We were halfway down the stairs. There was a sound of concrete getting demolished, followed by violent pangs of agony. Laianne and I sprinted down, and we ended up in a hall where robed men were scattered around the floor. Some were still squirming, while others were completely knocked out, along with the fragments of the steel gate.

In the middle of the black hall stood a woman. Tall, white, wearing a pleated majestic white gown that seemed to glow amidst the black scenery. Voluminous silver hair spread out behind her, flowing until her slim waist.

Alrod was standing before what little was left of the gate, his palm against his face.

“Oh...” Laianne breathes. “Well good luck, Lord Al-ri-on.”

“Please don't scare me, I'm on the verge of soiling myself as it is.”

The woman heard us and turned, revealing a face that belonged to the heavens. Golden eyes, long eyelashes, high cheekbones. Despite the grim scenario, her full lips were curved to a smile. Scary.

“Oh, Alrion. I entered because I thought you weren't going to see me.” The woman's aurum eyes sparkled.

Entered... Though it seemed more like she ‘broke in’ than anything.

“Uh, hi?” I bowed. “Nariad, yes?”

She didn't answer and just flew forward, a gust of wind trailing her blurred figure.

Alarms went off, an attack. I stepped back and braced myself, but not even a second had passed and she was already at point blank.

Goodbye, Alrion, it had been short, but it was nice meeting you. I think. I closed my eyes.

But to my surprise, I wasn't dead yet. Instead a pleasant warm wrapped me, along with a squishy thing against my chest. I was alive, and there was a Goddess hugging me. Nariad, the Goddess of Light, the one who supposedly pummeled me two-hundred years ago, was then wrapping me in a wife's embrace.

“What Alrod said, is it true? Did you really lose your memory?” She said, looking up at me with puppy gold eyes that glow faintly.

“Ummm...” I looked away. Her cleavage was peeking from the dress she was wearing.

Well, I have no qualms about getting embraced by a beautiful Goddess but, it felt more weird than pleasing. And no, I'm not a eunuch. It's just, weird, you know? A babe that severely injured a handful of people was suddenly hugging you like nothing happened, all while you're praying for your life. And she smelled like good roses too... Wait what am I thinking?

“I think so? Somehow.” I answered.

“Oh!” Her arms around me tightened. “When you embraced that woman earlier, I thought you were being unfaithful to me but, now I understand. You weren't doing it on purpose, right? You just forgot that you have me, right? I see, I was going to kill the human then but, I'm glad I stopped myself. I understand it now.” She said as she snuggled on my chest.

“Eh? Yeah... Sure.”

Though it seemed more like Alrod stopped her. And I really don't know how the fuck she saw that, the windows were curtained. But then again, a Goddess. Duh.

“I'm sorry this happened to you my dear.”

“It's fine.” I said with a complicated feeling swirling inside.

“I, I shouldn't have listened to you that time. I shouldn't have fulfilled your wish of dying. Then this wouldn't have happened...”

“Eh? Wish of dying?”

My eyes met Alrod's. He shrugged. It seemed like he didn't know anything about what the Goddess was talking about.

“You really don't remember?” She peered at my face. “You wanted me to destroy your ethereal form and send you to the realm of the afterlife. You said you had something to do. But you never told me what it was so I was furious and so without thinking I...”

“Wait wait wait, I... I did that?”

“Yes.” Her head pressed against my chest.

“But you don't have to worry now, I will do everything I can to bring your memories back, even if it means killing you again!” She said as she put a hand on my cheek.

“Please no...” I muttered.

“Alrod!” She separated from me and turned to the poor servant. “Forget bringing Alrion to the king, that brat can wait.”

“U-understood...” He bowed obedient.

“Instead, I want you to take him to the elves, they might have a machine that can help. Prepare the portal.”

Alrod bowed and took his leave as ordered. Nariad turned her attention back at me.

“I have matters to tend to at the moment so I won't be with you for the journey, but rest assured my love, I will be waiting for you at the elves' mechanical city.” She said and, with a snap of her fingers, a bright flash of light blinded me.

When I opened my eyes, the Goddess of Light was nowhere to be found.

“Flashy, isn't she?” Laianne said behind me, amused.

No kidding. Literally ‘flashy’.

“Still, elves huh? I didn't think the Goddess of Light had already acknowledged them as a race.” She muttered under her breath.

“Oh yeah come to think of it, she said mechanical city. But aren't elves peace-loving woodland creatures?”

“Huh?” She knitted her brow. “Of course not. Elves are a young, warmongering race that originally resided within the Mortal Plane. But because they had destroyed their world, they moved on to a world belonging in Aether, in Verden, the world of humans.”

