“Invisible Harmony Seal? The one that regulates the balance between sound and silence?”

“…Present.”

Checking that one off as well, the two moved on.

“Seal of the… Tea’s Temperature?”

Muryel, reading those words, froze in confusion.

“Well, this is an absolutely essential seal, dear Muryel…”

The goddess, turned away, focused intently on the seal as she examined it.

“…It’s the seal that keeps divine Tea from cooling down too quickly!”

Are we being serious right now???

The pair continued checking the seals in the hall for a long time, eventually reaching the last display case after several hours.

“I’m exhausted…” Sigillaria felt the weight of all that work on her shoulders.

“Very well, my goddess, we’re done. Now only the most important one remains: the Void Seal…”

Those words made the goddess jolt, a chill running down her spine.

“Do we really have to?”

“It’s the same story every time, Divine Sigillaria…”

Muryel, annoyed again, slipped back into her scolding tone.

“…Out of all the seals in this hall, this one is by far the most important!”

The goddess, disheartened, looked toward the large door at the far end of the room.

“Yes, yes, I know. But that room is so cold, and the atmosphere inside is so… unsettling!”

Muryel sighed and approached the goddess, giving her a stern look.

“I understand your reluctance, Divine Sigillaria, but it will only take a few more minutes and then we’ll be finished.”

Resigned, Sigillaria began moving toward the door.

“Fine, let’s go and get it over with… so afterward you can make me some Tea…”

As she approached the door, the goddess noticed something that made her slow down.

The magical seals she herself had placed on it—normally bright and clearly visible—seemed extinguished.

How strange… they’re always active…

Quickening her pace and reaching the door, Sigillaria noticed a thin gap from which a faint light leaked out.

The door… is open???

Grabbing the handles and swinging the door wide open, the goddess was met with a scene that left her frozen.

At the center of the small, circular room stood the case containing the Void Seal—completely wrapped in a dense black cloud.

From behind her shoulders, Muryel stepped forward, curious.

“Divine Sigillaria… what happened?”

At the sound of her voice, the black cloud suddenly stirred, launching itself at them with full force.

It all happened in an instant.

The goddess, reacting instinctively, raised a barrier, managing by a hair’s breadth to protect herself and her assistant—who, caught off guard, let out a terrified scream.

“My goddess, what’s happening?!”

Her assistant’s frightened cries didn’t distract her.

“Stay back, Muryel! Don’t come any closer!”

Sigillaria, raising both hands, began pushing the cloud back as she advanced toward it. Feeling resistance, the shroud reacted with fury, slamming against the barrier with increasing violence.

“How did you break free?”

The goddess’s question was aimed at the cloud, which whirled about in rage, emitting horrifying sounds.

Damn it! How could this happen?

The cloud, gathering itself, lunged forward even harder, forcing Sigillaria into tremendous effort to keep it contained.

If I can’t push it back, it’s over…

“Divine Sigillaria, what is that cloud?!”

Muryel screamed in terror, trying to make her voice rise above the monstrous noise produced by the raging mass.

“Muryel, listen carefully…”

The goddess’s voice—strong even above that chaos—reached her assistant.

“Come closer to me and don’t move away.”

At those words, the assistant stepped forward, burying her face into the garments covering the goddess’s back and squeezing her eyes shut.

“What are you planning to do, my divine?”

“I need to seal the cloud before it swallows us. Stay where you are and don’t move.”

It’s been millennia since I last attempted something like this… let’s hope everything goes well…

Fixing her gaze directly on the cloud, Sigillaria took a deep breath and focused.

A blinding light burst from the goddess’s body, flooding the entire chamber and engulfing the cloud, which—now surrounded—began twisting even more violently, whirling and emitting cries of pain.

“I won’t allow you to break free into this world and destroy it!”

Sigillaria’s voice was commanding, her expression serious and steady.

“Now go back where you belong! I seal you!”

The light grew so intense and radiant that Muryel was forced to shut her eyes.

The cloud, overwhelmed, thrashed desperately in one last useless attempt to escape.

A powerful divine wind swept through the room, and from within the case something reacted—pulling in the surrounding air with tremendous force.

After a few interminable moments, it was over.

Without waiting, Sigillaria rushed to the case and examined it carefully.

At the top, the divine crystal was shattered and—worse yet—the seal that closed the jar inside had vanished.

Impossible!

Placing her hands over it, the goddess focused on the scattered crystal fragments, which vibrated wildly before snapping back together and resealing themselves.

“My goddess… you were incredible!”

Muryel entered the chamber and hurried to her.

Sigillaria didn’t respond, continuing to stare at the opened jar.

Who could have done something so foolish…

Drawn in by the goddess’s grave and thoughtful expression, Muryel looked at the case and turned pale.

“The seal… where did it go?”

“…It’s gone.”

“Gone? You mean… stolen?”

“So it seems.”

Muryel was terrified.

“And who could possibly have come all the way here to steal an ancestral seal?”

Excellent question…

“There aren’t many divine or mortal beings twisted and powerful enough to carry out such an act…”

Could it have been… the Demon King?

Sigillaria suddenly turned and began walking quickly out of the room without stopping.

Why stoop to this? What reason would he have to do something so reckless?

Seeing the goddess leave and not understanding why, Muryel hurried after her.

“My goddess, wait for me! Where are you going?”

Once outside, Sigillaria cast her gaze beyond the tall spires of the divine palaces surrounding her.

On the horizon, a front of swollen black clouds was approaching, menacing and heavy.

Damn it!

“My goddess… what is that?”

Muryel, who had caught up to her, stared at the sky in fear.

“The Void is approaching…”

“The Void?!”

A fierce storm wind struck the divine palaces, shaking them as it rushed through the sacred streets and swept over the two women, lifting the goddess’s garments.

An ominous omen… could it be the Prophecy?

“Divine Sigillaria! What happened to the seal?!”

Muryel shouted, trying to rise above the roar of the wind.

The goddess looked around, scanning the divine plane in an attempt to sense the seal’s presence.

It’s not here… Hey, wait…

Turning sharply, she lifted her gaze to the sky and pointed at a small sphere shining in the distance.

“Found it!”

Muryel followed the direction the goddess indicated.

“But that’s… World? How is that possible?”

Sigillaria stared at the small planet.

Then it’s true… it was taken there…

“Could it be… the girl…?”

Her assistant looked at her, completely lost.

“Girl? What girl? What are you talking about?”

Sigillaria spun around, reached Muryel, grabbed her hand, and looked straight into her eyes.

“Come, Muryel. We must go!”

“Go? Go where?”

The deep, worried look in the goddess’s eyes made everything clear to the assistant in an instant.

“You want to… descend to Earth? But why?”

Muryel was utterly confused.

“We’re not allowed to reach Earth… I don’t understand…”

The goddess extended a hand, opening a portal, and gave her assistant an encouraging smile.

“I’ll explain along the way. Trust me.”

Sigillaria’s smile turned playful and mischievous, sending a shiver down Muryel’s spine.

“Come on now, no more waiting. We have plenty to do!”

And dragging the girl with her, Sigillaria leapt into the portal, crossing through it.