The familiar park where elderly residents often gathered—this was the place where, last time, Noah had Kurumi deliver food to Natsumi.
Behind Noah, the faint image of the Ouroboros Ring shimmered, revealing that two stars on the Kabbalah had already been lit.
If Mio were the one to ignite the nodes, she would only end up fragmenting her own power, growing progressively weaker.
That was because Mio was merely a guardian and a companion to the Kabbalah—not its master. She could only sacrifice herself to further its growth.
But Noah was different. As the true master of the Kabbalah, every node he activated would strengthen not just himself but also those connected to the tree.
For him, the soil nurturing the Kabbalah was an entire universe—the Teyvat Universe.
For Mio, however, the soil was merely her own existence.
An individual could never compare to a universe. The individual would eventually become sustenance, while the universe and the tree would mutually reinforce each other.
Mio's soft violet eyes flickered as she pointed toward a distant location. "Noah, I can sense it—the next Spirit Crystal wielder is in that direction."
Noah followed her gaze, scanning the area. "A day off from the expected timeline? Even I can't precisely navigate a quantum-uncertain time stream."
"But the timing is still just right. Let's go bring that child, Natsumi, with us."
Among all the girls destined to become Spirits, Natsumi's past was by far the most tragic. From birth, she had never known her father.
Instead, she had been used by her mother as a tool to extort child support—a support fund that was never spent on her well-being. Instead of care, she endured physical abuse from the woman who should have protected her.
A few minutes earlier.
Natsumi walked home with her school bag slung over her shoulder. As she passed the small park, her eyes drifted toward the empty bench.
A few days ago, she had met that red-dressed onee-san here. Though the woman had simply left food behind on a whim, those meals had kept Natsumi's stomach full for the past several days.
She had rationed them carefully, making sure they lasted.
Because they smelled so good—tasted so delicious—she had hesitated to eat them too quickly.
But in the end, she had to finish them before they spoiled.
Gurgle…
Her stomach protested painfully.
"Don't make noise, stomach… We'll be home soon. Not that there's anything to eat there, anyway."
She clutched her abdomen lightly. "If I can just hold out until tomorrow's school lunch, I'll be fine."
Lost in thought, savoring the lingering memory of good food, she reached the front door of her house before she realized it.
Crash!
The sound of shattering glass erupted from inside.
Natsumi froze on the doorstep.
Through the open door, she saw the living room in utter disarray.
Her mother was in the middle of a violent fit, tearing the place apart. She ripped the clock from the wall and hurled it to the ground, shattering it.
Even though Natsumi had suffered frequent beatings and verbal abuse, she had never seen her mother this furious before.
Hesitant, she took a tentative step inside. Her instinct was to turn and flee, to wait until her mother's rage subsided before returning.
But her mother had already spotted her.
If she ran now, the punishment would be even worse later.
Trembling, Natsumi spoke in a small voice. "M-Mom… what happened?"
The disheveled woman, surrounded by broken furniture and scattered debris, let out a hollow laugh.
Then, her seething fury exploded, directed straight at Natsumi.
"Hah! Your worthless father has been dead for a month!"
Natsumi lowered her head. "Oh…"
She felt no sorrow.
After all, she had never even met the man.
Hearing Natsumi's indifferent response, the enraged woman grew even more furious. "Do you even realize what this means? Now that he's dead, I can't get child support anymore! If I'm not getting money for you, then what's the point of keeping you around? You're nothing but a burden to me!"
Natsumi lowered her head and remained silent. She was already in middle school—old enough to understand many things.
She knew that the woman in front of her, the one she was forced to call "Mother," had never loved her. To this woman, she had always been nothing more than a tool for extorting money from a father she had never even met.
As she listened to every cruel and biting word spewed at her, an overwhelming tide of emotions surfaced—feelings she had buried deep inside for as long as she could remember.
Her lips trembled, her dry throat constricting, and her eyes turned red with unshed tears.
Memories flashed through her mind—every moment she had ever shared with this so-called mother.
Not once had she ever felt warmth.
She understood what motherly love was supposed to be. Every time she walked past family restaurants, peering inside at happy parents dining with their children, she longed for that same affection.
It wasn't just motherly love she had been deprived of—she had never even experienced a single moment of genuine care.
At school, she didn't care about the gossip of her classmates or the scolding of her teachers. The only thing that mattered to her was getting the free school lunch.
