Huh…The second time I died. I didn't expect to die like that at such a Early age, I really expected to die like…from old age or some accident. But instead…I got a hand through my chest because of…what I assume was a misunderstanding.
This whole thing was a misunderstanding, starting with going to Prusha. Starting with following Arael's advice and guidance.
…Actually, now that I'm thinking of it. How am I still thinking? Well, Emmit didn't pierce my head. Unless he did after I did, but I don't see him wanting brains on the bottom of his boot.
I opened my eyes to notice that I was back in the white void. I looked down at myself and noticed a gaping hole in me.
"Ah shit." I blurted out. An honest reaction to what I was looking at.
"Fufu…" I heard an all too familiar voice come from above.
"Hah! You!" I looked upwards and walked backwards as The goddess slowly descended to the floor. The mosiac face of hers looking at me. "You lied! You told me to not have King Lucian and issac talk, but you didn't tell me shit about the attempted murder of Lucian!"
"Ooh? I didn't?" Arael sarcastically said. "Hmm…my bad."
"Don't you fucking say that! You knew damn well that would happen! Y-you led me into a fucking death trap! Emmit was there!"
Arael tilted her head. "Emmit?" She scratched her mosiac chin. "Oooh…I see." She tapped the side of her head, childishly.
"He told me how you were a witch, a manipulator! Shit, he even knows about this place!" I angrily stomped on the floor. "He put this fucking hole in me!"
"Enough." Arael Spoke. I felt the floor vibrate at her voice. "You're boring me with your angry talk."
"Huh, what?! You're just going to ignore my words? Who was that guy?!"
"He…Emmit, if that is what I should call him, was the first person I sent into that realm." Arael floated on her back, checking her nails as she casually talked. "Perhaps a fault on my hand that I gave him power unique only to him. Hmph."
Powers? Wait…is that why he's so strong? Holy shit, are you telling me I'm not the first person that's been isekai'd to a new place?
"I should've guessed it was him since before I departed my ways with him, I casted him aside. Thinking it'd be fun to put him in a loop. Never to die…" Arael turned to me. "I assume he told you that?"
"Uh…no. We fought and he ended up jabbing a hole in me."
"Mhm…He does that to all the people I bring down there…" Arael murmured. That caught my attention. Emmit mentioned that I was a puppet, or at least one of her puppets. Was he just saying I was one of many that she has brought down?
"H-how…Why did you send me down there?" I asked. Arael looked at me, confused.
"Well, to give you power! Come on, silly! To be the strongest in that realm. To live the power fantasy!"
"No, if that was the case…why have one of the kings of the strongest kingdoms there get murdered. In fact, why have a child murdered?!" I furiously asked.
Arael chuckled, it was a chuckle that had malicious intent behind it. Like a child who realized their bad behavior was caught.
"Fufu…don't all power fantasy heroes need to have a sort of…Dramatic plot behind them?" She raised her hand in question. "I thought those of your world loved being in these sorts of situations."
"What, you think this is a game! Like this is some sort of fucked up entertainment for you!?" Arael nonchalantly turned her head to me, acting disinterested at my talking. "You put me in that situation!"
"To which you accepted. You could've easily not have followed my guidance." I could see Arael's smile through her mosaic. "I said you'd have a better life with my guidance. Sure you'd be killed in your own way without my advice, but you would've lived your life the way you wanted. You followed my instructions like a dog waiting for its treat." She floated slighter higher, twirling in the air as she cackled. "Haha! Ooh…it's so easy to mess with humans…"
"You…Bitch!" I snarled at her. I made a charge for her, reaching my hand out for her: but a force immediately had me to my knees. It was like the gravity in this realm had suddenly increased as I struggled to even lift my head.
"Kneel." She commanded. The world warped and turned as it felt like it was getting smaller. "I'm done acting." She descended from the air and landed in front of me, kneeling as she looked down on me. "I thought I could keep this up with you. But it seems you're just like him. Hmph, bad dog."
"The hell are you talking about?!" I grunted. My head was pressed against the floor, looking to the side as I saw her feet. She walked away in an elusive manner. So Emmit was right?!
"Bad dogs need to be put down. Hm…" Arael twirled around in a circle as she thought. As moments passed on, she gave me an eerie smile. "I think I'll just let you go. That would be the most painful thing for you. I mean, you are dead…"
"Fuck you!" I felt the anger boiling in me as I yelled that. She was planning on letting me die here so I couldn't go back. That second chance at life was getting farther away from me!
"Tsk tsk tsk, no need to talk like that!" She chirped in a happy tone. "Once you fully die, You'll lose everything and everyone you know!" I growled at her with ferocity, but that only made her laugh. "Fufu, you humans are so dramatic over things like these! It's hilarious!"
