Trapped in Another World With No Magic

Chapter 134: The New Goddess of Zenkon

Ryukana is a goddess belonging to the Divine Realm, a sort of management center created with the intention of watching over and guiding the continued existence of the innumerable worlds scattered across the whole of reality.

But, not so different from the humans, gatonines, drakyks, Grodrrns, and all of the other varied peoples and beings, Ryukana is a creation.

There are only two true creators responsible for forging existence into what it is, defining even the intricacies of such things as gravity, nuclear forces, light, dark, magic, life, death, decay, growth, and everything else that comes together to define all of the things that can be perceived or experienced.

Those two creators are the original existences, and their appearance belies their true power.

They are known simply as Order and Chaos, even to the gods and goddesses of the Divine Realm.

Ryukana knows that the two apparent goddesses transcend existence, including having a physical form. However, for ease of communication, they often take humanoid forms, like one of their earliest sentient creations. Presently, Order appears as she always does; a mature and stoic woman of great beauty that even Ryukana can’t truly compare to. The Primordial Goddess retains a simple appearance with a basic set of robes that possess no frills or ornamentation.

Chaos, on the other hand, is the one who tends to take different forms. At the tribunal for Ryukana’s negligence, the entropic goddess appeared as a young girl, roughly in her early teens, making her of similar apparent youthfulness to Hekate. Now, however, she appears as an elder Queen, absolutely glowing with sparkling jewels floating around her and brightly shining adornments, contrasting starkly with her counterpart.

Ryukana respects both of her creators immensely, but she is wary of Chaos, specifically. As an entity, Chaos lives by whimsy. She has no real scruples, in the typical moral sense, meaning she could decide suddenly to simply erase something in front of her. Though she rarely simply annihilates anything, she always gives off the aura that she might at any moment.

Chaos asks a little facetiously, “Confused as to where you are?”

“I… understand where I am, but I seem to be unable to comprehend it, my Lady Chaos.”

“That is because this is the first time you have been brought outside of existence looking in,” replies Order gently. “We did not create any of you with the ability to see the structure.”

Chaos mimics a human from earth, producing a fan from her dress’s elegant sleeves and hiding her smirking face as she teases, “We wouldn’t want any of you trying to conquer us and usurp us. Heeheeheeheee.”

“I-Is… Would that even be possible?” asks Ryukana, made curious only by the fact that Chaos brought it up, but having never given it a single thought. Both of the Primordial Goddesses transcend her actual understanding, and they could simply snap her out of existence without any warning. The Divine Realm goddess wouldn’t even be able to comprehend that she no longer existed. She would simply end, and that would be it.

Likewise, they could simply turn her into a true human, or even an insect, a germ, or something inorganic like a sword or a rock. She has heard rumors of a goddess that was turned into a sword once, though she didn’t pay it any real attention, since that had to have been a punishment for a screw up.

Seeming to read every thought crossing her mind, Chaos smiles deviously. “Interesting…” is all she says before Order answers the question Ryukana asked.

“There have been many attempts since the beginning of time to escape beyond the edge of existence into our true realm, but only one ever succeeded.”

Ryukana stares at her in utter shock. “Wha-... Really? Who was it?”

“I do believe she’s plotting something, Sister,” jokes Chaos. This causes a smirk to appear on the more mature-seeming Primordial Goddess’s lips, and Ryukana turns pale.

“N-No! I swear, such thoughts were truly only out of curiosity. I am clearly unworthy of such knowledge.”@@novelbin@@

Order replies with amusement lightly tinting her otherwise stoic and calm voice, “It is no matter. He entangled himself without intention, and he suffered greatly in an effort to restore what he had broken.”

“As with all things, we chose to observe,” adds Chaos a little more seriously. “Or rather, we had no choice but to observe. It’s unclear what would happen if things had gone differently.”

“Is… this somehow related to Daniel? O-Or Rikuto?”

“Hmm? Oh! No, not at all. You see, his suffering was caused by the fact that he was entangled within the fabrics of existence and the void. He made a humongous mess of things, but he found a way to restore everything. Or rather, his little champion did.”

