Chapter 164: The Answer

Currently, I am walking the usual bustling streets of Orario. However, one thing remained different.

"Loki taught me some things… like this one."

'So it was Loki? No wonder…'

Aiz firmly grasped my hand. For some reason… no, for quite an obvious reason, I could see her mood go up.

It was a normal hold at first, but she began slowly playing with her fingers.

'It was only around two weeks… but to think she'll change this fast..?'

She still bore many similarities to her previous self. Her stoic expression is strangely similar to Galahad's own. However, she could already express herself better—even if they were small cute gestures.

'She really…

*****

'He is taller…'

Aiz could still remember when they are of the same height. She hadn't expected that the boy from before could grow into a man like this.

"Lord Loki still hasn't changed? Well, gods are like that. Perhaps, after years of stagnation, I would also become like that."

Nobu let out these 'inexplicable' words.

"You're still good… even if you don't change."

"Really?"

"Um."

The two became silent as they continued walking towards the Twilight Manor. Nobu was unfazed by it due to his 'omniscience' that enabled him to know 'everything'. It was Aiz who became conscious due to what she had said.

'A hero… A special someone… Is that what father talked about?'

At this moment, she connected the dots. Her father, Albert Waldstein, was her mother, Aria's special someone.

If so…

She swiftly glanced at the man wearing a pure black coat beside her.

The rest of their journey was spent with Aiz being silent. The strange feeling that she felt from her dreams as well as her current realization made her hesitant on what to do.

"Sirius..! I knew it! This day has finally come!"

Before they could even open the gate, the goddess of the Loki familia did so herself. Her expression was that of annoyance as she pointed at Nobu's face.

"I know you're a pretty handsome man and all, but…"

Loki's eyes widened as she vaguely felt the 'difference' that Nobu brought.

"You… really…"

The tip of her mouth couldn't help but twitch. She processed the revelation of Nobu being on the level of a 'God King' with ease, but she somehow couldn't believe that the boy she first saw as a mortal reached this level.

"Let's have a talk first. Aiz-chan, can we be left alone for a while?"

"...Mn."

Under Aiz's scrutinizing gaze, Nobu and Loki walked away.

"I knew you would notice it immediately, Lord Loki."

"Your omnipotence might have blocked any tricks from affecting you, but that reaction alone gave it away."

God of Trickery.

That was Loki's title back in Tenkai. Her authority was extremely strong when it came to 'tricks', yet she couldn't even affect Nobu with it. That alone is an indicator that Nobu reached a higher level than her.

"I see. That could be the case. Things should be more realistic…" Nobu murmured before he did something to him. "How was it?"

Loki's eyelid twitches as she could feel her tricks working. She now saw him as his previous level.

"What's your next goal after this? I know there's not a lot of things in the world that will surpass you."

"You might have underestimated our version of the end."

"That? I do admit, most worlds we saw from Tenkai has their ending mechanism being extremely strong, but you should be able to deal with it. If not…"

"That might be a first, even to your civilization up there."

"Hah. The 'Twilight Syndrome', was it? To require a God King—"

"Four God Kings. We were still beaten up at that time. Only one remained after the entire mess."

"..."

Loki realized their current problem. Based on how Nobu spoke, he must've seen a lot of things, including their future.

"Don't tell me you came back to say your final farewells…"

Nobu only responded with a slight nod.

"You…"

For a moment, she didn't know what to do. She had seen a lot of these rare deaths happen in Tenkai. Even some of her children died while exploring the dungeon.

However, Nobu's farewell feels vastly different from others.

Loki saw him change their world single-handedly. From the knowledge he brought over up until the dangers that Gekai hid, he gave them all. Worse, there isn't much that he got in return for his absurd actions.

In a sense, it was as if she was witnessing the fall of a great hero.

"Don't forget the girls who looked at you that way."

"I… I can't be selfish now, can't I?" Nobu asked with a wry smile.

With his omniscience, he would be fooling himself if he thought that his disappearance wouldn't matter to others.

"At least you're self-aware. If you still acted like a bloke at this point…"

Loki gestured her clenched fist to him.

"Lord Loki." Nobu paused as his voice became a bit heavier. "I will be closing the connection of our worlds. It will ensure that nothing will affect Gekai from our world. The last time it did, a lot of bad things had happened."

When their 'cursed energy' penetrated through Gekai, it caused the Black Dragon to awaken a new power. The defeat of the Zeus and Hera Familia wouldn't have been extremely disastrous if not for it.

"At least, until we settle our problems, I cannot return here."

Nobu scanned the surroundings after he was done talking. His glance stopped at a certain place.

"Was that enough, Lady Riveria?"

A mature green-haired elf appeared out of nowhere.

"There is a solution to that problem." She suddenly said. "If you will let us accompany you, Loki-sama's worries will be lessened, no?"

Seeing Nobu being silent, Riveria then joked:

"You promised me that you'll take me on a trip to your world."

Loki's expression changed drastically, as if she hadn't expected something like that.

