Chapter 151: A Reassuring Aura
"This world... it is time to leave it to the races that are not gods."
Her words were final.
"Have you made up your mind?"
"I have."
Before, she had held on to a small sliver of a connection to this world, to the thought that as long as the Heavenly Kingdom still existed, as long as its Pool of Faith was still full, she could one day return. But his actions... they had put an end to that, and had, in a way, made the decision for her.
She was letting go.
She was taking all of her past, and that dead seed, with her, to the world beyond.
"Lady Alia..." Kraft began, but Rhodes stopped him. He looked at the back of the goddess, at the goddess who was now making the choice he had hoped she would make. The Age of Myth did not need a god. Not now, and not ever again.
But for now, he would see her off.
"Thank you," he said with a slight bow, "for everything you have done, for this world, and for me."
She had heard the hidden meaning in his words, and a faint smile seemed to touch her lips. So the human had noticed. The 'chosen one' was never a coincidence.
She said no more. Her form grew more and more transparent, like a reflection in a pool of water, and then she was gone.
The goddess who had once created the Sky-Winged, who had built a kingdom in the heavens, whose fate had once been so intertwined with that of this world, was now gone, without a sound.
And with her, all her secrets, all her past, and a seed that would never sprout again.
"It's all over, Rhodes," Kraft murmured, his voice filled with a strange, indescribable emotion.
"Yes. And congratulations. You are now the hero who saved the world."
"But I did nothing..." he said, shaking his head. For a warrior, such an honor was a heavy one, so heavy it was almost suffocating.
"No. You have done more than enough," he said, and clapped him on the shoulder. "This world needs a hero. The god-slayer is a legend of the past. They need a new hero to lead them. And you, Kraft, you are that new hero."
"Is that so? What a heavy burden. But... I understand."
"And... for the next thousand years, you won't have to worry about the demons making a comeback." The demons could not be completely eradicated. Though he had wiped out their castle and all the monsters within it, there were still many more in the world. In a thousand years, they would likely return and bring a new wave of chaos. But he would not think about that now. All he wanted was to see one person.
"I leave the rest to you. There's someone waiting for me. And I've kept her waiting for too long."
Kraft paused for a moment, then understood. "Ah, Serie? You should go. Don't let another thirty years pass."
Rhodes nodded and, with one last look at the massive crater and the spot where Alia had disappeared, he activated the return teleportation circle. A small circle of light appeared at his feet, and in a flash, he was gone, leaving Kraft alone in the ruins, under the scattered rays of the sun.
Under an ancient tree.
Serie sat with her back against its rough bark, her fingers unconsciously twisting a strand of golden hair. She stared at the spot where the teleportation circle had been, a restless feeling in her heart. This wait was not as long as the thirty years before, but it was just as agonizing.
Her own last words to him echoed in her mind: "Be careful! And don't keep me waiting too long!" He hadn't heard her.
Time seemed to stretch, each second an eternity. How long had he been gone? An hour? Two?
Just as she was about to check the stability of the teleportation circle, a familiar magical light flared. And there he was.
"Rhodes!"
She rushed to him and, in her excitement, stumbled and fell into his arms.
She tried to pull away, but his arms, strong and firm, held her tight. Oh well, she thought, I'll let him have his little moment. She did not struggle, but just let him hold her, let him feel her, to confirm that she was real.
She looked up, and his was the only face she could see.
"You're holding on a little too tight, don't you think?"
"Am I?" he said, his voice a little reluctant to let go.
"Fine. Is it over? The Demon King, Eirik? Kraft and the Goddess of Life? What happened?"
The questions came in a torrent.
He did not answer right away. He just held her, and gently brushed a stray strand of hair from her forehead. "Yes," he said, his voice low. "It's over. It's all over. Eirik... he is at peace now."
She let out a sigh of relief.
He told her everything. How he had had Olivia teleport the entire Heavenly Kingdom to the Demon King's castle, and had used the power of its faith to destroy it. How the Goddess of Life had made her final choice and had left this world forever.
"How did you manage such a large-scale teleportation?"
"With the power of Org's scabbard, and the Heavenly Kingdom's own magic. Even with all my strength, I could have never done it on my own."
"So the goddess is really gone?" she said, and then, a look of understanding crossed her face. "That's good."
They were so close now that she could have just rested her head on his chest and listened to his steady heartbeat. The past... with the departure of the goddess, it was truly gone now.
"By the way," she said, looking up at him, "my last words to you... did you hear them?"
He looked down at her, and his smile widened. He gently pinched her small nose. "I did. Every single one. Why else would I have come back so quickly? The elven miss's command... I have to obey."
"Nonsense. You've never obeyed me," she mumbled. But she was happy he was back. She buried her face in his chest and breathed in his familiar, reassuring scent.
(End of chapter)