“For simplicity’s sake,” starts Order as Ryukana struggles to understand the cryptic story. “He unintentionally stole a piece of the tether that binds us together and allows everything to function, including us. He couldn’t destroy or usurp us, per se, but he had roughly all of the authority and power that we have over existence, time, and creation.”

“And, instead of using it, he tried to relinquish it almost immediately as one of his disciples tried to take it from him.”

Ryukana nods. They’re remaining rather vague, and possibly for good reason, but it’s not what she wanted to talk about. “I appreciate that there must be a purpose, but I’m afraid I don’t know for what reason you’ve told me this story, my Ladies Chaos and Order.”

“Why did you say my name first? Huh?” asks Chaos accusingly, but Order ignores her, “Not everything has a purpose.”

“Or, maybe it does,” counters Chaos playfully, rolling right off of her fake irritation into joining Order’s point. “Perhaps we just wanted to tease the possible posting of that story on webnovel sites. Or, perhaps it is meant to be a warning when you think about it hard enough.”

“Regardless, we have gotten off-topic,” redirects Order. “We brought you ‘here’ because no one can stumble upon us…”

“Other than that guy…” jokes Chaos, and Order continues without missing a beat.

“... And, we can restore your power to grant a wish if you can justify it to us.”

This surprises Ryukana. Each of the Divine Realm gods and goddesses are inherently created with the power to grant a wish to their summoned heroes, since it can be a good incentive to get them to leave behind their old lives and start over in a new world for whatever purpose the transfer would be occurring. Daniel’s wish was extraordinarily simple in the grand scheme of things. There are some limits on what a goddess like Ryukana can grant, and some detriments to others that she can, but overall, wishes can be as dangerous as the things that the Divine Realm will intervene in to begin with.

Ah! Maybe that’s why they told me that story. Maybe that guy made a wish, and that’s how he ended up with so much power. That would explain the limits. This must have been before I was created…

“Wrong,” blurts out Chaos, making it clear that Ryukana’s thoughts are not her own in this ‘place’. She flinches and straightens her posture, halting all thoughts.

The whimsical Primordial Goddess suddenly appears to be an arthropod-like creature, having apparently decided to take on a new form. Ryukana isn’t familiar with races or living beings outside of her own jurisdiction, since there are so many, and it could even pre-date the Divine Realm, knowing what she knows.

The now-soft-bodied, crab-like goddess replies with alien mandibles fluttering, “You cannot perceive him or recall him because his champion was able to restore everything. To all of the other worlds damaged in the process, it became as if nothing occurred.”

“It is easy to believe that we have seen the future,” begins Order. “But, instead, we have seen events repeat many times across many different worlds. There was a Divine Realm that had to be erased because they were causing more harm than good in an effort to rally strength to usurp us at the expense of all of reality. And, then there was a girl who saved the Divine Realm that her mentor and father had nearly shattered in his efforts to defy the rules of nature and save another.”

“Your Divine Realm,” emphasizes Chaos, furthering the point before Order continues.

“We told you this much because it’s true that we would seek to never be challenged simply because everything will cease if the balance we maintain is no longer. Daniel, Rikuto, and Zuzanna are of no immediate threat to us or the Divine Realm, but you would need to be responsible for your next wish in order to prevent a scenario where great damage occurs.”

“But, if used correctly, even a dire situation could be brought to heel,” finishes Chaos. “We do not fear destruction, but we are actively invested in avoiding it, if only to preserve our beloved creation and destruction.”

“Mind all things that occur, not just the obvious sense and logic that you can observe, but the elements that can change what you expect,” explains the negentropic goddess of order. “You have a rather unique position as a dedicated resident of a world.”

“I am humbled by and grateful for your advice, my wise Creators. If I may be permitted, though, I had a question.”

“Ask,” replies Chaos. “Though, don’t expect that we didn’t know your question before you ever thought to call out to us.”