"E-even Mama—"

Bam-!

In a split second, Riveria's beloved staff appeared out of nowhere and bashed Loki's face, sending her entire body flying away.

Nobu saw Riveria's body trembling in shame.

"You… You heard it, didn't you?"

His omniscience made him understand everything around him—down to their origins. Of course, there's no way he could've missed it.

"That you were called Mama by Lord Loki due to your maternal vibe?"

"...There are things better left to be unsaid. Don't you think so?"

"Perhaps." Nobu replied with a smile.

Riveria fixed the slight wrinkles on her robe as she stored her staff in a pocket space.

"Just so you know, Aiz would do her best to stick with you." She explained. "Lately, she… no, we had some strange dreams. It might be from what you call 'parallel worlds'."

Nobu's eyes widened as he earned a realization.

'I haven't met the others from Tenkai in that parallel world..!'

Once more, he faced the aftermath of his 'selfish' choices.

"It seems like you know something?"

"I visited one myself." Nobu replied. "It was a pity that I couldn't meet your versions over there. But, those dreams should be their memories."

Riveria fell silent as she recalled the content of one of her dreams. Nobu immediately saw the change in her.

"Don't worry. I am different from that version of myself. I am stronger than him. At least, that ending won't come true."

"..."

In the end, she heaved a deep sigh.

"Please, let us come with you, Sirius."

"..."

He could only remain silent until she walked away. Nobu's conflicting thoughts made him unable to reach a conclusion.

"Owh… That hurt a bit…"

"You deserved it. A lady at that age would definitely be ashamed of it."

"But it's fun seeing her react like that. Don't you agree?"

"...Perhaps. But, respecting others come first."

"I have a feeling you'll become a boring god, Sirius…"

Loki continued some of her jokes here and then, but Nobu senses that the direction of their conversation is headed towards a more serious topic.

"Just remember. There are times when… death does not matter. Regret is a far more potent poison than anything else. If my girls come to gravely regret something one day… Mind tell you, it will be something I would not want to see."

Their conversation was cut off by a lively voice that came out of nowhere.

"Sirius?! You're finally here!"

A cheerful Amazon jumped out of the window as she landed straight into Nobu. It was unknown whether it was due to luck or something, but the latter ended up catching her in a princess carry.

"It's been some time, isn't it?!"

Unexpectedly, her naive yet bright aura made him smile. After drowning in worries since he became a [World Magister] two weeks ago, he found the leeway to forget his worries.

Just then, a sharp aura tickled his neck. When Nobu turned around, he saw a silent Aiz staring not far away from them.

A single thought immediately entered his mind:

'I need to defuse this.'

*****

After being placed in a risky situation, I managed to explain everything properly. 

I am no fool.

I could feel Aiz's feelings in me had changed. If it was still a deep friendship before, it was definitely far beyond that now.

Compared to Tiona who was straightforward in expressing her feelings, Aiz was different. 

She… is just like Mashiro.

Thinking about it, the similarities between them is quite uncanny.

"...You will explain, no?"

Artemis' voice entered my ears. I had only entered the familia home, yet she somehow caught the scent of these girls.

"It was some trouble. You know… I didn't know how to respond to their feelings and their choices…"

My words were cut down as she gestured on her lap. She is currently sitting on the sofa within the living room.

It could only mean one thing.

My mind was somewhat steady until my head rested on her lap. It felt natural to do… more so when we already went beyond normal cuddling.

"You haven't rested for quite some time. Were you thinking about your current adversary?" She asked as she patted my head. It felt as if it held some kind of magic that forced me to calm down.

"Maybe… But I am more scared of how things could end. I already saw how it was for our parallel selves."

Artemis and Hephaestus accompanied me until my death. That was something I couldn't bear the most. Yet, it might have been the best choice at that time.

If I left them just like that, I don't know what would have happened.

"Gods aren't immune to problems pertaining to the mind. You have seen how Dionysus acted in the past." 

As if she knew what was on my mind, she started telling me something.

"If you were gone… I will still try to find a way for us to be together… Even in death."

Her emerald-like pupils stared at my golden eyes. I could feel it was her sincerest answer to that dilemma.

I flashed a helpless smile.

"I see…"

If it was like this, then my answer to everything became clear.

If I cannot completely avoid the possibility of their deaths…

I should try to strive to create the most ideal ending.

The worries in my mind no longer mattered. 

I have to believe in my strength.

"It looks like you already have an answer." She said. "As a reward…"

It didn't take a long time.

Our lips met once again. This time, she kissed me while I was on her lap. I prevented my mind from throttling at full speed (i.e., infinity) while trying my best to respond to her 'reward'.

"Artemis-sama. I—"

We were abruptly forced to separate, leaving a thin silver string between us.

"I-it looks like I came at the wrong time! I'm sorry, Artemis-sama! I'm sorry, Sirius!"

Lante-san slammed the door shut.

With that interrupted, it became slightly awkward for us. In the end, I simply laughed at it. Artemis' lap pillow ended with me 'losing consciousness'.