As I no longer have a beta reader, anyone interested can send me a message if they want to help!
Yharnam, Oedon Chapel.
Violetta played nervously with the folds of her dress, looking up at the windows showing off the light of the rising sun outside the chapel.
She wasn't sure what was going on, since first the Blood-red moon went away, then cameback, stronger than ever, and then disappeared yet again, before the morning sun finally rose.
Clearly, mister Aeon didsomethingthat caused the Blood-red moon to temporarily go away, before it came back, then left yet again, but what did that mean? She had no idea, and a part of her feared that something had gone terribly wrong…
And yet, her instincts were calm. She didn't feel anxious, just…
A feeling of rising anticipation. That feeling that something big was coming had only grown stronger, and she could almost feel it in her soul that she was going to get answers soon.
She looked around, seeing the two Hunters muttering to each other while squinting up at the rising sun closely, as if they could find answers simply by staring hard enough at it.
They had been as confused as everyone else when the Blood red moon came back, only for it to disappear soon after, but Violetta thought she heard them whisper about how Mister Aeon had to have fought something and that the fact that the moon returned to normal was hopefully a good sign of his victory.
Violetta didn't know how anything could be strong enough to make the Moon turn red, except for the gods themselves, and the thought of Mister Aeon fighting something that strong terrified her, but there was little she could do except for praying for his safety.
Her sister was still by her side, trying to hide how confused and anxious she was, though she was failing badly. At least she had relaxed somewhat since the morning sun had appeared at last, so that was good.
She looked around. Kind miss Arianna wasn't here, since she left after not feeling well, while the mean old lady had woken up and was squinting up at the rising sun suspiciously, the same with the paranoid man who stayed far away from everyone.
The kind dweller was also here, and he gave her a little wave when he noticed her staring, her lips twitching upwards at the sight. Still…
Violetta bit her lips. Mister Aeon was still nowhere to be seen, and she was really starting to wonder where he was and what had happened after he left-
Something caught her attention, and she turned, before her breath caught in her throat, her blue eyes bulging wide with shock.
Rising from where mister Aeon usually appeared, an incredibly tall man stood, his robes glittering with the distant starlight of the cosmos in all of its beauty, a crown on his head and a halo of Light and Darkness shining above his head.
His form radiated power, and Violetta felt herself fall to her knees as sheknew-
This was a God.
She barely noticed everyone present doing the same, sharp gasps of awe and wonder echoing along her own as she stared at the god who now stood tall in the chapel. He seemed to pause, as if to take in the moment, before he turned, and Violetta along with everyone present gasped loudly as they saw his face, and looked into two cosmic eyes holding more power than anything they thought possible.
The pupil of the right eye glowed like a star, and as they looked at her Violetta felt the phantom sensations of the heat of countless stars shining down upon her body, bathing her soul in warmth and welcoming her with the fullness of Life.
The pupil of the left eye by contrast was a dark so utterly black it seemed to devour the light itself, and yet she felt no fear looking into it, merely a feeling of pure, absolute peace. The Void welcomed her, eager to embrace her and keep her in its presence for all eternity, to leave her free of all pain, fears and any and all bad things that could ever happen to her. The Void beckoned with promises of eternal peace, if only she would give in to its embrace.
She shuddered, feeling so incredibly small and vulnerable under the weight of those cosmic eyes, as it felt like they had seen every layer of her being, down to the very depths of her soul, with but a look. And yet there was a warmth within those eyes that comforted her, a familiar feeling of care and safety that she could recognize-
Wait.Wait!
"Mister Aeon?!" she gasped, a second before the crow-looking woman yelled "Good Hunter?!"
The god smiled, Starlight and Void dancing in joy at the sight of them, and Violetta shuddered at the strength of those emotions echoing throughout her soul. "Aaaaah… It's been so long. But at long last, I am finally back."
His voice echoed with power, the very air trembling under the weight of it, and yet Violeta felt no fear, only pure awe and wonder at the sight of him.
It was impossible, it shouldn't be possible, but somehow, someway-
"You did it. You ascended to godhood!" breathed out Simon, the other Hunter, his expression one of pure, absolute shock.
The god smiled at him, and it felt like a heavenly choir sang in her ears at the mere sight of it. "Yes. I did."
