward both subordinate gods and familiars. As long as it didn't involve major issues, everything else was fine—keep it lighthearted.
"Alistair."
Kotoko Iwanaga said softly, "Could you give me this parallel world? I plan to transform it into a Hyakki universe."
"A Hyakki universe, huh?"
Alistair had no intention of teasing Kotoko Iwanaga and nodded, "That's no problem. Speaking of which, I need to try reforming the Ghost Realm. If it works, you could become the Lord of the Ghost Realm, standing alongside Persephone and Yama."
Kotoko Iwanaga pondered briefly, not agreeing immediately, but countering, "Alistair, is that really okay? Is my status sufficient?"
Kotoko Iwanaga was a clever woman; she knew some things required caution.
Virtue must match position!
Even with Alistair's strong backing, it could still be an issue.
Alistair smiled, "That's why it depends on whether the Ghost Realm can be successfully reformed."
"The Underworld, Hell, Yomi no Kuni."
"These three share the same status—within the Dark World Tree, they're the second tier, forming the true components of Hell."
"If"
"The Ghost Realm can reach that status, and as the Lord of Spirits and Gods, you're in the tier just below Persephone and Yama, becoming Lord of the Ghost Realm would be only natural."
"Moreover,"
"The Ghost Realm is inherently a place intertwined with demons, spirits, and monsters—there's no one more fitting than you to rule it."
"Of course,"
"All this hinges on the Ghost Realm's reformation succeeding."
As Alistair explained the details, Kotoko Iwanaga finally relaxed. That was fine; if it was like this, she could accept it.
Otherwise,
Forcing her into a position beyond her would be unacceptable.
Alistair watched Kotoko Iwanaga, naturally understanding her thoughts.
However,
He said nothing further.
No need.
Or rather,
It was pointless.
Alistair treated subordinate gods and familiars similarly in attitude, but their growth paths and the emphasis he placed varied.
Some simply weren't cut out for more—they were suited to being ordinary canaries.
Many from Albedo and Shalltear's world, though serving as combat familiars, had clear limits. At best, they'd be lower-tier forces.
In plain terms!
They'd top out as squad leaders.
That was their ceiling.
And Esdeath?
Alistair paid close attention to Esdeath for a simple reason—her growth was astonishingly rapid. She was on the verge of stepping into the Eighth Sense in just a month or two.
Most crucially,
Alistair hadn't provided Esdeath with any external boosts; this was purely her own effort.
How could he not focus on such a prodigious talent?
Persephone, Yama, Izanami.
The first two aside, the latter held the status of an absolute god.
Undoubtedly, core figures.
Finally!
Amaterasu's situation was unique; it required further research. As for Demeter?
Alistair could tell she was essentially a laid-back, do-nothing goddess—he didn't mind.
For now, with limited manpower, she had tasks, but in the future, when staffing was sufficient, Demeter wouldn't need to do anything.
Alistair could treat subordinate gods and familiars equally in demeanor, but not in cultivation intensity.
Just like with Kotoko Iwanaga.
She'd requested a parallel universe to transform into a Hyakki universe—essentially channeling Hyakki Yagyo, world power, and faith power all at once!
But
Alistair didn't care; he'd grant it. If a canary asked? Absolutely not.
Because Kotoko Iwanaga truly had that potential.
These words,
Alistair wouldn't voice aloud, but anyone who wasn't foolish would understand the implications—no one would miss them or act out of line.
Otherwise!
Alistair wouldn't mind turning them into true canaries. As god lord, he imposed no restrictions, but they shouldn't harbor unrealistic ambitions—pursue what they liked, but their futures would be up to them.