Seeing the god laying on the ground so pitifully, she could not help but remember her again. Her kind and blunt little sister...
and those who harmed her.
In a blink of an eye, she suddenly appeared before the god and grabbed him by the face before hurtling him at his pile of tortured skeleton soldiers that slowly pulled their bones back together in aching pain.
"Agh!!!" He could feel the pounding pain in his back as he looked up at her in horror and aching pain.
He needs to retreat!
Having interrupted from their screaming hell of pain and agony, the skeletons began to claw at one another and themselves in an attempt to tear apart and break their worthless beings. However it was all futile. As it was their ruler who summoned them only their ruler and send them back. But how could they remember that when they no longer remembered what it felt like being painless and happy? In time, their agony and anguish will slowly be forgotten once their body forgets what it feels to have emotions and only pain consumes their minds.
This! This is the rage and humor of a god of madness descended upon them! Her tears shed blood. Her cries into laughter. She is hurt yet she can't ever stop laughing as anger and sadness, yet ecstasy and satisfaction fills her heart.
Ah... This unquenchable feeling... Just what is it that is required before she can finally rest?!
Will tears refill her body? Is it only when the sky descends upon the earth that she would finally rest her soul? No... There wasn't enough blood, wasn't enough pain. Death, murder, betrayal...
Dear god...
The mother of all Life has gone mad!
All this rushed into the mind of their underworld lord from the moment she grabbed him so powerfully and when he crashed into his own minions. Terrifying...
Truly horrifying!
One day, she'll drag down their nemesis in the same manner as the god before her. Writhing and screaming in agony, pain and anguish in a spiral of eternal hell. Only then...
Only then will she truly be satisfied.
He had actually came across such a horrifying and domineering woman!
Almost immediately, the earth began to tremble and the smoky figure finally vanished in a puff of smoke.
Chains erupted from the earth below the vessel bursting open the barriers, but, in a blink of an eye, she appeared before the vessel much to his shock and melted away all of the other chains before purposely grabbing one in her hand. She summoned her spiritual energy reserved in her dantian for so long. The area around her grew heavier and the fur of Ortho's overblot vessel stood on its end.
A powerful electric current rushed through the chain followed by a powerful rumble and a horrifying holler. Finally, the chain grew slack.
She gave it one strong tug and, in one minute, a very long chain came out from the ground and into her palms like a very long rope. She examined this with great interest before deciding to put them into her ring along with the hardened metal puddle from the other chains she had melted with her ruby fire.
Upon seeing this, she decided not to continue pursuing the matter of the god's underhanded method as she returned to the vessel. She stared at Ortho's overblot vessel for a while in confusion. Maisey's voice echoed in her head, "What's wrong, Peony?"
Although she was confident in Ortho's abilities, she noticed how the child had taken too long to merge.
Hearing this, Maisey grew concerned, "Will we all be stuck in the underworld forever?!"
"No." Peony shook her head and frowned, "However, something isn't right."
She touched the vessel and inserted her spiritual sense into the overblot vessel.
The mana surrounding her was dark and gloomy as she traversed the empty and dark space for a long time before finding the spark of light she was looking for. Upon closer inspection, she found that the two flames were fiercely fighting one another as they tried to fight for dominance. Seeing this, Peony shook her head in disappointment and sighed in dismay as she muttered to herself, "What part of merge do you not understand?"
Two halves that were suppose to be merging was now fiercely clashing against one another.
Maisey, now able to feel her thoughts with her ring, coaxed the child, "It's only their first time. Why not guide them a little? Is it possible with your abilities, Peony? Or are you trying to slack off again?"
Hearing this, Peony struggled to reply before she sighed in dismay, "Very well..."
With that, she pulled out a little of the fodder flame her golden bird had yet to consume and began to guide the two blue flames.
Seeing her utilize his fire in action shocked the god as he watched in disbelief from the cracks. Having only just grasped his fire, she was already easily using it without much trouble!
If it had been her fire, it would be too much for either of them to bear. The flames of the soul are too weak even for a regular soul fire and her fire was too strong with the ability to compel the other flames to fear it. Hence, the Underworld fire where the souls are more acquainted with are more fitting for their situation. In a clash like this where her flame could take over their fire, the underworld fire can put out their fight and help mend their souls. This is the true power, no- The true nature of the Underworld fire. Not some method of attack, but the ability to save and guide the souls of the dead.
Upon entering the dark, dark blotted vessel, Ortho was immediately coaxed by a soothing, yet cold feeling from afar beckoning himself to crawl forward with all his might only to be instantly smothered by the black and evil blot around him.
The soothing cold soon became warmer and warmer until it was no longer just warm, but a sweltering heat that he could no longer take!
Desperate, he quickly put up his guard and fought back with everything he had! He doesn't want to disappear now. He still has a family waiting for him!
Having stood by Peony's side for the last few days have brought a lot of realization upon him.
As a robot, he had no understanding how to feel or understand the emotions of others. He knew the others actions just by his past understandings of how others would react or his research he uncovered for his big brother. However, since entering Night Raven College, there were people who treated him as though he was an actual person which always made him feel as though he was on the verge of a malfunction and Idia would always look into it only to find nothing. But, this all changed since the day he touched the soft petals of the deep blue lycoris. Just one touch had managed to pull what was salvageable from his soul out of the robot and sent into Peony's gentle and careful hands that night. No one could've imagined that this mischievous and mysterious student was actually a very powerful sorceress from another world. Not to mention, the very one that had saved his family from being framed around ten years ago.
He only followed Peony around for a few days and have learned so much from her. He learned how his foolish decision many years ago caused the suffering of his big brother and his family. The pain and hole left by his reckless suggestion had caused so many heartaches for everyone in his family, especially his elder brother. The fates idols his brother admired on-screen actually have a very important role in society with their idol appearances as a release for pent-up emotions. They revealed to him how his death was the very reason why his brother decided to create his robot vessel as his absence was too much for his elder brother to bear or accept. Even the stern and amazing dad had broken down in tears during the night he was reunited with him constantly repeating the names of him, his brother and their grandmother. Yet, Idia never gave up that he could bring him back when he was a child.
Their parent's heart ached upon seeing what had become of them but could not figure out a way to help his elder brother as they were also wracked with guilt from that incident. Though it appears that they had moved on, the truth was that they've never forgotten them. Hence, they began to focus more on how to complete their jobs more efficiently so that they could return home more often to raise his brother. However, nobody knew of this in the field. Only the few who worked under their family understood the circumstances, which explains all the gazes he received whenever they do return home. His robot self was a replacement of the real Ortho. However, Idia never knew that the real Ortho was rescued by him the moment he successfully created his robot vessel.
That incident...
There's no path he could take that could reset everything that had happened. However, Peony and Idia did not give up, even in the end. Idia made him a vessel unintentionally that preserved his soul from disappearing, but he treated this vessel as though he was his real brother. Gentle and sympathetic while wearing the mask of a powerful tyrant, Peony did not hesitate to reach out and risk her life to give him a chance to return home. Return home where his parents are waiting for him. Peony took Vil's words and turned it into a reality. She helped him forge a way to return home!
That's why he can not falter here! He must show himself that there are people back home who are still waiting for them. That there are still so many people who mourned because of their actions. He must show himself that they must go back home!
"How is this any different from how it was when you two were split apart?" Peony shook her head in disappointment.