"- She told me herself."

Artes instinctively adopted his shooting stance again, but this time, he didn't hold a revolver. Instead, he pointed his index finger at Gerda.

"- You, you, you're AMAZING! You're so cool," he exclaimed, his voice filled with admiration. "- And your ears and tail look awesome."

"- Hehe," Gerda chuckled weakly, glancing at the ceiling.

"(Artes, nervously) - Hey, so who are you?"

"(Gerda) - Me? I'm Gerda. Call me Gerda."

"(Agatha) - So you're Gerda, which means 'Protector.'"

Artes sighed in relief and relaxed, sitting back down at the table. He stretched his arms out in front of him, resting his head on the table and looking at Agatha and Gerda with a smile. Agatha felt uneasy and clenched her fist, then punched Artes in the face with all her might. Her fist landed just below his eye, striking his cheek. The blow was so powerful that the table creaked and split in two a moment later. Agatha shook her hand after the punch and removed her heavy coat, revealing powerful shoulders and toned muscles that strained against her tank top.

"(Agatha, in a youthful voice) - How old are you, you said?"

Gerda struggled to get up from the floor, supporting herself with her hands.

"(Gerda) - I haven't said yet... but I'm 16."

"(Agatha, in a youthful voice) - 16, you say..."

Agatha put down the K-pop outfit and resumed rummaging through the closet. She pulled out a black cloak with green accents at the hem, and her age and body reverted to a slightly older version of her previous form.

"(Agatha, in a youthful voice) - I think this will do. We don't have the latest M-Line, Strabl, or Egh technology here, so don't be offended."

"(Gerda) - M... Stra... E... What? I don't understand."

"(Agatha, in a youthful voice) - So you're not from around here. Where are you from?"

"(Gerda) - Bakirton."

"(Agatha, in a youthful voice) - Bakirton? Oh, I remember that city."

Agatha turned towards Gerda, and a completely different person stood before her. Smooth skin, plump cheeks, golden eyes, dark orange hair, triangle-shaped markings near her eyes, and a height of 163 centimeters. Her muscles were toned and proportionate, and the clothes she wore now hung loosely on her frame.

Agatha [now appearing younger] approached Gerda and handed her the cloak. As soon as Gerda took it and Agatha removed her hands from the garment, Gerda grew 10-15 centimeters taller, her chest and hips becoming fuller and more curvaceous. Her clothes felt tight.

"(Young Agatha) - It suits you perfectly. It looks great with your hair color."

"(Gerda) - What kind of clothes are these?"

"(Young Agatha) - It's a 'Synchronizer' type. You put on the clothes, and you become older or younger, depending on who they're intended for. Well, enough questions. Let's go to Chage."

"(Gerda) - Chage? Who's that?"

Young Agatha turned around and sighed.

"(Young Agatha) - I asked you not to ask questions. Oh well, I'll answer anyway. Chage is a mythical creature that lives at the very bottom of the dungeon, right next to the Earth's core. Every 14 days, we make a sacrifice to him, and in return, he rewards us with water and food. And we can ask him for anything for 13 days. On the 14th day, he replenishes his energy. What you saw today, that's the sacrifice, the 'Gaida' ritual, to put it simply. Come on, let's go to Chage."

"(Gerda) - I'm coming... pain Ouch."

"(Young Agatha) - Did you say something?"

"(Gerda) - It's nothing, I'm coming."

Young Agatha left the house and stopped five meters away, signaling that she was waiting. Gerda, struggling to move, reached the door and clung to it for support. Before her eyes, the first features of the dungeon unfolded: dark, damp, and cold. A narrow path, lit by torches, stretched straight ahead. On either side of the path stood small, makeshift shelters.

Events that took place 10 minutes before Gerda's arrival:

Above the city of Fieri Di, at an altitude of 10,000 meters, the airship "NOX" hovered. The door to the cockpit was wide open, and strong air currents raged inside. Two passengers clung to a metal support: Commander Amber Daumi and Foxtrot Shi. They wore parachutes and masks.

"(Commander Amber Daumi) - Ready, Private Foxtrot?"

