Creation God (4): Realm of Absolute Death
A star system transformed into a space of complete death. Even a divinity couldn't survive contact with that realm. Only someone on Shub's level would emerge unscathed. Her direct descendants might get away with mere injury.
Again. I'd messed up again. Just like back when I first became this body and obliterated countless galaxies. And this time, I'd done it myself. To beings with intelligence—life I'd created and birthed.
The moment I let my guard down even slightly, something vanishes. I could almost understand why that dimension's 'Lady' claimed you'd naturally learn control after breaking a few worlds. She'd been through this countless times herself. Breaking worlds. Breaking more. Until she finally grasped power control. A senior who'd walked that path. I had no desire to follow in that Outer God's footsteps...
"Zh-ZhAAN-ARRGH!!! Gr-great aark"
"aark complete eternal sleep com?! What the h-hell did you t-touch th-"
"'Death' has o-okay zaerim? N-no way k-kulister h-han"
I could see the divinities taking notice of my blunder—gasping in shock, trembling in fear. Was it because I'd freshly crafted the authority to translate languages? Even divine tongues were partially interpretable now.
Terror. Astonishment. Surprise. Doubt. Panic... Sorry about this, really.
The method of conversing via will was the same as any other divinity, but until recently, I hadn't been able to hear it clearly. If before it had been too faint to catch, now it felt like wearing hearing aids fused with a translator.
Shub's child, so technically my creation as well. But the first wills I could make out were laced with fear and dread—a bittersweet sensation.
With one star system blanketed in utter death, it was natural they'd think of me from their perspective. Even Shub, incomparable to a Galaxy Spirit, had been rattled. Her descendants must have been beside themselves. Probably because this fell into the realm of authorities rather than mere destruction.
Naiserria hadn't sensed it, but those in Shub's galaxy had noticed my mistake and were buzzing about. In one tiny corner of the galaxy, a direct descendant of Shub—a bubbling divinity—gathered her subordinates.
As I watched the child listen to her underlings' opinions, she approached Shub as their representative and spoke.
"P-perhaps un-nakh... Did th-that lord N-Nurazh do s-something wr-wrong ekta r?"
The bubble mass trembled as it conversed with Shub for a while before retreating. Then Shub cautiously sent her will.
[Father. Problem. Forgiveness. Mistake. Question. Intent.]
[No. Sorry. I messed up. I'll restore it as before.]
No need for forgiveness or treating it as a problem. It was just my mistake.
I racked my brain to fix the situation, ignoring Shub's voice, thick with panic. Spilled water already, but with divine power, maybe I could scoop it back up.
An Outer God's might was near-omnipotent. Should I just resurrect them all?
Death and life were mere states—not irreversible.
—!
Not simple destruction or regeneration. This was stepping into the domain of authorities.
Resurrection was exactly that... but I could do it. Definitely.
Cosmic Power swirled and crackled in one corner of Shub's galaxy. I felt the attention of countless divinities fixated there, but I focused on this delicate, intricate task.
Soon, light flashed.
Lifeforms filled the planets across the system.
Life returns to the stars.
"Sha’lorak what veyn-thu… diiwooop!!"
"This is Va'shek toru-naki… K'thal?! Wh-what K’THAL? Gahk!!!"
And they died again the instant they appeared.
That star system was already a space of death. My will lingered, making it impossible. What I'd just done wasn't true resurrection anyway—just creating new lifeforms.
Reversing the state of death was more hassle than expected. Not just bodily restoration; it demanded countless preconditions.
For a single lifeform, rewinding time or something like that.
Wait. Rewinding time?
———
Right. Time. Time it was.
Let's rewind time to restore everything.
If I could accelerate time, then deceleration, even reversal into the past, should be possible too.
I focused on the star system where lifeforms had lived until moments ago. Concentrated my mind. Recalled the sensation of accelerating time.
But this time, reverse the flow.
—!!
Go back. Return to the past.
The star system, now a realm of death inescapable even for divinities, began to change bit by bit. Fragments of obliterated planets slowly reformed. Time literally rewound, restoring the system.
——Whoooosh...
Galaxies were dust to me. Star systems, mere cells. What I was doing now was like threading grains of rice with a tiny needle, one after another.
I'd been quite frantic until now. My control over authorities felt sharper, power adjustment smoother.
It took real focus, but I'd managed somehow. Good.
Lifeforms reappeared. Monsters too. Civilization reverted to normal.
The only one to notice these changes was Shub—my daughter, of sorts.
[Father. Time. Regression. Greatness. Ability. Authority.]
Fix successful.
But the space monster on the planet I cared about remained unchanged. The same scene replayed exactly.
Even with time rewound, not the slightest alteration.
GRAAAAAA—!!!
KABOOM!!
"Tohru zhak-nari… Giant monster K’thaa!!"
"This crazy Korel… korel!? Evacuate vuri-naki dro’shul!"
"Sha’lorak we can fight veyn-thu… Right now diiwooop!!"
Fleeing mortals. A space monster smashing part of the planet. Truly tragic.
What good was overwhelming power if I couldn't wield it properly... If that black dragon had a body the size of a star system, I could've willed it dead like before. Even galaxy-scale would be fine—just a puff of breath to erase it.
But it was too small. A hand can swat a mosquito, but not precisely pluck a single cell from one hair on its left leg.
KABOOM!!
So, just watch? Even if my created lifeforms built civilizations, this would repeat endlessly?
"Our nation Va'shek toru-naki…"
"K'thal?! M-Mommy!!"
The black lizard, satisfied with its rampage, settled on one side of the planet. The destruction halted, but ruins remained—along with mortals' cries and negative emotions.
No... Truth be told, my recent 'mistake' was far more horrific. It had only ravaged part of the surface, but I'd turned an entire star system to ruin.
Seeing their mortal forms so human-like only deepened my gloom.
I'd thought such emotions forgotten, but tied to my identity, they resurfaced.
Forget the past. Think of solutions.
If cosmic monsters kept chipping away at their civilizations, they'd never advance. What use were superhumans wielding Cosmic Power against island-sized mutant beasts?
Even my apostles Yuna or Beatrix couldn't win head-on.
[Shub. Were you badly startled? Truly sorry about earlier.]
[Relief. Safe. Father. Who. Anger. Hunt. Hunt. Hunt. Hunt.]
[...No. No need for that.]
Apologizing again to the rattled Shub from the incident brought reassurance. Her will repeated the intent to hunt whoever angered me—perhaps she was a bit pissed? Really, it was fine.
She seemed ready to round up her created lesser divinities for a scolding... Hm?
Wait. Lesser divinities.
Recalling my past life, humans struggled to kill bacteria in their own guts directly. So they used antibiotics and such.
Different entities at the cellular level. Drugs.
Couldn't I do the same?
Terra Planet has seven Single Planet Restricted Spirit Bodies as guardians! Beatrix's words, my second incarnation, echoed in my mind.
The human-dominated Super Galactic Empire Federation of that dimension— their birthworld Terra—was protected by seven gods.
Plenty of idle divinities lounged around this dimension too. Excluding Galaxy Spirit Naiserria, Shub's countless descendants crammed that pinky-nail galaxy.
If I ordered my creation Shub, and her offspring, to handle it...?
[Shub. I need your help... precisely, your children's.]
[Question. Father? Help?]
Watch over the mortals in my stead.