"What if I'm not only willing to release the World-Honored One, but also willing to prevent the collapse and decline of Christianity, completely averting the impact on human history? Is even that not enough of a bargaining chip to obtain Shiroyasha?" Su Mo continued to press.
He had anticipated the Twin Goddesses' response. No one in their right mind would easily relinquish sovereignty over Shiroyasha. But once you create an opening, the negotiation becomes much easier.
"Prevent the collapse and decline of Christianity? How is that possible?" Alpha shook her head in disbelief.
Every event that occurs within the Little Garden is synchronized with the human history of the infinite multiverse outside, like a proxy war.
The Son of God had already fallen, and the Christian pantheon was mostly decimated. Those were facts. Even if the angelic legion could be resummoned, Christianity no longer had a core to rally the pantheon around.
Control of Christian faith now rested in Michael's hands, and he would never allow anyone else to summon the Son of God. Yet, his own Divinity wasn't strong enough to support the role of a pantheon leader.
It was like cancer cells successfully killing their host, only to die along with it.
In this deadlocked situation, Christianity had no future for development. Its decline would be swift, leading directly to its demise.
Under these circumstances, no one could prevent Christianity's fall, nor could they prevent the trauma human history was about to suffer. Not even Su Mo, with his Kalki Divinity, could change that.
"Why is it impossible?" Su Mo asked, feigning ignorance.
"Who will take responsibility for the fall of the Son of God?"
"Who will deal with the traitor, Michael?"
"And who will bear the burden of being the core of the pantheon's faith?"
Omega rattled off the three most critical issues in one breath.
The fall of the Son of God would undoubtedly cause an uproar in the outside world. Michael's betrayal would necessitate a collective rewriting of the Bible.
Most importantly, if no one could bypass Michael to utilize the foundation of Christian mythology, the god they worshipped would cease to exist.
These three issues, affecting the past, present, and future, were precisely why the Twin Goddesses were certain that human history would suffer a massive impact.
Even saving the World-Honored One would only lessen the blow, not eliminate it entirely. As for Su Mo's claim of preventing Christianity's decline, that was even more impossible.
It wasn't just the Twin Goddesses; Queen Halloween, Shiroyasha, and even the World-Honored One all thought the same.
Even if Su Mo killed Michael, or even put aside all grievances and resurrected the Son of God, it wouldn't change the fact that Christianity had been annihilated by a mere outsider.
For a monotheistic religion, this fact in itself was the greatest refutation of their cosmology. It was a loophole that no theological theory could patch.
However, just as everyone believed Su Mo had no answer to these questions, he spoke.
"I will take responsibility. I will handle it. I will bear it all."
"?"
The Twin Goddesses and everyone else fell into a stunned silence.
What are you talking about?
Even if you are the savior of the Indian pantheon, wield two Another Cosmologies, and are unrivaled in combat, you can't possibly solve a problem that has nothing to do with power.
Who do you think you are? God?
Just as these rebuttals formed in their minds, a voice rang out, fervent and blazing, a voice no one expected.
"My Lord! Do you finally intend to take your place at the head of the pantheon and return to your divine throne?"
Everyone, including the observing gods and buddhas, was stunned when they saw who was speaking. They couldn't comprehend the situation. Even Canary was dumbfounded for a long moment, wracking her brain before a heaven-shaking possibility occurred to her.
"Michael, what is this?" Alpha's expression was dazed as she looked at the "traitor" and Vice-Lord of Heaven, now kneeling before Su Mo.
What was going on?
Everyone present knew that Michael, who had betrayed the Son of God, must have been colluding with Su Mo; otherwise, the timing wouldn't have been so perfect.
But collusion was one thing. You were still the strongest current member of Christianity, wielding an Another Cosmology! You didn't even need to fear a Full-Authority Domain, so why would you kneel to Su Mo?
And even if you were going to kneel, what was with the title "Lord"? For an angel of Christianity, that word wasn't to be used lightly, was it?
"Don't you understand yet?"
Looking at the bewildered crowd, Su Mo loaded his mythos on the spot, revealing the Divinity of the original God. As they finally came to their senses, he made his declaration under their dazed and shocked gazes.