"By all the gods and the good Blood…" muttered the mean old lady, who had fallen on her knees like everyone else, looking at Mister Aeon with absolute awe.
Then a second later another very tall person appeared by his side, and this time it was Eileen who gasped.
"Little Doll?" she croaked in shock.
The woman turned, Violetta blinking at the sheer beauty that the woman… No, thegoddessradiated effortlessly, her blood red eyes showing immense joy and kindness.
What's going on?Violetta thought with wide eyes.Mister Aeon is a god? And he's got a goddess there, too!
The goddess smiled warmly at Eileen, quickly stepping forward, before kneeling and engulfing the woman in a tight hug.
"Eileen. It's so good to see you again!" the goddess declared with delight in her voice. "Ah, it's been far too long!"
The old Hunter looked at the goddess hugging her with visible shock despite the mask on her face hiding her features.
"Little Doll… Your body… You're a-! What… How?!" She stammered.
The goddess pulled back, a mischievous grin on her face. "Ah, that's something of a long story. The short of it is that you can blame dear Aeon for much of it."
That seems to do the trick, as suddenly Eileen groaned loudly. "Of course. Why am I even surprised?"
The goddess seemed even more amused at that, while Violetta saw Mister Aeon (who was agod, and since when has that happened?!) pout towards the goddess at those words.
"In my defence, I would like to point out that you were a goddess long before I even met you, so that's not on me, Oedon." Mister Aeon said, and everyone's heads swiftly turned towards the goddess with blood-red eyes as recognition rippled into even greater shock.
"Oedon? Formless Oedon?!" Eileen exclaimed, her voice turning higher-pitched as she looked at the goddess in her arms with clear dumbfoundment.
In the background, the dweller began to pray loudly, exulting the glory of the gods descending upon mortal soil.
"Surprise!" cheerfully declared the goddess, blood-red eyes glimmering with amusement. "The Doll body that Gehrman crafted served me well, but I have to admit I've greatly enjoyed the blood and bones one that I got thanks to my dear Aeon." A very amused grin spread across her lips. "We both enjoyed it very,verymuch indeed."
Violetta flushed at the implication, her sister's jaw dropping at the revelation, a reaction very much shared by all present.
"You had sex with a Great One?" Simon wheezed towards Mister Aeon, sounding like he was going to collapse at any moment.
"Well, I did marry her as my first wife after all, so yes." cheerfully replied mister Aeon, and Violetta had no idea how to react to that statement. "Though to be fair, while for all of you it's been only an hour at most since we last saw each other, for me it's been centuries. I had to travel far and wide if I wanted to gain the power I needed to properly finish saving Yharnam and the rest of the world. Nowadays, I actually have quite a few wives and lovers, including several Eldritch goddesses."
Violetta blinked rapidly, her mind racing at the new revelation.
Mister Aeon was a god.
Mister Aeon was married to several women.
Mister Aeon married several goddesses.
Mister Aeon was several centuries older than when she last saw him, through what she could only imagine was some kind of divine power at work.
It was-
"Hey, Violetta."
She froze.
Mister Aeon knelt before her, a gentle smile on his lips.
His right hand reached out, ruffling her hair in a very familiar way.
"I kept my promise. It took a while… But I'm back. And I'm so very happy to see you again."
Violetta swallowed a choked sob while tears filled her eyes.
Even after everything, he still-
She threw herself at him, hugging him tightly while tears from the overwhelming emotions raging inside her heart rolled down her cheeks.
His arms came around her, wrapping her in a hug that felt as if she was being embraced by the entire night sky. It felt shockingly warm and safe.
"You came back." she choked out.
"Yes. I promised, didn't I?" he whispered gently. "And now… Now, I can finally make things right. For everyone. I did it, Violetta. I gained the power to save everybody… Even your parents and grand-father."
She froze, while behind her she heard Vanessa inhale sharply.
Violetta pulled back, looking at Mister Aeon with shock and hope. "Can you really?"
He smiled warmly at her, and Violetta felt as if a million suns had smiled at her at the same time.
"Have I ever broken a promise to you?" he replied.
Violetta sobbed harder, then hugged him again, even harder this time.
Because no, he never did. And that meant hewouldbring back her family.
"Welcome back, Mister Aeon!" she choked out the words while sobbing and hugging him as hard as she could.
