Aria didn't understand who had just appeared but she saw the shivering fear from both Celine and Malphus. 'He' was clearly powerful beyond imagination.
"There is a simple way for you both to obtain what you want," the omnipresent Control God said softly from up above.
"In order to solve this stalemate, Celine must allow a slave seal to be placed on her and she will set a few conditions beforehand. And to emsure Celine's conditions aren't broken, I will personally oversee it. Isn't that simple?" Cronos explained like it was a trivial matter.
Both of the fighting Gods looked at each other with a knowing gaze. "Are we really going to listen to him? A man who's control is so powerful that he could truly kill Gods?"
The both knew they were falling for a ploy of Cronos and that this decision may be regretted later, but they were both stubborn. Malphus wanted Celine to never understand Godhood and Celine wasn't willing to let Aria or her life go peacefully.
Celine wanted to question Cronos, to ask if he had the power to uphold the 'deal' that was being made but then she remembered what position Cronos was in.
Letting him oversee the deal was the same as giving Cronos the 'control' of the situation. Having even the slightest amount of control within Cronos' grasp and he could probably give Malphus a true death if he utilized it right.
Malphus also came to the same realization that breaking this 'deal' was the same as dying to him.
In the end, they both reached a silent agreement to the deal.
Celine stumbled and made her conditions.
"I will not allow myself to be killed from your, your allies, or my hands," Celine gave her first statement.
"I will not harm the Valerian Kingdom or any individual who considers themself a citizen under Arthur's Kingdom directly or indirectly." Celine looked dead serious as all emotion drained from her face.
Celine continued. "And my mind will not be tampered with in any way, shape, or form. Everything I do must be by my own volition and not the result of mental manipulation, this does not include mental warfare."
Malphus slowly nodded. Seeing this, Celine's defenses slowly crumbled as she keenly monitored the divine aura of Cronos and Malphus.
The 'conquering' hit her and she felt the loss of free will. It felt as if several chains had been placed on her very soul and her actions became both limited and monitored.
A very powerful slave seal had been placed upon her with Malphus's conquering divinity.
Celine's expression never changed from the cold look she was showing. Never were her inner thoughts or emotions shared but Aria knew how she felt.
Malphus had a confident smile. "Valeria was weak."
The moment had been broadcasted to all of humanity and the Valerian Kingdom. Arthur saw Celine's defeat in anger at his inability to do anything. Neply saw how powerful his master truly was but wondered what would happen next. Other God's saw this but decided to remain still.
Malphus stopped his telepathic message to the surroundings and started to float away in his royal armor.
"All these years spent running away from slavery, and it brought you right back to me." Celine remained impassive at the taunt.
"Come," Malphus flew away back to humanity.
Celine hesitantly looked at Aria one last time before she had to leave. She wanted to say something but couldn't find the words.
Aria saw an expressionless face looking back at her. She knew it was a defense mechanism and that emotions could kill Celine. The vibrant person she once knew was reduced to a cold nobody.
Eventually, Celine was forced to leave.
Neither knew when they would see each other again.
They both cursed their weakness.
…
Aria briskly walked into the huge castle she lived in. She had not cared for the many groups of civilians murmuring about how Valeria had lost a major power but won the first battle. For Aria, she only had one thing on her mind.
She mindlessly walked up the steps to her father's throne room and knelt before him.
She spoke loud and clear. "Father, how can I kill a God?"
A determined gaze flew through her as Arthur knew she wasn't going to drop this question until she found an answer.
Arthur hesitated before answering but eventually let out a small sigh. "Rest first, my child. I will tell you in one week's time because I fear you will do something crazy if you do not rest for a moment first."
"No need, I am fine fa-" The surroundings around her shifted immediately before she could retort.
Aria found herself lying on her bed with her door forcibly locked by divine powers. The message was clear.
Aria laid down and began to calm herself. Her body ached in pain and her brain finally stopped being radical as she silently turned in her bed.
She began to think of what she lost or what could've happened.
She remembered the first time she had seen Celine desperate and crying. The worst part was that it was for Aria herself.
Aria had always been told how much she was loved and what Celine would how dedicates Celine was to loving her, but she hadn't really grasped it truly.
This time, there were no words or affectionate displays because it was Celine's actions that spoke and they were far louder than words.
The immense pain she must've felt from burning vitality and overexerting herself while fighting against an elder God was frightening. Yet Celine pushed through all of that for Aria.
Regret crept upon Aria as she knew seeing Celine again wouldn't be easy. She wished she had more memories of the annoying God or cherished the small moments she did have more.
Then, Aria realized that Celine was right all along. The most enjoyable part of the journey was not the destination but the small moments they did have together. Aria wished for more of those moments. She wished she cherished them more as well.
In the end, Aria felt bad. After all the devotion Celine had shown, Aria hadn't even complimented her personality. It made her feel like a horrible person who didn't deserve the love of somebody so dedicated and strong-willed.
For the rest of the night Aria laid in bed with the disgusting feeling of regret following her closely.