Several hours later—specifically at 5:30 PM—Yuta, Chloe, and Madeline were lounging on the grass. Meanwhile, Gia, Athena, Seri, and others were strolling about, chatting occasionally. Elsewhere, Seri was gazing at the lake with an inscrutable expression, saying nothing.
It was as if she had detached herself from the world; the lake's color began to shift to a pale violet, and Seri's eyes turned gold.
She leapt into the lake without a moment's hesitation, shocking everyone present. The lake held such concentrated destructive power that the very monsters Luther de Molière had slain would have been reduced to dust within seconds of falling in.
Yet, Yuta's expression remained unchanged as he watched Seri enter the lake, whereas Kiri, Liri, and Gia were utterly stunned by her actions. Yuta stood up just as Kiri was about to jump in after her. "Stop doing such ridiculous things, Kiri. Entering a place like that isn't heroism; it's foolishness and naivety."
Kiri looked at him in shock—appalled that he had let Seri fall into a place where she might die—and angrily shoved him away before collapsing to the ground. "How could you let her die? Didn't she consider you the person dearest to her heart? How can you be so cruel?"
Yuta did not utter a single word in his own defense; he was neither concerned nor bothered by the accusation. Ultimately, neither Kiri nor Liri knew the truth behind why she had left them to plunge into one of the world's most dangerous places: the Lake of a Thousand Monsters—or the Lake of the Tear of Holy Destruction.
Athena spoke up to clarify matters for everyone and prevent the existing friction from escalating; Kiri and Liri were glaring at Yuta with intense anger and hatred, resenting how attached they had become to Siri since their first meeting—however peculiar that encounter had been.
"The truth is, Siri is the reincarnation of Higurashi, the Supreme Ruler of Destruction. Entering the lake won't harm her; in fact, the lake's energy is fundamentally her own. She must absorb it to break the seal placed upon her over 340 million years ago."
Astonishment washed over the faces of Jia, Kiri, and Liri as they listened. Meanwhile, Chloe and Madeline felt a sense of unease—a nagging feeling that something was wrong, though they couldn't quite put their finger on what it was.
Deep within the abyssal lake, Siri swam, memories of her past life as Higurashi, the Ruler of Destruction, flooding back alongside memories of her current existence.
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In a fractured, shattered void, a gathering of Rulers stood. Their faces and bodies were invisible, shrouded entirely by a veil of pure light that rippled in mesmerizing, multicolored waves.
At the center of this assembly stood Death—manifested as Athena—and Higurashi, the Ruler of Destruction... Sira found herself amidst a throng of other Rulers—embodiments of various concepts and laws—all in a catastrophic state, battered and exhausted, unable to fight for even a single second.
Then, the figure known as the Lord Ruler—or their leader—spoke in a tone of absolute, indisputable authority: "Because of the two of you, it has become impossible to kill Zhao Li and Alessandra and seize their ruling power. Furthermore, the First Ragnarok War ended in your defeat; therefore, we sentence you both to a punishment befitting your transgression."
"Although killing you would not serve our interests—given that you are fundamental concepts within the novel *The Dragon Angel in a World of Fantasy*—you, the Supreme Ruler of Death, shall be imprisoned within the Central Continent. As for your accomplice in this betrayal, the Supreme Ruler of Destruction, her power shall be sealed, and she shall be cursed to wander the earth, destined to kill those closest to her when she reaches the age of eleven."
Neither of them uttered a word; they were too utterly drained and exhausted to speak even a single syllable. As their bodies began to fade away, the Ruler of Death, Athena, was taken to the Rulers' Graveyard prison. Meanwhile, the Ruler of Destruction, Higurashi, had her power sealed within the Lake of a Thousand Beasts, and she was cast out to wander infinite ordinary worlds as an outcast, destined to die in some forgotten alleyway.
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In the room where Sira lay, Baraku was delivering incredibly powerful kicks to her body. Although energy of destruction was leaking from her, Baraku remained oblivious to it; entities of the Lord Ruler level—and those below them—could not perceive such things. She was held in place by the overwhelming aura of the "Boundless" entities; otherwise, she would have fled long ago.
