| “ | Everything is only another possibility. What you gain and what you lose depends on the decisions you make. | ” |
Vishnu is one of the four primeval gods, and his jurisdiction is Resurrection. He disappeared after the Cataclysm along with Shiva.[4] He was the former patron of the 3rd month, but that responsibility has gone to Asvins since the year N0.
Appearance
Vishnu usually appears as a young man with light skin tone and short, thick, olive green hair with bangs that covers his eyes. He wears brownish trousers and a light-greenish shirt, and seems to always walk barefoot. Like any other god, he can change his apparent age.[5]
In the finite, he appears before Ian Rajof disguised as a woman. He was tall, wore a white dress, and had long, olive green hair with bangs that covered his eyes. Ian catches a momentary glimpse of his eyes, but can't decipher their color. Gold? Silver? Red—no, blue?[6]
He appears before Ian again later the same night in the form of a 7- or 8-year-old boy wearing rags, but with similar-colored hair with bangs.[6]
Personality
Vishnu seems to have a very friendly personality at times, which sometimes may seem to approach naivety. In the finite, he enjoyed playfully teasing Taksaka.[7] He also once approached Ian Rajof disguised as a woman and asked her hilariously intrusive questions about her marriage status and the types of men she likes to hang out with.[6] At other times, however, as depicted in the Webtoon, he seems to have some malevolent traits as well, or at least an amoral personality.
He does not seem to care much for riches, or hold outer appearances in high regard, as he wears very simple clothing for his status.
Unlike the natural gods, Vishnu holds no hate towards suras or nastikas in particular, as he is on friendly terms with some of them, such as Gandharva, Shuri, and Garuda.
He often likes speaking in riddles while revealing the content of his insights, as noted by Kasak[8], or Gandharva[9].
Brahma has stated that she has an old friend who aspires to cold rationality but he has not lost his habit of falling headlong into anything that interests him.[10] She was likely referring to Visnu.
Skills and Abilities
Vishnu is the only god with the ability to foresee every choice and its consequences.
As with the other gods, he is able to use insight, although his insight has been said to be more than ordinary.[11] He is capable of reading even his fellow primeval gods.
Vishnu can seal transcendental skills, even those of 5th-zen gods.[12] (bhavati asvins is a similar but weaker skill. Asvins is also a god with a resurrection attribute.)
In the finite, Taksaka often chastised Vishnu for using time manipulation too casually. Tak reminded the god that in a previous universe, he had lost his form due to manipulating time too much and had to wait till the end to regenerate himself.[7]
Visnu also possesses a transcendental that lets him project himself into the future. A past Visnu used this transcendental in order to appear in N5 on Carte, although he does not exist at the time anymore.[3]
Visnu has the power to stop Kali's transcendental which lets her send someone's consciousness into the past and manipulate the possibilities that way.[13]
Notes
- Before the Cataclysm, Visnu was the most popular god among the humans for using his powers often for the benefit of humanity.[14]
- There are 9 god-level items of his creation on Willarv.[15]
- His name, like all the other primeval gods' names, is independent of the universe's existence, i.e., he will survive even the end of the universe.[16]
- Visnu has jurisdiction over names of power and it was his role to hand them out to the new creatures of the universe as they are born.[17] Later on, he takes onto himself the task of prolonging the existence of the universe.[18]
- He alone of the four primeval gods remembers what happened in all the previous universes.
