Lloyd traveled through the fragments at the bottom of the deep pit.
Originally, he hadn't planned to intervene, wanting Asimi to clear this dungeon alone—a bit of training for the kid. But after seeing, through the livestream, that the filthy deity had absorbed other essences and was preparing to explode in a clash with Asimi, he realized the situation was far beyond what Asimi and Fretia could handle.
Even with his support, the two could protect themselves, but they couldn't look after anyone else. In this kind of situation, whether those two kids would choose to flee alone or not—Lloyd couldn't stand it. As a full collector, he simply couldn't let that happen.
So, he reached out.
Through the soul bond of their Covenant and the fold formed by the Essence Fragment, Lloyd projected a portion of his power into this world, blocking that terrifying strike for Asimi.
...
The white priestess slowly rose from the ground, hands pressed together in prayer. Her small frame—shrunken from overexertion—radiated a soft white halo. Beside her stood the black knight, sword in hand, guarding her front.
"Let's go, Asimi."
A flash of white light, and the two figures—one large, one small—vanished.
Overwhelmed by the excess essence it had absorbed, the Filthy Deity's thoughts were a muddled haze. After being parried by Lloyd, it stood dazed for a moment. By the time it regained awareness, the two tiny ants before it were gone.
Just as it wondered where they had gone, a sharp pain tore through its left arm.
Turning, it saw the white figure clinging to the black one, arms wrapped around his neck. The center of her body melted into his, forming plates of armor, while her lower half stretched out behind him, extending into a pair of broken wings through his tattered cloak.
Using those wings, the knight hovered in the air and drove his greatsword into the deity's arm—then, with a wet sound—
Spiral Slash.
Flesh burst. Blood splattered. A massive arm tumbled from the sky. Pain forced the deity to let out a roar of rage.
But that wasn't the most important thing.
What truly mattered was that the essence of filth, proud of its immortal flesh—the body that could live on even after losing its soul—was no longer regenerating. After the knight severed its arm, the flesh writhed for a long while, unable to heal.
That was the combined effect of the Marionette's Staff and Asimi's power.
But—
"It's not over yet!"
Regaining its senses, the Filthy Essence began to swell. Though its wounds couldn't heal—and the rest of the fight would likely be the same—it wasn't foolish. It quickly thought of a countermeasure.
"Since you love cutting things apart, I'll give you plenty to cut!"
With that roar, its swollen form exploded. A wave of brown flesh and sludge spread across the sky as countless writhing limbs burst forth like a vision of hell, reaching for the two above.
The knight swung his sword. A flash of white light cut through the air. In an instant, all the limbs that had reached them were severed and scattered, raining down as a storm of flesh and broken parts.
Before the gore could hit the ground, more limbs sprouted, along with dense bone spines and grotesque monsters made of fused blood and meat.
Once again, everything was shredded in a single instant. Another flash of white light, and the two vanished, avoiding the relentless onslaught.
The knight's expression grew slightly more serious.
"Is she too powerful?"
Asimi noticed the change in Lloyd's face.
"No."
Lloyd shook his head, eyes fixed on the Filthy Deity turning toward them again. He clicked his tongue softly.
"It's just a bit hard to collect everything."
Because this was only a spirit projection through the Covenant and the fragments, Lloyd's full power wasn't released—his smaller form wasn't even complete. Though it was enough to handle this tainted god, if he truly went all out, killing it wouldn't be difficult.
The problem was, if he did, the taint within the deity would likely be purged completely. That would stop Fretia from usurping its essence and prevent her from reversing the tragedies born of that corruption.
For most people, destroying the filthy deity would have been enough. But Lloyd was a completionist.
He never chose one thing over another. He wanted everything.
Yet now, because his projection was incomplete, he couldn't ensure that he could slay the deity while preserving its inner essence intact.
After all, separating essence was delicate work. If it were easy, Malenia wouldn't have suffered for so long, and Marika wouldn't have to worry about her children's endless strife.
...
Just as Lloyd sliced through another incoming limb, he began to ponder his next move.
With a thunderous crash, a mass of dark purple plant tendrils lashed out against the Filthy Deity's body. The immense force and the toxins within caused its form to stiffen for an instant, slowing its regeneration.
Next, two identical nuns with broken wings on their backs leapt high into the air. Together, they pulled on the chains in their hands, swinging the iron balls at the ends with brutal strength and slamming them into the deity's torso.
At the same time, an old warrior wielding a massive hammer, a knight brandishing a lance, a shadowy assassin throwing darts, a bone dragon exhaling its breath, and even crows dropping stones from above—all joined the fray.
