Ethereal Paradigm

-Peter Drucker

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"Verbal agreement?"

In complete contrast to what I believed, hearing that term suddenly rolled up drums of revelations in my head, while s.h.i.+ro is continuously playing with the pegasus on the background looking very happy and satisfied.

"Fortunately yes. That drivel that Hermes talked about earlier in the presence of everyone is nothing but a verbal agreement that one must not be compelled of following.", the G.o.ddess, wearing a b.l.o.o.d.y bathrobe replied.

"So, do you mean that the "Disqualification by Death" is also part of the drivel?"

"Oh, that? It"s true." I figured.

"Yep. So everything is not entirely false right?"

"Correct."

"But that thing with the "You-have-to-hastily-choose-the-Armadyou-want-to-join". is just an aftermath of that deity"s deranged personality. You can totally ignore it", Lacrimosa extrapolated, making the point clear beyond ambiguity.

"Wait. If you have said that Hermes is also in the process of making such a choice, does that also mean that he is a partic.i.p.ant of the game?"

"Yes! It should have been obvious. Did you b.u.mp your head or something? I already told you. Not one of us is exempted. Whether we want it or not. Armada or no armada. We have to take part in it. It"s an order from the highest. An order that I, nor Hermes can deny. Hermes was just unlucky this time for being chosen to be the magistrates" personal mail boy."

Hearing that was like a table-turner for me. I thought that this G.o.ddess never turns herself to any form of authority, but I guess that "highest" she just pertained to is an exemption.

"R-right." So I guess, Hermes was also a subject of what he said earlier. He simply just got a task added on his tab as he was chosen randomly to be the emcee on the warfare"s opening ceremony. I wonder what the Herrscher of Hermes looks like? Yet, the question of whether who or what this highest is, still boggles my mind.

" If I may ask you. Is this "Highest" you"re talking about "Zeus"?"

"Zeus?"

"Uhm. He was always portrayed to be someone who takes hold of the highest position in ancient Greek literature. Hermes is also there too, and I figured that Zeus is this "overpowered" being that you are all subject to follow."

"Zeus? Do you mean that womanizer? That G.o.d who shoots cute thunderbolts?HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA. You"re kidding me."

"So it"s not him?"

"Oh certainly. Zeus is just well-known for his ability to capture the hearts of CHEAP girls, G.o.ddesses or humans they may be. There"s no way I"m submitting myself to such a brazen figure."

Calling Zeus"s thunderbolts "cute" was just beyond what I could imagine. Why was he portrayed to be that powerful anyway? Well, maybe he is overpowered, in the eyes of that ancient playwright perhaps.

"So who"s this "Highest" that you"re saying?"

"Hmmm. Truth is I also don"t know."

"What?"

"Yes. Unfortunately, we are not allowed to see him. No, It"s more like, we SHOULD not see him. You"re not the only ones that are governed by a system you know? And as I am kind...and also gracious, I"m gonna show you the rank hierarchy of deities to give you an insight as to where I am now and the significant gap of every deity on the power closure to the highest..."

As she said that, suddenly on the air, dark fiery symbols from the English Alphabet began to arrange themselves in vigor to show data at least. And this is the result which was shown in a descending pattern, divided into three major definitions...

[Lesser Deities]

7. Spirit Deities

6. Quasi-Deities

5. Relic Wardens

4. Mythic Deities

3. Archangels
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[Higher Deities:]

2. Magistrates

[Creation Deities:]

1. Primordial

0. Highest

"It"s rather simple, isn"t it? Even the worldly military ranks are a hundred times more intricate than this. "

"Sorry, what is this again?" I asked. While it was clear to me that this was some sort of a ranking system that incorporates the deities, what I don"t quite comprehend is the meaning of each tier and what type of deities are there.

"There"s no benefit for me if I were to hide this. It"s an insignificant type of information so it should be ok to explain this to you rather than just showing it. This is the "Divine Hierarchy", and as the number decreases, the power strengthens on a visible degree. Here"s how the rank goes...Let"s start with the lower food chain- the lesser deities. "

"(5) Spirit Deities - they are what men merely call as "spirits" and each of them holds an element to be their symbol. Remember Ignitress that I summoned that fateful night? She"s a potent example. Overall, these types of deities can be summoned by the other deities to meet several needs, given that it is not in vain.

