Empty and quiet.

As far as the eyes could see, there was only a desolate ocean stretching far and wide. Even if there were lands scattered on the ocean, they were too 'small' for it. 

In that still world, an absolute being was staring at the void. She felt that she was just like that sky; devoid of light and empty

She didn't know what exactly she felt at that time, however, she instinctively felt that she wanted other beings to fill this quiet world.

Therefore, she decided to create new creatures.

To do so, she combined her essence together with the essence of another absolute being

Their union brought forth the birth of younger generation of Gods and opened the chapter of an era

At the birth of her creation, for the first time ever since she gained awareness, she felt a sense of joy.

The feeling of fulfilment completely encapsulated and invigorated her, as though this was what she meant to be.

As she watched her children grew up fine and strong, she was completely filled with a strong emotion. An intense, excessive, and deep love toward the joy of her creation.

It was her motherly love as the Mother of All Life.

However, her love was so strong that she stood kindly when her children decided to bring down their 'father'. She silently allowed her children to rebel and gained control of the world.

When the last consciousness of their 'father' was about to dissipate, she whispered, "Abzu. Was I... wrong...?" 

His body was split up, his Divinity was divided, and his consciousness was already on the verge of disappearing completely; he was already on the brink of death. At such moment, his voice carried an unexpected calmness and serenity as he spoke softly to her,

"...this is inevitable... you too... don't be too attached...

What she got was neither a furious accusation, nor was it a vengeful curse. He didn't deny her, yet he also didn't approve of her deed

That being calmly accepted it, knowing that his end was merely an inevitable outcome

He left behind a small piece of advice to his companion, his kindred, as he took his last breath in silence

At that time, she still didn't know what he meant

After all, her love for her children was greater than her love for their 'father'

Even if her companion had disappeared, she would still be the Mother of All Life. She could still accompany her children, love them, and enjoy their love toward her

Until

The moment when their children also raised their arms against her.

After her existence was deemed unnecessary for continuation of the world, they sealed her in the desolate void – she was banished into the World of Imaginary Numbers; an imaginary space that had no life and not even considered a parallel world

Alone, for eternity.

In that empty void, she drifted in loneliness, without knowing how much time passed, as she was abandoned by her dear children.

Days. Months. Years. Millennias

Civilizations fell and rose over times, and new generations surpassed the old

Yet, she was all alone in that empty void.

Even though all what she wanted was merely to accompany her children all the time, but they ruthlessly rejected her meaning of existence, exiling her into the world devoid of anything.

Ryan watched from her side since the beginning. He followed her, like a phantom, as she went around in those fragments of memory.

From the moment she created all living things, to the time she was banished, and when she was awakened once more after the Foundation of Humanity was fractured by the fake King Solomon.

He accompanied her all the way, from her earliest awakening until the time when she was fighting him in the Singularity…

Suddenly, a presence arrived beside Ryan. She looked gently at him as she asked, "Was I… wrong…?"

Tiamat appeared in her original form as she stood beside Ryan. She was also watching her memories along with him.

Ryan was silent at her question.

–a loving mother is not wrong. It is something any child holds dear, if anything.

However, what's wrong is when that love becomes excessive, so much that the love causing one to lose sight of themselves.

In truth, anything exceeding their original purpose wouldn't be beneficial; they become a poison instead.

Just like the case with Tiamat's love toward her children…

That's why, he wanted to make it clear to her,

"You are not wrong."

Even if she had actually realized it herself, as she even sealed herself up for so long because of it, he decided to completely crush her dream,

"However, you are not right, either."

At some point, as the Mother Goddess who birthed all life, her children also ought to love her dear.

Yet, after the world stabilized, and the ecosystems were established, Tiamat –who designed life randomly– became a hindrance to the progress of the world.

And thus, she was exiled.

"Please don't leave me…"

He initially wanted to devour Tiamat to gain her virtually unlimited life force. After all, it was the kind of immortality which would not be restricted to different worlds, unlike Yu Miaoyi's partial immortality.

However, when he saw through her memories and life, Ryan felt a different emotion coursing inside him.

–he wanted her to feel happiness, once again.

Even so, he would also not let her to destroy humanity.