Shi stood before the open door, gazing at the shimmering city through the clouds. He marveled at its beauty, the way the colors shifted and blended. But this was only the beginning of his admiration. Ahead, this city faced utter destruction. Shi took a deep breath and declared resolutely, "Ready." Commander Daumi untied the rope that secured Shi and kicked him in the back. Shi stumbled and fell overboard.

"- That's it. Your death will not be in vain."

Daumi slammed the cockpit door shut and took a deep breath. He removed his parachute and retrieved a timed explosive from his bag. Activating it, he ran towards the rear of the airship, where a small aircraft was stored. Reaching the rear, Daumi opened the cargo bay door, and the air currents intensified. He unfastened the chains that secured the aircraft's wheels. Quickly jumping in, he took his seat in the cockpit. He turned the steering wheel to the left, and the aircraft began to roll down the inclined ramp. Daumi tried to start the engine, but it wouldn't catch. Time was running out, and the wheels were now only five meters from the edge of the cargo bay, the air currents slowing the aircraft's descent. After several attempts, the engine roared to life, and the aircraft lurched forward. It reached the edge of the cargo bay and stopped. The bottom of the aircraft began to heat up, and flames erupted from the hull. The fire quickly engulfed the aircraft, and the explosive detonated, sending a powerful shockwave through the air. Subsequent explosions rocked the sky, followed by a blinding flash.

Shi plummeted from the airship, flailing as he fell. He had been filled with joy and excitement about the mission, but his elation was short-lived. The Commander-in-Chief had ordered Shi's assassination, disguised as an accident. Shi had learned of the betrayal immediately after falling, after Commander Amber Daumi's treachery. Shi's mission had been to obliterate Fieri Di with fire. Unlike ordinary soldiers, he possessed unique abilities: the power to generate intense flames from his body.

As he fell, he pondered his actions and their purpose. Why was he doing this? Lost in thought, he succumbed to rage. Extending his hand towards the sky, towards the airship, he unleashed a torrent of flames. The fire reached the airship in seconds, incinerating it. A brilliant flash illuminated the sky, leaving a fiery trail in its wake.

Shi continued to fall for several minutes before plunging into a large lake, sinking to the bottom. Bubbles rose from the depths for a few seconds, then nothing.

Pshhhhh~ Pshhhhh~

The water in the lake began to boil and evaporate. Within minutes, the entire lake had reached a rolling boil and vanished into thin air. In its place stood a fiery creature resembling a fox, a fox made of pure fire. The fox whimpered and growled, its flames growing larger and more intense. Then, silence descended upon the area around the fox.

The fox surveyed its surroundings. Towering structures, multi-story buildings, and other urban landmarks surrounded the former lake.

The fox leaped into the air, and it held him aloft as if he were standing on solid ground. He began to ascend, climbing an invisible staircase in the sky.

From above, he observed the life of Fieri Di, its picturesque abstractions, and its bustling activity.

The fox ascended further, reaching an altitude of 15,000 meters above the city, then plunged downwards. A fiery inferno accompanied him, engulfing the city below. Fieri Di was consumed by flames, the screams of its citizens and the roar of explosions echoing through the streets.

"- Why do they keep saying 'Oh, LORD'?"

"- Hmm, I can only say that you surprised them."

"- Surprised them, huh?"

Gerda and Agatha walked along the narrow path and found themselves in a labyrinth. Two paths diverged before them. Agatha, knowing her way, chose the right passage, and Gerda followed. The passage narrowed and widened, eventually leading them to a deep pit. Agatha donned the K-pop outfit and approached the pit. Leaning against the railing, she shouted, "C-H-A-G-E! IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, APPEAR!"

The water in the pit rose to the level of the railing and swirled into a vortex. The vortex grew larger and larger. Thick, dark gray vapors began to rise from the water, coalescing into a single mass. Gerda shivered, her demeanor growing aggressive as she glared at the unfolding spectacle.

The black cloud took shape, resembling the one from several hours earlier. Wisps of the cloud moved in different directions.

"'I, Forion Chage Pistol, the great and wise spiritual master and the most evolved being in this system. What is your desire?'" A voice echoed in Agatha and Gerda's ears, raspy and halting, like that of a heavy smoker.

"- C-H-A-G-E! (Shout) We need your help!"