"In the name of God, I absolve Archangel Michael of his sin. It was he who re-enacted the great work of the mythos, slaying the Son of God, allowing the Son's power to return to God, and manifesting my will."
"Yes! All glory to the omnipotent, omniscient Lord!"
Su Mo's simple words made the gods' heads spin.
Who would take responsibility for the Son of God's fall? The answer was Su Mo. It was God's will.
Since the Son of God's death was God's will, a re-enactment of the myth, it wasn't a case of Christianity being invaded by an external enemy. At most, it was an internal conflict.
And if it was God's will, if God himself destroyed Christianity, then that fact in itself wouldn't challenge the cosmology of the one true God.
It would even strengthen it, reinforcing God's omnipotence.
Who would deal with the traitor, Michael? The answer was God. God absolved him of his sin, just as he had absolved Longinus for killing the Son of God. Thus, the Bible didn't need to be rewritten. Michael was still the most valued Vice-Lord of Heaven, his glorious image untarnished.
Who would bear the burden of being the core of the pantheon's faith? The answer was even simpler: Su Mo, God himself.
In an instant, Christianity was saved from the brink of collapse. In fact, by connecting with Su Mo, it became even more vibrant.
"To think it could be resolved this way..." Omega sighed, utterly amazed. "No wonder Michael didn't become a fallen angel. He was following your will from the very beginning."
All the details fit perfectly.
So this was a war of vengeance for God's return. No wonder the Son of God had reacted so violently before, and no wonder Michael had made such a choice.
It all made sense now!
After confirming that Su Mo truly possessed the Divinity of God, the gossiping gods and buddhas had their fill, finally bringing a satisfying conclusion to this mythic-level battle.
So, this whole conflict really was just an internal affair for Christianity!
Almost everyone wore an expression of relief, as if a great mystery had been solved.
The only ones still trembling in fear were the remaining angels of Christianity. For those who had more or less sided with the Son of God, God's return was a disaster of apocalyptic proportions.
However, the other gods felt no sympathy for them. Just as the Son of God had used this method to replace God, God could now use it to replace him in return. For pantheons, this was just a normal part of their evolution.
Thus, after a long silence, Omega, the Goddess of Terminus, finally came back to her senses.
"If you are willing to do that, you can indeed mend nearly all the damage done to human history."
Even she had to admit that Su Mo's proposal was the best solution.
"But, even so, it is not enough to trade for the ownership of Shiroyasha," she said, a hint of apology in her voice.
Su Mo had taken the initiative to make this offer, and her refusal seemed a bit heartless, almost like she was haggling. But this was one demand she absolutely could not concede.
Shiroyasha's Divinity simply could not be used as a bargaining chip.
"Is that so..."
Hearing the expected answer, Su Mo's expression didn't change as he added, "Then what if I don't demand ownership of Shiroyasha, but only that you relinquish your sovereignty over her and grant her freedom?"
Through their conversation, he had already figured out the Twin Goddesses' bottom line.
Like Shiroyasha, the Twin Goddesses prioritized the continued existence of the Little Garden. However, unlike the emotional Shiroyasha, their concern was based on pure reason.
Only with the Little Garden's existence could cosmic truths like them, born from it, maintain their power.
Therefore, as long as the Little Garden's existence was assured, they didn't care if it was creationism or humanism, nor did they care about rebuilding it.
Based on this, they had no real desire for power. Their only requirement was to maintain their own existence. That was why they had acted against the White Night Demon Lord, who had threatened their existence.
And that was why they had left Shiroyasha completely to her own devices after eliminating the threat.
As such, they didn't see guarding Shiroyasha as a right, but as a responsibility. Su Mo's current proposal would neither threaten them nor would it shirk their duties. For them, it should be a considerable offer.
Indeed, upon hearing his words, the Twin Goddesses hesitated for a long moment, engaging in a heated discussion through a private channel.
The current Shiroyasha had long since graduated from being a Last Embryo. She had a deep love for the Little Garden and was no longer a dangerous element. Granting her freedom, aside from needing to be watched cautiously like Queen Halloween, didn't seem to pose any major problems.