Arael pranced around as I laid on the ground, I looked on as she seemed to happily sing a tune to herself.
"Haha! You know how many people I've sent down there to only die a gruesome death? I've lost count! But you…I thought it'd be funny to give you a power fantasy, only for it to crumble!" She then let out a sigh. "…But you just had to be suspicious."
Thirteen years living with this Goddess's guidance and I lived it all in deception. Just being her weird little experiment that she wanted to do. She expected me to live out this life as an all-powerful person, following her command and guidance as if it was all in the name of good. But Emmit was telling the truth. The more I think of it, the more I realize the vagueness she kept with me, and the more specific some of these tasks were. I've only done Three of these, but it was enough to give me suspicions.
Wait, was this last task of mine just let thing go awry in this world? If it had happened, Sir issac would be killed. King Lucian would be killed. That just left Chris to become king, there was a strong possibility that the Demon continent would advance and overthrow Prusha. That leaves just the other kingdoms to defend for themselves…
In a sense, I stopped that. Or…Emmit did.
"I have no use for you now. I would've if you had just listened to me. Now you'll be apart of those who died a gruesome death…I'll be cutting ties with you. This white void will be closed from you. And you'll never get to contact me, I mean you can't when you have that hole in your chest!" Arael went on as she walked off into the Abyss's mist. Leaving me on the floor as the pressure on me weakened. Even if the pressure had weakened, I couldn't find any reason to get up. Or stand. The abyss was slowly coloring out. The white void I was in was slowly turning into a black void as I heard Arael cackle.
"And just so you know…" Arael took one final turn to me as the most enveloped her. "I'm not stopping with just you…There'll be another pet I can use from your world." She gave off one more laugh, a mocking laugh as the mist fully took her. And thus, the abyss was gone. Just a black void.
I felt my vision begin to blur again just like before. The pressure on me was gone, but I laid in defeat as I consciously closed my eyes. It was a good run, I guess. I got farther than I expected, I ended up not doing what I did before in my other past life and ruining it. I mean, what did I achieve in this life? Well, I managed to not be an obsessive freak. If anything, I could've literally made a harem. Actually, thinking about it now…and the people I've been with. It wouldn't work. The only person that I'd say was good for a relationship was Lilith, and I managed to make one with her.
"Kota!"
Ah, see. I'm hearing her voice now. It's like hearing the angels call for me. Did I say how much of an angel lilith was? I'd say she is the one that opens the gate for those who end up in heaven.
"Kota, get up!"
Erm…That sounds like very much of Lilith. What the hell was going on? Suddenly, I found myself flipping to my back. An odd sensation ripped through my chest. Before I knew it, I felt what used to be a hole in my chest. It was back to normal, although warped.
"Kota, please!"
Voices echoed as I laid in this void. It seems as though Lilith woke up and found me. I bet her commotion brought everyone here…wait, no. It's all just her. Is this what death is like? I can't really say since the last time I died, I only heard the water.
Suddenly, my vision was black to normal. And in this black void, it's hue changed. From the desolate black color, a deep blue color. As I tried to figure out what was happening, I felt the floor beneath me begin to wet. Awkwardly, I got into a sitting position as I looked around again. Am I…In another void? The floor seemed to glitter with some sort of rainbow. The feeling I was getting here was different from before.
"You're in a pickle, huh?." A man's voice echoed behind me. I craned my head to only find a man with black long hair and blue greenish eyes. He crouched in front of me, a staff that was golden and silver in one hand as he used it to balance himself. His attire was that of a monk, black cloth wrapped around him as he wore wooden shoes.
"What is this? Is my conscious talking to me?" I asked. Who the hell was this person? The man casually looked at me with intrigue before getting up.
"Nope. Something else. Erm…well I would put it as me being similar to that witch that was here. But I don't sink myself as low as using you as a pawn." The man casually said, he spoke with what I felt was cadence and politeness that took me off guard. But that surprise was swiftly replaced with anger as it became more clear with what he said.
"So…you're like Arael then? Like another god? What the hell does another god want from me?"
"Hey, relax. You're talking to the one who kept you alive until that man healed you." The man rubbed his chest area. "You know, me and you are quite compatible, it'd be a shame to let you go to waste. Unlike her. Don't group me with her."
Someone healed me? Wait…Could it be Emmit? No, that couldn't be possible. The man quite literally put a hole in me…Maybe Lilith? Maybe this dude here can't see the difference in genders?
"Hey…what'd you mean by compatible?" Finally, that crossed my mind.
"How do I explain this?" The man scratched his head. "Ah well…I've been with you for quite some time. Actually to put it more specifically, since you were born. In this world."
