The Shelf Life of Youth Was Very Short

The realm of God, a pure white space.

Kino stood before the only Stone Chair, gazing at it.

This chair symbolizes the ultimate authority in the DC Universe, the embodiment of God's power, and the ultimate goal that countless beings dream of.

Once seated, he becomes "God," possessing the absolute power to reshape reality and define rules, becoming completely one with the fate of this multiverse.

Kino slowly raised his hand, his fingertips almost touching the cold stone handrail.

A suffocating sense of anticipation filled the air, as if the entire dimension was holding its breath, awaiting the coronation of New God.

However, Kino simply picked up a bracelet from the armrest, put it back on her wrist, and shook it.

"After wearing it for so long, it's really a bit strange to suddenly not have it anymore."

This was the Hell Bracelet he had given back to Lucifer; the Hell within had long since vanished, and now it was merely a special, hardened ornament.

"Why don't you sit on it...?"

A sound suddenly came from the Stone Chair.

Kino was not surprised at all. He took a step and quietly walked to the back of the Stone Chair.

She relies on a mature woman who is about 1.8 meters tall, with long, straight black hair, golden eyes, Giant Cat, and a charming appearance.

She leaned against the back of the Stone Chair, her long black dress spread out on the ground.

Just like when we first met.

The difference is that Kino isn't the Kino who just left the Novice Village anymore.

"Move me a little space."

Kino plopped down on the black dress on the ground, leaning shoulder to shoulder with Lucifer against the back of the Stone Chair.

Lucifer rolled her eyes, remaining motionless as Kino pressed her black dress into wrinkles.

In the pure white space, the silence was broken by the faint sound of their breathing.

Kino's gaze, however, fell on Lucifer beside him.

Her golden eyes gazed at the empty whiteness ahead, her long eyelashes casting faint shadows beneath them. Kino was already familiar with that languid yet mysterious look.

"Didn't you say you didn't want it anymore?"

Lucifer spoke calmly.

Kino raised his wrist, and the Hell Bracelet he had retrieved from the armrest gleamed with a dull, neither-gold nor-stone light in the pure white light.

He gently turned it, feeling the familiar touch with his fingertips—even though the hell inside was long gone, leaving only a hard, empty shell.

"I don't want the old one anymore, this is a new one I just picked up."

"Shameless! I still miss the days when I was a shy kid."

"That really disappoints you; the innocence of youth has a very short shelf life."

"... shameless."

Lucifer's shameless voice, tinged with disdain yet indulgent, drifted gently away in the pure white.

Kino didn't reply, but simply turned the bracelet on her wrist again; the cold touch now carried a strange sense of comfort.

The previous events seemed to be naturally forgotten.

"Why not sit on it, gain omniscience and omnipotence, leave with two universes, build your own harem, and live a life of debauchery? Isn't that the life you want?"

Lucifer asked again.

"But it's too noisy."

Kino turned his head to look at Lucifer's beautifully sculpted jawline.

"Sitting there, wouldn't you be constantly hearing the prayers, wails, curses, and praises of all the universes, all time, and all souls? Billions of voices screaming in your head at the same time?"

"Just thinking about it gives me a headache. I prefer peace and quiet."

Lucifer's lips seemed to curve upwards in an extremely subtle way, so quickly it was almost an illusion.

"... Omniscience and omnipotence mean understanding everything and controlling everything. You don't need to be bothered by noise; you can define it, make it harmonious, or make it completely silent."

"Definition?"

Kino chuckled, his fingers ceasing to turn the bracelet.

"Isn't that the biggest constraint? Turning yourself into an instruction manual for the rules of the universe?"

Today we define 'the speed of light cannot be exceeded,' tomorrow we define 'love is the driving force of the universe'? How boring.

Rules are meant to be broken, or at least, meant to be confusing.

Everything's already defined, so what's the point of playing games? Like you, are you nailing yourself to the 'foundation' position?

He tapped the cold Stone Chair back behind him.

Lucifer tilted his head slightly, his golden eyes glancing sideways at Kino with a hint of amusement.

"It sounds like you're looking down on a prestigious job."

"No,"

Kino immediately shook his head, his expression turning serious.

"It's a dislike for the very nature of that job— Eternity, absolute, and inescapable responsibility."

"I hate responsibilities that aren't mine. I'm only responsible for the actions I choose, not for responsibilities that are forcibly imposed upon me."

A knowing glint flashed in Lucifer's golden eyes.

"So..."

What did it feel like when you sat on it?

Kino didn't ask you if you'd tried sitting on it; the answer was already self-evident when Lucifer appeared there.

He was curious about her experience.

"Cold."

"Boundless cold."

Lucifer said, her gaze finally shifting from the pure white to the ground, yet seemingly piercing through it to look into an even more ethereal depth.

"It's not the coldness of temperature, it's the coldness of rules, the coldness of order."

When you become the foundation itself, the Source that defines 'existence,' you are detached. You no longer 'feel,' you simply 'know.'

You know the birth and death of every star, the trajectory of every grain of dust, and the script of all the joys and sorrows, but it's like looking at an open, cold, and hard book.

You cannot identify with any of these roles, because you are the writer, the binding thread, and the table itself that holds the pages.

She tilted her head slightly, and for the first time, her golden eyes truly met Kino's gaze. Gone were the usual allure or mockery; only an almost transparent clarity remained.

"Sitting there, you are everything; there are no surprises, no unexpected events, no... uncomfortable moments."

Her gaze swept over the bracelet on his wrist, her expression suggestive.

"Sound,"

Kino smirked. "Worse than lava from hell. Luckily, I didn't sit on it."

Lucifer gave a very soft hum, which could be considered an agreement.

"At least the magma is hot."

"And what about you now?"

Kino pressed on, leaning back more relaxed, almost half his shoulder resting on Lucifer.

Lucifer did not push him away, but simply let him lean against her, the huge hem of her skirt becoming a cushion for the two of them to share.

"Now? It's a bit uncomfortable."

"Then I'll let you lie on my lap?"

"Save your breath."

Lucifer rolled his eyes in a classic way, and that lazy and familiar sense of disdain returned somewhat.

"Stay quiet."

Kino indeed stopped moving, and the two fell silent again. But this silence was no longer suffocating; instead, it was filled with a strange comfort.

After a while, Kino's voice, slightly drowsy and indistinct, broke the silence:

"Hey, Lucifer."

"Um?"

"I'm going to sleep for a while, wake me up later."

Lucifer merely turned his head slightly, his golden eyes gleaming with an indescribable brilliance in the pure white light, glancing at Kino, who was sleeping with his head resting on his shoulder.

In the end, she only made a very soft, almost inaudible "tsk," as if speechless at some incurable shamelessness.

In the pure white space, there were only the silhouettes of the two people nestled behind the Divine Seat, and the unspoken yet eloquent tacit choice of "freedom."

To hell with power!