Recalling the time a year and a half ago when Maia was at a hot spring resort with the current head, Tovera, and her mother, Fubuki, she remembered taking a bath in an onsen with only the three of them present.
Sitting beside Fubuki and relaxing to the sensation of the water against her naked body, Maia noticed the subtle glances from her mother, while her grandmother was already melting away on the other side of them, paying no attention to anyone or anything.
"Maia."
Fubuki called out her daughter's name while maintaining a calm smile, her back resting against the edge of the bath.
"Is there something wrong, Mother?"
Maia asked curiously.
"Do you see yourself surpassing me and possibly even taking a place for yourself as Chief?"
"..."
"Well?"
"No. In all honesty, I am already content just being at your side and helping you however I can."
Answering without a trace of deceit in her voice, Maia looked toward Tovera.
Upon receiving her reply, her mother's expression grew stern, and she continued.
Growing more uneasy with each passing minute, Maia felt that Fubuki's questions were becoming increasingly blunt, with little regard for tact.
Why was she content with remaining behind her?
Why was she not more ambitious?
"Being clear here, I am worried about your current state. YOU are limiting yourself. YOU are stagnating. And, Maia, YOU have become far too comfortable with it. You are great as my trusted right hand and perform your duties exceptionally well. While your power does possess offensive capabilities, you mainly use it to defend yourself."
Fubuki said, driving another nail into the point she was making.
"Competent as you are as the eldest of the Azumas I birthed, that way of thinking—relying on me and your grandmother—is a deadly poison that I wish for you to slowly cure."
She admitted it plainly. Raising her arms above her head and stretching her body, she slowly rolled her neck before turning to her side, specifically toward Maia.
Visibly distressed, Maia did not like the look her mother was giving her in any shape or form. Barely a few words had been spoken, yet each one felt like a blade pressed against her throat and pride.
Clenching her fists, instead of complaining or denying the obvious reality that had been slapped across her face, she made a resolve that day. After that conversation with her mother, she wanted to prove her wrong and show her that she could still grow stronger.
********
Not breaking her promise, Maia spent the following months becoming far more proactive in combat. She began taking advantage of The Great One's abilities in a more offensive manner instead of relying on her usual passive defensive approach.
She was starting to get better.
Even she knew it herself.
Still, she found herself growing increasingly annoyed, frustrated, and impatient. Her temper became shorter, and her head grew hotter with each passing day. It was a brief period of her life during which she decreased her time for her hobbies and gaming, focusing entirely on completing the jigsaw piece she felt was missing from her puzzle of progress.
'What am I doing wrong?'
Removing her glasses, she massaged her forehead after flattening a group of Shuuki that she had personally chased down and hunted.
'I improved my attacks and the application of my power, but I still cannot grasp that feeling.'
Increasing the intensity of her training had helped her realize that there was still more potential within her than either she or her family had expected. In exchange, however, it had clouded her mind and intensified her desire to scratch away at the frustration of failing to reach that level of power.
'My approach... something must be wrong with it if I am still stuck despite all this improvement.'
Reaching a critical realization, she began to suspect that her impatience might be her greatest enemy.
Spending time in the library of the Azuma Residence and searching online for answers, Maia came to understand that her brute-force approach needed to change.
And to accomplish that, she would need to reach a state of absolute calmness and purify her mind.
After formulating a believable reason to take a month-long leave, she departed overseas under the guise of a "vacation." With Fubuki's trust in her, the woman did not dig deeper into what her eldest daughter was truly doing.
Traveling to Southeast Asia, Maia climbed a mountain to reach a monastery nestled among its heights.
Greeting the Tibetan monks and hoping to learn from them, Maia spent her weeks meditating, visualizing her true self, removing every material distraction in order to improve her inner clarity and, hopefully, reach enlightenment.
One afternoon, during her usual meditation deep within the forest beside a waterfall, she sat in a lotus position with her hand forming a Gyan Mudra. Her mind had reached a state of absolute calmness, her eyes closed behind the absence of her glasses.
