The Ultimate Lich King of the Multiverse

3/5

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"Is that really how you feel?"

Yoru's voice was gentle as he looked at the elven girl standing before him. He showed no signs of shock upon hearing Riveria's words.

"Please… stop being so stubborn, Yoru. There's no future for us."

Riveria shut her eyes in pain, unable to meet his gaze.

She was afraid—afraid that if she looked into his eyes, she wouldn't be able to hold back anymore. The emotions she had repressed for so long surged like poison—sweet, addictive, and impossible to let go.

"I see… So in the end, what stands between us are the rules laid down by the gods. That's enough for me to understand."

Yoru sighed softly as he lifted his head to look at the sky.

"Hey, what the hell are you planning?"

Loki's brows furrowed in suspicion. Something about Yoru's quiet muttering gave her a bad feeling.

He's not thinking of…?

Shaken by her own bold guess, Loki quickly shook her head to banish the thought.

No way… This kid isn't an idiot. He has to know what that would mean. That would be even worse than going to war with the Loki Familia!

"Don't worry. I won't go to war with the Loki Familia, nor will I use any kind of force to make Riveria stay by my side."

Yoru repeated himself for the third time. Loki didn't even bother responding this time.

"…Fine. Suit yourself. Ais, Riveria—we're going. We've got expedition prep to handle."

With that, Loki turned and left. Ais and Riveria followed close behind. It was only then that Yoru remembered—today was the day the Loki Familia was setting off on their expedition again.

Since today was a day off, Yoru didn't go to the Dungeon. Back at the church, he approached Hestia with a question.

"Where can I find a lot of gods gathered in one place?"

Hestia tilted her head in confusion at the unexpected question but answered anyway.

"Well, most gods are lazy, you know? They usually just hang around their own places. But every three months or so, we do have a gathering. It's mostly for assigning 'titles' to adventurers who've just reached Level 2."

Hestia rested her chin on her hand as she explained.

"If I'm not wrong, that meeting should be happening today. But only gods with a Level 2 adventurer in their Familia can attend, so I haven't been able to go yet."

Yoru nodded, now understanding.

"And where is this meeting held?"

"The 30th floor of Babel Tower… Wait, why are you asking all this?"

"No reason. I was just curious. I'll be heading out now, Hestia."

"Huh? But today was supposed to be your rest day…"

Hestia tilted her head in confusion as Yoru hurried out the door, completely unaware of what he was planning.

◇

The so-called Divine Assembly—or Denatus—was originally created by a few bored deities as a way to pass the time.

Once a god's Familia had built up enough strength and territory, they often became complacent and decadent. With too much free time, they'd start gathering with old friends to gossip and mess around, discussing trivial matters for entertainment.

At its core, it was just casual conversation. But the important part was that gods—being as uninhibited as they were—loved these regular get-togethers.

Over time, more gods joined these meetings, and their scale expanded. Eventually, the gatherings evolved into more official affairs—sharing news, exchanging opinions, and coordinating with the Guild. The scope of these meetings began to influence the entire city.

Even though it was mostly symbolic, the Denatus had become a recognized advisory body with real influence—especially among adventurers.

One of its customary duties was awarding titles to newly advanced adventurers.

"I heard there's a lot of Level Ups this time."

"Yeah, quite a bumper crop. I'm excited."

The venue: the 30th floor of Babel Tower.

A hall that spanned an entire floor had been remodeled specifically for the meetings. All inner walls had been removed, replaced by towering columns that supported the high ceiling. Aside from the large round table in the center, there was no furniture. Massive windows lined the walls, revealing a view of the sky from the 30th floor.

With such a lofty ceiling and open air, the space felt like a floating divine temple.

"Seems like more and more gods are showing up these days."

"Heh, but there are also some who stopped coming."

There were over thirty deities seated around the round table at regular intervals—meaning there were that many Familias in Orario powerful enough to be recognized for having at least one Level 2 adventurer.

The gods were a colorful bunch—some tense and stone-faced, others masked in elaborate disguises, and some like a silver-haired goddess waiting quietly with a serene smile.

"Alright, let's get started…"

A long, drawn-out voice called for attention.

The noisy round table immediately fell silent. The one who had spoken stood up, her crimson hair swaying behind her.

"This marks the… who-knows-how-many-th Denatus. I'll be your host for today—Loki! Let's make this a good one!"

"YEAHH—!!"

Applause and cheers erupted in the hall, signaling a festive start.

Loki, with her crimson hair tied back and a sly smile in her eyes, raised her hand high.

"Now then, first up—intel exchange! Anyone got any interesting news to share?"

"Oh, I do! The most interesting thing recently happened in your own Familia, didn't it, Loki?"

"Yeah! Heard your little 'Nine Hell' got confessed to—by some Level 1 rookie."

"And it was a public confession too! So romantic!"

"If it were me, I might've said yes right then and there!"

Voices rang out in playful teasing—male gods cracking jokes and female goddesses swooning. Loki's expression grew increasingly sour.

Hephaestus, seated nearby, could only shake her head in exasperation. Meanwhile, the silver-haired goddess of beauty, Freya, raised a mysterious smile.

"Looks like your name's already making the rounds among the gods, Yoru."

Amid the lively chatter and rising laughter, the great doors of the hall were suddenly pushed open.

The noisy venue instantly fell silent as all eyes turned toward the unexpected visitor standing in the doorway.

"Seems like you were talking about me… Looks like I came at just the right time."

With a faint smile on his lips, Yoru looked around at the stunned gods, raising a hand and letting the remaining frost in his palm scatter across the floor.

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