"My name is Aria, the Goddess of Light," the radiant figure before her declared, each of her steps toward Celestia echoing with divine grace and unearthly power.
"Goddess… Aria?" Celestia whispered, her voice trembling with disbelief. The name sent a jolt through her chest like a thunderclap. That name was not one spoken lightly—it belonged to the only goddess in existence, the divine being worshipped by millions, the cornerstone of faith across the world. Why would such a figure appear before her? And more baffling—how did she know her name? Questions spun wildly in her head, but none could form fast enough to match the pace of the unfolding moment.
"You must have many questions," Aria said, her tone warm but tinged with urgency. "I wish I could answer them all, but time is not on our side."
Celestia looked up, eyes wide and unsure. Confusion danced across her features, but she held her tongue, waiting for the goddess to continue.
"The Demon King…" Aria's voice grew low, heavy. "He is about to awaken once more."
At that, Celestia felt the air around her shift, thick with tension and dread. The mere mention of the Demon King was enough to still any heart. For years now, the world had lived under the shadow of his minions—monstrous creatures that terrorized the land, waging war on the innocent. But the king himself had remained hidden, a phantom of destruction remembered in fearful whispers.
"Do you know his origin?" Celestia asked, hope glimmering faintly in her voice. Perhaps, with divine insight, the goddess could offer some knowledge—some advantage.
But Aria's expression darkened. "I'm sorry, child. Even I only sensed his true presence when it was already too late. The being you know as the Demon King... he is merely a vessel."
Celestia's heart skipped a beat. "A vessel?" she echoed, her voice barely audible. The Demon King—widely feared as the strongest force in existence—was not even the true threat?
"Yes," Aria confirmed gravely. "The real entity—his core—possesses a power that rivals my own. I tried to stop him, but… I was already too late."
Celestia staggered back a step, unable to hide the shock spreading across her face. For a goddess to admit an equal... it was unthinkable. Aria's strength was beyond comprehension. To think such a being could exist—one that could challenge even her—shattered everything Celestia thought she understood about this world.
"I do not know where he came from," Aria continued. "But I do know his goal. It is simple… and absolute. He wishes to consume this world."
Celestia fell into stunned silence. In truth, she was not entirely surprised. The stories of the Demon King's rampages—entire kingdoms turned to ash, civilizations erased—had long hinted at a force of pure annihilation. Still, hearing it confirmed from Aria's lips filled her with an icy dread.
Aria's gaze softened with sorrow. "The reason why power itself is diminishing, why fewer and fewer individuals can ascend beyond the fifth star... it is his doing as well."
Celestia's thoughts raced. She had wondered about this very phenomenon. Long ago, warriors of unimaginable might walked the earth—nine-star beings of legend. But now, even finding a six-star was rare, and five-star cultivators were hailed as elites. "How long… how long has he been trying to devour our world?"
"You guessed correctly," Aria replied with a sad smile. "His plan was set in motion thousands of years ago. I only became aware of his presence a few centuries past… far too late to act decisively. And for that, I bear deep regret."
The goddess lowered her gaze, her voice tinged with shame. She was not merely a distant deity to this world—she loved it. Among all the realms she had touched across the endless cosmos, this one had always stood out to her. Here, conflict, though inevitable, was less frequent. The people dreamed not of conquest, but of progress. Innovation flourished. The arts, the sciences, even compassion were all valued. And the faith they held in her had strengthened her beyond compare.
She had poured that strength back into the world she cherished. With her divine power, she revived dying lands, sowed seeds of healing in sacred springs, created pools that could mend wounds and soothe exhaustion. Her miracles were woven into the fabric of this world—not as acts of dominance, but of care.
But it was because of her love for the world—because she had poured her divine essence into nurturing it—that her strength had diminished. When the true threat of the Demon King emerged, she no longer held the power to confront him directly.
"He's even managed to sever this world from the outside," Aria said, her voice heavy. "That's why the summoning of heroes failed last year. It was only after I managed to tear open a temporary rift in the barrier that the ritual became possible again." She turned to Celestia then, her tone softening. "Tell me, how are they? I haven't had time to observe their progress."
Though her thoughts were still overwhelmed by the flood of revelations, Celestia responded after a moment of stillness, recalling the individuals summoned from another world. "They're good people," she said quietly. "And they're improving steadily. Each has found their place, and they've started growing stronger." She proceeded to give a brief report on each of the summoned heroes—where they were stationed, what roles they had taken, the growth they had shown.
