As the van hummed along the moonlit road, a thick, suffocating silence hung over the back seats.
Professor Elara blinked, breaking the quiet with a cheerful tone. "My, why is everyone so quiet? You're acting like strangers!"
Lilith narrowed her eyes, leaning forward from her seat with a sharp, suspicious glare. "More importantly... why are you even here, Professor?"
Elara offered an easygoing, mysterious smile. "Oh, just felt like tagging along. Besides, I have a few things I need to discuss with you all."
"Like what?" Lilith pressed.
Elara's expression shifted, a sudden, knowing glint appearing in her eyes. "Like the fact that I'm a reincarnation, just like you."
The entire van went dead silent. The air pressure seemed to drop instantly.
Lilith's eyes widened in sheer disbelief. "Are you kidding me right now?"
Without missing a beat, Professor Elara's eyes flashed a brilliant, piercing red. She swept her gaze across the van, her professional demeanor melting away to reveal an ancient, commanding presence. She looked directly at Lilith, her brow furrowing slightly. "Your level isn't showing at all... which means it's absurdly high. But you're definitely a reincarnation."
Elara's gaze shifted down the row, pointing a finger at Philo. "You with the green hair... you're a reincarnation too." She pointed next to Geeli. "And the black-haired girl. And Haruto up front."
Elara leaned back, crossing her arms with a knowing smirk as she looked over the group. "You all are sitting comfortably in the high-90s level range."
Then, her eyes landed on Ivory, Bellona, and Lustra sitting quietly in the corner. Elara's smile faded, replaced by a look of profound confusion and wariness. She squinted, trying to appraise them.
"Wait..." Elara murmured, her voice dropping to a tense whisper. "You three... you're not reincarnations at all. I can't see your levels either. In fact... what on earth are you three actually supposed to be?"
Ivory instantly narrowed her eyes, standing up straight in her seat as she glared at the professor. "How could you possibly know all of that?"
Professor Elara didn't flinch under the intense gaze. She met Ivory's eyes calmly and replied, "Because I am the reincarnation of the Goddess of Knowledge."
Hearing that, Ivory shot up completely, her voice pitching in outrage. "Don't lie!"
"Oh? And what makes you so sure I'm lying?" Elara challenged smoothly.
Up front, Haruto twisted around in the driver's seat, holding up a hand to calm everyone down while keeping his eyes on the road. "Ah... sorry, guys, I probably should've mentioned this earlier to the newcomers. But yeah, Ivory really is the Goddess of Knowledge and Intelligence."
Professor Elara and Geeli choked in unison, their jaws dropping so fast they practically hit the floor. "G-Goddess?!"
While Lilith already knew, she let out a dry, amused huff, crossing her arms. "I knew she was a goddess, sure. But the Goddess of Intelligence? Figures."
Ivory raised a single finger, glaring daggers at Lilith. "Hold on, we are dealing with this right now—save the commentary for later."
With that, Ivory turned back to Professor Elara, her eyes flashing with suspicion. "Alright. If you claim to be a goddess too... whose reincarnation are you actually?"
Professor Elara shook her head, holding her hands up defensively. "It's not like that—"
"Quiet!" Ivory cut her off sharply, stepping closer with a glare. "I don't choose just any random soul to bear my fragments when I reincarnate. I remember every single detail of who holds my power and what they've done in their lives. So don't try to fool me!"
Elara flinched, realizing she was caught.
Beside them, Bellona's eyes flashed with a dangerous, golden light. In a blur of motion, she locked down the space around the professor with a heavy, sealing barrier, trapping her in place. Bellona leaned forward and called out to the front, "Haruto, pull the van over."
Haruto immediately slammed on the brakes, pulling the transport van to a smooth stop on the roadside. Without a word, the doors slid open, and everyone piled out onto the dark, moonlit asphalt to surround the trapped professor.
"Don't get any ideas, and start talking," Bellona warned, her voice cold.
Ivory crossed her arms with a wicked, amused grin, her eyes gleaming. "Well, it's been a while since things got this interesting. Let's hear what excuse you have."
Lilith stood off to the side, chuckling softly as she watched the interrogation unfold.
Cornered by a group of literal deities and high-level monsters, Professor Elara finally let out a defeated sigh, dropping her bravado. "O-Okay, okay! I'll talk! ...I'm the reincarnation of the Goddess of Mind."
Ivory's eyes widened slightly in realization. She stared at Elara, her expression shifting from anger to sudden clarity. "Ah... that figures. Someone with intellect close to mine, holding that much mental fortitude. But wait—if you're a reincarnation, why did you have to tell the lie?"
"It wasn't my choice!" Elara protested, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. "I want to become a reincarnation of, and a high-ranking Upper Moon deity!"
Bellona scoffed, slowly dropping the barrier with a roll of her eyes. "Good grief, what a mess."
Ivory narrowed her eyes, tilting her head. "Wait a minute... why?"
Elara winced, avoiding eye contact. "Uh... I might have hijacked the reincarnation slot meant for one of the Upper Moons' chosen vessels..."
Up front, Haruto blinked, leaning out of the van door with a confused look on his face. "Wait a second... What even is an Upper Moon?"
Bellona finally dropped the sealing barrier, letting Professor Elara step back. As the truth settled over the group, Ivory, Bellona, and Lustra all stood side by side, their presences shifting slightly as the hidden weight of their true identities began to press down on the air around them.
Geeli's eyes darted between Ivory, Bellona, and Lustra. She grabbed Haruto's arm, her voice trembling slightly. "Wait... if Ivory is the Goddess of Intelligence, does that mean Lustra and Bellona are also...?"
Haruto nodded casually, scratching the back of his head. "Yep. Bellona is the Goddess of War, and Lustra is the Goddess of Lust."
The moment those words left his mouth, a heavy, reverent hush fell over the clearing.
Aside from Lilith and Eterna—who were still comfortably dozing off in the back of the van—every single mortal present reacted instantly. Toya, Philo, Rutherford, Geeli, and even Professor Elara dropped into deep, respectful bows, their heads lowered toward the ground.
Haruto blinked, looking down at his companions in sheer bewilderment. "Toya, Philo, Rutherford... why are you guys suddenly bowing like that?"
Even Lilith, despite her immense power and playful attitude, offered a brief, respectful nod of acknowledgment from her seat in the van.
Lustra stepped forward with an amused, knowing smile, her eyes gleaming. "Because, little hero... we aren't just goddesses. We are the Upper Moons."
Haruto threw his hands up in exasperation, completely lost. "Okay, hold on! That's the second time you guys have dropped that term! Will someone finally tell me—what the hell even is an Upper Moon?!"