The Infinite Dragon God Cannot Find Silence

Although my past self was completely unreasonable, since that was me, there's nothing wrong with me paying off the debts I owe. Since I've decided to sever ties with that past self, I must resolve all the causes and effects.

“I will not say anything about Norns’ thoughts or actions, not in the past, not now, because I trust Norns.”

Orpheus, however, seemed to ignore Norns's apology and changed the subject.

This made Norns suspect that the other party intended to condemn his concealment as a betrayal of their trust.

"So, Norns just needs to trust me."

"Ugh?"

But the other party's statement, which sounded like a conclusion, surprised Norns.

"Whether it's a transaction or anything else... Norns should just focus on completing his own mission, and I will naturally do the same, whether it's against the Dragon God or the Evil God."

"..."

Norns fell silent again.

She remembered what Orpheus had said not long ago.

Will we take everything back from that person...?

To be honest, whether it's fighting against the primordial dragon god or against an evil god, it's still a very unrealistic joke in Norns' eyes.

However, Orpheus seems to have included these in his list of goals that he must achieve.

Knowing nothing about her motives, Norns could only manage a wry smile.

"You really are..."

To be honest, although Norns did so much seemingly for Orpheus, in reality, she did it all for herself.

It is both a mission from the 'past' and a way to escape the shadow of the 'past'.

but……

"If you are the one who benefits, it can indeed make you feel better."

Norns exclaimed, then she regained her composure and stood up with renewed vigor.

"Since you're so determined, then let's plan for the future. Although my understanding of the primordial dragons and evil gods is quite limited, I will tell you everything without reservation."

"Yes, please give me your guidance."

Orpheus smiled slightly at this.

Norns responded with a rare, relieved smile.

Chapter 874 An Equal Battlefield

While Izayoi's subsequent developments weren't entirely without obstacles, they were far smoother than the various troubles she had faced before.

The decadent atmosphere that triggered the crisis had not been absent from their planet.

The decadent wind is one of humanity's final trials, and indeed, the true final trial. Although it is not affected by these external additional concepts, even without considering them, its mechanism of action perfectly matches the definition of humanity's final trial, an apocalypse that humanity can only overcome by meeting specific conditions.

This specific condition is the completion of the perpetual motion machine. Therefore, the final trial of humanity, the Wind of Decadence, represents the future of humanity failing to complete the perpetual motion machine... which is the ending of the Breath of the Stars destroying humanity.

On the day the wind struck, Homura Saigo, with the help of Izayoi and the half-finished perpetual motion machine, managed to barely hold back the remaining effects of the decadent wind.

However, on that day, the fear brought by the Demon King swept across humanity.

In any case, the information obtained by various space probes at that time must have been quite remarkable.

The impact of the decadent trend was even greater than the unknown disasters that Rome suffered at the time, and after witnessing the true end of the world, the scales of history finally tipped.

Fortunately, it's not heading towards self-destruction and collapse... While humanity has many flaws, it is at least quite commendable in terms of resilience.

Through the combined efforts of countless people over countless years, three towers were erected on the equatorial belt.

───Environmental control tower.

The ultimate technological achievement capable of transforming stellar particles is a perpetual motion machine used to control the Earth's environment.

According to calculations, there are a total of 24 suitable locations on the equator for building environmental control towers, and just one would be enough to save the Earth from an imminent underwater volcanic disaster.

The purpose of building three is to prevent unforeseen circumstances... or at least to serve that purpose.

The moment the control tower was built, it meant that problems such as climate anomalies and desertification would no longer be a concern for humanity. In fact, the unlimited energy that even nuclear energy could not match allowed them to set their sights on space.

Given more time, this race will be able to develop a civilization that is different from the gods, yet powerful enough to rival them.

"At the moment when human history is truly complete, the sandbox will also reach its completion, which means that our mission has been accomplished."

The girl with golden hair, as white as rice stalks, spoke softly to the two blond-haired youths in front of her.

"Whatever hardships or disasters may occur next, humanity must face them on its own. Even an omnipotent being is not immune to the possibility of destruction. This applies to both the gods and humanity as we are now. But I believe that since we have come this far, you can at least hold on a little longer."

"Haha...that's beyond my control."

One of the two youths—Saigo Homura, who now appears more mature—smiled wryly. Although his face still showed traces of his past innocence, he was now a man of much experience.