The woman, seeing Natsumi's downcast face and silence, smirked in ridicule. "Look at you—so scrawny and ugly. Not even a brothel would take you in."
Natsumi clenched her fists, biting her lower lip. For the first time in her life, she felt a burning rage toward this woman.
She lifted her head and retorted, "Heh… Sorry for being born looking just as ugly as you."
"Maybe that's why my so-called father wanted nothing to do with you."
The moment the words left her mouth, regret washed over her.
Even when she had stayed silent, she had suffered beatings. Now that she had talked back, she knew she was about to face something far worse.
The woman's face twisted into a monstrous snarl. If she had considered Natsumi useless before, now she saw her as nothing more than trash to be discarded.
Losing all reason, she lunged forward, her hands wrapping around Natsumi's thin neck.
"Ah—!"
Natsumi barely managed a single scream before she was slammed onto the floor, her air supply instantly cut off.
Her emerald eyes widened, reflecting the hideous, contorted face of her mother looming over her.
She was going to kill her.
Natsumi clawed at the hands tightening around her throat, but her frail, malnourished body lacked the strength to fight back.
Her breaths grew shallow—desperate—but no air reached her lungs.
Her vision blurred, growing darker by the second.
Am I… going to die?
Just like this…?
In this world… no one has ever loved me. No one has ever cared for me.
Tears welled in her eyes, spilling over, soaking the hands that choked her.
But the frenzied woman was too consumed by her rage to notice.
And then, at that moment—a warm voice echoed inside Natsumi's mind.
[You are a good girl, a kind girl. No one has loved you yet… because you were always meant to receive the love of a god.]
[If a god loves you… would you love him in return?]
The haze in Natsumi's eyes vanished, clarity returning as she processed the voice's words.
Deep within her heart, she screamed desperately.
I will! No matter what it takes… please… save me!
Natsumi clung to this desperate plea, her heart screaming for salvation.
The next moment, an emerald gemstone materialized out of thin air, glowing brilliantly on her forehead.
The radiance startled the woman who had been moments away from choking her own daughter to death.
The emerald light merged into Natsumi's body, dissolving her tattered clothes into pure energy. As the light condensed, it reformed into a sorceress-like astral outfit. A pointed witch's hat, adorned with the same emerald gemstone, settled atop her head.
For the first time, Natsumi felt an overwhelming surge of power coursing through her veins. She instinctively understood what she was now capable of.
Simultaneously, a flood of information appeared in her mind.
There was no time to process it all. In her hand materialized a broomstick-shaped weapon—her Angel.
"Impostor Witch—"
A sorrowful incantation escaped her lips.
In an instant, the woman strangling her transformed into a grotesque, hideous frog.
"Ribbit! Ribbit!" The monstrous frog let out terrified croaks.
Natsumi, now gripping her Angel for support, staggered to her feet, her breathing ragged. She stepped on the frog and walked out of the wreckage of what had never truly been a home.
Only after she had left did the frog revert to human form, the woman collapsing unconscious onto the floor.
...
By now, the sun had begun to set. Natsumi ran frantically through the streets, unsure of her destination.
She had nowhere to go.
She just kept running—running as if escaping from hell itself.
Her breath came in gasps as she finally stopped, leaning against a wall for support. Tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks, yet she burst into laughter.
"Haha… hahaha…"
Her laughter was ragged and broken, filled with pain.
Tears mixed with hysterical chuckles as she wept and laughed at the same time.
"I should've left sooner. I should have run away from that woman ages ago."
She was a middle schooler now. She could take up part-time jobs and support herself.
Why had she endured it for so long?
Her laughter faded into sobs. Kneeling on the ground, she covered her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking.
"Wuuu… wuuu..."
The streets were empty now. Families had already gathered at home, sharing dinner, their laughter and conversations spilling from warmly lit windows.
Through a window nearby, she could see a family eating together, talking, and laughing.
"I… I just wanted you to love me… Just once."
"I never even wanted revenge…"
The sound of approaching footsteps echoed in her ears.
Natsumi slowly lifted her head, her face still damp with tears. But at this moment, she didn't care how she looked or who was watching.
In her blurred vision, she saw a breathtakingly handsome man standing before her.