"'F-f-fool. Don't shout at me! (Pause) I can see and hear you! So what do you need?'"

"- A child has come to us. We need to wash her."

"'A child? (The cross narrowed, as if focusing on Gerda) Analyzing... Gerda Felis, age unknown, race unknown, abilities unknown. (The cross seemed to crack in half and then reassemble) So you want to wash her?'"

"- You, uh, what did you just mumble? What's with all the 'unknowns'? And yes, I already said we need to wash her, clean all the dirt off her."

The water around Chage began to boil and rise into the air, gathering on either side of him. The volume of water was immense. Gerda leaped back, preparing to flee, but something stopped her.

Hot steam erupted from the pipe where Gerda had emerged earlier. Chage noticed this, and the water that had been levitating around him lost its ability to defy gravity.

"- Hey, what happened?"

"'I apologize, I must take my leave.'" With those words, the black cloud dissolved into water and flowed back into the depths of the pit.

Gerda put on the cloak and arched her back, her senses on high alert.

"- Ugh, what a day. More like a pain in the ass," Agatha muttered, turning towards Gerda and gasping in surprise at her posture. "- What now?"

"- Be careful," Gerda warned, suddenly appearing beside Agatha.

"- H-hey, what's wrong?" Agatha asked, her voice laced with concern.

A massive jet of flame erupted from the pipe, incinerating everything in its path. Gerda scooped up Agatha and leaped five meters away from their previous position. The fire swept through the spot where they had been standing, and a fiery fox burst from the pipe, its speed astonishing. It was consumed by rage, its fury unrelenting. Gerda grew worried, and Agatha was equally on edge. The fiery fox, catching their scent, charged towards them with incredible speed. Instinctively, Gerda contorted her body, swept her arm through the air, and flicked her wrist. The fiery fox was flung backwards, crashing into the rocks. Its flames began to diminish and were extinguished completely. In its place lay a young man.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

The young man, covered in sand, lay on his back, barely breathing.

Gerda, releasing Agatha, cautiously approached the young man, maintaining a safe distance. It was Shi, who had lost control of himself.

Gerda sensed danger, even after flinging Shi away. Shi introduced himself, his voice barely a whisper.

Agatha rushed to his side, covering him with the clothes she had been holding, and checked his pulse.

His pulse was stable. Gerda was worried about Agatha.

"- Get out of here, and take him with you!"

"- But what about you?"

Gerda smiled faintly. "- I'll be... fine."

She grabbed their hands, and they vanished in an instant.

Gerda looked at her hands, feeling a surge of power, a power unknown to her until now. At that moment, a hand clad in a heavy-looking gauntlet emerged from thin air behind her. Instinctively, Gerda vanished from her spot and reappeared five meters away. The hand instantly materialized before her face. Gerda vanished again, reappearing in another location.

"'Ho-ho-ho, why are you running away?'"

"- Who are you?"

"'Oh, have you forgotten already? Not surprising.'"

From the void where the hand had appeared, a girl in heavy camouflage materialized before Gerda. It was Yanus. She smiled at Gerda. Behind Yanus stood Reiyza, El, Arazlo, and Tiro. Tiro held a "Gaks" device, capable of pinpointing the location of any creature on Earth within a 300-kilometer radius. Gerda took a few steps back. Yanus waved her hand, indicating that there was nowhere left to run.

"'You can't escape from here!'"

"- We'll see about that," Gerda replied confidently.

A shiver ran down Gerda's spine, and her body began to burn from the inside out. Despite her discomfort, she maintained her composure.

Gerda vanished from sight. Tiro immediately shouted, "- Behind us!"

Reiyza spun around and delivered a powerful blow to Gerda's stomach, causing her to cough up blood and fly back into a rock face.

"- Wasn't she taller a while ago?" Yanus asked, puzzled.

"- A weakling, that's all. We can defeat her regardless of her height," El said dismissively.

"- Maybe we should play with her?" Arazlo suggested.

"- Oh, let's play. L-E-T-'-S- P-L-A-Y!" El exclaimed excitedly.

The third personality, Canku ho Capitso, whose name translates to "cruelty," emerged. She was more brutal and lacked any sense of decorum.

