"Yes, don't exclude yourself, Nia."
Noah released Nia Honjou's hand, smiling as he spoke. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have appeared before you."
As he said this, a hexagonal Spirit Crystal materialized in his hand.
"One last time, Nia—do you still wish to become a Spirit?"
Though he was offering her a choice, the outcome was already determined. He was simply maintaining an air of gentlemanly courtesy. After all, as a novice manga artist and a devoted otaku, there was no way Nia could refuse such a profoundly '2D' fate.
Humans naturally seek benefits and avoid harm. With the knowledge of her fate in the original timeline—where her story had been cut off at the moment Mio Takamiya killed all Spirits—no rational person would choose to relive such a tragedy.
In truth, there were only two options before her: refuse the Spirit Crystal and remain in an ordinary, mundane life, or accept it and embrace a completely new destiny.
For the Spirits, each had their reasons—varied and unique—that made rejecting the Spirit Crystal impossible.
Nia calmed herself, staring at the gleaming crystal before her, then shifting her gaze to Noah, who looked impossibly handsome—like the protagonist of a 2D world come to life. Without hesitation, she reached out.
"Isn't it obvious? A divine being descending from another world to rewrite the timeline and save all the Spirits… And I'm a part of this story?"
"How could I possibly refuse such a thrilling turn of events?"
"Then, I look forward to working with you, Creator-sama."
The moment Nia's fingertips touched the Spirit Crystal, a warm white glow enveloped the entire apartment.
The crystal transformed into pure energy and flowed into her chest.
As the radiance engulfed Nia, her casual homewear disintegrated, replaced by a black veil-like Spirit outfit resembling that of a nun. Though her chest wasn't particularly large, the new attire gave her an elegance and allure that elevated her charm by several levels.
"Wahhhhh—!"
Nia slowly opened her eyes, now shimmering with an ethereal glow. Clenching her fists, she gasped in awe.
Mio Takamiya glanced over and blinked. "What's wrong? Humans who can adapt to Spirit Crystals shouldn't feel pain."
Kurumi Tokisaki folded her arms and smirked. "She's just having one of her usual episodes."
Before Noah met her, Kurumi had been searching for Nia Honjou, the omniscient angel, hoping to use her abilities to locate Mio Takamiya.
Since she had already gathered information on Nia, she knew the manga artist had an eccentric personality—something entirely expected from someone in her profession.
Mio Takamiya tilted her head in thought. "An episode?"
"Hey, hey! What do you mean, 'episode'?!"
Nia, now fully comfortable, turned to Kurumi with familiarity. The information Noah had provided had made her well aware that this red-dressed Spirit of Time was one of her future friends.
"Under normal circumstances, wouldn't someone who suddenly gains powers react with shocked disbelief?"
"Like this!"
With exaggerated motion, Nia clenched her fists, puffed out her chest, lifted her chin, and widened her eyes as she dramatically shouted:
"Ahhhh! S-So this is the power of a Spirit—?!"
Noah, watching her theatrical antics, burst into laughter. "Hahaha! With Nia around, Celestia is going to be a lot more interesting."
Nia immediately caught onto the keyword, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "Celestia? What's that? A floating island in another world? Something like Laputa from Castle in the Sky?!"
Kurumi Tokisaki also turned to Noah, her eyes filled with curiosity.
Though she knew about the Teyvat Universe and that Celestia housed the Pantheon and the Creator's divine garden, her knowledge was limited to basic information. Beyond that, she knew nothing.
After all, it was a true, bona fide otherworldly realm.
Noah stroked his chin. "Celestia, huh? It's difficult to grasp its uniqueness through mere information—you have to see it with your own eyes."
"Simply put, it's similar to the Garden of Eden described in the Bible—a paradise where all things beautiful converge."
Nia Honjou's face flushed with excitement. "Wahhh! Eden?!" Then, without any sense of shame, she clung to Noah's arm and playfully pleaded, "Since I've become a Guardian of Kabbalah, that makes me an angel, right? That means I get to go, right, Creator-sama?"
