Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

While most spectators chose to pay attention to the movements and actions of the more high-profile Representatives, that didn't mean there was no excitement occurring near the Little Garden's periphery. Rather, as each Community could only put forth a single Representative, the majority of Players, representing Gates 10,000-9,999,999, had been transported to the ruins of the Outer Gates.
Among this comparably large portion of Players, a young man with blonde hair and amethyst purple eyes could be seen bounding through the air, his laughter echoing through the area as he shouted, "Come on! Are you even trying to aim!? You'll need to try harder if you want to hit the Great Izayoi, Strategist of the No Names...!"
Frustrated by the young man's laughter, the leader of the group that had teamed up to eliminate him bellowed, "Fuck you, you No-Name little shit! If you're a real man, stop bouncing around and fight me...!"
As flight-related Gifts weren't common among Communities occupying the Outter Gates, the group targetting Izayoi could only pepper him with ranged attacks in the hopes of knocking him out of the sky. Their leader was a voluptuous, blonde-haired woman with inordinately large, ram-like horns that framed her face and a thick, alligator-like tail. Her outfit, which consisted of a tube-top, vested jacket, form-fitting pants, and multiple belts, gave people the impression she was a bit of a delinquent, a notion further backed by her words.
Leaping hundreds of meters into the air, the horned woman attempted to tackle Izayoi, but he effortlessly evaded to the side, compelling her to shout, "Aaaaah! So you're so fucking dead! Just wait until I get my hands on you...!"
Instead of exhibiting even a hint of fear, Izayoi exhaled a light chuckle as he danced around hundreds of fast-moving projectiles. He knew the 'real' battles wouldn't start until the major players got a feel for the situation, so he was just killing time until something interesting happened.
*Mistress Asuka will not be pleased if you continue playing around with other women...*
Hearing the ethereal voice of his whale-like Companion, Seiun, the smile on Izayoi's face visibly cramped. He could easily imagine Asuka getting upset with him if he was 'too friendly' with another woman, so when the aggressive blonde leaped at him for the umpteenth time, Izayoi adopted a marginally more serious expression and said, "Better luck next time, gator girl."
Before the blonde could process Izayoi's words, a heavy blow impacted her abdomen, sending her crashing toward the ground like a meteor. The attack caused her little pain, but the moment she opened her eyes and prepared to launch a counter, she found herself in the familiar setting of her bedroom, eliminated from the Pandemonium Game.
Realizing what must have happened, the aggressive blonde gripped her horns and shook her head violently as she shouted, "You son of a bitch! Don't think this is over, Izayoi of the No-Names...!"
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Unaware that he had just acquired a 'nemesis,' Izayoi made short work of the blonde-haired beauty's remaining allies before perching atop the ruins of a partially collapsed tower. He could get a better vantage by flying up into the sky, but that came with the risk of exposing himself to individuals that could fire long-range projectiles at faster-than-light speeds.
Though he was pretty confident in his speed and reaction time, Izayoi had once fought against a 'serious' Wu. Her base speed at the time clocked in at around 1.4 quintillion times the speed of light, so Izayoi had no illusions about being the 'fastest' person in the Little Garden. Heck, with Vahn able to pull powerhouses out of his ass, he may not even be in the top 100.
Recalling his most recent encounter with Vahn, occurring just a few hours before the onset of the Pandemonium Game, Izayoi couldn't help feeling a little helpless. He could generally tell whether or not his opponent was more powerful than him, but the most recent version of Vahn gave him no impression at all. It was almost like he didn't even exist...
Sensing his partner's thoughts, Seiun whispered, (*If you wish to oppose my Creator, you have my complete and total support. Just know that, unless we have a good reason to win, he will never permit himself to be defeated.*)
Adopting a wry smile, Izayoi playfully remarked, "Most people don't have a say in whether or not they'll be defeated. Even your Creator must have a weakness..."