- Yama is not on good terms with Visnu and hoti visnu plays a rather significant role in this.[19]
Plot
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
History
The primevals
Visnu is one of the four primeval gods, the other being Kali, Shiva, and Brahma. They all have the right to manage names[17] and they themselves possess names that are superior, free from the chains of cause and effect. Due to this, they have existed for the duration of multiple universes.[20]
The current universe too was created by the four primeval gods. At the beginning Visnu handed out names to the new creations, alternating between names of astikas and nastikas. Kali was wary of having her creations overpower her, so she created her own clan with the remaining names, which were dangerous and defective.[17]
Protector of the universe
While Kali actively plots to destroy each universe,[21][22] Visnu is the only one who works to prolong the lifespan of each universe.[18] He has been implied to have lost in previous universes.[10]
Near the beginning of the universe, Visnu foresaw a best possible future and started working towards achieving it. However, Kali has been successfully thwarting his plans, in particular by making a deal with Menaka which made it impossible to have her take a role which would allow the other primevals to finally defeat Kali. Allegedly, the remaining futures will eventually all be in Kali's clutches, except for a single one which relies on Gandharva redeeming himself and reaching enlightenment. Visnu has befriended Gandharva in order to bring about this future.[18]
Friends
Aside from Gandharva, Visnu was also friends with Shuri and Garuda. They were so close that roughly 300 years ago, Garuda opted to entrust his three children to his friends when he could not take care of them due to problems with the power of the name. Visnu was entrusted with the youngest, Kalavinka, and he raised her on Willarv.[23][24]
During this time, he was shown visiting Shuri while she was raising the second-born child, Yuta, on Isholy.[25] Shuri educated Yuta about Visnu's ideals and convinced him to take Visnu's side even against his own mother, Kali.[26]
Taksaka's family
Visnu also invited his friend, Taksaka, to Willarv,[24] where he manipulated events to get Taksaka together with Ian Rajof, which resulted in the birth of Kasak Rajof, at the price of sacrificing Ian's lifespan, all in order to keep Taksaka's anger issues in check.[27] He gifted special earrings that suppress dragon indifference to Taksaka, which were then passed on to Kasak. Visnu was present while Kasak grew up and he told many prophecies to the young dragon.[28]
Along with Shiva, Visnu disappeared after the Cataclysm of N0, which resulted in the loss of the resurrection attribute and all related magic. Before leaving, Visnu divided the realms, confining each race to a separate environment.[29] He showed up before Gandharva, and promised to ask the gods to create an ocean which would make the environment of the sura realm more bearable for his clan.[30]
Despite his disappearance in N0, he was able to use a transcendental in order to appear before Asha Rahiro after the destruction of her planet, Carte in N5. He made a deal with her thanks to which she was able to use hoti visnu and her divine affinity increased, but in return, he took something from her future.[3] It has been hinted that he similarly approached many humans from different times, yet all of them refused him.[31][32]
Season 1
Chapter 6: The Past I Yearn For/Longing for Yesterday
The Cataclysm
(1) Visnu was good friends with Garuda, Shuri, and Gandharva. When Garuda entrusted his children to his friends, the third child went with Visnu.
(3) When the Cataclysm ended, Visnu and Shiva disappeared. Since their influence over the world was so great, some say that their disappearance itself was the Cataclysm. Before leaving, Visnu confined the gods and suras into separate realms. The gods were content with the desolate world they were granted, the humans felt gratitude for the abundant world they received, but the suras were trapped in the inhospitable and poisonous sura realm.
Before leaving, Visnu told Gandharva he would tell some other god to make an ocean for Gandharva and so Gandharva endures the situation. Manasvin believes that even if Visnu told the gods, they would not grant the wish of the absent god.
Chapter 8: The Wavering King
Teaching Yuta
(3) Hanuman, who has come to help aid the Gandharva clan as they are being attacked, reminds Gandharva that all his allies are gone. Visnu and Shuri have disappeared, and Garuda may never wake again. Hanuman urges Gandharva to make his decision quickly, but wisely.
(4) Visnu stands behind Shuri as she teaches Yuta about the way of the king, which forbids having emotions waver.
(7) After identifying Yuta as a superior sura, Kasak Rajof states that there must be a reason why Visnu left Yuta in the human realm. Kasak knows Visnu not only as the god that ended the Cataclysm and divided the realms, but also personally, since Visnu would come to visit when Kasak lived with his father.
Kasak reflects that Visnu always spoke in riddles. He could not tell if Visnu spoke of the present, past or future. He listened to Visnu's stories as if they were dreams. According to one, Kasak would meet a being of two halves, older yet younger than Kasak at the same time. Kasak would be superior on their first encounter, but the second would be very different.
Kasak reveals to Yuta that Visnu also spoke of his lost older brother and younger sister. Yuta is devastated that he can't learn more information when Kasak loses consciousness due to his drained vigor and returns to his normal human form.
Chapter 9: Rival
riddles
(4) Visnu gifted special earrings to Kasak's father, Taksaka. This god-level item suppresses the sura physique to make the sura look human, although it does not fool checkpoints. In the case of dragons, it also suppresses their indifference. Kasak got these earrings from his father when his mother passed away.
Kasak lends the earrings to Yuta and states that Visnu must have known this would happen. He thinks that Visnu's life must have been boring and he would have gone crazy early on in his place.
Visnu also told him that although he has revealed many truths, the choice will always be up to Kasak. That is why Visnu will not tell him about the consequences of his decisions. Yuta may be Kasak's enemy, and in such a case, it would be better to kill him during their first encounter, since after he develops, it will not be nearly as easy.
Kasak wonders if he will regret letting Yuta live. But he is curious and wishes to meet Yuta's amazing developed form that Visnu spoke of, even if it will bring regret.
Chapter 10: The Night it Rained Fire
Foster daddy
(11) While Garuda's first child, Maruna, goes with Gandharva and the second child, Yuta, with Shuri, Garuda's third child, Kalavinka, went to Willarv with Visnu. According to Visnu, Willarv is a good place to live, despite all the magicians that the planet is full of.
