Witnessing Death

Although she could feel a hint of hostility from the crowd, Li Yue didn't particularly care. Her distinction between humans and magic beasts had become somewhat blurred.

She was the giant snake, yet she now walked the world in human form. For her, there were only two states and categories of living beings.

The living and the dead.

"How... did you get in?" Ishtar looked at Li Yue with one blood-red eye, trying to discern something from those eyes that were as stagnant as bloodstains. However, there was nothing there—only pure death.

"I recently granted her the title of professor. Given her status, she is free to enter and leave meetings at will." Albert coughed, and after the others heard his words, the atmosphere seemed to soften considerably. At the very least, it was proven that she was one of their own.

The tragedy of that day seemed to remain vivid in their minds. Those roses blooming wherever life existed had reflected the scenes of death they feared most. Although it had all happened in an instant, it had exerted a tremendous influence on the world.

In just a few short minutes, two gods had appeared. One had fallen rapidly, while the other had vanished without a trace, returning everything to a state of calm as if nothing had ever happened.

"I... well, I just walked in." Li Yue blinked, seemingly not expecting this to be a highly restricted or secret meeting. "We used to sit around a table on the Temple Mount. Even the lowest-tier gods could come and go freely. Back then, there was no suspicion."

Li Yue spoke calmly, as if the Age of Gods were only yesterday.

"The scent of God's remains on you all is so heavy; it makes me feel a bit dazed." Li Yue smiled. It was impossible to tell what she was reminiscing about—whether it was the beautiful memories of the beginning or the scenes of the twilight.

"What... are you here for?" Clo stood up, stepping in front of Li Yue.

"I felt like you didn't eat enough last night, so I made you a meeting bento. It tastes exactly like the flavors in your memories." Li Yue handed the lunch box to Clo. "I thought you all would have finished by now."

"So... you broke into the meeting just to deliver a meal?" Alchemy burst into laughter. He glanced at Blizzard, who remained expressionless. Alchemy had been in the West Continent that day and hadn't been affected by the God of Death, so he didn't have much psychological trauma.

"Yes. Nothing useful will be decided here anyway," Li Yue said indifferently. In her eyes, these tedious processes were as boring and meaningless as children playing house. Thus, she had no reservations; one could even say she was venting a bit of her own dissatisfaction.

My time is precious, so don't keep taking what belongs to me. That was likely the thought in her mind.

"We have divided the front lines against the magic beasts into five sectors. This time, we are primarily discussing the deployment in the coastal areas." Severus ignored the minor details. Since the other party was a friendly Calamity Warlock, having her participate in the meeting was naturally excellent.

"Do you have any opinions, given your understanding of them and their descendants?"

"It seems you are quite firm about going to war." As Li Yue spoke, she helped Clo untie the cloth wrapping the bento. "I don't know much about what they are like now. As for their descendants, you should simply think of them as collections of calamity."

"Do you mean there is no possibility of peace talks in the later stages...?"

"Just kill all the Kings. Originally, they were already on my hunting list," Li Yue said nonchalantly. "Aside from that one who is somewhat capable, the others are all malformations."

"That one?" Several people at the table cast inquiring glances. After being startled, they had lost much of their appetite—especially Daylight, the Saintess of the Church. She didn't exactly hate Li Yue, but she felt an inexplicable sense of dread.

"That blue dragon who possesses a portion of Destruction's power. Destruction doesn't seem to have resurrected yet; it is still in a state of self-dissolution." Li Yue recalled for a moment. "Perhaps the next time I see it, thousands of years will have passed."

"It looks a bit like me. Remember to say hello to it for me when the time comes." Li Yue glanced at Clo; these words were meant for her. "Eat your lunch quickly, or it will get cold."

"Redemption is very gentle. Long ago, she loved everyone and every god," Li Yue suddenly said. She seemed to have noticed Daylight's faint, hysterical sense of terror. "Including me."

"You are going to help us... but for what reason?" Ishtar closed her emerald eyes. At this moment, they were extremely dim, as if suppressed to some degree.

"Because I must also deal with those nine orphans of the gods. The remnants of the Twilight Era must be completely erased from the world." Li Yue frowned, seemingly growing tired of this boring question-and-answer format.

"I'm a bit tired. Remember to come back early tonight." Li Yue patted Clo's shoulder and yawned. "Oh, right."

Everyone froze. Upon hearing the term 'Twilight Era,' they suddenly realized that the person before them was the God of Death who had ended the Age of Gods. She was the paradox of the meaning of all existence; all the records on the parchment scrolls were true.

Perhaps the only false information was the material describing her appearance as hideous. After all, on that day, they had retained the memory of witnessing the divine descent. The legendary God of Death was actually so beautiful it left them speechless.

"What do you want to eat tonight? I'm passing by the market, so I'll pick up some ingredients on the way." Li Yue suddenly changed the subject, shifting the serious topic toward daily conversation. To her, these were all necessary tasks; hunting giant beasts and buying ingredients for dinner were of equal importance.

"Ah... whatever is fine... I guess." Clo's mind went blank for a moment. She then saw Li Yue purse her lips before transforming into a blood shadow and vanishing into the torrential rain. A single "See you tonight" remained drifting in the air.

"She doesn't seem to care about our plans or the situation in the Royal Court at all." Albert coughed, breaking the awkward silence in the air.

"Perhaps in the eyes of a god, we really are just playing house." Severus showed little emotion. "Compared to her experiences, everything we do is nothing like the bloody battle of the Twilight Era. To this day, we still don't know the truth of that event."

"She hasn't told me either." Clo responded casually, sensing Albert's gaze. She vaguely remembered Li Yue mentioning it to her, but because so many events were involved, she had been forced to forget them.

Ishtar opened her grey-green eyes, which held a trace of complex emotion. Blizzard remained silent, merely savoring the feeling of being struck by the other's killing intent that day. Daylight's suppressed mood seemed to improve slightly; she felt a faint sense of warmth from the God's remains within her.

Alchemy took off his monocle, which possessed analytical effects, and spread his hands. It seemed the results and deductions he wanted hadn't been realized at all. He had tried to see through death, but he could see nothing.

Perhaps in the dark, Fate and Jormungandr had their own arrangements.