Meanwhile, in the state of the dark Goddess Ru, she was still shackled with the grievious and unforgiving chains at the unknown dungeon below. She was looking worse and worse. Her eyes were almost out of their lights, as her eyes were leaking out deep crimson blood. Her mouth was dripping in her own red velvet liquid. Her glorious body was looking battered by the severed wounds she had incurred from the lashes of whips and powerful punches previously. Her cloak was removed and her clothes were tattered and damaged from the whippings but, her own sacred sanctuary was still untouched. Strangely enough, her index finger was radiating a violet glow. It seemed she can see the fallen Zeran down on his knees and the destroyed surroundings, even from a long distance due to some object that was very much inclined to hers, such as her enchanted eyes had magical clairvoyance. More than that, she was more concerned for Zeran's sake than her own, even though she's the one who was sufferring more. She was trying to communicate to Zeran that would ease his crying and traumatized state, while she was wearing an understanding smile,
"Zera...don't worry..."
"I'm sure it scarred you..."
"But Zera...don't cry..."
"I'm still there..."
"I'll guide them for their better lives...".
Nassus was at the distance. He was leaning on the wall with a composed look, such as he was a warden or a guard to watch over the actions of the captive dark Goddess. Nassus noticed that she was trying to talk to her dear Zeran in some way or another, so Nassus went in front of her and gave her a cold icy stare that'd seep fear to anyone. Then, he says to her,
"Hmmm...you must be trying to communicate with him...".
He punched her stomach once again, making Ru to cough out blood yet again. In turn, the floor was stained with a puddle of rich red fluid. Though, Ru didn't felt that his punches weren't that much painful anymore, since she was getting used to their way of torture and her focus was concerned for Zeran's sake. Nassus let out his daring words afterwards,
"You should be thankful that your counterpart made that agreement..."
"Or else that weakling Noah will be too saddened if I took your very first time...before him..."
"But still, I am able to do...this...".
Suddenly, he choked her with his forceful squeeze. Ru was trying to resist the pain by proving her strong will from her defiant eyes. Sadly, she felt the suffocating thorns afterwards. Though, she called unto someone very dear to her,
"Ze...ra...".
Nassus was infuriated, making him to release his seething words of rage,
"What do you even see in him..."
"Why do you long for him...".
Ru replies, while she was feeling the utter suffocation,
"I...don't...know...but...he's...Ze..ra...".
Though, in her thoughts were much deeper in respect,
("But my feelings for him...I know there's something...").
While Nassus was seeing more of Ru's utter defiance, great care and determined concern for Zeran rather than her own, he envisioned her in the image of the Goddess Otorine, since the two were very much similar on their actions for their beloved heroes. It's as if he was seeing how Otorine cared and loved for him, even though she was suffering more. He gritted his teeth, since he was feeling the mix of utter guilt, regrets and anger that had coursed inside of him once again. He was feeling tense and covered his face with his hand, as he was confused in his own self. Soon, he grabbed a crude sword from the ground and slashed her left hip with a powerful swing, while he was breathing heavily. In turn, Ru gushed out more of her crimson blood from her mouth and she felt the hardest pain from all the thorns she had incurred. Nassus was able to calm down, as he released his pent-up emotions by wounding her severely. Soon, he says with a composed look on his face,
"Don't worry...that won't kill you...rather that's just a scar from your husband and your master to be...".
Though, Ru was still defiant even on her thoughts,
("I won't be your husband...nor your master...").
Thereupon, she released her pent up raging words unto him,
"You...are...no...hero...Nassus...".
As Nassus heard her brave words, his face was fuming with seething wrath, that cracked his cold iron shell in the worst possible way, letting out the inner demon that was sealed inside of him. The next moment, he grabbed her chained wrists and squeezed them tight, as he blurted out in front of her face, while he was proving with his burning eyes of a scary demon,
"HOW DARE YOU!".
Though, Ru just ignored him and turned her face away from him. Nassus was ready to hurt her once more, as he shook her shackled hands, making the clinking sounds of chains. Thereon, he asks her with seething rage in his look,
"And who do you think is the true hero?"
Ru replies softly,
"Ze...ra...".
Nassus let out a powerful blow at her stomach once again that reverberated around the room. Due to the intense blow that was even more powerful than the previous ones, Ru got knocked out and fell asleep, as she was dripping a dark red blood this time. Later, Nassus straightened himself up and moved away from her, while he was saying,
"You are just a Dark Goddess in this measly world..."
"I am the hero and SAVIOR in alot of worlds revered by several light Goddesses..."
"And soon...I shall save HER and her world..."
"From that menace...no matter how many blasphemous deeds I shall make...".
Somehow, Ru was still able to able to hear his words even though she's almost unconscious, making her to conclude in her thoughts and she was kinda feeling sorry for Nassus,
("Her...huh?").
("Mai was right...you're truly blind...")
("But that light-blue haired Goddess in a kimono...Otorine was it?")
("I could see...she cares for you deeply...")
("Nassus...you're truly clueless...you already have a Goddess who would give her everything just for you...").
On the other, back on Zeran's horrid case, he was still knelt on the ground, looking-like a lifeless mannequin, since he was still traumatized over the destruction of the whole village thanks to his gullible self. Though, his eyes looked unstable that were seeped in deep shock. The whole place was burned down to ash and the soil was decayed of life. There were corpses of the dead natives scattered everywhere. The whole village was in ruins and the stained blood had dried up. The sky was brimmed in the rising dawn. Though, only Zeran and the plush doll were the only ones who were able to see the light of the day. The Ru plush doll was trying to comfort him with its cuddly arms yet, he was frozen in his own isolation, cracking up confusions in his own mind,
("How can I let this happen?")