“Oh... I seriously thought it was the Tolkien kind. How do they look like? Are they strong in magic?”

Laianne shook her head. “As they were from the Mortal Plane, they don't have magic within them. But they're far from weak. They are inherently intelligent, and they understand things that the other races don't. Even though they don't have magic, their machines and weapons are a match against the sorcery of their mortal enemy, the humans.”

Wow... Elves and machines? I'm kinda looking forward to seeing them.

A dozen guards from outside rushed in and helped the Asterians that were pummeled by the Goddess to the floor, while Laianne and I ventured out to meet with the town's portal. With her guidance, of course.

---

We were deep inside a dark forest. It was the forest next to the village. The trees were tall, their trunks were pale brown, their leaves were black, and larger-than-palm insects of myriad varieties crawled on them like parasites. There was even a green spider that had twelve legs, eating a finger-sized ant covered with spikes. The broken dark sky didn't help with the atmosphere, either. There was a goat's bleat from the unseen distant, which sounded harmless, but according to Laianne it was a wolf deceiving its prey. So yeah.

Laianne was walking beside me with her arms crossed. “Why do you look so scared? This is your world, your forest. Not a monster here will even try to lunge at you.” She said.

“Me? Scared? No of course not.” I retorted. “I was just thinking how a place like this calls for a perfect nature picnic.”

Heavy stomps to our far right shook the ground, accompanied with a buzzing and the sound of broken trees.

It was a dark, ten-wheeler-sized wingless dragon with black shiny scales, running away from a giant wasp with black and purple stripes on the butt. I remembered seeing one like it getting butchered back at the market.

“What the hell.”

It was a perfectly absurd scene of nature taking its course.

“That's pretty normal.” Laianne said. “Dragons are harmless creatures that eat tree leaves, while lion wasps, well. They eat dragons and wolves.”

Amazement escaped with my breath as the unexpected prey and unusual predator disappeared into the sea of livid trunks.

“Dragons are used as mounts as well, like horses to humans.” She added a fact and we resumed to our feet. “While lion wasps are hunted for its nutritious meat fiber.”

“Interesting...” I said. “Its meat, is it safe for human consumption?”

“Yes. Lion wasps aren't contaminated by Aster so they're safe. Though the same isn't true for dragons. Why are you asking?”

“Ah. It's just that we left the human girl there so I was wondering what the cooks will make her eat.” I said. “Speaking of which, we came here to find the portal right? So that means we're leaving her behind... Is there a chance that someone from the castle will, you know, hurt her?”

As far as I know, Asterians hate humans, so shouldn't I take her with me just to be safe?

“None.” She said. “Father ordered that she be protected by the guards and everyone inside the castle. And our servants don't disobey father.”

“Oh... That's a good thing.”

Laianne halted. “And besides, why are you overly concerned with what happens to the human girl?” She said, eyeing me suspiciously.

“I can't let her die.”

At least not yet.

“See? That's what I meant by soft.”

“It's not a matter of being soft.” I faced her. “She has something that I need, and she'll have no way of giving it to me if she's dead. Besides, did you really think I saved her just because I wanted to play the knight in shining armor? You're dumber than you seem to be, Laianne.”

The shocked look on her face was priceless, I tell you.

“And, I don't know how the fuck you saw that thing between me and her earlier, but you're getting it wrong. I did it because I needed her to calm down, not just for the lulz or just because I'm a pervert who takes advantage of weakened women.

Dark Lord of Asteria, ruthlessness and cunning deception, you told me, right? I can't change myself in an instant, but I'm getting there. Manipulating people is a start, so instead of throwing me a bitch storm every time, I'd appreciate it if you just help me with things.”

I'm not saying I like where my ego is going, but even as a human, I wasn't overly concerned of morals then. I looked at things as loss and gain, reason and motive, not black and white, good and bad. In every story, the villain has a reason for being a villain. No one thinks they're evil, and one might do morally deplorable things because there's simply no other way.

And the same goes for this world. These Asterians fight humans not because they know they're evil, but because they think they deserve to live more than the humans.

If I really am the God of Darkness, and those other Gods are trying to kill me, then I wouldn't mind destroying them first. I'll have every right to do so. That's life, even for a God it seems.

I turned and resumed walking. She trailed behind me, but didn't say anything more and just hung her head down.

An hour or so later, we walked into a forest clearing, where an ancient-looking arch on top of a circular stone platform stood. The arch was made of gray stone, and written all over it were strange runes. The same with the elevated circle ground, made from prehistoric gray stone with large runes carved along its circumference, but I couldn't read them. Might be a language different from the ancient Asterian script.

