I'll kill you after I finish this game!

Hotaru Sakurai and Shirou Yuza finally understood the situation and why Nanami had said that Skadi wouldn't come back alive.

To be precise, Skadi was prepared to die with everyone else; even if she won, she wouldn't come back alive.

She wasn't an outside helper; she was a hindrance. Besides, Skadi didn't want to have a life-or-death conflict with Fujii Ren.

They had little information about the conflict with the gods, but they didn't expect it to be so brutal.

After understanding the dire situation, Yuza Shirou took a deep drag on his cigarette, then stubbed it out and slowly exhaled. He looked at Nanami, who was gazing outside with her back to them, and asked in a heavy tone:

"Then...you can't help us either?"

Fujii Ren and Sakurai Hotaru turned their gazes to Nanami once again.

"Um...me?"

Upon hearing Yuza Shirou's question, Nanami turned around, sighed, and calmly explained her difficulties to everyone, saying:

"By the way, I'm also at the 'Flow' level. 'Flow' refers to painting on a canvas of all things, filling everything with your own colors, and once you start, you can't stop until it's finished. And once it's finished, it can't be changed unless someone else paints over and alters it. I've already 'flowed' before..."

"So... what's your situation now, Nanami-nee?"

Upon hearing this, Fujii Ren curiously looked the other person up and down. There was already an example in the outside world. She could feel the powerful 'pen force' that distorted reality from the Demon City, but she did not feel it from Nanami at this moment.

In other words, it could be the other person's sense of touch, or it could be that the other person has stopped?

"Well... my reasoning is terrible, and I don't really have any big desires..."

Nanami explained her situation simply and clearly to Fujii Ren's question.

He frankly stated his desires and his "reason" that was absolutely unacceptable to all living beings.

Fujii Ren, Yuza Shirou, and Sakurai Hotaru all twitched at the corners of their mouths after hearing this, deeply shocked.

The situation of Qi Shi is simple and straightforward, and indeed not very complicated.

I simply wanted to give it my all; this could be described as a yearning for the Way. But because it broke the mold, it became domineering.

And her domineering nature is destructive to all things in the universe.

Fortunately, Nanami is very self-aware and has no interest in the "seat," otherwise having such an enemy would be a real headache.

"I was able to stop simply because I destroyed the endless world that I had painted over. Moreover, I broke through the rules to become a hegemon in my pursuit of the Dao, so I am quite good at restraining my own principles."

Qi Shi spoke in the calmest tone, as if the event that had recently destroyed an immeasurable world was nothing more than washing her hands in the bathroom or mowing the weeds in the backyard.

Looking back now, it's really great that Nanami is a good teammate.

As he spoke, Nanami, noticing the strange expressions and looks on everyone's faces, suddenly revealed a cunning smile and said:

"Why are you looking at me like that? My desires and reason aren't that strange, are they? The man in Valhalla above us shares some similarities with my desires. Reinhardt is also too strong, so his desires also contain an element of 'going all out.' Look at what his desires have created!"

"......"

Upon hearing this, everyone glanced out the window and immediately understood Nanami's situation.

Compared to Reinhardt, Nanami is already very good; in a comparison of the worst, she's incredibly good.

At least she knows that her "reason" is extremely harmful and useless to the world, and she will not disregard the wishes of others to exercise her domineering power (she really doesn't care about the wishes of weeds).

I wish Reinhardt had that kind of self-awareness.

Fujii Ren couldn't help but think that way.

She got along very well with Nanami, except that she felt he was too scheming.

"That's the situation. I'd like to help you, but unfortunately, I can't."

After explaining the situation, Nanami looked down at his hands, or rather, looked inward at his body, and said:

“I was injured in my previous battle. If I were to fight Reinhardt in an incomplete form, I would have a high probability of losing. Moreover, the aftershocks from the fight could wipe out those of you who haven’t even reached the Tai Chi level. Rather than that, I’d rather let you take a chance. That way, you’d still have a chance of winning.”

As she spoke, Nanami looked at Fujii Ren and stared directly into her eyes.

She doesn't have much of a chance of winning the battle, so she's entrusting everything to Fujii Ren. This is a small way of responding to expectations and also to Skadi's support in nurturing you.

Fujii Ren understood what Nanami's gaze meant; she was betting that Nanami could level up in the deathmatch and reach the incredibly powerful [Flow] rank.

You guys... really think too highly of me, aren't your expectations too high?

Fujii Ren couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself, but he was not discouraged or lacked confidence.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that Skadi and Nanami value her so much that they entrust her with the final chance of victory, which means they have great trust in her.

Such trust is heavy, and such expectations leave Fujii Ren with no reason to back down.

Now, Fujii Ren and Shirou have come to understand Nanami's predicament.

If Nanami can help them, she definitely will.

Unfortunately, the chances of winning that way were not high at all, as Nanami had already calculated it directly.

Although she was a daughter of a martial arts family and knew there was no chance of winning, she would not back down.

But the current situation is a solemn moment that will determine the change of the throne and the transition between the old and new worlds.

Even if she wanted to fight, she had to consider the bigger picture.

P.S.: This timeline will soon be ending. After the fifth day of the story, which timeline should we choose next?

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Independent Divinity, Fleeting Moment of Fujii Ren

Skadi and Nanami are unable to help Fujii Ren; the only ones who can help her at this moment are Yuza Shirou and Sakurai Hotaru, whose future teammates are uncertain.

