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Chapter 024: Make Me Proud

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She bowed her head again and continued, "That day, me and my daughters were visiting another place and on our way back home, there was a loud explosion... followed by the darkening of the sky."

Mohindra's recollection was accompanied by tears as she still remembered the scene that day as if it was just happened recently.

The clear sky suddenly turned black and red, with the howling of the wind and the cry of her husband as he spread his Lightning Domain to protect every life he could protect... buying as much as possible so that his family could get away...

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"Quickly run!"

"Get as far away from here as you can!"

"Everybody run away!"

"Run for your lives!"

"Your Highness! Your Highness!"

""

"Father!"

Almost all her brothers, sisters, uncles, aunties, all those who were in the old mansion died in just an instant and it was only her husband, being a strong Dragon King as he is, that managed to survive.

The sound of the Lightning Domain shattering in the next instant was still clear to her memories. Her husband died, she realized.

At the wake of the tragedy, she saw not a speck of her husband's corpse... only that 'demon' and his eyes that fixed itself on her daughter. Who had ran straight at the scene.

"Electra!" Mohindra panicked.

The 'demon' vanished and appeared in front of the girl, his hand draped in that bloody fire, he intend to kill her. But... something happened at the next moment that made her gasp.

The demon's other hand moved. Its dark sleeves turning white "it" grabbed the killing hand that was going to going for her daughter.

It was only for a moment but she saw it clearly. The 'demon' seemed to have received some sort of attack and it flew backwards but didn't forget to push the girl away towards her.

She struggled to catch her daughter who fainted but when she turned her gaze back to the demon, it had already retreated into the horizons, blew up the huge hole in the sky dome, and escaped the scene, only leaving a deathly silence and the few remaining blood fires that lingered at his departure.

Her daughter was safe; unconscious, but safe.

But her husband was dead, and that was a loss that had haunted their tribe until this very day.

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She opened her eyes, finishing the retelling of the story that even Electra had not heard about.

Just recalling the past had made her into a crying mess but what was more "bewildering" is how Siva, a [Trinity God], revered Immortal, and the Protector of the Stars, was in possession of that kind of fire.

It was a power even she herself found to be NOT in the realm of the Gods' control.

It was the power of the Demons!

As such, all this time, the Vajras always associated that fateful day with the Devil Gods. They have all had heard about the invasion of the Demons, 56 years ago, but because they were also still in a big conflict with the Terran Alliance, they hardly paid a glance to the rallying call of the Terrans back then.

Even the cease fire plea had failed. In the midst of that Grand Invasion, the Dragons remained as the nemeses of the citizens of Terrafirma.

They never even doubted that it was actually Siva who had caused that tragedy.

—no, they could never imagine it.

Siva was still standing, looking at the bowing head of Matriarch Mohindra with a sniffing and crying Electra at the side.

His red eyes fixed on at her empty palm.

He knew exactly what it meant. In the Dragons' old culture, submitting an empty palm to someone, and most especially to a Terran, means the Dragon was giving him or herself to submission.

Mohindra was offering herself to his service in exchange for the gratitude of saving her child.

Her love to her children amounted more than her love to herself even a millionth's millionth fold.

—and it was exactly this gesture that he could not accept. After all, he was still the cause of that huge tragedy that befallen their entire tribe.

He looked over at Electra, then back to Matriarch Mohindra, before shaking his head, declaring, "My sins are heavy. Don't you always cry for your dead husband everyday...? Don't you want to punish me heavily for 56 years? Why are you offering service instead of laying out punishment for me?"

Siva felt guiltier. Heavier, in his heart...

For the sins he committed, for the millions of years of killing he spent in the past, massacring no small amount of innocents... he destroyed many planets, taking innocent lives in turn... all his sins deserved punishment but why then, still, he was met a kind salutation and even an offer of service?

In Siva's heart... he declared that he doesn't deserve this kind of generous treatment.

Siva knew that he deserved to be punished by the Matriarch of the Lightning Dragon Tribe!

"Please... I beg you... stand... I am not worthy..."

His breathing was heavy, his mind in pain. He had heard Cortana's warning over and over on his mind but it was being overwhelmed by the sense of guilt that he was feeling deep inside.

Siva knew very clearly that he may not be able to atone for those sins, but to all those that he can ask an apology for... he will not hesitate to kneel down and ask them for forgiveness.

This was a way for him to establish an 'anchor' for that other side of himself.

Next time, perhaps, if his anchor is strong enough, he wouldn't have to lose control of his mind and get on another rampage.

Listening to this sense of guilt was important to him and he was sure it was a key for him to be able to control his other self better.

"Your Excellency, I don't know how you came to be possessed by Demonic Power, but I know that the [Protector of the Stars] in our records, the Immortal who selflessly ventured forth in the stars to spread the Path of Immortality to give the Universe better chances of fighting against the Corruption... I know and I believe... that the person who saved my little girl is not an evil person. I don't know what ensued in the past eons, but I believe the records we have and in it... you were a Hero worthy of celebration and recognition. I cannot be mistaken with the type of power I've felt back then. That is definitely the power of the Devil Gods and I know that you saved my daughter for I have seen it. For me, as Electra's mother, in behalf of the entirety of Horbe, you are a benefactor who saved the country's princess and that is an occasion worthy of celebration."

