Myth’s Fruit (3)
Zzap! Just after a spark ignited in the air.
Lightning struck the barren ground.
Crackle—! Ka-boom!
Amidst the noise of high-voltage currents and popping sparks, a brave cry erupted from a figure knelt on one knee, hand planted on the ground.
“I have arrived! The lightning that burns evil— Lightning Surfer!”
Decked out in a flamboyant combat suit that looked like it leaped straight out of a game, the man struck a heroic pose while delivering his line.
His graceful yet precise movements, accompanied by dazzling flashes of electricity, were nothing short of mesmerizing, capturing everyone’s attention without fail.
“How dare you threaten the peace of the holy Pantheon! As long as I, the guardian of California— Lightning Surfer, am here, you stand no chance···.”
“Oh, another one has arrived.”
“Hey, mister, it’s all over now.”
Despite all the effort put into his grand entrance, those around him merely glanced his way and shook their heads.
Their reaction said it all— nothing special anymore.
This had already happened several times since earlier.
“······.”
In the midst of this awkward atmosphere, the hero, Lightning Surfer, cautiously looked around.
While there were quite a few people present, they all appeared too busy tidying up the chaotic scene to pay him any mind.
“Ahem, um! I’m glad it seems there wasn’t much damage. I rushed here after receiving a support request, but it looks like I’m a bit far off···.”
“Oh! Are you the hero here to help us? Thank you for coming.”
As he awkwardly adjusted his stance, muttering excuses no one was listening to, a priestess approached him with a gentle smile.
“Though the situation ended sooner than expected, I will make sure to acknowledge your help. By the way, may I ask for your name?”
“Oh! I—I’m called Lightning Surfer···.”
“Great! I’ll make sure to pass that along to our administration. Thank you once again for making the long trip here.”
The priestess quickly jotted down his name, her smile brightening again.
This was all part of important work.
Even if this incident had resolved surprisingly smoothly, there was no guarantee that the next one would be the same.
That way, if they faced a situation where they truly needed help, they could easily call on him.
Watching this scene from his lodging, Heinrich let out a short sigh.
‘The guardians of the guild and even the awakened ones and heroes from California rushed here. Looks like the Pantheon has gained quite a reputation. Well, maintaining good relations with the clergy can’t hurt.’
Though the committee seemed eager to speak with him right after the situation concluded, he wasn’t in the mood for that, so he decided to postpone it and spend some time alone.
He still needed a bit more time to sort his thoughts.
‘Well, I’d say this matter is more or less wrapped up. It’s only natural since the incident escalated primarily due to that Joker and the shadows of the gods he summoned.’
This incident left many wounds in the Pantheon.
Fortunately, among those caught in the initial purplish mist, very few suffered irreparably.
Most showed severe symptoms of mental contamination, but with an abundance of clergy present, quick emergency response in the Pantheon wasn’t impossible.
The problem was the very cause of this crisis.
The betrayal lurking within the Pantheon and the resulting terror from Pandemonium in the process of identifying and capturing those culprits.
That was enough of a variable to disrupt the sense of unity forged by the Pantheon as a religious alliance.
‘The shadow of the evil god arose within the Pantheon, was there any other option? While the alliance won’t break immediately, it’s inevitable that the sects will decrease their external activities and focus on internal matters for a while.’
Even though it was resolved adequately, this incident could not simply be overlooked.
And amidst the turmoil, one individual received the attention of everyone within the Pantheon.
“···Well, I suppose this outcome doesn’t seem too bad for me?”
The angel from another world who single-handedly defeated the shadow of the evil god that attacked the Pantheon.
It was Heinrich Saint Landgard.
‘Accidentally became an opportunity to engrave their dangers into their minds once again. Plus, thanks to this event, my voice has gained more influence, so if I can initiate some checks on the Buncheon Society from the Pantheon···.’
Just as Heinrich was lost in thought, he suddenly froze.
Remembering the Buncheon Society reignited the tangled mess in his mind.
It was unavoidable.
It hadn’t been long since he’d glimpsed that mysterious vision of the future.
‘They called it the Myth’s Fruit, but what on earth is it that led me to see something like that?’
Even more frustrating was that it felt like he had seen a lot, yet only fragments remained in his memory.
As if something had locked away that knowledge, deeming him unworthy to remember.
Staring blankly at his hands, Heinrich clenched his fist tightly.
Though he had become an angel and his muscular strength had significantly diminished, the strength hidden within him was undeniably stronger than before.
He focused his mind beyond that tightly clenched fist, gathering holy power to link with something beyond.
He stayed in that state for a while.
“···Looks like it’s no good.”
With a short exhale, he opened his eyes and rubbed his neck, twisting it back and forth.
Right after the light burst forth when the ‘Myth’s Fruit’ shattered.
He realized something unknown had mixed into the seed of holiness he contained.
On his status window, it only displayed “???” without any detailed information.
Even just moments ago, he tried to bring it forth again, but no matter how he struggled, that unknown energy remained tucked deep within the seed of holiness, showing no signs of budging.
‘That vision I saw back then must also correlate with this energy. Could it be that I’ve awakened some future prediction abilities?’
Regardless of what it was, he thought he might be able to recreate what he had seen before using that power.
Ultimately, Heinrich gave up on trying that and began to analyze the situation more realistically.
He decided to definitely outline what he could think of, setting other issues aside for now.
‘Was what I saw truly the future of Earth?’
This was the first thing he needed to clarify.
The future he had witnessed in the vision.
All was crumbling, a version of Earth that had perished—far removed from its current flourishing state.
‘Could it just be a world similar to Earth? No, that can’t be. It was definitely Earth.’
The languages on the signs and the surrounding environment were secondary issues.