(6) Quasi-Deities - These ranks are where the heads of pantheons are found. They are well-known as they are always in direct contact with men. An example of this is that womanizer, Zeus. How dare a human write about him and make him seem like, he is one feared deity.

(3) Relic Wardens - That Phantom Deity, Deus, is a potent figure in this rank...and that might have given you a little idea of what is in this tier. The deities in this ranks are tasked to secure a divine relic of importance. Weapons that are even more powerful than the quasi-deities. A blatant instance is the "Trancy" in Celes" hand. In another word, a bunch of underpaid antique security guards...I have no idea how that girl got Deus to give her that dangerous weapon, but it"s beyond my concern so I don"t care.

(4) Mythic Deities - Lower-ranked G.o.ds can never comprehend this tier. They are the ones endowed with the responsibility of keeping the balance to everything. And you may not believe this, but this is where I am now and I don"t even know how I got in that rank. Although I can"t care. Increasing the ranks means more responsibilities and more responsibilities lead to a busy life. Up until now, I can never understand why everybody wants to climb the ranks as soon as possible. If there was a way for me to go back to the lowest rank, I would have done it a long time ago.

(5) Archangels - The bodyguards of the magistrates that are endowed by a very strong authority. And the "commanding chiefs" of the game"s factions are from this tier. Oh, and that guy who summoned Atlas is currently in this rank, although he guards nothing, he fell from the expectations of the highest and has rebelled. So, he"s a fallen archangel perhaps.

So now we are in the higher deities which only embodies one rank...

(2) Magistrates - Hmmm. If I were to describe them, they"re like the "Supreme Student Council", except the circle is made up of deities of great importance. They are tasked to keep order and are the ones deciding the hierarchy.

Lastly, the Creation deities... The most revered of all.

(1) Primordials - There are only two primordial deities. And the two main factions or Armadas are named after them. That"s right. Chaos and Mirage. The two primary creations are under their supervision where Chaos rules the void, while Miage rules the cosmos.

Lastly, the overall dominant...

(0)The Highest - The one without start and end. From where everything was created and to where everything must come back when destroyed. And have you ever wondered why the ranks ended in zero and not first? The magistrates described the highest as the number zero. It"s empty if you look at it, but it holds an infinite possibility of value.

So you probably might find it unfair that deities from these different ranks are vying in the same gamble. You should not worry. These ranks, the moment you will start your journey outside the city gates, would be reset...And the higher and creation deities are not playing a part in the game. The magistrates act as the overseer to keep it smooth...and as for the Primordials and the highest, I really don"t know what they are up to."

" Does that mean that all deities will start from zero?"

"Yes." The G.o.ddess answered, with a very enlightened demeanor

"And why do you look so happy?"

"While starting from zero means losing all of the power I have, this means I no longer have to be tardy at any heavenly gatherings! This is the best part of the game. I get to skip work!"

"Hmmm. That"s so you...So, this highest really is a very authoritative one huh."

"Yes. While the information in accordance to him is pretty limited and vague, all I know is that every natural law surrounds him, drawing his very power to continue operating. He has the power to create and to destroy. The power to make void and the cosmos. Imagine such power."

Yes. I can pick up the sense of the image. If such power is to enter the game, everything would be broken. What I found intricate though is why the lesser deities are the only ones on the game. Why not the magistrates? Or the Primordials? They"re the ones who have the power of creation and probably, they"re the ones who made us from the get-go so why must they bear this burden? Well, whatever the answer might be, it"s probably not the perfect time to get it.

"That being said, for now, just maintain your status "Low Key"" Lacrimosa said.

"Understood. It"s also for the best that no one knows that we are not yet in an Armada. It would be bad, except for Celes and Deus who already figured it out, thanks to you explaining it to them. So, what gate will I choose? There are no such gates for the undecided you know that?"

"Great question, but with a simple answer. Go with the Chaos Armada"

"Huh? You just said that I must maintain a low profile, and now you"re saying that I should take the route with lesser people in it?"

"It"s quite commendable, that you have presumed what Armada would likely have more members. You"re right. The Chaos Armada would be outnumbered by the Mirage Armada judging by the current logic of those who have been dragged along. But you"re missing something.."

"And what might that be?"

