Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

To help you bleach the ground, use the great source of this planet and the flesh and blood of all sentient beings to nourish the seven Imaginary Trees, obtain so-called shade, and ask for a chance to breathe for the remaining poor worms.

Then, all life castrates itself, suppressing all its nature; in self-destruction, it digs up the foundation of civilization; in self-denial, it loses all possibility of progress…

Finally, will it slowly decay along with this planet?

The ancient serpent chuckled coldly, turning its head to look back at the six floating islands it had passed behind. The floodgates of memory opened in its mind, and one apocalyptic scene after another appeared in its mind.

In the First Lostbelt, humanity abandoned its own nature and morality, merging with monsters to survive as Yaga, creating the "Permafrost Empire," a land plagued by constant cold, famine, and turmoil.

That world that is good for nothing but being powerful...

In the Second Lostbelt, the gods abandoned their honor and mission, leaving behind the "Impending Ice Age" where humans were raised by Valkyries. If they reached the age of 25 or were unmarried at 15, they had to be sent out of the village to be killed by monsters and giants.

That fairy tale, which contained only innocence and darkness...

In the Third Lostbelt, divinity negates humanity, and perfection replaces reality. Arjuna, the one and only god, eliminates all things he considers imperfect, immature, and worthless—things he calls "evil"—through repeated cycles of creation and destruction.

In the end, all that's left is an imperfect version of yourself...

In Lostbelt 4, the Age of Gods negated the Age of Man. The civilization of the gods swallowed up the glory of humanity. The Olympian gods treated humans as pets, considering them mindless reeds. Without the renewal of humanity, the future of the gods was no longer renewed, and the glorious Atlantis sank in the Colossus of the Age of Gods.

In the end, all they left the world with was desolation...

In the Fifth Lostbelt, fairies seized power, and chaotic instincts triumphed over the order of civilization. The evil race of Britain fooled the gods, divided humanity, and bore the heavy burden of original sin. The light of the Fairy Round Table was extinguished under the impact of the four great calamities and the end device.

The death knell of the starry sea tolls, for whom does it toll...?

In Lostbelt 6, dinosaurs replace humans as the dominant species, the giant spider Ort awakens, the sun is about to set, and the world called Miktland is in ruins. The Mayan gods, now fragmented and unable to coexist, are powerless against this cataclysmic calamity.

Their future, without any miracles, is already predetermined...

Perhaps, these false futures, nurtured by the tree of imagination, can take root in a world that has already been bleached.

But back then, the Imaginary Tree was the protagonist of this planet, and the recreated life was nothing more than insects living on the tree. Even if their lifespan was extended, they also erased their own potential.

Samael's deep eyes met those of the alien god before him, his expression neither humble nor arrogant.

"If this is what you call relief, this is what you call the future."

Then we'd rather not have it!

Upon hearing the refusal, the alien god's face immediately darkened, and he slightly raised his right hand, assuming an attack stance.

However, that arm was immediately held down by Fujimaru Tachibana who stepped forward.

"The good fortune that belongs to this planet and to humanity will eventually fade away. To overcome this misfortune, some sacrifices are necessary..."

The red-haired girl spoke in a low voice, her amber eyes reflecting a profound meaning as she looked ahead.

"By sacrificing the present, we can have a future; this is the right choice. Believe me, the human race will not be severed; on the contrary, they will become the most renowned and intelligent life forms in the entire universe!"

If the plan goes smoothly.

That person once said that.

And for this, every one of the Hidden Ones was prepared to sacrifice themselves.

"Are you trying to say that someone is using a substitute for another person?"

Samael spoke calmly, his face showing no emotion whatsoever.

However, upon hearing this, Fujimaru Tachibana's expression changed, and she looked utterly astonished.

This guy actually guessed it!

"It's not about guessing, it's about thinking."

Samael tapped his temple, his dark eyes seeming to see through all pretense.

To be frank, among the seven Hidden Ones, there are utter scum like Beryl, but there are also beacons of humanity like the Captain and Debit, who have ideals in their hearts.

It's practically impossible to get them all to abandon their humanity and submit to the alien gods just to survive.

Moreover, this rebellion occurred before any major upheavals took place on Earth, and before Chaldea was destroyed.

