Crossover: The Problem Human of [Arcadia]

Northern District, Outer Gate 57155 — Lava City

Gray volcanic ash drifted endlessly from the sky. Crimson-gold rivers of magma flowed casually through the streets.

Humanoid creatures with jet-black scales and lizard heads strode across the molten rock without a second thought before disappearing into the pitch-black buildings lining the roads, completely indifferent to the blistering heat beneath their feet.

Once the lava had fully flooded the streets, several lazy sanitation workers wandered over.

They opened their enormous mouths, inhaled sharply, and with a loud slurp, the rivers of magma vanished straight into their stomachs.

After a short while, the workers let out satisfied belches and ambled away.

For the inhabitants of the City of Lava, this was simply everyday life.

On the top floor of one of those black buildings, behind a wall of crystal-clear glass, a young woman with black hair and sapphire-blue eyes quietly admired the scenery.

As the ruler of the Canaanite pantheon, Anat was, by every definition, a God King.

Ordinarily, someone of her stature should have lived amid the splendor of the upper layers, not in a chaotic backwater city tucked away in the lower layers.

Yet reality had become twisted enough that this was exactly where she was.

Even among three-digits, there were ranks.

At the top stood figures supported by enormous pantheons like the Cross, each standing on the verge of becoming a Two-Digit being, people like that formed the first tier.

The second tier included powerhouses such as Shamash, the Mesopotamian God of Justice and the Sun, Odin of Norse mythology, and the Ennead of Egypt. Their pantheons were somewhat weaker, but they themselves were still first-rate God Kings.

The third tier consisted of those who held prestigious titles but possessed comparatively weaker power, having only ascended around the Dawn Era.

The fourth tier... That was where Anat belonged.

She had lost both her pantheon and her cosmology. Though her personal strength still matched that of the third tier, making her an elite among Three-Digit Gods, she no longer had any real backing.

She was stronger than newly promoted Three-Digits like Hermes, who occupied the fifth tier.

Yet politically, she held far less influence.

In many ways, Anat's position was even more awkward than Hermes'. She was the very definition of someone caught between worlds.

Of course, no matter how poorly a God King was doing, they were still a God King. And someone like Anat, powerful yet unattached to any major faction, was exactly the sort of recruit organizations like Ouroboros loved.

A clean background. Exceptional strength. Strong personal ambitions. Few moral restraints.

She was practically their ideal candidate.

Secretly placing a God King like her in the lower layers was devastatingly effective against first-rate communities that lacked Four-Digit rule-breakers.

That was why Anat had come to the City of Lava. Or rather, she had come for one particular Community nearby.

"You seem rather fond of volcanic scenery."

A cheerful voice sounded behind her. But Anat didn't bother turning around.

Long before the visitor arrived, her senses, spread across the entire city, had already detected the approaching lizardman.

Watching the volcano in the distance as lava continued to spill from its crater, she replied gracefully, "To me, volcanoes embody both calamity and beauty. They're the very image of a maiden. Beautiful... and dangerous?"

The lizardman chuckled, clearly unmoved by her poetic sentiment.

For the fire lizards who had lived in the City of Lava all their lives, volcanoes were no more remarkable than farmland.

When you'd seen something every day since birth, it stopped looking beautiful.

"Gis." Anat addressed him directly. "How is Hand of Order progressing?"

Hand of Order was the dominant Community of Outer Gate 57155. At its peak, its strength had rivaled Arcadia's former glory, though it remained unusually low-profile.

Rather than seeking fame, it specialized in exploring other worlds, observing them, and bringing them under Little Garden's jurisdiction.

The Community served under Shamash, the Mesopotamian God of Justice and the Sun, dedicating itself to expanding into new worlds and spreading the Mesopotamian cosmology.

That was why so few people had ever heard of it.

At the mention of business, Gis immediately straightened. "Their main force is already returning. It should take roughly another thirty minutes before every expedition team withdraws from the external worlds they were observing."

"Are you certain of the timing?" Anat asked calmly.

Gis smiled confidently. "Please rest assured. Our agent embedded within Hand of Order stirred up several disturbances in one of the worlds they were observing. They're currently rushing back under emergency orders. The thirty-minute deadline was issued personally by our operative."

Clearly, Ouroboros' infiltrator held an extremely high position within Hand of Order. High enough to replace official orders with Ouroboros' own.

To Anat, who had carried out countless operations like this, none of it seemed remarkable.

"How is the cleanup team preparing the traces?"

"They're ready." Gis smiled. "Coincidentally, reports say Azi Dakaha has appeared in the South Area. The Evil Dragon fragment we captured should serve perfectly as a scapegoat..."

Anat frowned. "No. Use something else. Azi Dakaha is too sensitive right now."

Gis nodded immediately. "Then... shall we switch to Yamata no Orochi? That serpent has resurfaced as well?"

She nodded. "Very well. Its threat level isn't nearly as high. We'll use it."

She accepted Orochi's return without the slightest concern.

After all... What was her job? She specialized in wiping out exploration Communities and intercepting the "new blood" the Little Garden Center gained from newly discovered worlds.

After committing so many acts against the Center's interests, it would have been stranger if the Center hadn't responded.

The resurrection of Yamata no Orochi was little more than the Center throwing a minor tantrum.

Even if Dystopia that had once destroyed the Canaanite pantheon suddenly reappeared, Anat wouldn't have found it surprising.

Standing before the floor-to-ceiling window, she asked quietly, "So Arcadia has been removed from the elimination list?"

Understanding the history between Anat and Algol, Gis immediately grasped her meaning. "The leader of Arcadia, Lord Ryo Yagami, appears to have accepted our invitation. Accordingly, we have been taken off the target list."

After a brief pause, he carefully added, "I imagine it won't be long before the higher-ups instruct Lord Ryo Yagami to cease all external world exploration."

"I see." Anat raised an eyebrow. "What a pity."

Gis didn't dare ask what exactly she found regrettable.

Instead, he bowed respectfully. "Changing the cleanup team will take some time. I'll take my leave for now. I'll return once the operation is about to begin."

"Go." Anat waved dismissively. "Wake me when it's time."

"Understood."

The lizardman bowed once more before walking to the door.

He stepped outside and gently closed it behind him.

Click.

The door shut.

Anat turned away from the window, intending to rest on the nearby sofa.

At that exact instant, a figure materialized silently behind her.

The newcomer slowly raised a single finger toward her.

A sinister violet glow bloomed at its tip.

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