As for how many gods had already descended into the lower world—and how strong they were—the Candleflame Goddess could only shake her head, admitting she had no idea.
After all, in the divine realm, she was nothing more than a minor figure. When it came to the plans and deployments of the higher gods, how could someone like her—essentially a slightly stronger foot soldier—possibly be in the loop?
On top of that, she had only just descended. Before she could even begin enjoying her time in the lower world, she had run straight into Ren Kuroda and his group.
She hadn't encountered a single other god yet, and in terms of understanding the current situation down here, she probably knew even less than Ren and the others.
That said, when it came to information about divine abilities, she did manage to provide something useful.
"Once a god reaches a certain level of power," she explained, "they'll gain access to a special kind of ability—something like a domain."
For example, the Nightblade God who had previously fought Ren possessed a "Hunting Domain." Within that domain, others couldn't perceive his presence, and all of his physical abilities were dramatically enhanced.
The Candleflame Goddess's own ability—Guiding Flame of the Living Path—also belonged to this category.
However, because she had only just descended and had yet to gather any faith, her domain was incomplete. Its range and power had been significantly diminished as a result.
"These so-called 'divine domains' are also known among gods as Pure Lands," she continued. "They're sacred spaces—places that are not meant to be violated."
Gods capable of wielding such power were actually quite rare. Typically, only mid-tier deities and above—or those with particularly special divine authorities—could comprehend and use it.
Once a domain was deployed, any target that met certain conditions would be forcibly dragged into the Pure Land, regardless of their level or numbers.
Of course, there was a risk.
If a god recklessly pulled in an opponent far stronger than themselves—and their domain was shattered as a result—
Then that god would be effectively crippled.
Ren didn't bother hiding any of this from Yamato Miku while questioning the Candleflame Goddess.
And as Miku listened to this explanation of divine domain power, her expression grew increasingly grave.
Humanity's only real advantage over the gods lay in numbers.
Even if individuals were weaker, they could still overwhelm an enemy through sheer force of quantity.
But this so-called "domain power" was a completely different problem.
If a god's domain could ignore both numbers and levels, forcibly dragging everyone into a separate space…
Then humanity wouldn't stand a chance.
No matter how well a strategy was planned, once you were pulled into an unfamiliar and disadvantageous environment, it was essentially meaningless.
Worse still—
Even knowing such an ability existed, they currently had no way to resist it. No way to avoid it.
"Gods are powerful," the Candleflame Goddess said, puffing her chest out again as she noticed the worried looks on Miku and the others' faces. "We've been planning this for hundreds—no, thousands—of years.
Humans who've been living soft, comfortable lives, and yokai who've only recently reawakened because of us—how could they possibly stand against us?"
She planted her hands on her hips, clearly growing more smug by the second.
"Release me now, and for Lady Masami's sake, I might even put in a good word for you with Lord Kagutsuchi. I could recommend you to join our side.
After all, our true targets are humans and exorcists. As for yokai… it's not like we have to wipe all of you out."
Seeing the group fall silent, the tiny goddess grew even more pleased with herself.
She even went so far as to praise Ren and the others, claiming that their strength wasn't bad—and that if they were willing to become her subordinates, they had a bright future ahead of them.
"Back in the day, I was practically on the verge of becoming a mid-tier deity!" she bragged. "Once I reclaim the faith humans have forgotten, I'll be even stronger!"
"Alright, alright—we get it. You're very impressive," Amamiya Masami said with a gentle smile, cutting her off. "Candle-chan, since we're done with the serious talk, it's time for you to learn some common sense about this world—and how to be a good girl.
Ren and the others have important matters to discuss now. Children shouldn't interrupt. I'll make some delicious snacks for you and Yukidoji later."
The Candleflame Goddess had been in the middle of her boasting, but before she could continue, Masami simply took her by the hand and started leading her away.
Even as she was being dragged off, the goddess protested loudly.
"I'm not a child! If we're talking about age, I'm probably older than all of you combined!"
But Masami just smiled and humored her like one would a stubborn kid, gently coaxing her along as she led her out of the room.
Watching the Candleflame Goddess—who had shown such overwhelming power earlier—being effortlessly dragged away without resistance, Tsuchigumo-hime, Hagoromo-gitsune, and Yamato Miku couldn't help but feel a deep sense of admiration.
Only those who had actually fought her understood—
Despite her small frame, barely reaching one and a half meters tall, her strength was no joke.
Even Hagoromo-gitsune had only managed to suppress her due to a favorable matchup. In a direct confrontation, she might not have come out on top.
As for Yamato Miku, although she hadn't personally fought the Candleflame Goddess, this wasn't her first encounter with a god in the lower world.
The Exorcist Alliance had once organized a campaign to subjugate a deity, and she had participated as a representative of the Yamato family.
The god they faced back then had felt weaker than the Candleflame Goddess—and hadn't even possessed a domain ability.
Yet even so, that battle had resulted in devastating casualties.
Five heads of mid-sized exorcist families had died.
And one of the Thirteen Great Demon-Slaying Houses had seen its head severely wounded.
And yet—
Masami, who was nothing more than an ordinary human with no combat ability whatsoever, had the Candleflame Goddess completely under her thumb…
In truth, if the Candleflame Goddess wanted to break free from Masami's grip, it would have been incredibly easy.
But she chose not to.
On one hand, she was worried that using too much force might accidentally hurt Masami, who was just a normal human.
On the other hand—
In her eyes, Masami was the kindest person among this entire group of "villains."
Not only had she pleaded for her life when that terrifying half-demon was about to kill her, but she was also unbelievably gentle—and didn't seem to hold any grudge for what had happened before.
In fact, after some persistent pleading, Masami had even agreed to become her very first follower since descending into the lower world.
To the Candleflame Goddess, Amamiya Masami was practically a saint.
And deep down, she had already begun making her own plans.
That half-demon—Ren—might be irritating and downright awful, but he was still Masami's son.
Just as Masami had forgiven her, she decided she would return the favor.
Once the gods fully conquered the human world and established a new order…
For Masami's sake, she would personally plead with Lord Kagutsuchi to spare her family.
What the Candleflame Goddess didn't realize, however, was that Masami's actions were simply the result of overwhelming maternal instinct.
She was treating the goddess like an inexperienced child who needed guidance.
In fact, Masami probably didn't even fully understand what it meant to be a "follower" in the first place.