"But I..."

"It was a Devil God who killed my husband and had robbed our household of a father, and our tribe a King... I have seen it and I believe it so."

—in short, Mohindra recognized that Siva and the [Devil God] who killed her husband were different people.

Seeing the immovable resolution in her eyes, Siva couldn't help but bite his lips and clench his fists.

This is definitely not what he thought will happen.

He wasn't a masochist because what he sought is redemption from his sins. This is not it. But he also knew that Matriarch Mohindra wouldn't accept him not accepting anything. So in the end, Siva could only look over at Electra.

"I'm sorry but I cannot accept you in my service."

Shock drew on Mohindra's face, "May you edify to this little Dragon the reason why I am inadequate to be your follower, Your Excellency?"

"It's not that you're inadequate... but it's just that on my way to your country, to Horbe, I've already accepted the service of another Dragon."

"Who?" Mohindra asked curiously, catching a slight glimpse of the awkward expression on Electra. "Is Your Excellency talking about my daughter?"

Siva slightly nodded and looked at Electra weirdly.

Now that Electra had heard the story, there was no reason why the knots in her heart hadn't cleared at this moment. And so, she prompted to explain.

"Back then, Mother, His Excellency has somehow left a [Soul Seal Fragment] in me. It was the reason why I've been feeling uncomfortable for the past month and felt that the monster had come back to kill me... and that's also the reason why I ventured out of Horbe and into the Surface Continents to..."

At the end of her words, her voice became slightly fragile and soft, like a girl talking about her blunder to her mother. It was cute and the reaction of her Mother was classic.

Electra didn't even manage to finish her words as Matriarch Mohindra stood up in a flurry.

"YOU WHAT?!!" it was a loud exclaim. "Did you just do the very thing I warned you not to do no matter the cost and situation?! You are in a lot of trouble here, young woman!"

"I'm sorry." Electra pouted and lowered her head.

The atmosphere of seriousness and gloominess from earlier vanished and a short skit unfolded in front of Siva. He couldn't help but think of the few moments ago where tears and hearts flowed open without a shadow of a lid covering their truths.

Seeming to have forgotten herself and all, the 'still' young-looking Matriarch Mohindra was about to go back to her kneeling stance when Siva stopped her physically this time. "Please don't. My answer will still be the same."

Only now did Mohindra process what Electra said about her anxiety for the past weeks.

And even Siva found it connected to his first 'ever' appearance back here in Terroa.

Everything was connected.

He thought bitterly, if everything is connected then there's no reason to doubt that my existence here in Terroa is indeed a prologue to a calamity.

Siva believed in the sinister-ness of his identity. It was so dreadful and so horrifying that even he was scared of himself —scared of what he was capable of when he blacks out from anger.

Mohindra was lost in thought. Her daughter had a [Soul Seal Fragment] from that short instance of contact with [Siva] and now... she had already been contracted as his Dragon.

As such, titles such as "Dragon Rider" and so on are also not far-off in the future.

Since it was "Fate" then she will have to follow.

"If it has been done, then it is done. I can only give my blessings to my daughter."

"Mother, I..."

"From this day forth, Electra von Kirin, you are no longer restricted by the laws of the ancestors and is now the official Ambassador of the Kirin Tribe of the entire Vajra Tribe... to the world. Your mission is to accompany His Excellency, Siva [Protector of the Stars] as his companion. You will follow all his orders and every command and treat this mission with the highest of priority. This is an honor for us, the Kirin Tribe, most especially to the entire Vajra Tribe and the entirety of the Dragon Race... make us proud... make me proud..."

Electra worshipped her mother next to his father in the same way the Terrans worshipped their Gods.

Unlike the Terrans, Dragons are agnostics whose faith lies in power alone, nothing else. The strong rules over the weak and establishes the rules of the land... that is their creed. It's in their blood.

Now that Electra had heard of the story of the two "people" he thought were one, what her mother believes in, she will also believe.

Electra placed herself behind Siva and on her face now were no traces of her unwillingness and her defiant attitudes from the past few days.

Only Siva was the only one with the misgivings.

—this is wrong.

But he also knew that no matter how much he deny Mohindra's insistence, the fact remains that she'd indeed seen the events back then. Dragons are a race that keeps tabs of grudges and favors. If it's not for this unique trait of them, history wouldn't have written accounts about titles such as Dragon Riders, Dragon Tamers, Dragon Lords, and many other eccentric titles related to a Terran having a —or many— contractual relationship with a Dragon.

Dragons are a very strong race and they are united as well as a race so it was very rare for a Dragon to be enslaved to someone else... especially those of the "Divine Beast Dragon Race" for the weakest of them are in the Chaos God Level of existence; and there aren't even a few of them who are unbridled enough to actually display out loud that they have enslaved a Dragon Race individual.

But of all of them, it was really quite rare for a true and genuine Divine Beast Dragon Race individual to be in a contract with a Terran.