Though it currently lacked a body, Seiun nodded in response to Izayoi's words, stating, (*If he didn't, he wouldn't allow himself to be defeated at all. Because he believes everyone is entitled to pursue their own path, any sufficiently resolute individual would be able to depose him.*)
Raising his brows, Izayoi retorted, "Is that so...?" before tilting his head to the side, casually evading the laser-like beam of light that tried to pierce it. Several others followed suit, but Izayoi just narrowed his eyes, a simple action that caused the lasers to bend around him, almost as if they were afraid.
Seemingly realizing that Izayoi wasn't an opponent she could deal with, a bronze-skinned woman with ruby eyes, cat-like ears, and apparel befitting the sensibilities of the West abandoned her position and tried to flee. She was barely faster than an Olympic athlete, however, so Izayoi appeared in front of her in an instant, asking, "Is that a laser sniper rifle? That's pretty freaking cool, not gonna lie..."
Before the woman could respond, Izayoi snatched the futuristic-looking rifle out of her hands and began to inspect it. He could toss pebbles and deal more damage than the rifle was capable of dealing, but, as someone from a relatively modern version of Japan, he was still intrigued by mechs and futuristic weaponry.
Though her primary weapon was snatched away, the bronze-skinned cat girl made no attempts to protest or steal it back. Instead, she just stared back at Izayoi with caution, her body tense and mind racing to conceive a method of escape.
Fortunately for the woman, remaining silent was probably the best thing she could have done. Had she tried to negotiate or try to seduce Izayoi, he would have had little choice but to eliminate her. Since she just stared at him with worry, however, he felt no qualms about tossing over her rifle and suggesting, "You should stick to the outskirts and only target Players you've seen in action. You won't be able to achieve victory, but you might be able to gain some reputation if you're able to hold out till the end."
Before the woman could think to thank him or request a partnership of some kind, Izayoi flicked his middle finger and sent her stumbling back with a fierce yet ultimately harmless wind. He briefly got a glimpse of the contents of her skirt but resisted the urge to comment on it as Asuka was doubtlessly scrutinizing his every action...
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"Ahahahaha~! This is so much fun~!"
Despite being knocked around like a ragdoll by Kurma's attacks, Lahmu was in high spirits as she continued to attack haphazardly, spreading the influence of her corruption.
Seeing the battlefield gradually morph into a miasma-filled hellscape, the look on Kurma's face became increasingly grim. Unfortunately, while her power dwarfed Lahmu's by several orders of magnitude, she had nothing that could put down the cackling lolita permanently.
Balling her right hand into a fist, Kurma covered the distance between her and Lahmu in an instant, punching the latter with enough force to send her head spinning like a top as she growled, "You're beginning to try my patience, Lahmu...!"
After stumbling back a bit, Lahmu reached up to stop the spinning of her head, an expression of childish glee on her face as she replied, "Lahmu is just having fun. It isn't often Lahmu gets to play with others, so won't you keep her company a while longer~?"
Though she was tempted to shout that they weren't playing a game, Kurma knew the futility of trying to reason with Lahmu. The latter was the 'beloved' daughter of one of the most corrupt and demonic entities in the entire Little Garden, so her idea of fun was ripping people apart with her bare hands or watching them dissolve in her corrosive flames.
Exhaling through her nose, Kurma was prepared to employ a similar tactic as Madara but stopped when Lahmu abruptly looked away from her. She followed the petite Dragoness's gaze, and what she discovered caused a shiver to course through her entire body. It was a being standing a mere three meters tall, but it inspired a sense of dread comparable to watching a planet's host star go supernova.
As it had been observing the battle for several minutes, the bone-white creature just smiled with all three of its heads, the centermost remarking, "Don't mind us. Please, continue..." in an amused, bone-chilling tone.
Losing her usual smile, Lahmu looked at the exposed part of her left arm to find the flesh beneath it writhing about. She could produce tentacles from openings in her body, natural or otherwise. Now, however, they were being made within her body, completely disregarding her will...
