Alistair stowed the World Tree sapling. "Let's head back."
"Next, everyone might get a break, but I'll be busy."
Persephone chuckled, covering her mouth. "Dust, you're quite the boss—giving your team a vacation while you work overtime?"
"Is that how gods and kin work?"
"Who knows?"
The three left with the sapling.
Indeed, as Alistair said, the real work was about to begin.
They returned to Elysium.
Alistair slowly raised his hand.
The World Tree sapling reappeared.
This time, it was different. His eyes gleamed with a profound light as boundless darkness surged, threatening to consume all.
Persephone and Demeter exchanged a glance, stepping back in unison. They knew what came next was beyond their involvement.
Alistair hadn't ignited his divine spark, merely ascending the divine throne, yet his rank spoke for itself. His actions might seem simple, but they were far from replicable.
As now.
Silently, Alistair channeled endless dark divine power into the sapling.
Instantly, the verdant World Tree began to transform dramatically.
Its emerald leaves darkened to a deep, abyssal green, exuding world power, dark power, and life power.
The three forces intertwined.
The once-green trunk and branches turned pitch-black, like polished obsidian, radiating not brilliance but a profound, captivating beauty.
The light was so mesmerizing it forced one to squint.
"Darkness, world, life," Persephone murmured, hand over her heart, feeling it race. "Three divine powers weaving together."
Merely gazing at the dark power, she felt her own divine power surge.
No—more precisely, her mastery of laws deepened.
As the Underworld's queen, Persephone wielded a composite law: that of the Underworld King and Queen combined.
These laws were vast, complex, intricate beyond measure.
"Daughter…" Demeter watched, a warm smile spreading. Her daughter's growth was evident.
The interplay of these three divine powers—darkness, world, life—was of the highest order.
Alistair, as the God of Darkness, needed no elaboration on his rank.
The World Tree, capable of birthing worlds with limitless growth, theoretically rivaled an absolute god.
Though theoretical, that potential was staggering.
Its world and life powers were top-tier laws.
No—beyond laws. Concepts.
Above laws lay concepts.
And beyond concepts? Unknown, for now.
Persephone understood concepts. Mastering ultimate power through the will of the gods allowed one to ascend to Primordial God status.
Such ascension elevated not just divine power but transformed laws into concepts.
If becoming a god was a leap in life's essence, ascending to Primordial God was another.
Now, Persephone gazed at the embodiment of darkness, life, and world concepts, her own power surging.
Demeter, though a subordinate god, gained little by comparison.
Alistair exhaled. "The first step is done. The World Tree is now truly mine."
With a flick, the tree landed in Elysium, taking root and sprouting into a ten-meter-tall tree.
"Dust, don't you need a rest?" Persephone asked, approaching.
He shook his head. "Not tired. Just some divine power spent. The real work begins now."
"Alright," Persephone stepped back, silent. As a partner, her role was to support quietly.
Alistair's form vanished.
From a cosmic perspective, his shadow loomed—a vast, dark silhouette. With a gesture, he enveloped True Hell, then split it apart.
Dark-glowing orbs—Dark Universes—emerged.
Elysium, Hell, and the Underworld followed, separated.
With a wave, the Dark World Tree appeared.
Somber, profound, it trembled, absorbing the Dark Universe orbs into its leaves.
Elysium manifested atop its crown.
Hell and the Underworld became twin orbs, orbiting the tree's trunk like sprites.
The process was swift, almost effortless.
When complete, the shadow faded, and calm returned.
Through the Dimensional Galaxy Chart, True Hell's marker was now a miniature Dark World Tree, linked to the Saint Seiya world via the Underworld.
Alistair reappeared, his face pale. Perfectly merging everything had drained his divine power to a fraction—perhaps one percent, or less.
Persephone rushed to him, cradling him gently. "Dust, are you alright?"
"Just drained," he said, shaking his head. "A month or two of rest, and I'll recover."
His divine power was nearly spent, but it was a minor issue.
Persephone summoned a soft blanket, kneeling as Alistair rested on her lap, her hands gently massaging him.
Demeter sat opposite, lifting his legs onto her lap, mirroring her daughter's care.
A moment of bliss.
Alistair closed his eyes, the trio silent, basking in tranquility.
After twenty or thirty minutes, color returned to his face, no longer deathly pale.
He moved to rub his brow, but Persephone beat him to it.
Lazily, he said, "The divine power drain was steep, but the plan's complete. True Hell—call it the Dark World Tree for now—is stable."
The name felt odd, but it would do.
"Elysium crowns the tree. Hell and the Underworld orbit its trunk. Each Dark Universe is a leaf."
Persephone smiled. "Our Dark Universes are few compared to leaves."
"A minor issue," Alistair said casually. "Normally, worlds or life created by gods can't yield world or faith power."
"But at the absolute god level, that changes."
Demeter nodded, agreeing.
She leaned forward, her golden hair cascading, tending to Alistair.
He squinted comfortably, continuing, "The Dark World Tree's rank matches an absolute god. After absorbing my power, it's transcended half a step beyond."
"Really…" Persephone mused. "With its life and world concepts, it'll birth more worlds, forming the Dark Multiverse."
"Not soon," Alistair corrected. "It's still a sapling, focused on its own growth, not world creation."
"But that's fine. With the Dark World Tree, our future is boundless."
"And most crucially…" He patted Demeter's head, who understood instantly.
Sensing the shift, he continued, "Before, Elysium was my divine kingdom, True Hell was Hell and the Underworld, and the Dark Universes formed the Dark Multiverse."
"They seemed one, but were three."
"Now, unified by the Dark World Tree, they're truly one."
Persephone glanced at her mother, shaking her head. Why was she so uninhibited?
No matter.
She asked, "Dust, is the Dark World Tree your divine kingdom now?"
"Yes," Alistair nodded. "It's my kingdom. The benefits to me are modest, but its rank will grow with time."
"Who knows what the future holds?"
He shook his head. The future was uncertain.
"By the way," he added, "as my subordinate gods and kin, you can create worlds."
"Small ones, but still."
With a wave, the Dark World Tree's shadow appeared, its leaves nascent world seeds.
If his kin chose to cultivate them, small worlds could form.
Their potential? That depended on the future.
"Well," Alistair said lightly, "it's like giving everyone a home. Different from their old ones."
Persephone chuckled. "As I said, Dust, you're gentle. Always, despite being the God of Darkness."
"Darkness doesn't preclude kindness," he replied. "But my kindness comes with a price."
Those who enjoyed it paid dearly.
"In short," he said, reclining on Persephone's lap, "phase one's conclusion is a massive success. I never expected this."
"No grand changes, but the foundation is solid. That's what matters."
His gaze deepened.
Phase one had built an unshakable foundation.
Step by step, the future was secure.
Persephone looked up at the Dark World Tree before them.
***
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