Alrod stood beside the arch, along with a hooded Asterian.

“My lord, Laianne... I don't remember telling you two to go here this early but, you're just in time.” He said.

The Asterian walked up to the front of the portal and spread his arms wide. He then chanted something, a string of cult-y words as short as a four-word sentence.

A second passed, a vortex of blue light swirled in the confines of the arch, growing in size as a moment drifted.

“Then, Lord Alrion, shall we go?” Alrod asked as he positioned himself before the swirling vortex.

I took my step on the platform and went side by side with Alrod, my eyes glued to the mesmerizing sight in front of me.

“I'm coming as well.” Laianne said.

“Hmmmm...” Alrod pondered. “Very well. Just don't cause trouble for our lord.”

“Yay.” She said and lined up on my other side. “Now I'll get to see how our lord grows.” She grinned.

Alrod walked into the light first and disappeared. Followed by Laianne. Followed by me, but halfway through, I instinctively halted. I peered over my shoulder, at the Asterian who activated the portal. His name was Renius, I think.

“What is it, Lord Alrion?” Renius asked.

“This thing, it works, right? It won't kill me, right? It won't put my leg on my head, right?”

“Absolutely not, my lord.” He bowed down.

I gulped and closed my eyes, then I made the jump through my first portal ride. How exciting. Let's just hope that I don't turn to a large blob of green jelly, like the banana.

---

I opened my eyes. It was daytime, and we were in the middle of a razed village. Burnt houses surrounded us, smoke still steaming up the wooden roofs. Corpses laid on the ground, on the dirt road, on the ranches, they numbered at least hundreds, and they ranged from children to adults. Some of them were burnt beyond recognition, some of them had fewer limbs than four, while a few were even decapitated. The stench of death and burnt wood hung thickly around the area. The miasma made my stomach twist and distort, and I would've fallen to the ground and puke my throat out,

If it weren't for the people surrounding the portal platform the three of us were on.

They numbered a dozen, if not more. Humans, wearing steel plates from neck to boot, holding swords and spears smeared with blood that turned dark from the passage of time. Rugged men, few with scars on their faces, while others had piercings hanging by their earlobes. They were grinning, as if we were their livelihood or something.

They were scary, no doubt about that. The one in front of me though, looked nowhere like the literal ironclad soldiers, and stuck out like a sore thumb.

He was in early twenties based on his look. Swept up blond hair, peach complexion, golden eyes, gold rings hanging on his earlobes, wearing a white tuxedo with matching white formal pants and black leather shoes. He looked completely like the asshole heir to a rich businessman, except for the fact that he was holding a two-handed sword in one hand. Its hilt and cross handguard were gold, while the blade itself was gleaming red. It looked impressive, expensive, and downright Godly. Down to the dark blood dripping from its tip.

The tux guy was wearing a nasty smile on his face, for some reason.

“Oh?

Are you the God of Darkness, Alrion?” He asked.

“Me? Yeah.” I said.

“Hmmmm.... You don't look too impressive. But I know it's just me.” He said, rubbing his chin. “You know, when I was still a child eighty-five years ago, I wanted to see you up close, but father said that you were dead so I never got the chance to...

Ah! Right, how rude of me.” He bowed down. “I'm Darius. A demigod, son of Nariod.”

Alrod and Laianne both gasped. Meeting the son of Nariod probably isn't a good thing. And in the middle of a ruins, with a handful of soldiers surrounding us at that.

“Father told me a lot about you, God of Darkness Alrion. Like how you're the only God to match his power, and how you stole his twin, Nariad away from him. I had been interested, but then I wondered, if you were as strong as father made you out to be, then how come you died? That question plagued me everyday. I asked father, and while he knew ‘auntie’ killed you, he didn't know how. It didn't make sense, because you were far stronger than Nariad. So even though I never got the answer to that, you, you became my inspiration for living, you know, Alrion. Or should I call you uncle?” He chuckled.

“So, when I heard that you're back and was coming here, I knew that I just had to see you. But these,” He pointed his sword at the village around us.

“But these children of yours, these Asterians, they got in the way. ” He said, his voice falling deep, his gold eyes narrowing sharp. “So I had no choice but to kill them. I'm sorry for that, uncle.”

Alrod and Laianne, fury and disgust distorted their faces, while my heart raced and stomach turned.

He did all this? All these people, he and his men did this?

