Struggle in Despair

With a wave—

The clouds parted, revealing the sun; the mist dispersed.

The gray-white mist behind the Great Shrine Maiden rapidly melted away.

Along with the melting mist came the nearly shrill screams of the wandering dead within it.

"Soga no Mikoto!!!"

However... such screams had no effect on the Great Shrine Maiden whatsoever.

She sat sideways atop White Wolf, while a slanting ray of brilliant golden sunlight shone down through the parted clouds.

Although it did not shine directly upon the Great Shrine Maiden, it rendered the scene before them almost sacred.

However... Su Youzi and Kujo Iruka looked grimly at the Great Shrine Maiden before them.

"Eighth Sequence."

The closer Su Youzi and Kujo Iruka came to the Eighth Sequence, the more clearly they understood what the final sliver of difference truly represented.

If the Great Shrine Maiden before them—or the fully realized Origin Witch in the past—possessed inexhaustible power that surpassed the entire world, and if what they represented... was the entire world itself,

then—

Those ascenders who came infinitely close to the Eighth Sequence

were merely valves installed on that enormous reservoir of power.

They were fundamentally different from the Origin Witch, who already existed as the World's Foundation Will.

But... why?

Su Youzi did not understand.

The power of the true Eighth Sequence should have been unique.

Because the true Eighth Sequence represented the World's Foundation Sea itself.

Even the Origin Witch could only barely be called an Eighth Sequence existence when the World's Foundation Will dwelled within her.

But the Great Shrine Maiden before them...?

Su Youzi truly hesitated.

However, the most absurd part was that the Great Shrine Maiden's very first attack had been aimed directly at her "colleague."

They should count as "colleagues," right?

After all, judging from the tone of those