In his view, humanity's real challenges are only just beginning.

"Regardless, the Heavenly Army's interference in your affairs is about to end. It is possible that other groups of gods will want to continue to contact you in the future, but your responses and other aspects are also within our scope of non-interference. In short, everything ends here. Let's call it a win-win situation. We have all achieved our respective goals."

"No, in the end, it was you who forcibly dragged humanity onto the war chariot for your own purposes. It just so happens that the ending of this war chariot is not bad."

Upon hearing the girl's words, Izayoi pursed his lips, seemingly dissatisfied.

Although many years have passed, the passage of time seems to have had no effect on Izayoi's personality.

Then, he exhaled.

"But in any case, since the ending was not bad, I'll just say thank you."

"No, it wouldn't have gone so smoothly without your help. We're even in this respect."

Qi Tian's daughter maintained a calm smile towards the unreliable young man who was also considered half her disciple.

"And what about you? Humanity is now on the right track, so there's no need for you to stay in this chaotic vortex any longer. The gate to the Little Garden can be opened to you at any time."

“We will remember this… but I will probably continue to stay here and conduct research. After all, using stellar particles to benefit humanity was my father’s last wish, and now I have the strength to fully protect myself in this society…”

"I'll pass. No matter what, the miniature garden suits me better. But let me witness the last moment before I leave."

Homura Saigo and Izayoi each responded to the girl's invitation, and their responses were in line with the girl's initial expectations.

So she nodded gently.

"Of course, as I said, the gates of the miniature garden are always open to you who illuminate the path ahead... So, it's about time to leave."

Behind the girl, a large door had been open for some time.

Because there was ample time, the Heavenly Army's withdrawal did not cause any trouble for the Queen of the Realm. Instead, the Realm Gates between the two locations were set up according to procedure.

Now, just as they promised, they have all withdrawn from this world, including the twelve who had been lurking there for twelve days.

However, Christianity and Buddhism will likely continue to engage with humanity from their own perspectives, and how they respond is not something those present need to worry about.

"Finally, I wish you a smooth road ahead, and never forget that the light of your mother planet will always shine upon you."

Izayoi and Homura did not respond, because they knew that the girl's blessing was not only for the two of them, but a blessing made in the name of the planet to all of humanity.

To replace another 'mother' who cannot be here.

This blessing also marked the end of the relationship between the heavenly army and humanity.

After bidding farewell to the two boys who were still immature in her eyes, the girl, a half-star spirit from Earth, turned around and stepped through the boundary gate without hesitation.

Then, the first thing she saw was the girl guarding the spot.

"So, after seeing all this, you should be satisfied now, right?"

"Yes, humanity is part of the star, and the development of humanity is equivalent to the development of the star... Therefore, nothing is more joyful than what is happening now."

"The star girl who watches over humanity—the celestial spirit named Gaia—said with a smile."

"My mission has come to an end... though I don't really have the right to say that."

"No, without the 'Star Particle Body' born under your will and desire, no one could easily reach this point... You have every right to be proud of it."

Half-Star Spirit shook his head, then looked at the sky belonging to the Little Garden and narrowed his eyes.

Theoretically, her mission as a member of the Heavenly Army should have ended there, but why was that...?

She still felt a sense of impending crisis.

At the same time, another person was also looking at the same sky.

"Then, the order of this void can be considered to have been fully established."

Norns spoke softly.

The completion of a sandbox means that the 'order' within its control has also been fully established.

—It does not belong to the primordial dragon, but to the authority of the small garden, that is, the order of Orpheus.

At least within this order, the Primal Dragon does not have the authority to kill Orpheus in the same way Orpheus dealt with the Decadent Wind.

"In other words, only at this moment does an equal battlefield truly take shape."

That's right—countless years of struggle have led to just this one result.

Even this so-called 'equal battlefield' is probably as fragile as a dilapidated house on the verge of collapse in the eyes of the other side.

but……

"That's enough."

Orpheus spoke firmly.

"We can fight as long as there is a possibility of an equal battle."

It may seem like nonsense, but Norns understood the meaning behind Orpheus's words.

That's right...

"This time... I will guard my 'silence'."

Facing an order whose location was unknown, the dragon goddess girl calmly and firmly made a declaration.