Little Garden 131-136

Title: Whose Account Is This Again?

“Come on, Karyou, let’s grab the flag first.”

Aslan looked up, shielding his eyes from the sunlight with his right hand, squinting at the flag fluttering atop the fortress. A flag with a red base, golden edges, and a pattern of hills with a rising sun and a girl, swaying in the breeze.

Sure enough, Arcadia’s flag was standing so blatantly atop the fortress? Ouroboros was more arrogant than he’d imagined.

“Alright.” Karyou nodded slightly. She had no objections to his plan. After all, her purpose for coming was simply to be by his side, to prevent Aslan from being ambushed or killed due to his lack of combat experience.

She stepped forward slightly, and the moment Aslan and she set foot in the area, they were already at the flagpole. As they reached for the flag, a golden spear crackling with lightning shot toward Aslan’s hand at lightning speed.

“Sorry, though I really don’t want to stop you from taking the flag, now’s not the time for that.” said a scruffy-looking man with a blue ponytail, dressed in a suit, as he pulled back his spear.

(Indra?)

Aslan was quietly shocked. As expected, this matter was too big—so big that the head of the Heavenly Army himself had shown up.

As for why he couldn’t grab the flag on his first try, Aslan wasn’t surprised. Or rather, it would’ve been strange if the flag could be taken so easily.

“Uncle, what’s there to say? Ouroboros doesn’t want to give it back?” Aslan asked Indra curiously. His current knowledge wasn’t enough to figure out what Ouroboros had done to the flag.

But Aslan wasn’t in a rush. The reason he dared to go straight for the flag was that there would be many “elders” here. And they all had some connection to Arcadia. If there were no issues, they usually wouldn’t stop him from taking the flag. But if there were problems, they’d offer help by warning him.

His earlier action was more about seeking allies than grabbing the flag. And now, the biggest “big shot” in this Gift Game had shown up.

Indra, who once defeated Azi Dahaka, who held the Spirit Status of multiple Pantheons and the Twelve Divine Generals, single-handedly. Even after being ambushed by a revived Azi Dahaka, he still had the strength to retreat with the entire Heavenly Army.

Who knew how strong this old man really was? At least for Aslan right now, Indra was clearly someone he could rely on.

Indra glanced at him, saying nothing more. After taking a drag from his cigarette, he spoke casually.

“It’s not that. Your flag is indeed here. Ouroboros left it here, but your flag is also a key part of unlocking Absolute Evil’s seal.”

“If you take the flag now, Azi Dahaka will most likely break free from his seal.”

“Got it, kid? Don’t act recklessly next time!”

Indra couldn’t help but scold Aslan, though his tone was only tough on the surface. After all, Aslan was Kurousagi’s comrade and Arcadia’s heir. A little reprimand would help him learn.

“Alright, Uesugi, you stay by these two kids’ side to protect them, so they don’t get ambushed by people with bad intentions.”

“I’m going to check if Ouroboros has tampered with the seal.”

With that, Indra withdrew his Vasavi Shakti and left. Only Uesugi Kenshin remained, standing with arms crossed, eyes closed, resting.

His purpose here wasn’t just to watch over these two juniors but also to prevent others from snatching the flag, which could cause issues with the seal.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

On the other side, at another entrance to the Gift Game.

Aslan, remotely controlling his consciousness, observed the people around him. Merlin, Aishelia, Lamia, and Maxwell. They didn’t seem to have officially entered the game yet.

(Looks like he arrived just in time.)

“Thanks for your hard work, Ahriman.” Aslan silently thanked the Mother of the Evil God in his heart. Multitasking was still quite challenging for him.

Ahriman was great in every way, but her lack of self-awareness was quite troublesome. Someone had to control her, or she’d easily lose form and turn into an unconscious virus.

Or rather, Angra Mainyu, as a Last Trial of Mankind, was more like a phenomenon than a being bearing this Spirit Status. The advantage was that it was extremely hard to kill, could be revived anytime as long as there was still a virus, and was highly concealable. The downside was that it needed constant control.

“No problem, as long as I can help you.” Ahriman said in a weary tone. After all, in her current state, controlling Angra Mainyu was a massive mental drain for her.

She now only had a small amount of consciousness stored by Aslan in a Magic Card. Though she could recover slowly and didn’t need to worry about losing it, a full Two-Digit-level consciousness couldn’t be contained by the Magic Card Aslan had made.

“By the way, Ahriman, how long can you use your full power, and what level of strength can you achieve in this situation?”

Aslan needed to assess his current trump card, thinking about how to cause trouble for the greatest benefit.

“At most, three minutes before I need to rest. As for the combat strength I can display now, maybe about 1.5 Indra.”

The Mother of the Evil God estimated. Unlike the Mother of the Good God and Gaia, who excelled in research, worldviews, and power manipulation, she was more skilled in combat.

Since Little Garden was established, she had been fighting continuously, challenged by heroes and gods, never losing. She could be said to have borne all of Little Garden’s negative elements alone, fighting the entire Little Garden single-handedly in the early days. She only rested after the Mother of the Good God sacrificed herself and Bahram’s betrayal ensured the fate that justice would always prevail.

At the same Spirit Status level, Indra wouldn’t last two rounds against her, even with Vasavi Shakti.

