Heavy black snow poured on the night after the Loki Familia was almost wiped out, no one knows what the cause of it, but they can feel an ominous sensation from the cold bite it caused that they cower from the surface which was quickly blanketed by death that froze.
Like a plague, it quickly spread from the heart of Orario toward the edge of the world, contaminating anyone and anything unlucky enough to meet it.
Slowly everything has come to cease, deathly silence has covered Genkai and even those mighty adventurers have succumbed to it.
Some have said that it was bought by an evil god who was shunned from heaven or a new monster that was more powerful than the past calamities and more or else baseless speculation born from their fear when they are still breathing and awake.
"Are you sure of it?"
Hestia glanced at the squinting goddess that has been drinking beer for the entire day, they are taking shelter in a restaurant that was personally built by Goibniu for his child that was missing since the start of the Promise Time.
"Maybe you will truly die."
Hestia sadly voiced her concern to her friend after her declaration to sacrifice her life to change everything, even without any possibility of succeeding.
Loki only crosses her legs after Hestia's cute question, even though they always banter they still acknowledge each other as friends, albeit weirdly.
"Of course or else we will die, I know that you know what will happen if the humans will disappear right? I just really hope that Ouranus has told us about that since the very start."
Loki cringed from the beer that she was drinking that has already gone mild, even with its quality that was way better than the Soma wine, she still likes her beer sweating cold.
Hestia is one of the few earlier goddesses that was born from a human belief so she of course knew of their origin, however Loki only found it out when she descended
a matter way more absurd than fantasy but acceptable nonetheless as she won't be able to explain how some older gods have greatly weakened at the coming of the new age and how some like herself who can be considered as young as greater authority than them if not for the number of their followers.
"Anyway, how was your Bell? I haven't heard of him since the beginning."
Loki stares blankly at the dimly lit balcony they were in where she can see the piling amount of black snow in the surrounding.
She hates to open this up to her friend, but everyone else can see that Hestia has greatly changed in the very beginning, and the goddess trembling hands and shoulder is the testimony of her children's dark end.
Moments pass, but silence persists between them. Loki knows how hard it was to lose your child in the beginning, and she knows of the pain she once experienced, but she had to help her friend to open up or else Hestia will break down before them.
"I.. I've talked to Freya, and she said that Bell's soul and Lili's are still here, so maybe she can retrieve them after…after you fix this mess"
Loki can see the great conflict in Hestia's eyes, and she can't help but silently chuckle.
In tomorrow's time, she will sacrifice her existence and being just to TRICK the world to bring the moments of time.
Before the world collapsed.
Before the dungeon erupts.
Before the Promise Time.
Just to save everyone and her youngsters.
Maybe she will truly perish
Maybe she will be forgotten.
But it will not be the end.
So she drank.
"Stupid LoliBigBoobs"
Hestia's shoulder only jumped in protest, but didn't voice her objection.
"Thankfully your child's soul is still here, so you will only wait for a few years for him to be reborn."
"Hephaestus told me that maybe she can help."
Hestia sniffed while she continued.
"She didn't tell me how, but she still bluntly opposed your plan, Freya also said to wait for the right time."
Loki only shakes her head, she knows that both Hephaestus and Freya are still hoping for David to come back but looking at their situation even if he is alive and kicking there's no more place for him to return.
Rumble*
A wave of tremors suddenly hit their place, however they barely paid any attention to it as it has become a normal occurrence.
Knock knock*
"Hestia-sama, Loki-sama, our dinner is served."
Suddenly a blue-haired maid in a cute uniform poked her head in the gap in the door, her sweet smile is very refreshing despite the graveness of the situation.
"Rem-chaaaaan~~~"
In a flash, Loki regains her energy after seeing the cute maid before her and leaps in joy toward the startled blue-haired oni; however, the door suddenly fully opened that hit the airborne goddess on her nonexistent chest.
Ooof*
Like a rag doll, Loki fell on the floor while clutching her chest and groaning in pain, she never thought that a real Oni would appear before her with a cold expression on her face.
"I told you that you shouldn't go anywhere near this pervert."
"I..I'm not..Wait!"
Bam*
Ram immediately slammed the door in her face before Loki could even recover.
Ughhh*
"Stupid shrimp"
—---------------------
Meanwhile, somewhere under the rainbow, a figure can be seen flickering while clutching a delicate lady between his arms.
However, despite the "luggage"he carried, his speed is still getting faster and faster that even the sound barrier can no longer keep up.
Boom boom*
"How can this lady still keep sleeping with this noise I'm making?"
David has been wandering in this place since he woke up and except for the change in the scenery he never perceives any change in the surroundings.
"With how fast and far I have been running I won't be surprised if I have already circled the world once but it seems like I'm not even moving."
With a dark face, he still increases his speed which goes beyond the limit that he knows he has but instead of getting tired or hurt he can still feel an unexplainable strength cursing on his body.
Now even the light beyond him is already bending beyond his speed.
Crack*
Crash*
David suddenly felt a resistance before him that instantly disintegrated by his speed, but he immediately summoned a clone to leave the lady on his arm while he continued on his path before barreling towards a wall and earth.
"...."
His clone looked at his sorry figure that was buried deep in the dirt while thinking if he should follow him or wait in their place, but after a moment of hesitation it still proceeded towards him while carrying the young lady on his shoulder like a sack of rice.
"This place looks disgusting, I'll just look around for the exit."
The clone left the lady atop him and then proceeded to eradicate itself.
"Fkr"
Like a spring, David quickly stands up while clutching the lady on his arm before using again his skill Correxion to clean himself and his luggage.
Ughh*
Suddenly he can feel that the girl is stirring awake but ultimately failed to do so; however, he can sense that she would probably get better if he constantly showers her with his purifying skill.
"I hope Hephaestus won't get mad when she learns about this new connection of mine, welp it's for her own good, so I hope she will understand."
"Who are you?"
Swoosh*
Like a lightning, a spear has buried deep in his chest that it has accurately punctured and destroyed his heart that he didn't even notice if he didn't see the hole it left on his body.
"It seems you're still alive, now answer my question or die."
Calmly with a straight face, the stranger continued to pepper him with attacks that he can even barely dodge.
"At least ask me properly!"
Poof*
—---------------
Somewhere in Genkai a large mountain suddenly opened its eyes before roaring into life and ascending to the air towards the direction of Orario.
If someone still alive could manage to see its absurd figure flying in the sky, they would undoubtedly identify it as an enormous dragon with one eye.