Her astral body formed inside her head.
And after it formed, her inner world became a vast, dark ocean. Her consciousness gradually sank deeper and deeper into its depths. Instead of swimming upward to escape the darkness slowly enveloping her, she allowed herself to descend.
Landing upon the ocean floor, her eyes slowly became accustomed to the darkness, allowing her to see clearly despite being deep beneath the water.
In front of her was a hand.
A white aura surrounded the hand, which was connected to a body missing half of itself and topped by a faceless head.
With each step she took toward it, her physical form reacted as though a sealed node was being opened. White aura leaked from her body while, within her mind, she continued walking through the depths.
—Thump
Her heartbeat echoed.
—Thump
As she drew closer to the half-formed figure resting upon the ocean floor, the aura began spreading across its body.
As though teasing her, it remained motionless while the entire figure became illuminated by the white aura, which gradually began to change color.
A golden-brown radiance overtook it.
The aura surrounding Maia's physical body shifted as well, changing into the same golden-brown hue.
Having reached the enlightenment she sought, the statue-like figure finally moved, raising its hand and extending its palm forward.
Smiling to herself, Maia slowly opened her eyes.
Going to an open space with the wind brushing against her hand, Maia looked down at her palm.
The jigsaw piece she had desperately wanted.
She had finally found it.
Summoning a giant faceless statue with multiple arms from the earth beneath her feet, Maia spoke its name. Pressing her palms together for a brief moment, she recited an ancient chant that seemed to shout from beyond the clouds themselves.
Golden-brown light rippled across the statue's surface like sunlight flowing over sacred stone.
Closing her eyes once more.
Her lips moved.
A chant emerged.
Not a cry of war.
Not a declaration of power.
A prayer.
A vow.
A path.
"Homage to the awakened ones."
"Homage to those who crossed beyond suffering."
"Homage to those who sought the truth beneath the endless sky."
Each word rolled across the battlefield like the tolling of a distant temple bell.
The statue behind her mirrored her stillness.
Its countless arms slowly joined together in prayer.
The air grew heavier.
The sky grew quieter.
Even the horizon seemed to bow.
Maia's voice continued, calm and unwavering.
"May the wandering find direction."
"May the fallen rise."
"May the ignorant see."
"May the heavens bear witness."
The statue opened dozens of palms toward the sky.
For an instant, it looked less like a weapon and more like a bridge connecting earth and heaven.
The golden-brown radiance surged.
Then, with a serene smile that held neither arrogance nor doubt, she spoke the final invocation.
"Let us embrace the heavens—"
********
"Bahu-hasta"
Looking at the enormous statue standing behind Maia, Hawk immediately felt alarm bells ringing in her head.
Her atmosphere was deadlier than before.
Even so, she had no intention of running away.
"You have a fancy new toy with you. It won't change your fate of being ended by me, though."
Jumping from the building, Hawk launched herself forward and flew straight toward Maia, even faster than she had at the start of their fight.
Bringing both hands together in a prayer-like gesture, Maia slashed one hand downward.
In response, one of the statue's massive arms came crashing down, striking Hawk directly and sending her hurtling toward the ground.
Not waiting for the impact to settle, Hawk pushed herself back into the air. However, before she could regain momentum, the statue's hand struck her again after Maia casually moved her palm.
The second blow swatted her from the sky like an insect.
Rolling herself like a cannonball and regaining her balance midair, Hawk stubbornly continued attacking where Maia stood, doing everything she could. Her mind clouded her judgment, and her desire to slice Maia apart had become her sole priority.
A bad call on her part.
Taking advantage of her mental state, Maia chopped her back to the ground once again.
"DON'T GET COCKY, YOU BITCH!!"
