Meddling The Omniverse

"HOLY MOLY!" "Such indecency〜!" "Such boldness!" "Aqua! In broad daylight!" Both Aqua and Seth were on their knees, embracing each other. Aqua leaned her entire body against Seth while he had one arm securely wrapped around her. 

"Ngeow!" Chomosuke, on the other hand, was just happy that she could see Seth again. 

Seth spoke, "I'm sorry that-"

"SHUT IT! CONTINUE HUGGING!!!" Aqua yelled. Seth was shocked but they just went back to their embrace.

It was not just them; Eris, Ristarte, and Jif stood bewildered on the other side.

Ristarte whispered to Eris, "Were they always this… affectionate towards each other?"

"This was the first time for me too," Eris answered.

"This is a first?" Ristarte questioned.

Despite their confusion, no one moved to disrupt the moment. No one, that is, except for one…

"OUWWCH!!!" Aqua Yelped in pain, something had bitten her ankle. Forcing her to jump.

"Meow…" Unrepentant, Chomosuke leaped into Seth's arms and snuggled against him with a satisfied purr.

"WHAT!? WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!" Aqua's face turned as red as a tomato. "I-I-I… WANTED HUBBY?!" she stammered.

Seth on the other hand simply cradled Chomosuke and continued petting her.

"Chomosuke! Don't you have any shame for biting Aqua's ankle!?" Megumin scolded her familiar with crossed arms.

"Nyehh." Chomosuke flicked her head away from Megumin, showing defiance.

Megumin gasped, Am I not your master anymore!?

Kazuma placed his hand on her shoulder, "It can't be helped Megumin, Seth is Chomosuke's favourite."

"But still…" Megumin pouted.

"Chomosuke! How dare you do that to the great goddess Aqua like that!?" Aqua stomped her feet.

"Weh," Chomosuke dismissively waved her tiny paw against her.

"WHY YOU LITTLE—!" 

—

Meanwhile, far from their Chomosuke's antics...

"Ristarte! You're back! So… you're done with whatever he's up to?" The muscular man Cerceus greeted her with his usual boisterous energy.

Ristarte wiped a bead of sweat from her brow and groggily replied, "He has, uhm… yeah, pretty much."

Cerceus tilted his head, "You wanna talk about it?" he pulled out a chair for her.

Realizing he'd misunderstood, Ristarte waved her hands dismissively. 

"Oh, no, there's nothing wrong, Cerceus! Seth was just dealing with something private, so—being the sensible people we are—we gave him some space."

"We?" Cerceus raised a brow.

"Well yeah we were—"

Cerceus slapped his face, "Awh! How could I forget!? You were with that other goddess and that cloudy fella right?"

"Pretty much"

Cerceus nodded sagely with understanding, "So, the three of you left to give him space while he handled his private matters?"

"Bingo! Right on the money!" Ristarte cheered. But deep down, she felt far from cheerful. The truth was… far less dignified.

The real reason why she left was because they couldn't follow the conversation anymore.

Seth changed the screens into Aqua's projection, meaning it only broadcasted what Aqua had said and no one else. 

It was like watching a five-person discussion but only two voices could be heard. In the end, they asked permission to leave.

The awkward atmosphere, the choppy unfinished dialogues, yep we had to leave… she cringed at the thought.

"Hmm… so you all left for your work?"

She snapped out of her thoughts, "Yeah, Eris went back to the isekai department, and Jif's handling logistic things I guess. As for me… Hey, where's Seiya?"

"Him?" Cerceus tilted his head, then pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. "He's over there."

Ristarte followed the direction of his thumb—"Oh my…" and froze.

In the distance, Seiya was swinging some solid slashes with a sword bigger than himself. Each swing stirred the air, creating gusts that rippled across the field. His movements were flawless, a testament to his unyielding discipline and strength. But that wasn't what caught her attention.

Gyat DAMN! 

Her eyes locked onto his sweat-soaked figure. Every fiber of his training clothes clung to his body, outlining his perfectly sculpted muscles. It was like he'd been carved from marble.

"The hero you chose," Cerceus mused beside her, "he's one of the finest gems I've ever seen. Not just in skill, but in his ethics and drive."

"He definitely is~" she murmured.

"Oh, and by the way," Cerceus added, snapping her out of her trance. "Seth's over there at that time machine thingy." He pointed to a massive, futuristic-looking chamber that towered over the place. 

"He told me to let you know."

