Hiroy's expression darkened as he stared at the fading traces of golden light left behind by Kokono's departure.
"I know it was the same person," Hiroy said quietly. "The one who used forbidden magic on the elf village… the same one responsible for destroying my planet."
Before him, Kokono's golden form shimmered softly, warm enough to soothe anyone else.
But not him.
Not now.
The World Goddess stepped closer and rested a hand gently on his head.
"That truth is beyond you right now, Hiroy," she said. "For now… I will say no more."
Her voice carried affection.
And restraint.
Then her body dissolved into countless golden particles, vanishing into the wind.
Silence followed.
Hiroy clenched his fist.
The warmth she left behind only made the frustration worse.
No matter how strong he became, the gods always seemed to hold the pieces he needed just out of reach.
He exhaled slowly before turning toward his party with a forced smile.
"Well," he muttered, "we're new to this planet anyway. Might as well explore."
The six girls exchanged uneasy glances.
Yāsûrah moved first.
She slipped her hand into Hiroy's, fingers threading through his with familiar ease. Her touch grounded him immediately. She had been with him before all this madness. Before god trials. Before divine titles. Before he became someone the universe expected to win.
Aria stood slightly behind them, regal and composed, though her crimson-and-blue eyes lingered on Hiroy with quiet concern. She shared a body with Yāsûrah once. Even now, that bond had left echoes between them.
The group stood at a vast crossroads beneath a sky that looked nothing like their old one. Strange stars shimmered faintly even in daylight, and the horizon curved under unfamiliar colors.
They could have asked Shura or Syrah to carry them anywhere.
But none of the girls seemed eager to approach civilization yet.
Hiroy understood.
After everything they'd been through, caution was no weakness.
Then his ears twitched.
Footsteps.
A lone man wandered over the distant hill, muttering under his breath.
Hiroy's eyes sharpened.
That language…
It wasn't from this world.
It was from the world he and Yāsûrah came from.
"Hey!" Hiroy called. "Wait a second!"
The man froze.
Then panic overtook him.
He drew a dagger and hurled it straight at Hiroy's throat.
CLANG.
Frana intercepted it instantly, lightning crackling across her hand as she slammed the blade into the ground.
The stranger staggered back, horrified.
"I-I'm sorry!" he shouted, bowing repeatedly. "I thought you were that purple-haired demon!"
The entire group went still.
Yāsûrah's grip tightened around Hiroy's hand.
"What did you just say?" she asked, voice sharp enough to cut stone.
The man looked up.
A high elf.
His pointed ears, refined features, and natural mana aura gave that away immediately. But his face was hollow with grief.
"You don't have to believe me," he said bitterly. "But that demon and his dragon burned our village to ashes."
Hiroy's brow furrowed.
"Shiro wouldn't destroy people without a reason."
The words came out firm.
But a sliver of doubt slipped beneath them.
The elf gave a broken laugh.
"Believe whatever helps you sleep. I escaped because my people specialize in dimensional travel magic. If not for that, I'd be dead too."
Light shimmered around him.
His body dissolved into pale particles.
Then he vanished.
Hiroy stood there in silence.
Shiro.
A purple-haired demon.
A dragon.
Forbidden flames.
None of it made sense.
Not fully.
Yāsûrah looked up at him, her expression tight with worry. She knew Shiro too. Maybe not like Hiroy did, but enough to understand why the accusation wounded him.
Frana trembled, tears gathering in her eyes.
"Are… are our families really gone?" she whispered.
Hiroy's expression softened immediately.
He stepped toward her and cupped her cheek gently before kissing her forehead.
"I'll find the truth," he said quietly.
One by one, he steadied the others.
But beneath his calm expression, rage simmered.
A nearby tree cracked.
Then collapsed from a careless flick of his fingers.
Dust rose around him as his golden eyes narrowed toward the horizon.
Either someone was framing Shiro…
or his closest friend had become something unrecognizable.
And Hiroy refused to accept either answer without proof.
Because if someone was manipulating events from the shadows—
if someone had turned their lives, their worlds, and their grief into pieces on a divine board—
then Hiroy would find them.
And when he did…
even gods would learn fear.