Cooperation

While chaos gradually spread through the domain of the Outer Gates, the representatives of some of the most powerful beings in the current Order were gathering at the heart of the former Little Garden, a vast battlefield fated to remain unseen by the spectators.

Back when the original Little Garden was abandoned, only a handful of those in the 1-3-Digit Gates and their progeny managed to escape. As a result, very few people knew just how close the current Order had been to destruction. Those that did had refused to take part in the Pandemonium Gift Game, so it was their Avataras and direct descendants who had been entrusted to achieve their long-held dream.

Staring at the remains of an ancient deity, whose eyes still glistened with a hint of awareness despite a vicious, multi-pronged black spear running through his body like the twisted branches of a tree, Kurma couldn't help remarking, "How dreadful...." in a muted tone.

Standing, or, more accurately, floating next to Kurma atop a blooming lotus, an incredibly emaciated yet remarkably beautiful man with tanned skin, long green hair, and golden eyes replied, "Such is the fate of those who dedicate their existence to the pursuit of power. Not even the Gods are exempt from hubris..."

Snorting from a location several meters away, an exceptionally arrogant-looking man with mane-like white hair and luminous golden eyes retorted, "Such foolishness. Even single-celled organisms live according to the Law that the strong devour the weak. It is through desire and conquering their environment that civilizations develop. Only once that has been achieved can peace-loving fools like yourself dedicate their lives to asceticism and conquering themselves. You spit in the face of violence and conquest, but the very foundation of our world is built atop a mountain of sacrifices."

Turning to face his uncannily white companion, the bronze-skinned man smiled as he replied, "There is wisdom in your words. However, evolution means constantly moving forward. Should a civilization fail to reach a point where it can coexist with itself, its neighbors, and its environment, it will inevitably meet its end. Therefore, I do not condemn violence but the people who impose it on others for personal reasons or selfish ends..."

Furrowing his brows, the uncannily white man looked like he wanted to argue but stopped when Kurma interjected, saying, "Conquest, Sidd...now is neither the time nor the place for your bickering. If we fail to obtain the World Anchor before Azi Dahaka or the Ormus Society gets their hands on it, the Divine Realm will be split in twain. We can't just leave everything to the Sage Dragon Emperor, not when his representative refuses to reveal themselves..."

Nodding his head in affirmation, Sidd, better known as Siddhartha the Enlightened, remarked, "World Dragon Kurma is correct. While the Sage Dragon Emperor appears to be acting in the interest of the current Order, he exudes a certain...selfishness. His rise may be inevitable, but we have a duty to preserve the peace and stability of the current Order for as long as possible."

Crossing his arms in defiance, Conquest retorted, "And how do you propose we go about completing our objective when even the Old Ones were forced to flee? Just take a look at our surroundings. Even dead, there are beings present who exude even greater Divinity than the three of us combined."

Though he rarely agreed with Conquest, Sidd's brows creased ever so slightly as he nodded his head. He had the distinct impression that the three of them were either being used as bait or forced to bear witness to something. However, as this was a task entrusted to him by the Divine Aspect of Buddhism itself, he had no choice but to see it through to the end.

Continuing his aggressive diatribe, Conquest asked, "First off, how are we supposed to find this Demon Lord of Perpetuity? Didn't Azi Dahaka devour her near the climax of the Genesis War...?"

Shaking her head, Kurma's expression became serious as she said, "While it is true that Azi draws power from the Ouroboros Cycle, the nature of the Demon Lord of Perpetuity makes it impossible for any singular entity to subsume. She is the first and final Last Embryo, slumbering within the hearts and minds of every being in the current Order..."

With a clearly unamused look, Conquest pointed out, "Thanks for the history lesson. Now, how about answering my question? You say this isn't the time or place for squabbling, yet waste time providing exposition? Are you daft, or just that full of yourself...?"

Though this was far from her first interaction with Conquest, his brash manner of speaking caused Kurma's left eye to twitch. Her Origin may be the turtle that carries the world on its back, but she was still a member of the Strongest Species. Being talked down to by a brat that only came into existence after the formation of the second Little Garden was unpleasant.

Reminding herself she was on a mission, Kurma forcibly calmed her anger, explaining, "As you so astutely pointed out, there are several beings here whose power and Divinity exceed our own. More importantly, they fought against the Demon Lord of Perpetuity directly. If we can draw her essence from their bodies, breaking the seal on the World Anchor should be a simple feat."

Matching the sentiment in Conquest's mind, Sidd adopted a remarkably rare expression of scorn as he asked, "Have you and Lord Vishnu gone mad? Gathering the Demon Lord of Perpetuity's essence is the same as reviving her. The majority of her power may have been subsumed by Azi Dahaka, but she is the origin of all Demon Lords, Kings, and Gods. All the damage you see here was caused 'after' her heart was devoured. Are you seriously suggesting we bring her back?"

Leaving her two companions speechless, Kurma nodded her head and answered, "Indeed. However, when you consider that we're just one of the groups trying to resurrect her, seizing the initiative puts us in a better position. If the Ormus Society manages to get their hands on her before us, they will become a threat to all of Creation. Are the two of you willing to stand by and allow that to happen?"

Reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose, Conquest's voice revealed his annoyance as he grumbled, "You are aware that I'm one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, correct? At best, I am neutral towards the Ormus Society..."

Exuding tremendous pressure from her body, Kurma glared at Conquest as she said, "If their plan succeeds, the very concepts of War, Conquest, Death, and Famine cease to be. Isn't that the entire reason you, War, and Famine chose to abandon the 'Truth?'"