As greenish-black blood began to flow from her mouth, nose, ears, and eyes, Lahmu looked toward Kurma and croaked, "This isn't fun anymore..." before bursting into innumerable, tiny chunks. A titanic figure with four eyes, dark green skin, and demonic horns had burst free from her body, half of its muscular frame comprised of fleshy tentacles as it charged at Kurma like a mindless beast.
Despite the creature's massive frame, Kurma was able to send it crashing to the ground with a fairly casual smack, ignoring the devastation wrought by her attack as she stared at the three-headed creature and hissed, "Azi Dahaka..."
Placing a hand over his heart, Azi impersonated a gentlemanly bow as he lowered his central head and replied, "At your service..."
Contrasting the central head's words and actions, the left-most head stared at Kurma with a predatory smile, adding, "I never expected this bitch to be our hundred-and-seventieth prey. This day just keeps getting better and better."
Smacking his left head, Azi pretended to be angry as he condescendingly bellowed, "Watch your language! Don't you know we're in the presence of Her Highness, the World Dragon Kurma!?"
Tired of the center and left head's antics, the right head exhaled a sigh through his nose, grumbling, "What is the point of these theatrics? Let's just devour her and be done with it."
Though the centermost head was inclined to agree, the left head made its depravity known, retorting, "Nah, fuck that. This bitch wants to go around calling herself a Dragon when she's just a turtle? I say we give her a taste of the real thing..."
Wresting control from the central head, Lefty used its corresponding hand to scratch between its legs. Kurma had understood his intentions from his words, but his actions made it even more apparent, causing the glower on her face to become an expression of abject disgust as she asserted, "The whole of Creation will benefit from your destruction..."
Without missing a beat, the left-most head began to retort, "You're about to benefit from these nuts in your-" before receiving another smack from the central head, silencing him. The three of them shared control over the same body, but the central head was the defacto leader between them as it had dominion over their reproductive functions.
With the left-most head temporarily silenced, the central Azi directed its gaze to Kurma, asking, "What is the meaning behind this farce you call a Gift Game? Considering your relationship with Vishnu, you should have at least some idea of the true purpose of this event. Reveal what you know, and I can guarantee you a dignified death. Refuse, and..."
Understanding what his central head had in mind, the left-most head regained a vicious smile as it added, "I'll fuck every hole you have and then create new ones to keep fucking...!"
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Izayoi is completely henpecked...','Ms. Kurma...I don't feel so good...','Team Three Star...!')

With the most disdainful glower she could manage, Kurma stared down at Azi and uttered a simple, "Disgusting..." before immediately teleporting away.
Surprised by the rapid departure, the left head of Azi exclaimed, "Ah! That bitch is trying to run...!"
Rolling his eyes, the central Azi replied, "I can see that." before turning to the right head and questioning, "What do you think? Should we give chase or continue hunting other prey?"
Caressing the tassel dangling from his stake as if it were a beard, the right head took a moment to consider its answer before stating, "Contemptible as he may be, Vishnu is no fool. He wouldn't permit one of his Avataras to appear before us without some kind of plan. I advise caution."
Snorting tiny plumes of flame from its nostrils, the left head retorted, "You always advise caution. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have been sealed in this shit hole for all these years."
Ignoring the left head's remark, the right head remained silent, patiently awaiting the central head's decision.
Though it briefly stared in the direction Kurma had departed, the central head ultimately exhaled a telepathic sigh before lazily grumbling, "I hate having to track prey..."
Too lazy to pursue Kurma, Azi used his impossibly sharp claws to create a gash across his chest. Luminous crimson blood began spurting from the wound, but instead of splattering across the ground, it floated away from Azi, forming thirteen carmine spheres. At the center of these spheres, tiny eggs could be seen undergoing rapid cell division, rapidly developing into embryos before 'hatching' as two-headed clones of Azi.
Reaching toward the nearest clone, Azi grasped its two necks before ripping it in two, blood erupting from the bifurcated halves and forming thousands of additional spheres. The resultant clones only possessed a single head, but each possessed power comparable to the Leader of a 5-Digit Community. This might not sound particularly impressive, but killing them would simply result in more clones being produced, each capable of devouring just about anything.
