Ethereal Paradigm: Arcadia of Darkness 59 Trillionth Points of Authority

-Saitama

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As Shiro is continuously drawn as she played with a Pegasus, yet again..Lacrimosa, showed me her intricate and unreadable interface, vis-vis, and began to exclaim...

"As you have already presaged, this is my interface, although we, the deities, call it by a different emblazonment... And this wide range of numbers that you are seeing is my 'Points of Authority'... decreasing at an unprecedented rate, and lookie here, even in that 'unprecedented melioration' zero is still far on. What petty." Lacrimosa added, with a little sigh in a slow tempo.

"It might be a little bit assuming but, are you the only one whose recession is still in process?"

"Nope. I highly doubt so... I think there are two others."

"Who might they be?"

"You know him... That retard who transported everyone here in haste dragging those that are supposed to be just bypassers."

"You mean End?"

"Woah... I'm surprised that you know him by his new name. Tell you, that guy being blue in the DISA language has quite the fetish to change his name from time to time...and the ever-changing names? All cringy as hell, that only a two-year-old with Schizophrenia could think alike.."

"I could barely care... and who's the second one?"

"He's an Archangel, where that underpaid guard, Deus Ex, takes in command, even in this warfare."

"What's his name?"

"Gabrielle. Familiar isn't he?"

"Eh?"

It hasn't been clear to me, but I think that this kind of transparency is also potent enough to inflict me on some nausea. The guy who was once known as the fallen angel is now on the 'Mirage Armada' and the other guy who was supposed to be high in command is now fighting alongside those who wish damnation. Pretty much a paradox isn't it? But not the unanswerable type.

"Hmmm... How paradoxical. One last thing though... What are you planning to do after the Re: Zero proceedings have been done?"

"I don't know... Maybe travel with you I guess? And start building my powers to a much more... 'mediocre' statues "

"And why should someone like you strive for the plain of mediocrity?... And please don't be serious about traveling with me."

"Because having your authority reach its trillionth digit even without you knowing about it, is as boring as hell... Wait, what did you just say?? YOU SHOULD BE GRATEFUL... It's your pleasure!" unable to withstand my display of fervent discontent, she extended her right arm to my clueless face and started to tightly pinch my right cheek.

"Please stop that..." Hiding the potent pain that her hand caused me, I pleaded with her as the tightness of the pinch began to break loose. Merci.

"And how should you convince me? Having Shiro in my provision is enough... I can't afford to have another little girl with me." another pinch then came into my innocent face, but this time on the left side with a little addition of tautness. It hurts... It seriously hurts... And I'm not a masochist that I should enjoy this.

"Says him, who I watched grow up. " She replied to my insults still with the hurtful cheek pinch and with a little tsundere's "Hmph!" at the end mixed with 'tsun' noises...

"My usefulness in this domain is of prevalence... The reasons? Aside from having a beautiful lady to venture with you, I can be of use through several predicaments... After all... This NÆthervale is where I grew up..."

"What?" I found myself ignoring the pain as I drew myself to what she just said. So Deities really have their own origins huh...

"Although at this pace, I think it should take another day or two to completely bring to fruition the Re: Zero proceedings and I'm not allowed to step out of here until it's done. That's just how morbidly powerful I am. ", she then called off her potent pinches and started to regain her usual confident composure.

"I'm quite surprised that you're now submitting yourself to the Magistrates' command though. What happened to the defiance?"

"My, my! It's not the Magistrates' command... It's from the Primordials, which of course have the probability of coming from the Highest. Yet, I still can't find myself submitting to merely anything. Just this once, is an exemption and I think you know why..."

"Oh... More bathing time?"

"Yep... And basically for more reasons... So, it might be a little late to ask you this, but before getting inside here, what happened outside?" she asks.

"Nothing much... Just the Re: Characterization, the choosing of Paradigm Shifts, and Just an Anima showcasing us some things, giving tutorials and headstart tips... She also advised us to go to the nearest Kingdom as a recommended starting point."

"An Anima, said that?"

"Yeah... and I was thinking of doing the same if I don't want to stand out too much."

"One advice... Don't."

"Eh?"

"Listen Jaiden, I highly need you to be the best skepticist as you can be while maintaining your misanthropic asocial side, at least keep it. Whatever you do, don't heed this instruction to directly go into the closest Kingdom from an unknown Anima." she clearly said, implying that I should not change any of the traits that I have had personally incorporated... and she needs not to worry, I'm planning to do so anyways...

"Yes... I am indeed a self-proclaiming tier-1 skepticist, so any evidence on why should I believe you?"

"My, my! It's one filled with decadence as of now, it would only be 'irrational' to go to such places without proper equipment and Paradigm Exercise. Let me suggest to you, the best alternative... In a two-day walk, the same timeframe when I think my powers will all return to zero, there's a small town on the west, and it's not that hard to see it either. It's just at the other end of a forest. I'll meet you there... And oh, the little girl also has her own Paradigm right?"

"Yes," I answered.

"Then, as for now, I will withhold teleporting you directly there... I recommend for you yourselves to gain as much experience in using it, and that forest might as well be a great novice training ground."

"Affirmative... Oh, and about the Phantom Deity..."

"What about that security guard? Do you swing that way? Please don't suddenly make this a gender-bender narrative."

"What the hell are you saying to me... I saw his Herrscher, remember Celes, she crossed the other bridge. Did they perhaps change their mind at the last minute?"

"Uhmmmm... It's unlikely. Without ghastly intentions, even before this warfare came to be, that deity has been dead set to sever humanity. There might be some other variety of reasons, which I think has something to do with that self-proclaimed phantom's compulsive mannerism. They're still on the 'Chaos Armada;.. at least, that's what the registry says the last time I 'accidntallyyyyyy' saw it." She answered, rather with the same confidence, as if she knows Deus for already quite some tike now.

Yet, I felt that there is something wrong with the 'accidentally' part. I think she just forced her way to see it, judging by her mischievous and undaunted characteristics. That goes on without saying that she could be unforeseeable...most of the time.

Upon my response something made me come back to my 'much more elevated' senses. Why would she be meeting us there? Is she really planning on going with us? That's unimaginable for someone as lazy as her...

Chapter end