—at least, in Siva's time before the Ragnarok Era, he was the only person publicly recognized having contracted with a Dragon as a companion.

——and it wasn't even a normal Dragon at that...

———Vasuki was a Naga King!

————he was one of the first Dragon Kings!

As said, Siva's titles and feats precede itself and it gives him some "face" to be recognized by the real bigshots of the era back then.

But during the grand War of the Gods, Siva's name shone the brightest when he and other Immortals led the frontlines and decimated billions of ranks in the Demon Armada.

The mother and daughter pair had already brought things up into paper with only Siva being the one in the contradictory party.

"I—"

"—if you're still going to insist on being punished, then I can only think of another way for you to be able to make up with your sense of guilt."

Mohindra's voice was kind and she spoke in a slow and gentle voice, accentuating every word so Siva could understand her intent.

"Speak." Siva's heart felt slightly better hearing it.

"For many years now, our country of Horbe has been plagued by the insistent harassment of the Blood Dragon Church. Earlier, we've received the report that they were attempting to enter one of the two holes that had appeared 56 years ago. It's not that they haven't expanded on the countries in the Surface Continents, it's just that they've been planning on a big event as of late that the Seven Dragon Council has been in a huge disturbance on the increasing activities of that bloody church."

Siva understood how the Vajra got to know of this kind of Intel. Even if they aren't joining the effort to fight the Terrans, they are still Dragons and so the Dragon Council will still share to them a few Intel that will help them fend off their territory against their aggressive island invaders.

But isn't it weird?

It should be said that the Dragons weren't fans of the ecclesiastic beliefs because they were of even higher order in terms of descent and nobility than the Terrans.

Every single adult Elemental Dragon is comparable in might to an Elder God of the Terran Race.

An Elder God can destroy the Surface Continents of Terroa in one night. That's how strong they are.

(AN: Remember that Supreme Commanders are also on the same level as Elder Gods and so they are technically of the same strength)

The Terrans came from a drop of blood of a God; that's how their ancestors came to be, and they all worshipped their Gods with fanatical zealotry and veneration to their [Divinity].

(AN: remember the three parts of a God: (1) Body; (2) Divinity; (3) God = okay, I'm not really sure how to describe this third part without making it sound awkward. But in general terms, the third part is like the "unification of the first two and so creates the being of power" which is simply called the "God" —see? Awkward, right? In terms of churches, they divide it into Holy Father, Holy Son, and Holy Spirit —which defeats the concept of our novel which is NOT about Christianity in any bit—so I used the more "general base" to all religious sects out there where a 'God' is divided into three parts like a triangle: a Mortal Body as the vessel, the Divinity that he represents, and the aspect of being the completed God which also signifies the first two combined into one... urgh, awkward, ya?)

But the "Dragons" —as a member of Divine Beast Dragon Race— were all [evolved beings of power] that incorporated into their genes Mana Essences of the Elements before changing their genetic attributes to look like that of a Terran.

They may look the same and their bodies are of an identical physique and build, but the Dragons and Terrans have different [Source Codes] in them.

One uses the power of the Universe to cause the phenomenon called [Magic]; while the other uses their strong bodies and innate alignment to all the Elemental Particles in the air to cause the local area Source Code to warp and change according to the will —or intent— injected in it... thus the [Magic].

—both are still [Magic], in fact, but their difference lies at the methods the phenomena is deployed.

Of the two methods, the Dragons' method is sure to always come up as better because it only needs a simple action paired with the "intent" and [Magic] will manifest as they breathe and think.

But the Terrans still needed to conjure enough Internal Mana to cast a Spell and only then will the change to the local source code in the surrounding space adhere to the "intent" of the spell formula, not of the user itself.

Casting a spell needs time and in a battlefield, that much needed 'time' is rare and crucial.

If not for the Terrans' numbers advantage, all the Dragons, no matter how strong they are, would've all been rounded up already.

Adding to that the Terrans' «Rune» treasures, the superior strengths of the Seven Dragon Clans are still just a match against the combined efforts of the Terrans armed with their Rune Equipments.

But with the addition of "Blessings", on few certain occasions and circumstances, as valuable as these dwindling "divine resources" are, without the Gods to replenish them or new acolytes to devoutly offer their prayers to their Gods' Divinity, the Terrans will lose their ability to heal their wounded soldiers, especially to the ranks of the ones who faces the might of the Seven Dragon Clans' Army.

In this regard, the Blood Dragon Church's Army is a menace and a scourge for their "God" is a unique Demon that devours the souls of warriors, using it to strengthen itself as it wantonly spreads its curse to its followers; its blessings, the Blood Prison, was not meant to heal its followers but is used to gather more souls to offer to its altars... strengthening it further with every sacrifice.

And to add more to the notoriety of the followers of the Blood Dragon Church, its Terran turncoats still retain their connection to their Gods and thus, those Terran "Blood Dragon God Elders" can use the already dwindling blessings of those Gods to heal their renegade ranks shamelessly.

The Church of the Blood Dragon God had indeed planted their fangs deep into the two societies.