Late at night, right above the room where Kaito sleeps... Sitting on the roof of the mansion, Alice absentmindedly gazed at the moon in the night sky.
It was a night like any other... Until a single white feather passed in front of Alice's eyes and a God appeared beside her...
[...Haahhh... What do you want, Eden-san? Kaito-san is already asleep, you know?]
[.....]
[Unnn?]
Without answering Alice's question, Eden took out a vermillion-colored cup from nowhere and offered it to Alice. After confirming that Alice accepted it even as she raised an eyebrow at her, Eden sat down next to Alice, took out a bottle of alcohol and poured its contents into Alice's cup.
[...What brought this on?]
[Nothing, it doesn't hold any deeper meaning. However, let's see... Perhaps, because Shallow Vernal used Epilogue earlier... that I remembered some things from a long time ago. I wonder how many years back then was it? From my senses, it was "over 20 billion years ago", but there are differences between the flow of time between worlds after all. For other worlds, it may have been just a few seconds ago. I wonder what appropriate year should I describe it with?]
[I think you could just say it happened 20 billion years ago.]
[Then, it happened 20 billion years ago. I just remembered that time.]
[...I see.]
Hearing Eden's words that won't make sense to her ears, Alice drank from her cup without any questions.
A moment of silence remained for a while... before Alice took out a small "golden feather" and held it out to Eden.
[...I'll return this to you. In the end, "it was never used"...]
[You don't need to return that anymore. I don't have any use for that "feather that allows one to enter the world created by Shallow Vernal". Rather, why is it that you never used it?]
[Even if I forcefully entered that place, what the heck would I even do? Besides, it would be better for you if I hadn't used this... This would probably be "a breach of your contract", right?]
[That's right. That is indeed an item that violates my contract with Shallow Vernal... If you had used it, I wouldn't have been able to say no to any additional terms she pushed to me afterwards, even if it's unfavorable to me.]
The feather Alice received at the night before Shallow Vernal's ordeal... was something entrusted to her by Eden. With it, even if it's just Alice, she would be able to intervene in Kaito's ordeal.
In the end, Alice chose not to use it, believing in Kaito... but there shouldn't have been any reason for Eden to give Alice something that would make her position worse.
[...Why did you entrust this to me?]
[I don't know... I guess I just had this hunch to give that to you.]
[...Why is it that you highly evaluate only me... and help me with things like this?]
[Haven't I told you about it? That of all the people in this world, you're the one I think the most highly of...]
[That's quite the boring lie. Even if I have some combat skills, there's no way that you'd be interested in someone other than your children.]
[.....]
Hearing Alice's astounding words, Eden fell silent. Alice also didn't ask her about this matter any further, and silence fell between them again.
It was unknown how much time had passed, but they continued pouring alcohol into each other's cups and drank. After repeating that process four times, Alice muttered to herself.
[...How does it feel to be the God you've always wanted to be... "Makina"...]
[...Since when did you realize it?]
The moment she heard Alice's words, Eden's tone changed. She somehow sounded younger than before... responding with a voice that, for some reason, is filled with happiness...
[You did tend to be lax at the crucial moments after all... That moment you taunted me to a fight by showing your real body back in the Sanctuary... Even if your appearance changed, you still have the same core as before, you know?]
[...Clairvoyance huh... What a blunder. I had my usual Null:Clairvoyance placed, but I wasn't able to see through how strengthened your skills are while your Ἑκατόγχειρες's Ultimate Battle Form is active. I guess this is where I say that huh... As expected of "Alicia".]
[Oya? Aren't you supposed to be omniscient?]
[Even if I'm omniscient, that doesn't make me almighty. My omniscience only allows me "to know what I was trying to know", so I wouldn't know about something if I don't try knowing about it.]
Saying this, an innocent smile appeared on Eden's lips. As if she was enjoying this moment from the bottom of her heart...
[However, I never noticed it until that moment. I mean, who the heck would have noticed it... that an old friend of mine, who had become a "Mechanized God" of her own volition... and not only you've become the God of the other world, you've become an outrageous lunatic.]
[Calling me a lunatic is quite mean, don't you think?]
[No, no, with your actions back then, how would you describe that other than lunatic...]
[...Unlike back then, I just stopped putting up with anything anymore. I just want to love my cute, darling child as much as I can. That's all there is to it... and all these urges to kill that God's half-body and these lumps of flesh were merely because they're hindrances...]
[Alice-chan slightly regrets the past. If I hadn't respected your wishes and just stopped you back then, that God with a loose screw in her head wouldn't have been created... But if it weren't for you, Kaito-san wouldn't have been born... H- Hmmm... This is difficult.]
[Fufufu.]
Hearing Alice's astounded words, Eden smiled again... and a sense of calmness flowed between the two of them.
[...Anyway, thanks to finding out your identity, I've been able to find the answer to my long-standing question. You're the reason why it's called "Earth", a world revolving around machines, and why "there are lots of things in this world that have the same name as the things in my knowledge".]
[...It's not just the name. The Earth today looks like it did just before you and I met. It's mysterious, isn't it? I did have a hand in some things like how some things are called, but other than that, I didn't do anything. And yet, Earth had naturally become somewhat similar to that world... It's kind of interesting, don't you think?]
[Please don't make the way the two worlds are destroyed the same, okay?]
[Ahaha, I don't know about that. After all, my children have already left my arms and became independent. How they perish is up to them... However, no matter which means they perish, I would still receive them with my overflowing love. I would love my child, even when they're treading upon the path of destruction~~]
[...Why don't you find the screw you lost somewhere first?]
Seeing how Eden's way of thinking still didn't change even when her tone did, still speaking about her love that could be described as insanity, Alice let out a sigh again. She wonders how many times she has already sighed because of her.
After chatting like that for a while, Eden slowly stood up.
[...What a strange coincidence it is, but it was nice to see Alicia again in this world like this.]
[Haahhh... Well, I was also caught up with nostalgic topics too... Speaking of which, what's with your usual way of speaking?]
[...D- Doesn't speaking like that make me sound God-like?]
[It's a simple formula of Gods speaking polite speech huh... No, but Shallow Vernal-sama does speak like that too, so I guess what you're thinking isn't exactly wrong... Well, let's just discuss that with Kaito-san later. Rather, let me tell you this now. Kaito-san is pretty scared of you, you know?]
[Really!? W- Why? Even though my love for my beloved child is second to none!? Ah, could it be that my love for him still isn't enough? Alright, I'll give my beloved child "a planet as a present" later! I'll have to discuss this with Shallow Vernal immediately...]
[...Ah~~ Alice-chan clearly understands now. Your loose screw can't be fixed anymore...]
At that instant, Alice threw the towel. She thought for a moment that she might be able to correct her personality since she was an old friend, but hearing Eden's outrageous idea, she gave up.
As Alice let out another big sigh, Eden floated up into the sky and turned towards Alice... She spoke with a dazzling smile on her face.
[Ahh, that's right, let me answer your first question... Unlike back then, now that I can do what I want, love what I want... I'm the happiest I've ever been!]
[...That so... In that case, well, I guess you made the right choice.]
[See you later then, Alicia.]
[...I'm called Alice now.]
[That's right... Anyway, let's talk again, Alice. I'd like to hear about what happened after I left that world... Just knowing about it with my omniscience is so bland after all.]
Saying that, Eden waved her hand and with her expression returning back to normal, she disappeared. After seeing her off, Alice looked at the golden feather in her hand and muttered to herself.
[...I think it would have been better if she just treated Kaito-san with the personality she had back then, without all acting God-like... Well, it won't do if she doesn't notice that herself, I guess... Good grief, what a troublesome God.]