After the Sentence, Zeus, Mü Thanatos, and Ñout remained together for a few moments. Their looks heavy with unspoken words, they exchanged brief phrases, imbued with a peaceful gravity.
Zeus (placing a hand on Mü Thanatos's shoulder):
- Our paths part, but our oath remains, hahaha.
Mü Thanatos (closing his eyes):
- What must be done will be done. Each of us bears a part of this burden.
Ñout (in a soft voice, almost inaudible under the rumble of the skies):
- May our silences remain bound, even beyond the abysses.
One last look, then without another word, each turned their back to the other, fading away in different directions like three currents swept by the same storm.
In the human world, rain fiercely battered the earth.
On a soaked terrace, Niyus sat, watching torrents fall from the sky as if the very heavens were weeping.
Niyus (whispering):
- I would have sworn there would be no rain today...
Around him, everything seemed deserted. The inhabitants had taken refuge in their homes; the wind bent the trees, and thunder shook the foundations.
Light footsteps sounded behind him.
Rivhiamë joined him, still sleepy, rubbing her eyes.
Rivhiamë (in a weary voice):
- Niyus... Why haven't you come back?
Niyus (smiling slightly):
- I wanted to enjoy the air a bit... But this rain...
A floating silence settled between them, punctuated only by the pounding of water on the tiles.
Rivhiamë (after a moment, lowering her head):
- What if I tried to stop it?
Niyus (nodding gravely):
- No... It would be better not to change the natural course of what is coming.
Rivhiamë fell silent, her eyes fixed on the rain. The moment became suspended, charged with a gentle but unexpressed tension.
Lost in this silence, Niyus was suddenly seized by a memory.
Jin Muleo (inner voice):
- We are leaving... But Niyus, remember, Princess Amu will come here to find us. I don't know when... but...
Niyus (in the memory, frowning):
- But?
Lingyin (in a soft but firm voice):
- You must tell her you don't know where we are.
- With Jin Muleo, we embark on the quest for the dragon god. We refuse to put her in danger.
Jin Muleo then approached, placing a brotherly hand on Niyus's shoulder, his gaze full of trust.
Jin Muleo (smiling):
- We entrust you with our princess.
Niyus (stunned):
- What?
Jin Muleo (laughing softly):
- We know you love her. And she loves you too.
- So live that love, take care of her... Cherish her. And... make our clan prosper.
Niyus, blushing violently, stammered confused words, unable to hide his embarrassment, while Jin Muleo and Lingyin burst out laughing under the light rain of that distant memory.
Niyus came back to himself, his gaze lost in the downpour.
A discreet smile lit his face as he thought:
Niyus (internally):
- Jin Muleo... Lingyin... You mean more than friends to me...
Rivhiamë's voice gently pulled him from his thoughts.
Rivhiamë (with a worried look):
- Niyus...
Niyus (coming out of his daydream):
- Yes?
Rivhiamë:
- Don't you find this rain strange?
Intrigued, Niyus looked more closely at the drops.
What he saw stirred a dull unease in his heart: the drops were not clear...
They were a deep green, heavy and thick, as if nature itself was bleeding.
Niyus (standing up, alarmed):
- What is... this thing?
The rain suddenly stopped, as if the world was holding its breath.
Niyus, curious, cautiously stepped under the now silent sky, Rivhiamë walking beside him without a word. The ground gleamed with a strange green tint, as if soaked with hidden poison.
Niyus reached out and touched the last drops clinging to the leaves. His wet fingers gathered the greenish liquid. A foul smell rose almost immediately, like rotting organs torn from their bodies.
Niyus wrinkled his nose, examined his fingers, then sniffed them: the odor came from the rain itself.
Disgusted, he straightened abruptly.
Niyus (standing up):
- This is getting stranger and stranger...
A voice rose behind him, calm, slow, almost painful:
- The green rain is the reflection of a curse flowing like silent tears. It means a god has been cursed by a Primordial God... and the cursed creature is here, in this universe...
Surprised, Niyus and Rivhiamë quickly turned around.
