Part 2 epilogue: A talk at the referee room

-18th day of the AC, 18.04.1052-

-Time: About 20:00-

-Location: God's Realm-

"*Sigh* Another day passed," Yberion said, leaning back on the sofa in the large living room he sat in.

The room itself was roughly 5 by 6 meters, with a gray, tiled floor and walls made of solid concrete painted in a maroon color. There were two entrances to the enclosure, but surprisingly, not a single window despite its overall size. An array of small lamps on the ceiling shimmered in sequence with weak light, creating an effect similar to that of a wave passing on top of the water.

Overall, the space the God of Truth was in wasn't... very welcoming. It wasn't designed to be inviting in the first place, but he did kind of wonder how was it that such anyone would want to actively live in such a place. And yet, that very person was sitting in a bean chair just barely two meters away.

"You sound dissatisfied," Regan replied, glancing at the other god with his purple eyes that glimmered in the dim atmosphere of the room.

The God of Space appeared rather unremarkable with his delicate, almost frail human build. Standing at a height of approximately 175 cm, he was somewhat shorter than Yberion. His unkempt, armpit-length hair was a shade of black and suggested a lack of care beyond washing. His half-closed eyes of violet color betrayed a sense of detachment that was seldom seen in even the most indifferent individuals. Regan's clothing consisted of a dark gray hoodie, a loose-fitting black shirt, and matching pants that hung off his frame.

Overall, Regan's choice of attire and appearance gave him the appearance of a somewhat well-dressed beggar, at least by the standards of Casali. His face was notably sunken, accentuated by the large bags under his eyes that hinted at possible insomnia. His features, including his ears, lips, and nose, were all rather small, which only served to highlight his slightly bony cheeks.

Still, despite his appearance, Regan was a god in his own right. Even Yberion had to admit that this man was fitting for the place of one of the strongest gods, with his attribute of freely re-shaping all space around him, allowing him to cross even the greatest distances in an instant or negating any attack aimed at him. But even though mortals on Casali knew Regan as the God of Space, nobody knew how strong he was. Only the other denizens of this realm knew that Regan was not to be messed around with. He was the only one of the gods who could take any other head-on. Maybe he couldn't win every time, but he most definitely wouldn't lose easily even to Sia or Trigal. His physical and magical powers were the median of all gods, making him proficient in both styles.

"It's hard to not be," Yberion answered, shrugging a little. The white robe he wore shifted on his body slightly as he adjusted his position. "Most of them are being rather cautious. This is quite unlike the first Competition."

"Maybe this time around we'll get to see Hanil's Apostle for longer than a few weeks, then," Regan answered in a monotone voice. However, there seemed to be a glint of underlying anticipation in the way his eyes glanced at the wall in front of the two, to the numerous displays of the Apostles. His lips curved a little in a smile.

"Nevertheless, it is a little unsatisfactory. Wolqa's Apostle decided to dedicate himself to work (as we could expect), and Anila's is stranded on an island. If they at least had the will to become stronger faster, perhaps this would've been more entertaining."

Regan didn't answer initially, his eyes lazily glancing from one screen to another. "I, for one, like it."

"Hmm?"

"It's slow. Peaceful, as it is. This means they'll grow much stronger before the confrontation than they did in the first one."

"...I'm still not certain."

The God of Space didn't respond for a long moment. "...that one seems fun to watch," he finally said, pointing to one of the displays.

"...Hmm... Redion's Apostle...? Not particularly strong, or intelligent. The best trait that he has is the incredible persistence of his spirit. At times, it's like can't tire out."

"Yeah. I enjoy that aspect of him."

"But I wouldn't say it's that entertaining. He's almost lost two of his three companions so far, and he didn't even gather a single head to aid him permanently. Moreover, he's far behind others. Sia's Apostle is almost level 100 by now. Ardu's and Trigal's are both around that level as well. In comparison, Redion's is almost as weak as Wolqa's."

"Maybe so, but I would say his endurance is quite interesting. Most would have given up by now, meanwhile, he willingly threw himself into the most dangerous place he knew, all to prove a point. If he's given adequate time, his talent will surely blossom."

"..."

