A Journey Through the Multiverse: Starting as the Supreme Sovereign

"I never expected that thing to be in the Karyana Family's hands."

"...The Lion King Organization's current standing was mainly built on this crystallization of Celestial Tribe technology. Through studying and replicating The Original, they allowed the mikos to wield some of its abilities."

"Those mikos are the very embodiment of the Lion King Organization's authority."

"...But replicas are replicas, and their effects are greatly diminished. As for the power of The Original itself, no one knows."

The Witch of the Void revealed everything she knew.

Lafuria, who had been listening to them with a smile on her face, asked curiously at that moment:

"...Miss Nangong, since the Lion King Organization attained its current position through the Divine Vibration Wave ritual, and the Karyana Family possesses The Original, why don't they make use of it?"

The Princess's words made Nangong Nayue shrug her slender shoulders. "...Ha, how should I know why they don't use it?"

"...I've never even seen what The Original looks like, so naturally I have no right to comment on it."

Faced with Nangong Nayue's blunt, even somewhat biting words, Lafuria did not get angry.

As a qualified diplomat, Lafuria knew very well how to control her emotions.

"The Lion King Organization consists of humans, while the Karyana Family consists of vampires. That's their greatest difference. Maybe vampires simply can't use that thing."

Saigō suddenly spoke at that moment.

Seeing everyone turn to look at him, he smiled gracefully. "...It's just a guess. You don't have to believe me too much."

Although Saigō said that, the others felt that he might be right. Perhaps that was the biggest reason.

For the time being, they set that topic aside, and their conversation returned to the Fourth True Ancestor.

Lafuria sat upright with her hands resting on her knees. "...Malta does not possess much military strength. The country mainly relies on tourism for its income."

"...They have no interest in the Fourth True Ancestor, nor do they wish for their territory to have any connection with a calamity like the Fourth True Ancestor."

"Therefore, they asked the Kingdom to intervene. I have now obtained the diplomatic credentials, and the Rainbow Bridge will soon descend near Gozo Island."

"...With these diplomatic credentials, we can intervene in a reasonable and lawful manner."

Lafuria gave a sly smile as she explained her plan, though there was also a hint of wistfulness in her words.

Weak nations had no diplomacy. It was impossible for Malta to have no interest in the Fourth True Ancestor. After all, a calamity like the Fourth True Ancestor could be used as a strategic weapon.

Yet they had done everything possible to ensure they had no connection to the Fourth True Ancestor, because the country knew that such a great deity was not one their little temple could afford to host.

Though the Kingdom of Aldegia was not large in territory, its military, technological, and economic strength were all formidable.

That was why Malta had chosen to do this Nordic nation a favor.

"Princess Lafuria, you are excellent in every regard. You act with reason and justification, leaving no flaws for others to find, and you excel at resolving problems through diplomatic means."

"...But that is also your greatest weakness. You are too fixated on 'rules' and 'order.'"

"You must understand that chaos lies on the other side of order. Not everyone will abide by the laws of order."

"...If you encounter an enemy in the future who does not follow order or rules, this way of thinking will inevitably lead you into danger and desperation."

"There is nothing wrong with order, but it limits our wild imagination. Sometimes, you do not need to think so much, nor do you need to care about unnecessary matters."

"...Absolute power will make others follow your order. Do not bind yourself in your own cocoon."

Saigō spoke with a smile. His moral outlook, which sharply distinguished between the strong and the weak, along with his almost demonically chaotic way of thinking, made Lafuria somewhat uncomfortable.

However, the Kingdom's First Princess did not refute Saigō's words. After pondering them for a moment, she said to him with a solemn expression, "...Mr. Zarathustra, I have learned from your words."

The Princess's humility pleased Saigō greatly.

He disliked people with no bottom line, people who acted without restraint; he also disliked those who were excessively kind and somewhat pedantic.

Condemning meaningless evil while mocking excessive kindness—that was Saigō's moral outlook.