“Good grief, Indra’s become a unit of power.” Aslan now had a better understanding of the Mother of the Evil God’s combat strength and others’. Most importantly, the strength she could display now. If she were at her peak… Aslan couldn’t even imagine it.

The Mother of the Evil God had no ambition to dominate and only passively accepted challenges from other gods and heroes. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be Shiroyasha who’d be the strongest Demon Lord.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

“Let’s go, it’s time to get to work.” Maxwell said coldly after glancing at Aslan and the others. Without hesitation, he stepped into the game arena.

Lamia followed, while Aslan, Merlin, and Aishelia quietly hid.

Maxwell and Lamia seemed to have other tasks. Aslan and the others only needed to find Kalki.

Hearing the occasional loud noises around, the mushroom clouds rising from explosions, and the light pollution from various lightning and flames—it finally felt like a battlefield.

“Follow closely. Under the influence of so many authorities, the range of illusions I can protect is limited.” Merlin warned. But Aslan and Aishelia didn’t care much.

Aslan once again dissolved his body, turning into a viral concept or phenomenon, and hid. As long as he could split himself enough, no one could find him.

As for Aishelia, Hades’ helm was always with her. The three didn’t trust each other enough to stay within a safe distance.

“Alright, let’s go. Based on the information Lamia left, the person we’re picking up is about a thousand kilometers north.”

This distance wasn’t too far for Aslan and the others; a few minutes would suffice. After all, the game’s range was one outer gate, equivalent to Earth’s area. This distance wasn’t much.

When Aslan and the others arrived at Kalki’s location, Kalki was already surrounded by several figures with powerful auras, and he was even severely injured.

Kalki wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, standing in front of Rin and Jester.

“Sorry, though I can’t find a reason to fight, I don’t want to give up my life so easily.”

But before Kalki could finish, a hammer crackling with lightning struck him directly.

“Who cares about you? We only know it’s not time for a savior to be born.” Said a giant, red-haired man. He pulled back the hammer in his hand, scratching his ear while looking at Kalki, gravely injured by his Mjolnir.

Thor, the main war god of Norse mythology, recorded to have sacrificed himself in the war against Dystopia. Aslan didn’t know whose account this was.

“Little Garden hasn’t reached the End of the World yet, Savior? Go back to your era!”

“Sure, if you want us to send you back, we can do that too.”

As he spoke, Thor swung his hammer forcefully, stepping forward and aiming it at Kalki’s head.

“Cross the sea of stars and bring the hero of the new era before me! Argo!”

A muscular man with long hair reaching the ground, reminiscent of a lion, summoned a wooden ship. Upon closer inspection, the ship resembled a hero.

Heracles, the strongest warrior from Greece, had come to this Gift Game to protect the newly reborn Arcadia and to retrieve Arcadia’s flag.

The wooden ship vanished from Heracles’ hands. Argo of Aries, proof of a hero and also the Aries Sun Authority. Using the Aries Sun Authority to whisk away Kalki, who was about to be crushed by Thor, along with Jester and Rin whom he was protecting, wasn’t difficult.

“Thor, what are you doing attacking a child who was just born?” Heracles shielded Kalki behind him, mocking.

-

Title: Indra, Let’s Storm Absolute Evil One More Time!

Though Heracles also believed Kalki shouldn’t have been born in this era, attacking a child still went against his principles.

“Hmph, since when do Greek heroes meddle in others’ affairs?” Thor snorted, pulling back his hammer and glancing toward where Aslan and his two companions were hiding.

“And you lot, Ouroboros lackeys, what’s the point of hiding? Come out! Let’s fight openly!”

With Thor’s shout, thousands of lightning bolts struck at Merlin. As shadowy flowers bloomed, the roaring thunder dissipated into nothing. However, in exchange for blocking the thunder, Merlin’s form was revealed.

“Huh? The Queen’s knight? Why are you here?”

Seeing Merlin, even Thor was shocked. “What? Is the Queen meddling too?”

“Hehe.” Merlin smiled sheepishly, sticking out her tongue. She hadn’t expected to end up being the decoy and getting discovered first. She was quite confident in her illusions, but now that confidence might crumble.

Seeing it was Merlin, Thor abandoned his intent to go all-out against Ouroboros. Though he was determined to fight Ouroboros to the death, he wouldn’t trouble a spy. After all, it wasn’t worth offending the Halloween Queen.

The Norse Pantheon had already suffered greatly, and it was hard to say how many of them were still alive. While Thor wasn’t afraid of death, whether it was worth it was another matter.

“I’m here to pick someone up.” Merlin said, winking toward Kalki’s location, openly stating her mission without hiding anything.

However, Thor and Heracles grew confused. They weren’t sure if this was a mission from the Halloween Queen or Ouroboros.

If it was from the Halloween Queen, stepping back wouldn’t be an issue, as they didn’t dare offend her.

If it was from Ouroboros, it meant the Halloween Queen wasn’t involved, and they could act more freely.

After all, avoiding offending the Halloween Queen was far more important than any mission from their superiors.

While Merlin distracted Heracles and Thor, Aslan and Aishelia moved stealthily. Hades’ invisibility helm was a gift that even Algol, a Three-Digit, couldn’t detect. Heracles and Thor naturally didn’t notice Aishelia’s presence.

