"Sagittarius plus Aquarius~!" *@^%$#%@#$^* *GHAAAAAAA*
Zoemi went out of his way and said the names of the laws he was using and the bust of silver light almost the entirety of the vault – with the exception of the fragments of the floor where he stood and where the gelatinous blob of darkness was splattered – opening it up to the destroyed land outside.
After all, the entire facility the vault was a part of was uncovered to the outside world by Zoemi~
"Aaahhh... yes, that was what I was waiting for. Why didn't you start by calling out my name? Do you think I wanted to hear a monologue of filth like you?"
The black-haired young man breathed out in relief before frowning grumpily and scoffing at the mass of darkness, struggling to keep its shape on whatever was left on the vault's floor.
"Now I'm going to use the same mix of star powers to get rid of whatever is left of you. I am telling you this because I really want you to know that you will..."
*whoosh*
Zoemi smiled cheerfully, reaching his hand towards the squirming mass of darkness, but then something got in between the two of them.
"It's a nice day, isn't it?"
A platinum-haired beauty simply appeared there and greeted the black-haired young man.
"Welcome. Therapy works wonders for you, I see."
Zoemi lowered his hand and responded to the greeting with a genuine smile.
"Buu... and here I thought I could fool you into thinking I'm your Miriette for a moment!"
The beauty pouted her lips and looked to the side with disappointment.
"Sorry, but that will never happen."
Zoemi shook his head decisively, and to his benefit, his eyes did not budge, nor did anything in his demeanor suggest what part of the physical appearance of the platinum-haired beauty presenting him with her profile allowed him to be so confident.
"Anyway, what brings you here?"
Zoemi smoothly changed the subject, already realizing what would be the answer.
"...I came here to close this story arc of my life... Even I think that this story had overstayed its welcome."
Her pouty face changed into a soft smile as she added, straightening her back.
"Unfortunately, my help is needed here because a lower god like yourself can't completely get rid of something that I unintentionally spawned because of my trauma."
She breathed out and explained.
"You would be able to destroy every part of this thing. All the crystals with its mana, all the whisks of dark mist, and all the filthy residue – but it would just reappear in this world sometime in the future. I have to be the one to erase it completely. And now, I am finally able and ready to do it properly."
The beauty declared with pride and turned to the gelatinous blob of darkness trembling on the floor only two feet away from her.
"Congratulations~! But let me ask... this is the demon-lord-class threat to the world. Will it not mess things up for my Miriette if it will be defeated by someone who isn't a reincarnated soul, miss Presence?"
Zoemi cheered out and then turned serious, glaring at the back of the platinum-haired beauty's head.
"Technically speaking, I currently am a reincarnated soul myself... but don't worry about it. The catastrophic event you are referring to had been completed with a positive outcome already – by you in the past timeline. This is just... dealing with the aftermath."
Presence tilted her head, causing her long platinum hair to shimmer in the sunlight as she pointed out.
"Oh. Okay."
Zoemi raised his brows and nodded, taking a step back and giving up the spotlight.
"I am Miriette Aperaete Bellcephora, the second princess of the Bellcephora kingdom. Do you recognize me?"
Presence then crouched down in front of the jet-black blob and asked.
*blub*
The mass of darkness started to bubble up in response as the platinum-haired beauty waited patiently.
Finally, as the gelatinous blob trembled, a weak but still oily voice came out of it.
"...?"
As the conversation was starting, Zoemi observing it from the side, noticed something peculiar.
Everywhere the eye could see, the earth and sky alike were beginning to become dyed in a golden glow growing in intensity...
*blub* "...yhu... you aren't her...! My princess is small... pure... and cute..." *blub* "Only for me to defile..." *blub* "Where is my Miriette...?| *blub* *Give... give her back...!" *blub* "GIVE HER BACK TO ME, YOU DISGUSTING HAG!"
The blob started peaking faster, and finally, it roared, enraged, and managed to rise up, towering over the crouching beauty as if it intended to slam into her and swallow her whole.
"I was never yours. Filth. Now perish, properly this time."
The presence took a deep breath and declared, looking up at the dripping mass of darkness, and at her command, the entire planet lighted up with a golden glow that turned into a purifying eruption that spread to the sky and far into space, erasing any and all traces of the filth called Cherro.
The explosion of light traveled through all dimensions and all timelines purging the filth once and for all, leaving no space for it to hide – seeping into living beings and objects alike.
In time, as the light faded away, Zoemi was standing face to face with the platinum-haired beauty smiling at him.
"STOP RIGHT THERE!"
All of a sudden, the air filled with the smell of ozone, and another platinum-haired beauty showed up with a shout, pointing with one hand toward the presence while trying to hide her modest chest with the other.
"Listen up, you big-breasted original! Don't you dare look in that way at MY Zoemi! I refuse to accept you as a candidate for his mistress, and I sure as hell will not be giving up the position of the first wife!"
Guide, the keeper of the stars, or Miriette as she preferred to be called, hissed furiously towards the presence, ready to throw hands with the primordial being the original Guide feared and revered.
"Pffft...! Oh dear, I don't remember making you this cute~! Be good, and remember the rules."
The presence stared at Mireitte wide-eyed for a second before snorting and waving her hand dismissively, disappearing from the surface of the earth, most likely returning to the world she chose to occupy.
"DON'T BOTHER COMING BACK! SKANK!"
Miriette growled after her, already glued to Zoemi's side as if she wanted to make sure that the black-haired young man would not get stolen from her.
"Hmm... Miri? Why do I feel like she wasn't speaking in general, and there was some specific rule that she was referring to?"
Zoemi tilted his head and asked while gently patting Miriette's platinum hair, trying to calm her down even a little bit.
"Tsk."
"...?"
Miriette clicked her tongue with such annoyance that it actually shocked Zoemi.
"She was talking about gods having children. We are allowed to have one child. Only one child."
Still, she did end up answering it, even though she clearly hated that answer.
"...and if we don't want to honor this rule...?"
Zoemi blinked a few times, looking somewhat troubled.
"Go ask that dimension-crossing scary girl. Strawberry or something. Her parents were gods in her homeworld, but since they ended up having two kids – her and her younger brother – a god of a higher position banished BOTH kids from there."
Miriette sighed and explained.
"Of course, you know princess Strawberry... So, let me get this straight... the kids were the ones being punished...?"
Zoemi rolled his eyes before furrowing his brows and asking, trying to clarify the circumstances.
"Yeah. No other god is stupid enough to try and get in a direct conflict with Strawberry's parents."
"Huh..."
Miriette scoffed and nodded as if it was common knowledge, making Zoemi let out a concerned voice.
"...haaa... it's a bit sad... but I guess that's why you were pushing me so hard to have mistresses, huh? Since we can have only one child, you wanted to make it so it still felt like we had a big family..."
The black-haired young man ended up breathing out dispirited but smiled and hugged the platinum-haired girl while feeling grateful.
"...ugh...."
"Miri...?"
But Miriette merely groaned and looked to the side, confusing Zoemi.
"...that rule about kids applies only to two gods... it's okay for you to have children with the rest of the girls... BUT I AM STILL THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE, OKAY?!"
"~!!!"
Miriette closed her eyes and revealed before turning red in the face and declaring while hugging Zoemi tightly, a bit annoyed seeing how his face had lighted up...