With an army to act at his behest, Azi mended the wound on his chest as he sneered and said, "Go forth, be fruitful, and multiply."
Never one to remain silent, the left head immediately added, "And if you see that bitch, Kurma, or any other 'dragons' for that matter, bring them to me."
Feeling obliged to offer his own amendment, the right head followed the other two, stating, "Be wary of the pale woman with red eyes and ashen hair. Her power is unknown, even to us."
Following the trio's words, the 3,419 clones of Azi offered respectful bows before splitting off into twelve groups, each overseen by a clone with two heads. Only the two-headed Azi(s) could transmit information back to the original, so they acted as Commanders. In contrast, their one-headed kin were little more than mindless pawns, their every action dictated by their Commanders' will.
Seeing his brood disperse, Azi stood silently for nearly a full minute until the left head quipped, "Have we finally gone senile...?"
Ignoring the left head's comment, the central head looked to the sky with the closest thing it could manage to a pensive expression. As a being that had existed even before the dawn of time, it was attuned to Creation in a way subsequent generations of Gods couldn't imagine. It hadn't noticed it initially, but 'something' had changed. He had no idea what it was, but the sense of incongruency he was experiencing was unmistakable...
Confusing the other two heads, a hint of emotion briefly appeared in the depths of Azi's eyes as he asked himself, "Is this real...?"
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Though she had yet to replenish her mental and spiritual energies fully, Kefla terminated her meditation early as she sensed dozens of powerful and malicious auras heading toward her with reckless abandon.
"What the hell...?"
With her Sage Mode allowing her to sense emotions and ascertain the 'alignment' of her opponent, Kefla was momentarily confused as not even Majin Buu possessed as much wickedness as the beings closing in on her position.
As one of the creatures burst through the wall of her hideout, Kefla got her first look at one of Azi Dahaka's clones. It spotted her at the same time, but there was no sense of awareness within its eyes, only ruthless detachment.
Interrupting the moment of tension between Kefla and the one-headed clone, three more burst into the room from different angles, each lunging toward the fused Saiyaness with extended arms and salivating maws.
Demonstrating the rather drastic difference in their speed and strength, Kefla evaded the lunging attacks with such finesse she appeared to be flowing with the air around them. Super Saiyan Sage Mode functioned as a kind of precursor to Ultra Instinct. So, even though she would generally thrash any opponent foolish enough to charge at her, Kefla abstained out of pure instinct, bursting through the ceiling to escape their encirclement.
Finding dozens more Azi(s) waiting for her in the skies outside, a battle-hungry smile developed across Kefla's face as she zeroed in on the two-headed clone, remarking, "Weren't Gifts and Abilities related to cloning against the rules? Seeing as you haven't been ejected from the game, I take it you're one of the 'dangers' we were warned about near the start."
Having gained knowledge of the existence of Gift Games from some of the Players it had devoured, the right head of the two-headed Azi replied, "Something like that..." while the left remarked, "Gold hair and a monkey-like tail...are you a descendent of Sun Wu Kong...?"
Furrowing her brows, Keflt lost her smile as she growled, "I am a Saiyan, not a monkey. You'll keep that in mind if you don't want to skin you and turn you into a handbag..."
As it didn't really care about Kefla's race, the two-headed Azi exchanged looks with itself before shrugging and saying, "Whatever. Monkey, Saiyan, insect...it's all the same when it comes out the other end..."
Without the need for a verbal order, the 283 clones following their two-headed Commander charged toward Kefla from all sides. They lacked the shadowy wings of the original, but they could still fly by manipulating the air and gravity around them.
While the speed of the clones was enough to horrify individuals in the 6-7-Digit Gates, they were moving painfully slow in the eyes of Kelfa. She didn't know their exact speed, but she knew it was slower than even the speed of light, something she could exceed in her teens. After receiving training as both a God of Creation and Destruction, she could dart across entire universes in just a few hours. Thus, for a brief moment, Kefla found herself seriously considering whether or not the white-skinned monsters were even worth her time.