And Aslan? The entire space was filled with his presence, but these viruses were in a dormant state, making him equivalent to air—undetectable. They might sense something off, but ultimately, they couldn’t pinpoint his location.

Then, unnoticed, Aslan lifted Kalki with one hand and knocked Jester unconscious with the other, sealing him into a Magic Card.

Aishelia quietly placed an invisibility helm on Rin. Of course, this wasn’t the original but a mass-produced version made by Perseus later. Its effects were inferior to Aishelia’s.

“Save Rin first…” Kalki seemed to sense someone trying to save him and instinctively wanted to speak. Aslan quickly covered his mouth, pointing to Rin, who had already vanished, indicating she was safe.

“Shh.”

Kalki nodded weakly, finally closing his eyes calmly. He didn’t care about his own life, but he didn’t want his older sister harmed because of him.

“Tch, that was a heavy hit.”

Aslan grumbled slightly, then prepared to leave with the pitiful white-haired boy who was born just days ago.

“By the way, friend over there, isn’t it time you stopped your tricks?”

A hoarse voice came from behind. Hearing it, Aslan didn’t stop; instead, he moved faster. “Right, I knew it. Ahriman can hide herself, but taking someone else and escaping? Still not quite there.”

“Mjölnir!”

Thor threw the hammer in his hand, which was only the size of two fists. In an instant, it transformed into a massive hammer three or four people tall, charging at Aslan with tremendous force and endless lightning.

“Kalki, you ready? Something big’s coming!”

“Three, two, one!”

As Aslan counted down to the final number, a laser beam of infinite heat shot from beneath the fortress, as if it could destroy the entire world, grazing past his back.

*BANG!*

The beam instantly obliterated Mjölnir, Thor the Thunder God’s prized artifact, leaving no trace behind.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

A few minutes earlier, at the top of the fortress where Arcadia’s flag was planted.

“By the way, it’s been so long—why no word from Indra? Did something happen to him?”

“And is this flag really tied to the seal? I don’t think Canaria would’ve left such a huge gap.”

Aslan asked Kenshin curiously. Uesugi paused, shaking his head.

“I’m not sure either. Two hundred years ago, I was gravely injured fighting Azi Dahaka and reincarnated. I only just returned. Only Indra knows how Canaria sealed it.”

Hearing this, Aslan frowned, glancing at Kenshin, then at Karyou, and fell silent for a moment. He looked at the flag, sighing.

“I’m just worried Indra’s fallen into a trap. He went to check the seal and might’ve helped Ouroboros open it instead.”

Seeing Kalki and Maxwell, Aslan increasingly felt that Ouroboros wanted to release Absolute Evil and let Kalki defeat it to gain achievements. At the same time, they’d prove to all of Little Garden that they truly didn’t intend to destroy it. They’d generously offer the achievement of defeating Absolute Evil to Little Garden’s gods.

This way, Ouroboros could clear their name and pursue other goals.

The savior issue? Just a minor detail.

All the gods would be busy fighting over the achievement of defeating Absolute Evil. Who’d care about Ouroboros’s secret plans?

After all, Kalki’s ten different worldviews were the perfect excuse for the corresponding Pantheons to vie for the right to distribute the achievement.

“It shouldn’t be…” Kenshin was at a loss for words. He recalled the straw hat he saw last night. Krishna had already made a move—how could this be simple?

Still, out of caution, Kenshin contacted Indra through a Gift connection to warn him.

“Indra, be careful. Don’t fall into Ouroboros’s trap…”

“Damn it, I’m already trapped!”

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

In the fortress’s dungeon, Indra stared at Azi Dahaka, Absolute Evil, who opened its three dragon heads, preparing to unleash the Wheel of the Overlord that could destroy a third of the world.

He wanted to cry.

Indra said in despair, “Why didn’t you warn me earlier? The seal’s really been broken now!”

Then, with one hand, Indra forcefully redirected Azi Dahaka’s three dragon heads to prevent the Wheel of the Overlord from hitting him.

Though he could withstand one such gift’s attack, he’d still be severely injured. Don’t ask why—it’d make him look like he’d already lost.

Thankfully, Azi Dahaka was still heavily injured; otherwise, his Four-Digit Spirit Status might not have been enough.

But he couldn’t attack either—what if he accidentally sent Azi Dahaka into revival? There was no Arcadia to fight to the death anymore.

Now, all it took was a modern human hero with a Perpetual Motion Machine Spirit Status and human Spirit Status to kill Azi Dahaka to fully overcome the Absolute Evil trial. This hero only needed to be above the elite Four-Digit level.

The only problem was… there weren’t many modern human heroes in all of Little Garden at the elite Four-Digit level, let alone those with a Perpetual Motion Machine Spirit Status.

Otherwise, Azi Dahaka wouldn’t have been sealed for so long without being dealt with.

The claim that Kasukabe Koumei gained Divinity was just a pretext to deceive the public. Humans gaining Divinity didn’t affect their human Spirit Status; they merely became Divinity holders. And if it did affect them, they could relinquish the Divinity, which wasn’t difficult.

Even naturally born gods could descend to earth as humans.

