A week passed.
Within the solitude of the blackstone sanctum, I focused on what mattered most: my core, my divinities, and my understanding.
It was not easy.
After giving a fragment of my soul to Hecate, my strength had dropped sharply. But now, through rigorous training, introspection, and past experience with the Underworld's power, I began to ascend again.
Finally, after relentless effort, my power returned to its peak:
Mid-level chief god.
When I returned to the throne room, Hecate stood at the foot of the dais waiting for me.
This time, she wore a stunning long dress, woven from twilight threads and starlight shimmer. Her silver lamp glowed faintly beside her. She smiled in that way she always did when she wanted to mess with me.
"Welcome back, dear husband~" she said sweetly.
I smirked. That day, I was prepared.
I sat down on my throne, posture regal, voice smooth. I gave a long sigh and said with a serious tone and face, "I don't know how this can be possible?"
Hecate worried, "What happened?"
"I really can't believe myself."
"What!?"
"How did I get so lucky to marry the most beautiful woman in the world?"
Silence.
"W-WHAT—?!"
Her face went bright red with flustered embarrassment.
"Y-You can't just say things like that with such a serious face, idiot!" she stammered, turning away and pretending to adjust her dress. "T-That's dirty fighting!"
I leaned back in satisfaction. Victory was sweet. Triple damage confirmed.
Trying to hide her flushed face, she quickly changed the subject.
"Anyway… ahem, husband, the Underworld has already sensed the fall of two Dukes."
Her voice steadied. The general returned.
"As we predicted earlier, the others have begun to move. Four Dukes have formed an alliance. We need to strike before they unify further."
She wore an emotionless face, having either fully recovered from her embarrassment or at least pretending to be.
I did not take the teasing further and just focused on the serious matter.
"But they are weak Dukes and we both can easily deal with them. I don't think we have to worry about them."
"Exactly, they are weak, but they have a good area of influence and we can use it. I will tell you my plan later. But for now, I propose that we divide. You go speak to Druvak again. Try to pull him to our side officially. Meanwhile, I'll deal with Amazel."
"Amazel? I don't recall hearing that name before."
Hecate's expression darkened a bit.
"Amazel is… different. A former humanoid demon who fell through an energy rift. Her body mutated, fused with raw arcane energy. What exists now is… unstable. Powerful, but chaotic. She doesn't follow logic like the others, but I might be able to reason with her."
"You trust her?"
"I trust myself. Besides, unlike you, I can handle weirdos. As I am already married."
"Exactly."
We both smiled.
After parting ways, Hecate teleported west, while I soared northeast in search of Druvak, ready to challenge him once more.
I transformed into a black phoenix, wings trailing obsidian flames as I flew over the shadowy terrain of the northwest Underworld.
Suddenly, a sharp sound echoed, like glass shattering across the heavens.
The sky fractured. Dimensional cracks spiderwebbed through the air, creating a violent vacuum that pulled at everything in its range.
I fought against it, wings beating with all my strength, but it was futile. The force was overwhelming.
The void swallowed me whole.
When I opened my eyes, I had returned to my humanoid form, floating in a realm of endless darkness. No light. No floor. No horizon. Only the suffocating silence of the void.
I searched for an exit, or someone, or something. But there was nothing there.
And then, a blinding light tore through the dark.
From it emerged a stunning woman, her long hair and skin as pale as starlight, her eyes black as collapsed stars. She wore a simple linen gown that glowed faintly with cosmic energy.
"Welcome, Ron," she said.
I blinked, confused. She must be addressing someone else. There were only the two of us here.
"Miss, you must have mistaken me for someone else. My name is Hades."
"No, I have not mistaken you. I called for you."
"…But I'm not Ron."
"Hmm… it seems you've forgotten your identity from your past life."
My heart skipped. My chest tightened. For so long, I had believed that secret was mine alone. To hear it spoken so casually was… terrifying.
No one in the entire universe knew of my past life except for me… and Lord Chaos.
"…How do you know that?"
She smiled faintly. "I am Ananke, Primordial goddess of the cosmos. I dwell near the Origin level, the apex of all creation, the level where Lord Chaos resides. Naturally, I know who you are."
I was stunned and humbled.
She tilted her head. "So… how is your new life?"
"I… don't remember who I was. But I am grateful for this life."
She nodded, then waved her hand.
A shimmering portal opened behind her.
From it, Hecate burst out, wand in hand, fireballs circling her like loyal guards. Her eyes scanned the void, then locked on mine.
Then they flicked to Ananke.
Her fireballs slowly faded. Her fierce stance crumbled.
Her gaze stabbed into me with silent accusation, 'What have you done now?'
I shook my head, 'I didn't do anything.'
She raised her hand, palm up, 'Then why are we here?'
I mimed a shrug: 'I have no clue.'
Our silent gestures continued.
We completely ignored Ananke.
She coughed. Loudly. Cough!!!
We ignored her again.
She coughed again. Louder. Cough!!! Cough!!!
Still no response.
Ananke narrowed her eyes.
Then she released a tiny bit of her cosmic aura.
Instantly, a crushing pressure flooded the void. We snapped to attention, realizing our mistake.
"You two are quite a lively couple, flirting in front of me. Quite bold."
Blushing and flustered, we bowed. "We apologize for our misbehavior."
Ananke smiled faintly. "No harm done. Let me properly introduce myself. I am Ananke, Primordial goddess of the cosmos."
We both straightened.
"I summoned you both," she continued, "because you've done something extraordinary. You completed one of the most sacred and forbidden rituals in the cosmos."
"We're… really sorry, we had no other choice at the time."
Ananke raised a hand. "Relax. I'm not angry. Merely surprised. No one has dared perform the Cosmos Marriage Ritual in aeons. But you two did it and even succeeded. And with that, your bond is now recognized by the cosmos itself. Congratulations."
"Thank you… Lady Ananke," we said in unison.
"With this bond, your connection transcends life and death. Your emotions, memories, divinity, and growth are shared. When one grows stronger, the other does too."
"But this also comes with consequences."
We tensed.
"If one of you dies, the other perishes too. If one breaks the bond through betrayal—say, infidelity—it is considered a cosmic violation. Punishment for such betrayal is… absolute."
"We understand and we promise that we would never do such a thing."
Ananke gave a faint nod. "Good. Now… for your wedding gift." She smiled. "I will grant you one favor in the future, no matter what or when. Use it wisely."
Our eyes widened.
"We are honored. And grateful, Lady Ananke."
Space twisted around us. With a final, knowing smile, Ananke waved her hand, and the infinite void dissolved into the familiar place of the Underworld. We stood exactly where we had been, the encounter feeling both an eternity and an instant.