When the silver praying mantis harasses the black cicada, the green canary stalks it behind

Narrator POV:

Syr Flova.

"Mmmm🎶 mmm 🎶 mmmmm 🎶 mmmmmm 🎶mmm 🎶"

That was the name of the young woman who hummed happily. With gray hair tied in a ponytail, as well as eyes of that same color, she was undoubtedly a beauty.

That beauty was inside the kitchen of the place where she worked, the hostess of fertility, about to finish washing some dishes, with some anticipation in her movements.

"Is this guest you spoke of before so special, Syr?"

That anticipation was noticed again by another woman, an elf. Syr turned her head and looked at that mysterious friend of hers, Ryuu. Who appeared there one day saying that she needed a job.

Ryuu Lion was a woman with beautiful, long, golden blonde hair, she also had sky blue eyes that had a certain sharpness.

She was extremely beautiful, with skin as white as snow. Serious, honest, fair, she really did look like a real fairy.

"Yes, he is." Syr replied, thinking for a moment before smiling so brightly that it made the elf raise her eyebrows in surprise."It was a short but very special meeting."

"Be careful of the louts who want to trick you, Syr..."

"Oh?" Syr narrowed her eyes with a playful glint in them. "Does that also apply to you with that mysterious fiancé?" The young woman looked with great curiosity at the ring on the elf's finger, wondering who the lucky one she was waiting for was.

'Cough'

Ryuu coughed into a fist with a little embarrassment for seeming hypocritical about what she would say. "That scoundrel is a very different case, he at least takes responsibility for his actions."

"I see, I guess you're right." Syr nodded, not wanting to deepen the elf's embarrassment. Still curious. Since it seemed that that fiancé was one of the prominent figures of the dark age 8 years ago, who helped end that times.

Well, it didn't matter that much, it was just some curiosity about one of the heroes of that alliance that rose against Evilus, no matter how brilliant or cool he was, he couldn't hold a candle to his beloved Odr, who should already be getting there.

"Anyway, if you need help, just tell me." Ryuu went and took a tray, about to go get the plates from some table. "After all, we two are friends, right?"

"Of course." Syr smiled sincerely at the elf who smiled back before walking away into the pub. She wasn't lying, at some point in all those years she spent with her working at that place, she did come to see her as a friend.

'Clank'

Syr had no idea how the friendship would change to a kind of sisterhood when she peeked her head out to see what caused that noise, that of a tray falling to the floor.

And...

"Look what the wind brought, it's been a long time..." Syr watched in astonishment as the elf stood in front of the table where her Odr and Hestia were sitting, talking to him.

"My dearest fiancé, Eden."

'Wait, wait, wait! What the hell is going on?!' Certainly, that was a day full of surprises for many. But Syr/Freya never expected something like that to happen just like that.

***

Life is full of surprises, that was a universal truth. But Mikhael personally preferred another more unique truth. If god gives you lemons, find yourself another fucking more generous god.

"Don't you think you owe us a clear explanation, Mika?"

Mikhael looked at the women sitting in front of him, the corners of his mouth twitching fiercely. A goddess, an elf, and a 'human'. On another day it would be something to celebrate. Now?, It wasn't.

"Yes, I think an explanation would be appropriate, Eden." The elf, Ryuu lion, sat looking at him with a mixture of joy for something, something that seemed to be love, and quite a bit of reproach for something.

Feeling the other look from the "human", who covered her mouth and laughed discreetly at the elf's words. Mikhael followed the most logical course of action and just shrugged.

"Honestly, I can use Hestia here as a witness, that I don't know exactly what is going on with this 'fiancé' mentioned by the beautiful elf lady in front of me."

Hestia nodded slowly, feeling the truth contained in what he said, before looking towards the elf. "Elf-kun, you have the wrong person, I feel sorry for you, but Mika is not the one you are looking for…"

Hestia's victorious smile froze as she watched the elf place her hand on the table, thus emphasizing a ring on the ring finger of her left hand, just as if she were showing it off.

"…"

On the outer side of the ring was carved the phrase "Hic Amor Vincit Omnia Ad Aeternam" (This love conquers all for all eternity). And on the inner side were engraved the initials of both of their names. It was certainly an exquisite design.