When the lesser goddess looks, Chaos is already in a new form, seemingly never actually making a change, and yet appearing different instantaneously. This time, she is a young girl around thirteen or fourteen at a glance, but potentially older than would appear in the way that Hekate is fifteen but looks closer to being twelve or younger since she was malnourished for so long. Chaos’s new form has raven-black hair and bright, faintly glowing sapphire-blue eyes. And, though her dress is essentially the same as before, she is wearing a beautiful sword on her back; a gladius, specifically. She also has a golden metallic arm bracer with three rings that seem to levitate around her forearm, rotating slowly.

Ryukana is quiet. Chaos’s point is true. They brought her to this place outside of the normal realm of existence, including the Divine Realm itself, apparently so they could tell her things as a sort of strange warning, as well as to give her infallible privacy to ask her question. Still, she asks what they likely already know.

“Forgive me for asking, but… Has a new god or goddess been assigned to Zenkon in my old place?”

“Of course,” retorts Chaos with all the gentleness of a brick. “Should we have left a world management position empty?”

The former-Divine Realm goddess remains quiet, and she wonders if the real reason she was brought to this place was to be erased.

Order chuckles for once, breaking her usual unflappable facade. “Our reputation is truly terrible, isn’t it, Sister? You are not here to be erased. Had we reason to do so, you would simply cease to be. Nothing more. There would be no point in confronting you prior. Rather, a world already being protected by a goddess, a pseudo-demi-goddess born of that world, and a wayward mortal from another world are an ideal training situation for one of our newest goddesses of the Divine Realm.”

Ryukana ponders these words. She was effectively banished from the Divine Realm for her error rooted in complacency and negligence, but now they’re telling her that she is trusted enough to be a failsafe for a much more junior goddess.

“Am I permitted to speak to this goddess?” asks Ryukana.

“You are,” replies Order warmly without any hesitation. “Though, I would ask you to minimize your guidance or advice until she truly needs it.”

“She has already made mistakes that she’ll be scolded for later,” teases Chaos, still in the form of the black-haired girl and hiding her cheeky grin behind the folding fan once more. Order smirks in turn, and Ryukana knows immediately what they mean.

She has been scolded for the same things.

Just as she feared, this new goddess sent the young woman to Zenkon with too much power in her blessings, whatever they may be. While it usually isn’t that much of an issue and is more often worth it in the long run, the additional power adds to the time it takes for the summoned hero’s memories of the transfer to return. Given that she panicked immediately and made her escape, it’s possible she’ll be very far away from the castle before she makes sense of her memories and her gifted powers. Which, unfortunately, she won’t be able to check without either a skilled mage practiced in using magic to appraise the abilities of others, as is the case in many worlds where such things are possible, or an artifact or other analysis relic like the one present in the castle of Mornistae.

Conversely, given enough power, she should be able to defend herself well enough, even without knowing her full capabilities, but she could just as easily become an enemy of regular people if she accidentally causes harm. It’s a complex situation and one Ryukana understands all too well.

“I’ll do my best not to interfere, then. I am honored that you have entrusted me with this responsibility. I’ll simply ask what the nature of the woman’s mission and powers are, so I can prepare if things become unsustainable.”

“Very good,” replies Order.

“Heeheeheehee!” snickers Chaos from behind her fan, now appearing as the child form she presented at the tribunal, which looks to be closer to ten. “I suspect you will learn something as well. Good luuuuck~.”

Ryukana wants to ask, but before she can formulate the question in her head, she finds herself in the Divine Realm. Several of her seniors are nearby, speaking casually. It feels like it has been a long time since she has seen any of them.

“...but I’m still struggling to find the right markers for a reliable summon,” explains Silvarryn, a god that takes the form of a tiger, and he oversees a world that Ryukana has only seen a couple of times; one populated primarily by a sentient race of insectoid conquerors. “More than once, I’ve had the perfect summon, only for them to either side with the anomaly, or to become power hungry and become an anomaly.”

Frejtenjir, one of the goddesses that Ryukana has looked up to for a long time replies calmly, “I understand, but I’m telling you, there exists no perfect set of ‘markers’. All sentient races have only one thing in common; trying to monolith them or categorize them by observable exteriors is an impossible task.”

“I know, but even trying to select individuals.”

