The Ultimate Lich King of the Multiverse

"So, in the face of a situation like this… just how far can you go?"

The Guild staff stationed at the west gate, along with the famed warriors of the Ganesha Familia, had all collapsed to the ground, completely powerless.

Inside the large chamber they were guarding—once used to contain monsters—all the cages now stood empty. Not long ago, the goddess of beauty had released every last creature.

Freya, lacking any combat ability, was just a powerless deity in the Lower World.

Yet, she possessed an extraordinary quality—beauty. No, she was the embodiment of beauty itself.

An uncontrollable force that defied reason. Humans, demi-humans, even gods—none could resist the overwhelming, dominating allure she exuded. If she willed it, she could plunge anyone into a state of rapture.

This time, she had used that power in a rather unscrupulous way.

She dulled her opponents' awareness, rendering them incapable of standing, turning both men and women alike into spineless fools. She charmed them. As long as she took a sneak-attack approach, even she could pull off such a feat.

Her motive? Simple curiosity.

This slightly bored goddess simply wanted to see how far the child she had taken interest in could go.

"That flawless… pitiful figure I pity even as I behold it—

Will I see your frost bloom this time…?"

Yoru and Hestia wandered around the arena, but unfortunately, Syr was nowhere to be found.

"She must've gone back, right? Hey hey, Yoru—let's go inside and watch the performance!" Hestia said, narrowing her eyes, trying to coax him.

"You want to go?"

Yoru hesitated slightly. The noisy, festive atmosphere wasn't exactly his thing. But if Hestia was really looking forward to it…

—Then fine.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, a sound pricked his ears.

It wasn't the still-raging festival—it was something else. A sharp, urgent noise.

"...A scream?"

As he muttered that to himself, a deafening roar rang out around them.

"M–M–MONSTER!! AAAAAHHHHHH!!"

Like a sudden freeze, the lively and bustling street instantly fell silent.

And then, Yoru saw it.

At the far end of the road leading from the arena—

With loud thuds on the cobbled pavement, a white-furred monster came barreling forward, wild and ferocious.

It seemed to be searching for something, and the moment it spotted Hestia, it let out a roar and leapt forward.

In that split second—

The wall of people broke into terrified screams, scattering in all directions.

"...Y–Yoru."

Hestia sensed something sharply and called his name in fear.

Yoru gripped her hand tightly—then quickly let go.

"Stay away from me."

He said it with unusual calm. He didn't know why a monster had appeared here, nor what exactly was going on—but there was no time to figure that out now.

The only priority was to eliminate this monster before casualties escalated.

Despite its terrifying appearance, the creature wasn't much different from the Minotaur he had once faced.

In other words… this thing was just too weak.

"No… I won't. I won't leave you, Yoru!"

To his surprise and slight exasperation, Hestia didn't back away—instead, she threw herself onto him.

Come on… not now.

I told you to back off because I didn't want the frost to hurt you in the next moment.

Over time, Yoru had come to understand the nature of the magic he wielded. He wasn't really controlling frost like Hestia believed. When his magic was released, it didn't distinguish between friend and foe.

The only reason he himself wasn't affected was likely because he had some sort of immunity to it—and he could cleanse others from its effects afterward.

But that was only after the magic had already done its damage.

Even if only for a brief instant, Yoru didn't want Hestia to feel that pain.

The one who had experienced that pain most deeply… was Ais Wallenstein.

Yoru still felt guilty for having hurt her by accident in the past.

In that moment of hesitation, the silverback gorilla-like monster lashed out with a massive hand toward Yoru and Hestia.

Better to run first.

Abandoning his offensive stance, Yoru picked up Hestia and fled with the crowd.

Thanks to the narrow alleys, the massive silverback struggled to pursue them effectively. Navigating through the side streets allowed them to quickly shake it off.

The main road was in utter chaos.

Screams echoed everywhere as people fled blindly in all directions.

Panic-stricken citizens dashed for their lives, scrambling and shoving as they fled the thoroughfare.

Even in the alley, the silverback didn't seem intent on giving up. Its target was clearly Hestia, and it resumed the chase.

"Why is it only chasing us? Do we have something that's attracting it?"

Yoru murmured, glancing down—only to see Hestia smiling.

"You're really smiling… at a time like this, my dear goddess."

"Isn't this romantic, Yoru? A hero protecting his goddess from a monster… it's like a storybook."

Her eyes sparkled like stars as she spoke, full of admiration.

"Why'd you suddenly jump back at me? You could've gotten hurt, Hestia. You know what my magic is like—you could've gotten frostbitten."

"It's fine… because it's your frost, Yoru.

Even if I get frozen… it still feels warm."

To Yoru's complaint, Hestia simply shook her head gently and gave him a soft, warm smile.

"Don't ever think you're a danger to those around you, okay?

You're such a gentle person, Yoru.

Even if you're surrounded by ice, you never feel cold or distant."

"Your frost… is gentle, too."

This power… this frost… is gentle?

Hestia's words stunned Yoru for a moment, and he fell into thought. But just then, the monster's roar echoed again.

That fast?! It's caught up already?!

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