I know what it’s like right after waking up, I went through it myself not long ago.

Until sometime past noon, I couldn’t fully put strength into my body.

So I decided to postpone meeting Sogou until tomorrow.

Hijiri and the others said they would take care of her in the meantime.

Instead, I chose to go see the Deity duo first.

Night———– the laboratory of Vysis beneath the royal castle.

When I stepped inside, there was a table placed near the entrance.

Four chairs.

Several rectangular tables were set up along the walls as well.

On top of them were what looked like magic tools and stacks of documents neatly arranged.

Those things that looked like magic tools might, perhaps, have been Sacred Treasures.

Right now, I was seated at the table with Loqierra and Thesis.

[So you’re back to your original size huh.]

Loqierra had returned from her chibi form to her normal size.

[Thanks to Thesis-sama. But well, this is just outward appearance. None of my power as a Deity has come back…… Actually, my ability to interfere and my combat capability as a Deity are even lower in this form. Still, if we’re going to rummage through this lab, this body’s a lot more convenient.]

So she was prioritizing ease of movement over her original abilities huh.

Loqierra glanced around.

[Arehh? Where’s Seras?]

[It’s just me today.]

[……Hmmm.]

[So, did you want to talk to me about something?]

Thesis, wearing an elegant and composed expression, spoke.

[I am quite hungry, Loqierra.]

Loqierra forced a strained smile.

[I’ll have something prepared once this discussion is over…… so please…… please read the room……]

[……………………]

The second-ranked being in Heaven…… was she the always hungry-type of character?

Anyway, Loqierra straightened her expression and got to the point.

[After Vysis took control of Heaven and played around with other worlds, it seems she seriously intended to go to parallel dimensional worlds next———- that is, the world you originally came from.]

[……Is that even possible? No———]

The Hero Summoning ritual includes a method of repatriation.

In that case———– it might not be impossible.

As if reading my thoughts, Loqierra continued.

[But you see, it’s been impossible for the Deities to go there until now. First, the dimensional distortion would grow too large. And your world likely exists on an entirely different dimensional axis from ours———– errr, in other words……]

Thesis took over and explained.

[In short, compared to Heaven, this world…… and even the other worlds that we Deities currently handle, your world belongs to a different type of dimension altogether, one that ordinarily cannot be connected to ours.]

Adjusting my tone for Thesis, I asked,

[So the Hero Summoning and Repatriation rituals are the only means that connect that from worlds in a different axis and dimension to this one?]

[Yes, that is correct.]

[And…… you Deities are, by nature, unable to move to parallel dimensions. Yet Vysis had been researching for a long time to make that possible?]

Loqierra looked displeased.

[It’s frustrating to admit…… but Vysis really might’ve been a genius. She was almost done figuring out how to make interdimensional travel possible for the Deities. And get this, it’s not like she didn’t care about dimensional distortion…… she’d even developed a way to minimize it.]

Thesis took a refined sip of Tonoa water.

[If the distortion were to expand and cause dimensional collapse, the world she intended to “visit for amusement” might collapse as well…… I doubt it was out of any noble consideration. That was likely her reasoning. Even so, her talent was exceptional. The numerous research results she had left behind in this laboratory testify to that.]

Loqierra slumped forward onto the table, lifting her face lazily.

Resting her elbow on the tabletop, she sighed.

[Ahh…… I hate to admit it, but as a researcher, I lost. Especially when it comes to the primal essence amplification device———- it could have had a major impact on Heaven going forward……]

Thesis stood.

She moved to the side and poured Tonoa water from a pitcher into a cup.

I asked Loqierra,

[An amplification device?]

[If there’s one unit of primal essence, it can amplify it to about five.]

[———-That primal essence can be used to correct dimensional distortion, right?]

[Unn. In other words…… it might allow us Deities to loosen the “interference restrictions” placed on us from now on.]

Thesis set the cup before me with a gentle “Here you go”.

I thanked her, then returned to the topic.

[I see…… Up until now, whenever the Deities interfered with the worlds under their jurisdiction, it caused dimensional distortion. That’s why they couldn’t act freely, and it was difficult for them to directly interfere in certain matters within those worlds.]

That was why the nations of this world had never been unified.

Countries and humans opposed to the Goddess had persisted for so long.

They had been able to persist.

For example———– “irregularities”.

When the Deities interfere, that’s probably how it gets judged.

Thesis adjusted her seat, fussing slightly with her hem, and Loqierra spoke.

[Our greatest role as the Deities is to subjugate the Root of All Evil. It’s a matter of causality, or maybe a genetic fate———– In other words, when our actions align with our designated path…… in this “destiny”, the dimensional distortion is minimal. Long-term measurements have confirmed that. But if it’s judged as interference outside that alignment———–]

[The distortion that occurs is proportional to the magnitude of the interference huh.]

[Unn. We don’t know which existence is doing the “judging”, but it definitely exists. That’s why, aside from the arrival of the Root of All Evil, we Deities can’t really interfere in human worlds. At least, not freely.]

[So Vysis was committing all her misdeeds while somehow evading that judgment.]

[Even then, there must have been limits. For example, using other humans to carry out her plans…… But Vysis probably didn’t care and wanted to commit evil exactly as she wished.]

I rested my elbow on the table and propped my chin with my right hand, wearing an exasperated look.

[……That’s so like Vysis.]

Heaven automatically observed the degree of this “distortion” and treated it like an alert system.

