Day turned into night, and the silver moonlight spilled across the darkened sky.
Vantora City was already ablaze with thousands of lights.
Before the revival of spiritual energy, such starry nights would have been almost impossible to see. For lovers of the cosmos, that had been a regret—but for the vast majority of people, it hardly mattered.
After all, most had never cultivated the habit of stargazing.
Brandon White had never been one to lie beneath the stars either. This night was a whim, nothing more.
He stretched out on the villa's lawn, quietly gazing at the dazzling heavens. Countless stars glimmered softly, their scattered brilliance making the night sky shine all the brighter.
"Pika~"
At his side, two Pikachu lay sprawled on the grass, eyes half-closed as they enjoyed the cool night breeze.
Brandon stroked their heads, then shut his own eyes.
Since the revival of spiritual energy, others had accelerated their pace of life. Brandon, oddly, had slowed his down.
No—before this, his life had been fast as well. But in recent days, something inside him had changed.
And he found the change… not unwelcome.
It was an unmistakable shift. Firewing (Ray Flynn), spending time at his side, could sense it clearly.
If Brandon had once seemed only a precocious youth, now there was something else about him—something she couldn't put into words.
Something like the aura of a sage, and yet… different.
Was it good or bad? Firewing couldn't say. She didn't know why Brandon had changed this way.
She even wondered whether it was the influence of his Authority of Nature.
After all, his power was far too great. It wasn't impossible that it might carry hidden flaws. To gain something, one must often lose something else. Perhaps, she thought, his ability was eroding some part of him.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Brandon asked, noticing her gaze.
"You've changed a lot lately," Firewing admitted bluntly.
"But if you asked me what exactly changed, I couldn't say. Is this a side effect of your ability?"
"It isn't."
Brandon shook his head, his voice calm.
"Perhaps it's just because I've been reading more lately."
It wasn't just books. Perhaps his Authority of Nature had played a part as well.
At first, after awakening, his mindset hadn't changed much compared to before the revival. But as his strength grew ever higher—while his mind failed to keep pace—he began to feel a subtle divide between his present and his past self.
Not only in strength, but in outlook—on humanity, on life, on civilization, on nature itself.
He was human, of that there was no question.
He had always thought like a human.
Joining the Bureau of Spiritual Energy, slaying mutant beasts—that was how he approached problems.
But something inside him whispered that this was wrong.
That he ought to think from a different perspective.
The perspective of a god.
Nature embraces all things. It holds not only humanity, but every plant and animal, every element, every substance of creation. Whether born or forged, all belong to nature.
And as bearer of the Authority of Nature, he was destined to one day see the world as its master.
A god may still have a personality, but in guiding civilization and the natural world, he must judge and lead in his own way.
The actions of a god always have their reasons—even if that reason is simply, "because I will it so."
"For now, what I need is time. Time will give me the answers."
Time is a wondrous thing. The questions you ponder, the meaning of life itself—time reveals answers as it passes.
He knew his flaw: his mind had yet to catch up with his power.
In Armor Hero, Pluto. In Bleach, Aizen. In Super Seminary, Holy Keisha. All of these mighty beings possessed not only strength but the mentality and vision to match it. They knew what they sought, and how to pursue it.
He did not.
He still needed to grow. To become someone new.
For "god" is not a title earned by strength alone.
Gods walk through the river of time, witnesses to civilizations. They are intangible, yet omnipresent.
When had he first felt this notion—that he would one day be a god?
Was it when the chat group urged him to think from a divine perspective?
Or when the Authority of Nature first fused with him?
Or perhaps… was it during that dream, when he glimpsed other worlds?
The vast, ancient earth. Verdant forests, solemn yet brimming with life. Majestic mountains that pierced the clouds.
The sky, the seas, the rivers, the green.
It wasn't that he wanted to become a god. With the Authority of Nature, he was destined to be one.
"The revival of spiritual energy gave us the ability to transcend. The shift in life's very nature gave rise to a yearning for the supreme."
"With great strength comes confidence, pride—even arrogance."
"But when we realize pride and arrogance hinder us, we begin to struggle against them, striving not to let our hearts fall astray."
"Over time, our very way of thinking changes. We see the world differently than before."
"Madmen. Saints. Gods. Demons."
"…"
Firewing stared blankly at him.
How had their conversation turned into this kind of monologue?
And why did he sound so… profound?
Pride? Arrogance?
Who could possibly feel arrogant with Brandon around?
As for changing ways of thought… wasn't it always the same? Someone above gave the orders, and those below carried them out. What's different now?
Yet despite her doubts, something about his change unsettled her. She felt as if Brandon were evolving toward some realm she couldn't even comprehend.
And those four words—madman, saint, god, demon—how could he possibly lump them together?
Would Brandon really walk such a path in the future?
Or had he already begun?
Was this what happened to anyone who grew so powerful?
Shaking his head, Brandon pulled himself back from his thoughts.
(End of Chapter)