The only true way to become a god was to gain human belief throughout history, not by acquiring Divinity.

That’s why Canaria chose to stop at the most critical moment, and even Koumei’s Divinity was arranged by Canaria. Koumei didn’t have a Perpetual Motion Machine Spirit Status.

If Koumei had killed Azi Dahaka back then, the damage caused by a fully revived Azi Dahaka would’ve been far greater and more desperate. It was better to seal him while he was weak, lowering the difficulty for the next human hero with a Perpetual Motion Machine Spirit Status to defeat him.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

“Go for it! Indra, I believe you’ve got this. You’re the head of the Heavenly Forces!”

Kenshin sent his encouragement to Indra, then closed the Gift connection, tossed his hair, and looked at Aslan.

“It’s settled now. Take the flag. The rest is up to Indra.”

After all, he had just reincarnated, so a big issue like Absolute Evil wouldn’t be his burden. Besides, this was all Indra’s fault.

“Alright.” Aslan twitched the corner of his mouth. He took the flag and silently mourned for Indra.

“Indra, let’s storm Absolute Evil one more time!”

-

Title: Just the Last Trial of Mankind

As the Wheel of the Overlord roared, countless black papers scattered from the sky.

A black game text wasn’t unusual. Abusing Host Master Authority could turn someone into a Demon Lord.

Once a Demon Lord used their authority, they could forcibly drag others into their Gift Game without consent. In Little Garden, especially at the Four-Digit level, who hadn’t encountered a few ordinary Demon Lords?

What was truly strange was a blank game text.

All Gift Games had texts outlining the game’s content and victory conditions. Some might have unclear conditions, but those were usually hidden with minor tricks, where the concealment itself was part of the game.

However, only the Gift Games of the Last Trial of Mankind truly had no game text.

The Last Trial was a test for the entire great world, for all of Little Garden. Everything in the existing world was part of the game. All living beings in that world were participants.

If a Demon Lord forcibly pulled others into their Gift Game by abusing Host Master Authority, the Last Trial of Mankind dragged the entire world into its Gift Game.

As the blank black papers fell, the atmosphere in the entire game arena froze for a moment.

“Oh, this is bad. Things just got really serious.” Merlin said with a chuckle.

Though she had no way to overcome Absolute Evil, as everyone knew, if the sky fell, there were taller beings to hold it up. Clearly, in this game, she wasn’t one of the tall ones. She was probably the shortest here—in height, ability, and fame. She was just a minor wizard.

“You two great heroes, Absolute Evil is free. Think of something quick!” Merlin said respectfully to Heracles and Thor.

As for Aslan, he paused his actions. He simply used his virus to heal Kalki’s wounds, collected some data on his Spirit Status, and curiously picked up Mjölnir, the Thunder God’s hammer, which had just been melted by the supreme heat gift, Wheel of the Overlord.

“The material of this thing is sturdy—there’s still some left after taking a hit from the Wheel of the Overlord.”

Then, without shame, Aslan pocketed the remnants, which weighed only a few ounces.

Unlike the relaxed Aslan, Heracles and Thor had serious expressions.

No one knew better than they what the Last Trial of Mankind represented. It was a Demon Lord even Pantheons couldn’t oppose. When Canaria and the others faced Azi Dahaka back then, not only were there many Four-Digit heroes, but even several Kings of Gods had descended as humans.

Now, even counting those who came for the Leo Sun Authority, their numbers were half that of the Arcadia Great Alliance when it faced Absolute Evil, at best.

What was more despairing was the absence of a sage like Canaria. Combat strength might be easy to gather, but heroes with matching leadership and the ability to rally others were rare. If the Four-Digit individuals here didn’t unite, they’d surely lose.

And now? Heracles and Thor only smiled silently.

It was clear to the naked eye that many people immediately retreated. After all, Four-Digit Kings of Gods who descended as humans and gods who struggled to grow into Four-Digits weren’t willing to sacrifice their lives for the Last Trial of Mankind.

Those willing to sacrifice had already been sacrificed by Canaria over two hundred years ago.

Suddenly, eight gods crossed the sea, each displaying their power.

A golden fox silhouette sank into the ground.

A silver moonlight slowly faded.

Even in the ravaged forest, leaves emitted a faint glow.

Some transformed into various fantastical beasts, fleeing like birds and animals.

Except for a few who stayed, no one wanted to remain.

“What is Indra doing? How could he let that three-headed dragon out!” Silent for a long time, Heracles finally couldn’t hold back his curses.

The seal shouldn’t have been weak. Was it really that easy to break?

He knew well the sacrifices Arcadia made to seal Absolute Evil. What was more painful was that he had no idea how much Absolute Evil had recovered now.

“If you’re brave enough, come with me! Let’s check the condition of that three-headed dragon. If not, get lost and don’t block the way!” Heracles said coldly.

At the same time, he threw the wooden ship in his hand to the ground, transforming it into Argo, which carried many heroes. He waited for brave heroes to step up and stop the three-headed dragon.

“I’m in! When has Thor ever been a coward!” Thor shouted, sitting at the front of Argo without hesitation.

He also drew a war axe that seemed enveloped in countless storms.

“As expected, having the dwarves make another weapon was worth it.”