"Seth told me?" Ristarte blinked, the words breaking through her haze of admiration. Then she remembered—there were two Seths right now. One was with Aqua in private, and the other was nearby.

"See, he's on the tippy top." Cerceus pointed again, this time to a high platform.

On that said platform Seth was tinkering with the chamber's intricate mechanisms. 

Ristarte's gaze shifted to the colossal sci-fi structure. Whatever Seth was up to, it had to be significant—something that would undoubtedly impact Seiya's journey. Curiosity got the better of her. 

"Just to be sure, do you know what Seth's doing to that thing?"

"No, I have no clue what kind of mambo jumbo he's working on up there." Cerceus raised his hand.

Acknowledging this, Ristarte sought someone else for answers.

Cupping her hands around her mouth, she yelled across the field, "SEIYA! WHAT'S SETH DOING WITH THAT DOOHICKEY?!"

Seiya didn't even glance her way, continuing his flawless swings.

"SEIYAAA?!" Ristarte shrieked louder.

—

"OH MY GODDESS YOU ALMOST DIED!" Darkness exclaimed in shock.

"No, don't worry, it wasn't that bad." Seth downgraded that moment.

"IT WAS THAT BAD!" Darkness pressed her arms on Seth's projection shoulders. "ALL YOUR SKIN WAS RIPPED OPEN LIKE A BANANA! YOUR NOBLE FAMILY SAVED YOU IN THE NICK OF TIME! PUT YOU IN A PROTECTIVE COCOON! AND HAD THREE ARCH-PRIESTS TO HEAL YOU AT ALL TIMES!?" She shook him vigorously, "HOW COULD THAT BE 'WASN'T THAT BAD'?"

Seth had just recounted the events when he was blended into that foggy state, though in this version, a magical beast supposedly lacerated most of his skin, making it both believable and slightly unbelievable. Only Kazuma was informed about the truth.

Before Seth could respond, Aqua pounced on him with tears streaming down her cheeks. 

Unfortunately, her overly enthusiastic hug caused Seth's avatar to crack, reminding everyone that the Seth standing before them wasn't his real body. 

This cracking snapped her out again, but it did not stop her from the secondhand embarrassment.

Her face turned red with a mix of embarrassment and irritation. "Not again…"

Sensing the awkwardness, Megumin tried to shift the focus. "Now that I think about it, are you sure you're completely fine from it?"

Seth raised a brow, "Please elaborate." 

"AH!" Megumin froze for a bit, but then she struck a pose, "You are the great MENTOR of this DESTINED ARCHMAGE who will one day bring untold glory to the world! Of course, surviving such a calamitous tragedy is the bare minimum of your worth!"

She twirled her staff, her voice growing even louder as she leaned forward. "But the question remains! Did that incident bear a sacred memento, a relic of survival, that forever marks your encounter with destiny? Such proof must be preserved—for the chronicles of the Crimson Demons will surely demand it!"

The others stared at her dumbfounded. Fortunately, Seth was able to respond.

"You see this?" he reached out his left hand. Atop his different-colored finger, his cursed ring looked different.

"Master!? Did you upgrade the ring?!" Megumin's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Exotic! From dark purple to a mesmerizing black and red." Darkness added.

Aqua immediately checked her own ring, only to find it unchanged.

"Why only you got the upgrade! Mine is still this old one!" she puffed her cheeks.

Seth sighed and facepalmed. "Look closer," he said, pointing to his hand. "Notice the finger where this ring is worn?"

Everyone stared harder. That's when they noticed it—the finger itself was different. Its darker hue and unnervingly smooth texture made it look almost artificial, like a mannequin's finger.

"This Great Arch Wizard understands! The master's forbidden intentions! A change of mysterious origins, contained on that single finger!" Megumin struck a pose. "There's only one ultimate reason! To seal the ACCURSED MADNESS at its bay!" Megumin shouted.

"Not even close," Seth said flatly.

Cutting through her theatrics, he went straight to the point.

"EEK!!!" "AGH!!!" "HUBBY!!!" Collective yelps filled the room as Seth held up the detached finger for all to see.

"After surviving that incident, my finger had to be amputated." Seth impassively announced. 

The group stared in stunned silence, except for Kazuma, who had been briefed beforehand.

Aqua shouted, "Seth! Why didn't you fix it!!?"

"Isn't it obvious love, I can't?"

"You can't!?" Aqua's face was a mix of confusion and panic.

—

"Sir I have some reports regarding Sir Seth's progress," Jif reported.

