"Alright, I’ll leave it to you to learn properly, Beidia."
As the Director left, the player, Queen of the Night Beidia, was left alone with the character [Queen Thystina].
“Pleasure to meet you. Beidia, was it?”
A presence that felt out of place, detached from its surroundings.
Her cold yet strikingly beautiful gaze seemed to pierce straight through Beidia’s heart.
“I am Thystina. Call me Thystina.”
It was the same.
That sister from back then. The unforgettable sister she couldn’t erase from her memory.
“Hmph. Compared to what the Director described, you seem rather unimpressive.”
Even the way she furrowed her brows was identical.
“I’m not unimpressive!”
Without even realizing it, Beidia reacted just as she had when they first met so long ago.
“Hah, is that so?”
Beidia found it hard to believe this was real.
Why was her sister inside the game?
How had the game developers even gotten memories of her sister from back then?
How...?
“Then, shall we see what you’re capable of?”
Wooooooom.
Dark magic spread out from Thystina, engulfing the surroundings in a suffocating aura.
A pitch-black world unfolded, like the deepest night.
And in an instant, Thystina lunged forward.
Clang!
Beidia hastily raised her hands, barely blocking the attack.
“Not bad.”
Thystina nodded with her usual expressionless face.
“But if this is all you’ve got, it’s disappointing.”
“...Is that so?”
Even her sudden, contextless attacks were identical to her sister’s.
Perhaps that’s why—
Beidia couldn’t help but feel a surge of defiance.
She stepped forward, gathering her magic.
Dark energy coursed through her entire body.
Boom!
A black explosion enveloped Thystina.
“How about now? Still disappointed?”
For once, Beidia let her emotions slip through, her tone sharp and challenging.
“Ah...”
Her vision blurred.
***
"Where is this...?"
The Queen of the Night, Beidia, slowly opened her eyes and sat up.
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‘What just happened?’
The memory of her sister’s words—"disappointing"—lingered in her mind, sparking a defiance that had made her reveal some of her true power.
But right after that, some unknown force had overwhelmed her, causing her to lose consciousness.
Even with over a century of experience, she couldn’t comprehend the nature of that power.
Of course, as someone unfamiliar with the game’s mechanics, she couldn’t realize it had been a forced defeat event.
"Oh, you’re awake."
A voice came from behind.
Beidia turned to see Thystina entering the room.
"Un—Thystina."
"Yes, it’s Thystina."
She placed a cup down in front of Beidia.
Steam curled up from the warm beverage inside.
"...Hot cocoa."
"Not to your liking?"
Thystina crouched down beside Beidia, taking a sip from the cup she held in her own hands.
"No, it’s not that."
Beidia stared at the cocoa. It was just... so much like her sister to have a childish taste for drinks like this.
She picked up the cup Thystina had placed down and took a sip.
"How is it? Sweet and delicious, isn’t it?"
Thystina looked at her with eyes full of anticipation.
"It’s... decent, I suppose."
"Hmm. I’m pleased that my new student has the refined taste to appreciate the true value of cocoa."
Thystina smiled, setting her cup aside before standing up.
"Follow me. There’s somewhere we need to go."
***
"Where is this...?"
Following Thystina, Beidia arrived at the Pantheon of Statues, the place where she had first seen her again.
"As the Director said, I am your teacher," Thystina declared.
"And what exactly are you teaching me?"
"The fundamental qualities you need to become a Director."
"Qualities?"
"Yes."
"But you’re not a Director... are you?"
Beidia wasn’t entirely sure about the game’s storyline since she had skipped most of it. However, she knew the Director—the man she’d met the previous day—was the one managing this archive.
From what he said, her sister was a contracted entity from a story within the archive.
"I’m not a Director," Thystina admitted, "but as a teacher tasked with imparting the qualities a Director needs, I am more than qualified."
Thystina placed a hand on one of the statues nearby.
Wooooom.
The ground trembled, and dark energy began to flow from the statue.
Then, with a sudden burst of light—
Flash!
Beidia’s vision was consumed.
"What... is this?"
The roar of battle surrounded her as her sight returned.
Beidia found herself standing in the middle of a chaotic battlefield, with countless people clashing all around her.
‘A battlefield? Did I just enter a story?’