Exhaling a sigh that was imperceptible to the one-headed Azi(s), Kefla muttered, "Let's just get this over with..." before 'floating' over to the two-headed clone at a lazy velocity. It was much faster than the one-headed clones, but it had barely widened its eyes and begun to uncross its arms by the time Kefla placed her hand in front of its face, adding, "If it's all the same in the end, eat shit and die..." in an icy tone.
Without giving the two-headed Azi a chance to respond, Kefla created a sphere of vibrant green Ki. She had fought against regenerative monsters such as Cell, Majin Buu, and Vahn, so once she resolved to kill someone, she did her best to ensure not even a single cell remained.
As the two-headed Azi was annihilated in an instant, the remaining 283 'ragdolled' in mid-air, their bodies following their original trajectory and crashing into one another with gruesome consequences. Kefla hadn't been expecting this, but she ultimately just shrugged her shoulders and remarked, "That's not something you see every day..."
Nearly as soon as Kefla had finished quipping, the mangled bodies of the Azi clones began to regenerate. At the same time, the veritable shower of blood that had rained down on the ground began to congeal, forming tens of thousands of tiny spheres before Kefla raised her hand and proclaimed, "Yeah, I don't think so."
Using nearly as much power as she had during her brief exchange with Pweamma, Kefla unleashed a devastating attack that enveloped an area much larger than the one covered in the clones' blood. She had no idea of Azi's capabilities, so she wasn't leaving anything to chance...
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A stark contrast to how smoothly things had gone for Kefla, the majority of Players were helpless against the onslaught of Azi's forces. Those from 6-7-Digit Gates were hunted down without mercy while those from lower-digit Gates managed to put up a fight but were ultimately overwhelmed by the clones' regenerative and replicative abiliites.
As he had been loitering around the 5-Digit Gates, Izayoi was one of the few capable of dealing with Azi's clones. With the aide of Seiun, he was able to fly around at faster than light speeds, shattering the clones as if they were glass before advising those he saved to abandon the game or regroup with other Players.
Unfortunately, as fast as Izayoi was, he lacked the ability to sense across vast distances. He could only eliminate the clones that appeared in front him, unware of their origin or if other clones had appeared to replace the ones he had already eliminated.
Feeling frustrated after eliminating what Seiun confirmed to be his ten-thousandth clone, Izayoi punched the air and shouted, "Where the hell are these things coming from!?"
Seeing the army of Azi clones scouring the battlefield like ants atop an animal carcass, Izayoi was increasingly tempted to just 'nuke' them from orbit. Other Players were bound to get caught up in the destruction, but it was better to be vaporized than endure being torn apart by the unfeeling, endlessly propogating monsters.
Raising his right hand, palm upward, Izayoi manifested a pencil-sized light construct. He was about to release the energy contained within when a white-haired youth with luminous golden eyes abruptly appeared next to him, reaching for his wrist.
Reacting much faster than the youth, Izayoi retracted his hand and asked, his usual smile nowhere to be seen as he asked, "And who the hell are you supposed to be?"
Instead of revealing his identity, the white-haired youth narrowed his eyes at Izayoi and stated, "You should be thanking me. While there are many differences between them, Another Cosmology functions similarly to Authority. If you had activated that power, being eliminated from the game would be the least of your troubles..."
Though he doubted the credibility of the youth's words, Izayoi didn't attempt to activate his 'Aurora Pillar' a second time. Instead, he gave the golden-eyed youth an apprasing look, asking, "And why does that matter to you? I don't recall us ever meeting, and I've got a damn good memory."
Ignoring Izayoi's questions a second time, the youth placed his hands into his pockets and shifted his gaze to the plateau at the center of the battlefield, stating, "There are significantly fewer clones the closer you get to the Inner Gates. I suggest heading there before you expend your energy trying to eliminate an endless, self-replicating army."