"It's good to be back." he whispered, and Violetta smiled at the fondness in his voice as he looked at her.
It seems her prayers were answered by the gods after all.
Though from now on, she knew that there would only ever be one god she would ever pray to.
The one currently hugging her, to whom she would devote everything she was to serve for the rest of her life.
Her lips curled upwards as she remembered her words to her sister.
She did call dibs, after all.
I wonder what pretty outfit I'll wear as his High Priestess… I can't wait to find out!
"-and that's basically everything." I finished giving a very quick description of how everything went down in order for me to be standing there as a God-king of Reality, which left everyone staring at both me and Oedon in shock.
"You're-" started Eileen, with disbelief.
"-the God-king-" continued Violetta, sounding absolutely delighted.
"-of all Reality?!" finished Vanessa, looking close to fainting on the spot.
"That's right!" I said cheerfully. "Of course, in truth that isn't quite so clear-cut, I only have true, direct rulership over the Eldritch Kingdom and Pantheon, but from a divine perspective I am conceptually recognized as the supreme Ruler of Reality, with only Queen Azathoth as my equal."
The stunned looks that everyone gave me were awesome, and I could feel my smugness levels rising sharply-
"Incredible!" exclaimed Violetta, looking up at me with wide, innocent, baby blue eyes shining with wonder and awe, her hands clasped together before her chest as she beamed at me in joy. "You're incredible, Mister Aeon!"
Never mind, Violetta was just too good for this world, I was too busy melting from cuteness overload to be able to feel smug.
From the very amused look Oedon was giving me, she knew it too, and was enjoying it thoroughly.
"Yeah, well, I'm pretty great." The words were meant to be spoken proudly, but instead they just came out with warm gentleness as I looked into the sparkling blue eyes staring at me with the kind of devotion a fully ordained High Priestess would find hard to match.
"It seems that godhood didn't curb your ego any. If anything, you're going to be even more insufferable than ever." deadpanned Eileen, though the amusement in her voice made it clear that she was just poking fun at me.
"Excuse me, I am the perfect picture of humility. Why, amongst my thousand and one talents, everyone knows that humility is very firmly at the top!" I declared grandly, giving her a disdainful look of superiority.
Violetta bursted into giggles at the over-the-top dramatics, while Eileen merely put a hand on her mask, sighing deeply.
"By the Gods, what did we do to deserve this?" she groaned.
"I'm not sure that you should ask the gods, when their king is the problem." pointed out Simon with amusement. The man looked like he had achieved the supreme state of being known as "Zero fucks left to give," and was now enjoying the general insanity of it all with the detached fascination of a man with nothing left to lose.
I very much approved.
"Don't remind me. That crazy bastard is so good at seduction he became the God-king of all Reality!" exclaimed Eileen, waving wildly at my general direction.
"Jealousy is an ugly thing, you know that, right Eileen?" I told her with a shit-eating grin.
"Oh, fuck you, ya smug bastard!" she replied, throwing rude gestures my way.
"That's the plan, don't worry!" I told her cheerfully, which made her freeze, Vanessa and Violetta blush, Oedon grin widely, and the regular mortals present gape at me.
… I was taking maybe a bit too much amusement breaking their ideas of how gods acted and shattering it gleefully over my knee, but come on, it was just so easy!
Eileen glowered at me, though even with the mask in the way I could tell that she was blushing brightly.
"Not even back here for an hour and already trying to get into my pants. Are ya just a pervert interested in old women?"
I shrugged, then snapped my fingers, several people gasping as old age reverted and returned everyone present to their prime if they weren't already in it.
"I see no old people here, do you?" I said smugly, while Oedon began covering her mouth with one hand and giggling happily at the chaos I was cheerfully causing.
"You… You…" Eileen hesitated, then took off her mask, looking at me with ayouthful face framed by raven-black hair. She drew a sword and looked at herself in its reflection, her mouth flapping open and close in shock.
"Ah, my dear lady, you are as beautiful as I had hoped! Now, all I need is to get you all flushed and-" I said with a wide grin, before Eileen's eyes snapped towards me with fire within them.
"Oy! Ya shut ya trap you shameless bastard! There are kids present!" she growled, her accent thickening.
