Chapter Text
Deep within the cosmic chaos, a magnificent palace floated in the void.
The master of this palace was a little fellow who looked like a mascot, currently sitting on a golden throne, bored out of his mind.
However, this mascot-like runt held the most exalted status in this worldand even the chaos itself. For he was the supreme ruler of the twelve universes within this void
Grand Zeno!!!
As usual, Grand Zeno was bored today.
Two taciturn attendants stood expressionless on either side of the throne, while Grand Zeno stared blankly at twelve orbs of light slowly rotating in the void before him. His eyes didn't blink once, and no one could tell what was going on inside that small, round head.
To be clear, those orbs suspended in the void were no ordinary lights; each orb represented an entire universe!
It was said that in the distant past, there had been eighteen universes in the chaos, and eighteen such orbs in Zeno's palace. However, six of them had been destroyed because they incurred Zeno’s wrath, leaving only the current twelve.
Grand Zeno did not fight, but his power and authority were absolute!
The entire palace was quite cold and cheerless. Zeno expected to pass another boring day as he always did, but whether by the hand of fate or a shift in the cosmic gears, the trajectory of the chaos suddenly changed.
To the astonishment of Zeno and his two attendants, the twelve orbs representing the universes suddenly erupted with dazzling light. Then, a thirteenth orb slowly condensed in the very center of the circle formed by the twelve!
"Grand Priest! Grand Priest!"
After a brief moment of silence, Zeno's round, mascot-like face broke into an expression of intense excitement. He hopped down from his throne and began jumping around the newly born orb of light, calling for his butler.
The supreme palace was far too quiet. This sudden arrival was like a stone thrown into a stagnant pond, finally creating ripples in a palace that hadn't changed in tens of millions of years.
Regardless of the significance of this birth, the mere fact that it provided a distraction was enough to keep Grand Zeno happy for a long time.
"Grand Zeno, you summoned me?"
A figure materialized, kneeling on one knee before Zeno.
The newcomer was somewhat short but possessed a humble yet extraordinary bearing. He had pale-blue skin, white curly hair, and a light-blue halo floating behind his head.
This was the butler of Grand Zeno and the superior of all the Angels across the twelve universesthe Grand Priest!
"Grand Priest, look! Look!"
"Eh?"
Grand Zeno shouted and bounced like a child. The Grand Priest noticed the orb of light being guarded in the center by the other twelve and was immediately struck with surprise.
"This... Is this a newly born universe?"
"Mm-hm! It appeared all on its own! I didn't do it!"
Zeno looked delighted, clarifying the matter immediately as if worried the Grand Priest might misunderstand.
Unsurprisingly, the Grand Priest's face was again filled with shock.
It wasn't Zeno’s handiworkthis was a naturally born universe!
However, as he looked at the fledgling universe surrounded by the others, the Grand Priest’s brow furrowed.
Compared to the orbs of the other universes, this new Universe 13 was much smaller and looked somewhat illusory, though it was slowly growing and solidifying.
That didn't bother him much; after all, a newly born universe needed time to evolve. What truly concerned the Grand Priest was that only one universe had been born, instead of two!
To maintain the balance of the world and chaos, there was usually a positive for every negative, a yang for every yin. Universes were typically born in pairs, yet this birth was solitary!
A sliver of worry rose in the Grand Priest’s heart. He wondered if this new universe would bring fortune or calamity, and whether it would disrupt the balance of the cosmic chaos...
But when his gaze fell upon Grand Zeno, the Grand Priest smiled inwardly, and his anxiety vanished instantly.
With the omnipotent Grand Zeno here, there was surely nothing to worry about.
"Grand Zeno, this new universe seems quite special. How would you like to handle it?" the Grand Priest asked respectfully.
"Mm-hm, I think it's special too."
"Since it’s a new Universe 13, Grand Priest, send an Angel to assist its God of Destruction."
Zeno thought for a moment before speaking.
"Grand Zeno, this universe is still in the process of growth and evolution. It seems it has not yet birthed deities of the rank of Supreme Kai or God of Destruction," the Grand Priest reported after a closer observation.
Zeno was surprised. He squinted at the orb in the center and realized that Universe 13 indeed lacked such high-ranking gods.
"In that case, just leave it there. Let it grow for a while longer," Zeno finally decided.
"As you wish, Grand Zeno."
Placing a hand over his chest, the Grand Priest bowed.
While the birth of a universe was a momentous event, to beings like the Grand Priest and Grand Zeno, it was ultimately just a minor occurrence.
With no further business, the Grand Priest withdrew. Grand Zeno hopped around for a few more laps before getting bored again and returning to his throne to stare blankly into the void.
What neither Grand Zeno nor the Grand Priest knew was that this new universewhich they had essentially brushed asidewould one day bring a massive shock to this world and the entire chaos...
To be continued...