Excitedly declaring, "LET'S PLAY," she charged towards Gerda. Gerda lay on the ground, twitching. Canku grabbed her by the hood of her cloak and effortlessly lifted her, flinging her towards the barricades. Gerda crashed through several planks before grabbing onto a broken one with one hand.

"- Look at that, how quaint!" Arazlo remarked, watching the scene with amusement.

"- Your death will not be in vain!" Canku sneered at Gerda.

"- Don't say that, she's just blossoming!" Tiro retorted angrily from behind Canku.

Meanwhile, Gerda's body burned intensely from within, and her muscles ached from the impact and the blows she had received. She was in no condition to fight back.

She faced a choice: wait for the right moment or die. She didn't know their nature or their goals, but after hearing the word "death," she resolved to fight to the very end.

Canku approached Gerda, her face contorted in a smirk of disdain. She stepped on Gerda's fingers, pinning them to the ground. Gerda was at her limit.

Unable to bear the pain any longer, Gerda screamed.

"- Scream louder, you should be crying and screaming, you must!" Canku encouraged her.

Canku pressed down harder on Gerda's fingers, and Gerda could no longer hold on. Her strength had been completely depleted. She lost consciousness. Seeing this, Canku sighed and released Gerda's fingers. Gerda began to fall into the deep pit below.

Canku turned around, her personality shifting back to Lianmin.

The second personality, Lianmin, was kind and gentle to everyone. She disliked violence and always sought peaceful solutions, but she could be naive at times.

"- I did it, give me a round of applause!" she announced cheerfully.

Clap-clap

"- Oh, I love you guys. Clap-clap from the depths of the pit reached Lianmin's ears What was that?"

"- What do you mean?" Yanus asked.

"- I heard clapping, from down there," Lianmin replied, turning 120 degrees and pointing at the pit.

The clapping became audible to the others as well. From the edge of the precipice, a pair of anxious cat ears emerged, followed by a halo connecting them. The next sight stunned everyone. Gerda's eyes had transformed. Her pupils were now horizontal slits, surrounded by pyramid-shaped markings. Her face was calm, devoid of pain or fear. Her tail had also changed, becoming more rigid.

Gerda hovered in mid-air, the halo above her head connecting her ears.

Lianmin and the others were shocked, completely unprepared for this turn of events.

Lianmin, due to her fragile nature, switched back to Canku and launched a determined attack on Gerda, who was still suspended in the air.

Gerda slowly raised her hand and then swiftly brought it down. A powerful gravitational force slammed Canku into the ground.

Five minutes earlier: Artes regained consciousness. His cheek was red, and all he could remember was the Gaida ritual.

Present:

Agatha and Shi reappeared in front of the house. Artes, hearing their arrival, opened the door. Before him stood a girl who appeared to be 12-15 years old, leaning against a boy.

"- Who are you?" Artes asked, bewildered.

"- It's me, it's me!" the girl insisted.

"- What do you mean 'me'? Is that your name or something?"

"- Oh, for God's sake, you idiot. She tossed the clothes on the ground, revealing her true form It's me! Her voice deepened"

"- Wow, that's some magic!" Artes exclaimed in awe.

In a hoarse, weak voice, Shi said, "- I have to help her."

"- Who's that?" Artes asked, eyeing Shi suspiciously.

"- This is Shi, Shi Foxtrot. Oh, damn... This is not the time to think about it. Help me get him inside!"

Agatha picked up the K-pop outfit and entered the house. Artes approached Shi, slung his arm over his shoulder, and helped him inside.

Agatha laid Shi down near the fireplace and frantically began searching the closet.

"- What's wrong?"

"- The g-girl, she's alone, we have to help her!" Shi exclaimed.

"- We will, we will. But you need to heal first."

Agatha found what she was looking for: a book. Opening it, she located a vial that emitted a foul stench.

Agatha took the vial out of the book, uncorked it, and pinched her nose. Shi recoiled from the horrendous smell and the aura emanating from the vial.

With a mixture of laughter and disgust, Agatha tilted the vial over Shi's head as he lay on the sofa, exhausted.

"- For mom, for dad! Drink this, and you'll feel better right away!" she said with a smirk.

"- N-no... nooooooooo!" Shi's wail echoed through the house and could be heard almost throughout the entire dungeon.

