Alistair snapped out of his thoughts, patting Kotoko Iwanaga, who was clinging to his arm, and said, "Come on, let's take a look."
"Alright."
Kotoko Iwanaga nodded obediently.
The two entered this parallel world—or rather, what should now be called the Hyakki Universe.
Youki surged.
Blood spilled.
Yet,
The blood mostly belonged to the native inhabitants of the Hyakki Universe.
Under the slaughter of Kotoko Iwanaga's Hyakki Yagyo, led by the Lord of Spirits and Gods, they had no chance to fight back.
Unwilling to submit?
Then!
Death!
No further words were needed—they lacked the qualifications.
However,
The law of the jungle prevailed.
This was the creed of demons, spirits, and monsters. When decisively defeated, most chose submission. In the Hyakki Universe, over sixty percent of the demons and monsters opted to pledge allegiance, joining Kotoko Iwanaga's Hyakki Yagyo.
Upon joining, they immediately sensed the difference and, without hesitation, turned traitor, leading the charge to slaughter their former kin.
"Survival of the fittest."
"Only the strong survive."
"Among youkai, this is exemplified to the fullest."
Alistair glanced over and saw it clearly.
"Indeed!"
Kotoko Iwanaga smiled, "Compared to humans, youkai are far more straightforward. They rarely engage in deceitful schemes. Once they submit, they submit—double-dealing is almost unheard of."
Alistair considered this and nodded in agreement.
Undeniably,
Humans were complex creatures.
Their radiant purity could awaken the power of the great cosmos, pushing the Omega of the universe to rival even an absolute god.
Yet, equally,
The darkness in human hearts was the most terrifying. What could that darkness breed? No one could say for certain—it was an unpredictable abyss.
That was the true endless darkness.
"Calculating the time..."
Alistair estimated, "All the parallel universes should be fully conquered within three days at most. Then, we can wrap things up."
The second phase had just begun.
[Onmyoji] + [Kyokou Suiri]
These two worlds.
If one said there was plenty of time?
In truth!
There wasn't much at all—combined, it was likely less than ten days. Yet so much had happened in that span, a chaotic whirlwind of events with profound impacts.
Moreover,
Alistair had many ideas for the future. Whether they would succeed was uncertain for now, but if they did,
Then!
It would be a game-changer.
"Alistair."
Kotoko Iwanaga said softly, "After handling things here, in the [Saint Seiya] world, will it really not cause any issues? If..."
Clearly,
In these few days, Kotoko Iwanaga had learned much.
[Dragon Ball] world + [Saint Seiya] world.
These were critically important worlds.
Devouring these two would yield truly massive gains.
No exaggeration!
Consuming the [Dragon Ball] world would allow the Dark World Tree to directly absorb a fully-formed, at minimum multiversal-level civilization—a high-grade multiversal civilization at that.
What did that signify?
Undoubtedly!
It was self-evident.
As for the [Saint Seiya] world? Devouring it would be akin to swallowing an entire omniverse.
Just imagining it revealed the sheer magnitude of the reward.
However!
The rewards were so immense that consuming them wasn't so simple.
Listening to Kotoko Iwanaga's question, Alistair shook his head, "Kotoko, relax. It's not a big issue. The [Saint Seiya] world doesn't need haste—we can take it step by step. Plus, with Izanami's presence, we can break through from a single point."
"The absolute god of creation?"
"Exactly!"
Alistair nodded at Kotoko Iwanaga's words, "In the [Saint Seiya] world, a certain multiverse was created by an absolute god of creation, representing the mythology of Yamato. Izanami also represents Yamato mythology."
"While it's not yet the right time,"
"However,"
"There's no need to rush. Once Izanami is fully restored and absorbs the divine canon of Yamato mythology, her status will be no less than that absolute god of creation."
"At that point, we can break through from a single point and bring that multiverse under control."
"Then, we just keep expanding steadily."
Alistair's plan wasn't perfectly complete, but overall, it was fairly robust.
"And..."
A smirk curved Alistair's lips, "Who's to say what the future holds?"
"We're only in the second phase now."
"What about the third phase?"
