113. Mokona’s Whereabouts

The black-haired deity stood in silence amidst a riot of blooming, resplendent flowers.

Softly nestled in his arms was the silver-haired demon fox, who had fallen into a deep slumber. The moon-white robes of the fox overlapped with the ink-black, night-dark hem of the deity’s cloak. As a gentle breeze rippled across the fields, their intertwined garments fluttered with a heady, intoxicating intimacy.

A rare expression, one that could only be described as "trance-like," briefly flickered across the face of the King of the Underworld.

With his raven-feather-like, thick black lashes lowered, Hades gazed down at the silver-haired fox in his embrace—

There was no doubt that this was an exceptionally beautiful being.

Even the King of the Underworld, who had grown accustomed to the peerless appearances of countless gods and goddesses at the tedious banquets of Olympus, could not deny this undeniable fact at this moment.

Slender, sharp brows; phoenix eyes that tilted slightly upward at the corners; an exquisite, straight nose; soft, alluring lips…

The demon fox’s features were incredibly refined when viewed individually. Even more remarkable was that when combined, they lost none of their brilliance. Not only did they not overshadow or diminish one another, but the face constructed from such delicate features was even more mesmerizing than any single part could be. Even now, with those soul-stirring golden eyes tightly closed, not a single fraction of his allure was diminished.

The Underworld King suddenly curled his lips into a smile.

For a fleeting moment, a strange thought flashed through his mind: "If I could see Zeus obsessed and intoxicated by this person, only to be met with his ruthless scolding and beating… I wonder how hilarious that would be."

"……"

Abruptly snapping back to his senses, the Underworld King cast his eyes downward with a subtle expression, looking once more at the silver-haired young man sleeping soundly in his arms.

"Truly… a most marvelous person."

The almost inaudible sigh was largely lost in the sudden gust of wind. When the gale subsided, the two figures—one black and one white, who had seemed so perfectly matched from afar—had vanished.

On the Elysian Fields, which seemed to be forever bathed in sunlight, the flowers continued to bloom.

***

When Kurama regained consciousness, he saw only darkness before him.

He blinked hard. As fuzzy outlines gradually emerged in his vision, he confirmed that he was still in the Underworld. Even with the demon fox's night vision, he could only barely distinguish the vague shapes of objects within a limited radius in such darkness. Without a doubt, the only one capable of bringing such darkness was the Lord of the Underworld—Hades.

However, Kurama was not overly worried that the Underworld King would harbor ill intent toward him.

After all, he held *that* thing in his hands.

Gradually adjusting to the state of being unable to see clearly in the darkness—a sensation he hadn't experienced in a long time—and guessing that he was likely in the same luxurious bedroom where he had first met the King, and that the bed he lay upon was undoubtedly the King's own, the demon fox felt even more relaxed.

Come to think of it, there were so many "coincidences" in this matter that one couldn't help but suspect the presence of some artificially manufactured "accidents."

Kurama’s lapse into his previous state was not due to malice or a trap set by Hades; it was an inevitable natural reaction between two homologous objects coming into proximity.

Such a phenomenon was extremely rare, and for it to end as perfectly as this was rarer still.

And one of the essential elements that triggered it…

Yes.

It was the "Gift of the World."

Lazily rolling over, he pulled a large, soft quilt and clutched a thick bundle of it to his chest with a childlike gesture. The demon fox bit his lip and smiled helplessly.

He truly didn't know what kind of good fortune that King of the Underworld had stumbled upon to possess two peerless treasures at once, both with completely different attributes yet both coming from the most precious gifts of a world.

"It really makes one envious, Your Majesty."

In the darkness, the demon fox spoke with a light chuckle.

Silence reigned in the room for a few breaths. Then, from a corner beyond the fox’s sight, came the Underworld King’s signature cold and indifferent voice:

"You as well."

The demon fox couldn't help but smile bitterly at these words.

"How can that be the same?"

Hades was favored by the nascent consciousness of this world. Though it seemed like a stroke of luck, it was arguably predestined that he obtained the "Gift of the World," allowing him to touch the fundamental rules of the world and gain an opportunity to transcend them.

Kurama, on the other hand, had received his gift through the generosity of Count D. It was a "Gift of the World" from an unknown, alien world, not his own. While he had benefited greatly and had no standing to be jealous, compared to the King of the Underworld—who had received the favor of the world's consciousness without lifting a finger…

It really was a case of comparing oneself to others only to be infuriated.

The demon fox curled his lip in the dark.

"But I am curious, Your Majesty. How did you determine that I was the person you needed?"

After the "Gift of the World" fully merged with its host, its aura—though not entirely gone, as it still contained traces of the world's rules—was deeply hidden within the host's bloodline. No matter the method, it could not be detected.

Therefore, Kurama truly did not understand how the King had pinpointed his aura.

In the darkness, the emerald eyes that the fox could not see flashed with a strange, inexplicable light upon hearing the question.

"It is thanks to 'it'."

The King of the Underworld said softly, slowly opening his palm.

In an instant, a burst of intense emerald light erupted from his palm, illuminating the entire bedroom in a flash. After a moment of blurred vision, Kurama saw the black-haired King sitting not far before him!

The demon fox lay on the bed, clutching the quilt, stunned for several seconds.