Protecting her face with her arms, Sira pleaded, "Barkwa, stop! Please, stop—I beg you. I haven't done anything to you; why are you treating me this way?"
An amused smile played on Barkwa's lips as he listened to her. He delivered a powerful punch that sent her flying several meters, slamming her against a wall and causing blood to stream from her head.
He spoke in a loud voice laced with contempt and mockery—words that ignited a fierce rage and hatred within Sira. "What's the matter, you whore's daughter? Your family was chosen to be our sacrifices; you're nothing but nauseating scum."
"Don't worry. You'll make a suitable concubine for me when you grow up—just like my father did with your mother. He kept her for four years before casting her into the Underworld as a sacrifice to its ruler, where she became his sex slave."
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Sira's face twisted with rage; her eyes transformed into violet abysses, and her hair began to shift from black to pale violet. Meanwhile, the water level of the lake began to drop rapidly.
As she absorbed the lake's water with ever-increasing speed, she encountered a remnant of the past: an entity sealed by twenty chains of terrifying power. Yet, she remained undeterred.
She raised... He devoured the lake water so rapidly that those watching from above were left speechless. Their facial expressions varied: shock (seen in Kiri and Liri), curiosity (Chloe and Madeline), contentment and happiness (Athena and Yuta), and the caution and anxiety of Gia—who was gazing toward the forest, sensing a truly terrifying power emanating from it.
She spoke in a calm tone, though tinged with caution and slight tension: "Enemies are everywhere. Do they intend to kill the incarnation of the Supreme Ruler of Destruction, Higurashi? ...This...""As it appeared..."
Meanwhile, Sira stood directly before the seal, destroying it with absolute ease. She then absorbed her former body—which had embodied a concept of destruction so concentrated it had become semi-solid—causing the curse within her to crack and eventually shatter completely. A pillar of energy erupted, shooting skyward and bursting out of the ordinary world they currently inhabited.
The energy pillar reached the palace of the Upper Rulers, alerting them to grave danger; the energy was saturated with intense hatred. Yet, they were powerless to act, especially given that the Venerable Heavenly Blessing Iselabeth, the Venerable Lotus Flower Jihao Yuxuan, and the Venerable Go-Board Master Ping Tao Xin—all of whom surpassed them in strength—were standing on Yuta's side.
Back in the ordinary world—known as the "Prime Origin"—Kira gazed at the energy pillar, into which the lake's waters were swirling. He spoke in bewilderment: "How... how did she manage to destroy that seal and curse so easily? More importantly, doesn't this mean the other Rulers will come to settle the score?"
Yuta spoke while watching the pillar, which had completely swallowed the lake—not a single drop of water remained. "It stands to reason that she would reclaim her power; there is no law forbidding it. Furthermore, the Upper Rulers wouldn't dare make a move right now; they know when to act and when to yield. Besides, they won't kill her, as maintaining the world's balance is far more important than any enmity."
"As for the inhabitants of this world..." "There are two groups: those who haven't reached the Boundless rank will assume that someone following the Dao of Destruction has made a breakthrough, as they cannot sense the true power of these entities.
As for those who have attained the Boundless rank, they will recognize it as the power of one of the Rulers; consequently, they will remain cautious and will not intervene at all."
Yuta's words cut like a sharp knife, causing them to avert their gaze—they dared not look him in the face. Yet, he remained unconcerned; it was not the time for such matters. Instead, his focus was on monitoring Sira and preventing her from any foolish actions that could lead to disastrous consequences.
A massive explosion erupted, obliterating several universes within the ordinary realm—or the 'story'—they inhabited; the ordinary worlds themselves, however, were shielded by the Higher Rulers.
Sira's appearance shifted slightly; her hair turned a pale violet and her eyes a light gold. She clenched her fist with immense force, laughing loudly—a laugh filled with rage and hatred toward everything in this fictional world. "Hahahahahaha... I have regained my memories and my power. I am Higurashi, the Ruler of Destruction. I will bring ruin to this world after all the suffering I endured because of it. I sought peace and order, but this wretched story stabbed me in the back with pain and tribulation."