Noah nodded. "Of course, but not just yet."
Nia released him, placing her hands on her hips. "Of course, we have to finish collecting the Spirits first. A story must be completed before returning—otherwise, readers will bombard the author with knives!"
As she spoke, a loud growl came from her stomach.
Then, like a defeated slime, she collapsed onto the floor.
"Oh no… energy completely depleted…"
Mio Takamiya crouched beside her, poking Nia's cheek with a finger. "What happened? Nia's behavior doesn't match anything I learned from the internet."
She frowned slightly. She had thought she had learned enough—after all, she had scored perfect marks on all online tests—but it seemed she still had a long way to go.
Nia swatted Mio's hand away. "Don't look at a manga artist who only loves 2D through the lens of a normal person. Ugh… even if I'm just a newbie manga artist."
Then, turning to Noah with wide, expectant eyes, she stretched out her hand.
"Uuuu… Since I've been constantly rejected and had to pay rent, I've run out of money for food. Creator-sama, please sponsor me!"
Noah chuckled at the sight of the pitifully pleading Nia and conjured a stack of ten-thousand-yen bills.
"You've already become my angel. Essentially, you're already under my care. Here—you can wish for whatever you need. But don't get too greedy, okay?"
Nia immediately bit down on a thick stack of bills, her voice muffled as tears welled up in her eyes. "Thank you so much! I thought I'd starve before becoming a famous manga artist…"
"Since Mio wanted a family bucket meal earlier, why don't we go get one now?"
Noah pulled Nia up from the floor.
…
As they stepped out of Nia's apartment, she suddenly perked up.
Taking small, excited steps, she began humming a cheerful tune. "Eating, eating~ Let's all eat together~"
She seemed entirely carefree, as if she had no worries in the world.
Which made sense. If she weren't so naturally cheerful, she would have long since succumbed to despair after spending five years as a test subject in DEM's inhumane experiments.
...
Family Restaurant
Nia Honjou devoured her meal without a shred of ladylike grace, while Kurumi Tokisaki sipped her coffee elegantly. Meanwhile, Mio Takamiya, much like a curious child, exclaimed, "So this is what it tastes like!"—her first-ever experience with food.
Noah calmly lifted his coffee cup, swirling it lightly. He could clearly sense that as Mio interacted with more people, her understanding and personality were developing at an extraordinary pace. Perhaps, in just a few days—or even within a single day—she would achieve complete personality maturation.
No, it wasn't that she was learning on her own. Rather, it seemed as though the world itself was feeding her knowledge, similar to how Noah himself could directly communicate with the world to obtain any information he desired.
While he pondered this, the food on the table rapidly disappeared before his eyes. Eventually, Nia Honjou leaned back, patting her stomach in satisfaction. "Ah! I'm alive again!"
Then, resting her chin on the table, she glanced back and forth between Noah, Mio, and Kurumi. "So, does this mean we're heading off to find the next Spirit?"
Kurumi set down her coffee and looked toward Noah. "According to our plan, that would be the next step."
Nia pursed her lips. "But, you know… it doesn't seem like I have much to do."
"All you have to do is travel along the timeline and redistribute the Spirit Crystals to those girls. I just became a Spirit, but I don't even get a chance to use my newfound power."
Noah turned toward the pouting Nia and smiled. "You're underestimating your role, Nia."
"Aside from Kurumi, who is a special case, you're the first girl to become a Spirit in this rewritten timeline."
"With Rasiel, your all-seeing Angel, at your disposal, you could easily become the world's greatest manga artist."
"In fact, those very same Spirits we'll be seeking out might have grown up reading your manga."
Nia blinked, then suddenly slapped the table in realization. "Ohhh! I get it now!"
"Hehehe, if I illustrate Noah, Mio, and everyone's stories, then later on, when they find out they're actually characters in my manga, it'll be the ultimate meta plot twist!"