These were the people once saved by Asimi and Fretia. Now, they too had come to this battlefield to do their part.
Even against such a mighty god, these tiny lives never gave up their struggle. In the face of death, they shone with even brighter brilliance.
"This is probably the kind of thing Chaos would enjoy."
Distracted by the interference of other "ants," the Filthy Deity's attention was divided, and its attacks on Lloyd lessened considerably.
Taking advantage of the respite, Lloyd began to think.
"With their help, stripping away the essence might be possible—but there's still a high chance of failure."
"But if we could deepen the Covenant, allowing me to project more of my power here, the chances of success would rise significantly."
The question was—how could he deepen the Covenant?
Asimi's trust and dependence on him, along with the bond they shared, had already reached a considerable depth. Even if they initiated a DO right here, the increase in strength wouldn't be substantial.
As for Fretia, she had taken a hard hit earlier and was still recovering in Lloyd's inventory. Forcing a Covenant with her could yield a boost, but the improvement would still be limited.
So then...
"Covenant?"
Asimi blinked, then pulled out what looked like an Asimi spirit.
No—that wasn't right. It was Lily's spirit.
To put it simply, as a White Witch, Fretia was once the only being left in this world capable of purifying corruption.
The White Witch lineage was passed down through blood—strictly from mother to daughter, one generation at a time. Because the act of purification required absorbing corruption itself, most White Witches died young, and their fertility rates were abysmally low.
By Fretia's generation, it wasn't even a matter of fertility anymore—she had no partner, and thus no child.
Seeing that the kingdom would have no means of cleansing corruption after her death, the higher authorities began a plan: to extract her bloodline through technology and create clones of Fretia, all named "Lily."
Since they were clones of Fretia, the Lilies were born as White Witches—each naturally capable of purifying filth.
But that wasn't the key point.
The key was...
[Ancient Covenant]
[A Prayer Usable Only Once]
[Through an ancient ritual, a Covenant of Protection is formed]
[After the Covenant, a connection between souls is established]
[Allowing each to borrow the other's strength]
[The purifying White Lady is not skilled in battle]
[Thus, she requires a warrior to stay by her side, never parting]
[This is a lifelong Covenant]
Yes—being natural-born White Witches, the Lilies could use this technique as well.
Although clearing this dungeon had taken considerable time, Asimi and Fretia had explored it thoroughly. They not only rescued many allies and collected a trove of items and remnants but also found every clone's corpse, sealing their souls within Asimi's body.
Originally, Fretia had planned to bring these children back for Lloyd to help reincarnate. But now...
Flames ignited.
A delicate white flower opened its eyes.
After hearing the situation and receiving the knowledge of the ancient Covenant through soul communion with Asimi, the little white blossom didn't hesitate.
Her small, pale hand reached out and clasped Lloyd's. Her forehead pressed against his.
The crimson mark began to glow.
The ancient Covenant resurfaced, and then...the process repeated nine times.
After all, Lily wasn't just one person—she was many.
Then, with the conclusion of the ninth Contract, Lloyd's [Ancient Contract] reached +11.
[Ancient Contract +11]
[When equipped, greatly increases the wearer's physical damage reduction]
[Additionally, for each White Witch present, physical defense is further enhanced]
[When ten or more White Witches are present, grants the special skill "Purification"]
And now, there were exactly ten White Witches present.
The Black Knight tightened his grip on his sword.
The White Witches pressed their palms together, bowed their heads, and began to pray.
A radiant white light flared to life.
That blinding yet gentle, sacred yet compassionate glow drew every gaze on the battlefield in an instant.
For the first time, the Filthy Deity felt the threat of death—a fear greater even than dying itself.
It shrieked. The spreading soundwaves made the ground tremble.
Abandoning its struggle with the "ants" around it, the deity turned all its power toward Lloyd.
But the others refused to stand aside.
Realizing what the deity intended, they didn't falter—instead, they burned their life force brighter. Their attacks grew fiercer, their movements more desperate, keeping the deity occupied even as it tried to shift its focus.
Then, as the flames erupted across the battlefield, Lloyd looked up at the monstrous figure before him.
A spectral white form appeared behind him. As the girls prayed, the phantom pressed itself against Lloyd's back, reaching forward to clasp the silver-white greatsword in his hands.
Then—
"Stand still."
Lloyd lifted his head, meeting the raging beast's gaze with a faint smile.
"Time for surgery."
A flash of sword light split the air.
The giant froze.
Lloyd's figure vanished for a moment, then reappeared behind it.
The world seemed to hold its breath. Time stopped for a heartbeat.
Then—
Thud.