Then, he blinked slowly, released the quilt he had been holding with supreme composure, and sat up, his expression as calm and natural as if he hadn't just been engaging in a thoroughly image-destroying, childlike act.

"So that was it…"

Staring fixedly at the beautiful gemstone in the King’s palm, which had transitioned from its initial burst of light to a soft, steady glow, Kurama couldn't help but whisper.

This was the second "Gift of the World" the King had obtained.

But its origin had a somewhat unusual, legendary quality.

As a treasure formed by the fundamental aura of a world’s rules, the "Gift of the World" was extremely difficult to create.

From the dawn of a world’s birth, before all rules had fully evolved, this tiny treasure began to grow alongside the world. Only when the rules of that world were finally perfected could its growth be considered complete, announcing the true formation of the world's most precious treasure.

During this process, anything from the accidental disturbance of a small animal to the regular or irregular eruption of natural disasters could affect the growth of the "Gift of the World," causing it to be forcibly interrupted and ultimately… unable to fully form.

Thus, although there were countless parallel worlds, the "Gift of the World" remained rare, simply because those that could grow to completion were few and far between.

However, for those whose growth was interrupted, it did not mean they had no chance of true formation. It was just that the possibility was even more minuscule than those that avoided natural interference—a miracle that could be sought but not demanded.

The one in the Underworld King’s hand was the product of such a miracle.

After Hades obtained the "Gift of the World" native to his own realm, his divine power and abilities had already far surpassed all other Olympian gods.

The touch of the world's rules made him uninterested in power struggles with his complicated relatives. Instead, he focused on comprehending this powerful, fundamental aura.

Consequently, he stood guard in the Underworld. When he learned of Zeus's schemes involving Cupid, he didn't take it to heart, instead letting them play out. He used the abduction of Persephone to antagonize Demeter, letting the other gods watch his "joke."

Later, when the "Holy War" began, he took the initiative to declare war on Athena. Seeing Zeus grow relaxed and decrease his surveillance, believing he was occupied by Athena, Hades even saw the King of the Gods withdraw his influence from the Underworld.

The King of the Underworld kept a secret known only to himself: in a deep corner of the Underworld lay an alien "Gift of the World" that had accidentally fallen into this realm after its growth was interrupted. Using the excuse of pleasing Persephone, he spent vast amounts of divine power to transform that area into what would later be known as the Elysian Fields, hiding the unformed gift even deeper through the massive renovation.

He knew he couldn't awaken the power sealed within on his own. In addition to a host who had merged with a native "Gift," he needed another host who had merged with a non-native "Gift" to, while completely unaware, sincerely express their acceptance and recognition of the unformed treasure…

Thus, the "request" he had made of Kurama, and the subsequent strange state and coma of the fox—while granting power, Kurama had also gained a view of the world’s creation from the perspective of a supreme Creator, allowing him to perceive and comprehend the feedback of the world's rules more intuitively.

So, strictly speaking, this was a case of killing three birds with one stone…

"…………"

The golden eyes narrowed tighter and tighter as the King recounted the facts calmly and serenely. Although Kurama knew every word was true, for some reason, his hands were itching to hit someone!

The King of the Underworld was essentially showing off and unconsciously (?) provoking hatred, wasn't he?

It was truly… too punchable.

The demon fox gritted his teeth.

Suppressing the strong desire to tackle the King and give him a beating, the fox cleared his throat. As the King looked over expectantly, he sat up straight, his expression becoming solemn and serious:

"Although that is the case, Your Majesty, you have gained a huge benefit from my help—whether voluntary or involuntary—correct?"

The Underworld King nodded silently.

The demon fox curled his lips in satisfaction:

"Then, I ask that Your Majesty do something for me in return. That… shouldn't be too much to ask, right?"

"…" The Underworld King looked at him with an inscrutable expression and continued to nod.

Kurama smiled as if relieved:

"Then please help me find someone. For you, Your Majesty, who possesses the gift of this world, as long as you have the aura of that person, this should be a very easy task, right?"

The Underworld King continued to nod in silence.

Kurama's mouth twitched—would it kill you to say one more word? Did you have to be so silently domineering and moody…

While pulling out some of Mokona’s favorite snacks from his subspace—snacks he usually only dared to smell or look at for fear of running out—he silently lit a candle for the King's vocal cords.

The black-haired deity silently accepted the package of cute snacks handed over by Kurama.

"…" The demon fox suppressed a laugh.

The King glanced at him faintly, saying nothing.

Then, a faint white ring of light emerged from the King’s hand. After absorbing a trace of Mokona’s aura, it rapidly expanded and vanished into the air…

A short while later, the King slowly opened his eyes. The look he gave Kurama was… very difficult to describe.

"Found him."

He said with a strange tone, waving his hand to project an illusion into the air…

Kurama hurriedly leaned in to inspect it carefully.

And at that sight, the demon fox felt his entire world collapse!

In the illusion, Mokona was wearing a long white dress (…a long dress?!), a golden crown on its head, its tiny fleshy hands trembling at its sides. In one hand, it held a golden scepter with a hollow circular top, and in the other, a round, shimmering golden shield. It sat atop a high chair, surrounded by a crowd of handsome young men in golden armor…

—Σ<(=っ°Д°)っ!!! What has happened to this world!!!