Without waiting for Izayoi's response, the youth promptly turned around and teleported away. When he reached his destination, however, he was stunned to find Izayoi there waiting for him, arms crossed as he asserted, "I have questions, and you're going to answer them..."
Realizing that Izayoi was 'a lot' faster than he had anticipated, the youth only hesitated for a moment before answering, "Very well. However, there is a limit to my knowledge. If you want a detailed explanation, you should locate one of the Representative from the Inner Gates. Only those above with adequate 'permissions' can disclose the truth of this situation."
Nodding his head in affirmation, Izayoi replied, "Oh, I intend to. You can be sure of that. For now, just hearing the basics is enough. Now, out with it, chibi. My patience is already wearing thin."
Though he frowned at Izayoi referring to him as a chibi, the white-haired youth didn't bother to retort. Instead, her narrowed his eyes and asked, "What do you know of the Communal Alliance known as Arcadia...?"
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Kurma be like, "Fuck this shit, I'm out~!"','Kefla is surprisingly diligent...','A 'mysterious' white shota has entered the battlefield! And he's eyeing Izayoi's palm-sized pillar...!?')

Contrasting the chaos in the Outter Gates, things were relatively peaceful atop the three-tiered plateau overlooking the rest of the battlefield. Most of the Avataras participating as Representatives of 1-3-Digit Communities stood to gain nothing from achieving victory, so, with the exception of a few outliers, they were focused on collecting relics and biding time until the 'finale.'
Representing one of the exceptions, World Dragon Kurma hovered in the sky over the area where Vahn's palace would have been constructed if the two Little Gardens overlapped one another. She had much to discuss with the woman known as the 'Ethereal Queen,' but she couldn't discover so much as a single trace of her.
With a slight pout on her face, Kurma muttered, "Not being able to make use of my Authority is more annoying than I anticipated..."
Though an Avatara would generally be able to benefit from the powers and abilities of their original, particularly their omniscience, this particular 'projection' of the Little Garden made that difficult, to say the least. It was part of a System that predated the existence of the Central Network, and, were it not for the power of Shiroyasha, they wouldn't be able to access it, much less conduct a 'Gift Game' within it...
Understanding there was a high likelihood that Vahn's Representative had made their way toward the central plateau, Kurma was about to return to her original location when angular, greenish-black tendrils attempted to skewer her. She managed to shatter them with an ostensibly casual wave of her hand, but a crack appeared on the nail of her pinky finger.
Noticing the tiny imperfection, Kurma's brow twitched, her slit-like pupils contracting as she looked toward her attacker, growling, "You little brat. What's the meaning of this...?"
Undaunted by the fierce aura exuding from Kurma's body, what appeared to be a young girl with dark green hair, blade-like horns, and a dragon-like tail covered her mouth and giggled. She was garbed in a black, green, and gold gothic lolita outfit, but the first thing most people would notice were the bloodstains adorning it.
After laughing at Kurma's expense, the young girl narrowed her emerald green eyes, her pupils contracting into similarly thin slits as she playfully mused, "This is a Battle Royale with a single victor. I'm clearly here to try and eliminate you, silly."
Punctuating her words, the petite figure swung the crystalline spear in her hands. It was composed of a translucent, gradient green material and had a series of blade-like protrusions that gave it the appearance of a verdant, fierce-looking flame. When swung, greenish-black tendrils ripped through the space between the girl and Kurma, their velocity so great as to appear instantaneous.
Clicking her tongue, Kurma shattered the encroaching tendrils a second time, shouting, "You're starting to try my patience, Lahmu...!"
Instead of responding with a retort of her own, Lahmu, better known as the Dragon of Chaos, issued a cutesy, "Ehehehehehe~" as she continued swinging her spear around with reckless abandon. Only a small portion of her attacks actually went toward Kurma, the rest impacting the ground or empty air to produce glassy green matter that gradually spread from the point of contact.
