Chapter 169: A Man Will Die, But Not His Ideas
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Mount Meru's Heaven, Svarga, was a realm that Indra ruled. He was the Emperor of this realm, as well as the King of all Devas. Among the many heavens, this one was an island floating in the clouds with cosmic lightning sparking around.
The God Emperor wore a frown, his hands behind his back, as he walked to his grand throne room. Unlike the throne room in Asgard and Aztec, this was not indoors, it was under the open sky, above the rooftop of the grand castle of Indra.
It was a divine throne room beyond mortal comprehension. He stepped inside to find the ever-familiar sight of towering pillars made out of shimmering gold that rose like mighty sentinels; the pillars held no roof on top, they were just there, standing proud. The pillars' surface was adorned with intricate carvings depicting scenes of celestial battles; Mahabharat.
Eyes turned to him as he stepped inside. Wukong, the Monkey King, waved at him as he smoked from a hookah. Those younglings of the Hero Faction also looked at him, as well as the few other Devas in the hall.
He ignored them and approached his large throne. His steps were heavy and the air thrummed with power, charged with the energy of a thousand storms, as if the very atmosphere acknowledged the presence of the god who ruled here.
"We've found him," he said as he stopped in front of his throne, looking down at it. "I'll be sending Wukong to fetch him now."
On the throne which was always empty unless Indra occupied it, a black haired girl in her teens, small and frail, bound by chains of divine essence, sat. No, more than sitting, it was more accurate to say she was tied against it. The God King's throne thrummed with divinity as it worked to keep her tied, unwilling to let her escape. The chains that bound her shimmered with a faint blue-white light, pulsing with the power of Indra's divine authority, ensuring her captivity. Any other prison would have been unable to contain her, so the throne had to be used in this manner.
With a wave of his hand, her blindfolds had come off a second ago. Her purple eyes held a glimmer of defiance till a moment ago, but hearing Indra's words, the defiance vanished and her eyes matched the softness of her smile. Indra didn't know if she was happy, or if she just resigned herself to her fate.
"So you say," Despite her predicament, there was an air of dignity about her as she spoke. She was a prisoner, yes, wounded and bleeding from parts from past injuries that the chains didn't let her heal from. Yet she bore herself with a grace that spoke of nobility — which Indra respected. "I shall wait for him, then, and see for myself."
"...." Indra crossed his arms. "I'd love it if you cooperate after that. Keep it in mind, that if you cooperate, you'll only end up dead as a Goddess, but will reincarnate as a mortal woman with a blessed fortune. But if you force us to take the hard way, then… unfortunately, the entirety of your soul will be forged into a weapon."
"Yes, you've said so countless times already," her soft smile didn't leave her lips for a single second. "Bring him to me, and I'll do as you say."
Indra didn't trust that smile one bit.
Some would just see swallow depth in it, that she was excited to meet this person, but Indra saw more. This woman… she smiled as if the man who was coming would solve all her problems in the world. As if she could trust the entire world to him, and he would succeed in protecting it.
That made Indra irritated.
"Wukong," Indra looked at his trusty right-hand man in the distance, who raised his head to show that he was listening. "There is somewhere you need to visit."
****
When Serafall was asked if she'd like to come with them by Quetzalcoatl, she wasn't sure. She wasn't a lone individual, as a Satan she carried the fate of the entire Devil Faction on her shoulders. Meddling on this oddly complicated matter may not be the smartest choice for her kind.
When she looked at Aqua to ask him for thoughts… she froze with chills running all over her body.
"I- I'll go," she turned to Quetzalcoatl and agreed immediately.
She didn't want to let Aqua out of her sight when his expression was like… that. She felt like she had to stay by his side for now. He and her weren't that close, even if she did take it deep, but she still didn't want him to throw himself at some Hindu God and get killed. She'll need to be there if he has to be stopped; or protected.
Serafall waited with Quetzalcoatl and the other girl, Yohtli, on the dining table that had been cleaned up. While Aqua stood as he had been since earlier, his back against the wall, and his eyes at the ceiling.