Before she could make sense of it, black smoke coalesced into a familiar figure: Thystina.
"Now, your first lesson," Thystina announced. "Do you see that musclehead over there?"
She gestured toward a giant of a man cutting through enemy forces like a storm.
"He’s the protagonist of this story. Go and lead the narrative."
"...What?"
"You heard me."
Beidia blinked, dumbfounded.
***
The first episode of the Twelve Gods Saga had been released.
This introductory story served as a launchpad for the new investor Constellations, who were integrated as characters bound to contracts with the Archive.
Though the episode was designed primarily as a setup for future narratives, with little content to captivate players outright, the player response was unexpectedly positive:
“Are you pleased?”
"..."
The [Lady of the Night] silently scrolled through the curated selection of player reactions I had prepared for her.
While I’d filtered out the odd or inappropriate ones, what I presented reflected the general sentiment of the audience.
Despite her limited screen time, it seemed the character Queen Thystina had made a strong impression on the players.
Perhaps it was due to her role as the first mentor character, or the forced-defeat event that highlighted her immense strength.
But, of course, her striking appearance and aura played the biggest role.
"Not bad," she muttered.
Queen Thystina, the first key figure of this major episode, had been designed based on the [Lady of the Night] herself.
She was a newly introduced character, contracted with the Archive, serving as a mentor to the aspiring Director.
Additionally, she was a companion character for players and one of the most important figures in the storyline.
If the players’ reactions to her had been poor, it would have caused significant trouble.
“You needn’t worry. Her character has been faithfully depicted according to your guidance. Once the story progresses and it’s revealed that Queen Thystina is actually a Constellation, her dignity and presence will remain intact.”
Of course, there were some troubling comments:
Then again, these comments were also a testament to Thystina’s undeniable appeal, so they weren’t entirely unwelcome.
...As long as [Lady of the Night] didn’t blow a fuse over them, that is.
“But why isn’t my story being shown? This feels different from how you handled Gaizerus or the Magitech Engineer.”
“Your story will come later, during the climax of the Twelve Gods Saga.”
“Later?”
“Yes.”
As the central figure in the narrative, the [Lady of the Night] would only fully take the stage toward the end of the saga, where all the pieces would come together.
“So you’re saying other gods’ stories will be shown before mine?”
Her expression darkened slightly.
“I apologize if this arrangement disappoints you. However, as you’ve seen from the player reactions, your character’s popularity is immense. To spend that impact too early would be a waste. By placing you as a key figure in the later chapters, we aim to maximize your importance and influence.”
I carefully explained, hoping to avoid her anger at the delay in her story.
“...”
Her shoulders began trembling.
Was she furious?
But using her as the first act would have been too much of a waste.
“...Very well. Do as you’ve planned.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
I silently exhaled in relief.
It was fortunate that [Lady of the Night] was a reasonable Constellation. If it had been the Demon God, she would have already destroyed half the set while screaming, “Why isn’t my Lina showing up yet!?”
“However, I have one condition.”
“A condition?”
“The other gods appearing in this saga are ones I know personally. When their stories are added to the game, I want to be involved in their creation.”
Now that I thought about it, she had once volunteered to oversee a story during a previous event to ensure its quality.
It seemed she wanted to supervise to prevent any issues with her delayed narrative.
From my perspective, this was a welcome development.
Gaining the support and oversight of a high-ranking god with the backing of so many other Constellations could only be beneficial.
“I’d be grateful for your assistance. Please take care of me going forward.”
I grasped her hands and expressed my gratitude.
“...”
The [Lady of the Night] turned her head slightly, her face reddening.
Was she still upset?
Perhaps I had been too domineering in deciding the story direction by myself.
***
"I get to stay and help oversee the game going forward...?"
The [Lady of the Night] felt like she might just float away from sheer joy.
Currently, she had been introduced as one of the main characters in the new [Akashic Archive] main storyline.
Not only that, but she shared the rare distinction of being one of only two characters within the Archive actively supporting the players—alongside the Director himself.
Their relationship in the storyline was almost like they were a couple.
Even just being in that position was thrilling enough to make her heart feel like it might burst.
But now, she had the chance to remain by his side until the stories of all Twelve Gods were completed?
Poooof.
Her mind, brimming with anticipation and excitement, momentarily short-circuited.