She shouted; however, a shadow loomed over her as a giant fist came crashing down and slammed into her, forcing a cry of pain from her lips. Right after that, consecutive strikes from multiple hands gunned her down relentlessly, subjecting her to a barrage of blunt force attacks.
The cumulative damage began to build throughout her body, but she ignored it entirely. Moving on instinct alone, she waited for the hands to pause before flying straight toward Maia, having learned absolutely nothing from their previous exchange.
"I am only hearing a pigeon talking big, like a fool too blind to see she has no chance of winning."
Releasing a huge breath, Maia proceeded to clasp and lock her hands together.
Trapping Hawk inside her hands after catching her, she stood still while the woman she had imprisoned continued resisting.
"Curse you, Azumas!"
Pouring all her strength into resisting, Hawk used every ounce of her power to keep herself from being crushed.
'How much was she holding back?'
Shocked and unprepared for the situation she now found herself in, she had believed the tempo of the fight had been hers from the very beginning. Her confidence had blinded her to the fact that Maia had been concealing an even more annoying power, ultimately hoisting her with her own petard.
As the palm trapping her opened through her own sheer struggle, she was shaking to the bone and shouted.
Maintaining her clasped hands, Maia smirked.
She separated her arms, letting Hawk free from the statue's hand.
"Give up, and I might grant you a lenient punishment that does not involve death."
Maia's threat came as she looked at the battered state of her enemy.
Hawk stared at her with angry eyes. Gritting her teeth, she spat blood downward while maintaining her position in midair with her wings.
"We're not done yet, so don't get so fucking confident that you've won, Four Eyes."
"A pigeon talking back to me. How adorable."
"Drop dead!"
Maia moved her hands in tandem with the statue as the battle between the two continued.
Charging back in, the two continued their clash. Hawk's battered state only made her rage-fueled assault grow more reckless, while Maia's mind reached a state completely opposite to hers, resembling a calm water.
********
Not easing up even for a moment, the Devotees continued their rampage.
Juggernaut was making a mess of Shibuya Crossing.
Viper was terrorizing every living being in Shinjuku.
Phantom acted like a boogeyman haunting Tokyo Station.
On the other hand, in Ginza, all of the Devotees had been neutralized. Their unconscious bodies were piled up in a line after Hideo destroyed their ship, and the JSDF took care of the rest along the way.
The JSDF martial artist, Azusa, picked her nose and flicked her booger at them.
"I really am gonna crack all these bitches' spines if they don't answer our interrogations later on."
She snickered and kicked one of them.
Meanwhile, another teammate opened the enemies' clothing. Their bodies were abnormal in a very literal sense, resembling a Shuuki if one ignored their faces, which still retained a human appearance.
Sighing, Chisa said to Azusa,
"I haven't even met them, but these Thunder Gods? I hope they fucking get buried six feet underground."
"..."
"What's wrong?"
"No matter how many times I see it, it's still funny how different you are normally compared to when you use your ability."
"Okay, I AM forced to do that shit. You all should be grateful I buffed all you idiots before you got screwed up by these people."
"Whatever you say, Princess."
"I already told all of you morons not to call me that."
A vein bulged on Chisa's forehead as she clenched her fist. Azusa, on the other hand, continued teasing her while they rested after the exhausting fight.
Looking around after noticing someone was missing, Chisa turned her head and even got to her feet to get a better view of everyone. Seeing her act like that, Azusa shrugged.
"The Kamen Rider disappeared right after he demolished that ship. God knows where he is right now."
"Too bad. I would've liked to thank him again for saving my ass earlier."
"Ass? You have no ass to brag about anyway."
"...Okay, you bastards are really testing me."
She flashed Azusa a fat middle finger before looking up and taking a deep breath.
"With everything that's happened, the Kamen Rider really did help a lot during this disaster."
Tying up her purple hair, Azusa nodded in silent agreement before getting back to her feet.
"Wherever he is right now, I'm sure he's doing just fine—probably better than the rest of us."