Frejtenjir snickers softly. “Yes, indeed, the changes in seeming good choices can certainly come quickly when least expected.”

Ryukana approaches them cautiously, and Silvarryn notices her. He looks and smiles gently, bowing his head politely. “Lady Ryukana.”

“Lord Silvarryn, it has been too long.”

“Longer for you, I would expect,” replies Yulkamin, who is with the two who were speaking. The golden-haired goddess bows her head politely as well.

“Lady Yulkamin, Lady Frejtenjir. Please forgive my intrusion.”

“Not at all, Lady Ryukana,” replies the eldest of the four, Frejtenjir. “We were simply making idle talk about summoned champions. Have you been well on Zenkon?”

“I have. Though, things have not gone according to plan, as you all know.”

The three give a sympathetic half-smile. Ryukana continues, “If I may, I was wondering if you know who was assigned to the management position for Zenkon. I was hoping to speak to them.”

This causes their expressions to shift a little uncomfortably. In turn, Ryukana becomes nervous. “Wh-What is it? Is… Is she… Is something wrong?”

“N-No!” urges Yulkamin quickly. “She’s…” She glances around. “Oh! Yes! Coming!” She bows quickly, saying, “I have to go. I forgot I had to counsel one of our juniors.” She then jogs away, further digging in the unease Ryukana is feeling.

Silvarryn clears his throat. “Yes, it seems I am needed on Faelkis. Excuse me.” The tiger-god seems to evaporate as he transports himself to the world he manages.

Just before she can make an escape, Ryukana snatches Frejtenjir’s forearm just as the senior goddess is saying, “Pardon me, I should also be-ee…!” She squeaks in a way that Ryukana has seen more in the Citadel than anywhere else; often when Hekate or Geirahoel are startled by something. It’s absolutely contrary to the normal unflappable and regal senior goddess.

“What aren’t you telling me?” asks Ryukana sternly. She realizes who she’s talking to and who she grabbed; a bad habit she seems to have picked up from people-watching with her new mortal friends. She quickly retreats her hand, but she doesn’t let up the interrogation. “What is the problem?”

“Well…” murmurs Frejtenjir. “The young Lady Amalaskae is… among the most recently created gods, and… she’s… well… She tries very hard, and, as you may know, Zenkon is her first management position…”

“The problem?” asks Ryukana urgently.

“She’s… a bit… clumsy,” admits the senior goddess finally.

“Clumsy?” asks Ryukana, surprised. “Mistakes are one thing, but what kind of goddess is clumsy?”

“I think it is unfair of me to describe what is better seen in person, Ryukana.” She turns despondent for a moment, adding softly, “Our Creators work in strange ways sometimes. But,...” It’s clear Frejtenjir is struggling to say whatever it is. “It’s not my place to say… Please, speak to her yourself. I believe she can be found at the rock fountain.”

“Rock fountain? Why there?” asks Ryukana. Very few gods or goddesses go there because it is little more than a pond with a waterfall bordered by large rocks.”

“It is the least fragile place in the whole of the Divine Realm,” replies Frejtenjir quietly. She then bows. “Excuse me. I don’t want to speak anymore on the matter.” She vanishes shortly afterwards.

Ryukana is left in silent thought for a moment. She finally snaps out of it and sighs. Well then, let’s go meet this young goddess, then.

She makes her way to the Divine Realm’s rock fountain, the least interesting and decorative place in the Divine Realm. It is said to be one of the truly oldest locations in the heavenly world, but there has never been anything particularly special about it. Ryukana has heard rumors that it is the first place Chaos and Order created together, and it represents the beginning of existence in some way.

But, in order to seek inspiration, Ryukana has gone there many times and seen nothing but rocks and water, which are common in every other part of the serving place of the gods.

As she’s getting closer, however, she hears a panicked, “Oh no! No no no!” which precedes a terrible rumbling that drowns out the voice. It startles Ryukana, since most of the Divine Realm should be sturdy enough to be indestructible short of the gods or goddesses actually intentionally trying to damage things.

Ryukana breaks into a run, her hair and dress fluttering behind her. It doesn’t take long for the sound to settle and for it to be replaced by sobbing.

