# Unclassified Anomaly, Outer God - (2)
A high-ranking deity who appeared to be the ruler of this dimension, Atlach-Nacha.
I was riding on her back, heading toward the outskirts of space. Since I was only partially possessing the crimson grimoire with a fragment of my consciousness, it was difficult to even call myself "I." The expression "riding on her back" was also somewhat strange.
Nevertheless, I was indeed hanging around her back area while moving.
"Those black things you see over there are quiet in this place, but when summoned to the Material Realm, they gradually corrode planets."
"...Parasites? Something like spores or contaminants?"
"My servitors inform me that when these appear, lesser beings panic and try to clear them from their nests..."
Originally, we were going to travel by transcending space using Atlach-Nacha's authority, but since I had asked her to introduce me to the strange life forms existing here, we ended up moving a bit more slowly.
We were traversing space by stepping across it with legs, crushing interfering planets, and killing strange life forms living in the Inner Plane as we moved. Still, I was able to acquire quite a bit of useful information.
"The lower the rank of a being, the more its behavioral principles are predetermined. They can only perform one action or live for a simple purpose."
"So beings with higher rank can act more freely? But life forms should have free will."
"When any phenomenon, substance, or collective exists, the principles bestowed upon it from the beginning..."
The lower the rank of a being, the more it moves according to behavioral principles. They appear to have reason, but that reason cannot transcend the given principles.
It's hard to understand just from hearing about it.
Then what rules governed that SF nation I encountered earlier? It looked like a nation traversing space—should I consider it a fairly high-ranking entity in this dimension?
The phenomenon or collective itself is recognized as a single entity. The objects or monsters belonging to it show many differences from ordinary life forms.
"This place is truly fascinating. To think that deities are bound by some kind of laws..."
"From my perspective, it's even more surprising that Your Greatness is not bound by any restrictions."
From the perspective of mortals, it's strange that beings who appear divine are constrained by laws. I'm reminded of what a lowest-ranking deity who was causing trouble in the Earth Federation said before.
"Whether causality, laws, or any other restriction!!! It is clear that you can never interfere with this world!!!"
His name was Cain, wasn't it? Like Maria, he was originally a mortal from the Earth Federation who ascended to the position of deity.
So what he said is common sense in this dimension?
"Well, I wanted to ask how much further we need to go."
"We're almost there... O Great One. The star system orbiting around the red star is where the lesser beings frequently come and go..."
Good. When Atlach-Nacha stops, I'll scan the planets with my will.
I should make contact with the mortals here and entrust exploration to the leadership governing their civilization.
* * *
Handling the divided consciousness in that other dimension was easier than expected. It was even easier than drawing a circle with one hand while drawing a triangle with the other.
I was gradually ascending higher.
Even with just a small portion of my consciousness possessing the grimoire, I was completely ignoring the laws of other dimensions and could follow the flow of time in different dimensions individually. This fact was both natural and frightening.
Would I still exist as myself when this transformation ends?
"Master of the Forbidden Book!!! With the power you have bestowed upon me, I have swept across the galaxy! Hahaha!!!"
Zhafa, a star-class deity to whom I had recently granted power through the grimoire, was rejoicing at becoming merely a lord of dust. He hadn't even become a galactic deity. Taking only a small amount of power yet...
Apart from the dimension where I had possessed the grimoire with my consciousness and Zhafa's dimension, there was no harvest elsewhere. I could feel that attempts to summon me were gradually decreasing. Were the grimoires I had spread being sealed?
"Nyala, have you found anything?"
"Hmm... Several places are being searched diligently... and I've descended as an avatar in some places, but there are no clues related to Father's true name."
"I see."
"Ahahaha! But it's fun!"
Leaving behind Nyala's avatar, who was giggling, I once again examined the consciousness connected to grimoires in other dimensions. No matter what happens in other dimensions, the time that passes here is but a moment.
Let's freely explore other dimensions. For as long as I please.
---
"This is the place, Great One."
"The Inner Plane forms the shape of the universe, so it's quite vast."
"According to my servitors, it's a space quite similar to the 'real world'..."
I could see a few spider servitors passing by. Each was a minor deity with the size of an island or continent. Though they seemed to be restricted by "laws," limiting what they could do despite their size of power.
"This is far enough."
"Yes. I shall remain here, so please call upon me whenever you need."
I descended from Atlach-Nacha's back and flew quickly through space. I intended to search for mortals engaged in life activities, not the aberrant life forms I had seen so far.