"Of course, he has a long way to go if he wants to reach Beatrice's level, but I like his spirit. Reminds me of her during her beginnings," a small smile appeared on Regan's face, the god seemingly reminiscing about the woman.

"...time will tell. It's still too early to say anything concrete about him."

"...hm. Has anyone caught your eye yet?"

"I was thinking about Leterror's Apostle. He understands his attribute very well, fittingly for a person who dabbled in dark magic for years. I expected him to be tainted by the first demon he summoned, but he took control spectacularly. I'm looking forward to seeing how he will expand upon his powers. Perhaps he may even summon one of the great demons."

"Agreed. He doesn't give in to the feeling of supremacy. He's as guarded as he is talented. His proficiency in the class might just be the highest out of all the Apostles. Definitely in the top 5 strongest as well, just next to Jua's."

"...*Sigh* Yes, right next to hers..." Yberion's mood appeared to deflate slightly.

"Why are you sighing? The situation with her has been resolved."

"I understand that, however... I have mixed feelings about it," the God of Space said, looking down a little. "If she's done this now, did she do it during the first Competition?"

Regan put a hand on his chin for a long moment. Slowly, he breathed in and out, thinking about Yberion's question.

"...maybe, but I don't think she did," he finally answered. "I suppose she must've felt inadequate, especially since her first Apostle died in less than a year. I believe Jua felt frustrated, and decided that she needed to support him more than what rules allowed for."

"Do you think anyone else would've tried something as well?"

"...it's hard to say. Redion has been stretching the rules a little already, but with the new ones, he can't do that anymore. Other than that... not much comes to mind. I think others have been playing by the rules.

Yberion looked back at the display for a long moment. Suddenly, taking a glance at the seat next to him, he realized something. "Ah, that reminds me. Where is Rulebreaker? She seemed pretty adamant about watching the Apostles with us soon."

"She said she had something to take care of. She should be here shortly."

"Did she say what?"

"Not to me. She just asked me to transport her to Redion's home after she received a message a few hours ago. She promised to be back soon."

"I see... it must've been something urgent."

"I'm almost certain it's something about that 'System' he devised."

*KNOCK KNOCK*

"???" Yberion looked at Regan for a moment, and then at the door, a puzzled expression painted on his face.

The God of Space didn't even divert his attention from the displays in front of him. "Come in."

As soon as she entered the room, Beatrice seemed to be in a hurry. Her hands were clutching something tightly as she closed the door with a gentle slam. She quickly moved toward Yberion and immediately jumped right next to him on the sofa. The God of Truth couldn't help but notice how put-together Beatrice looked. She was wearing a deep brown shirt that complemented the color of her eyes. Short, white pants exposed her smooth shins. Small sandals completed her innocent look.

As Yberion's attention shifted to the box the woman held, she asked, "How much did I miss?"

"Not a lot," Regan answered, just barely paying any attention to her. "We were discussing the current Apostles."

"Discussing what exactly?"

"Who is the best given the current situation. Either way, what did you bring?" Yberion asked, his gray eyes alternating slowly between the woman and the box.

"A little snack. I imagine you guys must be hungry," she said, quickly opening the box. As she shifted in her seat a little, a clear sound of glass hitting glass rang in the air. Without waiting for anything, Beatrice quickly took one out and threw it toward Regan. "Here," she got a second one and handed it to the God of Truth. "Don't forget the spoons," she added, quickly giving them their utensils as well.

Yberion looked at the glass for a long moment. It was half filled with a semi-transparent solid of red color. The substance seemed to jiggle in place a little as the god shook its container, but didn't spill when he tilted it upside down.

"...what is this?" he asked, carefully poking at the thing with a spoon. Surprisingly, it got divided easily, and with but a quick rotation of his hand he had a large piece of it on the utensil.

"It's called jelly. You're gonna love it," Rulebreaker said with a smile before stuffing her mouth with the contents of her glass.

"...I like it," Regan said slowly, taking the spoon out of his mouth. "Cold and sweet, semi-liquid... reminds me of the other thing you brought a few days ago... the... ice cream, I think it was called?"

"Yeah, it's similar to that. What about you, Yberion?"