I raised an eyebrow towards Violetta and Vanessa, who looked away with innocent expressions…
At least until Violetta discreetly looked back at me, blushing and yet clearly amused and eager to see more of the ongoing drama.
I grinned. "Something told me neither of them minds." I replied with clear amusement, both sisters blushing harder at the truth of my words and being called out.
"Well I do." Eileen crossed her arms over her chest and scowled at me.
I reached out and started patting her head, earning a delightfully indignant squawk from the woman.
"How very dutiful of you! How respectable!" I cheerfully teased her.
"Pull that hand back before I cut it off!" she growled.
Chuckling, I obeyed, satisfied that I bullied her enough for now.
My expression hardened, and I looked at Oedon. "As much as I enjoy joking around, I really need to get to work. Stay with them for a moment, Oedon, I've got a wide-scale miracle to enact."
"Of course, Good Hunter." Oedon replied, bowing.
My gaze flickered back towards the sisters.
"You should go to the courtyard. You've got some people to greet back, after all." I told them, and their eyes widened as they understood that I was going to bring back their family.
With one last smile, I teleported out of the Chapel and in the skies above Yharnam, my eyes peering deep over not just the city…
But the entire planet.
In many ways, it resembled Earth… And yet in many others, it was so very, very different. There were different countries, and the influence of the Great Ones was felt everywhere.
Africa was a mess, with far fewer people alive than it should have, as the continent-spanning kingdom which once ruled fell to the curse of beasts.
Europe was full of aristocrats who could give Cainhurst at its worst a run for its money, drunk on Blood and power. The industrial revolution had come, but it was twisted with Blood, and wonders were born as often as horrors.
And the rest of the world… wasn't much better in its own ways.
I tilted my head, peering into other Nightmares and Dream realms connected to this world.
I felt Great Ones perk up in surprise, and otherthingsreact with a variety of emotions depending on their natures compared to my own.
This version of Earth wasn't as full of Gods as the one in the Prime Multiverse, but it would be a lie to say that there weren't a high number of Great Ones across the planet.
I took in all of them, the ones exulting at my presence, the ones cursing me, the ones merely curious…
And then Ispoke.
"JUDGEMENT."
And thus, a new Age began.
Mine.
Violetta ran forward, faster than she ever did.
Her sister was shouting at her to slow down, but she couldn't, not when her heart was beating so fast, not when she felt it in her soul that Mister Aeon was going to change the world forever.
There was a tension in the air, power gathering at an awe-inspiring level, and she knew, sheknewbeyond a shadow of a doubt that Mister Aeon was going to bring back her parents and grandfather.
And most likely many other people, too.
Violetta ran out of the Chapel, down the courtyard, and then stopped before the graves of her family.
Her eyes lingered upon the names for a moment, before looking up instead.
There, high in the sky, a new star shone, as Mister Aeon could faintly be glimpsed despite the light that burnt at her eyes.
"Sister, you didn't have to run so fast." said Vanesa, panting a bit for breath, the others having all come out to observe what was about to happen.
"I can't miss this." She replied, her eyes not leaving the divine star glowing in the sky. "I have to see this."
Her sister opened her mouth… and then closed it, looking up with her and everyone else at the glowing god in the sky.
"What is he going to do now?" grumbled Eileen, glancing at Lady Oedon.
"He's going to pass Judgement upon this world, and claim it as his own." the goddess calmly replied.
"And what does that mean, exactly?" asked Simon, the other Hunter.
Lady Oedon smiled faintly. "You'll have to see, won't you? It won't take long, now."
There was a moment of silence, then-
"JUDGEMENT."
Violetta froze, along with everyone else.
The voice seemed to echo in her mind, down her very soul, and she felt the gaze of something unimaginably old and powerful suddenly fall upon her, seeing everything she ever was, is, and might be.
Every memory, every secret, everything that made her who she was was examined with perfect clarity, and Violetta felt so very, very small as her very existence suddenly was weighed by the all-seeing gaze of a God who stood as Ruler of Creation.
Violetta couldn't find any embarrassment, shame or fear over having everything she was being seen and examined by the god. She was merely frozen in place, unable to so much as breath, her eyes wide and unseeing as a vision ofa humanoid cosmic beingwith a crown like that of Mister Aeon sat on a throne surrounded by the vastness of the cosmos, the countless stars shining their lights within his body feeling like billions of eyes all peering through every layer of her being.
