Being a Vessel is both a curse and a blessing.
They can beco stronger than anyone else, yet they face danger far more threatening.
Shyamal, being a Vessel herself, knows this better than anything.
She walked on a thin layer of ice that could break at any ti.
Had she not found Himl and his love, she would have died long ago.
Even now, Shyamal was aware....
...There is a slim chance of her keeping her sanity in the next awakening.
Even Esray has repeatedly told her... she isn’t ntally strong enough to face a Primordial Goddess.
---
---
"How do you know?" Shyamal asked, her voice low. "How do you know I am going to die?"
Siersha’s smile turned even brighter.
She turned around and moved the scythe off her throat.
Slowly, she walked towards her until she stood inches away.
Siersha leaned in, her breath brushing Shyamal’s cheek.
"Because it was supposed to be ," she whispered. "The Vessel of Taishareth."
"What... did you just say?" she asked.
Siersha’s smile didn’t falter. "You heard ."
Shyamal took a slow step back, her scythe still humming faintly in the air beside her.
"You’re lying." Shyamal drew in a deep breath. "Himl would have told if that was the case—"
"You still don’t understand, do you?" Siersha asked, giving her a look of pity. "Even after all this."
Shyamal didn’t respond, but her grip on her scythe tightened.
Siersha didn’t back down as she took another step, almost touching her.
"Himl might love you," Siersha said, her voice alluring. "But he trusts more than anyone."
Shyamal remained silent for a few seconds before she drew in a deep breath.
She arched her back and—
Baam!!
Headbutted her face with all her might.
Siersha stumbled back, caught off-guard as her head jerked from the force of Shyamal’s headbutt.
Her hand flew to her nose.
"Ow—what the hell?!" she hissed, voice thick with shock as her eyes watered, her nose dripping blood.
"You talk too much," Shyamal muttered, lowering her stance. "Vampire bitch, I have a question."
Siersha wiped the blood trickling from her nose with the back of her hand. "You crazy psycho—"
"Would Himl hate if I killed you?" Shyamal cut in her words.
Siersha’s body imdiately tensed up when she felt it.
...Shyamal wasn’t joking around.
"You crazy bitch—"
Her words halted as Shyamal burst forward.
In the blink of an eye, her scythe was at her neck.
Clash!!
The blood in Siersha’s hand solidified as she blocked her strike.
Siersha slid back, boots skidding across the polished floor, eyes wide but alert. "You really are insane!"
Her scythe shimred in her grip, the air around her humming with dark mana.
Shyamal began walking, her scythe dragged behind her, leaving a thin line on the floor.
Siersha’s eyes narrowed. "You think Himl will forgive you if you kill his fiancée?"
"I think he’ll understand," Shyamal said. "Eventually."
She vanished.
Siersha barely had ti to react before Shyamal reappeared behind her, swinging low.
Siersha turned, blocking just in ti.
The force of the strike knocked her into the wall, cracks spiderwebbing behind her back.
"Damn it—!"
Blood burst from her palm, forming a whip that lashed toward Shyamal.
She ducked and rolled, scythe flashing like a crescent moon in the dim light.
The whip of blood cracked against the stone floor, missing Shyamal by inches.
She spun low and lunged forward again, her scythe moving in a sharp upward arc.
Siersha jumped back, letting the blade slice through the air where her ribs had been a second ago.
With a flick of her wrist, the blood whip reshaped itself into a jagged blade, wrapping around her arm like armor.
"Did Taishareth order you to play with my mind?" Shyamal asked, tilting her head. "A way to reduce the ti of my awakening?"
"...You think too highly of yourself," Siersha finally said, adjusting her stance. "Not everything revolves around you."
"I’m not the one who claid to be the rightful Vessel," Shyamal replied, her voice cold.
"So answer . Did Taishareth send you?"
"It was much better when you were a normal girl," Siersha said, smiling. "At least you were lovable—"
Shyamal didn’t let her complete the words as she burst forward once again.
The floor cracked beneath them as Shyamal’s scythe collided with Siersha’s jagged blood blade.
Sparks flew, mana crackled in the air, and the chamber shook under the force of their blows.
Siersha gritted her teeth as she blocked, her feet digging into the marble floor. "Fucking bull—!"
The floor below Siersha began to turn mushy, making her look down.
Only then did she realize she was sinking in a pile of darkness.
She pushed back Shyamal as she got out of it.
Shyamal didn’t give her any room to retaliate as hundreds of arrows of darkness shot at her.
Siersha drew in a deep breath as she whispered, "Basmu."
A horned serpent imdiately appeared in front of her, eating away the darkness.
The Fragnt of Tiamat’s first children wrapped around Siersha.
Just when Shyamal was about to rush in once again—
"Um, what’s going on?"
A voice echoed from the side.
They both looked simultaneously, finding Zenith standing there... holding an ice cream.
---
The gasps only grew louder when Neplh froze the air and Muspelh burned it.
"And the one who killed the World Tree..."
I said, my voice echoing in the silence.
"...Was ."
The silence that followed was sothing else. It was the first ti there was no voice or whisper in the party.
I could see Edwin’s anger-filled eyes giving murderous intent.
Kryllios quietly walked away without even glancing at .
Lowering my hand, I readied myself to face a demigod.
’If things go south, I would summon—’
CLAP! CLAP!
Two loud claps made look to my side where Diana was walking towards .
"You really have a sick way of delivering a joke," she said, her voice strained. "You shouldn’t joke about such a sensitive topic."
