Just seeing Nyaruko's avatar was enough to inflict mental scars that would take a lifetime to heal.
If he actually met the true Evil God, Nyarlathotep, wouldn't his mind be broken for all eternity?
"But you really should let me check you. They are incredibly insidious," Nyaruko said with feigned concern. "If there's any lingering curse, I can detect it in advance."
"It's fine. They can't pull any tricks on me." Toya scoffed. "They wanted me to comprehend their 'Will of the Heavens' and become the new Order of the World."
"I resisted the assimilation. But before I severed the connection, I borrowed the omniscience over there to scan myself."
"I only returned after confirming I was clean."
Nyaruko's beautiful eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Darling, that sounds incredibly sketchy!"
Her instincts as an Outer God screamed that it wasn't as simple as Toya made it sound.
Those lunatics were obsessed with "The Grand Order" and "Supreme Enlightenment." They had already gone completely unhinged.
Who knew what kind of massive cosmic conspiracy they were plotting?
"Don't be nervous."
Toya looked calm. He tossed The Scripture of the Way to Nyaruko. "Keep this book for now. I'll find something to seal it later."
It had indeed been dangerous. Using a human mind to comprehend the Rules of the Universe nearly got him assimilated. He had almost dissolved into the cold, emotionless logic of the Universe.
Fortunately, the rules of the Root triggered just in time.
The counter-force pulled him back before he crossed the point of no return.
Nyaruko caught the Scripture, a gleam of calculated intelligence flashing in her emerald eyes.
She scanned Toya, confirming he hadn't been compromised.
If there was any lingering influence, she would purge it immediately to prevent future trouble.
"This aura..."
Nyaruko was puzzled. "Why does Darling have the aura of the Root's Absolute Neutrality?"
She couldn't figure it out. Even her Main Body, dormant in the infinite shadows beyond the universe, couldn't find an answer.
Watching Toya unhurriedly eating the feast she had meticulously prepared over a thousand years, Nyaruko made up her mind.
"Looks like he's safe."
"From now on, I have to stick to Darling like glue. I won't let those Eastern lunatics get anywhere near him!"
Nyaruko glared at the Scripture with disgust, wishing she could disintegrate it on the spot.
But remembering Toya's orders, she reluctantly stored it away.
----
The feast finally ended. Toya leaned back in his chair and stretched.
"I'm stuffed."
He had single-handedly consumed a meal made from the Mystery of eras.
Although he felt like he couldn't move around, the benefits were unimaginable.
In the Heian era, Abe no Seimei used the Mystery of a single era to steal a sliver of divine power.
If Toya burned through the Mystery he possessed now, he could probably usurp ten percent of a God's power.
Of course, he wouldn't do that. The foundation provided by the Mystery was too valuable to waste.
Moreover, his brush just before taught him a lesson: relying on external deities was foolish. It was better to strengthen himself.
When he was strong enough, he could crush everything with his own hands.
"Darling, are you full?"
Nyaruko beamed sweetly. "If it's not enough, Nyaruko can prepare another feast like this anytime!"
"No need. That was more than enough." Toya shook his head.
Having too much Mystery was beneficial, but risky. Relying too heavily on it might limit his own growth.
"I should go." After resting for a while, Toya stood up.
Nyaruko smiled. "Let me walk you out, Darling."
"Okay." Toya didn't refuse.
If he said no, who knew if Nyaruko would create another "spatial labyrinth" to keep him here?
This time, the departure was smooth. The distorted space that required nine days to traverse was gone.
The stairs were just normal stairs.
As they walked to the first floor, Nyaruko asked innocently, "Darling, why didn't we use the elevator? It's much faster!"
"Don't play dumb," Toya deadpanned. "I was worried a certain Evil God would rig it and cause me more trouble."
"I wouldn't dream of it!" Nyaruko's face turned serious. "My Grandmother once said this: Darling needs trials to truly cherish Nyaruko's heart!"
"Where did you get a grandmother...?"
Toya was speechless.
That sentence... that tone... it was a direct rip-off of a certain Rider.
This Nyaruko was clearly an eldritch abomination, yet she was obsessed with Kamen Rider references.
Nyaruko gave a mysterious smile. "Whether Nyaruko has a grandmother or not doesn't matter. Darling must cherish Nyaruko's heart!"
"Otherwise, scumbags who trample on a maiden's heart will get kicked to death by a horse."
"Or maybe... by a Rider Kick!"
"..." Toya ignored her and walked straight out.
Ten minutes later, Toya arrived at the boundary of the ruins. The living city had been annihilated, leaving a clear line between the anomaly and the human world.
"Why haven't you gone back yet?" Toya looked at Nyaruko calmly. "Are you planning to bring your mental pollution into the human world?"
"Of course not! Nyaruko wants to be with Darling forever!" Nyaruko sidled up to him, basking in his aura.
"As for the mental pollution, don't worry."
"Since Nyaruko is just an avatar and not the Main Body, I won't drive people insane. Probably."
Toya looked at her, exasperated. "Nyaruko, do you actually believe the words coming out of your mouth?"
Who would believe an Outer God claiming to be "safe"?
Even the lowest Minions carried mental pollution. A high-tier avatar like her was a walking hazard.
"Is that how it is?" Nyaruko's face crumpled into a mask of fake sorrow. She turned away, sobbing dramatically. "Darling really is a scumbag who plays with a maiden's heart."
"Even though Nyaruko promised she's safe, Darling refuses to believe it."
"Are you kicking Nyaruko to the curb now?"
"O Kamen Rider who protects the smiles of maidens! There is a heartless scumbag here! Please save me!"
"Hmm...!?" Toya's brow twitched.
He felt a powerful, familiar aura manifesting out of thin air.
"She didn't actually summon a Kamen Rider, did she?"
Toya looked toward the source of the energy, half-amused and half-disbelieving.
Under the dazzling golden sunlight, a figure slowly materialized.
"That's cheating..."
"She summoned a Rider with a single sentence..."
On the distant rooftop, bathed in the sun, stood a figure radiating the aura of a God of the Sun.
An overwhelming pressure of pure arrogance slammed into them.
"My Grandmother said this: Men must not do two things—make girls cry, and waste food!"
"Henshin!"
With a mechanical click, the figure in the sunlight transformed, armored in red beetle-themed plating.
Kamen Rider Kabuto.
"However..." Toya looked up at the armored figure shining in the distance.
His eyes lit up with excitement.
"Now I'm getting fired up!"