The four of them waited for an hour, and Aqua spent it leaning against the wall and staring at the ceiling. She tried to talk to him and ask him what was wrong, but he was not in the mood to talk.
Just what's going on? She was stupefied. Why would a Goddess from another world want to meet him? And why was he acting like he knew her too? He's acting like a… completely different person. How is he the same man I was with earlier?
When the time came, Yaxkin, Quetzalcoatl's Avatar, came rushing to notify them that a guest had come to pick them up at the gate. Sun Wukong, the Monkey King.
Quetzalcoatl allowed Yaxin to lead the four of them to the gate, which was the same place where their golden canoe had landed earlier, and that's where they found a large chariot waiting for them. Instead, this was on the back of a white elephant; the carrier of Indra, a vahana.
"My Goddess," Yaxin leaned into Quetzalcoatl's ears with a worried frown. "Are you sure I shouldn't come? I feel like you'll be reckless by yourself."
"Ease up a little~ I'm not a kid, I'll be fine," she said, but Yaxin wasn't convinced. Serafall herself didn't feel convinced, she smelled danger in the air—especially from the legendary Monkey King, who was looking at Quetzalcoatl disapprovingly.
"Don't make me wait forever, you lots," said the Great Sage Heaven's Equal, taking a puff from his hookah.
Aqua looked at the monkey, their eyes locking for a brief moment before he hopped into the air and landed beside the Monkey King. The Transcended Buddha released a puff of smoke into Aqua's face, but he didn't react.
"I don't see the black hair and purple eyes, but it seems to be you," Wukong said, "You must be the new Demi-God, Aquamarine was it?"
Aqua stared down at him for a moment before looking at Quetzalcoatl below. "Why are you delaying this?"
"Sorry, sorry~" she apologized and hopped over, followed by Yohtli, and at last, even Serafall hopped over the elephant.
Wukong laughed, "Rude brat, didn't even reply." He shook his head and shrugged.
"Sorry, he's not in a good mood," Serafall apologized in his stead by bowing to the Great Sage. If he was the same mischievous monkey he used to be as a young man, he would have taken great offense at this.
"Tsk, tsk, to think devils will be more respectful than a Demigod, how times change. It's alright, Satan, someone else's presence here offends me more than his rudeness, anyhow," he said, not hiding who as he glared at Quetzalcoatl. The power-hungry snake smiled innocently at him and he growled.
"Let us finish this journey quickly," he said, tapping his foot as the elephant let out a roar. The white giant slowly turned around and began to walk away through the path it had taken earlier. It walked in the air, each step taking it miles upon miles of distance.
Serafall didn't like the air in the chariot.
If it was like this already, how worse would things be when they reach Svarga?
****
Serafall was scared that things might escalate before they could even reach their destination, due to the odd mixture of travelers, but thankfully nothing of that sort happened. Sun Wukong hated Devils from the Old Satan Faction, claiming that they were the ones responsible for the destruction of his kin in the past, the Yokais, that's why Serafall was a little scared that he'd hate her.
Thankfully, the rumor that his hate of the Devils was limited to their past generation as he believed that the current generation of the Devils was different and so, cannot be held responsible, was not a false tale. She probably gave him the best impression out of everyone in the carriage, in fact.
Sun Wukong famously hated evil beings, or Gods, that desire nothing but to conquer, destroy, or bring chaos to the world. He was known to like a few Gods, them being Indra, the Trimurti gods, and the God of the Bible. Quetzalcoatl fell into the category of Gods he hated the most.
Yohtli could probably score a good impression if she tried, but she didn't bother to - perhaps she was too scared to converse with the living legend; he was, after all, one of the strongest entities in the entire world.
Great Sage, Heaven's Equal, could go toe-to-toe against Quetzalcoatl, and that's why he dared show disrespect too openly.
His staff, Ruyi Jingu Bang, could match most divine weapons, and his Nimbus Cloud could take him a hundred times faster than this elephant. Serafall wished she could ride it, but obviously, the reason they were using the elephant instead of the cloud was because they weren't pure-hearted enough for it.