Because in Saigō's mind, there was no absolute distinction between good and evil, only between strength and weakness.

So-called good and evil were merely the differing views held by the strong and the weak toward different things. This was the Nietzschean philosophy of the Übermensch that Saigō admired.

Thus, he was Zarathustra!

The Rainbow Bridge ultimately descended at the nearest airfield to Gozo Island. When Saigō and the others arrived at the ruins on Gozo Island, there was no one left on the surface, only a newly excavated cave.

"It seems the base body of the Fourth True Ancestor is inside."

Saigō looked at the cave entrance with great interest.

As only a half-baked 2D enthusiast, he knew many things only in broad strokes.

But it was precisely this exploration of the unknown that he found even more interesting.

Aurora Florestina

Inside the underground ruins, a group of people was resting.

"Whew, I never expected the guardians of this ruin to be so powerful. They're rather similar to the ancient weapons from the Ninth Meherger Ruins."

Liana Karyana, heir to a Margrave from War King's Domain, panted heavily, her face showing lingering fear.

Not far behind her, a massive construct resembling a metal statue had been reduced to fragments scattered across the ground.

Nearby, the beastman mercenaries were also resting after the battle.

Though Akaya Castle looked utterly exhausted as well, he remained in high spirits and laughed heartily. "...Miss Liana, are the ancient weapons you mentioned the Narakville excavated from the Ninth Meherger Ruins?"

Liana nodded lightly. "...Yes, those things. Although we cannot activate those ancient weapons without the proper operating commands..."

"...According to the Scholarly Association's research, they are incredibly terrifying. If activated, they would surely bring unimaginable consequences. They truly deserve to be called weapons of the gods."

"But I did not expect Dr. Akaya Castle to know about these ancient weapons as well."

Akaya Castle said indifferently, "...No matter what, I am an archaeologist. I know many colleagues, so I have my own channels for hearing such news."

Seeing Akaya Castle say that, Liana did not ask further. She merely looked toward the pair of young siblings standing nearby with terrified expressions and said with some dissatisfaction:

"...Putting everything else aside, Dr. Akaya Castle, I never expected you to actually bring your son and daughter here. Don't you know how dangerous this place is?"

"That statue earlier should have made you aware of the danger here."

As she spoke, Liana pulled the little girl dressed in red-and-white miko robes, who looked no older than an elementary school student, into her arms.

After being pulled into Liana's embrace and comforted for a while, the terrified little girl finally calmed down somewhat.

Akaya Castle looked at his children and sighed. "...I originally intended to bring only Nagisa. Who would have thought that Kojo, this brat, would come along too?"

The boy called Kojo, who looked no older than an upper elementary school student, could not help saying:

"...Hey, hey, Dad. You're never home, and the first thing you say when you see your son is that you're annoyed by him?"

"If this keeps up, Nagisa and I are going to forget we even have a father."

Akaya Castle laughed and scolded him, "...You little brat!"

After the father and son exchanged a few barbs, Akaya Castle stood up and patted his pants. He said to Liana, "...Let's go. The end of the ruins should be ahead."

"...You'll soon understand why I brought Nagisa here."

Liana furrowed her brows. She could sense that the girl named Akina Nagisa indeed possessed incredible Spiritual Power, something she seemed to have been born with.

Spiritual Power was a strength unique to humans, one that demonkind could not acquire. Humans who possessed it were generally mikos or something similar.

Liana was puzzled, but she did not ask. She knew that Akaya Castle had extremely extensive archaeological experience, and there had to be a reason for his actions.

Very soon, Liana learned why Akaya Castle had insisted on bringing his daughter.

At the very end of the ruins, an indestructible barrier stood before them.

"This barrier..."

Liana touched the barrier in front of her, her expression turning grim.

Through her perception, the vampire from War King's Domain knew that although this barrier appeared to be thousands of years old, it was still operating.

It was as if some existence had been continuously supplying it with magic power.

