Anime Multiverse: Building a Pantheon from Scratch

As Kirika Tachibana and Chisato Nishikigi entered the apartment building—

Inside the local police office:

"Inspector Yakushiji, please wait, Inspector Yakushiji..."

Hearing the commotion, Luo Shu and Mika both looked toward the door. At the same time, Maki Shirō, seated nearby and wearing a headset, suddenly seemed to realize something. His face instantly changed.

Boom! With a loud crash, the door was kicked open. A woman with ear-length, slightly orange-tinted short hair, dressed in a white suit, strode in and declared bluntly, "From this moment onward, I am taking command of the Special Operations Team."

"What?" Luo Shu was clearly stunned and looked toward Mika in confusion.

Mika's expression turned grim the moment he laid eyes on Ryoko Yakushiji—clearly, the name sparked recognition.

"What's going on? Who is she?" Luo Shu whispered, lowering his voice, but he suddenly felt a sharp gaze on him. Turning to look, he found that the woman addressed as "Inspector Yakushiji" was staring coldly in his direction.

"Why is there an unauthorized civilian here?" Ryoko Yakushiji's tone was icy. "Get out."

"???"

Luo Shu was clearly taken aback. Is she for real?

What, did your parents raise you to talk like that?

At that moment, Maki Shirō sighed and called out, "Mr. Mika."

"I understand." Mika tugged Luo Shu's shoulder, signaling for him to come along.

Though Luo Shu still didn't fully grasp the situation, he decided to follow Mika's lead and walked out of the office.

As they exited, he could still clearly hear Inspector Yakushiji's commanding voice booming from inside:

"In twenty seconds, have the sniper take the shot. Eliminate the suspect. Also have the mortar team prepare for bombardment. I won't repeat myself."

"..."

Luo Shu didn't catch the rest. Instead, he turned to Mika and asked, "Who the hell is that woman? Why is she acting like such a tyrant?"

"Who else?" Mika replied, "The heiress of JACES, Asia's largest manufacturer of police equipment. A senior official in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's Criminal Division—Inspector Ryoko Yakushiji."

He paused and added, "She's Kirika's longtime rival. A paranoid lunatic."

"If she's shown up here and ordered Sharon to be killed on the spot, it clearly means there's something going on that we don't know about."

His expression darkened as he continued, "Even though Director Kirika hasn't issued any orders, I can already guess what she's thinking."

"Luo Shu, if it's possible, help Sharon escape. Something about her is too important—important enough for Ryoko Yakushiji to show up here in person just to silence her."

"Of course, that's just my suggestion. The only reason I'm saying all this… is because I can tell the way that woman spoke really pissed you off."

Luo Shu blinked in surprise. He had just been debating whether or not to help Sharon, but now—

Damn. Is this mutual hostility or something?

"Well, I don't know if I'll actually be able to help," Luo Shu replied with a warm smile, "But Mika, you were right about one thing."

"The way that woman talked really rubbed me the wrong way."

"After all, the fortune-teller in my hometown always told me—'You were born to yield to kindness, never to force.'"

—

First floor of the unfinished apartment building.

Right after the sniper shot rang out.

Kirika Tachibana heard that cold, haughty female voice in her earpiece—one she recognized all too well—and a terrifying smile curled on her lips.

"Well, well… if it isn't you, Ryoko-chan~"

Though she was smiling, there wasn't a trace of joy in Kirika's eyes. Instead, they were deathly cold.

"To think you'd suddenly butt in and order a sniper shot. Oh? Looks like you've stumbled upon something... interesting."

"Perhaps that JACES has been collaborating with the demon hunters behind closed doors? Or maybe even those lunatics from True Celestial Astronomy?"

"Gee, if something like that got out… that'd be one hell of a scandal, wouldn't it?"

Despite Kirika saying this with a chuckle, the voice on the other end of the earpiece—Ryoko Yakushiji—replied icily, "Inspector Tachibana, if you're not engaged in any special operation, then please have your subordinates cooperate with the Special Operations Team."