Visnu lived among humans, taking care of Kalavinka, but since he got lonely, he called on his friend, Taksaka, to visit. Taksaka stayed in the human realm for a long time and returned to the sura realm just before the Cataclysm. During this time, he married a human and had a son, Kasak, who would have met Visnu.
(13) Visnu would not tell Kasak who his enemy would be and so Kasak makes his own judgments according to who stands closer to justice. When Maruna confronts him to reveal information he has regarding Kalavinka's whereabouts, Kasak remembers Visnu's words and labels Maruna as enemy, leading him to reveal nothing.
(15) Sagara mentions that Yama sticks to his principles of not making any exceptions to extend an individual's life that he even refused Visnu's pleas to extend Ian's lifespan.
(19) In D925 Visnu is calling for a third stage Kalavinka to come home. She says goodbye to Kasak and asks him not to tell anyone where she is hidden. Before she left, Kasak asks Kalavinka why she's with the nonsensical god and offers her his dad as replacement. Kasak also notes how similar she and Visnu are with their cryptic way of talking.
Chapter 11: The Power of the Name
(1) The primeval gods are far from ecstatic about Kubera having killed Ananta. As a result, Kubera will lose his place in the world of the gods.
(4) Leez, lost deep in the Water Channel, is offered a helping hand by God Kubera so long as she’ll answer the question he left her with the last they met: Does she want to live a painful life, or die here and now? As Leez thinks over her answer, she wonders if her living must beneficial to Kubera. The God of Earth replies that he’s unsure as his insight is not as accurate as Visnu’s.
(5) The earrings created by Visnu break. Yuta is upset that his mother is able to destroy a god-level item created by Visnu.
Chapter 12: Lies for You
God-level items
(1) According to Asha Rahiro, god-level items should be resilient and restore themselves even if they break. Items are unaffected by the gap between a god's death and resurrection and if a god disappears from existence, their items should disappear too. Yet none of the nine godly items of Visnu which are present on Willarv have shown any abnormalities since Visnu's disappearance during the Cataclysm.
(4)(5) When Yuta escaped from Taraka, a dummy substituting for Kali, she said that neither Garuda, Shuri, or Visnu can stop her. Yuta is always in the palm of her hands. Having found Yuta again, Taraka states that it took her this long to find Yuta because of the dirty tricks Visnu pulled. Also, according to Taraka, Shuri disappeared along with Visnu. (7) Taraka eyes prevent Asha from using other types of magic. She casts hoti visnu, a spell that is not supposed to exist anymore.
Giving out names
(11) At the beginning of the universe, the primeval god Visnu, who already possessed a name which was immortal without regard to the existence of the universe, handed out names of power to the new creations, alternating between names of astikas and nastikas. Of the four primeval gods, all had the right to govern names, but they disagreed in their goals, with Kali especially causing dissent. Kali took possession of the remaining names of nastikas, however, only those which were dangerous or flawed remained. Among them was the name of the chaos clan, which Kali took, making herself both a primeval and a nastika.
(12) Since the knowledge about Kalavinka's whereabouts which Kasak has was obtained through insight, it can only be reconveyed through oral or written means. Other gods cannot learn it by insight from Kasak. Shess takes Kasak's possessing this uncommon knowledge as proof that Visnu must have cherished Kasak a lot.
Season 2
Chapter 13: Lost
(2) Agni wonders how much Visnu saw of the future and speculates that Visnu must have known one of the gods would choose to break the rules he set after the Cataclysm. Therefore, Visnu cannot be angry if Agni does so now and reveals himself to humans.
Chapter 14: Blood/Hide
Avoiding countless deaths
(5) In a flashback, Visnu speaks to a child Asha. He tells her that countless deaths will find their way to her and she will not be able to banish all of them on her own. He came to her because she has the highest probability of losing this war. From that moment, she has faith in his existence and she will be able to borrow his magic, but since he no longer exists in the form of a god, the magic will be unstable and eat at her existence. She should use it as little as possible, but if she hesitates, death could come more swiftly than expected. The decision is always hers: Yes, or no?
In the present, Asha uses hoti Visnu to rewind her injured body and save her life.
(6) Visnu had told Kasak that since the Cataclysm, gods are not permitted to be openly active in the human realm. A god must strive to keep their presence hidden from every human excluding his summoner. Kasak believes Agni must know the reasons behind Visnu's requests.
Chapter 16: Caution
Giving up everything
(1) In a flashback, Asha recalls telling a mysterious person (who is revealed to be Visnu) that she is willing to lose her life in the attempt to gain power. The person tells her that she is not the only one in the world who would die for their wish and asks what else she has to offer apart from her life. Asha responds that she would give up everything she has.