As a Norse Pantheon that viewed Ragnarok as their worldview, Norse gods never feared death. So how could a mere Last Trial of Mankind scare him into retreating?

During the war against Dystopia, the Norse Pantheon was nearly wiped out, yet not a single warrior retreated. They even planned to use Ragnarok to sacrifice all the Main Gods to produce a human hero who could defeat Dystopia.

Though Aslan wasn’t sure if this Thor was the Norse Thor, seeing his fearless attitude, it didn’t matter if he assumed he was.

Did Thor in Little Garden have a storm axe as his weapon?

Aslan was quite confused.

Regardless of his confusion, Aslan promptly tossed the bewildered Kalki onto Argo and sat down himself.

Merlin and Aishelia, of course, weren’t intimidated, which surprised Heracles slightly.

“You guys have some guts, not inferior to the heroes of two hundred years ago.”

“Of course. It’s just a trivial Last Trial of Mankind. No way we’re backing down!” Aslan said with a carefree smile, showing no tension.

In this era, who wasn’t a Last Trial of Mankind? But Aslan didn’t say that last part. After all, if he did, this team set to defeat Absolute Evil would turn their weapons on him.

“Bold, kid. I’m starting to admire you.” Thor said, hearing Aslan’s words and unable to resist giving him a thumbs-up.

How long had it been since he’d seen someone so daring? Truly in the Norse style.

Despite his admiration, Thor didn’t forget to warn Aslan.

“Just so you know, the Last Trial of Mankind isn’t that easy to face.”

In their brief conversation, Argo took flight, crossing space toward the fortress where the flag and Azi Dahaka’s seal were.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

“Come on, Maxwell, it’s time to pick up His Highness.”

Lamia wore a black robe and hood. She stared at Maxwell’s back, who held an Another Cosmology and Dragon Sun Authorities. At the same time, the shadow beneath her feet seemed alive, writhing like an evil dragon stalking Maxwell, drooling and ready to devour its prey.

Maxwell didn’t notice anything amiss. After all, shadow powers were highly concealable. Moreover, this time, Lamia used a power akin to an Authority, integrated by Leticia into her Divinity. With their blood connection, she wielded it seamlessly.

“I know, let’s go.” Maxwell nodded, storing the Another Cosmology and Sun Authority he was to give to Kalki.

He remained loyal to Ouroboros. After all, his Third Perpetual Motion Machine Spirit Status was gained with their help, as was their support in pursuing Willa in Little Garden.

He was just a paradox demon who should’ve vanished long ago, with nothing to rely on. Without Ouroboros, he might’ve died. Let alone becoming a Four-Digit Demon Lord and still chasing Willa.

Yet, for some reason, he felt uneasy, as if someone was watching him.

Was it because of the Another Cosmology and Sun Authority in his possession?

That was possible. After all, even Two-Digit and Three-Digit beings would struggle not to be tempted by such treasures. If not for Ouroboros’s mission sending him and Lamia to release Absolute Evil’s seal, they wouldn’t even have heard of such treasures.

It was normal to be under the scrutiny of higher-ups.

Calming himself, Maxwell only felt more panicked.

Meanwhile, Lamia behind him was growing impatient with Maxwell’s dawdling. “If you don’t hurry and hand that thing to His Highness, how can I complete my task, meet my mother again, and save her!”

Unlike Maxwell’s mission, her superiors gave her a hidden task. After Maxwell opened the seal and went to retrieve Kalki, Lamia was to stab him in the back and give the Third Perpetual Motion Machine Spirit Status to Kalki to help him overcome the Last Trial of Mankind: Absolute Evil. Once the mission was complete, Ouroboros’s leaders would lift her mother’s curse.

“Sorry, Maxwell, though our cooperation has been pleasant, for my mother’s sake, can you hand over your Spirit Status?”

As Lamia’s excitement grew, the shadow beneath her feet couldn’t hold back, moving. The dragon’s remnants looked like a ravenous giant dragon, staring at Maxwell with greed.

And Maxwell, as before, noticed nothing and prepared to teleport…

-

Title: At the Crucial Moment, Arcadia Takes the Lead

“This is troublesome, really troublesome.” Indra said in a panic, holding down Azi Dahaka with one hand.

“I overestimated Ouroboros’s principles.” Indra muttered softly, as if atoning for his own mistake or feeling like a truly useless god.

He never expected Ouroboros to ambush him here. He thought even Ouroboros would know what was more important and urgent.

Azi Dahaka’s Spirit Status had reached its limit. Even within the seal, it continued to grow. If he broke free again and destroyed dozens of outer gates or killed a few Kings of Gods, Azi Dahaka would truly trigger the Winds of Decadence. Indra thought the mastermind behind Ouroboros would understand this.

He assumed Ouroboros would use this Gift Game to explain themselves to Little Garden’s gods, but who could’ve guessed their explanation was to force Little Garden to explain itself?

When the Last Trial of Mankind killed a god, it absorbed their achievements, swelling its Spirit Status faster. This time, many were drawn by Arcadia’s flag and the Leo Sun Authority used by Ouroboros, some even being incarnations or avatars of Three-Digit beings.

Even if only a fraction, if Azi Dahaka accidentally killed one, Little Garden would be finished.