"Go on."

"Due to Sir Seth's overachieving work ethic and multitasking, progress regarding that plan has advanced faster than predicted."

"Continue."

"The other pantheons and empires have successfully agreed and approved regarding that plan too, with it we could proceed without resistance."

"Finally, they were not blind to see the benefits. Now what about his members."

"There have been five who he has actively deemed so, he has already informed us of more but has not proceeded yet." Jif double-checked.

"Seth's an oracle, if he hadn't moved, then it is not time yet."

"And finally regarding his other agendas and with goddess Aqua, should we still—"

"Always."

"Understood sir." Jif saluted.

—

Seth has just emerged from his portal, stepping near the time-altering chamber whose modifications had just been completed. He took a moment to survey his surroundings.

Good, not much has changed, he thought with a smirk.

In the distance, he noticed Seiya sparring with a group of muscular gods, their clashes echoing through the place. Ristarte and a few other goddesses watched from the sidelines, enjoying the show.

With a blink, Seth teleported to the top of the chamber, where his duplicate was tinkering with the machinery.

"You done yet?" asked the arriving Seth.

The tinkering Seth replied, "You already know the answer, thanks to our linked mind."

"Hmph, no fun." The arriving Seth rolled his eyes and picked up a nearby sci-fi tool. "Type H-49, right?"

"Definitely." The tinkering Seth accepted the tool and resumed his adjustments.

Jif, Seth's cloud-like assistant, floated into the chamber and saluted crisply. "Sir, all the tasks you assigned to the technicians have been completed."

Both Seths reacted simultaneously with a curt "Oh."

Jif blinked. "Ow, there are two Sir Seths here. May I assume you've finished your social engagements?"

"You may," said the arriving Seth.

The tinkering Seth added, "Thanks for the update, Jif. Tell the technicians they can return to their previous duties. I'll see to it they get the raises they deserve. You may go now."

Jif nodded with a smile. "Understood, Sir Seth." He saluted again before gliding out.

Silence lingered after Jif's departure, and the idle Seth broke it with a grin. "Heh, I never liked how verbose you are. It was exhausting keeping up the way you talk in front of them."

"Forgive this self's eccentricities," the tinkering Seth replied dryly.

"Can't be helped. We're one and the same, after all," said the idle Seth. With that, his form shimmered, shrinking and contorting until he transformed into a small finger encased in a glass jar.

"We are," the remaining Seth said quietly, slipping the jarred finger into his pocket.

With this, he continued on his final adjustment to the machine.

—

Seth climbed down from the time-altering chamber. His thorough checks had revealed no issues.

Seiya approached Seth, arms crossed as usual. "Is it done?"

"Yes," Seth wiped off his hands, "now we can test it all out."

"Test it all out?" Ristarte has arrived.

"When Seiya and I discussed our training plan, we had an epiphany. While we gods are restricted from directly interfering with a hero's journey, what if we could help... indirectly?"

"Indirectly?" She was still confused.

Seiya cut in with his trademark bluntness. "We're looking for loopholes—ways for Seth to lend a helping hand without breaking the rules." 

"SETH ARE YOU CRAZY OR—!?" She stopped mid-rant, Seth's eyes were filled with fiery interest, while Seiya radiated unyielding resolve.

These two are dead set on doing this. She rubbed her temple. "You two are playing a dangerous game. A very ballsy move I must say. Then again…" She glanced at them, shaking her head with a resigned smile. "This risky plan is perfect for you two—a hardy god and his overly cautious hero."

Ristarte then asked to make sure. "So about that extra thing on the time-altering chamber…?" 

"That extra thing simulates a copy of certain environments, even their world laws. In this case, it is Gaeabrande's." Seth gestured.

With a confident pull of the lever, Seth activated the chamber. The interior shimmered, glitching briefly before transforming into an expansive grassy field.

"With this," Seth admired the view, "we'll know exactly what actions are safe within Gaeabrande's causal framework—and what actions aren't."

"Ready perfectly, verify all our options," Seiya added.

Ristarte exhaled deeply, deciding to leave them to their work. "Fine, but one last thing, how do I contact you now?"

A small jar was tossed to Ristarte's hand, it contained his amputated finger. "This finger will represent me in my stead."

Ristarte recoiled slightly, accepting the jar with clear reluctance.

"Won't losing that weaken you?" Seiya asked, his tone calculated as always.

Seth gave a reassuring smile. "Not in the slightest."