"It's the same way Aradia appears." Naoki glances over at Duty. "The goddess of freedom. My teacher thought she would help, but she doesn't have the same power the other gods did. All she has to give people is hope."

She's the one Naoki would have picked to make the new world if she'd ever given Takao what she needed for that. At least, he hoped she'd make a good world.

"But I followed her advice. The path she told me to take was the one I wanted anyway."