Aria listened closely, then nodded in satisfaction. "Is there a special reason you chose them?" Celestia asked, unable to keep her curiosity contained.
"Yes," Aria replied without hesitation. "Out of all the souls I could find, there were three on that distant planet who bore nearly perfect affinity with my divine power. Choosing them was the most efficient course of action. Besides," she added, her gaze distant, "the Hero of Light possesses a unique gift."
"A unique gift?" Celestia's voice lifted, hope threading through her fear. If that gift could shift the balance, then perhaps not all was lost.
"He has an ability tied to the soul," Aria explained. "If he manages to defeat the vessel of the Demon King, it will directly wound the true body—enough to disrupt it. And when that happens… I'll have a chance to strike. For now, the most I can do is suppress his full manifestation. I can't offer you aid in the battle against his vessel."
Celestia lowered her gaze, her thoughts still spinning. "And… what about the other two?" she asked after a beat. "Chen Fan and Wang Yue?"
Aria's expression darkened. "The other two?" she echoed with confusion. "Tell me more about them."
Sensing something off, Celestia quickly recounted what she knew—Wang Yue, the Elementalist, and Chen Fan, who could see mana. She explained their abilities, their personalities, and their roles.
"An Elementalist… and a Seer of Mana?" Aria murmured to herself, her expression turning thoughtful. The mention of their personalities not posing any issues seemed to ease her mind a little. "I remember the last Elementalist," she added softly. "When I first learned there was a mortal capable of wielding raw mana, I was shocked. But that person vanished before I could ever meet them. To think another has appeared now..."
Hope flickered in her eyes—however faint. These unexpected variables, these new players on the board, could be the edge they so desperately needed.
But her demeanor shifted again—tense, alert, as if sensing something distant. Her brows furrowed. "I'm sorry, my child. We don't have any more time. Let me tell you one last thing. You must be careful… because you will become the Demon King's target."
Celestia's breath hitched. "Me?" she asked, stunned.
Aria nodded solemnly. "Do you know about the World Ego?"
Celestia nodded slowly, recalling the texts left behind by the late Archmage. A World Ego—an awakened consciousness of the planet itself. Once fully formed, it would ascend to the highest tier of existence within that world, gaining control over all mana and becoming, in essence, the strongest being alive.
"Eighteen years ago," Aria said, "the world sensed the danger it faced. It began forming its Ego, gathering strength to destroy the threat before it could fully emerge. But the Demon King anticipated this. He possessed a method to destroy the World Ego… and he succeeded in consuming a portion of its essence. That's how he managed to form the barrier that cuts this world off from divine aid."
Aria's voice grew heavy with regret. "But he wasn't able to consume all of it. The core—the very heart of the World Ego—escaped his grasp. It vanished… hidden from his sight."
"Eighteen years ago…" Celestia's mind raced, her body going cold. The timeline. The goddess. This meeting. A foreboding premonition rose in her chest.
"It's you, my child," Aria said gently. "You carry the core. The World Seed. Though it has weakened, it still lives within you, and one day it will bloom. That's why he created the vessel, why he wages war—he's searching for you. If he consumes you, he will gain the power to devour this entire world."
Celestia's heart clenched. Her body trembled. "Because of me…" she whispered. "The massacres… the bloodshed… the pain everyone suffers—it's because of me?"
"No!" Aria said quickly, stepping forward, her voice laced with desperation. "You mustn't think that way. You're not the cause—you're the hope—"
But the moment was shattered.
A sharp ripple of danger passed through Aria's divine body. The Demon King was stirring again. The white expanse of space where they spoke began to fracture, crumbling into darkness as reality bled through the edges.
"Cele…stia…" Aria's voice became faint, as if speaking across an unreachable distance. Celestia turned toward the breaking light, searching for the goddess's figure—but she was no longer there. Only echoes remained.
And then, silence.
Darkness surged around her.
Celestia's eyes flew open. Her lungs filled with air as if surfacing from a deep sea. She looked around frantically and recognized the familiar ceiling of her bedroom. She was back.
The door burst open with a loud clatter. A maid stepped inside, startled.
"Eh?" the maid gasped in surprise.
"P-Princess has awoken!" she cried out, immediately turning to alert the others.