Alerted by Shi's cry, people from the surrounding areas of the dungeon rushed to the house, gathering outside. A drop from the vial fell onto Shi's lips, burning them. Agatha then poured the entire contents of the vial into Shi's mouth.

Shi's mouth caught fire, then the flames subsided. A few seconds later, he abruptly sat up on the sofa, his eyes gleaming with cunning as he looked at Agatha and Artes.

"- It worked, hooray!" Agatha cheered.

"'This is not your place.'"

Shisi's voice echoed in Shi's mind.

"- I know."

"- Hey, hey, what do you know?"

Artes stared at Shi in bewilderment.

Shi glanced at Shisi, who was lying near the fireplace, and thought, "I fell here? What happened?"

"'You didn't fall, you were consumed by rage and anger!'"

"'What? Who's saying that?'"

"'I am a wild animal, my name is Shisi. I can tell you what happened!'"

"'Tell me, tell me.'"

"'Not long ago, if my memory serves me right, you were in the sky, soaring through the air. Later, you jumped, a fiery inferno erupted, and the flames grew even stronger...'"

"'Sky, fire? I was in an airship.'"

Agatha paced around the room, closing the shutters and locking the door.

"- You fool, why did you have to scream like that?"

"'You need to hurry and help the girl who saved you!'"

"'Girl?'"

"'Yes, she's still there. She brought you here.'"

"- H-hey, are you going to sit there and think all day?"

Artes snapped, raising his voice.

"- What?"

"- Help the cool girl, she's awesome. You have to help her."

A slight gravitational pull materialized. Agatha fell to her knees, and Artes struggled to stay on his feet.

"'It seems it has begun. Hurry, or there will be trouble. I'll cover you both.'"

"- Then I'm going."

Shi got up from the sofa and walked towards the door.

"'Listen, this will be your last chance. There won't be another one.'"

"'What chance are you talking about? Huh?'"

"'This is the moment of the planet's complete destruction. If you fail, it's game over for everyone!'"

"'Whaaaaaat?'"

"'I'll teleport you to her, to where she's currently unleashing her power on others.'"

Shi waved his hand.

"'No, no. Better teleport me to the girls, where the little war is going to be. I know from experience.'"

"'Are you sure? There are six beautiful ladies fighting each other there. And they're all from different races!'"

"- R-r-races...? Well, lucky me!"

"- What's so lucky about that? You need to hurry to her!"

Shisi leaped into the fire. Agatha, noticing this, screamed, "No, no! S-H-I-S-I!"

Artes, witnessing Shisi's body being consumed by the flames, was overcome with grief and fainted.

"'Hey, help me.'"

"- Oh, you're still here?"

"'Yes, come to the fireplace.'"

Shi approached the fireplace and sat down. The fire was intense and scorching.

"'Reach out and retrieve my body.'"

"'Body? But I can't.'"

"'You can, you're a fire creature too. Retrieve it and place it in the center of the house. Do it.'"

"'Okay.'"

Shi retrieved the charred remains and walked to the center of the house.

"- What are you doing? Why are you doing this? Huh? Tell me!"

Agatha, in a fit of hysteria, began to hit Shi. Her powers were uncontrolled, and her physical strength was no more effective than a fly's.

Artes regained consciousness and watched the scene unfold from his prone position.

"- No, don't, don't touch her!"

Agatha continued to scream, her cries echoing throughout the house. The slaves gathered outside began to pound on the walls with their hands, stones, and anything else they could find.

"'Do it, quickly.'"

Shi gently pushed Agatha away and placed the remains in the center of the house.

Artes, unwilling to see the remains used in this way, especially without a proper burial, reached out his hand.

As soon as the remains were placed on the ground, a strange flame erupted around them.

Artes's hand passed through the flame, and it transformed into a mechanical appendage. The hand reached for the remains and began to merge with them.

Artes screamed in agony. Agatha recoiled in fear from the flames and the unfolding events.

The hand continued to stretch towards the remains, and Artes's screams intensified.

His entire shoulder was almost sucked into the flames. Desperate, Artes pulled out Betty and shot himself in the shoulder.

The destructive force of the bullet tore his shoulder apart, and the severed limb was completely absorbed by the flames.