The violet-haired goddess slows down, scanning the area.

She has been to the rock fountain many times, but she almost believes she got lost and came to the wrong place. It looks nothing like it did prior. The bulk of the giant, ancient boulders have been shattered into fractions of themselves, and the waterfall is little more than a ripple, now.

Ryukana follows the sounds of crying, and she finds a young woman amidst massive shards of a boulder, as if she sat down in the middle of it after smashing it apart.

She doesn’t even notice Ryukana approach. It takes a long time for the former goddess of Zenkon to absorb the scene around her. It doesn’t look like a rampage. The shards of the boulders continue to rest where they broke apart, only interfered with if they fell into the water or another boulder collapsed onto it. Likewise, the mysterious giant rock that created the waterfall has been fractured, but otherwise remains untouched.

It has been a long time since a new god was created. A very long time. In the beginning, everyone struggles to come to grips with their sudden existence, and the powers they were gifted by Order and Chaos may be too much. Unlike humans and other sentient races, the gods and goddesses of the Divine Realm are directly created by Chaos and Order, rather than through the machinations of life. They are suddenly aware, as if waking up for the first time, and they are welcomed into existence by the two Primordial Goddesses. They are given minimal guidance at first, because as with life, Chaos and Order allow the beings that reside within Existence to struggle and figure it out for themselves.

The only difference is, in this young goddess’s case, she seems to have a great deal of destructive power. The essence of Destruction is the other half of the binary formed with Creation, and each are a fundamental power of Order and Chaos, respectively. Though destruction often creates chaos, its very nature is to restore order at the simplest level. Of course, the one who often bestows Destruction upon a god or goddess is Chaos herself. At the surface, and perhaps even in truth, this is because Chaos adores Order more than anything else. But, she also shows her adoration through mischief in the form of elements of entropy, such as giving pure destructive power to the youngest goddess in the Divine Realm.

As she’s pondering all of this, Ryukana hears a sniffle come from Amalaskae. “Why can’t I do anything right…?”

Ryukana hesitates. For a long time, she was confident in herself because she never made any mistakes, even small ones, until Daniel was sent to Zenkon beyond her insight. To say she knows how her junior here is feeling would be a lie. Ryukana believed she couldn’t do anything wrong because she was so well-versed in everything she did. It made the gravity of her relatively simple mistake all the more devastating for her. It cascaded into putting someone in grave danger; someone whose life was fine as it was until Ryukana’s interference snatched him away. She got lucky that he was able to survive.

“Lady Amalaskae…?” calls out Ryukana gently. The junior goddess flinches, yelping softly. She quickly wipes her face clear and stands up, straightening her outfit. She’s probably the most junior world management goddess in the whole of the Divine Realm, and she is possibly one of the youngest in existence. She finally spins, pasting on a mature smile. “Oh! L-Lady Ryukana. I… Um… This is… a surprise… I-If this is about… the position…”

Ryukana holds up a hand gently, saying softly, “No. Well, it is, but I’m not angry that you were chosen to take my place. My actions brought me to where I am now, and I have resolved any regrets.”

“Oh! I-I see. Then, what may I do for you?”

Ryukana looks around her, and she certainly can understand even more of why this young goddess would be so quick to leap at the chance for her first summoning. It could have been centuries on Zenkon before anyone attempted another, but instead, it was only a couple of years. Amalaskae’s eyes also dart around at the destruction around her, and she begins to noticeably tremble.

“I don’t want to pry, so… Lady Amalaskae, I simply wanted to ask about your first summoning.”

The young goddess flinches, and she tenses her posture. She looks like she could break into crying any second.

“Did… something go wrong?” asks Ryukana gently.

Her junior hesitates for a long time, but she finally admits with a mouse-like tone, “Yes… I… She consented to the transfer, and even made a small request to bring her camping gear. I… thought there would be no issues, but… s-s-she had no memories upon her arrival, and…” She starts to waver and struggle to form any more words.

“She fled the castle and her summoners.”

“I… I thought it was only for a few moments… But,...”