("Am I still truly a hero?")
("Was the thing I did even heroic?")
("Ange...why are you doing this?").
Though, through some fragment of hope, the elder tried to reach out and speak to Zeran by the distance, even though the elder was stabbed very severely in his stomach. Zeran went to him immediately and held the elder's hands, trying to reach some kind of miracle. Then, Zeran asks with a sorrowful tone, as if he was about to cry,
"Elder?".
Thankfully, the elder responds but, his voice was very weak,
"Traveler...we aren't mad at you...rather we all knew this would come sooner or later..."
"I guess this is also due to ourselves...since we were still worshiping the old path..."
"That must've made the light Goddess angry..."
"But I'll just say this for your sake..."
"The world can't live without the darkness...nor light...".
As soon as, the elder let out his final words to Zeran. The elder fell unconscious and died since, there was no underlying hope left for his severed self. Zeran exhaled deeply and closed the elder's eyes to bid respect upon passing on to the other side. Though, Zeran's eyes weren't filled with agony or sadness but, he was filled by the emptiness of the void, since he doesn't know what path he should take. The plush doll brought out assorted flowers and placed it around the villagers and the destroyed village itself to bid its respect for the dead. He looked at the Ru plush doll with his lifeless eyes. The Ru plush doll noticed him and kinda expressed to him through the use of gestures that he should follow her. He didn't respond but, he just nodded like a lifeless zombie. The Ru plush doll walked outside the village and into the forest. Zeran was still following it or her but his mind was wandering on a blank state,
("I don't know where I'm going but, I'll just follow this plush doll...or Ru...")
("Wherever she goes...").
They were almost outside the other side of the forest. Suddenly, a jaguar with it's face protruding out its own interior skull pounced at them. Though, Zeran just took it out like it was nothing, even though he didn't wear his golden claw. There were more menacing monsters yet, Zeran just got rid of them fast, while he wasn't wearing any sign of emotion, such as he was a dangerous empty shell. Soon, they came upon Ru's humble home back at the caverns. The Ru plush doll, stood in front of the door and it was trying invite Zeran through it's adorable gesture. Zeran's empty self was filled by a pinch of hope, although he was still devoid of happiness in his thoughts,
("Ru's still letting me in huh...?").
He opened the door and his dead eyes witnessed that the place was even better than ever before. There were violet and white mystical modern lights above, illuminating the place into a mysterious atmosphere. The long sofa-bed was riddened in the combination of black and lavanders since those were her signature colors. There were some purple butterflies fluttering around the place, glistening like amethyst gemstones. It seemed the whole place was more spacious than ever before. There were some modern and strange appliances that looked very effeminate. Lastly, some minor decorations and a painting of a glistening butterflies were hanged upon the wall. The doll entered and pointed him the door to her bedroom. He opened it. Soon after, the doll invited him sleep on her round lavander bed that was complemented by a hint of deep black. Zeran's frozen shell had suddenly cracked and his very emotions were back immediately, turning him to express a face of regrets. He pounced on the bed and he hugged the Ru plush doll, such as she was the real dark Goddess Ru. His face was mixed in the blend of sorrow and guilt, while he was crying and calling unto the dark Goddess's name,
"Ru...I'm very sorry..."
"Ru..."
"Ru..."
"Ru...".
In another divine place, Angehime's sanctuary specifically, Nassus entered and he sat at the chair, since he was having a meeting with Ange. The place was still looking ever holistic, despite the unforgiving actions of the revered owner. The area was still white with a hint of golden decorations. There were golden butterflies around the place. A little while later, Ange says with a complacent look,
"So how's my world and sanctuary?".
Nassus replies,
"It's very exquisite Goddess Ange...".
Ange held her hands, as she let out her next words filled with deep concern,
"What about Ru? I hope you are complying with our agreement...".
Nassus responds straight,
"Yes...I am not taking her chastity...but I still let her feel physical pain in many other ways...".
There was a long cold silence in the air, Ange closed her eyes and sighed. Soon upon, she opened her golden eyes and said her direct words filled with deep seriousness, that was very alarming to hear,
"I see...but soon you'll be able to take her if you fullfilled my very ideals through the end...also..."
"I'm here to discuss something about...that Priestess Fae here...".
Goddess Ira was at the other chair but, her presence was concealed and Nassus wasn't noticing her very form. As if, she was watching from behind the scenes without anyone noticing. Though, Ange noticed her, since they were having an agreement aswell. Goddess Ira crossed her legs and says to herself with an interested look that was filled with menacing intent,
("About my daughter Fae huh...I wonder...")
("Though, I don't care about her that much...since that daughter of mine is just a nuisance to my entertainment...")
("Hmmmm...so Nassus still wanted to save me huh?")
("He thinks...that I'm suffering...but in all honesty...")
("I'm LOVING this despair thing...spreading chaos and living in it...it's such a wonderful bliss...especially if carnal lust is mix in it...")
("Maybe I should let him taste another glimpse of despair...")
("By utilizing that other hero...")
("Hmmm...Zeran Noah Aether was it?")
("Toying around a light Goddess and playing with the heroes is so much fun...")
("I NEVER KNEW CREATING DISTORTIONS FELT SO GOOD!") .