By her analysis, breaking through the barrier would be extremely difficult. Aside from forcibly destroying it with a large-scale magical weapon of mass destruction, the only option was to unravel it.

But for a barrier connected to the Fourth True Ancestor, who knew how long it would take to decipher?

"This is why I brought Nagisa here. I had long guessed that there would be a barrier like this at the end."

"...My mother was an outstanding miko, while my wife was an Over-Adaptor."

"Although neither I nor that useless son of mine inherited much of anything, Nagisa possesses the talents of both a miko and an Over-Adaptor."

"...Nagisa, it's up to you now. But be careful not to force yourself. If you truly cannot dispel the barrier, we'll think of another way."

Akaya Castle's words made it clear that although he seemed flippant, he actually cared deeply for his children.

"I understand, Dad..."

Akina Nagisa took a deep breath. She walked up to the barrier and closed her eyes, recalling the methods her grandmother had taught her for using Spiritual Power.

Akaya Castle, Akatsuki Kojou, and Liana all watched her nervously, afraid that something might happen to the girl.

Smoothly, as Akina Nagisa poured her Spiritual Power into it, the barrier visibly began to fade.

Seeing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Only Akaya Castle frowned and muttered, "...This barrier bears traces of the Celestial Tribe."

"...Sure enough, when the Celestial Tribe existed, human Spiritual Power had special uses. According to my investigation, it should be related to the Divine Vibration Wave."

His voice was so quiet that no one else heard him.

"So cold..."

As the barrier gradually dissipated, even Liana, a vampire, hugged her arms and shivered.

Aside from the beastmen, everyone else trembled from the cold.

When the barrier completely vanished, what appeared before them was a massive hollow.

The entire cavern had been almost completely excavated, and countless magical patterns were drawn across the smooth walls surrounding it.

At the center of this enormous cavern, which resembled a stalactite cave, rested an elegant crystal-like stone coffin.

Calling it a stone coffin was not entirely accurate. It was actually a massive block of ice shaped like a coffin. Within the faint, shifting light reflected by the ice, an incomparably beautiful girl seemed to be sleeping.

The moment Liana saw the girl, a fanatical expression appeared on her face, and she quickly walked forward.

Akaya Castle tried to stop her but was still a step too late. He could only stop his own children from going forward.

"Kojo, Nagisa, don't go over there. That ice coffin is dangerous!"

Akaya Castle's expression was grave. At that moment, anyone could feel the ominous aura drifting around the ice coffin.

It was a curse—an extremely terrifying curse!

But Liana did not care about that now. She staggered up to the ice coffin, her expression feverish.

"I found her. I finally found her—the Number Twelve Night Lord of Blazing Light!"

"...With her, I can participate in the Feast of Blazing Light once again and reclaim the Vessel I lost in the past!"

"She is so beautiful, just like Sleeping Beauty!"

Liana muttered under her breath, looking as though she had lost her soul, completely dazed.

Then, in the next instant, Liana's expression twisted into a snarl. "...Wake up, Sleeping Beauty!"

"...The Feast of Blazing Light will begin soon. You must fulfill your mission, and then, as your attendant, I will receive the Fourth True Ancestor's blessing and restore the Karyana Family's former glory!"

Seeing Liana suddenly act as though she had gone mad, everyone present frowned.

Just then, an unhurried yet mysterious voice echoed through the empty cavern:

"...Sleeping Beauty, Aurora Florestina? Ha, that's quite a nice name. It sounds much better than Number Twelve, Night Lord of Blazing Light."

"It also sounds much better than Number Twelve Dodekatos!"

Hearing the sudden voice, Liana shuddered in alarm. She came back to herself, swiftly turned around, and shouted sternly, "...Come out! Who is it?!"

A strange black flame ignited from nothingness in the open space of the cavern.

The black flame twisted into a human form, eventually becoming a man dressed in a black robe trimmed in silver. His features were clear and handsome, yet carried a sinister air.

"My name is Zarathustra. I am a demon. Would you hand Sleeping Beauty over there to me?"