In some beliefs, it’s said that it was born from a struggle between order and chaos, which was ridiculous. For the universe was formed from chaos, and, along with the universe, multiple beings. For those beings were the gods and goddesses of that universe, each one bringing their idea of order. And, despite struggles and the odd changes, such as the mortal Lahr ascending among their ranks, the universe remained as it was.

At least, until recent years.

Viktoria the Kavat, the goddess of Order and Balance, rubbed her long black ears as she stepped through one of the many pantheons that dotted the universe, her white platform sandals with gold soles clicking upon the stone floor. Various stained glasses dotted the walls, each holding an image of the gods and goddesses of old, with some new ones built. One of those contained an image of a Lucario with purple runes down her head appendages, which Viktoria rolled her eyes at. Two of the windows, a Delphox and Zoroark, far outsized the previous ones to such a degree that, even if the other windows combined to one, they wouldn’t be a sixteenth of even one of the two.

And one window has yet to be built with it unlikely to ever be made, for the space for it kept expanding.

To think that it was only a few years since beings such as Ynaa ascended and, even odder, did it under their own power. Indeed, their abilities so surpassed the old gods and goddesses that the multiverse was their realm to live in, their actual forms too massive for any one universe to contain. But at least there were only three in that class (technically four, but the fourth one wanted to remain hidden), though there was one in there whose powers kept growing to the point where she was boundless in all meaning of the word. And Viktoria was about to meet her.

Or, to put it more accurately, one of her countless manifestations.

Viktoria inhaled a bit, pulling up her dress, which was pure white with gold trimmings, her breasts jiggling a bit. A round ringworld strapped her dress together just above her breasts, the window to her cleavage exposed with her black fur puffing out. Various openings to her midriff were shown, tied up by gold and white disks and having a worldstring around it. Her purple eyes shined, reflecting the light from a pair of glowing golden disks hovering above her shoulders and never brushing against her long, white hair. She swayed her four tails, with ringworlds near the tips, which were shaped like purple axes with a pair of golden tips, the purple rune shaped like a sideway flame with three golden dots glowing a bit under her left eye.

Soon, she stood in front of a pair of massive stone doors, with a golden line that went straight down the middle and a gold wiggle shape that met at the top and bottom of the door. Viktoria poked one of the golden dots, dotted opposite where the wiggle went, and it, along with the rest of the rune, glowed. A thin line expanded down the middle, with the doors opening and a white light falling upon her. Yet, being a goddess for so long, she could see through, but only just.

Within the room ‘sat’ Ynaa the Absol, goddess of Technology, Innovation, and Ambition, also known as the Boundless, towering over everything within the room. Her ‘throne,’ so to speak, was bent space, folding underneath her as though reality was nothing more than a beanbag. She wore a golden dress with gold wrappings around her arms and a purple line with half circles that pointed upwards and downwards across her waist. Even the wrappings around her arms contained a purple sway with a pair of dots on each side. Her black platform shoes stretched taller than Viktoria’s own even if they were the same size, having the same rune on the door, which was also contained on the blue-black oval on her forehead and horn on the right side of her head, with it having an extra horn protruding near the tip.

Ynaa turned to Viktoria, who curtsied before her and waved. “Hey there, Viktoria!”

“Greetings, Lady Ynaa,” Viktoria replied, turning her head upwards.

“Ah, please. It’s just Ynaa,” Ynaa said, waving her hand-paw a bit, with long black claws on each finger. “I don’t do titles.”

“But I must insist, Lady Ynaa,” Viktoria said, setting her hand-paws on her hips. “For your zenith far surpassed all.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Ynaa said, shrugging as she pulled out her tablet, the screen clear as diamond and powered by four universes on each corner. “Let’s make you comfortable first, shall we?”

Before Viktoria could respond, a couple of Ynaa, smaller than her head and feral-shaped, appeared on her shoulders and rubbed her neck and back. Viktoria blinked even as a Ynaa, shaped like an Absol-taur and doubled her size, formed behind her, holding a comfy white chair with a recliner. She pushed it against Viktoria, with her falling on it even as one of the small feral Ynaa hopped off and pulled on the handle, raising her legs. Then, without a word, the Ynaas hopped onto the massive one, who grinned at the blinking Viktoria.

While multimanifestation wasn’t a unique trick for gods and goddesses, Ynaa made it so easy. Indeed, Viktoria sometimes wondered if Ynaa had a core physical form since even a hivemind required a central unit to listen and obey. Yet, all Ynaas act coordinated and yet independent from each other. So perhaps the title Boundless wasn’t enough for Ynaa, for she seemed to be an embodiment of multimanifestation.

“Anything bothering you this time?” Ynaa asked, her scythe-like tail, which held a golden curved line, wagging behind her.

Viktoria inhaled before Ynaa, her white hair ruffled with the front and left side of her hair braided and tied with universes, while the rest of her hair on that side was linked with a single universe. A necklace bounced a bit from her chest, with a couple of universes that poked out from her puffy neck, even as her breasts puffed out, more expansive than Viktoria’s own. Her golden eyes shined even as she grinned, tapping against her tablet.

“It is about Trorse,” Viktoria answered, and Ynaa rolled her eyes.

“What did she do this time?” Ynaa asked, her tone flatter than before.

“Trorse has consumed three planets and dislocated several more along the way,” Viktoria continued, gripping the cushioned chair arm. “I have assembled them so that they stabilized the orbit in another system. But because of her actions, the system became disarray, which has taken me 3.7 hours to correct.”

“Oh, shucks.” Ynaa lifted her left hand-paw while shaking her head. “That’s nothing compared to the state of the universe before my apotheosis. How can you even organize it without backing it up first? And you called yourself the goddess of Order.”

Viktoria stopped herself from rolling her eyes, remembering Ynaa growing in front of her and the other. Indeed, she disagreed with the way things were run and decided to impose her own order, cowing the gods and goddesses before her when reminding them of her proper size when they objected. Viktoria, for her part, agreed with much of Ynaa’s requests since a perpetual peace without change was orderly.