Athena's expression shifted to shock as she listened to Sira. She spoke in a tone feigning calm while walking toward the giant crater where a lake had once been: "What? Are you serious, Sira? How can you do this after everything we did..." The First Ragnarok War
Gia, Kiri, and Liri all turned their gazes toward her in shock; they had not realized that she was the Ruler of Death herself—or rather, the Supreme Ruler, the absolute sovereign over all Rulers of Death across infinite ordinary realms. Yet, this revelation was enough to lift the veil regarding Athena's true nature in Gia's eyes.
Elsewhere, Siri was barely conscious, overwhelmed by a powerful force that dominated both her mind and will. She spoke in a tone thick with arrogance and haughtiness: "Who is addressing me? Oh, it is Athena, the Ruler of Death—with her light and her chill. Have you forgotten me after all these centuries spent enjoying your rule within your prison? Surely not; after all, you refuse to leave me be. You still want to drag me into the Second or Third Ragnarok War—I couldn't care less."
"But why wait for the next Ragnarok War? I will kill you now and exact revenge for the suffering I endured in that cycle of life and death—a torment that lasted over 340 million years. I died and was resurrected millions of times, all because of you. For, in the end, you are the very embodiment of the concept of Death."
Siri's words struck Athena's heart like sharp swords, merciless and cruel. Yet, Athena could not utter a single word in response. Ultimately, this was the outcome she had sought; her own arrogance and thirst for vengeance had blinded her to the pain of the friend and sister who had been by her side since the very moment of their birth at the dawn of the world—*The Dragon Angel in a World of Fantasy*.
A deep sigh, heavy with sorrow and frustration, escaped her lips as... She gazed at her but didn't utter a single word. After all, what would a plea like "Please forgive me, I didn't mean it" actually change? Especially after Sery had helped her during the other Ragnarok war—a conflict where she could have easily died—such words would have seemed so trivial and cheap that she didn't even dare entertain the thought.
She turned her attention to Sery, who was advancing with immense destructive power gathered in her hands. Adopting an offensive stance, she spoke in a calm, apologetic tone. She glanced briefly at the others—who were calling out to her—but couldn't hear a single word they said; her focus was entirely locked on Sery.
"I am sorry, my friend and sister Sery, but I have to stop you now. You are unstable, both mentally and physically. I hope, from the bottom of my heart, for your forgiveness." She easily caught Sery's hand—leaving Sery stunned for a split second—before Athena slammed her into the ground with tremendous force, eliciting a scream of agony: "Aaaargh!"
Athena delivered another blow, instantly knocking Sery unconscious right before the eyes of the onlookers, who remained silent. Yet, to her surprise, both Kiri and Liri rushed to embrace her, weeping.
She couldn't comprehend what was happening around her in that moment as Kiri and Liri held her close.
Death... the living usually fear and hate it. Yet here, she found herself being embraced by two children—children who had lived two thousand years in solitude within a house in the city of Barhais. She gazed at them with a vacant look, trying to make sense of it all. The living embrace death, having found warmth, love, and solace within it—how could one write this without repeating the same idea? It was a scenario difficult to even conceive, let alone commit to writing.
As Athena looked at Kiri and Liri—who were embracing her—she raised her hand toward his face, only to find tears streaming profusely from his eyes; tears born of the sorrow of countless years and centuries spent witnessing entities tormented in hell.An entity clinging to survival, forced to watch her companion die countless times—dying, wanting to weep yet unable to do so. After all, she was Death itself; who would believe that Death would weep for the very ones whose demise she caused?
Kiri and Liri clung sorrowfully to her legs, while Chloe and Madeline looked on with curiosity at the unconscious Siri.
Elsewhere, Yuta watched them in silence before walking over to Siri and carrying her into her tent. He ignored the gaze of Jia, who tracked his every move—as did Chloe and Madeline, who followed him to Siri's tent.
