Holy Spirit World.
At the very center of the entire world stood a divine mountain.
The Empress of Myriad Gods' church in the mortal realm had been built atop its summit, surrounded on all sides by other mountain ranges.
--She was the King of the Gods and deserved such an honor.
At that moment, a loud, lingering peal of bells rang throughout the entire church.
Inside the sacred Great Church, eight archbishops and three cardinals all knelt on the ground, praying devoutly before the statue of the Empress of Myriad Gods.
Only after reciting an entire chapter of the Apocalypse of Atonement did they slowly rise to their feet.
Just then, an old man in a white robe descended from the sky.
Everyone bowed in unison. "Greetings, Your Holiness. May you receive the Empress's radiance and spread her majesty throughout the mortal realm."
The old man waved a hand. "There is no need for such formalities. The Goddess's Fate's Punishment Bell has rung. You must act at once."
A cardinal asked in confusion, "Your Holiness, as I recall, the last time the Fate's Punishment Bell was triggered was during that world-ending war countless ages ago. What exactly has happened this time?"
The great figures around him all looked tense.
--Only when something occurred that enraged the Goddess would the Fate's Punishment Bell ring on its own.
The Fate's Punishment Bell had lain silent for far too long. What earth-shattering event was about to take place this time?
Under everyone's gaze, a strange expression suddenly crossed the Pope's face.
He spoke slowly. "Eight lines of divine script are engraved on the Fate's Punishment Bell, each representing one of eight calamities. When the bell was made, the Goddess set these conditions according to a prophecy. If any one of the eight calamities