Yet, Ynaa was willing to let some chaos slide.

“Lady Ynaa,” Viktoria said, sitting up straight. “I do not think you fully comprehend the calamities Trorse brings. A planet that has its orbit impinged would disrupt other planets’ orbit, which could cause them to fall into a star if not rectified. Same with stars, since if a star conjugated with too many stars would hypothetically form a black hole millenniums later. And her habit of consuming planets and stars is just appalling, even if she has the decency to deter herself from inhabitant ones.”

Ynaa shook her head, grinning a bit. “Trorse is the goddess of Mischief. So, of course, she disrupts order.”

Viktoria’s eyes narrowed a bit. “She proclaimed herself the goddess of Chaos last week. And the goddess of Variability the week before.”

“And I don’t see the issue of her eating planets and stars,” Ynaa said, shrugging even as the other Ynaas shook their heads. “The ones she eats are barren ones or due to expire anyway. And you follow it up with reconstructing new planets and stars, sometimes greater than the former ones. Seem like a good idea to me. So just let her have her fill.”

But Viktoria sighed, deterring her eyes. “Lady Ynaa, chaos in time will cause the universe to implode if permitted to cultivate. Besides, I do not suppose that Trorse has a full. She just consumes. If she does have a threshold, it is beyond universal.”

Ynaa leaned her head back and laughed, her runes glowing brighter. The other Ynaas followed it up with their laughter, with Viktoria’s black fur ruffling up a bit, which she smoothed out. Ynaa’s horn rubbed against the ceiling, cutting gashes into it, and at once, a pair of Ynaas, both feral Absols, appeared. They hopped onto the top, standing on it as though gravity was pulling them that way, and they patched it up as though it was brand new. Soon, they hopped down, laying on Ynaa’s horn.

“That’s silly,” Ynaa said as soon as she stopped laughing. “Trorse does have an upper limit. If she doesn’t, she would just eat until the entire universe is in her stomach.”

“That is because Trorse restricted herself by either monotony or principles. Both, more likely,” Viktoria said, clutching tightly onto the comfy chair’s arms. “If she did not, I assure you she will do so. Besides,” her eyes sharpened, “it’s hypocritical of you to proclaim Trorse’s limits, Lady Ynaa the Boundless.”

But Ynaa shrugged, rolling her eyes. “Regardless, you’re exaggerating. Still, mere words will not convince you otherwise.” Ynaa stood up, her ‘seat’ unbending even as the ceiling warped against her head and the floor. Viktoria sweated a bit, her back dampening, but Ynaa smiled, her teeth shining. “But how about this: A competition!”

“What?” Viktoria’s ears flattened back.

“If I can’t convince you, then Trorse will show you her limits through a food-eating competition!”

Ynaa flung her arms upwards, popping the roof and ceiling off the pantheon. It floated out into space, with the floor untwisting itself, and multiple copies of Ynaa’s tablets appeared all around her, smaller than her fingertips, letting them fly out into space, warping out from view. Ynaa ‘sat’ down again, a slight glow from the bending space even as Viktoria blinked at her.

“I sent out an invitation to every gods, goddess, and even my friends from earth to come and watch. Trorse versus the champion of your choice! It will be awesome!” Ynaa grinned wide even as a pair of Ynaas, shaped like Absol-taurs, attached the top back onto the pantheon. “What do you say?”

“This is, indubitably, the opposite of what I urged,” Viktoria answered, slamming her hand-paws against her face. “I require Trorse to not disrupt my organization, not to consume it and everything else. The universe would not endure it, especially if there was someone in the entire multiverse who also has no threshold.”

Ynaa sighed and rolled her eyes, with a couple of Ynaas laughing while a couple more shook their head. “You are serious. Still, to play it safe, I, along with a couple of myself, will program in a new universe. It’ll be exactly like this one except for sentient life. I can even organize it so that anyone who wants to watch it wouldn’t need to be in that universe. Just let them view it in their homes or such. Is that better?”

The Ynaas in the room stared at Viktoria, who shifted away a bit. A couple of Ynaa-taurs walked in, their eyes on her as well, and she couldn’t help but blush a bit. She rubbed her right ear a bit before inhaling and turning to the massive Ynaa.

“If this eating competition is the only way you will be persuaded, then very well,” Viktoria answered even as her ears flattened back a bit. “Still, I have duties, and I cannot neglect them, for I believe that the only rival for Trorse is someone without this universe.”

“Are you asking for permission to leave this universe?” Ynaa asked, having a mischievous grin on all of her faces, and Viktoria gave a curt nod. “I was going to allow you to leave anyways. Heck, I’ll even do your duties for you.”

Viktoria lowered one of her eyes. “Pray, may I ask, how you will do so? If I can harken back, the last time you manifested a near-duplicate of one of your mortal friends, that manifestation remained when you attempted to dismiss them.”

“Talking about Benock and Benna?” Ynaa grinned a bit, though even that couldn’t hide the sheepishness, and Viktoria nodded. “Yeah, still don’t know how that happened. But I won’t make a duplicate of you. Oh no.” Ynaa winked, lifting up her tablet even as the pair of feral Ynaas hopped off of her horn and tapped on it. “This time, I’ll make one of myself, but limited to your duties. Now, sit still.”

Viktoria blinked even as the left Ynaa-taur pulled out a tape measurer and measured her body, from her ears to her toes. The right Ynaa-taur pressed one of her claws against her head while the center Ynaa-taur, the one who pushed her onto the comfy chair in the first place, poked her hand- and feet-paws. Soon, the three pulled Viktoria off the chair, the left one measuring her platform sandals and tails, even wrapping it around her bust.

Soon, they stood aside, and a Ynaa formed before Viktoria. But rather than wearing her golden dress that even the Ynaa-taurs wore, she wore a duplicate of Viktoria’s dress. From the markings, ringworlds and string, platform sandals, and even the hovering disks. This Ynaa waved at Viktoria, who widened her eyes while taking a step back.