The figure shows Asha a scene in which a tall man with a spear (Kubera) strikes down a long-haired man kneeling on the ground (Ananta). Then they say that giving up everything is not something that is to be said lightly.
(3) Visnu and Kali did not have ordinary insight, they...
Chapter 21: Frozen Tears
Pretty please
(2) Gandharva recollects meeting with Visnu after the Cataclysm. Visnu told him that he is aware that the sura realm is toxic for the Gandharva clan, but Gandharva would have to use his powers to keep the area purified for now. Visnu states that it would not be long, just until an ocean is created in the sura realm. He would tell the other gods. Please.
Gandharva believes Visnu's promise. Since Visnu can see the future, he must have foreseen a future in which the gods came to make an ocean, and that is why he was able to make that promise.
(11) In a past conversation with Visnu, Gandharva wonders what would have been if he was not Gandharva. He is unhappy with all the responsibilities he has as king and only wishes to live happily with his wife, Menaka. Why must he be weighed down like this when he never wanted to be king in the first place?
Prophecy
Visnu tells Gandharva that had he not received the name Gandharva, Menaka would have been Gandharva's, and not his. Being born with power means great achievement but also great loss. No perfect name exists. Gandharva's name is powerful and it will mean much suffering, but it will also bring wondrous love, remarkable happiness, and friendship that can transcend races.
Gandharva states that he already has all this: his love is Menaka, his happiness is the daughter they are expecting, and the friendship is with Visnu, no? After a pause, Visnu agrees. Gandharva continues that as long as he can keep his family and friends for all time, he can bear with the inconveniences of being king. If the good things and the bad alike stem from his name, he must accept it all.
Visnu warns him that nothing is eternal. Everything is only another possibility. What he gains and what he loses all depends on the decisions he makes.
In the present, Gandharva wonders if Visnu had seen his future. How Gandharva lost his wife, daughter, and friends - everyone he loved, and was left with nothing, without a single reason to live.
| “ | Being born with power means great achievement, but also great loss. There is no such thing as a perfect name. | ” |
– Visnu on names[1]
| ||
Chapter 30: Falling Petals
(5)(6) It is revealed that Asha used hoti Visnu magic to manipulate evidence and get away with killing many people with the name Kubera. She disappeared in N12 and only reappeared in N15. However, Asha did this because she received an oracle from a god back on Carte. Asha originally had a very low divine affinity, however, it is now over 10 000.
Chapter 31: Your Justice and Mine
(9) Saha On deduces that Asha actually did not exist during those three years between N12 and N15. He speculates that this must have been a penalty for using hoti Visnu despite Visnu being gone. Not only does Asha disappear from existence, but all memory of her disappears from people's lives. Asha's lifespan ended in N13 and she outlived this date only thanks to those three years of non-existence. Now Asha can use the spell less times before she incurs the penalty again.
(30) Chandra reveals that his hiding ability was sealed by Visnu. When Kasak is surprised why Visnu would do such a thing, Chandra states that only few know the true face of that crazy god.
Chapter 32: Loser
(5)(6) Yuta states that Asha is truly pitiful and he can clearly see what she lost in that exchange. He wonders why the god chose her. Yuta feels that Asha's superior intelligence is meaningless now. Her soul cannot bear even this much power and is breaking apart. Did Visnu think she could withstand even greater power?
Futures to memorize
(6) In a flashback, a young Asha is standing in a strange space surrounded by scrolls. She states that when the last three remain, the configuration will completely change based on who she chooses to kill.
A mysterious person compliments her for remembering this much and reminds her that she can choose freely. As long as she does not forget the list of requirements for each choice, no matter which path she takes, she has a 90% chance of winning.
Asha asks how much her odds decrease if she does not fulfill the list completely. The figure tells her that her chances would disappear altogether. The more time passes, the harder it will be to recover from a mistake. When less than three people remain, any mistake will result in failure. However, depending on the type of mistake, it may be possible to fix it.
A scroll states that if she kills the priest of light, she must kill his fiancée as well.
Chapter 33: Asha
(2) In year N5, catastrophe struck the planet Carte. Much of the planet got flooded and the rest was bombarded by red sky attacks. The mother of Asha Rahiro died in one such incident. Asha sent her relatives outside so that she could stay alone with her mother's head, the only part left of her.
Little kid
Suddenly, she hears loud booms from outside. A little boy appears before her and tells her to ignore it, she would die should she go outside and that would be a waste of Asha's talents. According to him, very few humans have been born with criteria like hers from the creation until the end of the universe.
