— — — — — —
Inside the temple, twenty long minutes passed. Ryo sat cross-legged in front of the fountain, eyes closed, feeling the rhythm of his cosmos.
Then, suddenly, his eyes snapped open.
Before him, several silhouettes began to take shape in the open square outside the temple gates.
A tall woman in a sharp suit and ponytail—Uesugi Kenshin.
A refined beauty in clerical garb with a braid, radiating both grace and danger—Scáthach.
A massive, broad-shouldered man with a permanent scowl—Heracles.
And finally, the youngest pair of the bunch—Highness and Rin, looking like a boy and girl barely into their teens.
Ryo swept his gaze across them, lingering a second longer on Highness, then clapped his hands lightly.
"Welcome to the Temple of Infinite Time."
{{A/N: The Temple of Infinite Time was created by Mithras and Zurvan as a sanctuary existing outside of time and space. From Campione Ex (Light Novel Volume Ex: War God Again).}}
"..."
Kenshin turned her head, immediately pinpointing his position. The corner of her mouth curled into a small, knowing smile.
"So I was a step behind after all."
She genuinely admired Ryo's ability to gather intelligence. For all his occasional smugness, he had a decent temperament—and his work spoke for itself.
That kind of foresight suited her taste perfectly.
And since he was under Canaria's command, Kenshin's gaze carried both playfulness and interest as she teased, "What do you say? Ever thought about joining the Army?"
"Appreciate the offer," Ryo replied politely, placing a fist to his chest in greeting, "but I don't have any plans to go independent just yet."
"Join the Heavenly Army and get caught in Indra's mess? Might as well dig my own grave," he thought dryly.
The rumors painted Indra as a useless god with an unhealthy fondness for married women. But Ryo wasn't fooled.
Indra wasn't someone to be underestimated.
He was one of the oldest Hindu deities—still holding his kingly divinity even after being replaced by the Trinity.
When Zoroastrianism rose, he became Bahram. When Buddhism flourished, he turned into the head of the Twelve Heavenly Guardians (12 Deva).
See the pattern?
Wherever a major religion thrived, Indra's shadow followed. A man every major power wanted on their side wasn't some washed-up god. You'd have to be an idiot to think he was harmless.
Kenshin chuckled. "Looks like I lost this round, then."
Scáthach smirked. "Let it go, Kenshin. If the kid actually said yes, I'd have to deal with him myself—for the Queen's honor, you understand."
Kenshin raised an eyebrow. "Oh? The Queen tried to recruit him too?"
Her eyes gleamed. "Now that makes me even more interested."
Everyone in the Little Garden knew of Queen Halloween's sharp eye for talent.
After the Celtic gods were wiped out for taking the wrong side, she'd rebuilt her power base from the ground up, forming the mighty community [Avalon]
She ruled the South Area—one of the great overlords of the divine factions—by sheer wit and strategy.
Anyone who caught her attention was destined for greatness. If she thought Ryo had potential, he was no ordinary newcomer.
Kenshin couldn't help but think Canaria had really lucked out finding him.
"No wonder," she mused, "that lightweight drinker kept pestering me for drinks lately. Guess she was in a good mood."
Her thoughts were cut short when Heracles cleared his throat pointedly.
"Ladies," he said, his deep voice rumbling through the air, "this isn't the time for small talk."
He turned toward the temple's grand doors, his expression grave.
"The one who rules this place has been waiting for us."
Kenshin and Scáthach both paused, then followed his gaze toward the main hall.
Highness and Rin stayed quiet, deliberately keeping their presence small. Both looked wary—of Ryo in front, and Heracles behind.
"If we didn't need intel on the King of End so badly, I'd have gone back to the Garden already," Highness thought bitterly. "Being stuck between those two is a nightmare waiting to happen."
He forced a calm tone. "Who's going in first?"
Everyone turned toward Ryo.
"Yeah, I figured that's where this was going…" Ryo sighed inwardly. "You say it's respect for the first arrival, but it feels more like I'm the guinea pig."
Still, he nodded. "I'll go."
"A fitting reward for the one who got here first," Kenshin said with a smile, stepping aside.
Without hesitation, Ryo walked past them, straight down the stone path to the massive temple doors.
He raised his hand and pushed.
The doors creaked open with a deep rumble, revealing the temple's interior.
It was vast and empty—no furniture, only cold marble stretching into the shadows. The walls were lined with murals, each one painstakingly painted in ancient hues.
The group followed him inside, studying the art.
Scenes of gods slaying dragons. Gods clashing against other gods. Gods destroying monstrous, evil beings.
It was clearly a record of divine history.
And in every panel—every single one—appeared the same male figure.
A tall, broad man with dark-brown hair, muscular and imposing. He fought dragons, wrestled gods, battled beasts of nightmare. Battle after battle, his body aged; his youthful strength gave way to a weathered dignity.
He swung a shining platinum blade countless times… until finally, the murals showed his decline, his death.
As Ryo reached the last painting, something inside him stirred. His gaze shifted to the center of the temple.
There, a white throne was slowly rising from the floor.
Seated upon it was a towering man with deep-set eyes and hair half brown, half white. His frame was strong, but time's weight clung to him like shadow.
The man opened his eyes.
They were sharp as blades, burning with hostility and an unyielding will to fight. His voice was low and heavy as thunder.
"My name is Mithras—the King of End."
.
.
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