Chunks of flesh fell from the beast's body, more and more, until the entire form collapsed like an avalanche.
When it struck the ground, it didn't writhe as before. Instead, it crumbled into pale ash that drifted away on the wind.
Beside the fading remains, the Ashen One raised a hand.
In his palm lay several blossoms, each different in size and hue.
These were the essences he had just extracted—not only the filth, but the other essences the deity had devoured from this world.
He had even taken the time to sort and organize them.
This is the confidence of a +11 Covenant.
...
When the colossus fell, the battle was over.
The surviving fighters collapsed to the ground one after another—some drenched in sweat, some gasping for air, others coughing blood.
Lloyd, after examining the flowers in his hand, lifted the largest one—the bloom symbolizing filth—and gently handed it to Fretia, who was resting behind him.
"...Thank you."
After murmuring her gratitude, Fretia took the flower and closed her fingers around it.
Her face contorted in pain.
Consuming essence was never easy, especially in her weakened state.
But that was fine.
After all, she wasn't doing it alone.
Then, just as expected, a warm touch brushed her lips. Her defenses fell, and a soul poured into her own.
Time passed—how long, no one knew—before Fretia slowly opened her eyes.
Her once-clear azure eyes had turned a deep, dark blue. The pure white hair flowing down her back was now dyed a vivid crimson, like the flowers of the afterlife.
[Goddess of Immortality • Fretia]
The usurpation was complete.
A new goddess had been born.
...
But though the battle was over, the story was not.
The kingdom lay in ruins after the corruption's rampage. The land was dead and silent. Aside from those rescued by Asimi and Fretia, no living beings remained.
To reverse the corruption, rebuild the ruins, and restore order—these would all take time.
"The road ahead is long," Fretia murmured, gazing at the devastation before her.
"But at least... we have hope now."
"And all of this..."
She turned to Lloyd, her voice soft but sincere.
"It's all thanks to you."
Lloyd gave a brief nod before speaking.
"So, what will you do next?"
"I plan to stay here for now," she said, looking over at the exhausted survivors. "To fulfill a goddess's duty—to lead them, and rebuild the kingdom."
Then she looked back at him.
"But something is still missing."
"Missing?" Lloyd frowned, glancing around. "What is it? If it's resources, I can haul some from Caelid. You know that place is... almost too abundant."
"It's not resources."
She met his gaze, her tone quiet but firm.
"What we lack is a leader."
"Or rather..."
"What we lack is one who stands beside the gods—"
"A king."
Those beautiful crimson eyes, like gemstones, fixed on Lloyd. Her tone was gentle, yet carried a quiet seriousness.
"Will you be my king?"
"My dear Lloyd."
...
"So, you're now the king of two places?"
A certain blonde asked the question.
Lloyd nodded and explained.
"Though calling it a kingship is just a title. Fretia handles most of the real work herself. I only stop by from time to time."
In truth, that world originally had no concept of gods or kings. But after touring the Lands Between and finding it convenient to stay connected with Lloyd, Fretia had made the request—and he agreed.
After accepting, Fretia had to remain there to oversee everything, unable to return to the Lands Between for the time being.
Even so, while Fretia didn't come back, the number of people around Lloyd actually increased—a lot.
"Asimi, nine Lilys, and the nun sisters who came with them..."
They were all children. With the rebuilding efforts keeping everyone busy, no one had the time to care for them. The harsh environment of that land didn't help either, so Fretia asked Lloyd to take them to the Lands Between.
Afterward, since Lloyd himself lacked both the time and patience to care for children—and even if he tried, others wouldn't exactly trust him with the task—the kids were entrusted to others.
The Lilys were sent to Hamlet Town, placed under the care of witches brimming with maternal instinct but nowhere to direct it. The nun sisters, being older, were assigned to assist Fried.
Meanwhile, after hearing that Lloyd had come from another world, a certain dark witch took great interest in him and expressed a strong desire to exchange knowledge about otherworldly magic and lore...before being dragged away by Fretia.
"Get to work. No slacking off."
However, the blonde's concern wasn't about that. What caught her attention was Lloyd's title—his role as "king."
Or rather...
"It seems you're quite good at this sort of thing."
Alice nodded, studying Lloyd with a thoughtful look.
"In that case, once things here in the Lands Between are settled, I'll open a few more portals for you. You can visit other worlds and deal with their problems too."
"Isn't that a bit...?"
"Don't worry. They'll all be the worst kinds of worlds. Normal ones don't need your help."
"I'm not—"
"They'll also be the kind where you can really go wild."
A brief silence followed.
Then someone's lips curled into a calm smile.
"You should've said that sooner."
"When do we leave?"