"...it is somewhat similar, I agree. I feel some distinct differences, but it's not bad."

"Eat as much as you guys want, I have plenty," Rulebreaker responded. "Either way, back to the topic. You said you were discussing the best Apostle, huh? Under what criteria?"

"...we focused mostly on talent," Regan said whilst eating his jelly. "It's the most important thing for an Apostle, I'd say."

"I agree with that," Yberion nodded. "Talent is one of - if not THE - most deciding factors."

"Hmm, I see..." Beatrice up a hand on her chin whilst taking a swiping look over all thirteen displays on the wall. "If we only take that into account... I believe Zenetar is the best pick. He's a very knowledgable person, and he did mess around with summoning demons even before Leterror picked him."

"So was our conclusion," Yberion nodded lightly.

"But that's only when considering talent... it's pretty shallow of an opinion. I kind of expected more from the referees of this event," Rulebreaker clicked her tongue.

"It's still early. There are a lot of things not yet uncovered about the Apostles."

"...ah, you guys really are something else. It's been a month already. There's plenty of information to go off of. No measurement or calculation is perfect, at any stage. You are simply trying to avoid being wrong."

Yberion looked away slowly.

Regan's gaze shifted to the jelly in his hand. "...you're right."

"...?" Beatrice raised an eyebrow, looking at the God of Space. 'Didn't expect either of them to actually agree... weird.'

"Our pride as gods makes us unable to make the proper judgment of the situation. Well then, I don't know about Yberion, but I'm ready to hear your thoughts on the matter. You are, without question, the most experienced person in this regard in this room."

"Hmm," 'Huh... I didn't expect Regan of all people to agree with me... I thought he only listened to Yberion's opinions.' "Taking into account talent itself is definitely a good start. It's an important factor behind how fast an Apostle can grow their power, be it level or skills. But that hardly matters in the long run. Simon, might I remind you, was the most talented Apostle of the first Competition, and yet he placed sixth."

"Then, what other things matter in your opinion?" Yberion chimed in with a question.

"Firstly, I'd consider the innate power of an individual. In terms of magical power, Sia's and Vivian's Apostles are unparalleled. But if we take into account physical power, Ardu's and Solim's are looking far better. Personally, I think someone on the level of Anila's Apostle is better off than others. Mostly balanced, with areas to improve in both physical and magical aspects."

"Agreed. Aztar is more in the middle than others," Regan slowly nodded his head. "However, he is on an island near the continent. It'll take time before he can participate for real."

"Maybe that's what he needs. Some time away from dense population to learn more about his attributes."

"Hmm," Yberion hummed quietly. "What else would you look at?"

"Definitely something that catches an eye is the status and connections of an individual. We have some Apostles that are simply put together from mud and dirt, like Redion's and Tanya's, but on the other side of the spectrum, we have Sia's, Solim's, and Freya's, all three of which have connections to or are royalty themselves."

"Undeniably, those with greater resources and connections will have an easier time," Regan chimed in. "However, I do believe it will be a big burden on them, as well."

"Exactly," Rulebreaker nodded with a smile. "The higher they are, the bigger target they become, whether they want to or not. Right now, it's a help for them, but by stage two they will curse their status."

"Anything more?" asked Yberion, reaching out to the box and taking a second glass.

"One more thing out of the top of my head. You guys said you discussed talent. I'd rather look at the potential of every Apostle. We don't know if the situation with Hanil's first Apostle won't repeat, but it's better to look into the future than to analyze the present at the moment."

"Anyone in particular you're thinking of?"

"Hmm... it's difficult to pick. All of them have at least some potential. The most promising one so far was Jua's, but I think we all know where that came from, right?" She asked before chuckling a little and taking a spoonful of jelly into her mouth. "Damn, I can never get enough of the strawberry-flavored ones. Regan, want another one?"

"...sure," The God of Space said, his eyes suddenly glimmering a little.

Yberion didn't comment on his friend's unexpected appearance, instead eating some more dessert himself. 'Regan's acting a little bizarre...'

"But if I were to pick one that I truly believe has any chances... this may sound biased, but I'd pick Redion's."