Understanding that Lahmu couldn't be reasoned with, Kurma grit her teeth before releasing a thunderous bellow that caused the surrounding space to distort, bubbling outward. Even Lahmu's body appeared to bend in the direction of the distortion, her laughter momentarily ceasing as her fair complexion paled further.
After space had distorted to the point of resembling a fish-eye lens from the perspective of onlookers, the 'bubble' promptly shattered. Lahmu was knocked from the sky, blood flowing from each of her orifices, but she still managed a child-like smile, remarking, "That's the spirit~." before massive tentacles abruptly erupted from beneath her skirt...
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Seeing Lahmu targetting Kurma, a fierce scowl replaced Indra's usually relaxed smile. Lahmu didn't have enough reason to track down and target Kurma of her own volition, and the only person she willfully obeyed was her father, the Demon Dragon Emperor, Andramalech.
With his hands clenched into fists, Indra muttered, "That bastard...what could he possibly be thinking? Don't tell me he genuinely believes he can replace that monster...?"
As they were watching events unfold in the same room, Shiroyasha rolled her eyes at Indra's remark, retorting, "Wow, who could have imagined a being calling themselves the Demon Dragon Emperor trying to take over the Little Garden? Someone notify the press! Mobilize the Divine Army...!"
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Losing a bit of his edge, Indra looked toward Shiroyasha and remarked, "You don't seem particularly concerned...is this 'Ethereal Queen' really all that powerful? You know wh-"
With a deadpan expression on her face, Shiroyasha interrupted Indra's words, stating, "I'm one of the people that's been maintaining the seal all these years. Of course I know what kinds of monsters are sealed within. Just shut up and watch the damn game."
Cowed by the fierce expression on Shiroyasha's face, Indra appeared to shrink in place as he returned his attention to the battle between Kurma and Lahmu. The former was ranked much higher than the latter, so even if Lahmu's power was a natural counter to Kurma, the outcome shouldn't be affected. To that end, it was highly probable that Lahmu was just sent as a distraction, preventing Kurma from reaching out to the Representatives of the Aldrnari Empire and its affiliates...
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After waiting several minutes to confirm Paragon wasn't going to pop out and sneak attack her, Madara permitted herself a moment of respite. The prohibitions against Authority placed a tremendous burden on her Mental, Spiritual, and Physical Energies, so she was actually tired for the first time in centuries.
Despite her harsh words targetting the Heroes of the West, Madara had to admit there were a few capable individuals among them. Paragon was a good example, but, despite being the Rank 1 Hero, he was only Rank 7 in terms of Madara's priorities. The person she was actually worried about was the Rank 9 Hero known as Dragon, a Technomancer whose brilliance and adaptability rivaled Da Vinci's.
With Dragon's ability to manipulate all forms of technology, even objects as mundane as a stone wheel, the ruins of the original Little Garden were both a treasure trove and an ideal battleground. They had yet to make an appearance, but Madara knew it was only a matter of time before an army of Dragon-themed automatons began swarming the battlefield, much like when Vahn gave Bulma access to her own personal Moon Cell.
Fortunately, as troublesome as Dragon's abilities were, Madara was the closest thing to a perfect counter against the enigmatic inventor. She was capable of creating tens of thousands of Shadow Clones, and though the rebound would probably liquefy her brain, she could sustain a moon-sized Susanoo with each of them.
"Hmmm...?"
While searching for an ideal place to rest, Madara sensed a powerful intent spying on her position, triggering her Rinnesharingan. The intent vanished the moment she attempted to lock onto it, but Madara was able to approximate its position and manifest one of her Limbo Clones over the area.
As the pale, white-haired version of Madara looked around, the smell of blood immediately caught her attention. The intent emanated from what appeared to be a long-abandoned battlefield, yet, despite the apparent passage of time, many of the corpses still oozed fresh, luminous golden blood.
Recognizing the thousands of deceased as former Gods and their kin, a curious glimmer reflected across Madara's eyes as she softly mused, "Are these the remains of the Divine Army...?"
