Negotiations Over Annihilation
The Goddess Department ultimately chose to attempt direct negotiations once more. Before that could happen, Granraha—enraged upon seeing the management goddesses who had once held Upper God positions ascend to Intermediate Main God—unleashed a barrage of Sky Lightning, shattering half her personal temple and driving the Intermediate goddesses to the brink of death.
The management goddesses recoiled in terror and tried to resist, but the gap in combat ability between them and the battle goddesses was vast. Moreover, they knew they were at fault, so they bowed their heads and submitted. Thus, an unconditional alliance of goddesses was formed, and their divine powers were linked in parallel. Even without any Main God or highest-ranking goddesses among them, their overall strength had actually increased.
“Eight combat goddesses armed with Lord Slayer and the strongest battle authorities, supported by four management goddesses specialized in assistance—together they could defeat even a highest-ranking Main God.”
“After all, they’re all Main Gods. If there’s no gap of more than one circle, this level of alliance could even bring one down.”
Yet they could not wage war. The presence of the Dimensional and War God was clearly better than his absence, and there was the undeniable fact that the Divine Realm needed him more than it needed them. In the end, the goddesses chose negotiation over further strengthening their forces.
Of course, the greatest factor was their assessment after reviewing the battle footage and reports from the Dimensional and War God’s grand demonic battle: the probability of their total annihilation exceeded fifty percent. Above all, the management goddesses’ reactions upon seeing the combat data had been decisive.
“This is absurd. A 5-billion Intermediate Main God amplifies through magic to output the power of a 56-billion highest-ranking Main God? And all of it is innate divine power, not faith-based? What about that instantaneous full recovery of both divine power and vitality?”
“He can fire divine power blasts in rapid succession that overwhelm the Substitute Race’s own blasts at maximum output? He’s superior in a one-on-one divine power blast duel against a Substitute Race Main God? Objectively speaking, he’s on par with a Substitute Race Main God who surpasses ten peers of the same rank?”
“It normally takes at least fifty million years to accumulate 5 billion innate divine power, yet he reached Intermediate Main God in only a hundred years? How is that even possible?”
Among the countless questions, the final line proved the decisive blow.
“The Dimensional and War God was an Absolute Being who possessed the title he granted? Those who survive to the end usually become Creator Gods or stronger, right? So they temporarily granted him the qualification of a Creator Candidate?”
“Then he’s a promising candidate to become this galaxy’s Creator God. Including the former Main God of the Divine Realm and All-Powerful Splendor, there are only three such beings.”
After running extensive calculations on the information, the management goddesses reached their conclusion.
“We can’t win this. Even if we could, we shouldn’t.”
They could clearly envision the catastrophe that would follow if lesser beings banded together to topple a Main God of the Divine Realm who held a title with high potential to become a Creator God.
“Even if they don’t show it openly, the Main Divine Realm and the Creation Realm will try to devour us.”
“How could we have even considered challenging such a Main God? Our odds are below fifty percent, so we should abandon war and accept positions as Divine Realm management Main Gods or Round Table Main Gods instead.”
“Let me be clear: we have no justification, no practical benefit, and no chance of victory.”
When the combat goddesses’ expressions darkened, the management goddesses drove the point home.
“If we refuse the alliance and he refuses to fully forgive our past wrongs, we’ll have to become concubines at the very least.”
“He’ll face restrictions once he becomes a Main God of the Divine Realm. But if he ascends to Creator God, receiving occasional divine power sharing could make becoming a female Creator God more than just a dream.”
At the management goddesses’ confident conclusion, the goddesses who had been maintaining a barrier around the half-destroyed personal temple began shouting in unison.
“Shut up! We are Main Gods who once ruled the Divine Realm. We have no intention of succeeding by clinging to a male god!”
“The Dimensional and War God will eventually lose himself to desire like all the other male gods and destroy the Divine Realm!”
“Even the former Main God of the Divine Realm eventually abandoned it.”
The management goddesses sighed at the combat goddesses’ continued hardline stance toward male gods.
“Haa… Wouldn’t being a Creator God’s concubine be better than ruling some shabby star’s Divine Realm? I don’t understand why you’re so attached to a troublesome Main God of the Divine Realm you already failed once before.”