"I'm sorry for you, goddess, but I think I wasn't wrong at all," Ryuu said with her stoic expression, as she quickly put on the ring under the gaze of the others there. "Me and him got engaged in this city 8 years ago."

"..."

'Shit, I can totally see myself putting a ring on this elf.' Mikhael confirmed a certain assumption upon seeing that design or that phrase that almost practically screamed his personal style. 'Future me, you sure like to enjoy life, motherfucker.'

'It's just a ring! Why do you look so superior?' Hestia gritted her teeth. She didn't expect another rival, cough, she mean another shameless woman to emerge so suddenly after Freya.

'My odr and my good friend knew each other before, it should be a double happiness, but why did things turn out like this?.' Syr/Freya thought about how small the world was sometimes.

'However, that also means that Odr is that "Fallen angel", Sisyphus, who fought alongside the Astraea Familia...' Syr/Freya remembered that mysterious adventurer and his strange skill that was the reason for that alias from the gods.

Several other waitresses raised their eyebrows as they eavesdropped on the conversation at tables further away from the others. Were they supposed to praise the guts of the young man who stepped on not two but three boats?

"Wait, wait! What about eight years ago?" Hestia suddenly slammed her hand on the table as the math in her mind hit a temporary error. "Mika just arrived in Orario today for the first time!"

"Everything has an answer, however, it is not my place to say it." Ryuu ignored the goddess's bewilderment as she searched her pockets for something before handing it to Mikhael.

That was a certain card with the symbol of a golden eye on it, that was a gift card.

The common means of transfer, storage, or appraisal in Little Garden. Whether it was gifts, memories, weapons, or all sorts of things, everything could be stored in these.

Mikhael fully confirmed his assumption once he saw it and took it. A torrent of information entered his mind. To sum up many things, he had traveled back in time later in the future and screwed up history as it was.

"..."

The three women watched as the young man smiled in a strange mix of joy and bitterness for some reason as he touched that strange card before proposing something to all of them.

"This may sound inappropriate, but how about we go somewhere more private to get your questions answered?"

***

"When you look into the abyss, the abyss will look back at you."

That phrase from a certain philosopher could be perfectly applied to explain the "special method of observing unknown outer universes outside of Little Garden."

That it was also simply called the "abyss method."

This method worked from three fundamental things:

1-The center of Little Garden, which functions as the system that manages the entire multiverse that makes up Little Garden itself. This system, without its own will or emotions, judges and dictates the outcome of events within its scope.

2-The essence and spiritual power, each living or non-living being had, were the classification of the existence of everything that was observed within the total or current scope of Little Garden.

The spiritual essence was the size and quality of the "container" of each thing, on the other hand, the spiritual power was the amount of the "filling" of that "container" that constituted each existence.

As with the "Gift" (power), each being in Little Garden can have more than one spiritual essence but would have an original one that represents or is connected to their existence.

For example, something like Zeus being able to be Jupiter but still being Zeus.

The spiritual essence could also be called "identity", it was something that the center of Little Garden granted based on the connection with human history that it recognized.

For example, just based on the current circumstances, Mikhael could obtain the spiritual essence of 'Orion', 'Odr', 'Sigurd', 'Mercurius, the Mercurial King' or 'Knight of the Dragon' if that spiritual essence was unoccupied, he would get it.

(Spiritual essence and spiritual power are divided into 7 categories/zones called digits, ranging from 1 to 7. Kurma is at the peak of Little Garden like the other 2-digit beings and Mikhael is currently only at the beginning of everything in 7 digits.)

3-Someone willing to face divine questioning.

For certain reasons, the gods of Little Garden forbade using that method, thus stopping further expansion of the scope of observation into the far outer universes/worlds. Mikhael avoided that requirement thanks to Kurma's influence.

Kurma's explanation to Mikhael about the method was:

"As a foreigner, the one who uses this method enters into a different world beyond the scope of the current observation of Little Garden and causes a large-scale impact on that world"

"Being or an artist who will be famous for generations, an important politician of a country, a brave general on the battlefield, a criminal who committed a heinous crime...or the parents of these people."

"After achieving these achievements and reaching your peak influence in the world, the Abyss Method can be activated."

"As a person who has attracted the attention of the world, then takes the initiative to observe the world through the system of the little garden. At that time, the Little Garden Center will also observe you, and then it will observe the entire world ."