When Asha asks who he is, he tells her to step closer if she wishes to find out. The steps she made do not suffice, the boy tells her to take one more. When Asha refuses, the glass in the window behind her shatters and cuts her right leg and arm. Asha crumples on the floor with pain.
The boy tells her that she should have done as he told her. The wounds will get better in half a day. He could heal her if he wanted, but this is her punishment for refusing to listen. He walks to the window, observing the red sky outside, and says that it is gone and Asha can take a look outside if she would like. By the time Asha gives her response, the boy is already gone.
Campfire
(3) Asha attempts to burn her mother's head among the rubble of what was once her town and contemplates whether learning fiendish magic would allow her to take revenge despite having low divine affinity. The boy appears before her again, holding a stack of firewood, and tells her that her plan would never succeed.
He asks about her injuries and adds the firewood to the fire, stating that he brought it because he knew it would be needed. Asha asks why he did not warn the townspeople about the attack if he knew it would happen. He responds that he had no reason to. Countless people have died on the planet, many other planets have faced disaster, many universes have come to exist only to be destroyed again. Nothing in this world is eternal and the disaster of one planet hardly moves him. He saved Asha only because she has worth. When he asks Asha why this planet would deserve special treatment, Asha is rendered speechless.
The boy then states that Asha has already deduced who he is. Without doubt, Asha identifies primeval god Visnu. Visnu is impressed with her intelligence and bearing, although her plans so far would lead to nothing. He explains that what Asha sees is not the Visnu of the present, since he is no longer there, but rather a presence created by a transcendental of the Visnu of the past. To quench Asha's suspicions, Visnu shifts to his adult form.
He tells Asha that despite the inherent limits that come with being human, her cognitive processing speed rivals that of the highest-level gods. However, her experience and the depth of her thoughts are insufficient and she would be unable to reach her goal before she runs out of lifespan.
Visnu offers to help her for a high price. First, he asks what Asha needs and what she can give. Asha firmly answers she is willing to lose her life in the attempt to gain power. Visnu tells her that she is not the only one in the world who would die for their wish and asks what else she has to offer apart from her life. Asha responds that she would give up everything she has.
Granted a vision
Visnu approaches her and touches her head, in her mind, a terrible scene that makes her cry and scream unravels. Visnu tells her that what he just had her experience was a moment from 500 years ago when the single creation that understood the primeval gods died. Other than the primeval gods and those involved, no one knows what happened. He asks if she now understands how deadly it can be to wager everything and concludes this is not something that is to be said lightly.[33]
Asha despairs that she has nothing else left to offer, but Visnu states that even if she does not have it now, she will in the future. As a god who governs time, he is able to take even that which a person does not yet possess. It is something that other people commonly have but Asha lacks at the moment, but may come to have in the future. Many humans regard this as more important than their lives. In return, he will grant the power she longs for.
Giving opportunities
Asha accepts, convinced that if it is something she does not have now, she will not need it in the future. Visnu agrees and says he will grant her an opportunity commensurate to what she has given up.
There is a flash of light and Asha and Visnu find themselves in a strange plane with glowing lights. Before them is a group of people who have been tied up and wear sacks on their heads. Visnu explains that if they were not restrained, it would be harder for Asha to kill them.
What awaits her is a preparatory phase for Asha to enter this fight. If she kills the people, her divine affinity will exceed 1000. She can refuse if she wants. Visnu only gives opportunities, he will not force her. What she gains and loses depends on her choices, everything is but a possibility.
| “ | This is not the only planet that faces disaster. (...) So many universes come to exist, then are destroyed again... from the perspective of one who remembers everything, the calamity of a single planet doesn't move me at all.
|
” |
– Visnu on his perspective[3]
| ||
Fixed it for you
(4) Asha is bloodied from killing the people. Visnu peals petals from a flower when Asha suddenly casts hoti marut, cutting her hair. She explains that it was a test to verify her increase in divine affinity. Visnu waves his hand and Asha's hair regrows again to its full length. Visnu tells her about the insight of gods which allows them to read the minds of humans and emphasizes that hiding her feelings is pointless.
Visnu tells Asha that the easy part of her journey to power ends here. To gain more, she will need to find and kill people with the name of a god. Visnu shows her the records of futures which she will need.
After telling Asha about the first half of what awaits her, Visnu points out that she did well to take his offer. Otherwise, she would have reached the end of her lifespan in N13 without achieving anything. Asha asks whether combining power with other magicians would not be enough to kill a superior sura.
Visnu tells her that although it would suffice for mere revenge, there is more to what Asha desires. When Asha denies this, emphasizing that she must kill the sura who killed her mother, Visnu asks why she did not wish for her mother's resurrection instead of power. He surmises that this must be because Asha felt wrath not only for her mother's death, but also for the future she was obstructed from. Getting her mother back would not help her with her life. Asha valued power her whole life and that is why she would not be satisfied with anything other.