“After living comfortably and focusing only on personal training, I realized that power in the Divine Realm is all meaningless. In the end, only your own divine rank and divine power matter.”
Because the combat goddesses remained so emotional toward male gods, they had avoided alliances and focused only on practical gains. However, now that the new Main God of the Divine Realm had discovered their situation, they had no choice but to share the same boat.
“If that’s what you think, then so be it. But we absolutely oppose war. Even with our combined forces, the chance of annihilation against him exceeds fifty percent.”
“We refuse to gamble. If you insist on fighting, we’ll cancel the alliance and side with him instead.”
At the management goddesses’ declaration, a black-haired combat goddess stepped forward in fury.
“Grr—! Have you still not come to your senses and started spouting nonsense again?!”
“Wake up! I’ll say it again: war against him has no justification, no benefit, and little chance of victory.”
“If you keep clinging to the past just because he’s a male god and refuse to make rational judgments, then we’re finished with you forever. No matter how eternal our friendship, we can’t perish together over such a foolish choice.”
“In a situation where the Divine Realm itself is on the verge of collapse, do you really think opposing a Main God of the Divine Realm and going to war is sane?”
“The Middle World is on the brink of rebellion, and without him, who would become the next Main God of the Divine Realm? Because of you, rumors are already spreading through the Main Divine Realm that even the former Main God of the Divine Realm—who was also a Creator Candidate—abandoned this realm and fled. And they’re asking what happened with the rebellion!”
The outside perspective was that they were doomed to fall. The management goddesses, who had activated their information networks, were overwhelmed by the harsher-than-expected evaluations.
“Since this is currently a highest-ranking Divine Realm, dispatching anyone below Upper Main God is impossible, so a highest-ranking Main God will come. But why would such a powerful being covet this chaotic Upper Divine Realm? Even if they occupy it, it’s an independent realm they can’t absorb into a subordinate one—it would become directly subordinate to the Main Divine Realm.”
“If he abandons management here, this Divine Realm will lose its Main God and autonomy, converting into an automatically managed realm controlled by Machine Gods.”
“Then we’ll be branded as more incompetent than Machine Gods, have our divine power stripped by the Creator God, and be sent to the Spirit Realm Waiting Area.”
“We’ll prevent that situation. Even if it means betraying you, our eternal friends.”
“!?”
The combat goddesses couldn’t help but falter at the utterly cold tone. Unlike themselves, who harbored distrust toward male gods, they had to acknowledge that the management goddesses’ judgment was accurate.
‘So the Divine Realm we invested an eternity into really is on the verge of collapse.’
‘Were we one of the biggest causes of its downfall?’
The situation was even more painful because they knew they couldn’t solve all the problems that had erupted at once. Watching the dejected goddesses, the management goddesses smiled lightly and continued.
“Hoho! The solution isn’t complicated. If you fully cooperate with and obey him, everything will be resolved.”
They had competently managed and maintained the Divine Realm, so there was room for improvement.
“I don’t understand why you want to fight the new Main God of the Divine Realm. He’s not like the former Main God who only coveted divine power, nor like your ex-husbands who went mad with desire and tried to ruin the Divine Realm.”
“Didn’t he pour all the divine power he received as compensation for managing the Divine Realm back into its advancement and maintenance?”
“If you become concubines, you might hesitate because you’d only receive a subordinate realm even if you later obtain a star and Divine Realm. But if you have autonomy, it doesn’t really matter, does it? You wouldn’t even have to go through that troublesome certification war.”
While an independent realm would allow them freedom, there was the major issue that they would need to pass the certification war against the Substitute Race and Demon Race to be officially recognized as managers of a star.
“Anyway, you just need to hand over the ten percent vitality tax you’d pay to the Main Divine Realm to the Dimensional and War God instead. As a combat-type Main God, he probably won’t interfere as long as the Divine Realm runs smoothly.”
“Above all, isn’t it an honor for a goddess to become a Creator God’s concubine? If you steadily receive divine power sharing, it’ll take a long time, but becoming a female Creator God isn’t impossible. Even the current Creator God had many goddess concubines during his time as a Main God.”
“Ah! After ordinary goddesses became concubines, everyone was so envious when they saw them reach highest-ranking goddess. Their starting point was barely scraping by as Intermediate goddesses.”