"In other words, you have to be the "protagonist" of a different world and a trendsetter of the times to use this method."

"Thus, depending on your achievements, fame or identity...spiritual essences, gifts, and spiritual power will be given respectively as rewards."

"Although you should be careful with this method, after all, by adding universes/worlds to little garden, you add possibilities to little garden"

"Possibilities that the center can recognize as facts thanks to the nature of it, in little garden even if a lie spreads and is established as "common sense", the little garden center without self-awareness will treat it as "truth".

"So, if you observe, for example, the possibility that "Zeus is a chicken in a certain world" that possibility will be transmitted to the Zeus of the little garden, and he would get the spiritual essence of a chicken called Zeus."

"or maybe also a possibility like "the gods were created by humans" that would affect all gods to a certain extent."

"Thus you would be able to offend many people with some worlds with special backgrounds or stories..."

"Of course, with my support, that shouldn't worry you so much, after all, you have me as your boss, protector, and sponsor, My knight~"

That being said, what if there was a being that knew multiple unobserved worlds and could also travel to those worlds through the void?

The answer would be exactly Mikhael's current situation.

With the knowledge of the worlds that he believed were fiction and that actually existed, as well as his own system to find the coordinates and take him to those worlds, he would become stronger.

And that was the reason why "The Dungeon World" was chosen as his first stop.

The mythological background of this world as well as its relatively low danger would serve as a place to lay the foundation for his future personal strength.

Of course, it wasn't like there weren't other reasons like "The goddesses of that world are beautiful" or "I want to go on an adventure," and "My intuition tells me that something awaits me there."

But it was the main reason why "Mikhael Eden Ascart," the being from beyond the world, fell beyond the heavens into that lower world that needed a hero, and it was also…

…The beginning of one last great story.

***

Little Garden.

The paradise of the gods.

The one where divine, demonic, spiritual, transcendent beings and many other mythological or spiritual entities resided in countless communities.

The place that stood in the center of creation, where fiction and reality mix, resulting in a landscape beyond what words can fully describe.

Freya/Syr was sincerely amazed by all the information she heard from her beloved Odr. Was there really something beyond this "world?" Something so wonderful?

But again, He, the living proof, was right in front of her, breathing, talking, and looking at her with a certain loving glow from time to time. He, who had fallen from beyond the stars to come and take her hand to accompany her forever.

After the surprise, it was natural that it was like this, only such a place could give birth to a soul like that, with a quality that surpassed that of all the gods of this world together.

"Wait, wait, wait, you said that you might be able to impregnate the goddesses of this world and that you could also live forever just like the gods here?!"

Hestia suddenly shouted, grabbing Mikhael by the shoulders and shaking him as she asked him everything from a close distance. Well, her approach was somewhat strange but certainly important to all the goddesses.

After all, all of the goddesses thought about having offspring once they went down to the lower world and looked with envy at the mortals who had families and children.

That was why the thought that her Odr could be with her forever and be able to fulfill her wish for motherhood with him...

"Hehehe" Freya laughed softly at that thought, attracting the attention of the elf beside her, who seemed to already know all that information. "Did you know all this, Ryuu?"

"Yes, Mikhael warned me about everything when I confessed my love to him." Ryuu answered her, now looking at her with some suspicion. She suspected something, most likely her lack of reaction to all of this.

But then again, at some point, she would know the truth, wouldn't she?

"Syr or whatever your real name is, I'm not going to inquire about your true identity, I just want you to know that I'm still your friend after all."

"Oh? I thought you would yell at me, feeling betrayed or something." Syr didn't bother to deny those suspicions, she just raised her eyebrows playfully at the honest elf. "Since our fair elf wouldn't stand for lies or betrayals such as that."

"...I've already made the mistake of hastily judging someone in the past..." Ryuu replied softly looking at her Odr. That made Freya very curious about her history with him. "Since then I promised myself not to be blinded by my ideals."

Wow... Was that the scent of a rather interesting drama? Freya looked at the determination in Ryuu's blue eyes. She had to admit that her Odr had good taste in women, she could say that even if she didn't feel anything for her in that sense.

"You already explained to us your origin as well as your goal in this world." Freya spoke attracting the attention of the young man next to Hestia, same Hestia who sat on the bed in "Syr's" room with a happy, somewhat silly smile.