“What a headache. I not only have to suppress Azi Dahaka but also avoid those who’ve come to die.”

Indra felt his head was twice its usual size.

Many of Arcadia’s former allies were drawn by its flag. Those still willing to help Arcadia reclaim it after its fall weren’t afraid of trouble.

Yes, he wasn’t talking about anyone else but Thor from the Norse Pantheon.

Most critically, Azi Dahaka’s wounds were gradually healing, making Indra’s headache worse. He couldn’t attack, but he couldn’t fully control him either.

If he dared attack, Azi Dahaka would dare to revive on the spot. A revival at his peak, with a Spirit Status that had absorbed many Pantheons and the Twelve Divine Generals.

In this situation, even Indra found it tough.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

“Thank goodness, the three-headed dragon is still under control.”

Argo crossed space and arrived before Indra in an instant, then stopped. Heracles withdrew Argo, sighing in relief at the sight of the three-headed dragon still restrained by Indra. If he had truly escaped, the problem would’ve been massive.

Azi Dahaka’s three heads surveyed the surroundings, searching for a true human hero who could surpass him. He didn’t care about Indra’s suppression. All he cared about was his mother and the “Curse” flag he bore—nothing else.

To him, no matter the tricks, deception, weapons, or absolute power, as long as they could surpass him, that was enough. He vowed to always meet their challenges head-on.

But when he saw one of the people on Argo, he was enraged. Even when killed by Indra, insulted by others, or misunderstood, he never frowned. But seeing Aslan, who used the name Angra Mainyu, Mother of the Evil God, he was furious—absolutely furious.

His three pairs of eyes glared at Aslan with absolute killing intent simultaneously. He had never wanted to kill someone, or something, so badly.

This person dared to defile his mother, his master, his faith, and the flag he fought for his entire life.

Then, Azi Dahaka began to struggle. As the rage in his heart surged, Absolute Evil’s Spirit Status felt his anger, the support of human history grew stronger, and his wounds began healing rapidly.

“Who permitted you to use that name?”

Countless beams of light and heat gathered in Azi Dahaka’s mouth.

In Aslan’s eyes, an immense energy, comparable to an entire star compressed into one, gradually condensed into a Wheel of Light like the sun, targeting him.

There was no escape. No matter where he went, this wheel of light would burn him to ashes with absolute heat capable of incinerating a third of the world.

“Wheel of the Overlord!!!”

Azi Dahaka’s killing intent was so intense it barely leaked. Others at the scene only felt the pressure caused by his terror and rage.

But wasn’t that normal?

After all, he was the strongest Last Trial of Mankind, the strongest God-Slayer, the strongest Demon Lord! It’d be strange if there was no pressure.

Aslan directly faced Azi Dahaka’s insane killing intent, though he didn’t realize it. His focus was on his main body, and here, Angra Mainyu only maintained basic senses.

Of course, Aslan didn’t care, but that didn’t mean Indra, Thor, and Heracles didn’t.

They knew well how powerful the Last Trial of Mankind was. They watched Azi Dahaka’s every move, especially his target for elimination despite being suppressed, and the powerful attack he unleashed.

Stop him!

They had to stop him from releasing this attack, or Aslan and Merlin would likely be doomed. They didn’t have the ability to escape the Wheel of the Overlord’s range.

If they, especially Kalki, died, the situation would be irreparable.

Kalki was the only known Four-Digit human hero here, the only one with a modern human Spirit Status. Without him, who would be the main attacker?

He could neutralize or even ignore all attacks not from humans or Zoroastrianism.

Almost as the Wheel of the Overlord appeared, Indra, Thor, and Heracles acted simultaneously.

A golden spear appeared in Indra’s hand, thrusting straight at the middle of Azi Dahaka’s three heads.

Heracles swung a massive wooden club, nearly three or four people tall, striking Azi Dahaka’s left head hard.

And Thor’s storm axe extended boldly, swinging fiercely at Azi Dahaka’s final head.

No!

Not just the final head—Thor, the Thunder God, aimed to cleave the three-headed dragon in two! He wanted to kill Azi Dahaka, to kill Absolute Evil!

“Who are you? You’re clearly not Thor, the Thunder God!”

Indra halted his spear, meant for the middle head, and instead blocked the axe swung by “Thor”!

*CLANG!!!*

The clash of the storm axe and Vasavi Shakti produced a piercing sound. At the same Spirit Status level, Indra had a slight edge, knocking the storm axe back.

But seeing Vasavi Shakti with faint rust, Indra’s expression turned deadly serious.

“It’s you! You’re not dead! Zarathustra! The Great Demon of Aging!”

Like Indra, he was an Evil God from the Zoroastrian worldview, unrestricted by Azi Dahaka’s Another Cosmology. If “Thor” had killed Azi Dahaka like that, Azi Dahaka would die, then be revived at his peak by human history!

This was also why Zarathustra appeared here to attack Azi Dahaka—to restore him to his peak!

“Hehe, I’m not like you, Bahram, who betrayed him and became a dog for Buddhism!”

“He’s gone, and all of Little Garden no longer has meaning!”

His true identity exposed by Indra, or his disguise pierced, the figure before everyone was no longer the red-haired giant wielding a storm axe, unafraid of death.