"Redion's Apostle?" the God of Truth tilted his head a little. "He does have abilities, yes, but I hardly can picture him reaching the level of Sia's."

"At first glance, he does appear to have clear limits. But there is a reason why Redion picked him," Beatrice answered, looking intently at one of the displays. "I'm betting he saw his potential."

"What kind of potential are you talking about?"

"Persistence. Determination. Vengeance. Desperation, maybe," She shrugged a little. "You saw it too, didn't you? He went into Penalty Zone again, and his companion unintentionally sparked quite a rage inside him. He killed most of the Telinars afterward, and even took on their boss - one-on-one might I remind you - and won. His power didn't come from training, but unbridled animosity he felt. He didn't even think much about what to do - most of his killing was instinctual, and he even switched to a sword since he had more experience with it. That is a very dangerous potential he holds. If he learns to harness it, he may be able to top others."

The two gods didn't comment on her statement.

"But that's only if he learns that. Until then, his performance can be best classified as... mediocre, maybe slightly lower, even."

Silence fell upon the trio. For a long moment, all they did was eat jelly and watch the displays on the wall, each one depicting a separate Apostle. In the stale atmosphere of the room, each one of the spectators was deep in thought.

'Rulebreaker speaks from experience... after all, the aftermath of the events that Tanya's previous Apostle started was... unfavorable to the remaining ones in her match.' that was Yberion's thought. 'Does she mean that Redion's current Apostle holds a similar type of strength to her?'

'She's not wrong. Mortals are rather emotional, and can become much stronger if agitated.' Regan came to such a conclusion as he skimmed through a few Apostles. 'But I still doubt he'll be able to win with such setbacks as he had. He may score rather high, but not all the way to the first spot. I'd say... maybe the top five, three if he's lucky.'

'At the moment, he's holding himself down.' judged Beatrice. 'His frame of mind is too unstable to properly tap into his potential. Until the situation around him is resolved, it'll be like that. A shame, really, for such a setback to appear out of nowhere, but if he wants to have a chance in the long run, he'll need to resolve the issue with his sewn sister. At the current speed, it'll likely take... about half a year? That's far too long to make up for... unless he manages to team up with Tanya's Apostle... Hmm, speaking of whom, she seems to be doing fine.' Beatrice thought, looking at one of the panels.

It depicted a rather young woman (perhaps in her late twenties) as she was pulling a bowstring with a calculative expression. As she was about to release it, the arrow became coated in blueish mana that set the arrow's tip ablaze.

As Beatrice's memory recalled, the woman's name was Kailey. She was about Travis's height, and her luscious light ginger hair effortlessly transitioned into a light brown hue, slightly wavy and delicately framing her face. Her sleek cheeks and slightly pointy nose added to her overall elegance. Her hazelnut eyes seemed to have experienced it all, as they displayed a hint of boredom as she released the bowstring - a clear indication that she'd done it many times before. Her lips were full and alluring, with a healthy, deep pink color. Her ears were of typical size and not too elastic or stiff, completing the symmetry of her face. To accessorize, she wore a small but intricate necklace made of intertwined bronze and silver chain links that looked nothing short of stunning.

The woman possessed a rather slender physique, with her curves accentuated by a slightly more prominent bust and buttocks than what would be considered average. Her beige tunic, while not revealing much, did little to conceal her assets, a small V-cut in its top side showing a tiny bit of cleavage. However, her skin-tight pants left little to the imagination, exhibiting her figure with clarity. The brown belt wrapped around her midsection was adorned with a silver clasp, indicating its potential cost. Despite the small tears near the ankles, her boots were sturdy and reliable, having withstood the test of time. Kailey strutted forward with a composed and self-assured demeanor.

'She is intriguing.' Beatrice nodded to herself whilst taking a new glass with the cold dessert. 'She reminds me of Tanya a lot, down to the way she walks, even. It's almost like I'm looking at the human equivalent of her. I wonder... what will her interaction with Travis be?'

---

[A/N: With this, the second part of the story is finished. Thank you to everyone who stayed up until this point.

This part was... interesting, to say the least. For now, I'll be taking a short break, and we'll resume with part 3 around the 1st of July.

Thank you guys for all the support and criticism on the way, and have a great one!]