Asha finally affirms this, she wanted to stand on the top rather than let herself be trampled. Feeling this way is natural. Visnu agrees, adding that other races also feel that way, however, the extent to which one lets this desire control their life differs.
Visnu tells Asha that people who have the capability to memorize the futures he discloses are rare, they exist though, especially on planets faced with destruction. However, Asha just cut down all those people.
Approaching Mirha
When Visnu told those people what they would need to do in order to obtain power, they refused, so he gave them another choice. Return back or take a gamble - if all the other chosen candidates refuse to commit murder, these people would get sent to a safe and comfortable planet. Mirha Simon and Trisilla Ajes are shown among those who Visnu approached.
7 people were returned home and 12 people took the gamble and were tied up with sacks on their heads, certain that the other candidates would make the choice not to kill. Asha was the very final candidate and had she made the same choice, they would have won.
Visnu speculates that those 12 must be in a better place because their refusal to kill will be acknowledged in the underworld. The one who judges humans there considers murder to be a serious crime. Visnu states that this does not make Asha a villain, though, since a human life is insignificant in the eyes of a non-human being.
Asha claims she has no regrets and does not fear the underworld. Visnu acknowledges this with a smile and hopes it stays that way. Then, he gives her information for her choices after N15 and transports them to a space filled with scrolls.
Asha asks one more thing. According to Visnu's instructions, she must meet Mirha in order to obtain a ticket to the transport ship. And once on board, she needs to shut down the engine room and make it look like an accident. As a result, two people will die on the ship and the rest will safely arrive on Willarv. She asks who they are.
Records of Time
Visnu tells her that the first is the priest of wind who will summon the god of wind in order to allow the Carte people to escape to Willarv, however, her lifespan will be cut short and she will die. Without intervention, she would die only after reaching Willarv. However, if the engine room gets shut down, the ship will get stalled and the priest will die while aboard. The god will vanish and since his power was keeping the ship aloft, it will be in danger of crashing. At that point, a certain human will use his body as a shield to allow the ship to land safely.
Asha wonders if it would not be better to have such a powerful person live but Visnu explains that in such a case, a powerful competitor to Asha will rise and take over the position she wants. On Willarv, there is a candidate chosen by a different god than Visnu. She is younger but has great potential, Asha would have no hope of overtaking her. But if Asha forces that particular sacrifice, the child's odds of winning will turn from the best to the worst, and her life will become a living hell.
Visnu tells Asha that everything will soon become clear, along with the identities with those who must be sacrificed. Asha should make her decision once the time comes. Everything is only another possibility and what she gains and loses depends on the decisions she makes.
In the present, Asha wonders whether the alternative path where she does not choose to kill Rao Leez would have been the unhappier one, as she follows through, casts hoti visnu, and ceases to exist for seven years.
Season 3
Chapter 41: Your Seven Years
Hoti Visnu
(2) It used to be possible to resurrect a dead person using hoti visnu magic while preserving the original soul. However, the soul system was changed roughly 1000 years ago for fear of a certain nastika who would destroy even the bodiless souls. This truth is kept from the community.
Chapter 42: Crossroads
(6) Long long ago, about 10 million years after the ancient human race was destroyed and the new human race created, Menaka is trying to soften Visnu's heart regarding Gandharva. She argues that Gandharva is yet young, does not see past his own emotions, and cares about no consequences - that is why he kills so many.
Perfect future
Visnu claims that Gandharva's actions do not matter, for he will eventually pay the price and be killed by paradisial flare. Once that happens, Menaka is to switch to male form and take the throne, for she is the king of the Gandharva clan in the best possible future which he foresaw.
Visnu notes that Gandharva should not have cut in line to seize a name which was supposed to be Menaka's, but that can be corrected. Since Menaka has the power of peace, she will be able to survive until the end of the universe. And her virtuous nature makes her perfect for her role. If she reaches enlightenment, she will enable them to defeat Kali.
Menaka worries about all those who must be sacrificed in order for the life of the universe to be extended, but Visnu sees no meaning in such musings and considers them foolish and trivial. He has affection for Menaka since she is perfect for the role of bringing peace to the universe.
Realizing Kali's deceit
Later, Menaka stands before Brahma, Shiva, and Visnu, claiming that she made a deal with Visnu. He gave Menaka the power of persuasion so that she could convince Gandharva to stop killing people and he let her carry Gandharva's sins so that the nastika would not get killed before that happens.