The moment he laid eyes on the landscape of that world, he instinctively felt it.
That was certainly Earth.
‘Why? Why did Earth end up that way?’
He couldn’t recall what caused the apocalypse.
It simply felt like a world that had become desolate and lifeless, much like the Devourer dimension completely occupied by demons… or the Koshiyas dimension where he picked up Ramu.
Yet even with that clarity, the path he must take was already set before him.
‘···It looks like my tasks have increased. Regardless of anything else, I cannot allow Earth to end up like that.’
Earth was his homeland, the land of concentrated infrastructure where he needed to reside.
His ability to act freely until now had depended entirely on his essence being safely tucked away on Earth, hadn’t it?
“I need to act more proactively. Yes, let’s start with the Pantheon.”
Though he still didn’t know when exactly that moment of ruin would occur.
If he was to prepare for contingencies, he needed to move right away, even if it meant some strain.
‘While the Pantheon, as an alliance, can’t be perfectly controlled like other organizations···’
Still, it would be a shame to leave it be.
Heavily relying on the help of the powers he had gathered during this incident, the Pantheon could provide crucial assistance at any time.
‘Since there’s been an opportune moment this time, it’s truly perfect timing.’
As he quietly immersed in thought, Heinrich rose from his seat.
Now that he had made a decision, there was no time for hesitation.
Taking swift strides, he opened the door and stepped outside.
Flicker—
Just as he exited the room, a peculiar change occurred in the halo on his back.
Like a slight yet intense movement trying to crack an egg.
That soft glow’s gentle tremor vanished completely before Heinrich could even notice.
As if awaiting the approach of a moment.
*
In a space of nothingness, where even the concept of color didn’t exist beyond pure white.
The Buncheon Society’s head, floating serenely at its center, slowly opened their eyes.
Having experienced many events in this round, they believed they could smoothly navigate even the most surprising happenings.
However, even for them, this particular incident was one they could not simply overlook.
“The Myth’s Fruit···.”
One of the carefully laid plans for the grand scheme, which had been in preparation for over twenty years, just crumbled.
Though there had been several failures along the way, this one struck deep.
“···This is troublesome.”
This was what they thought to be the best method, but with this outcome, they had no choice but to resort to alternatives.
And if that were to happen, humanity’s survival rate would inevitably drop by around ten percent from their initial estimates.
‘First, identifying the cause is a priority.’
The Myth’s Fruit was a crucial fertilizer used to sprout mysteries on Earth.
Naturally, they had taken special care concerning security, and the safety net they built was separate from the Joker, who held overall responsibility on the Pantheon side.
‘But···.’
However.
The result of their verification with the outside world left them with no choice but to raise an eyebrow.
-“I’m truly sorry, Head.”
The Oracle already anticipated that they wouldn’t foresee this.
Once a being outside the cause and effect of the world began their activities, the limited actions of the Oracle, who stood in opposition, would be evident.
Still, her insight, which had played a decisive role in growing the organization this far, was unyielding, despite the busy Head floating between dimensions and the Doctor, who was preoccupied with personal matters.
He understood that no one was flawless.
Not even himself.
To that end, wouldn’t it be necessary to have an organization that could complement each other’s shortcomings?
-“We’ve been unable to connect with the Doctor for some time now. It seems that···”
The real problem started right after that.
A complete communication breakdown with the Doctor, who oversaw all emergency contact lines, including secret networks.
As long as it was just a communication cutoff, it wasn’t concerning.
Even when he had been absent for a long time due to resurrection aftereffects, the automated system of the “Deus Ex Machina” he built handled everything, right?
But this time, the circumstances were different.
-“It seems we’ve been hit quite hard. A brief investigation suggested the entire system was wiped out···.”
The one who looked into this confidently claimed to be among the best in this domain, yet he ultimately failed to uncover what had happened to the Doctor.
He could only speculate that they must have been caught off guard by some unprecedented special virus.
‘How curious.’
With the Oracle gone and now the Doctor, too.
The Joker, who infiltrated the Pantheon, had hidden his true identity even from those affiliated with the Buncheon Society, so the secret communication network prepared by the Doctor was essential for any operations.
But if, in an instant, all communication was severed and their identity exposed, it painted an extreme scenario.
‘A mere coincidence? Or perhaps the world’s resistance?’
His expression twisted with the sensation that everything in the world was turning against him.
He had been particularly cautious to avoid such outcomes until now.
‘It’s better to assume the worst-case scenario.’
With this, the extraordinary insight gained from the Oracle culminated in a single conclusion.
His intuition had stepped into the realm of the divine, reinforcing that conviction.
‘The flow of the world has gone awry. Another adversary has emerged on Earth.’
Adversary.
Every time the Head, who had traveled through time to change the fate of the world, sought to alter its course, they had always been there to block him.
Sometimes with foresight that seemed to pierce through all worldly things.
Other times with overwhelming technical prowess that no one could predict.
Or perhaps through horrifying violence that could even freeze time itself.
Each encounter with them had been a continuous cycle of suffering and adversity.
But the Head never surrendered, no matter the circumstances.
Utilizing every ability to formulate countermeasures, he pushed forward past the adversaries.
As the Head grew stronger, so too did the adversary’s power rise sharply, yet he had managed to keep moving toward his goal thanks to the “subordinates” he obtained through that struggle.
‘I thought everything had ended after stepping into the realm of the divine···.’
Looks like it wouldn’t end so easily.
With a soft exhale, the Buncheon Society’s head closed their eyes.
Although they had yet to discover it themselves, there would surely be an opening somewhere once again.
A vision of Earth in ruins flashed through their mind.
No matter what obstacles lay ahead, they had no intention of giving up.
As always.