Therefore, cooperating with the alien gods is probably just a facade. The real reason that could make them collectively turn against each other is that doing so would be most beneficial to humanity and the planet.

At this moment, the ancient serpent glanced at the unsuspecting alien god opposite it, its eyes filled with pity.

Being the supreme ruler of Earth isn't an easy job...

This alien god may not know that Earth is divided into two layers, an inner and an outer one.

The Starry Sea, the Wandering Sea, Avalon, the Giant's Cellar, Mount Ares, Paradise Island, and other such secret realms can actually be cut off from the surface of the earth.

Even if natural disasters strike, magicians, heroic spirits, fantasy species, and gods can simply evacuate to safer areas and hide away.

Besides bleaching the earth and cleaning up ordinary people, the fallen imaginary trees may have other uses.

For example, they could create the illusion that the original inhabitants of Earth have become extinct, then leave them on the surface to attract the attention of extraterrestrial life, thus taking the blame for humanity and the planet...

That's how the giant spider, Ort, met his end in the Covenant War.

Clearly, the alien god who was foolishly pushed into the position of president, determined to clean up the earth and teach other intelligent beings, is the next unlucky one.

Theoretically speaking, this is the greatest role that the UO summoned by Gaia can play.

The chaotic evil glanced at the alien god beside it, and after confirming that she hadn't noticed anything amiss, it composed itself and looked at Samael seriously.

"Since you already know, then..."

"I reject!"

However, before the other person could finish speaking, Samael shook his head again.

"Forgetting the past makes it impossible to stand in the present; and losing the present means losing the future. You are not saving humanity, but creating a group of beasts that will stop at nothing to survive."

According to their choice, perhaps the planet's advanced intellect will be preserved, but what about those tiny lives?

Ritsuka Shuse, Yuika Shuse, Yoyoko Sakuzuki... Should these ordinary people with insufficient talent be abandoned?

If that's the case, then what's the difference between him and those celestial beings in Kunlun who only seek to cultivate themselves, or the Buddha in Lingshan who only saves himself?

As these intelligent beings, known as "humans" and "gods," shed one burden after another on their path to survival, they will sooner or later become the most infamous life forms in the entire universe.

—A swarm of locusts passing through.

"I thought it was something special? Turns out it was just a ridiculous reason for rejecting me. Humans are truly the most foolish intellectual beings."

Upon hearing this repeated rejection, the alien god could no longer contain his anger. He floated into the air, his hands outstretched, and a black hole-like gravity circle swept forward.

"Die, human, with your stupidity and naivety!"

The red and black halo spread rapidly, causing the ground to sink and space to collapse wherever it passed. The huge floating island began to disintegrate under this attack, creating a scene of apocalypse.

"senior!"

Seeing that the alien god's casual strike had generated astonishing destructive power, Mash hurriedly rushed forward, raised her cross shield, and stood in front of Samael.

"Boom!"

But with just a slight touch, Mashu felt billions of tons of gravity crushing down from all directions, and the ground beneath her feet instantly collapsed, forming a huge crater resembling a lunar crater.

The frail girl was bent over by the weight, her tightly clenched teeth breaking her cherry lips, bringing a sweet, metallic taste.

"Ah!"

But its swaying body remained stubbornly rooted to the spot, refusing to move an inch, tearing a conspicuous crack in the spreading red and black gravity ring.

Amidst the billowing smoke and dust, Samael, supporting Mashu's trembling shoulders, gave the alien god opposite him a meaningful smile.

"Friendly reminder, your tree looks like it's going to die."

"Bang bang bang bang!"

At the same time, muffled logging sounds came from the six floating islands one after another. Some of the towering Imaginary Trees were gnawed and rotted by pink worms, some were chopped by blue water blades and cried out, some were broken by giant claws, some were entangled by snake hair and withered, some were charred by our own fire, and some were simply uprooted...

The shattered bark continued to peel away, and the starlight contained within the cavity dimmed and disappeared.

Tiny ants are rising up in resistance, destroying the seeds of their own dreams one by one. The alien god's red and black eyes, like two leaping flames, are filled with a cold smile.

"Do you really think you can win? How arrogant!"

Since you still refuse to give up, then I will personally bestow upon you true despair!

With a roar, the alien god raised his right hand and clenched it tightly.