"The fourth phase?"
"If,"
"Among my subordinate gods, besides Izanami, born from the Takamagahara pantheon as an absolute god of destruction and creation, I gain other absolute gods?"
"By doing so, we can gradually erode the entire [Saint Seiya] world."
"Though,"
"It's a massive project."
Kotoko Iwanaga nodded repeatedly.
Of course,
This was merely Alistair's plan. In essence, for him, it was about accelerating his growth, nothing more.
Otherwise?
Alistair could simply shut down the Dark World Tree, not even using the Dimensional Galaxy Map, and just wait billions of years, indulging in leisure daily. He'd naturally ignite his divine fire and condense his godhead.
At that point, becoming the true 666 God of Darkness would be effortless.
In simple terms,
Everything now, for Alistair, was like a game.
The worlds being tackled were easy dungeons—just mow through them like a hack-and-slash.
But the [Dragon Ball] and [Saint Seiya] worlds were hard-mode dungeons, requiring careful development and step-by-step conquest.
In the process, he'd reap rewards.
Alistair and Kotoko Iwanaga chatted idly.
At that moment,
Alistair looked up and casually said, "It's done."
"Your Majesty!"
"Lady Kotoko!"
As expected,
Oina returned at that moment. No longer in her youthful form, she now exuded the elegance of a mature, gentle woman.
Inari God!
Oina had restored her form as the Inari God. She bowed gracefully, softly saying, "Lady Kotoko, this world has been dealt with. Next..."
"No rush."
Kotoko Iwanaga pulled out several crystal balls and tossed them to Oina, "These contain demons, spirits, and monsters captured from other parallel worlds. Settle them in, then conduct a selection to see if any qualify to become high-ranking members of the Hyakki Yagyo."
"Understood."
Oina nodded with a gentle smile, taking the crystal balls and getting to work.
Her smile was warm.
Now,
Kotoko Iwanaga had structured her Hyakki Yagyo into three tiers.
The first tier consisted of those qualified to sign familiar contracts—the highest level. They were Alistair's familiars first, then part of Kotoko Iwanaga's Hyakki Yagyo.
Of course,
This was irrelevant. Alistair didn't care about such details, nor was he a god lord who worried about subordinates rebelling.
The second tier included the original great youkai, like Shuten-doji, Ibaraki-doji, Ashura, Taishakuten, Ootakemaru, and others...
These were the second-tier great youkai, typically leaders and managers with significant strength.
The third tier was the ordinary Hyakki Yagyo.
Kotoko Iwanaga was brimming with ideas, still researching.
It could only be said,
Even after losing her throne as God of Wisdom, her ideas were no less abundant—perhaps even more complex and intricate.
"Hmm~~~"
As Kotoko Iwanaga pondered, she didn't notice the arrival of Persephone and Yama.
Yama approached, softly saying, "Alistair, all the worlds have been dealt with."
"Good."
Alistair nodded, gazing into the distance thoughtfully, "And the Sea of Void?"
Persephone explained, "Izanami, with her status, has gradually sealed the Sea of Destruction. At most, it'll take one or two more days to fully seal the Sea of Void."
"Alright."
Alistair nodded.
Yama asked thoughtfully, "Alistair, is this Sea of Void special in some way?"
Alistair considered briefly, "I have some ideas, but they're not certain yet. It's better to discuss later—talking too much now is pointless."
For such matters, talking was meaningless until actual implementation confirmed things.
"Understood."
Both women nodded, not pressing further—it wasn't necessary.
"Huh?"
Kotoko Iwanaga turned, smiling brightly as she greeted, "Sister Persephone, Sister Yama, you're back? Where's Aunt Izanami?"
"We just returned."
The three women stepped aside, chatting like close friends.
"..."
Alistair raised an eyebrow. What was with those titles?
Sisters?
That was fine, but why was Izanami "Aunt"?
However!
Alistair recalled Izanami's tendency to act like she wanted to be his mother—especially during wartime, when she was overly excited and thrilled by the title. It was just too absurd.
At such times, Izanami felt less like an absolute god and more like an evil god—or even a succubus. Utterly ridiculous.