There, standing under the last mists of rain, Zramë watched them, his gaze empty and nonchalant.
Rivhiamë, frightened, hid behind Niyus, clutching him.
- It's... it's Zramë!!
Feeling her fear, Niyus steadied his stance, and his gaze hardened.
Niyus (serious):
- What are you doing here, Zramë?
Zramë answered in a detached voice:
- I have come to complete my mission. According to the news... nothing can stop me now.
Niyus (frowning):
- What are you talking about?
Zramë, without changing expression, extended his hand:
- The goddess Mü Thanatos has lost her black angel, Wamy. He was destroyed by other gods. She is downcast, according to sacred rumors.
Niyus's eyes widened:
- What?! How is that possible...?
Zramë continued:
- In any case, now you are at my mercy. I will finish this quickly.
The sky suddenly darkened. Niyus looked up: a myriad of winged creatures stretched across the firmament. Countless divine silhouettes formed a living carpet, crushing the daylight.
Rivhiamë (trembling):
- They... they look like gods!!
Zramë confirmed, impassive:
- Quaternary and tertiary gods.
Niyus:
- What are they doing here?
Zramë:
- They are completing Ares's mission: to destroy everything of Mü Thanatos. Before his defeat, which he had already foreseen, he uttered the phrase that would trigger their descent: "I must survive, I must survive, I must survive..."
This signal is launched. Once I destroy you, nothing will remain.
Niyus (nervous):
- Nothing left, huh...
Zramë tilted his head slightly, a cold smile stretching his lips.
Niyus turned to Rivhiamë, his face grave.
Niyus:
- Rivhiamë... you must flee. Go to the world of myths. Live there for the next years. Here... it will become carnage.
Rivhiamë, eyes moist:
- And you, Niyus...?
Niyus looked at the black sky of gods like a raging sea.
Niyus (in a calm voice):
- My fate is already decided. Zramë will not let me flee. But you... he doesn't even see you. Go!
Rivhiamë, refusing to let go, begged:
- I refuse to abandon you, Niyus! You are my friend!
Niyus briefly closed his eyes:
- Yes, Rivhiamë... but it's not that simple!!!
He opened his eyes, a flame of determination burning within him:
- Flee, Rivhiamë, now!!
Niyus lunged at Zramë.
The battle erupted.
Niyus attacked without restraint. He threw a first right hook that Zramë dodged with a fluid sidestep. Niyus immediately followed with a knee strike aimed at the ribs, but Zramë deflected the attack with the palm of his hand.
Niyus did not slow down: his fists rained down, fast and precise, striking the air around Zramë with controlled rage.
Zramë, calm, parried with mechanical grace, sometimes stepping back with a supple step, sometimes countering with short sharp movements that absorbed the impact.
An uppercut from Niyus grazed Zramë's jaw, forcing him to retreat. Niyus took advantage of this moment to deliver a series of strikes to the chest, throat, and temples-each blow heavy with despair and anger.
They took flight without realizing it, propelled by their power.
Their bodies sliced through the air, rising into the heavy, low clouds.
Amid the dark vapors, Niyus unleashed spinning kicks, trying to break his opponent's perfect defense. Zramë, like a specter, always dodged at the last moment, his eyes still empty, as if this fight meant nothing to him.
Niyus shouted, striking with all his might, his breath forming mist in the cold air. He landed a left jab that pushed Zramë back a meter in the air, but the entity straightened up immediately, as if the hit hadn't even scratched him.
In this dark sky, lightning roared in the distance, accompanying each exchange with brief, harsh light.
Niyus, arms aching, knew he could not afford to weaken.
Not as long as Rivhiamë could still flee.
Rivhiamë stood there, eyes wide, her body trembling as she watched Niyus and Zramë clash. Their movements were a tangle of fury and speed, each blow exchanged resonating like a grim echo in the now darkened sky. The wind howled, carrying the shards of their battle.
