He who sat on the root

Third POV

Rin keeps getting more and more mysteries to solve and questions to answers. His little test has turned into a path toward a new quest.

He knows things won't go smoothly as he hopes they would be, but not like this!

"Ahah! Now I need to collect them didn't I?" Rin asks.

The Coal Tar makes weird noises that he understands as happy cheers.

After accepting his new burden Rin rises from the Throne.

The Throne turns into dust and starts to gather at one spot before entering Rin body.

The same thing happens to the crown.

"Someone or something is playing riddles with me, or is it mind games?"

Around Rin, many Anti Monsters appear. His face shows an angry expression. Those who see it might think he is going to kill someone.

No, he is going to kill someone or something.

"I mean no harm." A voice of a woman says to him.

The voice sounds very weak like the owner hasn't eaten anything for more than 3 weeks.

Rin almost feels bad, only almost.

Because he knows whoever that is, he, she, or it plan to add another problem in his life.

"Show yourself, then give me a proper introduction before you say anything further!" Rin shout with an angry tone.

"Please calm down."

A woman, wearing a dress that seem made of light appear in front of him.

Rin ignore her word and stay on guard, ready to attack her the moment she made a suspicious move.

"There is a reason why I give parts of this World Sephirot."

"I know it! I know someone is trying to manipulate me!" He yell at the woman with his index finger pointing at her face.

Rin calm himself before releasing a long sigh.

"Your reason better be good."

Rin doesn't know who she is, but he sure she is a really powerful Goddess or maybe a Divine being or some sort of.

Killing a deity is never a good idea since they have a connection to the world.

Either their rank low or high, it would bring a catastrophe upon the world.

You can however seal or trap them.

It still wasn't killing them, but they won't cause a problem any time soon (For normal humans that is).

"This world is dying."

"Wow, I am very surprised! I never know... that this freaking rotten world where the dead walk on the surface is dying." With a mocking tone Rin saying sarcastic words to the woman.

"..."

"This world need an anchor to survive."

The woman paused for a moment before continuing her words.

"So... I am the new anchor? Someone, who... I don't know, connected the damn Qliphoth?!"

As a Demon, Rin doesn't feel weird if he has a connection to the Qliphoth.

But to hand Sephiroth to a Demon, in hell is literally like she is trying to corrupt this world.

Well, those that are left that is since this world is already beginning to end all life on Earth.

It begin with Human since they are the peskiest and persistence among all species that roam the land, the sea, and sky.

From them, everything unnatural is created.

They are the species that create things that try to fight against the power of nature.

Back to the main topic.

Sephiroth is the embodiment of aspects or elements that create and hold this world together.

For a Demon to held parts of them is absurd doesn't care how Rin see it.

"It is fine, the illusion, myth, the pantheon that rule the world are connected in its own way." She say with a smile on her face.

"You may be an Evil God, a God nonetheless./A child of Heaven and Earth (Tiamat) like any other creatures in the world."

"Good and Evil are only a matter of one perspective."

"Take Baphomet as an example, the Templar worship him, even if they know what they are worshiping is a Demon."

"And there also God who done things that made them have no different than a Demon."

Rin hate to admit it, but she (Maybe?) is right. There is no fault in her logic.

Still, there is something not right in here.

"Why do you give them to me? Why not give them to the other God?"

"Because there is no such thing as God."

A big question mark appear above Rin head.

He was speechless by the information.

"There is no God govern this world anymore. They are on the other side after the world doesn't need them anymore. Now they are nothing but a myth."

"Myth? So they exist or not?"

"When the world is still young the God can leave their Pantheon, their illusion, their Myth. To take manifestation. After the world is strong enough to exist without their support they will disappear. If the world is strong enough to handle their manifestation they can manifest themselves again, of course under restriction."

Rin was getting more confused.

'So in the end they are real or not?'

Rin put that matter aside and focus on more important things for now.

He will check the God real or not later.

"Okay, is there anything else?"

"Nothing, for now, this is a goodbye."

The woman disappeared, leaving Rin with the Coal Tar on top of the Pyramid.

He look around and feel there are many things he can do in this place, but that is for later.

For now, he need to return to Asiah.

Rin snap his finger.

"Gehenna Gate."

Rin once again walk through the creepy looking gate, return to Earth.

He look to the sky and realize that the sun is already beginning to rise.

The rest of his group are just wake up and prepare to continue their journey.

"*Hoam* Rin-kin where have you been?" Shizuka who still look sleepy rub her eyes while asking Rin.

"I was looking if there is a First Aid Kit or something useful in this building."

Shizuka just believe Rin words, while the rest, except for Juliet feel he is hiding some from them, but they don't force him since they feel even he have his own problems.

Juliet make eye contact with Rin and wink.

Saeko, Saya, and Rei see this and give Rin a suspicious look.

Rin pretend he didn't see anything unusual and walk to his car with Zeke.

Saeko shook her head and pat their shoulder.

"We can ask him later, lets go."

Both Saya and Rei look at each other and nod.

They won't let him go without a proper explanation later.

[Time Skip]

Okumura Rin POV

We arive at the Takagi mansion safely, there is several unwanted encounter with a bunch of psycho, which end very quickly.

The situation was rather calm now, but it didn't make me happy at all.

The Sephirot's I have with me is not truly Sephirot's at all.

They are Sephirot, but only fragments of them.

They don't hold much power, and if bring them outside of this world I doubt it has any use than fancy decoration.

Their main purpose was to connect me and the world, so it doesn't as fast as it should be, which also slow down the process of further mutation on the zombies.

The comparison of the speed was 1:1,11.

Not much, but it still count as something.

The situation is like The Terminator, the apocalypse will come in the end, all I can do is slowing it down.

But there should be some way to save my friends from the destruction of this world.

'Should I be proud that slowdown the distraction of this world?'

"Hello, Earth to Rin, Rin are you there?" Juliet pull me back to reality.

"Huh? Yeah, I am just wondering what should we do if this world end."

She chuckle to my answer and smile.

"Don't be gloomy edgy lord. There is some hope for us, look!"

She point at people who playing with their aura near the fountain of the mansion.

"This planet is going to end soon you know," but I don't.

Destroying her last bit of hope was too cruel for me.

Her illusion of a better future is...

'Illusion?'

I suddenly remember the woman wearing a dress made of light.

She say something about Illusion.

That Gods are real, but they aren't any more or something like that.

In the end, what does it mean?