In an instant, the scattered gravity rings coalesced, transforming into an abyss-like black hole that enveloped the entire void. Under this terrifying gravity ring, all matter and energy seemed to be repeatedly pounded and crushed by a heavy hammer striking at the speed of light, arbitrarily kneaded into various shapes.

"puff!"

Mashu vomited a mouthful of blood, her face turned deathly pale, and the light-shaped fortress in front of her shattered with a crash.

As gravity spiraled out of control, every muscle in her body stiffened, every thought became dull, and her perception of time and space was completely stripped away. She felt as if she were trapped in an endless cage, and everything seemed to be frozen in time.

In the realm of a black hole, no matter how dazzling the light, it cannot escape.

At the same time, the alien god, who could control the entire scene with a mere wave of his hand, solemnly chanted.

"The form of stars, the form of the universe, the form of gods, the form of myself, celestial bodies are emptiness, emptiness is void—and the void exists because of stars!"

In an instant, a blue and white celestial hue rose from the palm of the alien god and slowly hovered in the sky.

Immediately afterwards, countless streams of starlight, like rivers, flowed out from within the blue-white star, turning into a rain of light that fell upon the seven floating islands.

Instantly, the once dying Imaginary Tree was revitalized, the broken gaps healed, and the pruned branches grew back.

Meanwhile, the phantom of the Imaginary Tree also appeared on the surface of the blue-white star above, its branches covering different areas, altering the past and writing a distorted and false future.

On the permafrost, the Yaga of Siberia fight and devour each other...

Amidst the endless ice and fire, the giants of Northern Europe emerged from their caves and trampled the earth...

In the land of creation and destruction, ancient Indian demons such as Garuda and the Great Naga scorch the earth, setting the stage for the next Yuga...

The ocean of the giants of the Age of Gods, patrolled by Atlantean mechs and Olympian machine gods, swept away all enemies who resisted...

On Avalon Island, the Morse, representing corruption, and the dragons, representing destruction, swarmed everywhere...

Within the Golden Tree Sea, ferocious dinosaurs and twisted ancestral beasts gallop and run...

Moreover, with the alteration of human reason, these monsters and beasts that existed only in fantasy also descended one after another under the newly revitalized fantasy trees, desperately defending their future that never existed.

For a time, the Sakura Five, who were responsible for felling the Imaginary Trees, and Hinako Akuta were caught in a fierce battle. Under the endless onslaught, they were like a small boat in a giant wave, in danger of capsizing at any moment.

Even Sesshouin, who was stationed at the Cage of Blazing Heaven, noticed something was wrong and rushed to provide emergency support.

However, the falling spell bullets were obliterated in the light and shadow cast by the Imaginary Tree.

"Boom boom boom!"

On the surface of that blue-white star in the void, giant craters from the simultaneous bombardment of cursed projectiles appeared.

The alien god's body floated up, level with the blue and white stars, and the seventh Imaginary Tree behind him also fully bloomed, with the corresponding point of light appearing somewhere on the planet's surface in the Antarctic Circle.

"Boom!"

The entire Chaldea shook violently. Everyone seemed to faintly hear the mournful cries of the stars beneath their feet.

Concept Extraction, Seventh Lostbelt:

—Chaldea, the land where stars weep!

"Enough! I've had enough of your stupidity! Enough of your shallowness! Humans, from this moment on, don't even think about getting in my way!"

The alien god, now synchronized, opened his eyes and coldly waved his hand downwards.

Fujimaru Tachibana gazed at the projection of the Imaginary Tree in the Antarctic Circle above the blue and white stars, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes.

Before you can deceive your enemy, you must first deceive yourself.

Similarly, to substitute one thing for another, the transfer of ownership must be completed.

For example, by using Chaldea's simulated Earth model, an alien god who has descended can be integrated into it, thereby gaining the authority to manipulate the great source of stars.

The current [Alien God] has gradually taken over this planet through the fallen Root of Imagination.

The planet's good fortune, and humanity's good fortune, is finally coming to an end.

The girl stared at the crushing gravity circle, unable to bear looking at it, and closed her eyes, letting the darkness gradually cover her vision and engulf the void.

Chapter Fifty-Four: When Humanity's Stars Shine

However, at this darkest moment, a beam of blazing white light descended from the sky.