The Combat District of the Dimensional City had become absurdly lively lately.
All because of the battle between Son Goku and Saitama.
The clash between those two monsters had attracted countless spectators from every connected world.
At this point, the combat zone was practically turning into a commercial district.
The traffic was simply too insane.
After their battle ended, both Goku and Saitama immediately transformed into bottomless eating machines.
Plate after plate disappeared into the void.
Inside Erina Nakiri's restaurant, the chefs had already entered full panic mode.
Whenever giant eaters showed up, it was always the same.
The happiest time—
—and the most exhausting time.
Business exploded.
But the workload nearly killed them.
And scenes like this now happened almost every day.
It was proof that Izumi's world was developing faster and faster.
More and more worlds continued merging into his domain.
And as that happened—
—Izumi himself also continued growing stronger.
...
At the top of the Kabbalah Tree of Life, Izumi sat casually on one of its massive branches.
Below him stretched the bustling Dimensional City, overflowing with life.
Watching the endless flow of people, Izumi smiled faintly.
"Well then…"
"Guess it's about time I visit Little Garden."
The moment he finished speaking, his figure vanished instantly.
His departure was noticed immediately by the others.
Still, no one reacted much.
Izumi had already told them beforehand that he would be leaving for a while.
Even without him present, the world continued operating normally.
...
After an unknown amount of time passed—
Izumi finally arrived at his destination.
Before him spread an unimaginably massive cluster of worlds.
At the center stood a colossal main world connected to countless others.
Rather than fully merging with them, it maintained countless pathways linking each world together.
At the same time, the various mythological pantheons occupied their own territories, harvesting faith from the worlds under their control.
This place was—
—Little Garden.
...
At that exact same moment, three unexpected guests had just been summoned into Little Garden itself.
Currently, they were plummeting from an altitude of four thousand meters.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!"
"W-WHAAAAAT?!"
"Kyaa…"
One screamed in excitement.
One panicked.
One remained oddly calm.
As they fell through the sky, the three of them stared wide-eyed at the scenery below.
It was a world completely unlike anything they had ever seen.
Endless horizons stretched before them.
Countless unknown cities shimmered beneath a gigantic curtain-like barrier.
A perfect—
—and utterly unknown—
—otherworld.
Protected by some mysterious force, the three humans and one cat eventually splashed safely into a crystal-clear lake below.
SPLASH!!
Moments later, all three climbed out of the water while wringing out their soaked clothes.
"How awful!"
"You don't just throw a lady out of the sky and into a lake!"
Saigou Asuka complained furiously while squeezing water from her skirt.
Hearing that, Izayoi Sakamaki casually shook his wet hair and smirked.
"She's right."
"They should've summoned us inside solid rock instead."
"That'd be more welcoming."
The short-haired girl nearby raised an eyebrow.
"You'd be trapped inside the rock, though."
"Yeah, but that wouldn't really be a problem for me."
"How barbaric…"
"Hmph!" ×3
The three simultaneously turned away with matching snorts.
Hidden nervously inside the nearby bushes, Black Rabbit watched the entire scene with growing despair.
"I already have a bad feeling about this…"
"These are definitely problem children…"
She sighed deeply.
Her future suddenly looked incredibly stressful.
...
After fixing their appearance somewhat, the three introduced themselves.
Naturally, that introduction devolved into mutual roasting almost immediately.
Eventually, Izayoi suddenly turned toward Black Rabbit's hiding spot.
"You over there playing hide-and-seek."
"Having fun?"
A grin appeared on his face.
In the next instant—
—he vanished.
Then immediately reappeared beside the bushes.
"Eh—?"
Before Black Rabbit could react, Izayoi grabbed one of her rabbit ears and yanked her straight out of hiding.
"Waaahhh!!"
"Don't pull my ears!!"
"You idiot!"
The other two walked over curiously and immediately began poking at the rabbit girl.
After all, this was their first time seeing someone like her.
And honestly—
—her outfit was ridiculously provocative.
After some chaotic teasing, Izayoi finally released her.
Black Rabbit quickly straightened herself up and began her explanation.
"Welcome, everyone, to Little Garden!"
"You three are all possessors of special Gifts."
"Individuals qualified to participate in Gift Games."
"That's why I summoned you here."
"I believe all of you already understand that you're not ordinary humans."
"The powers you possess are known as Gifts."
"And this world exists as a massive stage created specifically for Gift holders to enjoy their lives."
After Black Rabbit's explanation, the three finally gained a rough understanding of Little Garden.
Land.
Authority.
Fame.
Humans.
Abilities.
Everything could be wagered in a Gift Game.
The victor would obtain everything.
The loser would lose even their original talents.
Once they understood that—
—the eyes of all three lit up.
None of them were the type to fear trouble.
Being brought to such an incredible world was exciting beyond words.
In fact, they were already eager to participate in the Gift Games Black Rabbit described.
Because this place sounded unbelievably fun.
However—
Just as Black Rabbit was about to continue—
CRACK!!
A terrifying sound suddenly echoed through the sky.
The entire world trembled violently.
It felt as though some horrifying existence had descended upon reality itself.
The sudden change caused everyone's expressions to shift instantly.
Black Rabbit's face turned deathly pale.
At the same moment, countless powerful figures throughout Little Garden raised their heads toward the disturbance.
"…A Demon Lord?!"
Black Rabbit stared upward in horror.
High above them—
—a figure had appeared.
It was Izumi.
"Oh?"
"So this world can't handle my power either, huh?"
"...Whoops."
"Guess I overdid it."
Muttering to himself, Izumi immediately activated his Simulated Star Creation Diagram and began suppressing his aura.
Only after compressing his power down to the level of a Two-Digit did Little Garden finally stabilize enough to withstand his presence.
No wonder there were no One-Digits remaining inside Little Garden anymore.
Even most Two-Digits had moved outside the world.
This place simply couldn't withstand beings at that level.
After casually reaching that conclusion, Izumi lowered his gaze toward the group below.
Then he smiled.
"My timing's pretty good."
"To think I'd arrive during this scene."
His eyes landed on Black Rabbit specifically.
"Rabbit-san."
"I'm not a Demon Lord, okay?"
"So please don't slander innocent people."