The journey to the city of Saga spanned fifteen grueling days. As their chariots rattled along the uneven roads, Joseph found himself distracted, his thoughts tethered to the image of Lyra during their last battle. The memory of her "All-Seeing Eye of the Almighty" glimmering with unrestrained power haunted him, but what gnawed at him most was her chant—I summon the ancestral powers of the marine dimension… Marine Spirit. The words felt unsettlingly familiar, as if they were echoes of something buried deep within him or a shared memory from one of his variants across the multiverse.
Joseph’s gaze lingered on Lyra, his mind swirling with questions. Her calm, unreadable demeanor did nothing to soothe his restlessness. Lyra, sensing his prolonged stare, eventually brought her horse to an abrupt stop. The group froze in response, their unease growing as Yoshi moved his chariot alongside her.
"What’s the matter, Lyra? Do you sense something?" Yoshi asked, his hand instinctively drifting toward his weapon as he urged his chariot forward to ride beside her.
"Nothing," Lyra replied tersely, exhaling a sigh that betrayed her irritation. Turning to Joseph, she leveled a sharp gaze at him. "Alright, Joseph. You’ve been staring at me for hours. Out with it. What’s on your mind?"
Her directness caught him off guard. The group’s attention shifted to him, waiting for his response. Joseph hesitated, floundering under the weight of their stares.
"Me? Oh, it’s nothing, really!" he stammered, attempting to deflect the question with a dismissive wave of his hand.
Joseph perked up but hesitated, still unsure of how to approach the topic.
"Come on, just spit it out," added Yoshi, who was clearly enjoying Joseph’s discomfort.
"Joseph," Lyra pressed, her voice steady but firm.
"Okay, fine! I thought you wouldn’t notice," Joseph admitted with a relieved sigh. "Thank goodness, though—this has been bugging me."
"Go on," Lyra urged, gently nudging her horse forward. The group resumed their pace, all ears on Joseph as he struggled to put his thoughts into words.
He sighed in surrender. "Fine! That move you pulled against Demon Lord Lirien—the hand signs, the chant, the way you disappeared—it’s been driving me crazy. It reminded me of something. I mean, you looked like a ninja straight out of some isekai world… or the Naruto verse!"
"The Naruto verse?" Lyra echoed, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes!" Joseph blurted. "You said something like, ‘I summon the ancestral powers of the marine dimension… Marine Spirit.’ And it felt so familiar, like I’ve heard it before. Or maybe one of my variants from another universe has."
Lyra chuckled softly, shaking her head as she glanced over her shoulder. "I was wondering when you’d finally bring this up. You’ve been like a child bursting with questions ever since we left Yokosuka."
"Can you blame me?" Joseph countered. "That was insane! What was it, anyway?"
Taking a deep breath, Lyra began her explanation. "The technique you’re referring to is called the Marine Summoning Rite. It’s tied to my connection with the All-Seeing Eye of the Almighty, an ancient power linked to the primordial marine spirit. This entity exists within the dimensional oceans of time and space, and the chant is the key to channeling its power."
"The hand signs," Joseph interjected, "they looked like something from a ninja scroll. Are they part of the process?"
"Yes," Lyra replied patiently. "The hand signs are crucial. They serve as a gateway, aligning the energy required for the ritual. Once performed, they synchronize with the chant, focusing the power into a form I can control."
Joseph frowned, his curiosity deepening. "But why does it feel like I—or one of my variants—has encountered it before?"
Lyra’s gaze softened as she considered his question. "The All-Seeing Eye of the Almighty isn’t bound to a single dimension. Its power resonates across countless realities and timelines. If one of your variants encountered a fragment of this power, it could explain the familiarity."
"So, it’s like a universal constant," Joseph mused. "A force that manifests differently across the multiverse."
"Exactly," Lyra confirmed. "But in this reality, the marine spirit answers to me. The ritual you witnessed is my ultimate skill, an ability that merges the Eye’s power with my connection to the marine dimension."
"What? Oh, right. Your ultimate skill. Got it," Joseph replied, nodding quickly. "Ultimate skills are different from unique skills. Makes sense."
Lyra gave a light hum in acknowledgment but didn’t elaborate further.
Yoshi chuckled, breaking the tension. "So basically, Lyra’s a multiversal ninja goddess?"
Lyra smirked, her amusement showing for the second time. "Something like that."
Joseph grinned, the weight of his curiosity finally lifting. "Well, that’s amazing. I guess I’ll have to get used to being overshadowed by your divine ninja moves."
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As the group resumed their journey, the city of Saga loomed closer on the horizon. Despite their lighthearted exchange, Joseph couldn’t shake the feeling that Lyra’s abilities—and their multiversal implications—harbored secrets far greater than any of them could fathom.
Suddenly, something snapped within Joseph, like a long-buried memory surfacing. The group came to an abrupt halt, their movements frozen as all eyes turned toward him in surprise.
"No way! That is sick!" Joseph exclaimed, clearly amazed. But as he marveled, something sparked in his memory—a distant connection to Lyra’s chant. His expression shifted, drawing curious looks from the rest of the group.
"Wait a second," Joseph said, his eyes lighting up. "I know where I’ve seen a spell and chant like yours before! Most of my variants—or at least a few—have encountered something similar in other alternate realities. It was in the battle between Queen Tiffany—aka Tekno Witch, depending on the universe—and El Mar, a rebel of the Oceanian Empire. El Mar became a dark Oceanian who tried to overthrow the Oceanian Kingdom!"
Joseph’s excitement only grew as he continued. "It’s from ULTRA AI, Chapter 69: Oceanian Wars - Part 2! Page 461, if I’m not mistaken. The author did such a dope job including an almost identical chant in that narrative. As for the exact paragraph, though... I can’t fully recall the line."