It was the most glorious thing she had ever seen. The sheer beauty of the being almost shattered her soul at the very sight of him. The raw power it casually exuded eclipsed anything she thought could possibly exist. Something so perfect couldn't exist, it wasn't possible,it shouldn't be possible, and yet it did and even as her very soul screamed, her mind shrieked and her body howled in unison at the glory of Him, she still could do nothing but stare, feeling like her eyes were going to melt in her skull, her mind was going to shatter and her very soul break and it would be absolutely worth it. What sight could be more perfect than this? ThatHim?
The stars shone. The Void beckoned. Time stood still, yet space stretched infinitely onwards.
ETERNITY/REALITYsat upon his cosmic throne, judging that which stood before him.
How long she stood there, unmoving, she had no idea. A second? An eternity? All that she knew was that for one moment that stretched into infinity she could only stay frozen in place-
And then the godspoke.
"WORTHY."
It took everything that Violetta had to not collapse on her face at the mere weight of that word, and the ocean of meaning it contained.
She wanted to scream in joy, to weep in awe, to sob in relief, to bow in gratitude, to kneel in submission.
Worthy. That word echoed in her mind like the ultimate blessing.
She had been judged by that perfect being… and foundworthy. The word echoed in her soul, inside her mind, filling every space within it with that absoluteTruththat the god had seen everything that she was-
And had firmly approved of her.
She gasped for air, the vision disappearing, but the word still echoed inside her mind, still resonated within her very soul.
She was on her knees, somehow having fallen at some point, her limbs shaking badly and tears streaming down her wide eyes, who were still transfixed upon the shining figure in the sky.
She couldn't look away even if she tried. The vision stood perfectly clear in her mind, shining within her soul like the embodiment of perfection that it was, and she couldn't look away even if she tried.
Slowly, she raised a trembling hand towards the sky, towards that shining beacon of perfection, a shaky, but breathtakingly beautiful smile on her lips as she tried to reach out for that perfection.
A part of her distantly noticed that she wasn't the only one. Everyone had fallen on their knees, everyone was reaching for the Glory of the Divine, desperate to stay in its presence, to bask in its perfection even a single second more.
Tears streamed down all of their faces, twisted by religious awe and a soul-deep longing for the[Dr o# #ardi]that they all had caught a glimpse of through the Glory of the Divine.
Violetta noticed three new people at her sides, her father, mother and grand-father all kneeling with her, all peering upwards at the Divine Glory with the exact same expressions on their faces. The sight of their newly returned forms made her soul sing praises even louder, even as no words passed her lips, unable to make a sound that would defile this holy moment by its imperfection.
She felt a hand rest on her shoulders, gently squeezing her, warm, glowing red eyes peering at her with shining approval.
"Seek him." The goddess whispered, and Violetta's soul sang in absolute agreement.
She would. Now and forevermore, she would seek that glorious perfection that had claimed her heart and soul.
To do anything less was utterly unthinkable.
The goddess smiled warmly,understandingeven without words spoken, before looking up at the god above-
And somehow, Violetta couldn't help but feel that the goddess would be right there with her in doing the same, forever and ever seeking after the glory of Him in her own way.
Old Hunter Djura stared out at Old Yharnam, bathed under the light of the rising sun.
The night had been long and darker than any other he could remember, the howls of beasts echoing from even far beyond the borders of Old Yharnam.
And yet, the morning sun was here at last, and he was still alive to see it rise.
He looked down at the beasts below, his expression softening. The beasts had been particularly frenzied during the night, but now that morning had come, they seemed far more lethargic in comparison. A lot more like what he was used to seeing since he took his vigil over Old Yharnam.
Idly, Djura wondered what happened to the Good Hunter he had met during the night of the Hunt. After a while the Hunter had left and did not return, which suited him just fine. Probably off to Hunt in other parts of Yharnam, as Hunters are wont to do. Well, it was no skin off his back. As long as the beasts of Old Yharnam were left in peace, that was all that mattered to him-
He paused, a glint catching his eye as something rose up the sky, a glowing star that made his eyes widen and his brain twitch unnaturally.
The light that came off it… It grew, and grew, andgrew-
"JUDGEMENT."
And Djura's eyes bulged in shock.