“Hey there. I’m here to do your duties,” this new Ynaa said with a wide grin. The massive Ynaa gave a thumbs up while winking even as the new Ynaa curtsied to Viktoria. “Don’t worry about teaching me. From the data we collected from you, I know how the universe should be put in order by your designation.”

Viktoria took another step back, rubbing the back of her head. “This is overwhelming, Lady Ynaa.”

“Hey, it’s better than nothing,” the massive Ynaa said, snapping her fingers. “And at least I let you and the others do your duties. Even if I can do everything and do it better.”

Viktoria gulped a bit, but she nodded. “Very well. At least you have not deprived me of my clothes like Trorse did.” She turned to one of the Ynaa-taurs, who handed her one of the tablets. “What is this for?”

“Since you’re going to explore the multiverse, I might as well leave you every piece of data I collected from every universe I visited,” the feral Ynaa said, winking while lying on the massive Ynaa’s tablet.

“Can’t have you lost in the multiverse’s vastness,” the Ynaa-taur said, crossing her arms while pushing up her boobs.

“Of course, you won’t find everything about the universe you enter into,” the Viktoria-dressed Ynaa said, tapping her braided hair. “The most you’ll find are those of note, such as any deities that inhabited that universe. You’ll have to chat with them to find out more.”

“I,” Viktoria said before pausing. “I guess I am committed to this. Any deadline?”

The massive Ynaa rubbed her chin a bit before shrugging. “Nah. When you locate your champion, we’ll set the date.”

Viktoria nodded before curtsying before the Ynaas. “I will take my leave, Lady Ynaa.”

The massive Ynaa sighed, rolling her eyes. “Can’t get you to stop calling us ‘Lady,’ can I? Still, don’t let us detain you.”

Viktoria nodded again before turning around and leaving, the stone door closing behind her.

Days had passed since Viktoria got her mission from Ynaa, with her traveling through one hundred fifty-eight universes. Since her universe was born from existence, she never explored farther than the very edge, bordered by the fabric of reality that contained it from the dark void between universes; she was always too busy organizing galaxies and didn’t feel the need to. And so, despite her best guesses on how gigantic the multiverse was, she found that even her most enormous estimate was far too small.

And Ynaa collected data from all universes, no matter how little she got.

Once, Viktoria thought she managed to locate the champion she was looking for, updating the data Ynaa collected in the process. Before, it was ruled by a newly ascended Ninetales deity, but since Ynaa’s visit, he managed to get his friend to ascend his friend, which even changed him into a shiny Ninetales. When asked how he managed to, he explained that he fed his friend an entire universe, which almost convinced her then. Even better, he revealed that he and his friend enjoyed punishing disruptive mortals by feeding them until they became mere beds for their manifestations, with many of them dotting the universe.

But after further questions, she learned that his shiny Ninetales friend didn’t explode because of him, which was a close thing even with his assistance. Besides, even if his limits had expanded since his ascension, they were busy looking for a mortal they called ‘Fëanor,’ who escaped their punishment. So, after taking a picture of his shiny friend, his sea-blue eyes gazing at her, Viktoria continued on her search.

Finally, Viktoria entered a universe, tapping onto the tablet and pulling up information. “Universe FG02M. According to Ynaa’s investigation, it’s perishing before its time.” Her tails twitched a bit. “Doesn’t say why.” She tapped onto the tablet some more. “Only one noteworthy personage, an otter god.”

Her fur twitched a bit as she breathed in the space of this universe. Magic flew throughout the universe, yet it felt stretched, sick even. As though it was fighting a fever while running at the same time with less and less stamina. Viktoria nodded to herself, the universe bending against her platform sandals as though the universe’s fabric was sand, as she walked past galaxy after galaxy.

After some walking, she spotted a figure to her left, a bright brown otter just as enormous as herself, his yellow hairfur that went down his neck and tipped with orange swaying. Various markings covered his body, from the orange sun-like waves surrounding a yellow crescent moon to yellow zigzagging lines with orange dots on his arms and orange chain-like patterns just above his ankles. He held his webbed hand-paws over a galaxy, with a white protective bubble forming around it, and he grabbed it as Viktoria approached.

“If you desire to watch, I will not dispute it,” the otter said without turning around. “But I do appreciate it if you assist.”

Viktoria blinked before nodding. “Very well.” Perhaps by assisting him, he would be open to a discussion. “What is your proposal?”

“These two galaxies need to be relocated to B2-42,” the otter answered, turning around and handing a galaxy to Viktoria. His brown eyes shined as he rubbed one of the yellow spiral patterns on his cheeks. “Planets, stars, and galaxies ought to be repositioned to reduce magical depletion.”

“Much like how mortals grow harvests by rotating them every season,” Viktoria said, holding up the galaxy even as the otter nodded. “Sounds like an admirable occupation.”

“Yet, never concluding,” the otter said, grabbing another galaxy and ‘swimming’ through space, with Viktoria following.

Time passed, though time wasn’t always the same with gods like those two. Perhaps no time passed to the mortals, or hundreds of years went by. Either was as though no time had passed for Viktoria and the otter deity; they had existed since their universes were born. But time did pass for them, which, in mortal terms, would be two hours when reorganizing the galaxies was completed.

“I must comment,” the otter said, ‘swimming’ to Viktoria’s side. “I appreciate your assistance, principally since your organization skills held no equal.”

“And your studiousness in this held no equal,” Viktoria replied, turning around at the countless galaxies with the area feeling fresher. “Few gods and goddesses that I recognized wouldn’t work ceaselessly in an expiring universe, yet here you are.”

The otter nodded. “It is my sworn duty to uphold the universe.”

“Yet, you do it by your lonesome,” Viktoria said, pulling out the tablet. “It affirms that you’re the only god here.” The otter’s expression darkened. “Yet, it is atypical, for if a universe was not dominated by a single or a pair of universal-scaled gods and/or goddesses, there would be multiple ones approximately our scale.”

