Claud glanced at Risti, Dia, Kemata and Nero, who didn’t seem that awed or anything by the gathering of the gods, and then made a gesture at Schwarz, who shook his head subtly. The bartender, it seemed, was also unaware of what those four fellows didn’t seem all that impressed or scared by the gathering of the divinities, and Claud made a mental note to check up on them afterwards.

  Were they alright in their head?

  Claud glanced at Lily, who was already exchanging gestures and glances with Farah, who also didn’t know what was going on.

  “Maybe this lack of caution is infectious,” Claud noted. “I wonder what these three are thinking.”

  “Right?” Lily sighed. “One should always respect the divinities, after all. The way they behave makes me think that they are literally immune to any threat of injury or death by them. So weird.”

  Claud felt a little worried about those death-seeking fellows. After all, the name of their mercenary group was the Seekers of Life, but the absolute ease and comfort those dunderheads were exhibiting in this hall was…disturbing.

  He raised his head slightly, making sure not to look at the divinities and gods in attendance directly, then observed them from the periphery of his vision. It would seem that not all the Moons were here, for instance; only the Red Moon — a red sphere — was present. The Dark, however, was a little different. There was a small eye with a huge presence staring at a clearly nervous black cube, and for a moment, Claud wondered when Throne had grown a pupil. As for the Coloured Gods, only a white, humanoid shadow was visible; this was Schizel, the God of Karma.

  The awkward silence continued to fill the room as the divinities and gods waited, presumably for more members of their rank to join in, but Claud could feel piercing, heavy gazes sweep past him and the others every so often. Oddly enough, he had the feeling that these gazes didn’t fall on Dia and the other fearless fellows.

  Maybe really being fearless was a good way to divert attention…

  Claud mused on that weird thought for a bit, and then decided that he didn’t quite have the courage to actually look around boldly and puff his chest out. That just wasn’t him…

  Maybe Nero and Kemata had something else in mind, since these two were the favoured of the Black God and the chosen of the Dark respectively. Whatever the case, Claud wasn’t going to seek death like Dia and Risti; maybe their exalted bloodline had something to do with it?

  He ruminated on this mystery for a while, and then held Lily’s finger.

  “What’s wrong?” Lily whispered.

  “Just nervous, as usual,” Claud replied. “The divinities and gods are here, after all. Not sure what we’re doing in their presence, to be honest.”

  “Aren’t we supposed to learn more about the legendary, handsome and kind Thief of Time?” Lily asked.

  “Y-yeah, I guess.” Claud looked at the faint glint of amusement in Lily’s eyes, and then wondered when she learned to play funny games like this. Resisting the urge to poke her back, he said, “Maybe there’s something they share.”

  “Hmm.” Lily thought for a moment. “Well, we can ask them later. I really envy their confidence, though…they’re just openly inspecting everyone at this point.”

  Claud nodded. It didn’t make sense to him, though. A group of people radiating confidence should be commanding attention from everyone, but why were the divinities and gods just not looking at them?

  “I’ll ask Lesser Half later,” Claud muttered.

  “Right, that’s an option indeed…well, assuming he comes back. He’s busy being cowed by a small eye that’s the size of Throne,” Lily replied.

  Claud felt his pocket jiggle as the sphere shook, and Lily placed a hand on his thigh. “Not now, Throne.”

  “Meep…”

  Thankfully, no one noticed the meepling’s little protest, but Claud really couldn’t help but agree that Greater Half’s avatar was cute in terms of size. It was a pity that the Coloured Gods didn’t seem interested in this, though, and that the only one present was the White God…

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  “It seems that none of our peers are coming,” a quiet, yet forceful, voice erupted from Greater Half. The pressure that had been faintly weighing down on Claud intensified, but he and Lily were used to the crushing pressure that emanated when one became a god, so it wasn’t an issue.

  The fearless fellows, headed by Dia, didn’t react drastically either — while it was a shame that they weren’t taken down by a peg, this also meant that Dia and the others somehow found some opportunities here and there — leaving the odd ones out as Farah and Schwarz, who instantly showed visible unease and discomfort.

  Claud watched for a moment, and then nudged Lily, who stirred some of her mana. Enveloping them with the power and purity of a high-ranked folder, the two of them were able to sit up properly, and then lowered their heads.