Noah nodded, giving her a thumbs-up and flashing a grin. "As expected of you, Nia. We're completely in sync."
Puffing out her chest proudly, Nia smirked. "Of course! My mind is always in perfect sync with the two-dimensional world."
Noah rested his chin on his hand and smirked knowingly. "So, in your eyes, I'm just a 2D character, huh?" He stroked his chin playfully, a teasing glint in his golden eyes. "Tell me then, woman—what do you really think of me?"
As he spoke, an aura matching Nia's idealized vision of him radiated from his being.
As the Heavenly Principle of the Teyvat Universe, Noah could effortlessly emanate whatever presence he desired. To a human of this world, his aura was nothing short of overwhelming.
Thump!
Nia's heart skipped a beat. Her face flushed crimson, her pupils instantly morphing into heart shapes.
"W-Well… Isn't it obvious?" She stammered, clutching her chest as if trying to contain the pounding within.
"Y-You're an existence straight out of another world! The ultimate top-tier character setting!"
"Even if you're not the protagonist, you're the ultimate background boss!"
"Invincible! Overbearing! Gentle yet merciless! One who gazes down upon all and reshapes destiny at will…"
"Almost too perfect—something that shouldn't even exist in reality!"
"I fell for you the moment I met you!"
In this world's manga and novels, protagonists like him simply didn't exist. Most were tragic heroes, hot-blooded fools, or caught in love-triangle dramas. But his character template? It would utterly dominate any narrative conceived by this world's authors.
Noah stood up, his golden eyes gazing down at the self-absorbed, love-struck Nia Honjou. His voice carried an undeniable authority.
"Well then… I'll leave the job of polishing our story to you. If you don't become the best manga artist, I might just have to punish you."
Nia's eyes sparkled with excitement, tiny red hearts practically floating around her. She eagerly nodded and pounded her right fist against her chest. "Leave it to me! I'll become the best-selling manga artist in the world!"
Then, hesitating slightly, she fidgeted. "Uh… Noah… Can I call you 'Lord Noah'?"
Nia's eyes lit up with excitement as she explained, "Calling you by your name directly or just saying 'Creator' feels too plain. But 'Lord Noah'—it's subtle, yet mysterious. It perfectly suits an all-powerful background character!"
"Please? Pretty please?"
Noah shrugged. "Lord Noah, huh? I already have plenty of titles, so if that's what you want, go ahead."
Nia jumped into the air. "Oh yeah! (▽)"
...
After leaving the family restaurant, Nia hummed happily as she returned to her apartment.
Meanwhile, Kurumi clung to Noah's arm. "I've noticed something—You're far more mischievous than you first appeared, my dear Creator. You gave off the aura of a noble savior when we first met, but now…"
Noah smirked playfully. "Oh? You figured it out, Kurumi? That's right. I'm quite the trickster. Does that scare you?"
Kurumi rolled her wine-red eyes and sighed. "Is this another one of your little games?"
Despite their short time together, she had already gained a deep understanding of his personality. He truly cherished all that was good about humanity, but his playful, teasing nature was undeniable. To him, this world and everything in it seemed like an endless source of amusement.
Just as he had said before—his emotions were the strongest in existence. Naturally, that included mischief as well.
Noah didn't answer. Instead, he simply smiled and stretched out his hand, allowing the threads of time to coil around his fingertips. "Now then, let's begin the second timeline alteration."
Kurumi released his arm, stepping back. Noah raised a brow. "Not coming along?"
Kurumi smiled. "I'm already your Angel. The changes in the timeline won't affect me. I'll just wait for you at the end."
"You and Mio go on ahead."
Noah nodded. "Alright then. See you at the finish line, my Kurumi."
Kurumi waved him off with a charming smile as she watched Noah and Mio disappear before her eyes.
"This is your story with the other girls. I won't intrude. See you at the end."
At the same time, Noah returned once more to the timeline of Natsumi Kyouno.
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