"Let's go, Mr. Katakana!"
With a smile on his face, the Grand Priest stepped into the Temple of Zeno first.
Seeing this, Katakana didn't hesitate any longer and followed behind.
Now that he'd been brought here, there was no point in resisting. Whether this visit turned out to be a blessing or a curse, he'd have to face it head-on.
Still, Katakana didn't think things would go badly. Judging by the Grand Priest's previous attitude, it was clear he wanted Katakana to become the temple's law enforcement officer.
But the moment Katakana stepped inside, his expectations were shattered.
Instead of being greeted by magnificent and extravagant decor, what lay before him was a vast emptiness broken only by a few towering stone pillars.
Even with Katakana's vision, he couldn't see the edges of this space.
And each of those giant pillars seemed to connect to different timelines and dimensions, radiating immense spatial and temporal power.
"This... is the inside of the temple? It's really not what I imagined," Katakana muttered, his expression growing serious.
His instincts told him that, despite the temple's ordinary outward appearance, it was anything but simple. There were likely many hidden secrets within, secrets that, with his current strength, he couldn't even begin to unravel.
"Ahem... Mr. Katakana, be careful. You're about to meet Lord Zeno!" Whis whispered beside him in warning.
Just then, a brilliant white light suddenly flashed before Katakana's eyes.
When the light faded, three figures appeared ahead.
Two tall, thin guards with strange, pencil-like appearances stood flanking a peculiar figure between them, a flat-headed being with a blue face, purple sides, and a line dividing both colors right above each eye.
This strange little figure was none other than the king of all gods, Zeno.
The moment Zeno appeared, the Grand Priest dropped to his knees.
"Grand Priest greets Lord Zeno!"
"Oh!"
Zeno blinked, then gave a casual nod.
Seeing this, the Grand Priest rose to his feet and continued, "Lord Zeno, this is Mr. Katakana, the person I mentioned earlier. I've tested him, his potential is extraordinary. He is an ideal candidate for the role of temple law enforcement officer."
"Oh! Katakana, you're finally here!"
Zeno didn't seem interested in the second half of the Grand Priest's explanation. Once he heard Katakana's name, his face lit up and he floated down from his seat.
Then he rushed up to Katakana.
"The temple finally has someone new! I'm so happy!"
Zeno extended his small hands and looked up at Katakana with an innocent smile.
Caught off guard by the enthusiasm, Katakana hesitated for a moment, then gently reached out and held the tiny hands.
"Hello, Lord Zeno," he greeted politely, smiling back.
"Hi, Katakana!"
Zeno's eyes sparkled. "Grand Priest! It's been a long time since we played hide-and-seek! Since Katakana is here today, why don't we all play?"
"Um… Lord Zeno…" the Grand Priest said awkwardly, his expression souring. "Shouldn't we finalize the matter of the law enforcement officer first?"
"Stop talking nonsense. Do you want to disappear?" Zeno replied coldly.
With just those words, Zeno's playful aura instantly transformed into overwhelming divine pressure. The entire temple trembled.
The terrifying aura slammed down like a mountain. The Grand Priest was immediately forced back to his knees by the sheer pressure.
Even though Zeno's power wasn't aimed directly at Katakana, the shockwave alone was enough to send him crashing to the ground.
"This... this is Zeno's power? It's terrifying!"
Katakana clutched his chest. It felt like the blood in his veins had reversed direction. A metallic taste filled his mouth, but he forced himself to swallow it instead of coughing it out.
"Understood, Lord Zeno," the Grand Priest replied quickly, beads of sweat on his forehead.
"In that case... let's play hide-and-seek."
"Yay! Awesome! I can finally play with Katakana!"
Zeno was instantly back to his cheerful self. The crushing divine aura vanished, replaced by a harmless and silly demeanor.
He now looked like a happy little egg with no hint of the godlike power he just displayed.
Hiss… terrifying... Katakana took a sharp breath.
Zeno was the scariest one of all, not just because of his strength, but because of how unpredictable and childish he was.
Hide-and-seek... I'd better play along properly, Katakana thought. One wrong move, and he might actually erase me...
"Haha... In that case, Lord Zeno, let's begin the game," Whis said with a strained smile, trying to defuse the tension.
"Mhm!"
"I'll be the seeker first! Go hide!"
Zeno quickly flew to a nearby stone pillar, buried his head against it, and began to count.
"1… 3… 4… 13…"
"Quick, Mr. Katakana, the game has started! Go hide!" Whis urgently whispered.
"Ah, right! Got it, Whis!"
Katakana didn't hesitate. He knew this game was no joke, especially after what just happened to the Grand Priest. He had to take it seriously.
If that pressure had been fully aimed at him, he probably wouldn't even be conscious now.
So for now, he'd just play along and keep Zeno entertained.
"99… 100!"
"Katakana, Grand Priest, Whis, ready or not, here I come!"
Zeno lifted his head with a joyful smile and floated into the air, beginning his search for the others.