"!?"

Astrea woke up from her slumber. She sits up and looked at her surrounding.

She found herself under her tree. The last time she saw it, it was still three meters in height. But as she slept underneath it, she unconsciously fed it her energy and it grew even more. Looking at it, she could see fruits growing on it. There were also fully mature golden apples.

"Don't think about eating them."

She turned in direction of the voice.

A tall man in his thirties entered the garden surrounded by walls. He had black as night hair and his eyes seemed devoid of life. His expression was even more expressionless than Astrea. An aura of desolation surrounded him. It was very suffocating for her to be near him.

"I never thought about it. Who may you be?"

"... You don't need to know. Your role is finished here. You are unneeded now."

He raised his hand toward her. She felt something ominous coming from him. She felt her life endangered and tightened her fists.

"What are you doing? Don't you know lives are precious? If you dare to hurt her, Janus will get mad!"

Another man entered the garden. It was the one who captured her. He had the same appearance as the other one. However, he felt warmer and kind. His hair was golden like the sun and eyes full of kindness. He brought a very comfortable aura around him.

"Hmph, as if it would matter. She is an error and I'm just going to fix it."

"Stop fixing your problem by exterminating it. There are other ways."

"It's the easiest."

"You..."

"Wait! What do you mean I'm an error!"

"... Eight years ago, you should have died."

"Who are you to decide that!?"

"I am the Chief God of Death. I know when a soul is supposed to leave its body. Your flame of life is extinct. For some reason the 'soul' of Astrea Elysium the human hasn't gone to the underworld. To repair this mistake, I will reap your soul!"

"!?"

Astrea jumped to the side to dodge an attack from below. Translucent hands appeared out of a tear from the position she left and pursued after her. While putting some distance, she calls out a light from her body. It blinded everything around. Even the gods were blinded.

After it died down, they saw a foreign woman where stood Astrea. She had pure white hair wither than even snow and iridescent gold-ruby eyes. In her left hand, she held a spear with a two snakes' head resting on a red orb. She had some of the main features of Astrea. However, her face had lost its human touch.

"You must be Astrea but not the same as Astrea the human?" asked the golden-haired god.

"No. Me and she are one and the same since birth."

"Then... what are you?"

"You can say I'm like a god without the restraint of being one."

"!? I see..."

"Now... I don't want it to spread. You shall swear to the universe you will not say a word about me. Else I will end your life here!"

"Hmph! Do you believe you alone will be able to make two Chief Gods submit!" exclaimed the Death God.

"Yes!" said confidently Astrea.

"Insolent! Your pride will be your fall!" said the death god.

The two's aura clashed against each other. To one side was the god of death domain and the other was Astrea. Her domain quickly won against his. Seeing this, his twin joined him to help. With his addition, they were at a stalemate.

'No way! One person able to in equal standing to two chief gods when their attributes are complementary!?'

One was the Lord of Death while the other was the Lord of Life. The two are inseparable. Alone, they don't have overwhelming powers. But together, they overpower any living beings with their domains.

The two put their everything into it.

'Those two are so annoying! I just asked them a simple promise and they dare make a fuss out of it! I just want peace!'

She took a fighting stance, ready to jump into close combat.

As she was about to charge at them, the life god opened his mouth.

"W- wait! Don't attack! We will swear it! Stop what you are doing Kalaraja!"

"Tch!"

"Don't tch!"

"..."

"Ahem! Let's not make the lady wait! I, Amrita, swear to the will of the Progenitor not to reveal Astrea Elysium information to anyone! Here! I'm done! Your turn little brother!"

"... I, Kalaraja, swear to the will of the Progenitor not to reveal Astrea Elysium information to anyone."

"Good."

Astrea morphed back her spear into a bracelet and changed her appearance to before.

"So what am I doing here?"

"We needed you to let the tree grow to maturity."

"What for?"

"To pluck the fruit..."

"So after using me, you were going to get rid of me."

"Not me! It was Kalaraja idea."

"Tch!"

"Hmph! Anyway, how did you know about the tree."

"We could sense its familiar energy when we checked the school's deaths."

"Mm. But why didn't you ask Gwenael to give you the tree?"

"We did but they didn't give it to us."

"... Mortal shouldn't have access to the fruit of immortality. Even if there are only three that grow every two hundred years, it's not something they should have an easily."

"Mmmh... So Gwenael used me to grow the tree. But how did he know I would be able to grow it... Someone must have told him about me. But who?"

"Maybe you should ask Janus? It's his world, he should be able to see the records of the man."

"Hmph, let's do that. You guys come too."

Astrea and the two gods left the garden. The outside was a vast plain with only green in sight.

"Are we still in Arcadia?"

"No, we are in the realm where the dead reside, the underworld."

"I see you were prepared for my death."

"Hahaha... Don't say that. It's just the best place to put the Golden Apple's tree. The dead have no use for the fruit as it doesn't bring them benefit. It can only affect the living."

"Fine. How will bring me back to Arcadia?"

"There is no gate that leads out to the living world unless you take the wheel of reincarnation. But as gods, we can take the portal especially made for us. No one else but those who get permission from the two of us can get out."

"Oh. Then I guess it was a good idea to bring you two with me."

"Indeed. Let's go then."

They disappeared from their position and appeared before a door. It was five meters tall and four people could pass through at the same time. The white door was decorated with roses and thorns sculpted on it.

Amrita and Kalaraja pushed at the same time the door.

"It will directly lead us to Janus' office. Lady first."

"Who knows if that is the case. You enter first."

"You are hurting my feelings. But fine."

Amrita entered first. She followed after him and Kalaraja was the last to enter to close the gates.