The world disappeared, replaced by a sea of wondrous stars and the god sitting upon his cosmic throne, and Djura fell on his knees, the bandages over his lost eye burning away and the wounds healing, leaving him to stare at the god with both eyes wide open in stunned awe.
The god stared back at him, through him, seeing every single memory, every single deed both righteous and drenched in Blood, everything that made him who he was.
Djura couldn't move, couldn't even blink even if he wanted to, his wide eyes bulging open at the sight of the glorious, perfect being before him was seared into his very soul.
Djura had heard of the Great Ones, seen their power through the Old Blood, but somehow he knew that this being stood as far above the Great Ones as the gods stood above mere ants.
This god, this king over all of Reality kept staring into his soul, seeing all that he was, before he finallyspoke.
"WORTHY."
Djura sobbed, his mind almost shattering over both the power within that single word and the sheer weight of the divine approval that suddenly slammed into him. A lifetime of regrets, guilt and pain was blasted out of his spirit by that single word, both healing and strengthening his spirit like nothing else ever could.
When the vision faded, leaving Djura to keep weeping as he instinctively tried to reach out to the perfection shining high in the sky, great heaving sobs shaking his body, he both mourned the fact that he would never see such perfect glory again, and exalted that not only did he see it at all, it had found himworthy.
Sounds reached his ears, and with a supreme burst of willpower, he managed to look away fromperfectionfor a second-
Only for his breath to catch in his throat and a new wave of fresh tears to fall down his cheeks at the sights of the beasts of old Yharnam… Or rather, where the beasts used to be.
A number of them burnt to ashes before his eyes, their howls filled with pure agony and horror as Djura instinctively understood that they had been found unworthy in the eyes of the god above… But many more instead began glowing, their bestial bodies disintegrating painlessly to make way from human flesh and form, men, women and children alike suddenly taking breath again for the first time in years, if not decades. They immediately fell to the ground, weeping and desperately reaching out for the brilliant, shining figure of the god above, whose power filled the air and brought salvation and punishment both depending on the lives lived by all.
Djura sobbed harder at the sight, before he began laughing and looking back at the shining figure of perfection floating in the sky with pure joy and gratitude.
"I wasn't wrong." he choked out. "There was still humanity within the beasts.I wasn't wrong!"
He laughed madly, before weeping harder, swearing oaths of gratitude to the perfect god above in all of his glory.
The most incredible part in all of this is that Djura knew who it was. The Good Hunter had somehow Ascended, and he had returned to deliver them all from the curse of beasthood.
He laughed again at the hysterical thought that Djura had actuallyshot at himwhen he was still mortal. If only he could have known, he would have knelt and started praying instead!
Well, at least he clearly didn't carry a grudge, though even so Djura might never live it down if the truth came out. For now though, Djura merely kept giving him hoarse prayers of gratitude, his voice rough with emotions as the sounds of more and more saved souls echoed his words across all of Yharnam… and beyond.
Queen Annalise of Cainhurst had been smiling down to her daughter when the morning sun finally came.
She had let her gaze go through the windows, a flash of satisfaction coursing through her at the ability to not have her sight obstructed by that hideous mask the fanatics of the Church had tried to bind her with, and that satisfaction was followed by even greater one at the knowledge that the Good Hunter had clearly been successful in his quest to end the night of the Hunt.
Not that Annalise had expected any differently from the most ridiculous man she had ever had the distinct pleasure of meeting, but it was still good to see proof of his victory. She was sadly far too used to things turning horribly wrong, but then again, that was before that man had entered her life like the storm he was proving himself to be…
Then she had received an unexpected guest in the form of another living kin, and Annalise had been far too delighted at having another vileblood still alive to care that she was a prostitute.
Besides, Arianna had been blessed with a divine child on her own, which Annalise saw as good omens. The gods had apparently decided to bless Cainhurst with a new generation of blessed infants, and far from her to not see it as the blessing that it was.
Besides, that way her own daughter would have a friend to grow up with. Arianna's daughter would be a perfect person to have as a retainer for Henrietta.
However, it didn't take long after the morning sun rose that things suddenly took a turn for the strange, as a bright light came out of the sky towards where Annalise knew Yharnam to be.
