"I see… if you say I exist in the future, then I can rest easy. Because I want to meet you. Truly meet you."
Kaguya's tone was earnest, her eyes fixed on Kaede.
News of the border city's destruction spread swiftly.
When people learned it had been done by the gods of the Divine Nation, they were stunned. Could true gods really exist in this world?
The Land of Chains had long dismissed the idea of divinity. Yet the black meteor that blotted out the heavens forced them to believe. No human could summon such a thing.
And the fate of the Star border city reminded them—if the Divine Nation continued to swallow surrounding lands, their turn would come soon. The Land of Chains was the last great nation left.
"Everyone… we…"
The daimyo of Chains faltered. Every word seemed like defiance against gods.
One retainer spoke, breaking the silence.
"Daimyo, I suggest we send envoys to the Divine Nation. Seek an audience with the gods. Learn their will toward us. Only then can we decide our course."
Nods spread among the ministers. Better to bow early than to meet the fate of the Star borderlands.
"Very well, then you shall—"
But before the daimyo could finish assigning the envoy, news arrived.
The Divine Nation's emissary had come.
Once, the daimyo of Chains would have mocked such a visitor. Gods? Laughable. But now, there was no sneer in their eyes—only respect.
The envoy was ushered in.
"Greetings, daimyo. The gods have no need for empty courtesies. Their purpose is clear: to unify this world. The Land of Ancestors, the Land of Stars—both failed to choose wisely. The armies of Ancestors were annihilated. The daimyo of Stars was slain. Its border city erased by divine punishment. Do not make the same mistake. Submit, or when the meteors fall, all will die."
"Th-this…"
The daimyo and his ministers were shaken. They had meant to speak softly, to negotiate—but the envoy's blunt words crushed all hope.
Divine punishment. Those words weighed like iron chains upon their hearts.
"Yet if you submit," the envoy continued, "your authority will not diminish. The gods promise you power greater than that of any daimyo. Even eternal life itself."
"Eternal… life?"
The daimyo's breath caught. Immortality was the sweetest temptation, impossible to ignore. To live forever, to enjoy all that the world offered—what greater dream could there be?
"Truly? Eternal life?"
"You must trust in the gods' power. To them, granting eternal life is a trifle."
"Very well. I will surrender my land. But I have one request: I wish to meet the gods in person, and place the symbol of my rule into their hands. I will serve no one else but them."
The envoy agreed swiftly. And when the report reached Kaede, he made his choice.
Kaguya would be the one to accept Chains.
For Kaede could already feel time's backlash stirring. His stay in this age was drawing to an end. Any moment, the flow of time might pull him back to where he belonged.
So in these final days, he wanted only one thing—for Kaguya to claim the world, to be cherished and worshiped by all.
Kaguya understood. And so she went.
Her reception was smooth. No one opposed. With the Land of Chains joining, the surrounding minor nations yielded as well.
The world was unified.
Kaguya gazed at Kaede in wonder. When he first appeared, she had never dreamed the entire world could be unified in a single month. And she herself had barely lifted a hand.
"Now the world is whole. In two or three years, once the Divine Tree has gathered enough energy, it will bear its fruit. When you consume it, you will gain power beyond this world."
Kaede's eyes turned toward the newly raised statue in the heart of the Divine Nation—an image of Kaguya herself.
She had become the Moon Goddess, revered across the world.
Kaede too was called a god, but his deeds had left the people fearing him more than worshiping him. When they spoke of Kaguya, it was with reverence. When they spoke of Kaede, it was with dread, as if the wrong word would call divine punishment down upon them.
"This is all your doing. I will see to it that they raise a statue in your honor too. It is what you deserve."
Kaguya stood in white robes, radiant as the goddess she had become.
"No. I need no monument. My place here is not meant to be remembered. So long as you remain the world's goddess, that is enough."
Kaede shook his head.
(End of Chapter)
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