"But what is the reason why you have known Ryuu for 8 years?" Freya asked with clear curiosity in those gray eyes that she currently had in that more "common" form of hers.

"...Time travel, at some point in the future, I went to the past to change something." Mikhael closed his eyes for a moment before looking at her guiltily. "I'm really sorry, I don't know why I didn't change your story or go see you much earlier."

Time travel...Go back in time?...so that was it.

"I see..." Freya smiled softly, approaching the young man, hugging him and placing his head against her breasts. "Was that the reason for your guilt towards me? Really, how foolish...My Odr..."

"I understand that there must be reasons for that, and while there is some resentment in me, it has already been appeased with the guilt in your eyes, so please do not hurt yourself with that."

Hestia watched with trembling eyes as the young man hugged her tightly, creating a rather romantic atmosphere. Her surprise did not come from the scene, well, not entirely, but much more from his words. "You...you actually are...!!!"

***

It had been quite a long day, filled with many surprises. Whether it was the date, meeting Takemikazuchi, coming to the hostess of fertility, or this meeting with Syr and Ryuu.

"Shhh, Mikhael already knows everything, but I would still appreciate it if you please don't casually reveal my identity, goddess Hestia."

With his Vanadis' words as well as her embrace, Mikhael found some comfort in the simple act of holding her, but also the sense of responsibility for her deepened.

"Shameless woman! Did you really go to these extremes to be with Mikhael?! And why are you clinging to him so much now?!"

After all, she forgave him like that, even after going through all that. The least he could do was return at least ten times that comfort and love.

"No, this was something from before. And even if it was, so what? What are you going to do Hestia? Do you want to fight, huh? I don't need to ask your permission to hug him either, is your name on him or what? Besides, you're just his goddess, Hestia."

Freya continued to tease Hestia, while she gently caressed his head. So between stopping a rather interesting drama or enjoying burying his head in her breasts, he chose the latter under the sharp gaze of the elf.

"I am...I am...his goddess, yes, and as his goddess I must take care of my child's well-being. Huh? What's with that look of contempt? His soul has already been marked by my Falna! How does that make you feel, huh? Hahaha What do you think of that?!"

Mikhael felt Freya tremble for a moment, was it from anger or from holding back the urge to laugh? He didn't know, but she grabbed his hands that were on her waist and lowered them a little further down, well, it couldn't be helped, right?

"Ah~❤️ not there, at least not now, Odr~❤️, after all...someone who is "just a goddess" is looking at us, two true lovers~❤️ Fufufu~❤️"

"..."

It seemed like they had taken the game a bit too far, not because of the sounds of clenched teeth coming from the little goddess...

But because the next thing Mikhael knew, someone had taken him away from "Syr's" gentle embrace to another place, that someone...

"I'm sorry, Syr and goddess Hestia...I'll now be taking my fiancé to have a long-awaited very private meeting." Ryuu grabbed Mikhael like a sack of potatoes with the strength of an Lv.6 adventurer and fled the room to her own.

Wow...was this elf this proactive in the original story? Not that he was complaining, besides this world was a parallel universe so some difference was normal.

Or maybe it was simply because he made her wait so long...

"You really haven't changed at all..." Ryuu said as she closed the door to the room, thus ignoring the voices coming from behind. "You shouldn't mock a maiden's heart like that."

Mikhael looked around Ryuu's room, the room of this new fiancée who came out of nowhere, was quite normal, a bed, a trunk with some things, and a wooden wardrobe.

"I guess you're right, but I just can't help it when I see the expressions Hestia makes," Mikhael confessed to the elf, taking a seat on her bed shamelessly in front of her.

"Who said I was talking about goddess Hestia right now?." Ryuu smiled like a cat who finally caught a certain special mouse. Mikhael was suddenly aware of something. "7 years, you made me wait 7 whole years for your return, you know?"

"I think I need an adult right now." Said jokingly the young man who looked like he was only 18 years old in that new life. He was aware of the heat of the elf's gaze, at least until someone opened the door, he was in her hands.

"What a coincidence..." The older woman raised her eyebrows at the joke, moving closer to the young man who was sitting on her own bed until her face was right in front of his.

"I just happen to be an adult, my 'little' Eden..."