Instead, it was a frail, aging old man who, by merely standing there, seemed to bring everything to its end, to the close of their lifespan.

As he spoke, Zarathustra unleashed his Spirit Status again. Instantly, scenes of passing time and aging Spirit Statuses appeared. The already hunched old man looked even older.

In Aging, the strongest form of death, no one could escape the fate of growing old—not even he, the Demon of Aging. Moreover, by overusing his Spirit Status now, he was the fastest to lose his lifespan and age.

“Bahram, as the Demon of Rebellion, how will you face this attack?” Zarathustra laughed.

His goal was achieved. Since he couldn’t kill Azi Dahaka, he’d let Azi Dahaka kill their last hope.

The savior Kalki, the savior born, the end arrived. But if the savior died before facing the end? What would the future hold?

At that moment, Angra Mainyu closed his eyes, and Aslan, waiting for Indra’s return atop the fortress, opened his.

Main account online!

Aslan saw Heracles, powerless to stop or only able to restrain one of Azi Dahaka’s heads.

With a single thought, space began to warp. No, not just warp! Space began to collapse!

Destroying and reconstructing space-time here!

Aslan used his Spatial Divinity with full force, just as Azi Dahaka’s two remaining heads unleashed their breath!

Space-time reconstruction complete!

Aslan successfully redirected the Wheel of the Overlord, released by Azi Dahaka, upward by forty-five degrees.

The absolute beam of heat pierced the sky, shattering the ceiling, burning the sky’s curtain, reaching the starry heavens.

In Little Garden’s starry sky, the beam pierced countless planets before finally stopping.

After doing all this, Aslan smiled at Heracles across the space, then collapsed into Kalki’s arms.

Heracles looked at Aslan, showing a shocked smile, praising him endlessly. If he weren’t restraining Azi Dahaka, he’d be eager to bestow his blessing as a hero’s reward for Aslan!

“As expected, at the crucial moment, it’s Arcadia that takes the lead!!!”

“Great kid, you’re worthy of being Arcadia’s heir. Even if Croix were alive, he might not have done as well as you!”

-

Title: The Easily Provoked Three-Headed Dragon

“I overestimated myself. Redirecting the Wheel of the Overlord isn’t that easy.” Aslan said, gasping in pain.

The highest-ranked gift of Flash Heat Divinity, the Wheel of the Overlord, capable of destroying a third of the world, was still too powerful.

Though Aslan had tried his hardest to construct a spatial trajectory to deflect the Wheel of the Overlord, the beam still pierced through most of the trajectory meant to disperse the attack. Thankfully, it was successfully redirected, though at a great cost.

Aslan felt his Spirit Status nearly drained.

“Take this. It’s the Heavenly Army’ secret medicine. Swallow it, and your Spirit Status will fully recover.” Kenshin said, observing Aslan’s overloaded Spirit Status. He wasn’t surprised, as overloading was normal after deflecting such an attack.

Or rather, Aslan’s success in deflecting it showed his mastery of spatial laws surpassed over ninety-nine percent of Boundary-type Spirit Status holders in Little Garden.

Karyou took the jade bottle containing the medicine and handed it to Aslan without hesitation. The medicine melted in his mouth, and in an instant, Aslan felt his Spirit Status nearly restored. He reluctantly stood up from Karyou’s embrace, looking at the ruined game arena and Absolute Evil, Azi Dahaka, who had seized the chance to escape. His expression turned serious.

Yes, Azi Dahaka had escaped, completely free from Indra’s suppression.

Though Heracles wasn’t weak, neither his Spirit Status nor worldview could suppress Azi Dahaka. He couldn’t even attack him. If he accidentally struck him, he could easily add a Four-Digit Spirit Status to him, speeding up his recovery.

“This damned Another Cosmology!”

“There was no such thing when fighting Dystopia!”

Heracles wasn’t afraid to fight a Demon Lord barehanded. But adding Spirit Status and worldview to a Demon Lord, increasing the difficulty for future attackers while sacrificing his own life?

Forget it. Heracles wouldn’t make such a meaningless sacrifice.

He couldn’t help glancing at Indra.

Indra was in trouble too. He was battling Zarathustra, using his Four-Digit Spirit Status to counter the near-suicidal attacks of his former comrade. He also had to protect Kalki, which was quite challenging. He’d even been forced to release his hold on Azi Dahaka.

Raging golden lightning clashed with the foul, gray-black wind of aging, reaching a stalemate.

At that moment, a black lightning bolt pierced through the aging wind, suddenly striking Indra. Instantly, Indra’s blue hair turned white, and his powerful spear attack slowed for a moment.

That moment gave Zarathustra an opening. He burned his Spirit Status frantically, unleashing another aging lightning attack toward Kalki at light speed. Simultaneously, he ignored all defenses and rushed toward the newly escaped Azi Dahaka.

He wanted to kill him or die by his hand, removing the final obstacle to Absolute Evil’s Spirit Status, which had swollen to its limit.

“How could I let you succeed?”

Always watching the battlefield, Aslan used spatial teleportation to redirect Zarathustra’s movement one hundred eighty degrees.

“Want to die? Go back to your battlefield!!”

