Today, as usual, after finishing his extreme physical training, Burning Feather sat on a rock to rest.
It was at this moment that the interface in his mind, which had been silent for a full fourteen years, finally underwent a change.
[System Charging Progress: 99.9%... 100%]
[Charging Complete.]
['entangled fate' System, Restarting.]
[Connecting to the original summoning target... Connection successful.]
[Summoning...]
Almost at the same time, high in the distant sky, a brilliantly radiant blue meteor streaked across the firmament, as if tearing a hole in the heavens themselves.
Burning Feather had seen this sight a few times in the past years.
The elders in the village said it was an anomaly that only appeared when deities from the Heavenly Realm descended to the mortal world.
But this time, he felt something different.
That meteor seemed... to be coming for him.
A connection in the dark, like an invisible thread, tightly pulled him and that light in the sky together.
Burning Feather snapped his gaze toward the system panel in front of him, where lines of new text were emerging:
[Summoned character successfully contacted.]
[Her name is—Queen of All Waters, All Kindreds, All Peoples and All Laws; God of Water and Justice, Focalors.]
Boom—!
Before he could digest this shocking information, the blue meteor, trailing a long tail of flame, crashed with unerring precision onto the open ground not far in front of him.
Light soared into the sky, forming a massive pillar of radiance that dyed everything around it in a dreamlike azure.
The powerful energy impact made him subconsciously squint and raise his arm to block his face.
The light dissipated.
A figure stood quietly in the center of the light pillar.
She had long white hair, with strands of pale blue interspersed, as if clear lake water had been blended into moonlight.
At the top of her head, a playful ahoge stood tall, swaying gently with the breeze.
Beneath eyelashes shaped like azure water droplets were a pair of unforgettable heterochromatic eyes.
The left eye was a deep navy blue, as if hiding an endless deep sea, while the right eye was a translucent light blue, like the sky after a fresh rain.
Those peculiar teardrop-shaped pupils made her look both divine and possessed of a heart-wrenching fragility.
She wore a small, exquisite crown-style top hat printed with an iris pattern, and a uniquely tailored blue formal suit paired with pure white shorts and black leg rings—an elegance infused with a touch of heroic spirit.
The familiar appearance, combined with the faint sense of intimacy from the depths of his soul, made Burning Feather understand instantly.
This was the one who had been sent to the 'Heavenly Realm' fourteen years ago due to a system error... his original summon.
The girl seemed a bit dazed; she raised her hand, her slender fingers bashfully twirling a lock of hair. Her beautiful heterochromatic eyes looked at Burning Feather with a hint of apology.
"Ah... um, I'm sorry."
Her voice was crisp and pleasant, like the tinkling of spring water.
"I seem to have... overslept."
Burning Feather stared at her blankly, at this deity who was late by a full fourteen years.
The long wait, the solitary perseverance, all the resentment and pain—at this moment, it was as if they had all found an outlet for release.
The lines of his mouth slowly curved upward, eventually turning into a heartfelt, incredibly relieved smile.
"It's okay,"
He said softly, his voice carrying a tremor he hadn't even noticed himself.
"It's not your fault."
"My... Lady Goddess."
The system had restarted, and his deity had returned.
Everything was still in time.
"Mm-hmm, that's right, I am your Lady Goddess!"
Hearing Burning Feather's trembling address, Furina seemed instantly injected with endless vitality.
The previous daze and apology vanished instantly. She straightened her small frame, placed her hands on her hips, and struck what she imagined to be her most majestic pose, announcing in a high-pitched voice:
"From now on, feel free to rely on me! Under my brilliant leadership, our Familia will surely become the most shining and justice-upholding Familia on the continent. And I, Focalors, will eventually become the Queen who reigns at the peak of Orario, revered by all people!"
She let out a series of laughs she thought were imposing, the ahoge on her head bobbing along, looking very proud of herself.
Looking at her like this, the turmoil and complex emotions in Burning Feather's heart were gradually replaced by a warm amusement.
The smile in his eyes could no longer be hidden. He bowed slightly and played along with a theatrical, solemn tone:
"Yes, I understand, My Queen."
"Eh? Eh-eh-eh! Don't... don't actually call me that!"
Burning Feather's deadpan response had an unexpectedly strong effect.
Furina's 'Queenly Aura' collapsed instantly. Her exquisite little face flushed bright red in a flash, her hands waved frantically, and she spoke incoherently:
"Th-this... it was just a metaphor, a declaration of momentum! If you really call me that... it's—it's too embarrassing!"
She felt like her toes were so awkward they were about to dig a luxurious three-bedroom, one-living-room palace out of the hard ground.
Seeing her distressed look, Burning Feather finally couldn't help but laugh out loud.
This laughter was relaxed and sincere, dispelling the gloom accumulated over fourteen years of waiting and melting the final trace of estrangement from their first meeting.
It was as if an invisible bond had long since tied their fates tightly together.
Without needing many words, a sense of intimacy originating from the depths of the soul arose naturally.
After some lighthearted banter, the two sat side-by-side on the rock, and Burning Feather finally asked the biggest question in his heart:
"What... exactly happened when you were summoned to the Heavenly Realm back then? What point in time was it? What... did you do there?"
At the mention of this, the excitement on Furina's face turned back into a bit of embarrassment and guilt.
She twirled the ends of her hair with her finger, her gaze drifting aimlessly.
"Well... it's a long story. Actually, I don't know that much myself,"
She muttered softly.
"I only remember that when I gained consciousness, I was already in the Heavenly Realm. Then, for some reason, I became the deity in charge of the authority of 'Water' and 'Justice' in this world, possessing eternal life."
She paused, as if trying hard to recall something.
"But... most of the time, I seemed to be sleeping in a very beautiful, very quiet place. The one who truly socialized and handled affairs in the Heavenly Realm was another me... the true 'God Focalors'."
"Another you?"
Burning Feather keenly caught the keyword.
"Yes."
Furina nodded, her expression somewhat subtle.
"We are two sides of the same coin. She is the rational, divine side, while I... am her humanity. She maintains the dignity of a god on the outside, while I'm responsible for... responsible for sleeping and dreaming?"
She felt the explanation was a bit ridiculous herself and couldn't help but stick out her tongue.