"Your children all loved you. They never really left you…"

In front of him and Tiamat, a bridge of colorful lights extended toward the unknown world and time.

It stretched faraway, coursing through the deep void. At the seemingly far end of that rainbow bridge, several faint silhouettes were standing quietly. Their gaze was filled with shame and guilt as they looked at Tiamat

"My children…!"

Without realizing it herself, she was already walking fast toward the bridge. Color seemed to appear on her face as she went toward her children in a hurry.

Unbeknownst to her, a trace of smile gradually appeared on her face.

Ryan looked at her reunion with her children as he felt a complicated emotions in his heart.

He felt sad for the fact that she had to endure that hellish loneliness for so long at that empty void, rejected by her own children. Yet, he also felt warm when he saw her reunion with those 'naughty' children of hers.

But, most importantly, he felt gratified as he looked at the faint happiness present in her eyes now.

At that moment, Tiamat turned her gaze toward Ryan once more. Her eyes seemed to peek into his innermost being as she spoke softly,

"Daughter of Gaia. Champion of Alaya. The envoy of that Lord…

"Child of foreign world, you are quite popular…"

As she left along with her children, a sphere of light flew back, it slowly drifted toward Ryan and nestled on his hand.

Ryan was confused by her sudden gesture.

"This is…? Ahh."

When he was about to ask her about it, Tiamat already disappeared into the depth of rainbow bridge.

Plop.

That sphere of light entered his body all of sudden, startling him. Although, when he felt there was no bad change on him, Ryan calmed down a little.

Soon, an understanding dawned on him.

"This gift is… really, what a surprise, Tiamat."

Before, the announcement that rang on his mind after receiving Tiamat's gift was:

[Genesis]

It was not her authority after she turned into Beast II

However, it was her very essence, the quintessential of her being

Her core Divinity as Mother Goddess, the Mother of All Life

She was one of the absolute being in Mesopotamia mythology, as such her Divinity was not a small matter

Tiamat giving up her authority and giving it to him was not something Ryan predicted. Nonetheless

'This may be for the better instead...

Another point to note that his Essence Point (EP) which had been stagnating for quite a while actually increased just now. And it wasn't a one-time increase, but a continual increase

'A Goddess' Divinity... I see, so it's really like that.

He lost one from higher-realm Goddess, but now he acquired another Divinity from a lower-realm Goddess

Even if the quality was worse than the Divinity in his former possession, but Tiamat's Divinity still managed to refill his EP continuously albeit slower than before

This authority was still in 'weak' state, but it was adapting to Ryan fairly well. As for when this authority fully matured and developed..

"At that time, perhaps, I can create my own world?"

A faint smile appeared on his face as Ryan's figure gradually disappeared from that memory lane. His consciousness was returning to his own body.

. . .

The gigantic Tower of Light stood tall as it connected the heaven and earth.

"The Lion King's Tower of Light...

"To think that we would end up seeing it again, here...

Mash and Ritsuka looked at each other. They each held similar confusion

'Who is that man?

Quetzalcoatl took a glance at the pillar of light towering to heaven before she asked Ritsuka, "Do you know him?

She felt the vestige of an End from that tower of light. Moreover, that six-colored flower.

As one of the highest deities of Aztec mythology, she could clearly sense the great laws of reincarnation from it

That six-colored flower contained a 'miracle' which was a taboo even during the Age of Gods..

The kind of taboo which breached the natural course of the world; a transgression againts all beings, whether dead or alive

Ritsuka shook her head, indicating that she also didn't know about him

Seeing that he seemed to have made Ishtar mad before, Quetzalcoatl concluded that Ishtar should have more information about that man

She then turned toward Ishtar, "What do you think about that man, Ishtar?

Ishtar was still staring deeply that the six-colored wheel of light when Quetzalcoatl suddenly asked her

She humphed angrily when she was reminded of the event previously

Kidnap her? What a joke. How could she not see through what that man really wants to do with her?

"Hmph! That audacious man has the gall to ask me to be his spouse! The nerves he has!

Cough! Cough! Cough

Ritsuka coughed violently due to the sudden news

Mash had her face turned beet red. She thought silently, 'A bride...

