"Pointless probing, utterly meaningless."
With a casual flick of her hand, Yog-Sothoth unleashed two invisible, imperceptible forces that surged toward the plummeting pillar of light. In a fleeting instant, they collided, swallowing and annihilating it completely.
What just happened?
Something did, or perhaps nothing at all. The sky remained clear, a vast expanse of blue, with the gaping hole in the mountain above still intact.
Yet something had undeniably occurred, somewhere in the heavens.
Buzz!!
A strange, otherworldly hum reverberated. For a brief moment, the fragile planet faced a threat rivaling the incinerating might of Goetia's Human Order Cannon, narrowly escaping a fate of being reduced to molten glass.
Roy's ice-blue Mystic Eyes pierced the limits of distance, capturing the scene: the golden beam, fated to strike true, clashing with space and vanishing into oblivion. The traces were etched into his vision.
Though startled, Roy was growing numb to these increasingly familiar spectacles. Not accustomed, desensitized.
From the moment Yog-Sothoth appeared, he'd realized the world's power scale had shifted dramatically, its version updated with a cliff-like spike in strength.
The once-formidable titans of the setting were now swept into the trash by these monstrosities.
Even he, now, couldn't keep up with the combat intensity, relegated to a spectator.
Compared to Roy, Arcueid, severed from her planetary connection by Nyarlathotep and outclassed by the scale of these beings, was utterly bewildered. She glanced around, scanning the sky for energy fluctuations, hoping to grasp something.
Though the unique energy was consumed by spacetime and banished, the heat capable of obliterating the world upon impact was so potent that its mere spillover could trigger unimaginable disasters.
This heat effortlessly dispersed the sky's clouds, unleashing a ferocious storm across the Nordic landscape.
Heat, lightning, and shockwaves obliterated most of the continent's glaciers and snow, melting them into seawater.
"…"
Roy covered his face, at a loss for words.
These Outer Gods, with a mere greeting, wrought such devastation, treating Earth's fate as a trifle.
Was it a deliberate show of force to intimidate him, or confidence that Nyarlathotep and Yog-Sothoth could handle it, allowing the beam's sender to act so recklessly?
Even so, though the attack was flawlessly countered, a slight expansion of its range could have sunk the Nordic continent.
"Such a pointless move. We've played this game before, how many times must it repeat? Boring… utterly meaningless. You know how badly the last guy who tried to scare us ended up, right, M'shithra?"
Amid the quaking mountains, Nyarlathotep spoke, snapping her fingers calmly. Countless chaotic arms sprouted from the void, propping up the trembling peaks like building blocks, halting their collapse.
M'shithra, clearly the target of her barbed words, didn't retort or argue, only letting out a gruff snort.
"Talkative as ever."
"Oh, is the Time Lord upset? No worries, relax. Lil bro and Shub-Niggurath aren't holding it against you, and we definitely didn't record your embarrassing moment."
M'shithra: You punched me, and you're not holding it against me? Why don't you ascend to the heavens?
"No need to fret, child. An attack of that level barely qualifies as probing, just a petty tantrum. It can't cause real harm to this world or us."
Sensing Roy's unease, Shub-Niggurath reassured him.
Rules were in place: in the material world, Outer Gods couldn't wield power beyond the planet's capacity, let alone fight each other, lest they accidentally crush it. This was why Roy had escaped Daoloth, Yeb, and Nug.
As long as they didn't exceed the world's limits, Nyarlathotep, Yog-Sothoth, and the others adhered to the same constraints.
Thus, they could banter casually and effortlessly catch Ghroth's gaze.
It was all a game, a shameless contest for Roy's allegiance.
In this critical gamble, every Outer God was a winner, differing only in the size of their prize.
Follow the rules, and all Outer Gods could walk away with dignity and rewards. But break them, disrupt the game, and face expulsion.
Everyone knew this, so they toed the line, pushing boundaries without crossing them.
"Hmph… you're all spoiling this kid rotten."
Before Roy could speak, another voice sounded. Something peculiar hurtled from afar, likely Japan, toward them at breakneck speed.
No trace of flight, no aura, it simply appeared.
Upon closer inspection, it wasn't humanoid but a chaotic mass of irregular shapes fused into a spherical form, careening toward them with an eerie trajectory.
Roy sidestepped, his soul evading the bizarre orb. It crashed into the artificial lake, sending water skyward.
In an instant, the massive irregular sphere turned the lake upside down, as if detonated.
Roy knew this entity well. The dimensional aura cloaking the sphere's surface confirmed it: the Outer God he'd recently encountered in a special dimension, Daoloth.
"This guy again? Outer God Daoloth."
"Well, we meet again, child. Didn't expect you'd end up here, even mastering my traits to carve out dimensions. Impressive, very impressive."
A white-haired woman in a flowing white robe stood in the lake, her figure perfectly proportioned, her features and form optimized to an ideal. She stepped on a bridge of irregular forms, arms crossed, gazing at Roy. Her existence, every facet, embodied perfect rationality.
