Trial of the Twelve Zodiac Gods - Part 2

Flashback...

Following the disappearance of Themis's projection, Rin's world began to spin as a force suddenly overtook his body and transported him to a forest.

Thud.

"Sigh, just what is it with strong people and tending to manhandle people like surely there must be easier ways to teleport someone to a forest?" Rin complained helplessly as he lifted himself and dusted his clothes off.

Before using shadow steps to maneuver through the forest, until he reached a clearing and placed his hand on the ground.

Swoosh.

"Hmm, now this is strange so either the plants and animals within the forest are dead or everything has been temporarily placed in stasis?" Rin concluded after sending a wave of energy throughout the forest to get a better read of the place he was in.

[Ding!]

[A clue has been discovered…]

[Trial 1 – Discover what is causing the inhabitants of the Hello Forest to be in a constant state of sleep has been unlocked! You have three 3 days to produce a solution to save the lives of the forest's inhabitants!]

[3 Days / 24 Hours / 50 Minutes / 10 Seconds!]

[1% Completed!]

 "Oh, now this is new… so for each, new clue I find new information will be unlocked and the subsequent trials will slowly be revealed to me as my percentage rate increases, huh?" Rin muttered as he analyzed his current situation and produced a guess of what type of trial Themis might have given him.

'Sigh welp, I asked for this so let's get to work as it seems we can only rely on ourselves to do this, Rin.' Rin told himself as he stood up and closed his eyes before gazing in the direction where his energy was hindered and smiled joyfully.

"Aww, just why can't life be like this every day?" Rin muttered with happiness as his blood began to boil with the excitement of fighting new enemies and discovering new things that could potentially help him grow stronger.

*** 

Meanwhile on a distant planet within Multiverse Y…

"Master, do you think junior brother will be able to succeed this time?" A pink-haired girl asked Themis as she caressed her pet snake.

"Hard to say, however, he should be able to as long as he is willing to give up on his obsession and accept the reality of his situation," Themis replied after giving it a bit of thought.

"True… but master just what type of obsession, does junior brother Hero have that it would force him to spend a hundred years in the mortal world?"

"… the most difficult of them all to overcome, oneself, Sofia." Themis stated with a sigh as she stood up and glanced at Hero before hugging Sofia and returning to her realm, "Sorry I couldn't stay longer Sofia, and do please take care of Hero in my absence and tell him that it's okay if he doesn't succeed for, he will always be my disciple."

"Will do, Master, and tell my new junior brother I said, Howdy!" Sofia smiled as she waved goodbye to her master before returning her focus to Hero, who was currently undergoing the Tribulation of the Three Hearts: Mortal, Demi, and God. 

Something each Peak Ancestral God must undergo before they're eligible for the opportunity to transform their hearts into a crystal seed and embark on the path of creating their own Heaven & Hell within their Inner World. 

***

Back in the Starry Realm…

"So, what's the situation, Ruth?" Themis asked after receiving an alert from her clone about the participant undergoing her trial.

"Master… Rin's reached Trial 3 in under 40 hours with about a day, 35 minutes, and 5 seconds reaming."

"Hmm, so he might just beat Sofia's time, I guess the lower realms truly might just make a comeback in this era." Themis smiled as she could not wait to see Rin's face he found out that she was the mastermind behind everything.

Pinch.

"Ouch, just what is, Ruth?"

"Sigh, master, please focus as that wasn't the reason why I called you here," Ruth said as she shook her head and pointed at Rin's percentage bar which said [120% Completed!].

"Oh but, wouldn't that mean he already completed the entire Trial… since there should essentially be nothing left for him to do except either kill me and use my body to create the antidote or forcefully dispel the curse using the Branch of Hello in the pit of despair." Themis analyzed as she tapped the holographic screen displaying Rin's trial and pressed rewind to see what he did differently from the rest of her apostles.

10 minutes later…

Blink. Blink.

"Master, now do you understand why I called you here?" Ruth said with a helpless smile as this was the first in her creation, she could not comprehend the mind and actions of a mortal. After, he has been stripped of everything including his little cheat, and must rely upon himself in a foreign land to uncover the mystery behind an entire region falling into an eternal slumber.

"Yes, but still just how did he discover the pit, so quickly and manage to find the old hermit in the cave? Hmm, Rin Jasper Kurama just what other secrets are you hiding, young man?" Themis wondered as now even she was starting to get interested in the future of her last and final apostle.

"So, Master, should we end the trial early or just allow him to continue with whatever he's doing?"

"You can end it, Ruth as there's no point in him, proving himself any longer as he's done enough to already be deemed a worthy apostle," Themis said before stopping Ruth and smiling at her as she pointed at the holographic screen and back at her.

"Sigh, surely you can't be serious, Master as even if I was suppressed to the same level as Rin, I could kill with but a swipe of my hand."

"Okay, so why don't we make a bet on whether or not the all-powerful Ruth could defeat, a trash from the lower realms who attained the cultivation of a Peak Angelic Cultivator!" Themis said as she incited Ruth to take the bet and prove she is not all talk but action.

"Tsk, fine I accept, however, if I win you must allow me the ability to roam freely for 10 years, Themis."

"Okay, and if you don't succeed then you must be Rin's protector during the invasion," Themis said as there was not much, she could do for Rin in the lower realms, considering how limited her influence was there except protect him until he ascended.

"I can do that," Ruth replied as she smiled happily at finally being able to live the dream of any clone.

"Well then good luck and may the best one," Themis said as she suddenly snapped her fingers causing Rin's Trial to change from a timed save the world type thing to a timed survival test.

After, she teleported both herself and Ruth into Rin's Trial and caused the environment to change from a forest to a barren wasteland. Where Rin and Ruth would fight each other for five minutes until one of them dies or the timer ends.