The battles to come will be tough, but everyone is fighting with unwavering resolve.

Skadi also showed Ren Fujii her determination to win; she didn't want to get in Ren's way and had no intention of seeing Mary again.

However, it was precisely because of this inability to touch or embrace that Mary felt a void in her heart, and it was very painful.

Skadi knew what changes Mary would bring to the world, but until then, her own existence was in the way.

Since I can't help Fujii Ren and will only distract him, I might as well just leave.

Mary could sense Skadi's will, so she couldn't help but weep alone on the beach at dusk.

She truly understood what it felt like to experience grief and the death of someone important to her, which led to her growth.

Ren Fujii, who shares the same soul as Mary, can sense her sadness, but there's not much time for grief now. To live up to her senior's efforts and will, she must fight, fight with everything she has.

Moreover, as Mary's executioner's blade and also her guardian, Fujii Ren, whose predecessor Skadi had shown the same resolve, quietly made a helpless choice that was destined to hurt Mary.

Since only one dominant god can exist in this world, then that god should be Mary; it doesn't matter if it's her.

She also didn't want to fight with Mary, so she willingly gave everything to her, even though she knew this choice would be very cruel for Mary.

But once that thought took hold, it became impossible to suppress.

Moreover, by putting herself in the same shoes as others, Fujii Ren seemed to understand Skadi's feelings for her and Mary.

So, as the one who received the trust, she felt a heavy sense of trust and genuine emotion. Therefore, even if she couldn't show her sadness on the surface, she was definitely not feeling well inside.

'If I did the same, Mary would be heartbroken too, wouldn't she? I'm sorry, it seems we can't keep our promise to return to our peaceful daily lives...'

Suppressing her deepest thoughts into the depths of her subconscious, Fujii Ren's 'selfish' decision prevented Mary from knowing her plans and decisions.

In the midst of battle, there can be no confusion between us; therefore, let us save our pain and sorrow for the very last moment.

Looking at Fujii Ren, whose demeanor had changed, Nanami seemed to see Skadi's figure overlapping with hers. She immediately understood what had happened to him, and a happy smile involuntarily appeared on her lips.

"You made the same choice as me, didn't you? Your will has been well inherited. I wonder if you're happy or sad?"

Nanami's feelings were very complicated at this moment, but one thing was certain: no matter how complicated they were, she was not absolutely upset or sad, just a little bit sighing.

After a moment of contemplation, Nanami made a decision in her heart and looked at Fujii Ren in front of her, saying softly:

"Fujii Ren, although I can't help you in the battle, I can enhance your strength in this limited time."

Upon hearing this, Fujii Ren, Yuza Shirou, and Sakurai Hotaru widened their eyes slightly.

Strengthen your power!?

Fujii Ren inexplicably recalled what Skadi-senpai had done to her, turning her from an ordinary person into a monster capable of fighting against a [Formed] rank demon.

Skadi did indeed help Ren Fujii out of his immediate predicament when he had no power and not enough time.

And at this moment, can Nanami do something similar?

Yuza Shirou and Sakurai Hotaru have different opinions on this point.

Silang had previously obtained a very powerful artifact, the Light Wings, from Skadi, so he had no doubt that it could enhance his power.

However, Sakurai Hotaru didn't expect Nanami to include her as well, since her status and position were still unclear.

Nanami ignored the psychological changes of Shirou and Sakurai Hotaru, stared straight at Fujii Ren in front of her, and did something that made the other's pupils shrink.

"To be honest, Fujii Ren, I didn't like your existence at first, because you and the guy on the throne are derivatives of overflowing divinity. To put it bluntly, I think you are just a tool without your own will."

"In my mind, you were just a grade above weeds, but now it seems I was mistaken."

Nanami calmly and casually expressed her contemptuous view of Fujii Ren.

But these words did not really provoke Fujii Ren; they only silenced her. In the past, she would have been furious.

However, after learning about her origins and true nature, Nanami did have the right to despise her, since the other party hated the Mercury Serpent, which implicated her as well.

Fujii Ren doesn't blame Nanami, because even she hates her creator.

The words did not elicit any reaction from Fujii Ren; what truly provoked him was Nanami's actions.

Pooh——

As the three people in front of her were shocked, Qi Shi raised her hand to her chest. Even a killing move that could destroy an endless universe could not shatter her seemingly weak and unscathed body.

Her hand, like the sharpest knife in the world, pierced her own chest, and then she pulled something out.

The intense light illuminated the entire classroom, so dazzling that it was almost impossible to open one's eyes. Vast and unfathomable power was concentrated here, and the source of this power and the dazzling light came from Nanami's hands.

A vibrant, powerful, and incredibly strong divine heart.

"Thump," "thump," "thump"...

It trembled gently in Qi Shi's palm, as bright and sparkling as a red agate. A brilliant crimson divine light surrounded it, and the sound it emitted was like a heartbeat, very rhythmic and full of boundless vitality.

With each beat of that crystal-clear, bright red heart, Fujii Ren and the others felt their blood surge, as if their blood vessels were about to burst. Yuza Shirou and Sakurai Hotaru retreated, their faces pale, a trickle of blood flowing from the corners of their mouths.

The mere normal beating of Nanami's heart was enough to overwhelm the others.