The otter turned to the side, his ears twitching. “There were once four others, all who held the duty to maintain the universe, even produce life. Yet, on one life-bearing planet, they turned on each other. It is unknown why they did so, even to me. All I comprehended when I approached was that all four departed with all their powers. It happened eons ago.”

Viktoria remained silent for several seconds, thinking. “I believe I understand the state of this universe more. You and the departed four were meant to share the magic that maintains the universe, but one cannot do so alone. That is why this universe risked expiring, correct?”

“Correct,” the otter said, nodding. “But, in recent times, I now sensed echoes of their powers from that planet. I even met with them. Perhaps it is foolish of me, but I sensed hope that, in times, the four will be replaced with new ones, wielding their former power, and the universe will recover.”

Viktoria nodded, rubbing one of her ears a bit. “Indeed. Though forgive my inquisitiveness, we never exchanged names. I am Viktoria, goddess of Order and Balance.” She glanced at the tablet, showing an image of the otter but no name. “What name do you go under?”

“Mine?” The otter tilted his head even as his tail flicked. “There are various names and titles that the mortals in this universe refer to me. The Great Otter, one planet calls me. The Ceaseless Worker, another planet calls me. But, right now, I am given the name Mahal, and you can call me Mahal.”

“Mahal,” Viktoria repeated, typing his name and the titles into the tablet. “I cannot linger for much longer, I am afraid. I was assigned a task to locate a worthy champion for a,” she paused before she sighed, “a food-eating competition.”

Mahal’s ears perked a bit. “A food-eating competition? Because one of the echoes I witnessed and communicated with consumes a ridiculous number of foods.”

“Does this ‘echo’ consumed landscapes or entire planets?” Viktoria asked, her eyes half-closed. “Because that is the minimum baseline that I desire. Higher, knowing her.”

Mahal blinked before rubbing his chin. “I never heard of him consuming landscapes. Just that he could consume enough to be a landscape.” But his eyes lit up as a grin formed on his face. “But I believe he knows someone who can fulfill your desire. Let us go to my home, and I will contact him.”

Viktoria nodded, abet doubtful, and Mahal spun around, ‘swimming’ through space as though it was water. Yet, she stood there for a moment before shaking her head and putting away the tablet. She soon allowed herself to float, space no longer bending underneath, before following Mahal, who paused and turned back, waiting. Finally, the two met up and traveled through space, one after another, with countless galaxies around them.

Soon, the two approached a pantheon, massive enough to allow the two to fit despite their beyond galactic sizes. Massive pillars held the roof up, despite various cracks and gashes on them, with one holding a carving of a kitsune and another a dragon. Viktoria rubbed the one having a kitsune on them, shaking her head as she applied her power on it, with the cracks undone and the gashes filled up. Mahal had already entered the pantheon by then, and Viktoria followed, the sounds from her platform sandals echoing throughout.

They went through various hallways, meeting with rooms that suffered from disuse, such as one that held scooped-up landscapes but had turned into deserts and books with the covers peeling off. Finally, Viktoria paused at one room, which was being used, and raised one of her eyebrows. It held five thrones within a circle, with only one of the five green blocks before it glowed. She tilted her head a bit, only for Mahal to lay his hand-paw on her shoulder, and she blinked, and he tugged her away from that entrance and pulled her into a black room.

She turned her head all around, her ears flicking a bit, even as Mahal approached the room’s center, his arms raised. The markings all over his body glowed at once, and light filled the room. He twisted one of his arms, and galaxies filled the room.

“Have we somehow transported outside?” Viktoria asked, twisting even as her ears twitched, and she reached out for a galaxy. But it phased through her hand-paw, and she nodded in understanding. “An illusion, then.”

“Indeed,” Mahal answered, and he flicked his wrists. The galaxies rearranged themselves, and the room flashed blue for a moment. “This is how I planned out every relocation, down to the smallest dust, which I updated with each relocation until the next time. I am still grateful for your help, which is partly why I desire to help you on your quest.” He extended his hand-paw, and the galaxies converged to it. “And now, to contact Glaurung.”

Viktoria tilted her head as Mahal poked the ball, which dissolved before him and spun into a blur. The lights turned into a mix of black and yellow, with white on the side, bright blue on the upper center, and dark blue on the bottom. So it held for several seconds before it solidified, the black turning to scales as the figure wore that looked like a cape but turned out to be a long scarf, which waved behind him. The hair-fur shined yellow along with the eyes, though the sclera was also yellow, even as a pair of yellow horns poked out from the head. With white on the inner, the ear-fins wiggled as the wings spread out. Its tail, with the tip having yellow fur, twitched even as this figure tapped with the foot-paw, digitigrade, the shirt and jeans showing abuse around the cuffs, gone sleeves, and bottom of shirt.

“Greetings, Glaurung,” Mahal said, bowing before him as he blinked.

“M-Mahal?” Glaurung asked, his tail tipped puffed up. “I got a phone call, which produced some white light. So, that was you? How did you—”

“Another time,” Mahal said, turning to Viktoria, who curtsied. “This is Viktoria, goddess of Order and Balance. She came to this universe desiring assistance for a food-eating champion. And, while I know how much you consumed food, I fear you may not overcome this opponent.”

“Huh?” Glaurung said, stopping his tail from wagging. “If I can’t face whoever this big eater is, then— Wait. Are you asking for A-Fox?!”

“Indeed,” Mahal answered even as Viktoria pulled out the tablet and tapped against it. “His attributes are required for this quest. I know how close you two are, so he must have given you some means to contact him. So, with haste, contact him and bring him here.”

Glaurung blinked, opening his mouth for a moment before shutting it, going to his scarf instead. Then, the stars finally dissolved his form, reforming into a glowing ball that hovered before him. Mahal twisted back, with Viktoria tapping into the tablet some more.