She felt her heart break into a thousand pieces each time Niyus took a hit from Zramë. But what paralyzed her most was the pain she felt in her soul: the inability to help. She knew she could not save Niyus, not in such an uneven fight, yet her heart screamed at the thought of leaving, of letting him fight alone. She wanted to shout, to intervene, but her feet remained rooted, her thoughts clashing.
Zramë's gaze, icy and distant, contrasted with the rage burning in Niyus's eyes. Their bodies were caught in a deadly dance, but Niyus seemed to fight the impossible, each breath harder than the last. The blows rained down, and Rivhiamë saw her hopes grow more distant, like a mirage she could never reach.
Then, without warning, under the impact of a new blow from Zramë, Niyus collapsed to his knees, breath short and labored. Zramë smiled sinisterly, as if the confrontation was only a matter of time. And it was then, seeing his friend on the ground, that the truth struck her full force. He was there, on the edge of the abyss, and if she did not flee now, she would be lost. But... leaving him alone? Impossible.
Niyus, in a last surge of will, raised his eyes to her, arms trembling, breathing ragged.
Niyus (in a desperate but firm tone):
- Rivhiamë! Go! There's no more time! I don't want to see you die here because of me. Please, you must flee! You don't understand... I can't protect you!
She rushed to him, but he pushed her back roughly, forcing her to retreat. His gaze was intense, full of pain and determination.
Niyus (voice broken but commanding):
- Go! It's the only chance you have! Go to the world of myths... Live your life, far from all this! It's the only thing I can ask of you!
Rivhiamë's eyes flooded with uncontrollable tears. She struggled against the urge to stay, to help him, but something deep inside told her this was the last time she would see him. The last time she would hold him close.
Rivhiamë (crying):
- No, I can't! Niyus, I won't leave you here! I refuse to...
But Niyus, his face twisted by pain, firmly grasped her shoulders, his hands trembling. He looked her straight in the eyes, his expression filled with a tenderness that pierced her.
Niyus:
- Go, now! If you want me to survive, you have to leave... go, Rivhiamë, now!
A broken cry escaped her lips. She struggled, trying one last time to stay, but he gently pushed her outside. Tears blurred her vision, and her will broke.
Rivhiamë (crying, trembling):
- Niyus... I... I beg you... survive!
Then, in a final act of resignation, she turned and dashed toward the horizon, her heart torn, her tears mingling with the wind. With every beat of her heart, she felt the loss. She already knew she would never forget that last look.
Rivhiamë ran, her heart pounding wildly, suddenly driven by a primal instinct of survival and despair. But as she rushed to flee, she felt a shock beneath her feet, followed by a crashing sound. Before she could understand what was happening, a figure crossed her field of vision at lightning speed, breaking the ground beneath it.
It was Niyus, violently thrown by an attack from Zramë. The earth trembled as his body crashed, scattering dust and debris around him.
Rivhiamë, terrified, screamed at the top of her lungs:
- Niyus!
She rushed to him, her legs barely supporting her under the adrenaline. She knelt beside him, her gaze terrified. Blood flowed from his head, staining his face dark red, half of it masked by this macabre glow. He struggled to sit up, gasping.
Rivhiamë, eyes filled with panic, cried out:
- Are you okay?!
Niyus frowned, his gaze suddenly icy. He cast a cold look at Rivhiamë, his eyes filled with anger and pain she had never seen before. A chill ran through her; she felt an invisible distance grow between them. He then pushed her away, forcing her to step back.
Niyus (in a threatening tone):
- Rivhiamë, are you deaf? I told you to flee! Why are you still here? Huh? Why do you stay there looking at me? What exactly are you playing at?!
Rivhiamë, trembling, lowered her head, guilt crushing her heart. She tried to hold back her tears, but her voice betrayed her fragility:
- But... I'm scared... I don't want you to die... I don't want to leave you here, I don't want to flee and live knowing you are... you are... dead... I don't want to... no, I want you to come with me, and for us to live together...
Niyus, dark-eyed, cut her off harshly, shouting:
- Rivhiamë!
