Elsewhere—far from the four members of Seven Shades who were lost in excessive overthinking—Gabriel and Eta were in the testing area.
The place resembled an open colosseum, yet it was far from orderly.
Gabriel wrapped himself and Eta with three pairs of pale white wings, stretching outward to form a comprehensive protective barrier.
Around them, scattered fragments of metal—tools, screws, nails, and other components—lay strewn, while tongues of flame still licked the ground, evidence of a recent massive explosion.
Fortunately, the blast hadn't destroyed the structure of the testing area.
The building had been constructed from dark matter by Gabriel—a structure far sturdier than ordinary buildings, or even slime constructions.
Otherwise, the place would have been reduced to rubble, and the cost of repairs alone would have left Gamma dizzy for days.
Moments later, Gabriel spread the three pairs of wings fully.
SHWHOOS…!!!
Instantly, a gale of wind mixed with dark matter swept in all directions, extinguishing the remaining flames and calming the still-vibrating air.
Elsewhere, Gabriel was seen half-hugging Eta with his right arm—a position that hadn't been intentional, but rather a reflexive move to protect her just before the explosion.
Eta remained still.
Her mind was still occupied by the shadows of the recent blast—the immense pressure, the blinding light, and the sound that seemed to tear through the air.
Only after realizing her position did her cheeks tense slightly.
"...Unexpected," Eta murmured, her voice low and slightly hoarse. "The chain reaction… exceeded predictions."
Her tone remained calm, yet her fingers lightly gripped Gabriel's clothing—not out of fear, but because her body hadn't fully adjusted.
A few seconds later, Gabriel released the embrace and took half a step back, exhaling softly.
"That was close," he muttered. "The explosion was huge… even the machine shattered into pieces."
He glanced at the scattered debris, then shrugged lightly.
"Well, anyway," Gabriel continued calmly, "every experiment comes with failures. And this is only point zero zero one percent of the delayed success."
Gabriel's gaze then fell on Eta's arm.
There, a long, clear wound was visible—shards of mithril mixed with dark matter had scraped her skin, cutting deep and causing blood to flow relentlessly.
"You're hurt," Gabriel said briefly, his tone shifting to something more serious.
The air between them hung heavy for a moment, signaling that the experiment might have gone wrong… yet Ash's concern was entirely focused.
He stepped closer and gently held Eta's wounded arm, his fingers stopping just below the gash to avoid pressing on the torn flesh.
Warm blood dripped steadily from the space between their fingers, falling to the floor and slowly pooling among the cracks in the arena stones.
Eta lowered her gaze to her own arm.
No scream.
No exaggerated expression of pain.
Yet her breath caught for a moment, and her fingers pressed lightly against Gabriel's hand—not to ask for help, but to steady her own body.
"…Worse than I expected," she said, her tone still flat but with a slight tremor this time—just enough for Gabriel to know the pain was real.
Gabriel exhaled softly.
"And it looks like it hurt," he replied, his tone low but firm—not as a researcher, but as someone who cared.
The pages of his grimoire, in their intangible digital form, shifted swiftly.
[- Dark Matter Magic: Healing All-Creation -]
Instantly, a pale white light enveloped Eta's arm, sealing the wound from the inside out—muscle fibers reknit, tissue restored, and the blood flow halted as if it had never been broken.
Within seconds, only a faint trace remained, which soon vanished entirely.
In silence, Eta gazed at her arm, now whole again.
Gabriel slowly released his hold.
"Next time," he said calmly, "we'll increase the safeguards before you push the output."
Eta paused for a moment.
"…Understood," she replied shortly.
Yet for a split second—just a brief instant—she didn't immediately withdraw her arm, as if letting the lingering warmth settle before returning to logic and the next experiment.
Elsewhere, Gabriel's gaze swept over the testing area once more.
Shards of metal lay scattered, the machine's frame was shattered beyond recognition, and the lingering heat still hung in the air.
"Hm… looks like this machine will need to be rebuilt," Gabriel said calmly, as if discussing a broken piece of furniture.
"…Agreed," Eta replied with a slight nod.
Gabriel's eyes then turned to her.
"Eta," he said, "I'm leaving the reconstruction of this machine to you. I'll be gone for the next few days."
Eta didn't respond immediately.
She surveyed the chaos around them—fragments of mithril, remnants of dark matter not yet fully stabilized, and the aftermath of the explosion honestly recording its failure.