Indra didn’t miss the opportunity. To prevent a repeat, he immediately threw his Vasavi Shakti.

“Vasavi Shakti!!! Pierce everything and bring me victory!”

As an Another Cosmology embodying the truth of victory, Vasavi Shakti’s triumph wasn’t just about killing enemies. All victories were encompassed within it—whether buying a lottery ticket, dueling, or a Gift Game. Once Vasavi Shakti was drawn, victory was assured.

Of course, repelling enemies without harming them was also part of victory!

The golden, lightning-filled Vasavi Shakti struck Azi Dahaka into the air, once again piercing the sky’s curtain.

The curtain was shattered. Now, Azi Dahaka’s escape could no longer be hidden.

After all, Little Garden was a flat, round continent floating in the starry universe, with an area comparable to a star. It wasn’t a planet. This meant that if something happened in the sky, anyone with good enough vision could see it from anywhere in Little Garden.

And Little Garden didn’t lack gods, Buddhas, or Asuras. How could their vision be poor?

There were also those who loved chasing news. The sky’s curtain couldn’t stop them.

“What now, what now, the evil dragon is free!!!”

“That falling star earlier? No, that was definitely not a falling star—it was the Wheel of the Overlord!!”

“Is Little Garden doomed?”

Seeing the white three-headed dragon flying in the sky, countless gods trembled. Before the strongest God-Slayer, capable of facing millions of gods alone, all gods were the same—no different. They were all pigs ready for slaughter. Even the great Kings of Gods were no exception.

Though his weaknesses were clear, Absolute Evil brought absolute fear to Little Garden’s gods. Almost all gods quaked in terror under his power.

This was why, in the original story, after Absolute Evil broke free, most gods in Little Garden quickly agreed to build a new Little Garden.

At least with Dystopia, they could fight or surrender. But with Absolute Evil, they couldn’t harm him, and if they accidentally killed him, he would revive. They could only rely on human heroes.

But even gods didn’t want to entrust their lives to human heroes. Unless forced, who would leave their fate in others’ hands?

Relying on humans to survive—they couldn’t accept it!

How could great gods admit such a thing?

Even those secretly allied with Ouroboros grew angry and panicked.

What was Ouroboros doing, actually releasing Azi Dahaka?

But when they saw a white-haired youth fighting Azi Dahaka in the sky, they couldn’t help but smile joyfully.

The savior Kalki was human, a Candidate of Origin on the gods’ side created by Ouroboros.

If Kalki overcame the Last Trial of Mankind: Absolute Evil, wouldn’t they gain unimaginable achievements?

At that moment, they somehow supported Ouroboros again.

“By the way, is it okay for Krishna to leak this information to them?”

“What can they influence? We need to give them some reward to stabilize them, right? After all, Ouroboros is an alliance.”

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

“Move!”

In the sky, the three-headed dragon glared at the white-haired youth blocking his path, his three pairs of eyes filled with killing intent.

He didn’t want to waste time with Kalki. He could sense that Kalki also had an Another Cosmology. Once they fought, this wouldn’t be resolved quickly. And that time could let the one using his mother’s name escape!

Azi Dahaka now only wanted to kill him, the petty thief using the Mother of the Evil God’s name!

Kill him! Kill him!

“Sorry, but I can’t let you keep destroying this world.”

Kalki shook his head stubbornly. He could feel the intense killing intent from the three-headed dragon. But he was the destined savior. How could he retreat just because of killing intent?

What he needed to do now was kill or surpass Absolute Evil while still human.

Uesugi Kenshin

On the other side, Aslan closed his eyes and logged into his ‘secondary’ account, Angra Mainyu.

“Ahriman, don’t you want to meet him? Azi Dahaka’s practically lost his mind with rage.”

“No. Dying like this might be the best end for Absolute Evil’s fate.” The Mother of the Evil God, Ahriman, said, her voice still tinged with sadness. But Aslan could hear a glimmer of hope in her sorrow.

She wanted to live like an ordinary mother and child with Azi Dahaka and Zarathustra, didn’t she?

Evil always equaled good. Extreme evil was also extreme good. Human Evil was also Human Love.

“Then let’s let Absolute Evil die completely, like you.”

Hearing Aslan’s voice, the Mother of the Evil God seemed to feel better. Letting go of everything and being fully free? That was a pretty good future.

“Then it’s time for me to act.”

Seeing Azi Dahaka and the countless gods around, Aslan decided to do something big. To give Little Garden a massive shock.

Aslan gave Azi Dahaka a loving smile, like a parent’s. After provoking Azi Dahaka into completely losing his sanity, turning from an evil dragon into a mad dragon.

“I’ll kill you!! I’ll kill you!!” Azi Dahaka roared like a lunatic. Or rather, at this moment, he had no shred of sanity left.

This was the effect Aslan wanted. After all, Azi Dahaka, with his Thousand Magics and ability to draw information from human history, was quite difficult to handle. No conspiracy or plan could be hidden from him.

But after losing his sanity, the situation became easier to control. The only cost was that it might be hard to manage this mad dragon.

The effect was too dramatic, wasn’t it? Just with a little provocation?

Aslan still underestimated the Mother of the Evil God’s place in Azi Dahaka’s heart.