The remains began to shimmer with metallic properties.

The flames raged. Agatha stared at the inferno, her gaze fixated on the flames.

She felt a pang of sadness for Shisi, who had jumped into the fire.

"- I, I won't let you get away with this, you vile cat!"

With a cry, she leaped into the flames.

In that instant, Agatha's blood and entrails erupted from her body and were sucked into the inferno.

"- Nooooooooooo!"

Artes screamed.

"- Oh, fuck this..."

Shi turned away from the gruesome sight.

"'Now.'"

The flames completely enveloped the remains, expanding and growing larger.

"'Finally.'"

The fire vanished. In the center of the house stood a mechanical cat, half black and half white. Its eyes bore the Yin-Yang symbol.

Artes, bleeding profusely, said,

"- The Yin-Yang Goddess has been reborn."

"- What? Goddess?"

"- Indeed, I am the Yin-Yang Goddess."

The cat spoke.

"- This is not the end."

"- But I thought goddesses looked like humans."

"- I am the great Yin-Yang Goddess, also known as Jiji. I have come to decide the fate of all humanity."

With those words, the goddess's aura grew more intense. A ring of fire formed around her, incinerating everything in its path.

She slowly rose into the air, hot air swirling around her.

Whoosh

She vanished.

Somewhere above the epic battle.

"- Ohoho. As expected, this world is far from ordinary."

The goddess Jiji stood in the stratosphere, gazing down at the planet.

She observed everything that was happening.

And in an instant, she grasped the absurdity of this world.

"- You have destroyed yourselves. But I will solve this problem."

The goddess Jiji took a deep breath and exhaled.

In that same moment, her body began to expand, growing larger and larger.

Within ten seconds, her body had reached the size of a galactic cruiser, occupying a significant portion of the hemisphere.

"- Now, let's have a snack."

She inhaled. All the chemical and biological pollution began to be sucked into her mouth.

Every living being on Earth, whether human, animal, or any other form of life, experienced their entire lives in a matter of moments. All their hardships, sorrows, and joys flashed before their eyes in an instant.

Meanwhile, in the midst of the battle:

"- What the..."

"- It's a gravitational field. Don't get close to her."

"- What?"

They were all in shock.

Canku lay crushed on the ground, staring at Gerda with a mixture of astonishment and fear.

Gerda repositioned her hands, bringing them together as if preparing to clap.

Canku thought she had been released, but that was not the case.

The gravity remained.

Gerda clapped several times, the air splitting apart with each clap.

Powerful gusts of wind swirled around her.

"- As expected..."

Gerda's voice was different now, filled with a chilling power that instilled fear in all who heard it.

Everyone present felt their knees tremble.

Suddenly, the sky opened up. Massive chunks of earth began to be sucked upwards, towards the goddess.

"- HOLD ONTO SOMETHING!"

Arazlo shouted, and everyone scrambled to find something to grab onto.

Gerda began to lose consciousness and slowly floated upwards.

The goddess Jiji swallowed her and thousands of others.

Her body had grown so immense that even her limbs were colossal.

[NOW, ONLY ANCHIMETAMORPHOSIS REMAINS.]

The mechanical goddess Jiji shattered the planet with a single blow.

Huge fragments of the planet began to break away.

All living beings were encased in inflated spheres (air) that lifted them towards Jiji.

The planet, broken into pieces, slowly began to disintegrate.

[As expected.]

The goddess Jiji, now in space, sat in the Lotus position and began to concentrate.

[Rebirth. GRAND ANCHIMETAMORPHOSIS.]

After those words, everything froze. The fragments of the planet began to slowly reassemble and fuse back together.

The goddess Jiji gently exhaled everything she had inhaled.

The entire planet was covered in a black ooze.

A few seconds later, sparks began to appear. Different colored sparks flickered across the planet's surface.

The black ooze spiraled away, revealing a pristine, azure planet.

The goddess Jiji struck the planet again, sending shockwaves rippling across its surface.

It rapidly contracted and expanded.

And then...

Boom...

The planet began to grow in size.

It became four times larger than the original planet "Earth."

The air spheres slowly descended towards the ground.

They burst 15 centimeters above the surface.