Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

Fou is hanging out with Merlin, Nero is causing trouble in Rome, Kama just got slapped to the ground in the Prime Minister's residence, Sesshouin is clearing land in Antarctica, the fox is busy having fun and doing business, and Tiamat is probably still asleep...

Even Goetia, who should have caused the burning of humanity, settled in Fuyuki City and obediently sold ramen following in the footsteps of his cheap father, Solomon.

Moreover, he has the seven Grand Riders under his control, and if any of them gets itchy, he can call a large group of people to give them a righteous beating at any time.

In addition, Black Princess and White Princess were granted amnesty, and under the severe crackdown by the Magic Association, the Dark Council, and the Holy Church, the restless Blood Ancestors were basically all wiped out.

Even Olga Marie, the future messenger of the alien gods, was brought under his supervision ahead of time.

Having nipped almost all potential dangers in the bud, Samael couldn't think of any urgent matters that required his personal attention.

Faced with the questioning, the two little girls remained silent, each extending a small, cold hand and placing it in Samael's palm.

Suddenly, the ancient serpent felt a blur before its eyes, and in its eyes, which were looking down at the starry river, it saw a lifeless, grayish-white planet.

This is a dying star, in a world where life cannot survive.

The world's great source has long been polluted and depleted. Most of the continent is a cracked wasteland, the sky is covered with gray and turbid clouds, and the sea is filled with writhing chunks of flesh and various deformed limbs.

Food cannot be grown on the ground, and the atmosphere is no longer as suitable for animals to live in as it used to be.

Everything is dying.

Not just planets.

The whole world has come to an end.

Even the most tenacious survivors, who made it to the end and tried to escape this dead planet in search of a new home, found their struggles futile.

Because above the void, the remains of countless gods, the corpses of fairies, the bones of humans, and fragments of various flying machines are scattered everywhere...

Everything they left behind accumulated near the planet's orbit, forming a thick, hazy planetary ring in the sky.

The scene was like hell!

[Steel Land, Elegy for the Stars]

All things perish, and the world ends.

Samael couldn't help but recall those two lines of eerie and cold words. He slowly opened his eyes, his face as still as dead water, and spoke with difficulty to Alaya and Gaia in front of him.

"We defeated Yusei, suppressed the Seven Beasts, sealed Zhuyue... we did almost everything we could, so why is this happening?"

He couldn't understand it, let alone accept it.

Why, after making so many preparations and going to great lengths to eliminate one hidden danger after another, is the world heading towards an even more tragic end?

Gaia raised her head and stared intently at the somewhat agitated Samael in front of her.

"Almost, but not all...right?"

"..."

Samael moved his lips, but ultimately fell silent.

He thought of subject E from Area 51, who might not have a direct connection with the alien god.

He thought of the unfounded source of his imagination and the alien witch;

He thought of the deep sea and starry sky beneath Gilles de Rais's mansion;

He thought of the countless indescribable creatures lurking along the Wilpa Passage, the predatory star...

The universe is so vast, and the planets beneath our feet are but a drop in the ocean.

In this dark hunting ground, even if he could escape one or two hardships by virtue of his foresight, dangers still lurked all around him.

For some reason, Samael felt tired, and an overwhelming weariness welled up in his heart.

Even this vast universe cannot escape the "heat death" of the end of time and the demise of civilization. How much turmoil can a mere planet stir up?

This seems like a journey with no end, and perhaps only at the end of all things can true eternity be attained.

To be honest, he was thinking of just giving up.

Everything has a beginning and an end, but how far we go depends on ourselves...

Seemingly sensing the dejected mood of the figure before him, Alaya raised his hands, cupped the face in his hands, and looked intently into those somewhat dejected eyes, uttering each word slowly and deliberately.

"And you will lead the way for us, won't you, Father?"

Their eyes met. Samael looked into those crystal-clear eyes and saw the childlike longing within them. He couldn't help but raise his hand and pat his head, chuckling to himself.

"That's right, I'm not the kind of coward who's willing to lie down and wait to die! Even back in Mesopotamia, I wanted to take a bite out of Old Ma before I died, and take a couple of ounces of his flesh with me, let alone when I'm not even in the life-or-death situation yet!"

The ancient serpent, which had been blaspheming God, swept away its dejected look and regained its fighting spirit. It reached out and placed its hand on Alaya's head, gently rubbing it. It recalled the last scene of the dying star in its mind and felt endless emotion.

Humans are such a small yet resilient species.

On that long-dead planet, the earth is as hard and barren as steel, all the gods have perished, the fairies have vanished, and mystery has disappeared.

Even in such harsh conditions, humans persevered until their very last breath.

They always held onto the desire to find a way to survive and the courage to never give up, launching one attack after another against destruction and fate.