"…It's precisely because you're all too indulgent that this hasn't been settled swiftly. If we prioritized stability or plan execution, we have the time. But…"
"Yog-Sothoth, Nyarlathotep, Shub-Niggurath, Daoloth, even Nug and Yeb, why all female forms? Trying to seduce him? It's a valid tactic, but if every Outer God does it, it gets stale."
A colossal eye opened in the sky, its gaze locking onto Roy.
In a flash, a bizarre humanoid of light and heat appeared beside him, its featureless, blinding face scrutinizing him up close.
"If you think it works, why not try it yourself?"
Though unable to see its face, Roy teased with a smile, his expression unshaken.
"I could, but there's no need. With so many goddesses, a male form might stand out more."
"Roy, this… the number of terrifying things keeps growing!" Arcueid's smile faded. Even as a True Ancestor princess wielding Marble Phantasm, surrounded by Outer Gods, she couldn't help but tense. Not fleeing from instinctual fear was thanks to Roy's presence and her time with M'shithra, but maintaining calm was another matter.
"Quiet, little girl. Stay away from that kid and stick with me."
M'shithra reached to pull Arcueid to his side, shielding her from the conflict's vortex, but she refused, sidling closer to Roy with a resolute vow to stand together.
M'shithra didn't take offense, his gaze merely growing heavier.
Unlike him, a fence-sitter between factions, the others were dead-set on claiming Roy.
They held back because Nyarlathotep and Shub-Niggurath had taken sides, but that didn't mean they'd submit. Outer Gods were inherently self-centered.
The moment they sensed the slightest opportunity, they'd strike without mercy.
Ghroth and Daoloth, still in a chatty mood, could exchange words here.
But countless others, hidden at Earth's nodes to prevent planetary collapse, watched silently, awaiting the outcome.
Ghroth gripped Roy's arm. In response, Roy's invisible sword pressed against its neck, the blade's faint glow radiating menace.
The threat emanating from it warned Ghroth this weapon could kill.
Death's shadow loomed over both, yet neither acted further.
Roy knew slaying Ghroth would only destroy its vessel, leaving its essence unscathed, a futile effort.
Ghroth knew it could only intimidate Roy. Nyarlathotep and Yog-Sothoth's inaction, their amused observation, stemmed from knowing it harbored no killing intent, merely testing options within the rules.
But cross the line, and its body would be torn apart by those nearby in a blink.
"No good, huh… Fine, I get it, kid. Lower your weapon. Since threats don't work on you, I won't push further."
Seeing its intimidation fail, Ghroth raised its hands, signaling it would stop.
But Roy didn't buy its words, keeping the invisible sword steady at its neck, his resolve unwavering.
Ghroth's nature, sound and sight, let it perceive more than other Outer Gods. From Roy's steady, resolute sword, it glimpsed his will.
His resolve wouldn't waver until he knew the truth?
"Ugh… what a hassle."
Confirming coercion and threats were ineffective, or rather, limited threats failed, Ghroth backed off. If it was pointless, no need to waste effort.
Nyarlathotep, Shub-Niggurath, and Yog-Sothoth moved too fast, and this kid was too clever, or reckless.
He'd deduced his value and status among the Outer Gods, emboldening his defiance.
Even trusting Nyarlathotep, he didn't fully trust her. Ghroth saw the madness in his actions, fragments of the invisible sword embedded in his soul, ready to detonate in self-destruction.
Even if Outer Gods intervened to save him, preventing death, his soul and status would suffer, potentially disrupting the journey to the new world.
Could they gamble on that? No, they couldn't, wouldn't, dare.
Nor would any Outer God.
Ghroth knew it wasn't alone. Nyarlathotep, Yog-Sothoth, and the others had noticed Roy's subtle maneuver but stayed silent.
Rather than holding a sword to an enemy's throat, he was holding himself hostage, negotiating with all Outer Gods.
Insanely reckless, but undeniably, he'd succeeded.
He'd checkmated every Outer God.
"Lil bro, don't rush. These guys are just impatient, chasing the hope of a new world."
Seeing Ghroth grasp the stakes and retreat, Nyarlathotep deftly stepped between them.
"Most Outer Gods are here, those who should be, and those who shouldn't. Their gazes are fixed on us. This pointless probing should've ended ages ago."
"Let's get to the point, or rather, start the resolution. Show me your choice, kid. Faced with this, what'll you do?"
M'shithra's lips curled into a half-smile, his tone casual yet intent.
His hound-like eyes locked onto Roy, eagerly awaiting his decision.
A checkmate.
Today, Roy had only one choice, no matter how coerced. He'd have to make it eventually.
Outer Gods wouldn't permit change or chance, absolutely not…
"A choice, huh…"
Faced with this soul-piercing question and countless gazes from the material and void worlds, Roy's face showed no fear. Instead, his lips curved into a slight smirk.
Then, astonishingly, he lowered his invisible sword and made a face at the expectant, puzzled, and indifferent Outer Gods.
"I'm not choosing, you idiots."
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