Let me focus my will on the nearest planet first...
A blue planet similar to Earth. A place with many small things moving across the surface. A planet where water and air were in harmonious balance... but only aberrant beings lived there.
—This one's a bust.
The satellite right next to it was blinking its eyes, so humans wouldn't exist there. And that red star floating leisurely over there... it's a planet with no moving beings at all.
Let me expand my search range a bit more. If I thoroughly search this star system, I should find something.
One. Two. Three... Twenty... Being in the Inner Plane, it's overflowing with all sorts of strange things. What's that black figure sitting on a chair in the black space? There were even monsters that would normally live in my main body.
Thirty... Should I just spend time searching here? Since the time between dimensions differs anyway, it doesn't matter how much time passes here.
Ah, found them. Approximately several dozen individuals. A small group of mortals.
* * *
In this world, there exist supernatural phenomena beyond human common sense.
Strange phenomena, objects, supernatural abilities, beings like yokai or ghosts. Those who manage all these things, collectively called anomalies, to prevent the world's destruction.
They were the Supernatural Management Bureau—commonly known as "the Foundation"—an organization that supports humanity.
Long ago, they had hidden the existence of anomalies and protected humanity from the shadows, but in the current era, where civilization had developed enough to venture into space, they openly revealed themselves and exerted tremendous influence worldwide.
Anton, who held the highest rank of Black among the field agents belonging to the organization. As the team leader of the special forces unit Alpha Nine (α-9), he spoke while surveying the surroundings.
"Maintain perimeter security. Everyone activate your equipment."
"Visual confirmation shows no hostile anomalies present."
"Desert terrain with endless red sand. The briefed location is..."
"The place to install the search equipment is..."
He had been tasked with leading his team to explore the Reverse Side of the World, a space overflowing with anomalies. Recalling his conversation with Dr. Bright of the Foundation a few hours before arriving here...
"Team Leader Anton, I have a mission for you to take on."
"Please tell me."
"Many of the unclassified anomalies under the Foundation's observation have disappeared."
"Hmm!"
"Anomalies that are difficult to track have increased, and it's not that something is wrong with the Foundation's observation instruments. Even that [Space Council] has disappeared..."
"...Isn't this an emergency situation?"
"That's right. That's why I want to entrust the investigation to you. The elite Alpha-9 team should be more than capable..."
A situation where the Foundation was having difficulty tracking unclassified anomalies under observation, or where many anomalies had disappeared. This might be a sign of the emergence of another unclassified anomaly, so they needed to assess the situation.
They crossed over to one of the Inner Planes where anomalies often appeared, to observe through search devices...
"Team Leader. Installation of Zeta-8440 is complete."
"Good. Activate it."
"Yes!"
Whirrrr—
With a slight operational sound, the search equipment brought by the Alpha-9 team members began to operate. A portable device capable of detecting high-level anomalies. After activating this, they planned to use other equipment as well.
That's when the anomaly occurred.
"...Huh?!"
"Anomaly reaction!"
Whoooosh—
Something flew from beyond the sky and stopped right in front of Team Leader Anton. A small object. A red book with a crimson exterior. A volume emanating an ominously sinister aura.
The sudden approach of an anomaly.
The Alpha-9 team members, the Foundation's elite search team, responded quickly. Ampoules containing various drugs popped out from everywhere, protective supernatural abilities were emitted, devices automatically recording and transmitting video to headquarters activated, and the muzzles of advanced weapons were aimed at the book.
"B-Class or higher!"
"Support!"
However, all of this was futile. The mental wave emitted from the grimoire shattered everyone's minds.
[Are you mortals from the Material Realm?]
A team member classified as a high-level psychic spewed blood from his eyes and collapsed, while another team member who had contracted with a B-Class anomaly had his head explode. A team member who was in the middle of transforming into a werewolf died half-transformed. The deputy team leader, who had high regenerative abilities in exchange for accepting an anomaly into his body, gouged out his own eyeballs, and no team members remained standing.
An overwhelming disparity that could best be described as total annihilation in an instant.
Even Team Leader Anton, who had always "separated" extra consciousness to resist the mental attacks emitted by most anomalies, felt his consciousness growing dim.
[Oh my... Did I project my will too strongly? It's been a while since I conversed with mortals, so I made a mistake. I'll turn back time to revive you all...]
'Time? Reality manipulation... divine being... unclassified anomaly!'
That was Team Leader Anton's final thought.