Ryukana sighs. She approaches gently and takes a seat on one of the rounded chunks of broken rock. “You gave her too much power. Or, at least, a tempting amount, but it results in a longer delay for the memories of the Divine Realm to settle in. The priority for the ritual is adding the abilities to her soul, but it delays everything else as a result.”

Amalaskae drops to her knees sobbing. “Everyone always says to be careful, but… I wanted… I didn’t want her to be in any danger!” She continues crying, and Ryukana does something else she learned in the Citadel.

She approaches and kneels, hugging her junior. Gods and goddesses of the Divine Realm aren’t especially affectionate with each other. They can operate independently or in groups, but primarily remain alone during their routines. They aren’t driven for connection the way humans and other races are, but the gods aren’t devoid of emotions.

Her embrace surprises Amalaskae a little, but the young goddess cries for a little longer before regaining some of her composure.

With a sniffle, Amalaskae continues, “I forgot about the amnesia, and… I was so excited…”

“I understand,” replies Ryukana gently, petting her junior’s back. “I have been scolded many times for gifting too many blessings to my heroes. There are advantages and disadvantages to both sides. The problem is, it’s easy to take personal interest in the heroes over every other life on either world because they are our chosen champions; someone we pick and entrust with accomplishing a task. In essence, it’s often the closest we can ever get to having children.”

Amalaskae nods, finally sitting back on her calves to look at her senior. “Zuzanna was so nice… And, she was very level-headed. She felt like such a good choice…”

“Can you tell me what she was summoned for?”

This causes the junior goddess to blanche once more. She asks softly, “A-Am… Should I?”

Ryukana sighs. She’ll have her work cut out for her, it seems. “It is not a requirement, but sometimes, malicious actors are the ones performing the summoning. It can be very easy for them to turn the hero into an anomaly right off the bat.”

Amalaskae’s eyes water again, and Ryukana adds with a hand on her shoulder, “It’s all right. It could turn out to be a small blessing that she escaped, if that were the case. But, and I’m not saying I’m perfect, but I often liked to verify the threat that is causing the denizens of a world to perform a summoning. It’s up to you if you send one, but it can be helpful to know what you’re sending them into.”

The junior goddess nods vigorously, absorbing the knowledge. Ryukana remembers her instructions from Order and Chaos. If anything, she was encouraging Amalaskae not to give up.

She adds warmly, “Now, a few mistakes here and there are nothing to worry about. If you can, watch over Zuzanna. Daniel and Rikuto are still on Zenkon, and though their relationship isn’t what I’d like, either or both of them should be willing to help a fellow Earthling.”

Amalaskae nods. “I didn’t have anything to guide her to Rikuto, but Daniel apparently still had his phone from Earth, so I let Zuzanna have a mapping function to help her find him and reach him. Though, now that I think about it, I think… they were trying to summon her to defeat Daniel.”

“D-Did you tell her this?”

“I gave her a little bit of an overview and to be cautious. But, I don’t think she’ll be quick to strike either way.”

“I see. What about her powers?”

Amalaskae looks to the side. “I… may have given her strength… and durability. A-And also… magic…”

Knowing enough to be skeptical, Ryukana asks, “How much of each?”

Amalaskae looks to the side. “A-All that I could give…”

Ryukana sighs. If Zuzanna isn’t careful, she could make Zenkon look like the Divine Realm’s rock fountain currently.

“You’ll learn,” replies Ryukana. “I’ve been instructed to minimize my guidance, but to assist you when you need it most. And, next time…”

She trails off when she notices Amalaskae trembling again. “Wh-What is it?”

“I… th-th-there won’t be… a ‘next time’...” murmurs the junior goddess. “Th-This was already my… l-l-last chance.”

Now it’s Ryukana’s turn to drain of color.

For a junior goddess’s first management summoning to be her last chance already, it means that the rock fountain may be just the tip of the iceberg.

The question is; with her hero in the wind and rather meaninglessly summoned, what are her chances of ‘succeeding’ with such an ambiguous summoning?

And, more importantly, what, if anything, can Ryukana do to actually help her?

***