After sometime, Zeran was brought to the vast field of Nathaqua plains by the forceful Goddess Arseia. Though, the place wasn't brimmed in its usual seagreen appearance, since the sky was very dark, as it was midnight with no signs of starlight above. Instead, the place was ridden in dusk emerald. There were no illuminating fireflies, due to the intense searing aura of the Goddess Arseia. She walked a few paces away from Zeran, as she was still wielding her platinum scythe ready to reap her own son's life. Sometime soon, she exclaimed her cold words,
"Bring out your weapon Zen...".
The air was frozen and the winds became stagnant, as she brought out her unforgiving words. Sadly, Zeran wasn't happy when he heard that statement from his own mother, so he replies back very expressively,
"No way mom!"
"And can't we talk this—".
In a split of a second, she dashed unto him with blinding speed and left out a clean cut unto his left cheek. In turn, he felt a sudden sting of pain and his left cheek leaked out a rich crimson blood, turning him observe that his own Goddess mother was truly serious. Soon, she released more of her frozen words,
"There's no use talking Zen..."
"Bring out your weapon...if you want to live...".
Zeran gulped, as he heard more of those cold statements. He wielded his golden claw, as he had no choice but, to abide by her orders and do his best to survive his own mother's judgement in some way or another. He sighed and stanced like an able fighter ready to block and grapple the lunging strikes of the foe. Goddess Arseia held her scythe such as she was ready to strike and tear the ground below. The air became more and more intense, as the flames of battle were boiling in the atmosphere. Sooner or later, she closed her eyes and exhaled to calm her body down. The next moment, she vanished in the speed of light. Zeran gulped. Suddenly, she had already released a series of powerful slashes and quick strikes unto him but, Zeran was able to parry and deflect all of them with his quick reflexes of his golden claw. His mother was back from her previous position afterwards. Though, she positioned her scythe such as she was ready to cut anyone's torso. Not only that, her scythe was spewing out divine white flames with a mix of mystical violet rays. Then, she tries to speak to him again,
"Tell me...why did you want to be reincarnated before?".
He replies,
"It's to find a better life than ever before...".
She nodded. Later on, she casts out,
"SOUL REAVER!".
She swung her scythe that was wreathed in mysterious flames, that released an illusionary flaming blade that was heading unto him. Zeran stepped on the ground and held his solid stand to brace for the powerful impact, covering his face with his claw, while his knees were stably bent. As the flaming blade had contact with his claw, he was nudged for a few distance but, he was still holding his ground and his body wasn't that much damaged. Suddenly, Arseia tried to struck him from above such as she was ready to smash the ground with Zeran in position. Zeran jumped away for a few paces, as fast as he could in order to dodge the guillotine, making his mother to strike the ground instead but, she already expected that to happen, so she casts out while, her scythe was stuck to the ground,
"GRAND PULSE!"
From the ground Zeran was standing, a powerful energy of light had sprout from beneath him, such as a powerful laser had struck him below, making Zeran to be mildly damaged with a few bruises and scratches. Though, the onslaught didn't stop there, as his mother lunged and slashed him with flurries of strikes in blistering speed from all directions. Sadly, Zeran was only able to dodge and block some of them due to her faster movements than ever before. It'd seem Arseia was growing stronger, as the battle took longer. Her very holistic aura of judgement was even seeping into the atmosphere. She sighed and tries to communicate again,
"But even here you weren't treated any better...instead it was even worse!".
Afterwards, she tried to reap his neck. Zeran dodged the instant death attack. Soon, she says,
"First...you were overthrown..."
"Second...you were enslaved..."
"Third...you were beaten to a pulp..."
"Fourth...you were betrayed..."
"Fifth...you were tricked..."
"Sixth...your sanity got scarred..."
"And do you still want to live in this cruelty?".
She casts out her magical spell,
"DEATH RAIN!".
