"Ahh, this is looking really bad."

After a long silence, Nephthys—her body wrapped in bandages but showing large patches of tanned skin—finally spoke again: "Hey kid, is it okay if I join your side now?"

This ancient mourner from Egypt had clearly lost the will to fight. She felt victory was hopeless, so she quickly chose to betray her own side.

Her action showed clearly that even gods aren't above fear of death.

"Nephthys!" Othinus frowned, shouting in anger: "Even you want to betray our rules?!"

Among all the gods, she and Nephthys had the closest bond, true companions. But now, watching her ally switch sides, Othinus felt deeply upset.

"Well, I don't really have a choice." Nephthys shrugged as the white bandages slid off her elbow. "There's no way I can take on those two by myself. And rules are made to be broken anyway."

"You…" Othinus gritted her teeth. "I never knew you could think like this. Weren't you supposed to be the old-fashioned one?!"

"This isn't rebellion, it's just knowing when to switch sides." Nephthys blinked and sighed. "But speaking of rebellion, isn't little Othi the biggest rebel of all? Just to find someone who understands you, you went and made that kind of plan."

"Shut up!" Othinus snapped, face red with anger. "That has nothing to do with you!"

Doujin Artist: What's this, why is she so mad all of a sudden?

Skirt-Flipping Maniac: What's a person-who-understands?

Amegakure Village's Angel: You guys gossip too much. But yeah, I wanna know too.

This is an Actor: Othinus believes that no matter where she is, she's always a tyrant spreading death and violence, always alone. So she hopes to find someone who can understand her loneliness and pain. That person is called the one-who-understands. Whether becoming the perfect god or destroying the universe, everything she does is rooted in wanting to find that person.

Machete Girl: ?

Curly-haired Guy: This woman's brain is broken. If you're lonely, just go make a friend! Or get a boyfriend! Why the hell destroy the universe?!

Scarlet Lotus Fairy: Being so lonely that you want the whole universe to die with you… that's basically the worst kind of emo.

Skirt-Flipping Maniac: Mochou-jie, I don't think you should mock her like that.

Shark-Faced Guy: Why not?

Soul Society's Villain: It's simple. Deep down, Mochou and Othinus are the same type.

Curly-haired Guy: Damn, now that you mention it, that's true. When Mochou-chan got dumped back then, she went after every single guy with the surname Lu!

Doujin Artist: Exactly! One breakup and the whole Lu clan had to suffer. Truly worthy of the name Scarlet Lotus Fairy!

Scarlet Lotus Fairy: That's why I know better now how dangerous that mindset is. Lashing out at others because of your own pain is never good.

These were Li Mochou's true feelings. Looking back on her past, she often felt regret and pain.

Lin Fengjiao: For Mochou to change her ways, that's a blessing for the world. But I'm still curious—did Othinus ever find her one-who-understands?

This is an Actor: She did. It was Kamijou Touma.

Curly-haired Guy: Of course! It's always this damn script! That Kamijou Touma—seriously, what's with him? A guy cursed with bad luck, yet he gets a harem bigger than anyone else's, even gods are included? What the hell!

Doujin Artist: Pfft, Gin-san sounds super jealous!

Machete Girl: Like he just ate a lemon.

Curly-haired Guy: Jealous my ass! I'm just venting! Look at other main characters, then look at me! The women around me? A crazy strong rabbit loli who eats too much, a hot-tempered hostess, a perverted masochist ninja girl, a drunk red-light district bodyguard who always wants to fight, and that old hag Otose with the Orochimaru voice!

Skirt-Flipping Maniac: Orochimaru old hag? You mean Otose?

Curly-haired Guy: Yeah, that old witch! There isn't a single normal girl around me!

Soul Society's Villain: That's some serious resentment.

Wig Guy: Don't cry, Gintoki, you've still got me!

Curly-haired Guy: That's exactly why I'm crying harder, dammit!

Doujin Artist: Hahaha, no wonder your life as a main character is so tragic. This is hilarious!

Everyone in the chat was having fun, but Othinus—still restrained—was getting more and more restless. She stared at Anzen and asked, "Hey, what are you still waiting for?"

"My husband has his own plans," Persephone answered sweetly.

"I wasn't asking you!" Othinus shot her a glance. "Old women who throw themselves at men like you don't even have the right to speak in front of me."

"Oh my, are you jealous?" Persephone smiled calmly. "I've already found the man fated for me. But you've already lost your chance."

"Heh, and what if you really erase me? Don't forget, there are still other gods in this world!"

"They're already gone." Anzen spoke calmly.

What?

Othinus froze, her face full of shock. Not only her—even Løcipea and Nephthys both widened their eyes.

Whoosh.

A streak of light flashed, and a girl with ashen skin appeared out of thin air. She wore a white cheongsam, a round hat on her head, and a yellow talisman stuck to her forehead. With a playful smile, she looked at them.

"Lady Niangniang?" Othinus called out her name, her face filled with disbelief.

This girl was also a Magic God—an immortal from Chinese mythology who had abandoned the mortal world and ascended through self-sacrifice. But Othinus couldn't understand why this usually lazy shut-in goddess would suddenly show up here.

She soon got her answer.

As soon as Niangniang appeared, she skillfully hugged Anzen's arm and rubbed her face against it, grinning. "Brother An, I'm back! All the things you asked me to do, I've finished them already!"

She wasn't speaking the common Japanese of the Index world, but pure Sichuan dialect. Except for Anzen, everyone else looked completely baffled.

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