I blinked in confusion.
"It’s not a joke." I summoned Neplh once again. "As an elf, you can definitely tell it’s real—"
"What are you doing?" Diana growled, lowering my hand. "Do you want to die?"
"What’s the aning of this!?"
A sudden roar echoed within the open garden, making us look to the side.
Nerissa angrily walked towards us, her face brimming with fury.
"What have you done!?" she snapped, pointing at . "How can you wield that power!?"
The wind shifted as Nerissa stord forward, the crowd parting in silence.
"Do you have any idea how many lives you have destroyed!?" she asked, summoning her sword in one hand. "Do you have any—!!"
Her anger seed to have taken away her ability to speak as she drew in deep breaths.
"For desecrating a sacred relic of elves, I, as the head executive, you—"
"That’s enough, Nerissa."
Another voice echoed within the garden.
Everyone stiffened as Mariam arrived in front of , shielding .
"Move aside, Mariam!"
Nerissa snapped, still walking closer. "You have no right—"
"I said, enough."
Mariam repeated herself as hundreds of branches appeared out of thin air.
"I am the Head of Segyal Household and the only demigod of Elves," Mariam said calmly. "And this matter falls under my judgnt."
Nerissa’s jaw tightened. "He destroyed the World Tree."
"Lady Nerissa is right."
An elf spoke up. He was from the sa house as Nerissa.
"We need to kill him."
Another elf chid in. "If the new World Tree was there, we wouldn’t have to ally with filthy vampires."
"What if we sacrifice him?" Another elf spoke up. "Maybe the World Tree will recover from his blood."
"Yeah, we should do it."
"That way, elves will live for long."
"We can finally end this war."
More and more elves began to speak up, giving Nerissa even more confidence.
"You heard them, Lady Mariam," Nerissa spoke once again. "Step aside, now."
I narrowed my eyes at her. ’Why is she doing this?’
Every head of Akasha household knows that I can summon a god.
Even if they thought it was a one-ti thing, they should be wary of .
But her...
...It’s like she is begging to die.
The pressure in the garden rose with each breath, like a storm building quietly behind clear skies.
"No one," Mariam said slowly, her voice slicing through the crowd, "will lay a single finger on him."
The branches behind her shifted with a warning groan, curling tighter in the air like coiled snakes ready to strike.
"He’s a monster!" soone shouted. "He is the reason we are having a war—!"
"If Himl dies," Edwin suddenly said, his voice echoing, "then the vampires will wage war on the elves."
Imdiately, the place quieted down.
Edwin looked at as his lips moved slightly.
I smiled as I read his words.
’You will die by my hand.’
Looks like he isn’t going to change his plans even now.
By killing and framing ... he would have a legit reason to wage a war.
Then, no one will question him for this.
’All this just to make sure the Asura don’t aid the elves, huh?’
Looks like he fears Ashura... No, he fears Mortis.
Mariam didn’t linger in place as she grabbed my hand and dragged out.
Once we were far enough, she finally let go.
"Are you insane?" she asked, turning to face .
I blinked. "Excuse ?"
"Announcing to a gathering of elves that you killed the World Tree?" Her voice was low but intense. "Do you have a death wish?"
"Are you going to kill ?" I asked, looking into her eyes.
She didn’t reply. Instead, she asked, "How did you get your hands on those?"
I let out a small sigh as I replied. "I am ending the war today."
Mariam frowned. "What?"
"House Atretic was the one who was behind the Demiurges," I replied softly. "And I am going to bargain a way out."
"Why... how?"
"Just trust ," I replied, looking at a different building. "Their representatives are already here."
Mariam looked more confused than ever, but I had no plans to explain anything.
I just began leading the way. "Co with ."
Though hesitant, she still followed behind .
Just when we were about to enter a different building, I stopped.
A woman was walking towards us, from the side.
...My mother.
"You did a foolish thing there," Esray said. "Announcing your secrets."
"Can I have a second alone with her?" I asked, glancing back at Mariam.
She hesitated for a while before nodding.
Mariam walked inside the building, leaving us alone.
"I wouldn’t have done anything like that had you not sold ," I replied coldly, looking back at her. "Mother."
"I rely gave you a head start," she said, tilting her head. "You rember that, don’t you?"
"..."
Of course, I fucking rember.
She plans to wipe out every household of Akasha.
And asked to save even one of them.
"You know the future, don’t you?" she asked, walking closer. "Can you see the future where you lose miserably?"
"No," I replied, looking into her eyes. "But I see a future where you don’t exist."
She remained silent for a while before a twisted smile ford on her lips.
I hate that.
I hate that smile down to my core.
"Do you trust Mariam?" she asked. "Is that why you revealed the truth?"
"...."
"Do you think she will save you?" she continued when I didn’t reply. "No, my son. She will kill you if it ans saving her race."
I took a step back, feeling sick in her presence. "I don’t have ti to—"
"She will break your trust, son,"
Esray said, flickering her hand, summoning a jar.
"Like every other person you ever trusted."
"...."
There was a heart inside of it.
A beating heart... of the Dead God.
’...Helena.’
My fist tightened as I glared at the heart.
The thing vanished as I tried to grab it.
"I will be right here, Azariah,"
Esray said, walking past .
"To see you fail once again."
"...."
I stood there alone for a while.
[]
’Yeah.’
Now isn’t the ti to think about other things.
I exhaled softly as I nodded once at her words.
It’s ti to end the war.
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