After a long discussion, the Twin Goddesses glanced at the anxious Shiroyasha in the distance, then turned back to Su Mo.
"If it is merely relinquishing sovereignty over Shiroyasha and restoring her freedom, it is not entirely out of the question," Alpha said.
"However, Shiroyasha must provide a guarantee of sufficient weight," Omega added.
Finally, the Twin Goddesses looked at Su Mo, or more precisely, at the Another Cosmology: Avatara in his hand.
Seeing their action, the sealed World-Honored One finally remembered.
Regardless of how Su Mo obtained the Kalki Divinity or became the savior of the Indian pantheon, the fact that he could unleash the full power of this Another Cosmology meant he held at least ten Sun Sovereignties.
That raised the question: where did these Sun Sovereignties come from?
Queen Halloween only had six in total, leaving a deficit of four. In the world of the Little Garden, Shiroyasha possessed the most Sun Sovereignties by far—a full fourteen.
Besides her, who else could have provided Su Mo with so many?
Even if Su Mo was now integrating Christianity as God, and the previous battle could be considered an internal Christian conflict rather than him being an enemy of all gods, Shiroyasha's actions were undoubtedly in a dangerous category.
To just let her go free... not just the Twin Goddesses, but the entire Little Garden would be uneasy.
"Therefore, she must mortgage at least twelve Sun Sovereignties as collateral before we are willing to believe she won't cause trouble!"
"Of course, we swear on our names as the Twin Goddesses that we are only holding them in custody and will never use them without authorization," Omega stated her acceptable terms.
In reality, the last sentence was unnecessary. The entire Little Garden could vouch for the Twin Goddesses' integrity.
Shiroyasha's sovereignty was already in their hands; if they truly coveted the Sun Sovereignties, they wouldn't even need to ask.
They could simply command her to hand over all fourteen. The fact that they were asking for collateral and a guarantee showed they were genuinely worried about the trouble Shiroyasha might cause.
If they could hold onto half of the Sun Sovereignties, there would at least be a chance to rebuild the Little Garden, like holding onto a revival coin.
In truth, it wasn't just the Twin Goddesses; even Su Mo himself didn't have much confidence in Shiroyasha's rambunctious nature. So, hearing such generous terms, he didn't hesitate.
"Deal!"
With that, he extended his hand and passed a Gift Card to the two goddesses. "Here are twelve Sun Sovereignties. They're yours."
Though they were just conjured up by Su Mo, they had the same properties. The only drawback was a very minor one: they could be remotely controlled by him. Not a big deal.
"Huh?"
Alpha took the Gift Card, stunned by Su Mo's generosity. They hadn't even freed Shiroyasha yet, and he was just handing over all twelve Sun Sovereignties? Did he get these things wholesale?
Seeing this, Shiroyasha immediately ducked her head, trying to hide her smirk. The original fourteen Sun Sovereignties in her Gift Card were untouched, and yet Su Mo had just casually whipped out twelve more.
If anyone found out and did the math, they'd realize the total was now more than the original sum.
"Seeing your sincerity, Lord Su Mo, we are relieved." Omega couldn't help but be impressed as she sensed Su Mo's aura seemingly drop from the Full-Authority Domain level.
So many sought to ascend to the Full-Authority Domain and failed. Yet now, for Shiroyasha's freedom, Su Mo was willing to relinquish his seat.
Without a doubt, he was a man of passion. Shiroyasha's affection had not been misplaced.
"In that case, from this day forward, Shiroyasha is free. We hope you will do your best to restrain her in the future, Lord Su Mo, and prevent her from causing too much trouble."
Having received his earnest offering and confirming the authenticity of the twelve Sun Sovereignties, Omega immediately fulfilled her promise.
Shiroyasha had gained her freedom, the Twin Goddesses had their guarantee, Su Mo had achieved victory, and Christianity had been reborn.
For a moment, everyone was happy. It was a joyous occasion for all parties.
Only the still-sealed World-Honored One blinked, desperately wanting to remind them of something.
Hadn't Su Mo and the Twin Goddesses forgotten one little thing... He hadn't been released yet!