They looked at each other, realizing they actually shared the same opinion. After a brief nod of agreement, they immediately flipped each other off again.
"Fuck you, Princess."
"Fuck you too, Azusa."
*******
Tilting his belt, Hideo undid his transformation and sat inside a destroyed convenience store, hidden from the sight of others as he tried to cool down.
"I wanna sleep so badly."
He covered his face and massaged it. Scratching his hair, he grabbed several packs of protein bars and multiple bottles of room-temperature Pocari Sweat to replenish his energy.
Opening one of the packs, he repeatedly chewed on the bar before uncapping a bottle and gulping down its contents as though it were his last day alive. Once finished, he tossed the empty bottle aside.
Done with his quick snack, he simply sat there in silence and leaned back, resting with no one around him.
"Where is that woman?"
He frowned.
He had paid it no mind during the battle, but Isadora was still missing after separating from him when they left the shelter. Before leaving, she had told him that she would be back and that he should not worry.
A request he simply could not follow, because there was no way he would not think about it when she still had not returned.
"Setting her aside, I gotta rest up for a moment."
Because, for some reason, he had a feeling that something even worse than the battle earlier was going to happen.
And he wanted to have all the strength he could muster before it did.
********
Afterword:
Serious-Senpai: [This seriousness, this feeling—I like it!!!! I FINALLY ESCAPED THAT SUGAR-LAND ROMANCE HELL I AM FORCED TO WITNESS EVERY DAY!!]
Author-san: [I mean, isn't it better if it's peaceful?]
Serious-Senpai: [That guy Kaito and his harem make me sick—I have a type of diabetes never seen before. LIKE COME ON, that ikemen always makes any woman-shaped and single person fall in love with him. Add the fact that that fucking deranged yandere goddess always bullies me whenever I even remotely talk bad about her child.]
Author-san: [Makina—I mean, Eden is quite fond of her creations, so I am not remotely surprised.]
Serious-Senpai: [Just asking, Author-san, why don't you make your own secretary if you want someone to be with you right here? Aren't you a god?]
Author-san: [I tried it already.]
Serious-Senpai: [And what happened?]
Author-san: [I was worried and overthinking, so I gave her a little package as her powers. Unlike you, where even the end of the multiverse will not kill you due to your gag-character durability being your only trait—and being annoying too.]
Serious-Senpai: [Ignoring that slander, what did you give her?]
Author-san: [Not that special. I gave her—]
List of powers given by Author-san to his supposed Jade Beauty Assistant:
* Absolute Holy Power
* Dragon Ball Super power of Destruction multiplied by 9 × 10 googolplex⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹
* Battle Power of Grand Priest multiplied by 999 × 999 googolplex⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹
* Concept of Genesis and Exodus
* Anti-Evil
* Miracle Invocation
* Vivian's chosen one
* Blessing of the lady of the lake
* Orichalcum Bones
* Absolute Purification
* Empyrean Sight
* Spirit Annihilation
* Anti-Spirit
* Unaging Body (Immortal)
* Regeneration of a Phoenix multiplied by 999x999 googolplex⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹
* Avatar of Michael, Uriel, Metatron, Raphael, and Raguel
* God's Chosen One
* Conceptual control of Space
* Conceptual control of Time
* Cosmic God of Cooking
* Deity of Instruments
* God of Singing
* Ultimate Literature
* Supreme Aesthetic Sense
* Universal Linguistics
* Supreme Seamstress
* Grandmaster of Cleaning
* Master of Etiquette
* Supreme Gardening
* Peak Fishing Art
* Supreme Memory
* Supreme Brewmaster
* Grand Butchery of Meat
* Supreme Calligraphy
* Master of Harvests
* Grand Carpenter
* Supreme Dancer