Sensing the same intent from before, this time locking on to her Limbo Clone, Madara directed her attention to the decapitated corpse of a 3m tall man wearing golden reminiscent of an ancient Persian warrior. The moment she looked over, the plating covering the figure's chest began to bulge before bursting open to reveal the head of a strange, bone-colored lizard with round, emotionless, unblinking amethyst eyes.
As if it was confused by Madara's presence, the strange lizard tilted its head to one side, the ridges above its sunken eyes raising ever so slightly as a piercing, bone-chilling voice echoed through the area like a whisper from the void, remarking, "I thought I sensed an 'outsider,' but I dared not believe it. Tell me, woman. By what means did you enter the place...?"
Furrowing her brows, Madara ignored the creature's query as she softly remarked, "Now I understand...this place wasn't selected because of its convenience. Those bastards in the Inner Gates want us to clean it up for them..."
Instead of getting annoyed at Madara's apparent disregard, the bone-white lizard managed an uncanny smile as it mused, "I see...you come from the Second, or is it the Third now? Either way, it was a mistake to come here. Once I've devoured your flesh, I will find the path back and lay waste to as many playgrounds as those pathetic Gods have prepared."
Though others might be intimidated by the creature, especially those that knew its identity, Madara rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, stating, "I have no interest in relics from the past. Get in my way, and I'll crush you like the insect you are..."
Unable to contain itself, the eerie lizard threw its head back and released a cackling laugh that caused visible cracks in the surrounding space. The ground beneath it appeared to heave as if influenced by an overwhelming gravitation force, while everyone unfortunate enough to be observing the scene felt a sense of existential dread.
Unaffected by the aura of malice that had descended upon her like a veil, Limbo Madara extended her hand toward the cackling creature and said, "Begone..." in a cold, icy tone. The peculiar lizard heard her and adopted a taunting smile, but before it could retort, a skyscraper-sized pillar of black energy impacted, seemingly erasing it from existence...
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As one of its countless offshoots was slaughtered, a vaguely humanoid figure with three draconic heads, each sporting stakes, awakened from its previously assumed eternal slumber. It had shackles on its long and thin limbs, shadowy wings protruding from its back, loose trousers sewn from its own flesh, and a red cape sporting a symbol that appeared to blur and distort when viewed directly, making it impossible to make out.
Rising into a squat, the creepy white creature raised its three draconic heads, the outer two sniffing the air while the centermost head inquired, "How long has it been since one of our brood met its end in this timeless place? Did they stumble across one of the remnants of the Old Gods...?"
Though they shared the same body and purpose, the three heads each possessed unique Egos, the left-most growling, "This is why I suggested we devour everything..."
Disagreeing with its left-most counterpart, the right head retorted, "There was good reason to believe those fools would eventually return to try and reclaim their lost heritage. If this turns out to be them, you're going to end up looking even more foolish than usual..."
Snorting through its nose, the left-most head growled, "We look exactly the same..." before following the gaze of the center head. Because of the restrictions on Authority, its perception was severely limited. The corpse it was inhabiting also got in the way, so, after a moment of silence, it raised its left arm and blasted a massive hole in the 'ceiling.'
Feeling a little annoyed, the center head took control over its left arm and pulled on the tassel dangling from the left-most head's stake. This caused all three of them tremendous pain, but the bulk of it was experienced by the left-most head, telepathically screaming, "You bastaaaaaaaaaaaard-!" until the central head released it.
As the left-most head attempted to use the horn-like ridge above its eye to stab it, the central head just ignored it, choosing to stare up at the hole overhead. It was annoyed by the left-most head's act of autonomy, but it couldn't deny the gaping hole made things easier. Various 'scents' rained down on it from above, some familiar, others entirely brand new. Thus, for the first time in eons, it cracked a malevolent smile and mused, "We have visitors...and quite a few, at that..."
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Chaos Deities can be a pain in the ass xD...','Madara doesn't play around...well, not too much...','*triple kek*')

Chapter 2338: Lurking