“Huh,” Viktoria said, turning up from the tablet. “Lady Ynaa kept an incredible record of the multiverse, yet there isn’t anything mentioned about this ‘A-Fox.’ Is that his name?”

“That is not his name,” Mahal explained, twisting himself forward again. “A nickname for the white A on his back. His true name is Daren the kitsune, a multiverse traveler who never resided in one location for too long.”

Viktoria tapped the name into the tablet, yet it displayed no record. “Nothing about him existed in this data. Perhaps Lady Ynaa never encountered this Daren before.”

“Perhaps, or it may just be that she encountered alternative universe versions of him and never encountered them all or linked them together,” Mahal suggested. Before Viktoria could respond, the glowing ball split into two spinning piles. “And it seems Glaurung succeeded in contacting him.”

The first pile reformed into Glaurung, who blinked and twisted around, while the other pile turned bright red, not getting higher than their knees. It took on a quadruple shape, with three massive tails ending in pure white, which wagged. The eyes shined sea-blue, with the black ears wiggling a bit. The pink torso was fluffy yet slim, wearing black ‘socks’ that went up halfway. And, as Mahal said, on the back was a white A, which Viktoria tilted her head at.

“Mahal, I did as you asked,” Glaurung said, rubbing the back of his head. “Even told him why she needed him.”

“Yup! Food-eating competition! All the foods I can eat!” This A-Fox said, hopping up and down. “And I thought I was banned from every food-eating contest in the entire multiverse!”

Viktoria blinked, turning to Mahal. “They are mortal size, correct?” He nodded, and she flinched a bit, turning back to A-Fox. “I am not sure about this. This A-Fox looks—” she paused for a second. “Banned?”

“Yup!” A-Fox blushed as his tail wagging continued, and Glaurung snickered a bit. “And while I am small and can get smaller, nothing can make me full. And once organizers realized that, they banned me. Even all-you-can-eat buffets banned me once they realized that I’ll never stop eating.”

“He isn’t exaggerating,” Glaurung said, bending down to A-Fox and petting him. “Even I get invited to such competitions from time to time, usually against mountainous and, on one rare occasion, against those planet-sized.”

Viktoria nodded before raising the tablet and scanning A-Fox, who tilted his head at her. A few seconds later, various information popped up, which she skimmed through before blinking and rereading. Then, she turned from A-Fox to the tablet and back again, her ears lowering to her shoulders as she did so. Finally, she turned to Mahal, who nodded back.

“This data,” Viktoria said as Mahal approached, his eyes on the tablet. “So, he is cursed? Because I never heard of something of that magnitude.”

“Perhaps it is because of this,” Mahal said, pointing at a line she read through and blinked. He followed it up by asking, his tone suggesting that he knew the answer, “Is he perfect for this competition?”

“Perfect?” Viktoria lowered the tablet. “More than perfect. If Lady Ynaa cannot be convinced after this, nothing will.” She turned to A-Fox, who grinned with his tails wagging fast, and she rubbed one of her ears. “His eyes looked familiar. But how could I see him before when this is our first encounter?” But she shook her head. “Never mind that. I will collect him, and we will be on our way.”

The day of the food-eating competition arrived, and the gods and goddesses from all over the universe sat on a circular stone bench, cushioned with gas planets. A pool filled with stardust shimmering in white light was right at the center. Multiple Ynaas walked through the room, offering trinkets such as a hammer made from a dwarf star for Lahr or planets for Niikalet as thanks for coming.

Meanwhile, countless television screens displayed static on earth, yet folks all over waited before it. Benock, Benna, and both Sköguls leaned against each other, though Benock and Benna were engulfed under the two Mightyena. Miles away, Vilanna and Puszeky sat on two buildings, not crushing them under their giant forms, while walking a building-sized screen. Further away, Kyra and Ame sat within their apartment, with Ame laying her head on top of Kyra’s legs while grinning, with Kyra blushing a bit. Throughout it all, countless tiny Ynaas ran through the world, offering refreshments to anyone watching even as the static turned into a countdown from sixty.

Within the vast space of the multiverse, three goddesses sat on multiple universes at once. Kyth the Zoroark, with a dress ripped out from the fabric of space that shimmered, hugged against numerous universes at once, her green eye and gem that took the place of a teal shining. Kthaarae the Delphox sat beside her, ringworlds on her arms and legs and a belt that wrapped underneath her expanded breasts, the remnants of a previous attempt to shrink below six feet. Finally, and more massive than both, sat Ynaa, having a wide grin while crossing her legs, all eyes on a universe.

Soon, the screens and pool displayed a video of Trorse the Lucario, goddess of Chaos, Variability, Change, Mischief (on Tuesday), and even Great Ass, sitting in a massive coliseum. Her purple eyes shined even as the purple runes on her black head appendages, a slight curve waving against a wavy one with dots, glowed. A band crossed her waist, black with purple glowing runes, along with her shoulders that went down to her armpits, even as a black zigzagging wave went up to her blue thighs. Her short black hairfur waved a bit in the breeze, grinning even as she patted her belly, slim and even containing some abs.

A Ynaa stood before her, holding onto a mic even as multiple other Ynaas ‘stood’ on bent space, holding tablets that streamed the event to anyone watching. “Welcome to the food-eating contest, one that I’m promised will engulf the universe! I’m the host, provider, cook, you name it, of this event, Ynaa!

“Now, some of you wondered why we are doing this. The answer is that Viktoria, the goddess of Order, doubted that our Trorse has limits, so I took her up on that challenge. Viktoria spent days exploring the multiverse, finding anyone who could rival Trorse, and she said she found someone. I haven’t met with this challenger, but I know it’ll be a miracle if this one could rival Trorse!”

Trorse rolled her eyes even as Ynaa approached, and she straightened herself up. “Trorse, what do you think personally? Do you think that Viktoria found someone who could outeat you? How do you feel about her comments that you could destabilize a universe because of how chaotic you are?”

