Looking at the sunrise picking from the top of the mountain in front of her, Mary could do nothing but stare at it, but instead of awe, she felt anxious.
"Have you never seen the sunrise at Nippon Mountain?"
Ishtar asked her disciple.
"I saw it once before."
Mary said, and Ishtar could notice a glint of fear in her eyes.
"Hey!"
The voice of Alexander came from behind, and when she looked at him, it was a justification for all her fears. Her time was running out, and she hadn't found a way to prevent the future.
"Wow, you look... different."
Mary said as she looked at him. She was merely reciting what she said in the previous timeline.
"Well, I was beaten into wearing this sh..."
Alexander started saying but stopped when Mira put her hand on his shoulder.
"I'm only a lowly mortal who should strive to be his best self and knows his place."
He quickly corrected himself anxiously, and Mira seemed to like his answer.
"You look pretty different yourself."
Alexander said, trying to trip her and see her suffer like him.
Mary wore something different than her old attire, unlike the old ragged clothes she used for a long time, and unlike the other females in "the demon god's group" who wear dresses, she wore a suit. Her suit was given to her by Ishtar. She was gifted a watch that lets her communicate with Danniel so he can advise her. The communication is activated only if both sides want it. And she wears her arming sword to her side.
"Ishtar helped me a lot with choosing which items I want, and I am way stronger now. Maybe I will finally be able to..."
Mary was about to mention Shu, but her face turned red when she thought about him.
Alexander didn't get why she turned red and was very disappointed that she had nothing negative to say about her experience in those three years of training.
********
They heard a loud voice from the mountain's direction.
After five minutes, smoke appeared.
And out of the smoke jumped a person. He looked a bit like a very hairy human. But as he walked closer toward them, they could see that it was a monkey made of stone, wearing a suit made from golden scales and a red cape.
"Hello! My dear friends, it is I, Shí Hóu!"
The stone monkey said enthusiastically as if they knew him.
Mary remembered their first meeting the last time and wasn't going to try killing him again.
Instead of pointing a sword at him, she put her hand forward and smiled.
"Hi, I am Mary Mob."
"Finally, someone who knows I'm on your side."
Shí Hóu said with relief.
After Shí Hóu, Emilia, and Dam came. They were happy to finally meet Mary, whom the demon god hyped quite a lot.
"Where's the fox?"
Alexander asked, and Dam finally noticed him.
"Bastard! How dare you show your face again!"
The young man shouted as he pointed his sword at the man who destroyed his city. Mary looked at that scene and remembered this scene also happened in the previous timeline. She was curious to know what had happened before she met Shu.
"Ishtar! Mira! How are you?"
Chaos asked happily since he finally got to see his friends after all this time.
"Sir, Chaos, where is Shu?"
Mary asked Chaos. She knew this was the only way to make Shu appear.
"Oh, him. Well..."
Chaos smirked and summoned his sword.
When the sword appeared in his hand, it was as if reality split into three.
Mary saw an adult wearing a black trench coat with no shirt, black boots, black pants, and a Japanese fox mask with no ears. He had fox ears, a tail, and orange fur. His mask was broken on the right side. She could see he had a scar on his right eye, and his left ear was slightly cut.
The way he looked at her was something that she would never forget. It was the look of terror. It was as if he saw a ghost of a loved one. And unlike last time, she wasn't willing to take it as is.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
She asked him.
"You! Which round is this?!"
The old Shu asked and ran toward her. His eyes glowed bright yellow and reeked of desperation.
While running, he turned to smoke and vanished.
In the same spot as the adult, she saw young Shu, maybe a year younger than when they met, perhaps even more. He didn't have a mask, nor did he have a scar or a trench coat. He looked completely normal. She still couldn't understand how this Shu, the normal Shu, and the old Shu could be this different and still the same person.
In the third reality she saw, it was HER Shu, not some little kid nor an old beastman, but the Shu she... nothing. She doesn't care at all!
"Yo! Been a while, hasn't it?"
Shu took off his mask and looked directly at her.
"Yes, it has been. Three years to be exact."
Mary spoke more calmly than last time and looked him straightly in his eyes.
Shu looked her in the eyes and noticed something. When she is not angry, she looks beautiful.
Looking at her, Shu felt awkward and decided to change the topic to the gift he got for her.
"Oh, by the way. I got you a gift!"
He said and detached a sword from his belt.
He put his arm forward to hand the sword directly to her, and she grabbed it with conviction in her eyes. Shu had no clue why she was that serious, but he just let it slide.
She knew accepting the sword went against her tradition, but she had to be stronger in the next fight against Chaos The First.
"Okay, kids! You reunited. How great! From now until further notice Emilia and Mary will notify you of any mission you will receive. As for your first mission. Go back to the new lands and join those who still aren't here. Goodbye."
Chaos said. And the three gods left.
The group started going toward the new lands.
********
As they walked, they reached a city worshiping the Budha, a man gifted with god's divinity in the old reality. He was banished from his home realm after the mortals thought he was a god, and the god of his realm didn't like it. The city was built by a mortal who was reincarnated from the old reality and asked for the ability to worship his god in the new reality, the city of Bhagavato.
In the inn they chose, there was a public bath, and after unpacking, they all went to the public bath.
After the bath, Shu and Mary were locked in a room because the others thought they should talk.
"I knew it from the start, but I don't want to marry or date you."
Mary said before Shu could apologize.
"Great, I wasn't planning t get married or date either. You still want to keep the sword?"
Shu asked.
"Yes."
Mary said and nodded confidently.
They both shook hands, and Shu kicked down the door so they could go out to drink.
They drank a bit too much for a bit too long. By the time they finished, the inn was closed, and Mary was almost passed out. The drunk Mary clung to Shu tightly.
She woke up and noticed she again used him as a bed. This was one of her best nights of sleep in a long time. Drunk her was right. Shu is a comfortable bed.
"I have an idea."
Mary said, and after explaining it, Shu was very entertained.
For the next few days, the entire group was left with a question, are they dating now?
********
They moved from a train to a boat, and Mary still couldn't change anything.
They reached the shore of the new lands, and Mary knew what she would say to Danniel when he tried contacting her.
"Danniel! We reached the new lands. Where are we supposed to go?"
Mary asked Danniel, the demon god.
"Go to where you originally met Shu in the new lands. There's a port city there. I want you to enter the castle without anyone knowing who you are."
Danniel answered.
"Why can't we let anyone know who we are?"
Mary asked. She wanted to know if he would answer in this timeline.
"Please give me three times when you will unquestionably trust me."
Danniel requested.
"No."
Mary answered confidently, and there was silence from the other end for a few seconds.
"Why not?"
Danniel asked her with a bewildered tone.
"I don't think I should explain everything, but essentially, do you remember what is my gift?"
Mary said, and Danniel was stunned. He never predicted the option that she had already used her power and that she was from the future.
"Are you sure this is what you need to do?"
Danniel asked.
"I think that if we have more time for preparations and more people on our side, we will win."
Mary explained her plan.
"Alright, do as you may please."
Danniel said, putting his hopes on her shoulders.
"Dam, do you remember where is the place you ported at when you first came here."
Mary asked.
"From the shoreline, I saw when we were on the ship. I think it's about a day's walk."
Dam answered.
"Lead the way then."
Mary said, and they all followed Dam.