The group stared at him, utterly baffled. Even a traveler in their midst leaned over to another, whispering, "What’s he talking about?"
Yoshi sighed heavily and looked at Joseph, clearly skeptical. "Are you doing that thing again? You know, where you act like you’re talking to... whatever you think is controlling the world?"
"What? No! No, no, no!" Joseph said with a nervous laugh, waving his hands dismissively. Then, with a grin, he added, "And for the record, it’s called breaking the fourth wall. But I also break the 16th wall sometimes. FYI, that’s a fourth wall inside a fourth wall break!"
He turned to Yoshi with mock seriousness. "But no, I’m not doing it right now."
Yoshi just shook his head, muttering under his breath as the group continued their journey, leaving Joseph to his musings.
They arrived at their destination, the city of Saga. The air was thick with tension as Yoshi and his companions passed through the towering main gates, led by their guide—a native of Saga whose every step seemed to radiate purpose. The cobbled streets beneath their feet buzzed with murmurs of dread and uncertainty, a palpable unease that hung over the city like a storm cloud. Soldiers patrolled every corner, their watchful eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of impending danger.
Their journey led them to the council chamber, a grand hall steeped in the weight of Saga’s history. Intricately woven banners lined the stone walls, each depicting tales of the city’s triumphs and resilience. At the heart of the chamber sat the City Lady, her presence regal and commanding. Her gaze, sharp and penetrating, swept over the newcomers. She was flanked by the council members, their faces lined with wisdom and authority.
The guide stepped forward, recounting their perilous journey with precision and detail. The City Lady listened intently, her expression growing graver with each word. Finally, she rose, her voice steady but heavy with concern.
“We face a crisis,” she began, her tone carrying the weight of the city’s plight. “Monsters have infiltrated Saga, their sole aim—the Treasure of Life, a relic said to grant unimaginable power. But the threat doesn’t end there. Demons have also descended upon us, warring with the monsters for the treasure. The city stands on the brink of chaos.”
The air grew heavier, her words igniting a spark of urgency in the chamber. Tension mounted further when the massive council doors creaked open abruptly. A group of battle-worn warriors strode in, their armor scarred and smeared with the grime of combat. Leading them was Iwata Kanzaki, an Orcoblin-Human hybrid with an unyielding gaze. Despite bearing the lowest rank of armiger knight hunters, Rank F (Tier 12), his sheer presence demanded attention. His every step carried an air of quiet defiance, a promise of strength forged in countless battles.
All eyes turned to him, sensing that his arrival would shift the tides of Saga’s desperate fight for survival.
Iwata stepped forward and bowed slightly, his voice steady despite the gravity of his words. “City Lady, I bring grave news. The demons have been defeated—not by us, but by the demi-gods. They now possess the Treasure of Life.”
The room erupted into murmurs, fear and disbelief spreading among the council members like wildfire. The City Lady raised a hand, her sharp gaze silencing the unrest as Iwata continued.
“Many demons have pledged their allegiance to the demi-gods. In exchange, the demi-gods have promised to resurrect their fallen comrades using the treasure. Even now, they march to the catacombs.”
The City Lady’s brow furrowed, her expression dark with contemplation. “Demi-gods working with demons? That is unheard of.”
“This can mean only one thing,” she said, her voice steady yet laced with dread.
“War of the Gods,” Yoshi interjected grimly. The City Lady nodded in confirmation, her eyes filled with foreboding.
“War of the Gods,” Joseph echoed, his whisper barely audible.
The City Lady inhaled deeply, gathering her thoughts before recounting the tragic tale of the demi-gods. “The demi-gods were once allies of the gods, warriors born of both mortal and divine blood. But after the last great war, their ascension to godhood was denied. Their presence in the Divine Realm was restricted, as the gods deemed them too unstable—too mortal.”
She paused, her voice heavy with sorrow. “Their divinity began to wane over the centuries. One of the elder gods, however, took pity on them. She defied the Divine Realm’s decree, nurturing the outcast demi-gods, teaching them the secrets of the gods—secrets she believed were their birthright.”
“The other gods warned her,” Yoshi added. “They told her that defying the Divine Realm would cost her dearly.”
The City Lady nodded. “And it did. Her godhood was stripped, her name erased from the annals of divinity. Yet she continued to care for the demi-gods, even in her mortality. Her defiance inspired them, but it also angered the gods. Their wrath eventually led to her death.”
“The demi-gods have never forgotten that betrayal,” Yoshi said, his voice firm. “Now, with the Treasure of Life in their possession, they seek vengeance.”
“By raising their fallen comrades and those of the demons, they aim to forge an alliance powerful enough to challenge the gods themselves,” Joseph concluded, his voice rising in urgency. “This is madness. If we don’t act, the consequences will be catastrophic.”
“Indeed it will,” Iwata affirmed. “If they succeed, the war will plunge all realms into chaos.”
The chamber fell silent, the weight of the situation pressing down on everyone. After a moment, the council began to deliberate. Time was short, and the path forward had to be swift and decisive. It was decided that Yoshi, Joseph, Iwata, and a select team of warriors would pursue the demi-gods and retrieve the Treasure of Life. Meanwhile, Lyra and another contingent of warriors would remain to defend Saga from any further incursions.
As the group prepared to depart, the City Lady called out to them, her voice steady and resolute. “Be vigilant. The demi-gods are cunning, and their power is not to be underestimated. The fate of all realms rests on your shoulders.”
With those words, the team set out, their resolve firm, knowing the battle ahead would test their strength, courage, and unity like never before.