Trorse giggled a bit. “I think Viktoria should relax and let things flow instead of being rigid all the time. After all, a little chaos can’t hurt anyone.” She giggled some more. “And if she did find someone who could match me, I would be impressed. Still, I got to ask.” Trorse blushed a bit. “Is this really a constructed universe? Can I really eat entire planets without worry?”

Ynaa smiled and patted Trorse’s shoulder. “Rest assured, Trorse, the only beings in this universe are just you, me, Viktoria, and this challenger. And Viktoria and I will be safe, so you can eat planets without worry.”

“That’s a relief. Recreating planets with all of their inhabitants is complicated stuff!” Trorse grinned wide, her eyes shining bright. “Though that just makes me even more doubtful about this challenger.”

Ynaa paused before turning to the side, Viktoria entering with a slight smile on her face. “In any case, time to meet your challenger!”

Viktoria stood for just a moment before giving Ynaa and Trorse a curtsy. She waited a few seconds before standing aside, waving her hand-paw low. A-Fox walked in, his head held high despite being a dot against everyone else. Ynaa and Trorse blinked even as A-Fox grinned wide, his tails wagging.

“Hello, everyone,” A-Fox said, not noticing Ynaa’s and Trorse’s baffled expressions.

At once, the watches of the event broke into laughter. First, the Ynaa with Kyra and Ame slapped her forehead even as Ame slipped off the couch in a giggle fit, though Kyra rubbed her chin, her tails twitching. Meanwhile, Jut laughed while leaning against Lahr, who rubbed against the hammerhead while chuckling. Then, they laughed even louder, Viktoria picking A-Fox up and setting him next to Trorse.

“Um, OK?” Ynaa shook her head before turning to Viktoria. “Are you sure this is the challenger? Cause look how tiny he is!”

“That was what I considered when we first met,” Viktoria answered, shrugging even as A-Fox poked Trorse’s leg. “But the reality is that Daren, also known as A-Fox, is a match for Trorse. Perhaps even more.”

Trorse huffed a bit. “I like to see him try!”

Ynaa turned from Trorse to A-Fox and back again before shrugging, a new group of manifestations forming in front of A-Fox, more for his size, with several making smaller meals while one of them approached A-Fox, leaning the mic to him. She breathed in a bit before sighing.

“So, A-Fox? Do you think you can achieve victory despite your handicap?”

A-Fox tilted his head, his left ear flicking. “Handicap?” He turned to his legs and tails before shrugging. “Nope. I can still move all my limbs, so I’m not handicap.” Ynaa closed her eyes halfway, and a light formed behind his eyes. “Oh! You’re talking about my size! I could grow bigger, but it meant eating less, and I can’t have that!”

Ynaa raised an eyebrow before shrugging. “O. K. In any case, here are the rules for this eating contest.

“First rule: No eating each other, Viktoria, or any of me. This is a food eating competition, not a people eating competition. Second rule: No hindering your opponent in any way, shape, or form. You can eat the other’s food, but only if you snagged it fast enough. Third rule: You can eat landscapes, planets, and beyond, but only if you’ve reached the appropriate size. And it must be within this universe, not outside of it. Fourth rule: First who stopped eating for more than five minutes is declared the loser. Remember to have fun and play fair.”

Both Trorse and A-Fox nodded, both grinning while licking their lips.

“Excellent. The food-eating contest being,” Ynaa paused for several seconds, “now!”

At the final word, the Ynaas cooking for A-Fox pushed forward tables full of foods, setting them in front of him. Meanwhile, Trorse turned upward, and a few Ynaas that were more massive than the entire coliseum came into being, with one of them placing a plate filled with whole baked chicken, topped with sauce, in front of her. Trorse licked her lips before ripping the chicken’s legs off from it, eating it, bone and all. She then tore the chicken in half, eating them one at a time before licking her fingers. Afterward, she plucked up another whole chicken and tossed it into her mouth, chewing it up and making a huge gulp.

A-Fox picked up a hamburger, each decked out with toppings such as mushrooms and mayo and having three patties each, and ate through them one by one. His belly bloated out, and he soon picked up and ate two at once, then three, then four. Finally, when the table was empty and pulled away, he held his mouth open wide and tossed them in whole, his tails wagging fast.

The plates and tables were replaced with brand new foods, with one handed over to Trorse was a bowl full of veggie soup, topped with seasoning and a spoon. Yet, without taking the spoon out, she picked the bowl up and tipped its contents down her throat, swallowing it up. The spoon crashed against her teeth, which she crunched down on as though it was crackers, before swallowing it up. Trorse slammed the bowl down, a Ynaa picking it up and replacing it with duck soup.

Below her, A-Fox lay on his swollen belly, three times his body, as he grabbed sandwiches and ate through them four at a time. Ynaa tilted her head at him, his stomach groaning before his limbs and head expanded, growing in size and fat. Finally, his legs touched against the ground once more, and he tipped the entire table over, letting the sandwiches fall into his open mouth and swallowing them up.

Thus was the pattern both Trorse and A-Fox fell into, with food after food they ate through, though Trorse’s figure remained slim compared to A-Fox’s blubbery form despite eating through mountains of food. Instead, her height expanded, growing an extra fifty feet, her tail wagging joyfully. And yet, even as she grabbed sandwiches the size of buildings and ate through them, she cast a glance at A-Fox and blinked a bit.

A-Fox, with a massive belly that splayed underneath him, was already halfway meeting her size.

The gods and goddesses witnessing it through the well fell silent, with a cold sweat forming on their backs and head. Any joy and laughter from before dissipated, with A-Fox getting larger meals and growing faster than Trorse. Lahr leaned his head to the side, rubbing his chin even as Jut blinked and pulled him close. He blinked a bit before hugging her, nodding.

Ame’s eyes widened at the television screen, still lying on the floor, and her tails puffed up as Kyra leaned forward, her ears twitching a bit. Meanwhile, Vilanna and Puszeky stood up, careful not to crush any cars or people below them, filled with disbelief from this A-Fox. And at the home of Benock, Benna, and both Sköguls, the couch crushed underneath them, yet they remained glued to the screen, with A-Fox matching Trorse in size, far more if one added how swollen his belly got.

