"What… is this…?"
As Roy stood in the pure white void, beholding the true form hidden behind the endless irregular amalgamations, his throat let out a hesitant, eerie sound.
The thing's appearance…
No, "appearance" wasn't quite right. "Form" was more fitting. Though humanoid in scale, it bore no resemblance to anything human.
Its shape seemed like a chaotic jumble of glitches forcibly melded together by some power, disordered, incoherent. The glitches mirrored the irregular forms that had surged toward him, confirming this entity as the culprit that dragged him into this anomalous dimension and launched the attack.
Its shape and composition were so incomprehensible that even Roy paused, stunned. The impact, both external and internal, was profoundly jarring.
Its structure, rejecting any form of life, left Roy at a loss for how to describe the sensation.
"Hm."
Roy faltered slightly as a piercing whistle cut through the air.
Whoosh!!
In the next instant, the newly forged invisible sword in his hand hummed, sensing his wariness and aversion to the entity before him. It acted on its own.
The unique white specks imbued with the Third Magic detached from the sword, orbiting Roy like floating cannons, transmitting energy and spinning with him as the center.
Nine incomprehensible beams erupted from these morning stars, piercing the chaotic, glitch-like figure in an instant.
The figure offered no resistance or evasion, standing still as the nine beams converged into one, engulfing and annihilating it.
Only then did the white morning stars cease, returning to the invisible sword in Roy's hand, lying dormant with no further movement.
However, the prior irregular tide and the sword's devastation had pushed this constructed dimension to its limit, like glass on the verge of shattering,
Bang!!
With a piercing Crack! they were ejected from the special dimension, returning to the real world.
Though the disorienting vertigo from the dimensional shift lingered, the invisible sword's protection spared Roy any discomfort.
Looking back, he found himself on the school's rooftop. No irregular amalgamations, no pale void, suggesting everything might have been a dreamlike illusion.
Yet the silent sword in his hand and Abigail standing beside him confirmed the reality of what had transpired.
"…What was that thing? Or rather, which Outer God was it? And why did it target me?"
"Daoloth, a somewhat intelligent compatriot."
As Roy pondered, a gentle voice reached his ears. Turning, he saw the golden-haired girl clutching a teddy bear, Abigail, approaching him.
But this wasn't the innocent Abigail. She was something far more terrifying than the prior Outer God, Yog-Sothoth.
The very one he'd encountered that morning.
"Abig… no, Yog-Sothoth."
Roy instinctively uttered her name.
"Call me Abigail. Yog-Sothoth isn't my true name. Use whatever you like. If you prefer, you can even call me Bubbles."
Hearing Yog-Sothoth speak so impassively through Abigail's face, Roy froze, his expression awkward.
He hadn't expected Yog-Sothoth to read his memories. He'd jokingly called her "Bubbles" due to her form.
"Don't mind it. Names are mere labels. They mean nothing to me. Whatever you like is fine."
"But why did you…"
"Indeed, Yog-Sothoth. Only you or Nyarlathotep could tear into my crafted dimension from outer space so effortlessly. But I'd sense Nyarlathotep, so the one who slipped into my domain unnoticed could only be you."
"Void, wisdom, closer to omniscience than any other, you guiding and mastering such power in that child so swiftly is only natural."
A neutral voice, neither male nor female, interrupted Roy's unspoken question.
Clack!!
With a crisp sound, the dimension beneath their feet shifted again.
Vertigo and weightlessness surged like a tide, but the invisible sword's presence and protection neutralized the disorienting force, thwarting the dimension's descent.
Even Abigail didn't need to intervene.
"Fascinating, utterly absurd. You're incomplete, yet your soul alone achieves this. You're truly worth our expectations, kid."
"…Our?!"
The chaotic voice echoed in Roy's ears again. The word "our" made his eyelid twitch, a deeply ominous premonition rising within.
Under his gaze, the figure hidden behind the curtain, the entity no magecraft could detect, stepped boldly from the darkness, revealing its true form.
Its entrance was remarkably unceremonious compared to the theatrics it had used to toy with Roy. This behavior was almost mundane.
Tap, tap, tap!!!
With light footsteps and a faint "Crack!", the rooftop's iron door was pushed open again.
The figure, neither clearly he nor she, stood like a circus spectator, offering Roy a smile tinged with faint malice.
A man? A woman? Roy couldn't tell.
The figure had pale white hair and wore a white robe, exuding a delicate, androgynous beauty akin to Enkidu. The loose robe concealed their slender frame, obscuring their true gender further.
But more than their gender or appearance, Roy was struck by the unique aura they exuded, a blend of chaos and reason, paradox and logic coexisting.
Noticing Roy's curiosity, the figure smiled, gesturing to their shifting form.
"Curious about my body or appearance? My aura or gender? To care about such things, humans are truly shallow yet unique. But these are transient to me, chosen for reason. I can be male or female, altering my traits or essence as needed."
"As for my aura… a minor flaw, or perhaps my nature. Unlike the one beside you, who blends seamlessly with humans, my scraps can't match the Three. I leak occasionally, but I don't appear before lesser beings, so no worries. I bear you no goodwill, but no ill will either. My emotions are sparse, unlike Yog-Sothoth's fondness for you."
As they spoke, the figure's body subtly shifted, settling into a female form with a slight curve at the chest before stopping.
"Hm, this form will do. It's useless, but if beauty earns a sliver of favor, it's a gain."
Despite the rambling, the malicious smile never faded.
Roy's mouth twitched. He had no time to ponder their gender.
"Invisible, dimensional, and the name Daoloth… You're an Outer God too, aren't you?"