The gods are shocked, none of them knew about this and they wonder how come the seal broke so fast. Visnu explains that the one who approached Menaka was Kali in disguise. He claims he would never make that kind of offer, so Menaka should have realized. Brahma explains that Menaka can no longer fulfill the role Visnu gave her because of this unbreakable deal, and so, her role must fall to Gandharva and Menaka will die in his place. Furthermore, Menaka will be unable to change him completely because she will die before that.
Menaka's fate
Shiva regrets that their creations are so stupid, but Visnu states that it is impossible to create creatures as they would like, which is why he needs to run around fixing errors. He tells Shiva not to give up on this universe so early since it has only just begun.
The gods tell Menaka to do her best to change Gandharva and that her child could be able to finish the task when she is gone. Brahma reminds Menaka that they can always create a new universe, Visnu is the only one who takes action to prolong a universe after it is created and Menaka has turned her back on him by siding with Kali. She would need to make up for the flop for the rest of her life.
Convincing Agni
Many years later, Menaka tells god Agni about this deal. She claims that Gandharva has already changed a lot and she is certain her child will be able to take on her role because it is Gandharva's as well. She asks Agni to give Gandharva a chance before choosing to kill him.
When Menaka asked Visnu how bad the second-best possible future would be if Visnu is even pretending to be friends with Gandharva despite disliking him strongly, Visnu answered that it is getting worse and worse. In the future, are futures except for the best possible one will be in Kali's clutches due to her actions.
| “ | There is no part which is more important than the whole. | ” |
– Visnu to Menaka[18]
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Chapter 43: The Point of Your Sword
True gods
(5) Chandra recalls a glowing figure asking what he would do if one universe were to become forty thousand new universes when ripped apart. Chandra states he would stand by and do nothing since the gain outweighs the loss. The demise of everything that existed in the original universe is insignificant.
The glowing figure further askes if Chandra would say the same if he were to be ripped apart for forty thousand new beings to be created. Chandra is confused by the change of topic and fails to understand the figure's claim that he is a part of the universe as much as the universe is a part of him.
Allegedly, Chandra used to know this, he was the first to realize and reach enlightenment. It is unfortunate that he left such an important thing at the top. It was a well-intentioned system, but the glowing figure now sees that it was a mistake. It warns Chandra that if they use the power of oblivion to ease their suffering, none of them will ever become true gods.
| “ | The universe may not be what you imagine. You could be a part of it, or it could be a part of you. | ” |
– Glowing figure to Chandra[34]
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Chapter 45: Crime and Punishment
Caught off guard
(9) Kali thinks about how Visnu would laugh if he could see how she got caught off guard and stabbed by a paralyzing dagger by Leez Haias.
(10) The things Kali considers evil are first of all Visnu, followed by the world, the creatures of that world, their values, ideals, justice, honor, pride, relationships, and love.
(11) According to Kali, a universe without Visnu is doomed to fall because no one is around to stop her power which allows her to tamper with time.
(12) When Leez traveled back in time to N16 and pretended to be Visnu possessing a human body, Asha Rahiro raged, asking if Leez still has a higher chance of winning than her and that is why Visnu has changed his mind. Or if she was perhaps his chosen candidate since the beginning. She further expands this theory, claiming that this was why things went wrong for her ever since meeting Leez. Visnu should have told her all of the important things. He must have been lying to her, using her only as a guide for Leez, making use of the guilt she felt for Rao.
(13) According to Kali, Shuri spent centuries teaching Yuta that Visnu is right. Because of this, Yuta stands against his own mother. If Leez had made a choice to kill Asha in the past, Yuta would assume that Leez must be an enemy planted by his mother to hinder Visnu, he would develop to protect Asha and end up killing Leez. Kali claims that Asha being Visnu's candidate would not matter in the least and such a scenario would have still led to her victory.
Do your best
(14) Leez notes that Kali now remains hidden and limits her actions, even with Visnu out of the picture, and asks if the reason she left her son behind and vanished was because she is losing her name.
Kali recalls a long-past conversation with a glowing being who tells her to try her best because even though she thinks that standing against them is her idea of justice, the inhabitants of this dying universe will only consider her to be evil.
| “ | Give it your all, Kali. You think it is justice to stand against us, but to the creatures of a dying universe you are nothing more than evil. | ” |
– Glowing figure to Kali[20]
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Chapter 46: Soul
(4) Agni admits that he and Kali used to hang out and he claims he was friends with Visnu. He reveals that there are more players than just Visnu and Kali in the game. It is implied that Brahma is also playing.
(6) Brahma notes that Chandra resembles an old friend of hers in that he aspires to cold rationality, yet still falls headlong into anything that interests him. This may be the very reason he loses each time.
