Once she had left the bustling area surrounding the arcade, Rita pushed off the air beneath her feet. A surge of golden lightning exploded outward, and she shot skyward in a brilliant flash.

After completing the elemental application course from her last Overlord Chest, her control over lightning had become fluid—no longer the clumsy trial-and-error it had once been.

High above the clouds, she walked across the air itself, while the skeletal dragon, White Bone Black Jade, glided gracefully around her.

When she had returned to the battlefield to resurrect fallen heroes, Rita had already noticed something strange about Black Jade. It hovered over the empty plains as though unwilling to leave, its lifeless frame animated by the faint spark of a new will.

After the BlueStar War, her status panel had gained a new attribute—Faith.

That alone spoke volumes.

Faith was the aftermath of that war. It allowed White Bone Black Jade to consume faith points to learn new skills through scrolls. During the war, Eclipse Vanguard had loaded it with hundreds of wide-range attacks.

Now, far from any living soul, Rita spread her fingers. Golden lightning rippled across the dragon's entire body, forming a vast web of electricity that wrapped around its skeletal frame.

She was testing whether it had truly awakened—or was merely echoing old emotions.

Minutes passed before the light faded. Rita's expression softened.

No signs of true awakening.

Only remnants of will—Black Jade's lingering obsession that refused to fade. Countless beings had called it the "Undead Bone Dragon," and through that name, through their gratitude, trust, and awe, faith had been born.

That was why it refused to leave the battlefield. It wanted to keep fighting, to keep basking in the faith it once knew.

After the war, its level had reached twenty-nine. Rita waved her hand, sending it toward Shadow.Q.

This level of semi-sentience was a good sign. Black Jade could one day stand guard over BlueStar.

Once the dragon had gone, Rita asked, "Can that faith ever let it become a true dragon again?"

B8017913 answered quietly, "No. Its soulfire has gone out forever."

Rita's lips parted as if to speak, then closed again. Whatever interest she had in studying the creature seemed to fade in an instant.

Landing softly on the sea's surface, she summoned the Cat Ship. She had to bring B8017913 this time—it would serve as her translator.

"How long will we be gone this time?" B8017913 asked.

"I'm not sure," Rita said. "If things go well, we'll be back before the next Divine Game. If not, we might enter the next game from the other world."

The gentle golden drizzle around her suddenly condensed into dense lightning. The bolts formed a glowing sphere of energy that surrounded her completely.

Minutes later, the barrier dissolved. Rita stepped out, now dressed in combat gear.

As for the thunder that always accompanied her—

She raised a hand, catching a final thread of lightning as it fell. The "rain" shrank and vanished into her palm. Her pupils gleamed gold.

She frowned. Absorbing that much lightning into her body was agonizing, but it was the most discreet method of concealment she had.

Hanging the pure-white anchor onto the Cat Ship's edge, she watched it expand to full size.

After a few last words to Nivalis through private chat, she tossed the anchor into the sea.

...

Foolishness walked across the star bridge with a stoic expression. Beside him, Hearthsmoke glanced around at the gathered deities and let out a low whistle. "It's been ages since I've seen this many gods in one place. Quite the spectacle."

Both he and Foolishness had manifested in their true forms, wearing formal divine robes of black and crimson flame.

Behind them, Boiling Orange fussed with his own robe, tugging at the folds with discomfort. It had been years since he'd worn anything so ceremonial. Hearing Hearthsmoke's comment, he muttered, "All this trouble just because Deceitful Bloom wants to show off her gol—"

He stopped mid-sentence. A wave of oppressive energy rolled past.

A tall figure with waist-length silver hair glided by, her black robe shimmering faintly like the night sky.

Boiling Orange froze, too late to save himself. The woman turned as she walked backward, her crimson eyes half-lidded with lazy amusement.

A vine-like branch curled around her pale neck, climbing from her collarbone to her right ear. From behind her ear, it wove upward and unfurled a small red crystal that gleamed with the same hue as her eyes.

In the blink of an eye, the vine shifted, slipping back beneath her hair and into the folds of her robe like a serpent.

But before it vanished completely, Boiling Orange caught a glimpse of it—its blossoms were faint, formed of mist, sparse and pale. That meant Deceitful Bloom was in a neutral mood—neither angry nor pleased.

Her voice was smooth and cold. "Because of what, exactly?"

Boiling Orange forced a smile. "For the future of the Divine Game, of course."

Foolishness, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke, his tone sharp. "Whatever you propose, I will not vote in favor."

Hearthsmoke chuckled under his breath.

Deceitful Bloom's lips curved. She turned to walk beside Foolishness. "That's fine. I didn't summon this council because of her."

That earned a cynical laugh from him.

Hands tucked into her wide sleeves, Deceitful Bloom looked up at the star tracks above, where countless worlds glittered like distant constellations. Her voice dropped to a soft murmur. "If I simply wanted to propose something, I could have called a remote vote. But this—this needed to be done in person."

As the gods entered the celestial hall, the star bridge faded behind them.

From her throne at the center, Deceitful Bloom's gaze swept across the seven high deities seated before her.

"I propose," she said, her tone deliberate, "an amendment to Rule Five of the Invasion Code."

She lifted a finger slightly. Words of glowing petals appeared above the altar.

[Rule 5: When a world is in a state of war, it shall temporarily vanish from the invasion sequence. Other worlds may not invade it.]

With a faint flick of her fingers, the text shifted.

[Rule 5 (Revised): When a world is under invasion, it shall temporarily vanish from the invasion sequence. Other worlds may not invade it again.]

Captain frowned deeply. "And what purpose does that serve?"

Everyone in the chamber understood immediately.

With this change, no world could use war as a shield anymore. Invading another world would no longer guarantee its own safety.

Even Drummer objected. "That won't do. This will only slow the pace of war. You know the purpose of these invasions."

Deceitful Bloom snapped her fingers again, and new text unfurled in the air.

[Rule 20: When worlds in the invasion sequence remain in a state of peace, they will automatically drift toward the nearest peaceful world. Upon contact, war will commence automatically.]

[Rule 21: Remove the restriction preventing eight-star worlds from initiating invasion. By consuming 20 Invasion Sequences, an eight-star world may invade another world with a star rank no more than three below its own.]

Her voice echoed through the vast hall.

"The Divine Game has been quiet for too long. Not only have the players grown complacent—so have the worlds themselves."

"For too many, invasion has become an excuse to run from true war."

Her crimson eyes glowed with calm conviction.

"Time is running out."

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