In comparison, how could I, who once guarded the tombs of the gods, guided heroes, and enlightened mankind, be so derelict in my duty?

In a sense, he is the father of this new world—the one who should least, and least, give up on.

Otherwise, what would be the point of all the changes he made?

It's a real failure that I was taught a lesson by human self-control.

Samael shook his head, his gaze toward Alaya filled with admiration.

—The gods of the past created the people of the past;

People today imitate the eternal God;

—And the people of the future will eventually surpass the dead and destroyed gods, and also inspire the gods of today.

Well, at least it seems like the child is being raised well.

A certain top-tier parenting coach, finding amusement amidst the hardship, reclaimed his role as a guide and solemnly began to speak.

"Now that there are signs, perhaps it can be avoided. Tell me, what could be the trigger for this future?"

Under Samael's expectant gaze, the two little girls exchanged glances.

Then, they all shook their heads.

"do not know!"

"..."

Samael stared at the two irresponsible managers in front of him, his lips twitching slightly, his facial muscles trembling violently, veins bulging on his forehead, and his blood pressure soaring.

"Then what's the point of letting me play with a hammer!"

"We don't know for sure, but some people say she might know the answer..."

Gaia tilted her head and thought for a moment before giving her a slow and deliberate answer.

Seeing that he had finally gleaned some clues from the nonsense, Samael quickly pressed for more information.

"Who?"

"The last celestial maiden with explicit records in Kunlun Ruins..."

"That dead fox?"

Upon hearing this, the ancient snake immediately thought of a certain unreliable rice jar and couldn't help but be skeptical.

"What about her?"

"She is now trapped in a gap and needs your help."

Alaya added calmly, answering without expression.

At that moment, Samael seemed to sense that it was a telecom fraud, and his suspicions grew even stronger.

That woman rarely spoke the truth.

Could this sly fox have gotten himself into trouble and is trying to fool him again?

Chapter Thirty-One: This is the woman who could become my mother.

"A gap?"

Samael murmured and chewed over the somewhat unfamiliar word, his brow furrowing.

"Between spaces, in the imperfections of the world, a peculiar variable that should never exist..."

Gaia opened her mouth to answer, then thought for a moment, looked at Alaya who was in a daze to the side, and added.

"Based on human reasoning, magicians usually refer to it as a singularity."

"Singularity? I'm familiar with that!"

After listening to a confusing explanation, Samael finally recognized the familiar words and suddenly understood. He then gave a curt snort.

"You've been going around in circles for so long, you should have just said so earlier..."

"You didn't ask."

Gaia blinked her pure eyes and answered seriously, her earnest little face showing an indescribable innocence.

……

Samael was so choked up he almost couldn't catch his breath. He quickly patted his chest to catch his breath, and then, fearing he would die of anger on the spot, he got straight to the point and asked.

"Is the location confirmed? What year is it?"

Gaia blinked.

Samael frowned, glanced to the side, and subconsciously continued to press for answers.

"What about the depth of human reasoning?"

Alaya is in a daze.

……

Gradually, an ominous premonition began to rise in Samael's heart, and his face gradually darkened.

"Shouldn't you at least tell me the danger level and the basic human value?"

"..."

Seemingly sensing the anger in those words, Gaia and Alaya's expressions hardened. They looked solemnly at their guardian, then their expressions became serious and resolute...

They all shook their heads.

Samael fell silent, his eyes filled with an eerie light.

After being stared at for a while, Gaia blinked and spoke, her voice seeming a little more cautious.

"But we know how to get you there..."

"No way! Let whoever wants to do it do it!"

Upon hearing this, Samael decisively shook his head.

They know nothing, yet they give me anything useful and expect me to deliver it. What's the point of having you two as the core security system?

Are you being cute?

At this moment, his face was as black as the bottom of a pot, and he looked at the two little girls in front of him with disgust.

Seeing that the guardian looked like he was about to turn around and run away, the dazed Alaya finally came online and calmly explained in his standard indifferent tone.

"That singularity is outside our jurisdiction. Even if it exists, it may not affect the foundation of human reason or the operation of the planet. It is more like a bubble that should not exist, a disillusionment between illusion and reality, life and death, so it cannot be clearly observed."

"Why are you asking me about something you can't even be sure about?"

"Existence implies inevitability."

If we compare the foundation of the world to a printed book, and we are the content within it, with unique features being the parts that might be misprinted, omitted, or have interlayered sections, then you, as the inevitable god who writes history and the future, are the most capable of perusing and revising this book.

Alaya answered solemnly, looking earnestly at her guardian.

“We can leave that singularity alone, but we need that woman. She may have the answers that we and the world are looking for.”

Gaia, standing to the side, raised her head, her eyes reflecting a vast, ocean-like blue, and spoke softly.