Chapter 47: Words That Never Reached You
(1) A group of magicians wonder how come Asha Rahiro is able to steal power from the Kuberas she kills. Brilith Ruin believes this is possible because she would have received the right to do so from a divinity that has power over names. The magicians are reluctant to believe that any god would stoop to such a thing and believe that it must have been Kali, who the other gods must be protecting them from.
Chapter 48: Separation
Execution zone
(18) Sagara reveals that as a side effect of the Hoti Visnu penalty, she was able to read the records written by time. Here she accessed records about Brilith Ruin and learned that as the survivor of the destruction of her planet, Gresvan, Brilith's incarnation of 1000 years ago received a chance to fulfill her wish, and got transported to the execution zone created by time. Yet the information about who it was that killed Brilith was erased.
The panels show a flashback scene in which a woman, implied to be Brilith of 1000 years ago, is sitting with a sack on her head while getting approached by a little girl with long hair, tattered clothes, and a knife. The scene matches the one where Asha murdered survivors of destroyed planets as per her deal with Visnu.[31]
(25) Yuta reveals that power that violates Visnu's rules relies on Kali's powers, and the more of it one uses, the more they lose Visnu's protection, until they lose their mind like the Tarakas.
Chapter 49: The Golden Knight 2
Not on good terms
(4)(5) The DNR list was created because people feared having their soul replaced upon resurrection. It makes it impossible to use hoti visnu on a person who signed the list. However, the meaning changes if a person who has already been resurrected puts down their name. This is connected to a method that makes it possible to gain back the original soul, although it means the loss of memories that were gained while the new soul was operating the body. Many see this method as blasphemy and rebellion against Visnu, though others believe that it is a way of restoring the natural order of things. Since using hoti visnu magic has become impossible after Visnu's disappearance following the Cataclysm of N0, the number of people who would wish to put down their names has decreased.
It's all one big scam
(9)(10) Asha Rahiro realizes that the records of time that she and Siera Sies saw were the same, although she was approached by Visnu, whereas Siera assumed the records he saw would have been Kali's as he accessed them through an experiment related to Kali's Taraka clan.
Asha speculates that Kali and Visnu may not actually be hostile towards each other. She believes it is likely that Visnu is one-sidedly helping Kali, if they are not outright on the same side. She thinks Visnu may have changed his mind about protecting the universe and even if that were not the case, considering his lack of empathy for his creations, his idea of "protection" might be questionable.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Kubera, Season 2 Episode 68: Frozen Tears (11)
- ↑ Kubera, Season 2 Episode 175: Asha (2)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Kubera, Season 2 Episode 176: Asha (3)
- ↑ Kubera, Season 1 Episode 38: The Past I Yearn For (3)
- ↑ Currygom's blog, Season 2 Episode 49: Rift (9)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 the finite, Chapter 5
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 the finite, Chapter 4
- ↑ Kubera, Season 1 Episode 57: The Wavering King (7)
- ↑ Kubera, Season 2 Episode 68: Frozen Tears (11)
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Kubera, Season 3 Episode 95: Soul (6)
- ↑ Kubera, Season 2 Episode 23: Caution (3)
- ↑ Kubera, Season 2 Episode 164: Your Justice and Mine (30)
- ↑ Kubera, Season 3 Episode 84: Crime and Punishment (11)
- ↑ Currygom's blog, Season 1 Episode 18: The Sorrow of Loss (7)
- ↑ Kubera, Season 1 Episode 89: Lies for You (1)
- ↑ Kubera, Season 1 Episode 99: Lies for You (11)
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Kubera, Season 1 Episode 99: Lies for You (11)
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 Kubera, Season 3 Episode 58: Crossroads (6)
- ↑ Currygom's blog, Season 3 Episode 155: The Golden Knight 2 (5)
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Kubera, Season 3 Episode 87: Crime and Punishment (14)
- ↑ Kubera, Season 3 Episode 18: Threat (5)
- ↑ Kubera, Season 3 Episode 75: Crime and Punishment (2)
- ↑ Kubera, Season 1 Episode 36: The Past I Yearn For (1)
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Kubera, Season 1 Episode 74: The Night it Rained Fire (11)
- ↑ Kubera, Season 1 Episode 54: The Wavering King (4)
- ↑ Kubera, Season 3 Episode 86: Crime and Punishment (13)
- ↑ The Finite
- ↑ Kubera, Season 1 Episode 61: Rival (4)
- ↑ Kubera, Season 1 Episode 38: The Past I Yearn For (3)
- ↑ Kubera, Season 2 Episode 59: Frozen Tears (2)
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 Kubera, Season 2 Episode 177: Asha (4)
- ↑ Kubera, Season 3 Episode 138: Separation (18)
- ↑ Kubera, Season 2 Episode 21: Caution (1)
- ↑ Kubera, Season 3 Episode 65: The Point of Your Sword (5)