* Charisma Rank EX+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++..... infinity
* Aura of Desire (on and off)
* Natural Law Manipulation
* Clone (50 percent of users power)
* Thought Acceleration (999x999 googolplex⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹)
* Conceptual control of Separation
* Conceptual control of Fate
* Conceptual control of Entropy
* Conceptual control of Potential
* Conceptual control of Paradox
* Mystery Slayer
* Primordial Blood in his body (mixed with Lunar blood and the blood of the Primordial Goddess of the Moon)
* Celestialsapien Body Transformation (The User can control it without talking to other wills)
* Immunity to Mental Attacks
* Immunity to Spirit-Based Harm
* Immunity to Harmful Elementals
* Immunity to Conceptual Controls
* No Oxygen Needed
* Speed: 999googolplex⁹⁹⁹⁹ x 999googolplex⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹ Faster than light
* Strength that can carry the whole Multiverse
* Adaptive Regeneration
* Absolute immunity to Time Stop
* Absolute Immunity to Temporal Erasure
* Absolute Immunity to Causality Manipulation
* Absolute Immunity to Spatial Severing
* Absolute Immunity to Spatial Collapse
* Absolute Immunity to Oblivion
* Absolute immunity to Omnipotent Will
* Beyond the Pen
* The Plotless
* Absolute Immunity to Instant Death Attacks that ignore immunity
* Absolute Immunity to Fate Manipulation
* Absolute Immunity to Law Manipulation
* Absolute Immunity to Abstract Authority
* Absolute Immunity to Nihilism
* Flight
* Eternal Arms Mastery Rank EX++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++..... infinity
* Absolute Demon/Devil Slayer
* Paladin of God
* Shadow Monarch multiplied by 999x999googolplex¹⁰⁰⁰⁰⁰⁰⁰⁰⁰⁰⁰⁰⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹
* Apostle of Vivian
* Anti-Fallen Angel Zone (within a 100-meter radius; if he decides an angel can't be corrupted, their wings will not turn black)
* Absolute Dragon Slayer
* Absolute God Slayer
* Radiant Sanctuary – Creates a divine zone that multiplies all stats of nearby allies by 999x999 googolplex⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹within a 100,000,000,000-meter radius (including self).
Condition: Allies must have good alignment.
Restriction: Does not benefit enemies, even if they have good alignment.
* Hand of Midas (toggleable)
* Absolute Cleansing Purification (self and others)
* Full Body Restoration (to others)
* Area Absolute Healing (to allies only, within a 10,000,000,000,000-meter radius)
* Absolute Immunity to Conceptual Erasure
* Nature's Beloved
* Hero's Haki
* Perfect Good Alignment (immunity to corruption)
* Magic/Ki Reactor that is 999x999 googolplex⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹ stronger than normal
* Absolute control speech (toggle off and on)
* Deity of Forgery
* Kido
* Mystic Arts
* Clairvoyance Rank EX++++++++++++++++++++++++++++.... Infinity
* Primordial Ruins
* Divine Fire
* Divine Lightning
* Absolute Zero Ice
* Authority of Fire, Water, Air, and Earth
* Vector Manipulate
* Dark Matter
* Quantum Manipulation
* Conceptual Overwrite
* Erasure of Erasure
* Law of Absolute Return
* Undefined Existence
* Absolute Irreversibility
* Universal Magic Affinity
* True Arcana Eyes
* Primordial Magus
* Sovereign of Mana
* Anima Magus
* Kaleidoscope
* Plot Armor Buster
* Toon Force Buster
* Gag Character Buster
—
Enhanced Nasuverse Armaments( 9999999x999999googolplex⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹⁹ stronger than the original Noble Phantasm power):
* Rhongomyniad
* Enuma Elish
* Gate of Babylon (The multiplier applies to ALL the weapons inside the treasure vault)
* Vasavi Shakti
* Excalibur
—
Serious-Senpai: [.....]
Author-senpai: [I only slightly messed up in making her powers.]
Serious-Senpai: [In no fucking dimension are those stats normal!!!]
Author-san: [You think so? I bet my character can't even beat Goku.]