"Eh?" Wait, something crossed my mind again as I recalled something else…Something both me and Synthia have. "Are you…no…"
"…yes…" the man slowly nodded his head as I shook mine. "You're thinking the correct thing."
"There's no fucking way you are Duvul." There's no way that this dude is him. Wasn't he always depicted as an old man or something? He looked like he was in his thirties.
The Duvul trait is one that most say would be a curse of sorts. I read in a book that the man's body had dispersed into the world through mana, looking for the perfect host to one day reincarnate. You could say it's the cause of my large mana pool and quite possibly the reason for my proficiency in magic. Though from the book I read, it did say the chances were very slim…
But there was still that slim chance.
"Bingo! You are correct." The man smiled and pointed his thumb at himself. "You're talking and looking at the God of magic, Duvul."
I stared at him in disbelief and scooted my way away from him. "What, going to take my body? Did you just wait for me to die to just take over?"
Duvul frowned and shook his head. "Nope. Not like that. In fact, I couldn't even."
"What do you mean?"
"You're from a different realm. If you were a blank slate when you came into this world, I would've. But my rules don't apply to you." Duvul sighed. "Not that I even intended on taking you over in the first place."
Different rules apply? Maybe since I still had my consciousness from my past life, that would be a possible barrier. Being from a different realm could possibly mean different ways our mind operates…I'll need to figure this out at some point, but it's a breath of relief knowing I can't be possessed or anything.
"Ok…but why did you say we were compatible?" I asked. What? Was he saying that the body I had was something he liked? I mean, this body is pretty average in most areas…we'll just leave it at that.
"Yeah, that body checks most of the boxes I have. But since you are in that body…No can do." Duvul bluntly said. "However…Your offspring are a good candidate."
"My…kids?"
"Yeah, I'm assuming your mother had the Duvul trait? Or least that's what they call it."
Synthia did have the Duvul trait as well, although it wasn't as prominent as it was in me. Her mana pool was above average and she was capable of most intermediate spells.
"She passed it onto you. See, mana flows through the world naturally. My mana does too, but it stays with whatever person intakes it. Accumulating until it grows big enough. When you were born, all that mana was transferred into that body."
"That body? You're saying it as if I'm not in this body." I said, confused.
"Well, technically you stole that body. I mean, you weren't even supposed to be here…right?"
Well shit. Thinking about it now, this body could've been someone else's right? The Kota we have now could've been someone else. Another mind would've been in it until Arael dragged me into this world…holy shit, did I body Jack someone? No…Emmit did say that Gerald and Synthia had a daughter, meaning this body would've died if not for me…Huh, well I guess I didn't then.
"Look, all I'm saying is…" Duvul knelt down in front of me. "You can transfer me into your kid." His face was serious. "Not saying it could be your first, it could be any of your kids."
"Don't say something with such a serious face like that! Also, there is no way I'm going to have a kid in this world!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Duvul clicked his tongue. "You're talking as if you don't have a relationship with a dragon girl. Oh, I know all about that!"
I found myself turning red at his response, but I shook my head. "Pfft, well you'll have to wait for some time then if that's going to happen."
Duvul playfully sat down onto the shimmering floor. "I can wait. You're talking to a being who's been waiting for a looong time."
"…How long?"
"Can't recall…Although I remember the face of that witch you were talking to quite well." Duvul folded his arms. He went into deep thinking, remembering something before he began to talk again. "And I'll tell you right now…She isn't what she says she is."
"Hold on, what do you mean?" I asked, but I felt something was pulling me. Was I beginning to wake up again?
"Times up. But we'll get a chance to talk again. Right now…Wake up and rest. I'll be watching from here." Duvul saluted me.
"Wait, you can see what I'm doing?" My vision began to blur and I started to hear Liliths voice much clearer. The only response I was able to see from Duvul was a shrug and a very sarcastic smile.
And with that, it was dark again.
***
"Ughaah!" I yelled, sitting upwards. The cold breeze of the night hit me as I frantically looked around. I was heavily breathing as I touched my chest. Still intact.
I was back in the clearing behind the university. A few meters from me, I saw what was a dark brown stain on the clearings floor that trailed to where I was. A trail of dirt trailed across the clearing where I still saw specks of flames burning still. That's where I fired the fire spell. Damn, I guess whatever spell Emmit did basically ate the fireball.
Suddenly, I felt hands wrap around my head as I was pulled to the floor again. A warmth enveloped my head as I soon found myself in someone's lap.
"Kota!" I peered up to see Lilith looking down at me, her face red and her eyes teary as droplets of tears fell on me. Her voice was shaky and trembling as she then pressed her hand against my cheek. How long was I out? Her left eye was now back to its amber color. I then realized that we were up against a tree. Wait, wasn't Lilith unconscious before?
