In retaliation, Naka unleashed havoc, claiming the lives of two gods—Klephiria, the goddess of eternal storms—and taking Oberon hostage. His death was proclaimed to the world, reducing their numbers to the Five Greed Gods.
As news of this event spread among humanity, the Seven Great Gods swiftly forged an official alliance with Naka, to which he unsurprisingly agreed, publicly announcing the alliance to the world.
The scene shifted once more, and Orion and Aerialia watched in shock as Oberon lay strapped to a hospital bed. Dr. Nakamura worked diligently nearby, and a massive crimson Greatsword rested at his work table. Another figure emerged, adding to their astonishment.
Orion and Aerialia's minds reeled with intense emotions as they clenched their teeth in disbelief.
"What are you doing?" Oberon groaned.
"If you're wondering why I haven't killed you yet, it's because I can't simply do so after all the effort I put into making your existence possible; it would be a waste, especially since there aren't many Omnithrallian corpses laying around," Dr Nakamura responded.
Oberon remained silent, pondering Dr. Nakamura's words. "And her? Is she the reason you've been delaying your pursuit against the Five Greed Gods?" he asked, his gaze fixed on the girl, who appeared to be around eleven years old, staring at him with wide, curious eyes.
"I believe I mentioned before that the Seven Great Gods can handle the remaining Five Greed Gods, even if I desire revenge. There's no need to attract too much attention and become the centre of focus when I can concentrate fully on my experiments here, especially since it's not something to be taken lightly. Also, 02 is an experiment I've been working on, as I mentioned to you in the past few years when you were away," Dr. Nakaruma responded.
Hearing Dr. Nakaruma's words, Orion's fist tightened, and a solemn expression crossed his eyes as he quietly observed the scene before him.
Aerialia collapsed to her knees, her gaze fixed on the girl who resembled a younger version of herself without wings. She clenched her fists and muttered, "That bastard!" as she cursed under her breath.
Oberon's eyes widened in astonishment. "She's… How?" he uttered, struggling to find the right words to express his thoughts.
Despite knowing that Naka was serious about creating a unique race that was more powerful than the Omnithrillian and the gods and capable of breaching heaven, Oberon never believed Naka could actually achieve such a feat. Seeing the results before his eyes left him in instant disbelief.
The little girl gazed at Oberon with curious eyes.
"She was created from the essence of that sword, which holds the remains of a dead goddess. I simply needed an embryo to merge with it, along with a small part of the remaining Omnithrallian corpse, and she quickly matured. However, if you're wondering if I've succeeded, the answer is no. While I may be progressing, I am far from where I want to be," Dr. Nakaruma responded.
Listening to his response, Oberon furrowed his brows quietly.
"I understand if you find it odd that I'm facing an obstacle now, especially after successfully creating the eight manmade gods consecutively. However, there's a crucial reason behind this. A new race of such calibre must descend from the gods or the Omnithrallians. The gods hold their status due to their cosmic insights, mastery of laws, and origin from heaven. Therefore, the body they inhabit is secondary; what matters is its suitability for achieving their goals and earning recognition from the Divine Mysteries to ascend," Dr Nakamura explained.
"On the other hand, the Omnithrallians, while not limited like the gods, have their powers confined to a certain extent, which is evident from their failure at fully breaching heaven. This is akin to the Seven Great Gods' inability to utilize the Divine Mysteries, likely due to the nature of their powers' origins."
"My approach now is to explore the fusion of godly and Omnithrallian essence within a fetus, hoping it might bridge this gap. Much like how your racial abilities evolved toward godhood, alongside the manmade gods' gifts, infusing them with divine essence could make them worthy in the sight of the Divine Mysteries for further ascension. However, the challenge lies in their inherent repulsion toward each other, even in death, they would still rather remain enemies," Dr. Nakamura explained, shifting his focus to the following table to continue his experiment.
"So you've kept me alive in case you need more materials to work with," Oberon responded, his tone serious.
"Exactly," Dr. Nakamura replied, turning his head toward Oberon and observing as the little girl rushed in his direction.
"Father, that man needs your help," she said.
Dr. Nakamura bent down to her level. "Don't worry about him; he's here to assist us," he said, handing her a vail from his worktable. "Here, it's almost time for your dose," he added.
She nodded, collected the vial, and drank it. "All finished," she responded, handing the vial back to Dr. Nakamura.
As he took it from her grasp, she began to tremble. She then collapsed backwards, shivering and shaking on the ground, bursts of divine energy emerging from her body and spreading across the contained laboratory. Suddenly, she began to grow older and taller until she erupted into a brilliant ray of light that scattered all around.
As the light dimmed, the spot she had been in was now empty, leaving only a scorched mark on the ground where she had lain.
"She called you father," Oberon spat, his eyes fixed on the unfolding scene before him.
"I am not her father, but her creator. Until she becomes a perfect being, I'll neither consider her my child nor consider myself her creator," Dr. Nakamura responded calmly.
"You..." Oberon began to retort, but he was abruptly interrupted by a sense of unease coursing through his body, causing him to cough violently.
With each cough, a thick, blackish fluid erupted from his mouth, splattering onto the floor and drawing Dr. Nakamura's attention.
Dr. Nakamura materialized beside him and inspected the fluid closely. "This is different," he remarked, taking a sample to examine it more closely for a few minutes.
"When was the last time you killed a god?" he asked, his gaze returning to Oberon.