"It might not look like it, but fairness is a radical part of this game. And to keep it is of utmost priority. "So what?" you ask? I"m telling you, there might be some special surprise that awaits the Chaos affiliates on the other side of the bridge that they would be choosing, to compensate for the big difference in numbers. It might be that you"ll be given a special privilege hole the others would not be."

"Oh. I get it, but how can you be sure?"

"Just an intel I received."

"Hmmm"

"So for now, you have to do what you have to do. If someone asks you which Armada you chose, don"t answer. And when everyone had already left the island, then you should cross the bridge. Any questions?"

"As for now, none"

"Great. If that"s the case then I should probably get back at my self-grooming activity which you disturbed earlier. I"ll meet you soon outside, I also have some preparations to do... Or, perhaps you"ve also come here for a lewd reason? State it, I might give exceptions you know"

"Hmmm. In your little dreams. s.h.i.+ro! It"s time to leave now! Say your goodbye to Pegasus-san and to aunt Lacrimosa!", I called out.

"Tsk... I"m not an aunt. Geez, how many times do I have to say this." Lacrimosa angrily stated.

"Ok then, "Aunt" is probably too much for someone who has lived for 900+ years. So that should make you a grandma."

"Hmmph!" The G.o.ddess stomped her feet and showed this annoyed look of a tsundere

The Pegasus was pretty smart. It understood what I was meaning to say and bought s.h.i.+ro down in an instant.

"Okay then, let"s not forget that fried chicken now shall we?"

"Oni-chama, will I be able to see pegasus-san again?"

"Sure!"

"Yaay! Sayonara, pegasus-san... Sayonara, Lacrimosa oni-chan" (English: Goodbye, Mr. Pegasus. Goodbye big sister Lacrimosa!)

"See? The kid is even more sensitive than you are!"

"Hayst. Right-right... Could you now open a portal for us? Oh and let it lead closer to my cla.s.sroom"

"As if I know where you"re cla.s.sroom is. Here you go, it"s my pleasure"

Then a portal reopened itself, but this time it will lead outside. For the last time, s.h.i.+ro bid her farewell to the pegasus and to the G.o.ddess and together, we jumped on.

We were transported to a hallway that seemed identical from that school I was attending. I looked at the cla.s.s identification and it was 12-B9.

So we are one floor above huh? But, it"s not that bad.

But, something else was making my mind stutter at some point...

Lacrimosa will start from zero eh?

As I had remembered it, Deus in our first conversation said something like this..." Lacrimosa, in her ability to draw power from sadness, became equal to that of the heavenly magistrates and was forced to join the ranks of the deities so that everyone can keep an eye on her." Now, I think I know why everyone must start from zero. Having someone like her around would break fairness which is a priority. Still, I think it is still pretty unbalanced. As long as there are sadness and despair, Lacrimosa"s power would increase even without her acknowledgment. Well, it should be an advantage for me though, so there"s no complaining.

s.h.i.+ro and I continued to walk. The hallway"s lights seemed to not work. Good thing that the moon"s radiance is still in its heyday...s.h.i.+ro kept holding into me, but now with a more courageous visage. She really is quick to environmental adjustments.

We then took the stairs leading to the eighth floor and found myself facing the same door of the cla.s.sroom... where I falsely believed would be the start to another boring high school year. We walked one step closer towards the destination and to my surprise, it was lit, and it seemed like someone is inside. Maybe it"s Celes? I can"t think of anyone who has the guts to trend their feet again in the school grounds on a time such as this. It must be her.

Well, I wasted enough time on that hierarchy chit-chat with Lacrimosa, so I should hurry up...Not to mention, s.h.i.+ro is also hungry.

Without adieu, I opened the doors and glided it to the side without thinking twice, in an endeavor to get my belongings back, with a little girl in the company.

Yet, the moment I opened it, what I saw was not entirely what I expected...there were more... It was the whole cla.s.s in an unprecedented reconciliation, and Celes was there too. The others looked at me like I"m an unwelcomed guest, while s.h.i.+ro hid in my back, probably being shy. Maybe I disturbed them in the middle of a very important discussion.

It looked like a major conflict just occurred and the atmosphere says so too.

Everybody else was on the other side, and in front of them was Celes, taking a stand by herself. It was like a scene of "One against the world" from my point of view...What"s happening here?

Well, whatever the quo is, the "Low Key Profile" that I have to sustain...is certainly not to be forgotten.