Choice

Eriri didn't immediately answer Hardy's question. Instead, she swept her gaze over the faces of Rory, Emroy, and Hardy.

With a meaningful smile on her lips, she finally opened her mouth and said, "What the true 'gate' can do is far beyond the reach of a mere projection."

Pausing for a moment, Eriri continued, "But before we get into that, I need to introduce you to the concept of the Myriad Realms. Your vision is far too narrow. Even with the help of the 'gate,' you're still confined to just one universe."

"Myriad Realms?" Hardy asked curiously, echoing the same doubt Rory and Emroy had in their hearts.

Though Eriri had previously mentioned the true 'gate' to Rory and Emroy, she hadn't discussed inter-universal travel. So, they had assumed that the gate's main body merely enhanced the existing function—just more complete and powerful.

The term "Myriad Realms" was entirely new to them.

Over the next few minutes, Eriri explained the concept of the Myriad Realms to the two gods and the demigod before her. Because of Rory's presence, she didn't cut corners in her explanation.

Thanks to her detailed description, Rory, Emroy, and Hardy finally developed a rough understanding of the Myriad Realms—including its hierarchical energy system.

With a framework to compare against, both Emroy and Hardy realized how weak their current strength truly was. At the same time, they were deeply shaken by the grandeur of the Myriad Realms and began to feel a strong longing to reach those higher realms of power.

Since becoming gods, they had stood at the pinnacle of their world. So even though their strength had stagnated for countless years, they had never considered the possibility of a higher level of power.

In their minds, they had already reached the ultimate state. No matter how much they studied, they believed they couldn't surpass this level.

As a result, their ambition to grow stronger had long since faded.

But now that they learned there were so many profound levels above them, their enthusiasm for gaining power was reignited.

At that moment, Rory suddenly said something that snapped Emroy and Hardy out of their fantasies.

"Eriri, can I ask what level your strength ranks in the Myriad Realms?" Rory asked expectantly, her beautiful red eyes gleaming.

Her question immediately drew Emroy and Hardy's attention to Eriri, their faces filled with curiosity.

"My strength? I'm just an ordinary Level 8, Stage 9," Eriri replied casually.

Her answer left all three of them momentarily stunned.

"What? E-Eight Level Nine???" A sweet yet stunned voice echoed throughout the hall.

Emroy had her mouth wide open, staring at Eriri in disbelief. She had completely abandoned her usual graceful image, and that shout had clearly come from her.

It wasn't her fault. Now that she had a rough understanding of what Level 8 meant, she realized just how insanely powerful Eriri must be—especially being at the peak of Level 8.

Although she had always known that Eriri was strong, stronger than herself, she had never imagined that the gap between their strengths would be this vast.

Recalling what Eriri had said before—that possessing even one ten-thousandth of her power would be enough to independently open a portal between two worlds—Emroy was now forced to realize the magnitude of that statement. Even a fraction that small already surpassed her current power by countless times. The sheer gap left her in deep despair.

Even if she could one day break through the limitations of this world's gods, there was no way she could ever reach even a fraction of Eriri's strength.

Rory, too, was left in disbelief. The power Eriri had just claimed to wield was simply too terrifying.

Level 8, Stage 9—what kind of concept was that?

A single strike capable of destroying an entire universe.

Such a simple description, yet it perfectly conveyed the overwhelming might of an Level 8 powerhouse.

Thinking back to how Eriri had casually erased the Flame Dragon with a wave of her hand, Rory now realized that erasing their entire universe might be just as easy for her.

Of course, that was merely a passing thought—she didn't believe Eriri was the type to do such a thing.

As for Hardy, her heart surged with emotion as she stared at Eriri, her fair cheeks flushing red. Her gaze was filled with extreme admiration and adoration, her earlier desire for Eriri only becoming more intense.

Perhaps it was her beauty, or the natural aura she emitted, but none of the three doubted Eriri's words for even a moment. 

Though difficult to believe, they still accepted the reality that Eriri was a Level 8, Stage 9 existence.

Eriri paid no mind to Emroy's outburst or to the lovestruck expression on Hardy' face. She simply continued, her tone calm:

"As for the difference between the gate's true form and its projection, I think if you give it some serious thought, you'll understand."

Hearing this, the three women forcefully suppressed their internal thoughts and listened attentively.

"The gate's projection can only connect two planets within the same universe. But the gate's true form, which you're now looking at, can link two planets across entirely different universes. Only beings of Level 8 and above can perform inter-universal travel."

"I see," Emroy murmured, taking a deep breath and nodding slowly.

"So the gate's true body really is that powerful? Its spatial manipulation can rival that of an Level 8 being..." Hardy echoed in awe, her eyes fixed on the portal hovering silently above them.

"Alright, I've said what I needed to say. Time to get down to business," Eriri said casually.

She raised her hand and grasped at the air. Instantly, the enormous gate suspended in the sky began to rapidly shrink. In mere seconds, it had transformed into a translucent miniature portal no larger than five centimeters in any dimension.