Thereon, falling searing flames seeped in dark abyss were heading towards Zeran's area. He dodged it, as he was having quick feet and amazing reflexes, while he was heading towards her, ready to bring out some of his attacks. As he was near her, he tried to crush her with his claw, but she just blocked his attack with her scythe and held him down. Sooner or later, Zeran replies to his mother's question before,
"Yes...".
Sadly, Arseia wasn't happy of his answer direct into her face, so she blurted out with a furious look on her face, breathing out flames of rage although, she was also concerned for her own son's sake within,
"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!".
She kicked him away, flinging him away for a few distances. Zeran's look was serious as he let out his determined words, to reply to his mother's exclamation,
"I DON'T KNOW...but one thing's for certain...I must save Ru...".
Arseia responds,
"Ru huh...I could see that you took such interest on her...but...".
Afterwards, she tried to get near him and bring out a forceful roundhouse kick of a strong woman. He parried her strike with his solid right arm. There after, she uttered out her harsh words,
"SHE'S A DARK GODDESS!"
"HER FATE AND DESTINY DEFIES THAT!".
Zeran replies,
"I KNOW THAT!"
"But I want to save her and I don't know why!"
"Yet..."
"I COULD FEEL THAT SHE IS SO SAD, LONELY...AND IN PAIN NOW..."
"I CAN'T EXPLAIN THIS FEELING OF MINE FOR HER!"
Next, he casts out, while his left claw was holding out like a cannon,
"DARK CRUSHER!".
A powerful sphere of immense swelling darkness wreathed in black flames was released from his arm, that was heading unto Arseia at high speed. Arseia, wasn't able to dodge it, so she was hit by the dark blob of searing flames directly, making a huge flaming collision to explode unto the area, flinging Arseia for a short distance. The small area was burnt to the ground. Arseia was severely damaged yet, her wounds and burnt bruises were healed instantly due to her divine capabilities. She regained her balance and stance but, her eyes were even more terrifying to see, as she let out her serious words,
"Is that so...but...it's too late now...Zen..."
"You can't save her...".
Thereon, she jumped and levitated into the air, such as she was truly a majestic Goddess in form for any lower being to bear witness. The air was frozen in time and space was silent for a mere moment, as she casts out,
"DIVINE JUDGEMENT!"
"REINS CARNAGE!".
Suddenly, strange ringing of melancholic bells were heard from somewhere but, there were none to be seen in the vicinity, such as the real judgement has come, especially for Zeran. From the back of Goddess Arseia, there was a huge blinding white magical pentagram that was truly divine to ever witness. Zeran was feeling very tense, as the death's door was the only path left for him. Suddenly, his strange vision saw the text,
["SECRET ABILITY UNLOCKED..."]
["BLADE MEMORIA: DA REAZ!"]
["LINKED THROUGH: DARK GODDESS RUHIME..."].
As he noticed that weird information at a critical time, he was truly surprised and shocked beyond his dreams. Soon he cracked out a hopeful smile filled with great confidence and he says in his thoughts,
("A BLADE MEMORIA...huh...")
("If this'll help me live then why not!")
("Ru huh...you're really an amazing woman...")
("Sorry mom...but I'm gonna be stubborn again...").
Soon, he shut his eyes, relaxed his mind and exhaled very deeply, reaching out in his very focussed state. Afterwards, he casts out with a very loud voice,
"ACTIVATE!"
"BLADE MEMORIA..."
"DA REAZ!".
There were sudden lavender and purple lights that had wreathed around his claw. Sooner or later, a very long serpent-like whip blade seeped in whole abyss emerged from his golden claw. The blade's body has amethyst gemstones embedded in each segment. The weapon was truly elegant in its prime appearance. Even though, it was the mix of the darkest colors and the form of evil, its aura wasn't filled with malicious intent nor evilness. Instead, it seemed to be the result of the fallen hero's bond with his dark Goddess, in which it was letting out a divine mystical aura soothed in passion. Zeran was amazed in his thoughts, as he was wielding the enchanted blade with his golden claw,
("Gwoooh! cool! and it feels like...Ru's with me...").
