Rika Minami's explanation.
Riku wasn't entirely sure about that.
It wasn't that Riku was a perfectly virtuous man. That would be nonsense.
In the past, Riku and Alice were a couple who loved to fight. They would meet in the morning, argue by noon, and end up together by night. Their relationship was fast and intense.
Because Alice lived for such a long time, her emotions and thoughts were different from those of humans. Also, Riku and Alice were similar people. They were both powerful beings who loved to have fun. They were two of a kind.
Over the last two hundred years, Riku's own mindset had changed a lot.
The current question was: Saya Takagi was just an ordinary girl, right? It had barely been a year. Could she really have changed that much?
"She admires strength!" Rika crossed her arms and said casually, "In this broken country, it's normal for women to admire strength. For a girl like Saya, your power, Mr. Riku, makes that admiration unavoidable."
Riku raised an eyebrow, amused. "Rika, that doesn't sound very professional coming from a soldier, does it?"
"What do you mean?"
Rika immediately shook her head, looking serious. "Mr. Riku, don't say that. I belong to the [Longhuang Universe] and the [Longhuang Empire]. I'm not a soldier of any other country."
"So, this [Longhuang Empire] is another one of Alice's creations?" Riku asked helplessly.
"That's what Lady Alice said. She even mentioned that, in the future, the [Apocalypse Universe] will be 'Pasture No. 1,' and the [Longhuang Empire] will be the supreme overlord." Rika felt no pressure about her home universe.
It was a joke, really. Because of various problems, she hadn't been doing well there. The fact that she reached her position at all showed how capable she was. And then? Humanity had lost, and the universe had collapsed because it was treated like a toy.
Where was the sense of belonging in that? It was better to pick a side early and follow Mr. Riku to get the rewards.
She was also part of the first group of followers. Saeko Busujima's arrangements were already mostly settled, and she and Rei would be moved over soon. If they waited until there were more people, would such positions even be available to them?
Both Rika and Rei were self-aware. They were geniuses among humans, but compared to a monster like Saeko Busujima, they were nothing.
Riku didn't share his plans for the neighboring [Saint Seiya Universe] with Saori Kido, as there was no partnership there. But Saeko, Rika, and Rei were his own people. He would keep them informed. In Rika's eyes, they were just lucky to have arrived early. If they had come later, they would have been no different from her silly best friend—just pretty decorations on a shelf.
"..."
Listening to Rika's words and looking at her tanned skin, Riku couldn't help but let his thoughts wander.
In a way, she wasn't wrong.
He called the region outside the universe the "Crystal Wall Sea." Within each universe, he managed the life forms, making them mine "Cosmic Energy" for him, and then transported the "Blue Mineral" back to his own universe.
It clicked. It all made sense.
Good grief, had he started the Age of Discovery? Had he become the supreme ruler of a pasture?
"Yeah!"
"Mr. Riku, it really is just like that!"
Seeing Riku's silence, Rika couldn't help but nod with a smirk.
Riku rubbed his brow, not knowing what else to say. Forget it. He didn't want to overthink it.
"Rika, how are your preparations coming along?" Riku decided to change the subject.
Hearing that they were discussing business, Rika turned serious. "Mr. Riku, everything that needs to be prepared is ready. Rei and I have successfully activated our Cosmo, but our foundations are still too weak. It will take another year or two to strengthen them."
Both Rika and Rei were frustrated by this. The requirements for Cosmo were very high for the human body. Under the guidance of the [Core of the Universe], their bodies were changing, but that took time—at least another year or two.
And Saeko Busujima?
*Heh.*
In just three short months, Saeko had completed the journey that would take the other two years.
"No rush," Riku said, shaking his head slightly. "We have plenty of time. Haste makes waste, especially when it comes to handling these matters."
Rika nodded gently. She understood the logic. Riku's plans were vast; impatience would be meaningless.
The discussion ended there.
Suddenly, Rika made her move. She leaned in close to Riku's ear and whispered, "Mr. Riku, since that little girl Saya is too shy, I'll invite you to dinner instead~~~"
With that, Rika gave a dashing smile and turned to walk away.
"..."
Riku stood there, feeling amused. Why did it feel like his situation was a bit... different? Was he being targeted?
"Go on!"
"Go on!"
"And don't come looking for me for a while!"
Alice's voice suddenly echoed in Riku's ear. She was scared. She was terrified. *Just stay away from me.*
Riku found it funny. He looked up, gazing past the planet.
"The Blue Mineral transported from the [Apocalypse Universe] has turned into pure 'Cosmic Energy,' and it's starting to spread, using this planet as its core. The Nirvana is already being erased."
In Riku's eyes, the entire [Longhuang Universe] looked like a flat map. As the blue energy—the "Cosmic Energy"—was added, the darkness that had covered the map began to disappear. It was like clearing the fog of war in a game, though the fog was clearing slowly.
But that was fine.
Riku was never in a rush. As long as the first step was taken and stability was achieved, the rest would follow in due time.
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