As another automatic door swung open, he stepped into a lively room filled with energy and chatter. The space was occupied by a sizable group of people -nine in total, excluding Victor and him. Off to one side, he spotted someone dozing off on a sofa, a person he recognized from his time in the library, as well as Sanzang who was playfully poking at his cheek. On the opposite side, Rin and Tenshi were engrossed in a card game with a boy who bore a striking resemblance to himself, complete with the whole white hair gag. Except, he couldn’t recall creating that particular angel, so he simply made a mental note to consult the Akashic Records later.


    After that, his gaze was drawn to a small table in the center of the room, just big enough for four people. The individuals seated there looked at him with a blend of caution and intrigue as he made his entrance.


    Victor, wearing an oddly cheerful expression, remarked, “It seems your presence has put my boys on high alert…” What’s so cheerful about that? What a weirdo… “…Why don’t you all introduce yourselves since you seem so fond of him?”


    The first to speak was a gnome, who let out a heavy sigh before starting, “I am the Captain of the Dwarves Division. Ivan the Twinkle.” His voice was gruff, perfectly matching his dwarven appearance.


    Next was a giant insect that sent a shiver down Akuma’s spine.


    “I am the Captain of the Nensect Division. Ao Shi Xia. And just so you know, I’m a flea, you loser!”


    (No, you’re an abomination. Loser.) Akuma thought.


    “Captain of the Android Division. Frankenstein.”


    Akuma’s heart raced at the name. he quickly glanced at Victor, silently questioning if this was the same Frankenstein he was thinking of. Her enthusiastic thumbs-up and goofy grin confirmed his suspicion.


    Then, the man who called himself Frankenstein, who he was almost certain was a Royal Deck, began making odd gestures on the shoulder of the sniper, as if he were scribbling a note. How’d I know he was a sniper? Well, apart from me being the narrator, it was pretty hard to miss the heavy sniper rifle slung across his back.


    He seemed to understand the message written on his shoulder, jolting slightly as he introduced himself.


    “I am the Captain of the Human Division. Simo H?yh?.”


    There was something unsettling about his gaze. It felt as if he was looking right through Akuma rather than at him, as if he were invisible.


    “And I’m Arthur Kamui Jr! Eldest son of Arthur Pendragon!”


    “…………….”


    The one who blurted that irrelevant information out was the boy I described earlier, now brimming with pride, gestured to himself with a thumbs-up, his expression radiating confidence.


    “Alright. Who the hell is this guy?” Akuma asked the Akashic Records.


    He felt a wave of confusion ripple through the onlookers as he engaged in a conversation with something that was neither a ghost nor human.


    “He is a child of the Royal Deck, a Seraphim.” Came the response.


    “What?! That can’t be right. Angels can’t reproduce, they’re incapable of love. Only humans possess that ability, granted by free will-! …Lucifer.”


    “Yes. In this world, Lucifer bestowed free will upon the Royal Decks, allowing them to have offsprings.”


    “Is there a chance he’s a spy?”


    “Not a chance. He escaped during the Celestial Civil War. Plus, he seems to have possessed the body of a human, so he can’t be tracked.”


    “I see.”


    “Um… is he out of his mind?” Arthur inquired, glancing at Tenshi, who was still fuming over his defeat. A game of bullshit if you’re curious.


    “He’s always been this way. Just ignore him.”


    That injection came from Rin, her tone casual despite the evident frustration beneath her calm exterior. The loss must have been weighing heavily on her, even if she tried to play it off. Just how much times have these to losers lost to be this frustrated?


    “Well, it seems you’re all acquainted.” Came Victor, who was standing in front of a giant hologram display at the back of the room. Not sure when she got there though. “But before we discuss business, you should introduce yourself.”


    Akuma hesitated for a moment.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    “Well, let me see… Who am I really…”


    He thought about his past lives, while at the same time not trying to think too deeply. Truth be told, he was scared he’d have another panic attack from his uncertainty. Though he still had sometime before the Akashic Records’ “Price to pay” could affect him, so that was a plus.


    Suddenly, clarity struck him, and he brought his right fist down into his left palm, signaling that he’d found his answer.


    “…I’m God.”


    “………………”


    “Okay, let’s get back to the matter at hand…” Victor said, as a hologram flickered to life behind her, revealing seven figures.


    “Hey, don’t just ignore me!”


    “Let’s begin with the Asuras: Goldilocks, Cain, Midas, Cristopher, Halter, Jack, and their leader Salomon. They are a group of humans who traded their souls for power from Lucifer, each embodying one of the world’s deadly sins. Although they didn’t show up during the last battle, I wouldn’t be surprised if they made an appearance soon. If you want my advice, steer clear of Salomon in particular. None of us here have the strength to take him on, even if we all attacked together…”


    (I hope she’s not including me in that.)


    “Next up are the Five Catastrophes. Well, actually four, since Frankenstein is on our side.”


    “Make that three.” Wukong chimed in, still half-asleep. “Don’t forget I took out that other one.”


    “Oh right, my bad. Three Catastrophes… Think of them as fallen angels. The Royal Decks who sided with Lucifer after he betrayed our father: Amon Kamui, Kagutsuchi Kamui, and Dracula Kamui…”


    Akuma noticed Rin shudder at the mention of Dracula, a reminder of the first time she had spoken his name.