  Claud and Lily, who had their heads lowered to begin with, exchanged little finger signals.

  Lily was fine, and the drain on her mana was completely negligible. Was it their conditioning? Or was it the quality of her mana? Claud felt that it was these two things that allowed them to brush aside the pressure one faced when a higher existence spoke, although…

  Just how did the four fellows bunched up ignore the divinities and the gods?

  There was no time to ruminate on that, though, as the White God cleared his throat.

  “In that case, let us begin. The topic of this emergency meeting deals with an urban legend, the Thief of Time, who has stolen a Shard of Creation from somewhere,” Schizel murmured. His voice was faint, yet audible in Claud’s ears, and what was more unforgettable was the strength that bolstered it.

  “The Thief of Time…” Percuti, the Red Moon, shimmered. “A mortal. And on that note, we do have mortal visitors…how distasteful. As expected of the basest of us all.”

  “How easy is it to denigrate a peer as inelegant from up high,” Lesser Half replied, the little black cube now completely still. “Indeed, as expected of violence given form and nothing else. How…base.”

  The air grew tense for a moment, before the White God let out a sigh. “Seniors, please. We are all here, gathered to deal with a rapidly growing Omen. There is no replacement of the gods here. He will not suspend his judgement. While I understand that you two have your differences, please put them aside.”

  He paused. “The Omen, after all, seems to be an existence that transcends both time and possibility. He is beyond my power alone. The Shard of Creation that has embedded itself into our reality is one that by all accounts, cannot exist. The threads of karma that bind it are…impossible to trace back.”

  “From another possibility, then.” Greater Half murmured. “Indeed, peace is needed in this regard, but can the embodiment of war and violence hold itself back? I am more than capable of doing so. I only wonder about our supposedly rational peer.”

  Claud was beginning to wonder if everyone here would be silenced for witnessing this spat between the divinities, before remembering that he and Lily were technically enemies of the Moons anyway. Lesser Half would shield them from his sister’s wrath, and the others were under Emperor Grandis.

  He glared at Lesser Half anyway, as the culprit who brought them into this dangerous conversation, and the black cube twisted slightly.

  “Violence is a primordial aspect of humanity, of life,” Percuti replied. “To deny it is to deny vitality in existence. Of course, the notion of exacting violence against the Thief of Time is…exciting. It is easy to hold back my desires, in this regard.”

  “And if you, the most unrestrained of the Moons, are capable of doing that, then the others must be fine,” Greater Half noted dispassionately. “Very well, then. A truce?”

  “While we seek out the Shard of Creation and its ominous owner?” the Red Moon asked.

  The small pause that followed shattered under an extreme emanation of anticipation. “Gladly.”

  Claud glanced at Dia, whose mask had cracked by a tiny bit. He was about to take some glee in her suffering, as the actual culprit who framed the innocent Thief of Time, before he remembered that he had been thoroughly framed by Dia anyway.

  He decided not to confront his messy emotions.

  “Now, then. On to the humans,” Lesser Half added. “I must protest against the wanton massacre and brainwashing of my children. This is insanity. What are you people doing?”

  “And your sister isn’t doing the same?” Percuti asked. “Please. We are just reinstating the primordial order. Humanity has long forgotten why wealth, knowledge and violence are primal emotions; they grow indolent and content with whatever the have, refusing to grow and confront any challenge. At least their mana-users have the drive to grow…but I cannot say the same for their rulers.”

  “Madness.”

  “Necessity.”

  Lesser Half huffed once, and then said, “This is not the scope of our battle, so why are you enlarging it?”

  “Does violence need a reason?”

  “Enough.” The White God raised his hand. “This is not a tribunal. And everyone has their own points of view. Take it up with them” — the White God pointed at the sky— “but I would advise everyone present that actions always have results. Sow the seeds of malice, and you will only reap evil in return.”

  The Red Moon snorted. “Upstart. But if you want a feeble peace for these mewling mortals, you can have it. It will end soon enough, after all.”

  Claud really, really didn’t like the Red Moon, but showing it in his heart was asking for it. Thankfully, Schizel huffed once again and moved the discussion to the most important topic.

  Locating and killing Tot.

  In other words, him.