“How dare you.” Alrod's deep voice trembled. Not from fear, nor disgust, but from pure anger. His nostrils flared, his eyebrows low, as if aiming at Darius' neck. Perhaps unbeknownst to him, his hands were already covered in purple flames.

Laianne tried her best to calm down though, even with a bitter face, she was just standing there behind me, listening to the conversation.

“Oh? I didn't realize you had companions, uncle.” Darius said. “But how is this now? I thought I'll get to test you without distractions but...”

“Test me?” I asked.

“Yes.” He nodded. “I mean of course you're not as strong now as you were before but, I'm sure you would still put up a good fight. Ever since I was a child I had wanted to try killing you at least once, you know?”

Cold sweat sent shudders down my back, and my core was thumping like it demanded to be uncaged.

This guy in front of me, to challenge a God head-on, he must be confident in his strength. A demigod. Is this the end of the line I wonder?

He turned to Alrod. “So, I'm sorry, companions of uncle, but I'm borrowing uncle for a bit. Don't worry though, I won't let you two die from boredom. Men!”

At the snap of his fingers the knights formed a circle around Alrod and Laianne.

“Please don't take your eyes off of me, uncle.” Darius said. “They will be fine, I don't know about you though!”

When I turned around, he was already a meter off the ground. He brandished his red blade and swung down at me from above.

A sound of shattering glass. The purple shield saved me yet again. At that moment, Alrod and Laianne and the other enemies faded into the background. What was left was the insane and obsessed demigod, and myself who's then facing a life and death situation.

I took advantage of the second Darius spent bewildered and ran. But it seemed like that purple shield, once in place, can no longer be moved so when I stepped forward, it disappeared into a scatter of purple particles.

A hundred meters away from the village was a thick forest. I headed towards it with my sandals pounding against the dirt road and white hair trailing behind me.

“Where are you going, uncle? Heeeey~!” Darius shouted, but he didn't give chase and just stood there with a sullen expression like a kid.

I ignored him and ran as fast as my stride allowed me. I didn't know for how long I was running then, but when I finally got under the cover of the trees, I peered over my shoulder to check up on my assailant.

He wasn't there anymore.

“You're boring uncle, you know that?”

A voice came from ahead of me.

I turned and as soon as I did, my feet took brake. Darius was standing in front of me among the trees.

Damn. Did I really think I'd get away from a demigod by running?

“You don't want to play fair, no running.” He teased.

I took a step back and wished for my shield.

“You should teach me that spell uncle.” Darius said. “After you reincarnate, though.”

The blade of his sword glowed white while he took a stance. He delivered a swift, horizontal slash that bore power greater than his first strike. The shield broke in an instant.

---

He exhibited another slash, I leaped backward to avoid it.

However, before I even got the chance to plant my feet properly, the second, vertical one came.

In a reflex I brought up my right arm. But this time, there was not a purple dome of glass to save me.

The glowing blade cleaved my limb.

What remained of my arm then was only the upper part. Everything that once belonged under my elbow fell on the ground with a thud and cried pure black blood.

A second passed, the realization came with an unimaginable sharp pain. A guttural scream escaped me as I fell on my knees, heart raging, pulse running.

It hurts. It fucking hurts. I wanted to pass out from it.

The fucking bastard was still smirking, enjoying the sight of me doubled over in pain.

Just what did I do to him huh? I did nothing, didn't I? And yet why, why was I transported to another world, and got pulled out of my peaceful life, only to experience this? That doesn't make a damn sense.

“That's got to hurt, uncle.” He said as I covered the stump with my other hand, in futility.

“... I'm going to fucking kill you.” I looked up at him with a death glare.

He laughed. “How harsh... Here, why not let me help you?”

He pointed the tip of his sword to where my heart was and spoke.

“Are you ready? Don't worry, uncle. Your children will still probably revive you. That is, if any of them are still left after father destroys your world.” He giggled.

“Humans will win the war, uncle. That's the inevitable, whether you're alive or not. So why not do yourself a favor by dying right now?”

“You wish.”

“Oh, before I do it. I think I'll tell you an interesting fact first. I mean, dying is more painful if you didn't know why you died, right?” He said. “So I'll be generous and spare you that pain, uncle Alrion.

Do you know how, out of all the gateways that connected Aether and Nether, I knew that you will be coming out of that particular gateway?”

Huh?

“No way!” He gasped. “Did you really think that our meeting now was a total coincidence?!”

“What... are you going on about now?”

He clicked his tongue in irritation and plopped down in front of me.

“You're too slow, uncle. I'm saying that you and your companions are going to die here right now because you had a traitor back in your castle.” He said.

“... A traitor?”