"As expected, you don't recall me at all. Hardly surprising. I lack the renown of Yog-Sothoth or Nyarlathotep. Even Hastur or Cthulhu leave a stronger impression. I don't have the striking allure of Ktugya or Shub-Niggurath that etches them in memory."
"So, let me introduce myself. Daoloth, that's my name, or what you mortals call me. How was I described? Ah, yes, like this:
'It… is not formless, but so complex it defies description. It bears hemispheres and gleaming metal, with long, plastic-like rods at its core. The rods are wholly gray, indistinguishable in distance; they fuse from single cylinders into a flat polymer mass. Gazing at it, one feels an odd sensation, as if eyes glint among the rods; yet, wherever one looks, only the voids between them are seen.'"
To illustrate, she lightly tugged the air, producing the sound of a torn veil.
She smiled, saying, "Call me Daoloth, or the Veil-Tearer if you like, though I care for neither. Mortals seeing me often go mad from incomprehension. But you? You can call my name or see my true form without issue. I'll indulge you."
Daoloth, an Outer God of peculiar nature, also known as the "Veil-Tearer" or "Veil-Shatterer." resides in a higher-dimensional realm beyond human three-dimensional comprehension. Its form isn't absent but so intricate that eyes cannot define it, a mass of gray hemispheres, glinting metal shards, and plastic-like cylinders. Observers sense eyes flickering among the rods, yet see only the spaces between.
Its devotees can perceive past, future, and entities traversing different spaces.
"Though I can cross space and dimensions like Yog-Sothoth, my essence and scale pale in comparison to her, the All-in-One. My power and fame are far lesser. And Yog-Sothoth even borrowed a body for you."
"My obscurity in your memory is so complete, I'm overshadowed. Not even in FGO, and no one bothers drawing fan art of me. So, your ignorance is understandable."
Daoloth gave a self-deprecating chuckle, shaking her head. "If circumstances allowed, I'd craft a captivating avatar to toss into a Singularity or banner, draining your wallet until you pulled me at pity. Then you'd remember me."
Hearing this, Roy's jaw dropped, words failing him as his mind reeled.
The situation was too bizarre, too overwhelming, leaving him speechless.
It had nothing to do with his strength or plans. A terrifying truth loomed: multiple incomprehensible, indescribable Outer Gods had descended on this planet.
Yes, multiple.
And they clearly possessed the ability to read his memories or wield near-omniscient powers, knowing everything from the start.
They were aware of FGO and the entire Nasuverseview.
And Daoloth and Yog-Sothoth weren't the end, more Outer Gods would follow.
What was happening? He couldn't handle one, and now multiple entities of this caliber were converging on him.
"Well, I didn't expect you to act first, Yog-Sothoth. Nyarlathotep and Shub-Niggurath should've been more proactive, no? Opportunities favor the prepared, it seems. Or perhaps you misled them with false information, making them wait, letting you seize the initiative."
Sensing Roy's shifting expression, Daoloth's gaze softened, offering rational answers.
"Relax, human. Or rather, compatriot? Dear? Whatever suits. Don't doubt yourself or fear our intentions. You're far more valuable and significant than you realize."
"I planned to separate your precious soul from that frail body tied to the Root before Yog-Sothoth and the others acted, applying a bit of pressure to harvest it. But I didn't expect Yog-Sothoth's attitude and affection toward you to be so profound."
"A pity, but since I failed, I won't try again. With your newfound power, you've transcended being easily subdued to requiring effort. And Yog-Sothoth won't give me another chance."
Though speaking of such terrifying things, Daoloth treated it as trivial, pointing to Roy's invisible sword. "Don't underestimate that odd blade. It's a nexus of your soul and status, the true application of your power."
"A swing creates miracles, needing no speed or strength. Raise and strike, and anything with a lower status is erased. If aimed true, it could pierce our vitals, potentially killing us."
"That sword is a genuine god-slaying blade, your power. You should've mastered it long ago, but circumstances delayed it."
Daoloth continued, but she glanced skyward, her form growing faint.
"Hmph, I'm leaving. Since you're protecting him, Yog-Sothoth, my plan's doomed. I've done what I needed, and that sword proves he's crossed the barrier. I've nothing more to say. I'll follow your lead."
"Your arrival is a spark, a unique signal. Nyarlathotep, M'ssistha, Shub-Niggurath, they've likely sensed the shift and are heading here. You've no need to fear, but I'd rather avoid trouble now. See you later. I'll wait for the outcome."
With matter-of-fact words and a calm tone, Daoloth's body dissolved into a glitchy mass, vanishing from the dimension.
Roy clutched his forehead.
"Nyarlathotep, Shub-Niggurath… So, not just one or two, but many Outer Gods, including your Three Pillar Gods, are on this planet, heading for our city, right?"
As he spoke, Roy's eyelids twitched uncontrollably. A mix of shock and despair, "I'm done for." "this is too big", flooded his mind.
Though known for wisdom, these Outer Gods weren't cryptic with Roy. They laid everything bare, making him realize the dire, irredeemable situation. If all Three Pillar Gods converged on him, who could save the planet? Destruction seemed the only outcome.
Even if Nasuverse's top tier powerhouse intervened and repelled the Outer Gods, Earth couldn't be spared.
"Daoloth's right. All eligible Outer Gods have descended on this planet, and they're here for you."
Nodding slightly, Abigail addressed Roy's questions with earnest answers.
"Why?!" Roy asked, bewildered. "What about me attracts you all?"
"No reason. Simply because you are the one beloved by all Outer Gods."
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