The violence of his words silenced her protests. She just cried, no longer able to speak. Niyus sighed, exhausted, then approached her. He knelt and, with a gentle gesture, wiped her tears. His hand softly stroked her head, as if to soothe the pain devouring her.
Niyus (in a broken whisper):
- Rivhiamë... you are my priority, but this place... it will be destroyed. And if you stay, you will die too. If I die, you... live, live for both of us. Live for what we could have been.
His eyes closed for a moment, as if facing a truth he could no longer ignore. Then he raised his head, fixing her with tragic intensity.
Niyus:
- I have accepted it. You must accept it too... I will die in this fight. That's a fact...
At that very moment, a destructive blast of black mana exploded in the air, cutting her momentum. Zramë's attack tore the space around them, striking Niyus full force. He collapsed to the ground, his body pinned in an impossible posture, his gaze turned white, lost in pain.
Rivhiamë, horrified, screamed his name:
- Niyus!
Heavy silence settled, the noise of battle fading as Niyus remained motionless, his body wounded beyond anything she could have imagined. Zramë, cold-eyed, waited to see if Niyus would rise. But he did not respond. His breath was short, his eyes empty.
Rivhiamë closed her eyes for a moment, feeling her mana explode out of her body in a violent surge. A furious rage rose in her, driving out fear, shaking off her tremors. Her demon instinct took over, pushing her to act, to defend the one she loved, the one who now seemed already lost.
She turned to Zramë, who waited calmly, arm outstretched, watching Rivhiamë's rising fury with a disdainful smile.
Rivhiamë (in a furious cry):
- How can you be so cruel?!
In a burst of rage, she leapt at him, her speed multiplied by anger. Her fists struck the air with insane force, but Zramë dodged with disconcerting ease. He vanished, reappeared behind her, and dealt a brutal blow to her back. Rivhiamë collapsed but rose immediately, her strikes growing fiercer, her wounds not slowing her.
Zramë (amused tone):
- All this effort when you're not even on my level?
Rivhiamë, exhausted, tried one last strike. Zramë dodged again and, with a powerful kick, struck her stomach. She spat blood, staggering from the impact. She stepped back, holding her belly, her face marked by pain.
Zramë, watching her blood flow, smiled disdainfully.
- The legendary corrosive blood of demons… So you really are a demon. Apparently, your blood and tears are a blessing or a calamity, depending on your emotions. Anger turns your blood into poison, and joy into healing. It's disgusting.
Zramë raised his eyes to Rivhiamë, but a colossal blast suddenly struck him. The power of the attack blew everything in its path, destroying kilometers of terrain and even threatening to pulverize the entire planet. The sky turned blood red.
Rivhiamë, hair flowing in the wind, watched the scale of her attack with fierce determination despite her weakened state. She knew Zramë intended to crush her, but she would not back down.
When the blast dissipated, she searched for Zramë, but he remained there, intact, arm outstretched, ready to attack again.
Rivhiamë (eyes wide, full of fear):
- No...
Zramë (in a cold tone):
- Go back to your hellish world, demon.
Another blast erupted, even more massive this time, engulfing everything in its path. It tore through space, destroying stars, planets, everything in its way. The blast finally dissipated, leaving a heavy silence.
Rivhiamë, panting, eyes filled with terror, stared at the battlefield. It was then she realized the unthinkable. The blood running down her face was not hers. It was Niyus's. He had used his body as a shield.
Rivhiamë (screaming, horrified):
- Niyus, no...! Not you!
Niyus's body was unrecognizable, shredded by the blast. His mind, his soul, his chōshinku... all had been destroyed. She could see only emptiness in his eyes. He had sacrificed his life for her.
Niyus (weakly, blood flowing from his mouth):
- Now... I fear it's... game over for me.
His body fell heavily, collapsing into Rivhiamë's arms, who was paralyzed by the scene. She no longer knew what to say. Was it real? It was the greatest nightmare of her life.
Then, in a faint breath, Niyus whispered one last time:
- Rivhiamë... survive.
From Rivhiamë, a cry of terror escaped her lips, a cry that echoed through the sky and darkness.