Afterwards, the Ru plush doll pounced and stuck unto his left claw. Then, it gave him a determined nod, as if it was supporting unto Zeran's newly acquired weapon somehow. As he saw the plush doll around his hand, he wore a soothing smile and he said in his thoughts,
("Now it really feels like Ru's with me...").
Sooner or later, Arseia released her divine judgement,
"CARNAGE FALL!".
Suddenly, lots of huge white burning meteorites were falling at a fast pace unto Zeran's location, such as those were ready to pummel him into extinction. Zeran exhaled and brandished out the whip-like blade quickly like it had no weight and the blade wasn't hitting him for some reason, deflecting and breaking down the huge divine meteorites heading unto him like it was nothing. The meteorites were almost endless but, Zeran's just crushing them into smithereens with his powerful blade, disintegrating them into a cloud of dust. Sometime soon, the falling meteorites had ceased and the dusty air had cleared. The air of judgement was gone and the white pentagram had dispersed into the air. Zeran looked exhausted and battered but, he was still standing on his feet, breathing as he was still alive. Suddenly, his tummy growled unexpectedly. Zeran felt that he was hungry but, he didn't mind it that much. He panted and said with a loud voice,
"Hah...hah...so how do you like them apples? Mom...".
As Arseia saw the magical blade that Zeran was wielding, she cracked out a confident smile, turning her cold shell and terrifying aura to disappear. Her dangerous scythe was gone. Then, she says to herself, in which Zeran overheard,
"A blade memoria...I see..."
"I guess my first work here is done...".
The air of sudden death was gone. Later, she descended and let her feet touch the ground. Though, Zeran wasn't relieved, instead he was surprised that his mother had a sudden change of mood and aura, so he asks her,
"Huh? Why'd you stop mom? I thought you were going to kill me?!".
Arseia felt irritated, though her expression was like she was a teenage girl, despite her matured appearance and age, as she says,
"Stop saying that geez..."
"You make me sound like I'm a cruel mother...".
He responds,
"Uhhh kay...".
Though, in his thoughts,
("Now she's being a tsundere again...these Goddesses are TRULY weird...").
Arseia sighed and calmed herself down. She went near him and she explains to him with great honesty in her very expression, trying to let him believe in her words and actions,
"And I only tried to slay you because, you'll need to REALIZE something...that would be really DARK and cruel..."
"By that...you'll also become stronger...not just physically but also, emotionally, and mentally..."
"Now I'll ask you...what is it that you want to do now?."
Zeran replies,
"You don't need to ask..."
"I'LL SAVE RU!"
"SAVE MY DARK GODDESS!".
It seemed the Ru plush doll looked happy, as she pounced unto Zeran's neck and wreathed around him. Zeran wasn't crept out but, he felt a sudden joy in his heart, making him to pat its head, as if he was feeling that Ru was with him. Arseia smiled with a relieved look. Then, she said that seemed to be filled with some kind of deep interest in her eyes,
"Okay...and I'll be rooting for you..."
"And here...some kind of prize...".
She gave him five temporal sealing spheres, in which he had already gotten two of them, while he was accompanied by Goddess Ru at Celestia heavenly mall since before. Though, Zeran wasn't that much pleased, since the very item looked kinda useless to him, as it was his reward from surviving the grand judgement. More than that, Arseia brought out a magical card but, the very image of the card was showing a white koi jumping into the dark starlit sky. It seemed it was similar to Ru's card that let her transfer to divine places. Zeran accepted the items, although he just transferred them into his dimension inventory. Arseia twisted her body around and looked at the opposite direction. Then, she says, while she was walking away from him,
"Oh and I'm sure you'll think of a way to defeat Nassus..."
"Power isn't everything Noah..."