“I-I can’t believe this,” Kyth said, tugging against several universes tight. “From all indications, this A-Fox isn’t a god like Trorse is. Yet, he is somehow matching someone as chaotic and hungry as her!”

Kthaarae flipped through her spell book, which contained infinite pages that she added with more information about magic as time passed. “Perhaps he is under an enchantment from Viktoria. But, if he is, there must be a finite limit she set him under.”

But Kyth shook her head.

The many Ynaas from all over fell silent, still streaming the event while eying on Trorse and A-Fox. Trorse raised an eyebrow at him before increasing her eating speed, chowing through several massive fried chickens at once. Yet, the Ynaas handed plates the size of Trorse’s plates to A-Fox, filled with similarly sized foods, and A-Fox ate through slices of pizzas, which went from plain cheese to supreme. One of the Ynaa stridden over to Viktoria, who crossed her arms with a smug expression.

“Did you put a spell on him?” Ynaa asked, shaking her head with the universes tied against her hair waving. “Perhaps I should have added that as a rule. After all, that’s pretty much cheating.”

“I have not set any enchantment on him,” Viktoria answered, shrugging. “He was already cursed when we met.”

“Must say, you’re a lot better than I thought!” Trorse said, eating through several massive grilled steaks at once.

“I did get banned from food-eating contests for a reason,” A-Fox said, swallowing through large slabs of pork loins. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that happens to you.”

Trorse’s eyes shined bright. “In that case, shall we take it to the next level?”

A-Fox blinked a bit before he grinned. “Agree!”

The two turned to the coliseum and ripped the walls off, chewing down on the stones and swallowing them. The various Ynaas and Viktoria blinked before they levitated out, with A-Fox ripping the seats out and eating through them. One of the massive Ynaa turned to the other before placing their plates of food down before disappearing, with Trorse reaching over to one and chomping through it, plate and all.

Within minutes, the two devoured the entire building, with Trorse’s belly bulging out a bit at last. But she licked her lips before ripping chunks of the ground and tossing them into their mouth, her cheeks bulging out before swallowing them up. A-Fox waddled over to the trees and ripped them off from the ground, eating through them and leaving behind a desolated place. He hiccupped a bit before turning to a lake and drinking it all up, the lake empty in minutes.

The two ate through large landmasses to larger landscapes, from hills and forests to mountains and seas. Then, they went further apart, with Trorse heading east and A-Fox heading west, devouring everything and leaving behind grand canyons that grew deeper and wider. In time, they towered on opposite ends of the world, with huge holes on where they ate before burrowing into the world.

The viewers sat on the edge of their seats, their eyes wide. Soon, the two bursted from the planet, more massive than before, chomping down entire continents and drinking through lava and oceans. The viewers gulped, the huge eaters soon eating what remained of the world.

Ynaa blinked and shook her head before turning to Viktoria. “OK. Now I’m convinced you didn’t enchant or curse him as you said. Not even you would cast a spell on him if you knew he’d eat through a planet.”

Viktoria rolled her eyes before pulling out Ynaa’s tablet and handing it back. “Indeed. When I met him, I examined him, which had pulled up fascinating information that convinced me that he would rival Trorse. You will discover the particulars of his curse here, which was placed upon him long ago.”

Ynaa’s tail flicked as she turned on the tablet and pulled up A-Fox’s information. “Let’s see here.” She rubbed her chin a bit. “Uh-huh. Got cursed with an endless hunger curse with an infinite,” she paused and swallowed before continuing, “infinite stomach expansion curse on top of it.” She turned to Viktoria, who nodded. “How could he be cursed with something like that?! Only a powerful god could place those curses on him!”

“That is also captivating information,” Viktoria answered, rubbing the back of her head even as Trorse ate up a planet. “The one who deposited those curses on him was a mere mage when he only has one tail. Apparently, that mortal mage believed that he possessed great power and sought to restrain him with those curses. Perhaps this ‘great power’ was somehow amplifying those curses, but he could not explain what it is, other than calling it a ‘Divine Pneuma.’”

Ynaa blinked some more before turning to A-Fox and Trorse, who ate through a gas planet like a pile of candies, with Trorse showing more layers of fat. Soon, the two approached a star, with it far vaster than the two of them combined, and they began to eat through the opposite ends at once. Every bit of the star was chewed through within minutes, with both A-Fox and Trorse patting their bellies before hovering to the next star system.

Each star they ate through they grew in size while becoming fatter. The stars became larger, yet it proved no hindrance against their mouths, devouring them up. In time, their vast forms bumped against multiple stars, planets, and asteroids at once, which they plucked out from their fur before eating through them.

In time, the galaxy held vast holes that became even wider, with Trorse and A-Fox within each one. A-Fox went to a black hole, feeling its tug, but he opened his mouth and swallowed it up. His belly rumbled, but it digested his meal, and he ate through multiple stars at once.

Soon, the entire galaxy was within their bellies, groaning as A-Fox rubbed his cheek against Trorse. She giggled before patting A-Fox and hovered to the next galaxy, grabbing it by the edge and licking her lips. A-Fox nodded before drifting to another galaxy and eating through it, devouring one of its arms.

The two swelled in size and fatness, with A-Fox’s neck disappearing and Trorse becoming just as wide. Yet, they kept eating through galaxies as though they were cookies. Their forms soon rubbed against the fabric of the universe that kept it contained, with A-Fox’s claws ripping through it with a tug. They nodded before tearing it apart and eating it and what remained of the universe. They laughed and blushed joyfully, their bellies rubbing against each other while wagging their tails.

“Um, this is unprecedented,” Ynaa said, getting up from the bundle of universes, with Kyth and Kthaarae blinking on top of their universes. “I never expected that either of you could eat a universe. But, even if it’s just half of each, I have no doubt that either of you could do so alone.”