And he was only one of the many strong people in Svarga.
Serafall really hoped this wouldn't escalate into something big, and that Aqua would regain his senses when they landed on their feet.
"We're here," Sun Wukong said as they approached the celestial realm of Svarga. Below them, the heaven stretched out in a breathtaking display of divine architecture.
Serafall couldn't believe she'd get to see two heavens in a single day. The structures were crafted from materials that seemed to shimmer with their inner light, reflecting the myriad colors of the cosmos. The islands floated amidst ethereal clouds, towers soared towards the sky, and gardens of luminous flora fell in vibrant waterfalls, their mist casting rainbows across the sky.
As the elephant descended, its large, cloud-like feet made a gentle thump upon the rooftop of the grandest structure. Serafall watched the roof, which was an expansive platform adorned with golden filigrees and paved with crystals that sparkled under the light of a sun that never seemed to set.
The Devas who had been awaiting their arrival turned their gaze toward them. The Hero Faction looked at them too, especially Vali Lucifer who stood out even in this interesting crowd. He wore a look of disinterest, which turned to curiosity when his eyes met with Serafall and turned into rage when he noticed Aqua.
For fuck's sake. Serafall cursed in her head. He had to be here too?!
His eyes were like daggers, sharp and filled with a personal vendetta. The air around him crackled with dark energy, yet Aqua didn't spare him a single glance. No, all his attention was on the throne at the center end of the roof.
Others in the crowd whispered among themselves as the four of them and Wukong stepped off the elephant.
Sun Wukong led the group forward, under the watchful gaze of everyone. "Sakra, my lord," he referred to Indra, who stood with his arms crossed under the tall staircase that led to the throne. "I've brought them here, as per your wish."
As they stopped in front of Indra, the God King was wearing an aloha shirt and round sunglasses. He usually looked cheerful and wore a smile every time Serafall had seen him before, either in person or in photos, but this time he wasn't smiling. His eyes met with Quetzalcoatl, and an invisible conversation went between them.
The ground beneath their feet hummed with sacred power, the air filled with the scent of divine ambrosia and the subtle tinge of ozone. Until Indra smiled, Now, what is the meaning of this, Quetzalcoatl? I don't see any man who matches my description with you. Did you lie to me?"
"Oh, why would I~? Look, there you go." Quetzalcoatl motioned her chin, and Indra looked back. ?Yohtli and Serafall did the same, finding Aqua somehow already at the stairs, walking over to the throne.
The world was humming again, the mysterious source of a song humming again. But this time, the hum formed lyrics. She had heard that [Icons] could do this, but she saw no Icon in the sky. Just Aqua approached the throne, where the black-haired Goddess was tied up and blindfolded.
-「Happy nation….」
He stopped in front of the Goddess, the madness in his electric eyes replaced with pure delight. "As I thought…" he said, and his voice alone made the girl's lips bloom into a smile. "It really is you."
-「Happy nation, livin' in a happy nation, Where the people understand and dream of a perfect man…」
Quetzalcoatl nudged Indra slightly, "Can you take off her blindfolds?"
"...." Indra was frowning again, but he complied with a wave of hand.
The golden blindfolds vanished from over the goddess' eyes, and her purple pupils focused on Aqua with the intensity of a mother.
"You look different now," the Goddess said, grinning up to him. "I'm sad that our appearance does not match anymore."
-「Ideas by man and only that will last, And over time, we've learned from the past, That no man's fit to rule the world alone...」
Aqua fell on his knees, grabbing one of her chained-up hands to kiss it gently. "It has been a long time, My Goddess."
-「A man will die, but not his ideas.」
"It has indeed," golden tears ran down her cheeks even as her smile was bright like the radiant sun. "My [Hero]."
Aqua, as the Hero, may have been long dead, but his ideas lived in her heart to this day, enough that she jumped worlds to find her Godson whom she couldn't even provide a proper resting place after the betrayal he received from his demon wife.
The Great Goddess of Pangeal, Goddess of Void and Creation, Galaxara Voidborne was here to fetch her long-lost Hero.
[Image Here]
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