"Lilith…Are you alright?" I asked, but that only made her cry more.
"Why are you asking me that? I should be asking you that! Does it hurt?" Lilith placed her hand in the open spot where I was pierced. My suit was torn, a gaping hole was in its place as Lilith laid her hand and rubbed.
"No, not one bit. But it's a little cold, can you keep your hand there?" Lilith looked bewildered at my words. Still, she gently kept her hand in place. Looking across the clearing.
"Father…Healed you for some reason." She started, she looked perplexed. "He never said any reasons why he did. He was quiet. That lady with him…she mended my wounds." Lilith used her other hand to brush her silver hair. On the left side of her head, there were some stitches just above her ear. "It felt…weird. I was scared for you but that lady reassured me that you'd be fine. it was…odd looking at her." Lilith paused for a moment, thinking to herself. "Like looking in a mirror. And then she told me her name. Sandra."
Sandra was her name. Not sure why the lady went with Kagami in the first place, I don't even think that name fits in this world.
"That was the name being said when I had my headaches."
Headache…Lilith sometimes has those on occasions, she always speaks of how they usually include a man's voice and a woman's voice. Wait, hold on…Sandra's right eye glowed a dark red while Lilith's left eye did the same.
"There's a connection with you two." I said, Lilith nodded.
"Yeah, that's what she said too before she had to go. It seemed like she wanted to do something, but she stopped herself. Both her and My dad left through a portal thing."
A fucking what? A portal?
It seemed Lilith didn't really want to continue that conversation as she rubbed my hair with her hand. Her tapping on my chest felt soothing as she focused on me again.
"I'm just glad you're alive. Like, really." Lilith looked down at me. "You were out for ten minutes after he healed you. And I just…Hoped that you'd wake up and you did." She gave me a weak smile, looking like she was on the verge of tears again.
"Well…" Erm, should I even tell her what I went through? No…She is already worrying enough. I should just make her glad I'm ok. "Couldn't leave you behind."
Lilith smiled more happily, she looked up at the moon that was high above us. The shimmer of a rainbow color emminated the leaves that slightly blocked the view above us. She seemed to be relieved right now. I guess her worrying of me had subsided.
"Hey…Remember our dance you promised?" She asked. I tilted my head in confusion, so she continued. "Before we…came out here, you said we could dance outside. I know our clothes are ruined, but I don't mind. Er, unless you can't walk right now then it's fine." She looked embarrassed as she said the last part. But I quickly got to my feet.
Oddly enough…I don't think anyone heard what had happened out here. Perhaps the walls for the university were too thick? I kinda find it odd how no guards were drawn to commotion either. Hmm, maybe this was Emmit's plan. If Emmit knew about Lucian's death, he most likely knew what to say to the old man. Probably along the lines of "don't let anyone back here until I dealt with the demon" or Something like that. Hell, Emmit probably did kill the demon after that talk and just waited for us to appear.
I heard Lilith get up as well. Her outfit was torn as well. One side of her shoulders was gone and her skirt was badly ripped. I found myself drifting my head down before Lilith snapped me back to reality.
"Still out of your head or something?" She asked sarcastically.
"Um…No. Just looking."
"Uh huh. I'd punch you, but I don't wanna hurt you anymore." Lilith then held out her hand and looked off, embarrassed. "So…can we just dance?"
"You're not…mad or anything? Not mad that your dad was let off aga-"
"Grrr! look, I'm just happy that you're alive! That's all that matters right now!" Lilith reached out to my hand and held it tightly. "That's all that matters right now…Nothing else…" she then got into her dandelion position, forcing me to take mine as well as we stared at each other.
I thought for a moment to put the dance aside, but after all this shit we got through tonight? We tried to stop a death, ended up dying, Found out the goddess that was guiding me was lying and left me, another god found me and wants to have one of my kids be his reincarnated body (Albeit, he seems pretty nice).
Yeah…I think this dance is a must.
Letting out a sigh, I gave Lilith a smile. "Well…Can't break a promise I gave to you."
The clearing was a mess, the fire that was left over from my spell had dissipated. There was a dirt trail made by it that covered one side of the clearing. But we didn't care.
We just danced under the moonlight until we were satisfied.
A/N: Last chapter for this volume will be out next week! It will be a somewhat decent big one with some things being tied up, while opening some things as well for the next volume. This chapter was pretty easy to write as I had already planned this on my roadmap. Much things in this chapter will be further elaborated in the next volume. For now, I'd like to finish this volume on a…Somber note with the last chapter. Hope you enjoy this early chapter!