Re:Awakening with Ultimate Power as a Cosmic God

Nova stood at the edge of the pool, wringing some of the water from his sleeve as he looked at the shy girl with her hands clasped nervously in front of her.

Her presence was small, barely noticeable in the vastness of the silent garden, but her eyes carried the tension of someone who had seen something she wasn't supposed to.

"I need to get out of here. I landed here by mistake. I'm looking for something on this planet—something important. But I won't find it if I'm trapped inside a palace."

He said calmly.

Rin's eyes widened.

"O-out of the palace? I… I can't—"

She echoed, stumbling over her words.

He tilted his head slightly.

"Can't?"

"I mean, it's forbidden! I-I'm not even supposed to be back here! If anyone sees me helping someone escape—"

She suddenly stopped speaking. Her eyes lost their nervous gleam and instead filled with a quiet certainty.

"But… you remind me of something."

Nova's gaze sharpened.

"What do you mean?"

"The temple stories. From the old chants. They say gods will come from the sky one day… not with thunder or wrath, but in silence. That their eyes will hold the weight of the heavens, and their presence will bend the path of fate."

She said slowly, voice barely a whisper.

Nova said nothing.

"You…You look like how they described. Your aura—it doesn't feel human. A-are you… are you one of them? Are you a god?"

Rin's face turned red again.

At that, Nova simply turned and started walking.

"W-wait! Where are you going?!"

She cried, rushing after him, sandals scraping softly against the stone pathway.

"If you're not going to help me, I'll find a way myself."

"You can't just walk out into the halls! Your clothes are wrong—nobody wears anything like that! If someone sees you looking like that, you'll be arrested… or worse."

She hissed, grabbing his sleeve just as he approached the edge of the hidden path.

Nova glanced down at his damp, dark attire. True, it wasn't exactly in line with the soft silks and fitted robes he'd seen from a distance.

"I don't have time to play dress-up."

He said.

"You won't need to if you die walking out there!"

He paused at that.

Rin blinked, surprised by her own words, then dropped her gaze, breath shallow.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout. It's just… if you are a god… or something close to it… I don't want the others to hurt you."

Nova turned fully toward her for the first time since she mentioned the temple. His expression was unreadable, but his voice softened slightly.

"If you don't want me hurt, then show me the way out."

She nodded quickly, determined now despite the blush on her face.

"Okay… but you'll need a disguise. I can get something from the servant's quarters. Wait here. Don't move."

She sprinted off through a narrow hedge path before he could protest.

Nova stood still for a moment, eyes scanning the surrounding garden. He reached out with aether senses—subtle, like a breeze brushing against curtains.

The palace was pulsing with restrained power, surveillance, and a net of aether patterns woven so precisely it nearly disguised itself as part of the atmosphere.

He would've preferred to crash somewhere else.

Rin returned a few minutes later with folded clothes wrapped in a cloth bundle.

"These should fit. They're from the washroom rotation—no one will miss them for a day or two."

He took them without comment.

"There's a side hall near the east wing. Leads to the lower kitchens. From there, I can sneak you out through the food carts."

She explained.

Nova raised a brow.

"You've done this before?"

Rin's face flushed.

"N-no! I just… I know my way around. That's all."

She pointed to a narrow ivy-covered wall.

"You can change behind there. I'll keep watch."

Nova disappeared behind the stone column. Moments later, he returned, dressed in the dull beige garb of a palace aide.

The simple tunic and robe sat awkwardly on his frame, but it was passable.

Rin stared, blinking.

"You look… almost normal now."

He didn't respond.

Rin quickly turned and began walking ahead.

"This way. Stay quiet. And whatever happens—don't look anyone in the eye."

Nova followed her silently, his footsteps light and measured.

So far, this planet had proven strange… but promising.

______

They slipped through the edge of the ivy-shrouded garden, Rin guiding him with a whispered urgency.

Her footsteps were quick but silent, the practiced movement of someone used to sneaking around unnoticed.

Nova followed without a sound, keeping a close eye on the palace layout as they moved.

"The kitchens are just beyond this arch. Servants use it to bring food to the inner chambers. No guards usually patrol this route, but sometimes—"

Rin murmured, gesturing to a narrow doorway ahead.

She stopped mid-sentence and yanked Nova backward into a shadowed alcove.

Two armored soldiers walked past on the upper balcony, their heavy boots thudding against the marble.

They didn't glance down.

When the soldiers were out of earshot, Rin let out a shaky breath and glanced at him.

"They're searching. The blast from the sky must have shaken everyone."

Nova didn't respond, but his mind was already processing the layout, guard routes, and the angles of the surveillance spells.

Rikaidou's palace wasn't just secure—it was a fortress. He'd have to be more careful than he initially thought.

They continued forward until they reached the back door of the kitchen, where heat and the clanging of pots echoed faintly through thick stone walls.

Rin slipped them inside through a servant's entrance, pulling Nova down behind a row of storage barrels as a head chef barked orders near the center.

"I just need to find the cart list. If I can switch a route without anyone noticing—"

She whispered.

"You've done more than enough. Tell me the exit point. I'll handle the rest."

Nova cut in.

Rin hesitated, chewing her lower lip.

"But you won't blend in once you're outside. The city… it's stricter than the palace. They'll spot you the second you walk alone."

Nova's eyes narrowed, and his voice dropped.

"Then give me a name. Someone I can trust in the city. Someone who won't question too much."

Rin looked down, fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve.

"There's a herbalist in the lower district. She's… eccentric, but she doesn't like the palace much. Name's Amari. She helped me once when I got injured running errands. She won't turn you in if you don't act hostile."

"That'll do."

Nova rose, but Rin reached out and grabbed his sleeve again.

"I meant what I said. You remind me of the stories. Of the ones who come down to change everything. If you really are like that… please don't forget this place. Or me."

She whispered.

Nova paused. The mask on his face shimmered slightly, catching the flicker of light from a swinging kitchen lantern.

Then he nodded once, sharp and cold.

"I never forget anything."

And with that, he turned and slipped into the shadows, moving like a whisper toward the exit.

Rin stayed crouched by the barrels, clutching the bundle of his old clothes to her chest as her heart pounded. Something had changed the moment he arrived.

'I hope he'll be fine. But I feel worried for some reason. Perhaps, I should head out after him?'

Rin had never felt like this before in her life. It almost felt like…she had a crush on the unknown person she saved.

Nova walked away from her and Rin suddenly felt the need to move. Before she knew it, she was following Nova out as well.