Then, she became slightly gloomy, though her face quickly turned firm

Quetzalcoatl was surprised that she turned quiet. She then burst out laughing at Ishtar, "Aha~! What a great discovery, right? Someone actually asked you out, Ishtar. Mucho mucho!

Veins throbbed on Ishtar's forehead when she looked at Quetzalcoatl's laughter. It was as if she couldn't wait to send Ishtar off to that man

But, really

The one that man saw in her wasn't her Ishtar self... it was her human self; her current vessel, the girl called Rin

To think that her charm lost to a human girl...

Wait. Now that she and that human girl fused into one entity, she was both Ishtar and that little girl. And so, wouldn't it mean that I lost to myself

Argh! It's so vexing

Really. If he want to kidnap someone, he should just kidnap that shut-in sister of mine

'Oh. That's not a bad idea actually.

Ishtar smiled mischievously at that thought. A really, really, really bad idea started filling her head..

As the morning sun rose up to scale the sky, the 'Sea of Life' on the ocean gradually receded.

Tiamat's draconic form was dissipating, turning into fine sands as it crumbled

At same time, the Lahmu which were outside the ocean domain, and those still assaulting the city, all of them suddenly disappeared into nothingness, turning into black ashes.

Anything born by Tiamat in this Singularity were silently disappearing after Tiamat's death.

At such moment, the gigantic Tower of Light suddenly crumbled into pieces of fragmented lights.

The figure of a man was seen floating alone in the center of that Tower of Light as he gazed at the far horizon.

He felt serene, and also apprehensive

"A new day, and also a new beginning…"

He claimed that he was not a Saint, nor a Savior

However, deep in his heart, he merely wanted to see their smile

–the smile of those people abandoned by the world, those cursed by unfairness of fate, those unfortunate rejected by time.

He was [All the World's Evil].

'I am a Demon King.'

He was an evil who fed on other's despair and struggles, and desired to take in their strength for his own sustenance

'I am far from the word 'hero'. However, I also dislike a bad ending.

'Doing good deed like this, occasionally, isn't that bad I guess. Even more so if I can get several good surprise like this every time I do it...

When he thought of Tiamat and her love toward her children, Ryan felt that Jeanne's decision wasn't that bad

Excessive pleasure could also become poison

If he kept indulging in it, sooner or later, he would get his downfall due to it

'Balance is the way, as all things should be

'Though, having to do it once a month is still... quite painful...

Ryan grimaced a bit at the thought.

At the next moment, Ishtar arrived at his side. She looked at the ocean, then to Ryan after she found no trace of Tiamat or her 'Sea of Life' any longer.

"What did you to Mother? Is she really dead?" Ishtar had a rare sad expression as she asked him

Ryan replied softly, "Dead? No. She merely gained a new beginning, along with many of your brothers, sisters, and ancestors, Goddess Ishtar.

"...

Ishtar was silent

Then, seemingly out of topic, Ishtar nonchalantly mentioned her rotten idea to him, "Hey. You mentioned something about inviting 'me' to your side. Are you sure about that?

Ryan nodded. He was about to say something when Ishtar interjected him

"I can't go with you. I can't wait to enjoy the wealth Gilgamesh promised me. However, you can take someone in my place; how about my sister?

Ryan's eyes brightened as he heard Ishtar's proposition. His eyes met with Ishtar's, and they reached a consensus

Ryan: 'Ereshkigal... She is a good goddess too, in a sense. Moreover, three times a month is indeed quite pitiful. Adding one or two more shouldn't be a problem, right? Moreover, this chick, Ishtar, still doesn't know what about to hit her, hehe.'

Ishtar: 'With Ereshkigal gone, I can finally become the ruler of Underworld too! Mwa Ha Ha Ha!

They shook their hands together while feeling pleased with their cooperation

~ ~ 

Alternative Title:

"One or two more shouldn't be a problem, right?"; "Memory Lane"; "A Family Reunion"q ~ . '   . " , " . " " .  ' . . . . '  .  . .  .  .  . ' –!! ? ! . . ! " . ' . ! " ! . . " . . . . . .." ' . " "  . . . ' . ' , . . ; .  …  . .
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"One or two more shouldn't be a problem, right?"; "Memory Lane"; "A Family Reunion"