"Use your BRAIN for once..."
"Those HUNGER ABILITIES you have would be somehow helpful in the most unusual way possible..."
"Oh and there is another Goddess who wishes to see you before you train yourself and head to the bloody battlefield...".
It seemed her very words were giving him some kind of hint. Zeran kinda understood his mother's words somehow. She waved him goodbye, although she was in her thoughts later on,
("Now then...time for the second phase...").
Suddenly, her presence had vanished. Zeran felt that Arseia was totally gone from the place, so he sighed for a moment in order to relieve his sudden tensions. The enchanted blade vanished. The breezing winds were felt on his skin once again. He closed his eyes, relaxing his body and mind, while he was trying to recall the unusual statements of Goddess Arseia,
"Hunger abilities...".
He opened his eyes. Thereupon, in his extraordinary vision, he saw,
["FORCED HUNGER!"]
["FOOD REJUVENATION!"].
Zeran looked disturbed, as he saw those weird information, making him to utter out,
"Geee...great...can't believe I have these odd abilities...".
Though, he sighed and tells with a sincere look on his face, feeling kinda hopeful,
"But atleast I got BLADE MEMORIA now..."
"And these untested balls..."
"I think I'll have a tiny edge at Nassus now...".
As soon as, he looked at the plush doll wrapped around his neck, he knacked out a grateful smile, in which his smile penetrated Ru's heart through the plush doll as a medium, making the plush doll to act so embarrassed. He took the plush doll, making it to be more flustered than ever before. Afterwards, he hugged the plush doll, as if he was feeling the true presence of his dark Goddess Ru was with him from the whole time. In response, the Ru plush doll embraced him with its short arms too and felt his warmth. Afterwards, Zeran says very softly,
"Thanks Ru...".
Zeran and Ru were feeling the fleeting romantic sensation that freed them from their sudden sufferings. They were in their own world and both of them were feeling each others presence, even though they weren't together physically. Time stood still for them and space was wreathing them in bright twinkling starlights. Passionate petals were dancing around the two, as they were waltzing in their own world. Sooner or later, their trance had snapped and Zeran told the plush doll to accompany him upon entering another Goddess's chamber, although the plush doll just expressed to him that she'll just wait for him at her home. Zeran, just scratched his head, since he must be thinking that he must've been the only one invited or this is how a Goddess bid respect to another Goddess's privacy whatever their sides were. The Ru plush doll stood on the ground and waved goodbye. Afterwards, he says with a determined look,
"Now to meet this Goddess that mom told about...".
Zeran brought out the card with a koi image. Soon rays of bluish lights surrounded around him. Suddenly, he vanished and his presence was totally gone from the area. The Ru plush doll walked away and returned into its home.
On the other hand, in the true state of the dark Goddess Ru, she was still bound in chains and she was looking worse and worse. Her shackled wrists were even red from the almost endless hold of the cuffs. Her eyes were almost dead and pitiful to see, since she wasn't given any sleep. Though, her index finger was still glowing in purple, such as she was still controlling the doll and she was using it as her medium of communication to the outside world. A little while later, she wore a weak smile, as she says,
"Thank...you...too...Ze...ra...".
Her body wasn't even given any forgiveness, since whip lashes and cuts were all seen throughout her form. For some reason, her inner private parts were still untouched. Despite the grievous thorns she had experienced, she was still smiling for the sake of her dear Zeran. As Nassus noticed that the captive dark Goddess was still smiling, he was surprised with grave curiousity in his thoughts, while he was leaning on the wall, since he was on guard duty again,
("With all of the things we've done to her...")
("She is still smiling and waiting for him...").
The next moment, Nassus was seeing the poor dark Goddess Ru, as his Goddess Otorine once again. Though, the two Goddesses were seperate entities. A little while later, he left out a crystal tear from his cold eyes. As he noticed that he leaked out a tear, he was shocked in himself,
("Why...am I crying?").