“Yes, she was kind enough to tell us that aunt Nariad came there to tell you to go to Aether and that you will be using that particular gateway in Artrud.”

Ah, I get it. I didn't have time to think about it earlier but now that I have plenty to go by, it really didn't make sense that the enemies had anticipated where we were going to teleport and burned the Asterian village around that one portal hours prior.

“Remind me to thank her later uncle, without her, I wouldn't have been able to see you right now. Oh, but then you won't be able to remind me.”

A laugh escaped me.

“Hmmmm? What's so funny, uncle?”

“You'll regret telling the enemy that, you know.” I grinned.

Alrod and Laianne should be done with those cannon fodders by now. I hoped, foolishly.

But it seemed like my last line was just a harmless bluff.

“Why would I,” He tilted his head, face blank. “When you're taking that secret with you to the afterlife?”

The blade sunk deep in my chest, grinding itself past my ribs and tearing straight through my soft heart.

---

“Goodbye, uncle.” Darius said, a huge grin on his face as he looked down on my pitiful figure.

He looked around, impatient. “Now what's taking my men so long?”

The bastard ventured off, probably to help take care of Alrod and Laianne.

They will die. It was hard a fact as solid ice. I tried to lift my body but as one would expect, I couldn't exert any control over it.

They really will die. And so will I.

I was so tired. When I couldn't stand the weight of my eyelids anymore, they fell down.

[But you can't die.] A voice echoed from somewhere.

Huh?

I opened my eyes. There were only the green leaves of the trees that filtered the glory of the sun, their soft rustles, and the verdant fragrance that drifted from them. The voice didn't come from anywhere. It was... Inside. Inside my head. What sort of luck I have, to even die insane.

[You can't die,] The voice rang again, it sounded like neither a man nor woman, genderless.

[You haven't done anything yet, you haven't destroyed enough, took enough lives yet, why are you trying to rest? You don't deserve one.]

A throbbing pain different from earlier plagued my right arm. I groaned. Dark, viscous liquid covered the stump, and from there a forearm grew anew. But it didn't look anywhere close to the one it replaced. It was black and instead of fingers, I had long, dark claws of black luster. Purple, glowing cracks ran all throughout the surface of my new forearm.

The hole in my chest closed in a beat, and strength entered my limbs once more. I was filled with power possibly greater than what I had. I stood up. There were things I couldn't understand, but it wasn't the time for a Q and A portion, that Darius couldn't have gone far. I kicked the ground and ran, ten-fold faster than before.

Zooming past trees, jumping over thick roots, and tearing through the morning mist, I escaped the grasp of the forest.

I was back at the razed village.

---

There, in the middle of the dirt road was Alrod, sitting on the ground. He was cradling Laianne in his arms.

While Darius pointed his sword on Alrod's neck, a victorious smirk on his youthful, demonic face.

I didn't have to think. I rushed toward the bastard, closing the gap in a second and, when I was close enough to attack, I swung my monster arm down.

He didn't expect it, but he still managed to get his sword on the way just before my claws tore through his face. Impressive speed, though my claws didn't collide with his blade, it passed through. The half of his blade fell to the ground with a clunk.

He discarded the remains of his weapon and leaped backward to create a distance between us. He then tried to chant something and yellow light covered his hand, but before he could finish it I already had severed his hand.

Blood splayed over the dirt, accompanied by his shrill screech. He fell on his behind, and proceeded to mourn for himself.

I wanted to just leave the guy be, out of pity, until I remembered Laianne's words.

‘Us Asterians don't consider someone who can't even watch a human die a God.’

And then, there she was, wrapped in her father's arms, a gaping hole on her stomach, convulsing, crying, desperately gasping for air. All because of this demigod.

I walked up to him and lifted him off the ground by the tuxedo's collar.

“Didn't I tell you you were gonna regret telling me that?”

He laughed and coughed at the same time, blood trailing down his mouth.

“I still don't, you know, uncle. Besides,

What difference will a single spy caught make?”

“You're still going on about nonsense?”

“Humans will win the war.” He laughed. “Because evil will destroy itself.”

“Then isn't that like saying humans and Nariod will destroy themselves?”

“You hear me, uncle? Humans will win.”

“No they won't.”

I dug deep in his chest and pulled out his heart, his life. It was still beating. That fact infuriated me, and so I crushed it with the clench of my fist. Bits and pieces of it clung to my face, covering my eyes with blood that dripped from them.

He died with a cursed grin still in his face. It made me sick.

“They won't, because the Dark Lord of Asteria is going to war.” I said to him as a farewell.