Alistair remained calm about it.
Didn't matter.
His tastes were broad enough—if she wanted to play, he'd play along.
Thinking this, Alistair realized why Kotoko Iwanaga called Izanami "Aunt"—it probably made her even happier.
After all,
Neither Persephone nor Yama used that title, which made Izanami particularly fond of Kotoko Iwanaga.
Kasumigaoka Shiyu was unaware,
Kotoko Iwanaga wasn't just clinging to the god lord's favor but also to the first absolute god's.
It could only be said,
Kotoko Iwanaga knew how to align herself with the powerful.
The next day,
The parallel worlds began wrapping up. Ereshkigal had started spreading faith and managing it, while Amaterasu, Oina, and other gods, well-versed in this, assisted in disseminating faith.
On another front,
Pandora was reporting to Alistair, detailing everything meticulously.
"Speaking of which..."
After Pandora's report, Alistair asked, "Pandora, in these two worlds, are there any suitable candidates for the Hell Conference?"
"Hmm..."
Pandora shook her head, "Your Majesty, there aren't any suitable candidates. Miss Kotoko, however, would be ideal for the Hell Conference..."
Pandora trailed off, her meaning clear. Kotoko Iwanaga's status was obviously different—how could someone like her join the Hell Conference?
At most, she'd be like Lord Hades, overseeing it as a supervisor.
Alistair nodded, not commenting on this.
"Alistair!"
At that moment, a pair of arms wrapped in black lace sleeves coiled around Alistair's neck.
Izanami's voice came, gentle as she asked, "Miss me?"
Alistair, knowing this woman's intensity, nodded, "Yes."
"Hmm~~~"
Izanami was delighted, sliding to sit beside Alistair and producing a crystal ball, "Here's the Sea of Void. But its seal can only hold temporarily. The Sea of Void has properties of destruction and devouring—long-term sealing is impossible."
Alistair took the crystal ball, reinforcing it with divine power to seal the Sea of Void.
Izanami watched, smiling silently, unbothered by being outdone.
"Alright."
Alistair clapped his hands, standing, "The Sea of Void is secured. Time to wrap up. Pandora, summon everyone to return."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Pandora bowed slightly and withdrew. Alistair led the women through a portal.
In the meeting room,
Figures began emerging from the portal.
Soon after,
More stepped out—everyone had returned. Even Najenda, Akame, Kurome, and Akane Kirisaki, who'd been on break, came back to see the excitement.
Demeter, the moment Alistair returned, clung to him like a koala.
"..."
Izanami and Demeter exchanged a silent glance.
Suddenly,
As if something shifted between them.
Alistair, unaware of their dynamic, had no interest in delving into it.
He merely surveyed the room, pondering briefly before saying calmly, "Alright."
"This campaign,"
"Everyone participated."
"Anyone who wishes to withdraw now!"
Alistair's words stunned everyone.
Then,
Silence fell. All familiars were quiet, knowing this was their lord offering them a choice—to live peacefully without further obligations.
Eternal life.
Eternal youth.
And now,
They had to choose.
At that moment,
Michiru Hyodo, Shino Kirikawa, Aiko Morioka, and Eijika Mizuhara stepped forward.
Michiru Hyodo spoke softly as their representative, "Your Majesty, we..."
Alistair showed no anger, instead saying gently, "After the battles, you feel this path isn't for you?"
"Sorry, Your Majesty..."
Michiru Hyodo lowered her head shyly.
Alistair, however, warmly ruffled her hair, smiling gently, "No need to overthink it. If you're not suited, you're not suited. The Dark World Tree is just starting—much remains uncertain."
"In the future,"
"As the path widens, perhaps you can become gods of music through your talents."
"So..."
"If you choose not to fight, you'll need to prove yourselves on the path of music!"
Alistair's smile was genuine, encouraging the four girls without pretense.
"Yes!"
Michiru Hyodo nodded earnestly, her expression serious and determined.
They would work hard. With Michiru Hyodo's withdrawal,
Others followed, stepping forward. Unsuited for battle, they made their rightful choices.