Jia followed them immediately, without a word or any attempt to block his path, until they reached Siri's tent.
She waited at the entrance while he laid Siri on her bed and covered her with a blanket. He felt annoyed that she failed to grasp his true intentions—past, present, and future.
She spoke in a calm, questioning tone as she entered the tent, prompting a look of derision from Yuta. "Yuta Casiral—based on the information gathered so far, Athena is the Supreme Ruler of Death, and Siri is the Supreme Ruler of Destruction. You know this well. Furthermore, you've been planning this from the very beginning. But what is your true intention? To start a second Ragnarok, or something else?"
Yuta remained silent as he listened to Jia—as did Chloe and Madeline... They watched the two of them—recalling past arguments and observing the current one—and sighed in frustration.
Madeline spoke in a low voice, prompting Chloe to nod in agreement: "Yuto needs to see a psychiatrist—or perhaps a venerable sage, a wise reader of souls. Just a session or two would suffice."
"You're right. Sometimes he seems like a madman talking to himself. Has he lost his mind? I don't know; he scares me sometimes when he acts like that."
Yuta's eyes narrowed as he listened to them. He decided to ignore their comments and instead addressed Jia, who was looking at him expectantly, demanding answers. "Yes, as you saw, I knew all of this and used it to my advantage. Is that what you wanted to hear, Jia? Regardless, we need to let Damar rest a bit; she is absolutely exhausted."
Jia said nothing more; she left immediately without a second thought. She had already secured the position she had been aiming for, and listening to the rest of what he had to say would yield nothing but more questions.
Yuta watched her until she disappeared from sight, then turned his gaze toward Sira, who was fast asleep. He kissed her forehead—a gesture that made both Chloe and Madeline feel a pang of jealousy.
Yuta then spoke with a sarcasm that only fueled their irritation and annoyance: "I'm the 'mentally ill' one, after all, and you two are the 'sane' ones. A madman wouldn't kiss a sane person on the forehead—isn't that what you said before?"
He walked away, leaving them fuming; yet, there was no real danger in their anger, as it was merely fleeting and would not escalate. ...over time—like their trees—or if someone angered them or incurred their intense hatred.
The next day, inside the tent, Sira opened her pale golden eyes and sat up, clutching her head in severe pain.
She spoke in a voice that betrayed the throbbing ache and distress she felt: "What happened? Why does my head hurt?"
As Sira tried to piece together the scattered memories of the previous night, Athena entered—visibly nervous and afraid of being sent away. She carried headache medicine to treat the pain caused by the flood of memories that had rushed into Sira's mind in mere minutes.
Athena sat beside her, trying to appear calm and composed despite her anxiety. She met Sira's sharp gaze, but her attempt to hide her nerves failed miserably; Sira saw right through her. "You're finally awake. Here, take this medicine for your headache, then say whatever it is you want to say."
Sira stared at her for a few seconds before taking the medicine and swallowing it without a word. Athena's anxiety mounted, and she felt a strange urge to laugh at the awkwardness of the situation.
Sira took a deep breath, set the container on the ground, and spoke in a calm tone that made Athena shiver: "I thought my brother Yuta would be the one visiting me when I woke up, since he was the one who put me here." "Still, I suspect he asked you to administer the medicine to me yourself, but you refused at first; your nervousness and anxiety—fearing I might send you away—are proof enough of that."
"Even so, I don't hate you, Athena. After all, I am the cause of wars, massacres, disasters—or simply 'destruction,' to use a term that encompasses them all. There is no reason for us to be enemies. I think I said some hurtful things last night; I..."
Before Sery could finish speaking, Athena embraced her tightly, tears streaming profusely from her eyes. Sery smiled faintly. Athena then pulled away, wiping tears of happiness, and said, "Let's go out; everyone is waiting for you. They want to make sure you're alright, Sery."
Sery stood up and followed Athena out of the tent, saying, "You're right, Athena. It's time for something delicious—I'm absolutely starving."