“There’s the problem that you can’t create an independent realm while in concubine status, but the competition is truly fierce. Once this place stabilizes, those goddesses will probably flock here in droves—and by then it’ll be too late.”
“There are already sixteen vacant seats for Main Gods managing highest-ranking Divine Realms, and Intermediate goddesses without realms are already causing an uproar asking about the situation here!”
“The position of Divine Realm management Main God isn’t one that normally has this many vacancies. Even some Upper goddesses have been subtly sounding out their intentions, but since things are still being sorted out, they’re asking to be contacted again later.”
Everything the management goddesses said was true.
“Ughhh—!”
Watching the combat goddesses now only managing to emit groans instead of proper retorts, the management goddesses exchanged glances and smiled in satisfaction.
‘Hoho! We have to gently coax and pressure them like this so they absolutely won’t fight the Dimensional and War God.’
‘All the mentioned situations are true, and our odds are below fifty percent. Fighting would be stupid.’
‘They’re good friends, but when it comes to male gods, they lose their minds because of the past—even though they claim otherwise.’
There was no Main God of the Divine Realm who would donate their allotted divine power to the realm regardless of reason. Yet the Dimensional and War God had contributed every last bit to the Divine Realm’s advancement without taking anything for himself—that alone made him worth protecting.
‘I don’t understand why they want to fight such a sacrificial Main God of the Divine Realm.’
‘Especially when he holds a title and will almost certainly become a Creator God soon.’
Simply receiving divine power provision would be enormously beneficial.
‘There are plenty of vacant concubine positions, aren’t there?’
‘Aside from the former Main God of the Divine Realm’s partner, there don’t seem to be any other goddesses close to him.’
They weren’t virgin goddesses, so becoming a partner would be difficult, but concubine status was worth aiming for. Moreover, seeing that his direct subordinates were all beautiful women, he was clearly a lustful god. There was no way he would refuse goddesses who were at the highest level in both beauty and strength, so their motivation was overflowing for the first time in a while.
And while the combat goddesses grew furious at the suggestion of becoming concubines, the fact that they didn’t outright reject it suggested they weren’t entirely opposed to the idea.
“Then let’s dress up nicely and go.”
“What? Where?”
“To the Dimensional and War God’s personal temple right next door. Take off that armor and put on your best dress.”
“Are you insane? Do you not understand what it means for a goddess to visit a male god’s home? And not in official attire for work, but in casual clothes? We wouldn’t be able to make excuses no matter what rumors spread.”
“Inside the Dimensional and War God’s personal temple, our power will be halved while his will be greatly enhanced! If we’re not careful, we’ll be annihilated on the spot!”
The management goddesses offered advice with pitying looks.
“That’s exactly why you should dress in white-flag-like dresses and go right now. Only then will the wary gazes of the gods watching this area disappear.”
“Surely you don’t think you can maintain authority in this Divine Realm while being hostile to the current Dimensional and War God, do you? If he had committed some wrong in the future, maybe—but not now, after he’s elevated this place to a highest-ranking Divine Realm. Don’t you understand what all those surveillance gazes around this temple mean?”
At those words, the combat goddesses let out hollow groans and collapsed onto the half-destroyed sofa as if their bodies had given out. In reality, not only male gods but even goddesses were sending surveillance gazes toward the area around the personal temple.
‘In just one day, the respectful gazes once directed at the highest-ranking goddess of the Round Table who managed and maintained the Divine Realm have completely transformed into wary looks toward a dangerous being threatening the Divine Realm.’
What was truly absurd was that no one had ordered it—it was entirely voluntary. As a result of the Goddess Department’s repeated mishandling of situations, their perception had completely shifted from being the highest-ranking gods maintaining the Divine Realm to dangerous gods attempting to oppose the Dimensional and War God, who had saved the Divine Realm and elevated it to a highest-ranking one.
‘The Divine Realm’s great debt for trying to oppose the Dimensional and War God is countless surveillance gazes.’
They suspected even their own subordinate gods were among those gazes, and they were too afraid to confirm who exactly was watching. Anxious expressions appeared on the management goddesses’ faces as well.
“Come on, let’s put on the most provocative dresses and go.”
“If we don’t move now, it’s really over.”
“And that includes us now.”