Beside him, a woman in a flowing white gown—almost like a wedding dress—stood serenely. There was something divine about her presence.
Even without needing further confirmation, Natsumi knew immediately.
The power she had received—the one who had granted it to her—was this man before her.
A god.
And the woman next to him… she was like her.
Another Spirit.
Natsumi wiped her tears away with her sleeve, her voice trembling as she looked up at Noah.
"God… Have you come to take me away?"
Even after receiving such power, she still found it hard to believe.
That someone like her—ugly, frail, unloved—had been chosen by a divine being.
Noah crouched down and gently embraced Natsumi, his voice soft and soothing.
"This world may not always be kind, but there is still beauty within it. And kindhearted girls like you are meant to be loved."
"Cry if you need to. Let it all out here in my arms. Then, stand tall, be strong, and embrace the beauty that the world has to offer."
As he spoke, he gently patted her back, his touch warm and comforting.
"You were never unloved. Love just hadn't reached you yet. But now… I am here."
"This is a love that will last until the end of the universe."
Natsumi felt the warmth of the divine embrace surrounding her, a love she had never known. Her tears, once uncontrollable, flowed freely as she clung to Noah's waist, burying her face in his chest, sobbing in silence.
But this time, her tears were not of pain.
Tears streamed down her face as she held onto the only person who had ever shown her kindness.
Watching from the side, Mio took in the scene, her violet eyes reflecting emotions she had never felt before. "Is this… salvation?"
Noah… he was saving them, wasn't he?
By now, Natsumi's tears had soaked through Noah's shirt. Though he was not wearing his divine attire, just a simple outfit, he didn't seem to mind. His hand gently stroked her back.
Her small, frail frame trembled in his arms. Years of malnutrition had left her underdeveloped, her bones too prominent beneath her skin. Her long, emerald-green hair was dry and tangled, her body delicate and thin—so fragile that it made Noah's heart ache.
After a long while, Natsumi's sobs quieted, but she remained in his embrace, her breath shaky, her face buried in his chest. Slowly, she became aware of the scent of his warmth, the comfort of his presence, and suddenly, her face grew hot.
Realizing what she was doing, she shyly loosened her grip and lowered her head, fidgeting awkwardly.
Peeking up at him through her lashes, she found Noah gazing at her with gentle eyes. The moment their eyes met, she ducked her head again like a frightened rabbit.
"I… um… Lord God… I-I'm sorry for… for dirtying your clothes…" she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.
Noah reached out his hand, and Natsumi instinctively flinched, expecting reprimand. But instead, he simply pinched her cheek lightly.
"Why is your face so warm? Are you embarrassed?" he teased with a soft chuckle.
Natsumi kept her head down, her cheeks flushing even redder.
Noah sighed fondly and helped her to her feet. "I came here to take you away, Natsumi. Are you ready?"
She nodded, still fidgeting, her mind replaying his words from before.
If God loves you, will you love him in return?
Noah lovingly brushed away the lingering tears on her face. "I will take you to my divine garden, a place where all beautiful things gather. Is there anything you still wish to do in this world?"
Natsumi hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. "No… nothing, Lord God."
There was nothing left for her here.
She was about to leave for the divine garden, a place where only beauty resided.
But as she thought about it, a flicker of sadness passed through her eyes.
Her mother.
Even after everything, she had still longed for her mother's love—just once.
But it was over now.
She had been unloved her entire life, and yet, in the end, she had been chosen by God's love.
And if God loved her, then from now on, she would love only him in return.
Grrrrr—
At that moment, her stomach growled loudly.
Natsumi quickly clutched her abdomen, her head lowering even further in embarrassment, fearing she might be scolded.
But instead, she caught the scent of something delicious.
Lifting her gaze hesitantly, she saw Noah holding a box of freshly made fried chicken.
In that instant, she understood.
The red-dressed woman who had given her food before… was a Spirit.
And Noah had been the one behind it all.
"The fried chicken from before… That was you… Lord God…?" Natsumi's voice wavered, her eyes welling up once again.
Overwhelming warmth spread through her heart.
Noah smiled and patted her head. "Alright, alright, let's calm down and deal with that noisy stomach of yours."
Tearing off a drumstick, he placed it in her hands.
Tears dripped onto the food as Natsumi took a bite, her emotions overflowing once more.
"Thank you, Lord God… Thank you… for loving me so much."
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