[Because Vysis skillfully avoided detection by this observation, she was judged having “no problem”. This…… was a failure on our side in Heaven, relying too much on automatic monitoring.]

Following Loqierra, Thesis looked a bit dejected.

[We were mistaken on this part……]

[And——— Vysis eventually planned to use the amplified primal essence to suppress that distortion and do as she pleased.]

If distortion wasn’t observed, no envoy from Heaven would come.

Thesis held the cup of Tonoa water with both hands and took a sharp sip.

Then, letting out a relieved sigh, she said,

[Ironically…… thanks to that amplification device, it seems I can stay in this world a little longer.]

[Unn. Because of the primal essence Vysis had stockpiled, Thesis-sama can remain in this world a bit longer without causing uncorrectable distortion. And today, since the amplification device is now complete…… if she wished, she might be able to extend her stay even further.]

I felt surprised and straightened my posture.

[……It wasn’t complete until now?]

Thesis answered on her behalf.

[Yes. It seems Vysis had stumbled on the final step. So it hadn’t been completed. However…… Loqierra analyzed that unfinished amplification device, read through the related documents, and———— overcame the final hurdle that Vysis had been stuck on.]

Yet the one who had overcome it didn’t look particularly proud.

[Hmm…… From my perspective, I still don’t understand why Vysis got stuck there. There were traces of trial and error, so she had already reached the final step long ago. And honestly, the process leading up to the final step, “How did she even come up with this!?”, was the part that really blows my mind……]

Loqierra looked somewhat frustrated.

Thesis smiled faintly.

[I believe that the talents of Loqierra and Vysis were quite comparable. If your uneven abilities complemented each other, perhaps something truly genius might have been born.]

Loqierra waved her hands vigorously from side to side.

[Even if that were true, there’s no way I could’ve gotten along with Vysis and done research together! No way, no way!]

It was an utterly firm refusal.

With a wry smile, Thesis summed things up.

[In short, thanks to Vysis’ research———- particularly the amplification device, we Deities may be able to act with somewhat greater flexibility from now on. However…… that technology was originally researched so that the Deities could step into parallel dimensions. And for rather unsavory purposes at that…… It’s something of an irony.]

[———-Greater flexibility, you say.]

I gazed quietly at the surface of the liquid in my cup for a moment.

[For example…… with that device, would it become possible to travel between parallel dimensions?]

At my question, Thesis replied,

[I cannot say it is impossible. After all, the Heroes from Another World are summoned———– and then repatriated. That can be called travel between worlds. However…… it is unlikely to be so convenient. Apart from dimensional distortion, there is also the issue of causality. Repeated extreme “unnatural” acts could disrupt causality itself———– in the worst case, it might even negatively affect the Akashic Records. So long as even we do not know what kind of effects it may have, we have no choice but to proceed with caution.]

I didn’t fully grasp the latter part, especially the proper terms……

In short, casually going back and forth wasn’t an option.

[I see. Understood.]

I shifted the topic slightly.

[Thesis-sama…… there are also a few matters I wished to ask from our side. First, regarding the repatriation transfer———– can the corpse of a Hero be sent back?]

[A corpse……? The act of sending it is possible, but it would vanish. In other words, it would disappear from this world and not return to the original one either. ……I’m afraid that is likely not the answer you were hoping for.]

[I see…… No, that’s not something you need to apologize for, Thesis-sama.]

This was something Kashima had asked me to inquire about.

Asagi’s body was currently being preserved with a magic tool.

If possible, Kashima had wanted to lay her to rest in our original world.

But…… it seemed difficult.

And then———-

[Well then……]

Now this one, at least, was what I personally wanted to ask.

[Regarding the repatriation of living Heroes as well————- may I ask a few questions?]

▽

The following morning.

I was walking alone through the corridors of the royal castle.

As the days passed, the royal capital seemed to be steadily regaining its calm.

I stopped and knocked on a door.

[It’s me.]

[Come in.]

Hijiri’s voice.

I stepped into the room.

A long table, the kind used for meetings, immediately came into view.

And then———– Turning towards the door was Sogou Ayaka.

[Mimori-kun……]

She didn’t exactly look fully recovered……

There was still that strain in her body huh.

Or perhaps———– was it something else?

I was dressed in the newly prepared standard Fly King’s robe.

Of course, I wasn’t wearing the mask.

Hijiri and Sogou, on the other hand, were in their school uniforms.

Somehow…… seeing Sogou in her uniform felt strangely nostalgic.

There were only the three of us in the room.

Hijiri sat diagonally to Sogou’s right.

I took the seat across from Hijiri.

[Are you alright now, Sogou?]

[Unn…… What about you, Mimori-kun?]

[As you can see.]

[……That’s good.]

She smiled as she said it.

But somehow———– it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

[During that final moment in the battle against Vysis…… back then, you saved us. Truly.]

Sogou answered modestly,

[At that time, I was just…… desperate…… I had to do something…… But if I was able to help you and Seras-san, Mimori-kun——— then, I’m glad……]

Silence.

On the table in front of Sogou lay a smartphone.

That…… must be the phone with Yasu’s video on it.

So she already knew about Yasu Tomohiro’s death.

But——— There was another classmate’s death that had to be told here.

[Sogou…… there’s something I need to tell you. It’s about the classmate who’s been listed as missing.]

[Oyamada-kun……]

Looking down, Sogou spoke.

[He’s dead, isn’t he?]

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