In her mind, Eta's schematics and calculations began to take shape, one by one.
"Don't worry," Gabriel continued, sensing her silence. "For the dark matter components, I'll provide them. This time… they'll be stronger and far more stable than before."
Eta finally turned back to Gabriel.
"…If the stability specifications are increased," she said evenly, "I can raise the machine's output to twenty-eight percent without risking an implosion."
She paused for a moment, then added in the same calm tone,
"Reconstruction time: three days. Two if I sacrifice sleep."
Her gaze suggested that the second option wasn't a threat—just a realistic contingency plan.
Gabriel exhaled lightly.
"…Don't sacrifice sleep," he said tersely. "And don't power up the machine before I get back."
"…I'll try," Eta replied, which in her language meant maybe.
She then turned her gaze back to the wreckage of the machine, her eyes once again filled with that dangerous curiosity.
"The next experiment," she murmured softly, "will be more interesting."
After that, Gabriel stepped away, leaving the testing area behind.
His pace remained calm, yet between his movements, his mind drifted back to a side mission that had just been triggered.
The trigger itself had been a casual conversation from a few General Members of Shadow Garden who happened to pass by while he and Eta were heading to the testing area.
Without hesitation and making a swift decision, he chose to finish the machine experiment with Eta first, and only afterward tackle the side mission.
Priority remained priority, even if the system had already reacted in advance.
A faint smile played across his face.
With a slight focus, he summoned the mission information again.
Ding!
________________
Mission Title: Goddess' Trial
Rank: B
Description: Participate in the Goddess' Trial, defeat the summoned Warrior Spirit, and open the Gate to enter the Sanctuary.
Reward: 10,000 System Points
Failure: none
________________
"Goddess' Trial," Gabriel murmured in his mind. "A B-rank side mission… triggered just by a casual conversation."
"Heh," he exhaled softly. "The system really doesn't care about intent. As long as the conditions are met, it will act."
His steps continued steadily, yet his mind had already fully shifted to the information he had just summoned.
The Goddess' Trial—a combat event held only once a year, precisely on the day the gate to the Sanctuary opens.
Challengers came not merely to fight, but to be acknowledged.
Within the trial arena, fragments of memory from ancient warriors slept in silence, waiting for a worthy summons.
Yet only those deemed truly worthy would receive a response—spirits of warriors with equivalent power would awaken and descend into the arena.
Not all challengers received an answer. If one's strength was insufficient, the summons would simply be ignored.
Conversely, when a warrior spirit responded, a barrier would form. The arena would close off—forcing a one-on-one battle with no escape—until the fight reached its true conclusion.
And all of it… was observed by countless eyes.
A faint smile curved Gabriel's lips.
In his mind, the image began to form on its own.
A vast arena stretched beneath the open sky. Stands overflowed with spectators—humans, elves, demi-humans, adventurers, nobles—their cheers rolling like waves, echoing endlessly.
The challengers' names were called one by one. The battles proceeded smoothly, as if following a prewritten script.
But then—something that should not have existed appeared.
An irregular.
And instantly… silence swallowed the arena.
Amid the sea of gazes, a figure stood calmly.
A pale mist flowed slowly around them, as if the world itself were holding its breath.
Impeccable.
For a moment, Gabriel's steps froze, and the faint smile that had been on his face vanished.
A fragment of memory surfaced in his mind.
In the original flow of the Kage no Jitsuryoukusha reality… there had been one figure who once stood on the stage of the Goddess' Trial.
That figure—none other than his false twin: Cid Kagenou.
And the opponent who had answered his call of power back then was Aurora—the Witch of Calamity, an existence that was, in essence, the true identity of the Devil Diablo.
Gabriel remembered it clearly.
Though the battle had been deemed "equal" by the system and the Trial's mechanics… in reality, Cid had defeated Aurora without much effort.
The memory faded.
And yet, there was something pulsing gently within Gabriel.
Not jealousy.
Not a drive to imitate.
But—pure curiosity.
"So then…" he murmured in his mind, "what kind of warrior spirit will answer my call?"
Aurora had been the embodiment of destruction.
And now, what would appear before him?
The corner of Gabriel's mouth lifted slightly.
With his steps steady once more, he continued forward.
The Goddess' Trial was no longer merely a side mission for him.
It had become a meeting he was eagerly anticipating.