Chapter 16

I'm sorry I disappeared. In my city there are a lot of mosquitoes lately and I got dengue fever again.

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The princess of the Star God Realm slowly opened her eyes. At first, her vision was blurry, and she struggled to focus after being nearly blinded by the light. When her sight finally cleared, her unparalleled beauty overshadowed even the cold white marble castle.

However, as she scanned her surroundings with her wide red eyes, a look of shock and alarm quickly replaced her initial expression. She was a powerful cultivator from the Realm of the Gods, the Inheritor of the Heavenly Slaughter Star God. Yet she had inexplicably been kidnapped without a hitch!

Immediately, she noticed two other figures nearby who were also confused. One was a woman with red hair pulled back in a ponytail. Her aura was completely different from the cultivation energy she was used to.

The other figure was a frail girl who looked to be about fifteen years old, and her long dirty blonde hair covered her naked body as she sat on the ground.

Immediately after that, the three of them discovered another person in the castle. This enigmatic figure was seated on a grand throne, not too far from them, while his fingers tapped rhythmically on the armrest. Strangely, they were unable to see his face, as if it were simultaneously near and distant.

This mysterious kidnapper was none other than Yuu Izumi, who observed the three women with keen interest.

"Senior, may I know where we are?"

At first, the three girls were stunned, and fter a long silence, the proud princess of the Star God Realm slightly bowed her head in a gesture of respect, her right fist resting on her left palm.

Though her voice carried a hint of haughtiness, it was not the arrogant presumption of someone who abused her authority, instead a noble aloofness that came from the depths of her soul. This same young girl, who once viewed everyone as, at best, merely large ants, now found herself humbling before the man.

Yuu looked like an ordinary mortal. There was no energy in his body, nor did he exude the oppression of a powerful being. Yet, as she exchanged glances with him, the princess was certain that he could read her soul like an open book.

A cultivator could not perceive the true power level of someone who was far beyond their own cultivation level. Therefore, if she had met him on the street, she would have seen him as just another ant.

But he was the one who had brought her here, so it was clear that he was no ordinary person.

She wondered if she was in the presence of an authentic True God.

And most of all, she wondered why he had brought her here. Was it because she coveted the Heretic God Legacy?

"What do you want with us?" Loki finally spoke.

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The other two girls obviously did not speak English or Japanese. Nor did it seem like Mandarin or any other language Yuu had heard before. However, everyone in the room could understand each other perfectly.

Even if they spoke in their native language, this castle had the ability to instantly translate the words of those present. However, everyone noticed that the lip movements did not match the words spoken.

'What am I going to do with them?' Yuu silently repeated the word that Loki had spoken.

But he didn't give it much thought. In reality, he was just testing the new features of his castle. If he touched another being's Destiny, the previously drawn fate would be erased, turning them into a 'Fate-less'.

Becoming "Fate-less" meant that you were no longer bound to your previously drawn fate. Your future would now change completely, in a positive or negative direction, depending on your own choices.

Still, Yuu noticed that when he erased someone's fate, they were immediately teleported to their Destiny Castle. Yuu was pretty sure that his system had added this feature just for fun, so that he could meet heroines from other worlds.

Heroines, huh?

Looking at them closely, Yuu recognized their identities:

'The flat redhead who smells of alcohol and has narrowed eyes is definitely the Goddess Loki from Danmachi. The red-haired Loli is Jasmine from Against the Gods, though it's surprising she didn't attack me... .... And the other one...'

His eyes finally stopped on the frail figure of a golden-haired girl trembling on the ground, clearly too weak to stand up. Her small stature and apparent age seemed similar to Jasmine's.

'Mm. She must be Yue from Arifureta. Considering her current pitiful state, she obviously hasn't met the protagonist Hajime yet. Rather, she was kidnapp-Uhum! I mean, she was rescued from the abyss her family left her in before he found her.'

For them, this sudden kidnapping and encounter might be beyond their imagination, right? As the main culprit, Yuu understood them.

Suddenly, everyone in the room watched as Yuu slowly rose from the throne. His appearance was now slightly different from the one he had used on Earth. His silver hair was now pure white, and his height had also increased. This was his true appearance. The appearance of the Aeon of Beginning and End.

As he approached the girls, he could see the different expressions on their faces. Confusion, caution, fear, and respect were some of the emotions they showed, especially Jazmine, who maintained a rigid posture.

The only person who appeared unchanged was the delicate Yue, her beautiful crimson eyes focused intently on Yuu. It seemed as though she was attempting to penetrate the veil of distorting energy that concealed his true visage.

In reality, Yuu was not concealing his face by choice, but rather because individuals who haven't attained a specific level of power are unable to perceive the genuine nature of beings like him.

After a few seconds of silence in the castle, Yuu smiled slightly and knelt down beside Yue. With a gentle gesture, he brushed aside the dirty, golden hair that covered her delicate, porcelain face.

In a deep but not heavy tone, he spoke calmly, "What is your name?"

A moment later, she bowed her head slightly and said in a monotone voice, "I...don't want my name...past..."

Her words trailed off from time to time, as if she had forgotten how to move her lips to speak after so many years of imprisonment.

"I see...do you want me to give you a name?"

The girl's ruby eyes glinted faintly at the offer for a moment, looking at him even more curiously now. Unlike the other girls, she showed no fear of Yuu. After all, this girl did not seem to care about her own safety or life anymore.

Yuu sighed. To be left in total darkness for hundreds of years was a terribly cruel fate.

"...thank you..." With a small, trembling, but powerful voice, the girl expressed her feelings. "Also... give me a name."

Yuu actually thought of many names for the cute creature in front of him, but the one she had in Arifureta, "Yue", seemed perfect. It even sounded similar to his own name on Earth.

"How about if I call you Yue?"

"Yue? Yue... Yue..."

"Yue means moon. And when I looked at you closely, I noticed how pale your skin is, like the moon's rays illuminating the night. Your red eyes also shine beautifully. It struck me as a fitting name for your vampire race."

She blinked in surprise at his words. She hadn't expected him to know her true race. However, that feeling of surprise soon turned into a faint glow that seemed to rekindle a spark in the depths of her soul. Her name also had a special meaning for Yuu. And although her face remained as expressionless as ever, her eyes sparkled with happiness.

"Hmm... Then I'll be Yue from now on. Thank you."

"I'm glad you like it."

Just as Yuu finished speaking, Yue's body emitted a faint white light. The dirt on her skin and hair disappeared, giving way to a luscious white body with no imperfections, but could still see how malnourished she was. She looked like she needed to eat.

With a snap of Yuu's fingers, clothes covered her naked body. They were the exact same clothes she wore in the anime: a white frilly shirt, a black mini skirt with frills, a white robe, a pair of short boots, and black thigh-high socks.

Yue's sudden change in attire took her by surprise, and it was at that moment that she realized she was standing naked before him, her body exposed to his gaze. An almost imperceptible blush colored her pale, snow-white cheeks as she looked up at Yuu.

"Pervert..."

Yuu rolled his eyes. It seemed that even by changing the order of events, some things about Yue didn't change. However, this aspect was part of her charm, so he just shrugged, not really bothered, and asked:

"Can you stand up? Your body must be very weak."

"No... after three hundred years locked up without food, I have lost all my strength..." As she struggled to speak, she raised her arms and said, "Lift me up..."

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