A-Fox burped and blushed. “This is nothing.”

Trorse giggled before hanging her arm over A-Fox’s shoulders. “So, who won?”

Ynaa turned back and forth at the two before shrugging. “It’s a tie.”

Trorse and A-Fox blinked before they laughed and hugged each other, with Trorse rubbing A-Fox’s belly. One of A-Fox’s tails rubbed against Trorse’s belly, with her blushing as it growled, and he nuzzled her cheek once more. Trorse grinned before patting his head.

“That was a good competition,” Trorse said, licking A-Fox’s cheek. “I never thought that, in the entire multiverse, there was someone who could eat as much as I can.”

“Same here, to be honest,” A-Fox said, giggling while wagging his tails. “I thought Viktoria was exaggerating, but I’m glad I was wrong about that.”

Trorse nodded before grinning and turning to Ynaa. “Say, could you conjure another universe? I’m eager for seconds!”

“Same here!” A-Fox opened his mouth wide, his teeth shining bright. “I’m always eager for more!”

Before Ynaa could answer, Trorse felt a platform slipper pressing on her muzzle, Viktoria a dot on it, and her hand-paws on her hips. “Absolutely not! I doubt that even Lady Ynaa could produce enough universes for you.”

“But Viktoria!” Trorse said, her eyes watery like a pup. “I’m still hungry!”

“As much as I hate to admit it, she’s right,” Ynaa said, pulling Viktoria off of Trorse before creating a bubble and covering it around Trorse and A-Fox. “I’m keeping both of you here until you return to a manageable size that wouldn’t cause a universe to implode.”

Viktoria sat on a comfy chair, her legs raised while staring at a towering Ynaa, the space beneath her bent as she sat on it. A couple of Ynaa-taurs rubbed Viktoria’s shoulders, but she didn’t avert her gaze. Even so, Ynaa wiped her brow before shrugging.

“Well?” Viktoria asked, with Ynaa raising one of her eyes at her. “Are you going to acknowledge that I was just?”

“I hate to admit it, but you’re right,” Ynaa said, holding up her tablet and scrolling through it. “I got countless comments about the contest. Despite the shocking moments, they praised it and even wanted a rematch between Trorse and A-Fox. A few of them even suggested starting them up in separate universes just to watch them eat through them and five others. But I’m more afraid that they would achieve apotheosis if I do so, and nothing would stop them from eating through the multiverse.”

Viktoria rolled her eyes. “I disagree. Even if they became just as boundless as you, Lady Ynaa, they would renounce it rather than have naught more to consume.”

“Please leave the ‘Lady’ out,” Ynaa said, shaking her head. “Just Ynaa is fine. But you might be right.”

Viktoria gave a satisfied nod. “Regardless, will you assist in restraining Trorse when she causes chaos?”

Ynaa rubbed her chin for a few seconds, pulling up a bubble that showcased an image of Trorse and A-Fox contained. “I’ve been thinking about it since I called it a tie.” But she shook her head. “Yet, despite what I witnessed, I’ll have to say no.”

Viktoria blinked, pushing the recliner down and sitting up straight. “Lady Ynaa? You saw how Trorse devoured through a universe, just as I warned you about. So why are you still not taking it seriously?”

“I am. I’m taking her very seriously,” Ynaa answered, tapping against her tablet before shrugging. “But I know her. She only felt comfortable eating an entire universe because it was lifeless, constructed for that event. She will never eat through a universe with as many lives like this.” Ynaa leaned to the side. “Do you know she will undo eating up a planet if she found out it held life?”

Viktoria blinked some more. “I certainly not heard of her having such an aptitude, let alone using it.”

Ynaa grinned, wagging her tail. “This was a more or less a one-time thing anyways, I feel. But, if I’m wrong, that’s where you come in.”

“Huh?” Viktoria stood up, tilting her head.

Ynaa held up the viewing orb once more. “As the goddess of order, you stand as equal and opposite of Trorse, the goddess of Chaos and whatever title she added to it.” Viktoria rolled her eyes as Ynaa continued. “Chaos is disrupted, preventing a stable place to build up. But order is rigid, preventing growth and allowing stagnation. Both are harmful to life and allow it to collapse. But, for life to succeed and even improve, there must be a balance between order and chaos, where sometimes order is needed more, and other times the opposite is true. After all, they don’t need to oppose each other. In fact, there might be order within chaos.”

“I dispute on that part,” Viktoria said, shaking her head. But she gave Ynaa a curtsy, her tails low as they rubbed against the floor. “But, if that is the limit you imposed on us, then very well. At the very least, I could restrain Trorse if she held the idea of consuming too much.”

“And Trorse could disrupt you if you’re becoming too rigid,” Ynaa added, with Viktoria rolling her eyes again. “Still, after all this time, I’m glad we can agree on this. As such, don’t let us detain you.”

Viktoria curtsy once more before turning around, passing by the two Ynaa-taurs who kept their eyes on her. Soon, she passed through the two massive doors that creaked as they closed. They shut with a thud, with the echo going through every room in the temple. Yet, Viktoria kept her head high, crossing her arms before coming outside, space bending underneath her platform slippers as she stepped out.

Back inside, Ynaa leaned back, space bending from it, holding up the tablet while dissipating the orb. Soon, the tablet displayed an image of A-Fox, with the text ‘Divine Pneuma’ underneath. She tilted her head a bit, wondering what that power was before changing it to an image Viktoria took while traveling, a shiny Ninetales deity with sea-blue eyes.

“Doesn’t say his name,” Ynaa said, tilting the image as she tried to get a view of his back, with a pair of feral Ynaas on her shoulders. “But I wouldn’t be surprised if he is also an A-Fox. Still, makes me wonder if this one has a ‘Divine Pneuma’ as well. Perhaps I should ask.”

“Yes, you should,” one of the feral Ynaa said, and all of the Ynaas in the temple laughed.