Unable to refute Kurma's words, Conquest crossed his arms and looked away. The penultimate plan of the Ormus Society was to subsume and ultimately freeze all of Creation in its current state. In their view, it was the only way to bring an end to the perpetual cycle of death, destruction, and inequity that plagued all realities. While that was certainly the case, there was very little difference between freezing and destroying all of Creation. As a result, the Ormus Society was one of the few groups that both Gods and Demon Lords opposed in equal measure.

Understanding that Conquest would help, even if he really didn't want to, Kurma shifted her gaze to Sidd to see what he had to say. The latter was among the strongest beings participating in the Pandemonium Gift Game, so their success heavily depended on his cooperation.

Seeing through Kurma's thoughts, Sidd exhaled a faint yet profoundly exasperated sigh before his entire demeanor abruptly changed, his eyes exuding boundless wisdom as he calmly stated, "You have my support." in a voice that resonated within the hearts and minds of everyone that heard it.

Realizing that Sidd was channeling the Divine Aspect of Buddism(True Buddha), Conquest paled while a broad smile developed across Kurma's face. True Buddha might occupy the 3rd Gate, but his power was on par with the entities inhabiting the 1st and 2nd. The Big Three even shuffled Gates every now and then to emphasize this equilibrium, so having his support was the same as having the backing of the most powerful being in all of Creation...

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Feeling a peculiar itch in his nose, Vahn was about to scratch it when Sis beat him to the punch, using the tip of her pointed nail as she asked, "Is something the matter~?" in a teasing tone.

Shaking his head, Vahn replied, "Of course not. I was just thinking that things were about to get interesting."

As she shared Vahn's awareness, an amused giggle emanated from Sis's throat as she returned her head to his shoulder. Their interaction earned them an eye roll from Mikoto, snuggling with Fenrir in Vahn's lap, but the envious Pikachu didn't say anything and just focused her attention on the display following Madara. The latter may have fled from the blue-haired woman after having her existence temporarily erased, but Mikoto knew it was only a matter of time before the battle-crazed Uchiha returned to the fray...

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Seeing that Scathach wasn't chasing her, Yuri decided to take a short break before searching for her next opponent. However, the moment she sat down, Scathach, now wearing a Maid outfit, appeared next to her and mused, "You're quite fast."

Furrowing her brows and adopting her characteristically vicious grin, Yuri retorted, "And you're starting to piss me off."

Shrugging her shoulders, Scathach replied, "I have little influence on how others perceive me. I just came here to talk."

Staring at Scathach in disbelief, Yuri issued a confused, "Haaaa-?" before stating, "I didn't join this competition to team up with people. If that's the reason you're stalking me, then you can fuck right off. I'm not even a little interested."

Adopting a slightly wry smile, Scathach scratched her cheek, choosing her words carefully before asking, "Didn't the Sage Dragon Emperor send you here to help in the sealing of Azi Dahaka? I understand you have your dignity as a warrior, but we'll need to work together if we're to achieve our shared objective..."

Tilting her head to the side, Yuri left Scathach speechless by asking, "Azi Dahaka? Is that the name of a strong competitor...?"

Recovering from her momentary stupor, Scathach asked, "If you didn't enter the Pandemonium Gift Game to help seal Azi Dahaka, why are you here? The Sage Dragon Emperor must have chosen you for a reason..."

Grabbing her breasts, Yuri's expression became somewhat wolfish as she replied, "He chose me for many reasons. However, my participation in the Pandemonium Gift Game is unrelated to any of that. I came here to have a bit of fun and to promote my Community. This Azi Doohiki, or whatever his name is, has nothing to do with me."

Sensing no falsehoods in Yuri's words, Scathach just stared blankly for several seconds as the former bounced and squeezed her breasts. She had thought that Vahn had carefully selected people that could contribute in the battle and subsequent sealing of Azi, but that apparently wasn't the case. Now, she had absolutely no idea what his plan was...

Providing Scathach a thread of hope, Yuri suggested, "You should seek out that battle maniac, Uchiha Madara. She's one of Vahn's Templates, so she would know if he had some grand plan. If even she has no clue what you're talking about, just find a place to sit back and relax. If that Azi fella is a genuine threat, Vahn will deal with it himself. No need to stress or get in a tiff."

Pushing her breasts together one last time, Yuri added, "Now, unless you want to face me fair and square, I have other places to be. If I meet that Azi guy, I'll be sure to give him a punch or two on your behalf."

Turning around, Yuri was prepared to leave when Scathach called out to her, saying, "Wait. Even if Vahn didn't send you here to cooperate with us, you should know what you're getting into. Azi Da-"

Interrupting Scathach's words, Yuri landed a heavy punch against the former's invisible barrier, a massive shockwave rippling through the area as she growled, "Since you apparently didn't hear me the first time, let me make things crystal clear. Either fuck off or fight me. Those are your only options. If I wanted to hear someone ramble on about things I didn't give two shits about, I'd attend one of Eva's lectures."

Finished with what she had to say, Yuri retracted her hand and teleported away. In her wake, countless green bubbles manifested around Scathach, each creating minor spatial distortions that made conventional forms of teleportation impossible. If Scathach chose to follow her after she made it 'very' clear she didn't wish to continue their discussion, she would have no choice but to teach the purple-haired spearwoman a lesson...

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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Civilization is built atop a mountain of corpses...','A true Uchiha never yields...','Yuri isn't self-conscious in the slightest xD...')