With a wave of her hand, it vanished entirely from this world.

Rory and Emroy showed no surprise—they had already anticipated this outcome.

Only Hardy was still catching up, but even she, judging from Eriri's actions, could mostly infer what had happened.

"Eriri, you took the gate with you, didn't you?" Hardy asked curiously.

"That's right. Taking the gate was one of my objectives. One more thing: the projection of the gate at Arnus Hill will remain, and the passage between the two worlds will be fixed. You will no longer be able to manipulate the projection. I expect the gods of this world not to interfere with the two worlds connected by that gate."

Eriri then turned to look seriously at Hardy, a charming smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Hardy, you don't have any objections to this arrangement, do you?"

As soon as Eriri finished speaking, Hardy's eager voice rang out without delay.

"Of course I have no objections! Anything you want to do, I will support unconditionally. As for Freyja and the other gods, I'll find a way to keep them quiet," Hardy declared loudly, her face showing no sign of reluctance.

"Good," Eriri replied with a satisfied nod.

She could sense that Hardy was being sincere. As for how Hardy would get the other gods to accept this matter, that wasn't Eriri's concern.

...

When Eriri retrieved the "gate," changes also took place on the other side, in the Akame world.

The giant gate that had stood on a street in the imperial capital vanished without warning, as if it had never existed.

Naturally, Mine and the others who had been monitoring the area immediately took notice and landed where the gate had once been.

The street had returned to normal, but the signs of the gate's presence hadn't disappeared. The surrounding buildings that had been crushed due to its appearance still served as clear evidence.

"The gate is gone. Looks like Eriri has taken it back," Mine said softly to Akame and the others nearby.

Then a bright smile spread across her face. "Looks like Eriri will be coming back soon."

"That's great!" Akame, Kurome, Cornelia, and the other young girls around them cheered and jumped in delight at Mine's words.

Even Saeko Busujima showed a gentle smile. The thought of soon following Eriri to live in her world left her unable to stay calm.

Of course, she felt a bit of reluctance to leave this world too—after all, she had lived here for almost half a year.

But compared to being with Eriri, such minor feelings of attachment were insignificant.

...

"Alright, back to the matter at hand."

Eriri's light voice echoed through the palace, and Hardy and Emroy's expressions gradually turned serious.

Naturally, they hadn't forgotten what Eriri had said earlier—it was, after all, about their future.

Although they knew what was coming, they didn't interrupt. They could tell Eriri hadn't finished speaking.

Sure enough, after a few seconds, Eriri continued.

"Now, I'll give you a choice. Do you want to gain physical bodies or continue existing as spiritual gods?"

Feeling Eriri's gaze on them, both Emroy and Hardy fell into deep thought.

"No need to rush. You can take your time. I'll give you five hours. Rory and I will go explore this world a bit, and when we return, I want your answers."

"Wait."

As soon as Eriri said that, Hardy froze. Forgetting the weight of the decision, she immediately rushed toward Eriri like she had before—only to have her face stopped by Eriri's hand.

"Speak properly. Stop trying to sneak in close," Eriri said, pressing Hardy' face away with mock annoyance.

"Eriri, I was wondering if I could—"

"No," Eriri cut her off without hesitation.

Then she released Hardy's face and, before anyone could react, vanished from the palace with Rory in tow.

"...go out with you... to play..."

Only after Eriri and Rory's figures had completely vanished did the rest of Hardy's sentence finally come out—though the last few words were quiet, her voice gradually fading into silence.

She stood in place, staring at the spot where Eriri had just been, completely still and silent. The infatuated expression she wore when facing Eriri had completely vanished.

Suddenly, Emroy's voice broke the silence in the grand hall.

"Hardy, don't overthink it. For now, you should seriously consider the choice you have to make."

Hardy turned to glance at Emroy and replied nonchalantly, "Is there even a choice to make? I already decided the moment Eriri and Rory left."

As she mentioned Rory, a hint of envy flickered in Hardy's otherwise calm eyes.

Emroy, distracted by Hardy' declaration, didn't notice the fleeting emotion. But even if she had, she likely would've ignored it.

Compared to how Hardy had acted earlier in front of Eriri, a little envy was nothing.

Emroy hadn't expected Hardy to make a decision so quickly, almost as if she had long since made up her mind.

Though such personal choices were not for others to judge, Emroy still couldn't help but offer a word of caution.

"While it might not be a life-or-death decision, it still concerns our future. I think it's worth considering carefully."

After speaking, Emroy didn't say anything more. Her figure flickered and reappeared on her throne.

Just like when Eriri had first seen her, Emroy now sat swinging her smooth, bare legs back and forth while propping her chin on her right hand, lost in thought.

As for Hardy, she didn't respond further. Her mind was already made up, and with five hours of free time, she decided to use the opportunity to deal with the other gods.

Her form disappeared silently from Emroy's palace.

At the exact moment Hardy vanished, Emroy lifted her head and glanced casually in the direction she'd disappeared, then lowered her gaze once more.

...

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