    “…Now, on to the main issue at hand. Some of you might recognize these figures as the Twelve Olympians. Though I guess there’s only eleven right now. The trio of sisters - Aphrodite, Hestia, and Athena- alongside Apollo, Paris, Hector, Icarus, Achilles, Hermes, and their leader Poseidon make up this group. Our knowledge about their abilities is limited, and the identities of two remain a mystery. What we do know, however, is that, similar to the lesser gods, they possess an Infinite. The distinction lies in the fact that they must meet specific criteria to activate theirs. Therefore, I invite those who have encountered them to share their insights. Let’s begin with Icarus.”


    Franken hastily jotted down a note on the sniper’s shoulder, causing him to flinch slightly. “In my confrontation with Icarus, he primarily utilized long-range attacks, launching beams of starlites at me while soaring through the sky. I managed to defeat him twice with my Constellation, yet he returned both times. This leads me to believe that his Infinite relates to his lives, and the requirement likely involves him remaining airborne.”


    “Lives, huh… That’s quite a challenge. You two seem to share some similarities. Anyone else?”


    Sanzang, playfully poking Wukong’s cheeks, chimed in next. “So, Achilles is really an Olympian now.”


    “Oh? I take it he was your opponents. Do you have any insight into his Infinite?”


    “My best guess is that it relates to his defense. During our battle, no matter what attack I tried, I just could damage him. And trust me, I’ve faced my share of divine beings, so I know it’s not a matter of divinity. However, I’m not sure about his requirement.”


    “It’s his spear.” Akuma interjected.


    “?”


    “As long as he’s holding his spear, he has infinite defense.”


    “His spear huh… I guess that makes sense. He made sure to summon it before he started fighting me… Wait a minute. If that’s true, how were you able to damage him?”


    “You actually managed to hurt Achilles?” Victor questioned, intrigued.


    “It’s my Empower. I can make any outcome uncertain, regardless of how guaranteed it is.”


    “!”


    “Oh my. Quite the trick.”


    “I guess so. But it’s only uncertain. It’s not like it’s sure to go my way or anything. Now that I’m saying it out loud, I guess it was just luck.”


    “If we are to defeat the Divine Army, it’ll take way more than brute force. Luck may just be what we need right now.”


    Sanzang spoke up, "I have a question." Gathering everyone’s attention before continuing, “Just a week ago, millions of individuals suddenly appeared in this world, only to vanish almost immediately. Initially, I thought it was merely an urban myth propagated by some con, but after meeting with Tenshi and Rin, I now understand it was real. Do you know what happened to those people?"


    (What about me… Didn’t you meet me too? Don’t tell me you forgot about me Sanzang, after everything we been through.)


    Victor couldn''t help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all.


    "Oh, you''re going to find this funny. Right after they arrived, Apollo wiped them all out."


    “……………..”


    “HUH?!” The room questioned in unison.


    In particular Sanzang went on to exclaim, "How is that even possible?” We''re talking about millions of people! No one possesses that kind of power!"


    Victor''s gaze shifted to Akuma, as if he held the answers.


    "You must have figured it out by now, Akuma.”


    Surely enough, he did.


    “There are seven divine items created by God, each containing a fragment of his authority. If we''re talking mass genocide, the only item capable of such a feat would be the Fourth, Jacob''s Ladder. It can annihilate anyone who fits a specific category chosen by the user."


    The gravity of his words sank in.


    "Can such a weapon truly exist? If so, how do we even stand a chance?" Sanzang questioned.


    Akuma continued his explanation as such:


    "The issue is that it indiscriminately destroys everyone within that category, regardless of the user''s intent. Luckily for us, he can''t simply eradicate all humans and gods, as Olympians fall into both categories, and none of use really fall under any unique categories that would separate us from their own men. Since we''re still alive, it seems his aim isn''t total annihilation… However, I''m curious. Given that there are humans present, the category he selected must not have included them. And it couldn''t have been ''people from another world,'' since Tenshi, Rin, and I are still here."


    (And Alice too.)


    "That''s a great question... one I have no answer to..." Our spirits sank in disappointment, the tension in the air sliced into pieces.


    For a moment, Victor stood silent.


    “Why don’t we just ask him directly?”


    “?”


    At that moment, the automatic door swung open, not due to Akuma’s wight triggering it but because someone was entering.


    He let out a weary sigh, his fatigue apparent in his ragged kimono and the dark circles under his closed eyes.


    “Phew. Those asuras, man.” he remarked.


    Just then, Akuma caught a glimpse of a swift blur -a figure in white moving with astonishing speed, seemingly without the aid of celestial power. In an instant, she slammed Finral against the wall by the door, gripping him by the collar with one hand.


    “C’mon Victor. Can’t you take it easy on me? I just came from a tough battle.”


    Her eyes blazed with intensity, usually obscured by her afro, but her fury was so fierce that it pushed her hair aside, revealing her striking crimson gaze. The playful demeanor she often displayed was replaced by an electrifying seriousness.


    “Depends. Care to explain where all those people disappeared to? Surely you have some insight, Finral Ark, second son of Noah Ark… Or do you prefer your other title these days… the first of the Twelve Olympians, Apollo?”