A sixth-tier Inspector giving orders to a third-tier Superintendent—such blatant insubordination would've been absurd under normal circumstances. But with Ryoko Yakushiji, even Kirika didn't bat an eye.

Why? Because Ryoko was Tenryūjin—a celestial-born elite.

Sure, Kirika's boss was also Tenryūjin, but Ryoko Yakushiji was the only one of her generation from the Yakushiji family to hold that title.

Sparking a direct conflict between two of the largest military-industrial groups wasn't something even Kirika dared to do.

So, she chose to submit.

"Inspector Yakushiji, I'm grateful you saw fit to inform me in advance," Kirika said coolly, turning around and walking toward the exit. "But I have to say… I really don't like the tone of your voice."

"Oh, and by the way, sorry—this SDS artifact has strict usage limits, and wouldn't you know it, mine just reached its limit."

"But don't worry. I'll make sure my team cooperates with you."

"...Then get moving, Kirika Tachibana." The cold voice echoed, followed by a beep—the call ended.

Face darkened, Kirika pulled out her phone and sent a text to Chisato.

—

On the fourth floor, just beside a door, Chisato Nishikigi, leaning against the wall, suddenly sensed something. She reached under her skirt and pulled out a buzzing phone. Upon checking the message, her expression shifted.

"What is it?" Takina Inoue asked curiously.

Chisato's expression changed, and she stuck out her tongue. "Big Sis says we should take it easy—looks like something unexpected happened."

"Huh?" Takina blinked, then nodded thoughtfully. "Then… shall we go search the first floor?"

"Ooh!!" Chisato gave a big thumbs-up. "Takina, you're amazing! You figured out Sharon ran down to the first floor!"

With that, she started pushing Takina's back playfully. "Let's go, let's catch her!"

"Uh... okay?" Takina replied blankly as she was pushed out of the hallway.

Meanwhile, just behind the very door Chisato had been leaning on—

Sharon, slumped against the wall, let out a low hiss of pain. She looked at the door, put down the knife she had been gripping tightly, and exhaled deeply.

"They let me go…"

She didn't know why Chisato had suddenly left with just a wall between them, but she understood clearly—this didn't mean she was safe.

"Fifteen in the assault squad… a sniper who managed to blind-shoot and hit me… likely another fifteen in the perimeter unit… nine in the mortar detachment… an entire 54-man operations unit, plus SDS members?"

Sharon silently calculated the enemy's strength. She already knew—this was a hopeless situation.

Her Abyssal artifacts, sealed just moments ago, still needed time to recover. The potions she carried had apparently gone inert—their effects now completely unpredictable. Blood loss from multiple bullet wounds was growing worse.

Even if no one attacked, just the siege would be enough to bleed her out.

The game was already over.

[Have you given up?]

A deep, magnetic male voice echoed in her mind, tinged with a faint smile.

"Who…" Sharon asked weakly.

[Do you want to live?]

That voice asked again.

Sharon gave a pale smile. "Oh? Do nuns hear devilish whispers just before death?"

[God, demon—whatever you call me. I'm only asking: do you want to live?]

Suddenly, Sharon seemed to remember something. She smirked, "You're that man from before, aren't you? Planning to take over my body again?"

"Sorry, but in this state, I doubt I have anything left worth playing with."

"And don't worry, I won't expose your secrets. After all, letting you continue to wreak havoc within SDS would be its own kind of revenge."

[You… want to live, after all.]

The voice murmured with strange emotion.

Sharon fell silent, then let out a laugh.

"Isn't that obvious? Who the hell wants to die?"

"Well then, whether you're a helpful god or a conniving devil, Mr. Voice—you've caught my attention."

"So… what should I call you?"

[Heh. You may call me… Mister Sun.]

Upon hearing that, Sharon forced the corners of her lips into a smile, pale as she was.

"Alright then, Mister Sun. If you're planning to use me—go ahead. Be my guest."

[Deal.]

With those words, Sharon's consciousness began to sink.

And in that haze, it felt as though another presence inside her had slowly opened its eyes.

"Well then—let the game begin again."

The pale-faced nun curled her lips into a deadly, beautiful smile as she slowly stood up.