"What is that?" asked Arianne, and Annalise pursed her lips, a frown on her face as they both stared at the glowing star which kept rising higher. There was something unnaturally captivating about it, but she couldn't quite tell-
And then both of their daughters began giggling as one and their little hands started reaching out towards the light, their matching blood-red eyes beginning to outright glow.
Both Arianne and Annalise herself blinked at the sight.
"What-"
The glow outside became blinding, and Annalise's eyes went wide-
And then she was no longer in her throne room. Instead, she was amongst the stars, their light and beauty surrounding her, while a grand throne stood before her, the glory of its beauty only surpassed by the God-King sitting upon it.
With a crown fit for his divine role upon his brow, his cosmic face staring at her through a billion stars serving as eyes, Queen Annalise promptly collapsed on her knees before the God-King in front of her, her own royal status infinitely inferior to his own.
Tears of awe and wonder fell from her eyes, and yet her hands still remembered to hold tightly at the child in her arms, who stared wide-eyed at the god-king for a second before she began laughing and waving her little arms cheerfully in the way of a truly delighted baby.
Somehow, the overwhelming presence of the god seemed to diminish slightly at that, countless stars-eyes looking away from Annalise to instead settle on the child in her arms.
The cosmospulsedwhen his gaze settled upon her daughter, the stars around them suddenly seeming to dance and sing in unison, and Annalise couldn't help but feel the sudden absolute certainty that if the god had a mouth to smile with, he would be doing so right now.
Little Henrietta certainly seemed to be happy, her blood-red eyes bouncing around to take in the sights as a bubbling, cheerful laugh escaped her, her gaze filled with childish wonder and awe as she looked at all the dancing stars singing for her.
The rest of the god-king's attention remained fixed upon Annalise, who kept crying in awed wonder at the perfection of the god before her…
One that her soul recognized, even in his current form.
Then the godspoke, and Annalise trembled under the weight of the word echoing in the cosmos.
"WORTHY."
Annalise choked out a sob, all the pain and sorrow within her soul healed and soothed by the weight of the approval of the god before her, while her daughter grinned widely and squirmed in delight, babbling happily.
The queen tightened her hold on her child, love filling her heart at the sight of the happy baby staring fearlessly at the god-king, who seemed to suddenly exude pure amusement and fondness.
The scent of Blood, rich and thick, suddenly filled Annalise's nose, and a formless presence joining that of the King, Henrietta freezing before her blood-red eyes glowed like twin suns and she suddenly began squealing happily, delighted laughter bubbling from her lips.
Annalise shuddered as she felt that formless presence touch her soul, and here, in this realm she recognized the power of Formless Oedon, patron Deity of the Pthumerian, and the second parent to her Child of Blood.
AFFECTIONcoursed through her, and she wept even harder as the approval of two gods filled every part of her body, mind and soul.
She looked back at the King, and sheknewthat they would soon talk properly, but for now thisCommunionwas at its end, and a blink of an eye later Annalise and her child were back in her throne room, kneeling on the ground while facing the window showing the distant divine star above Yharnam, with a similarly kneeling and weeping Arianna holding her own child just as tightly as Annalise was.
They both stared at the god in the distance, awe and wonder filling their souls, before Annalise's lips quivered with a shadow of a smile.
Somehow…
The Good Hunter had managed to break all of her expectations yet again.
She really ought to know better by now.
My power extended far and wide across the entire planet, all who were found guilty of cruelty and evil burnt to ash while all who were found worthy were healed, physically, mentally and spiritually.
And I didn't limit myself to the present. My power flowed through the space-time continuum, bringing back people dead for years, even decades, as long as I judged them worthy.
Entire fallen civilizations and Kingdoms rose once more, buildings and animals repaired and given new life as I claimed this world as mine.
My power spread outward further, into the Nightmare and Dream realms around this Earth, destroying the Nightmares and blessing the Dreams and their inhabitants.
Every single murderer on the planet, every single rapist, every single corrupt official and ruler died screaming, along with the beasts mutated by the Old Blood. Good people who lost body and sanity regained them, now full of inhuman vigor and a perfect combination of eldritch insight and sanity.
It was a planetary-scale cleansing and blessing, which went even beyond into nearby dimensions. The righteous healed and brought back to life, the wicked smote without hesitation.
The world would be free to heal and thrive as I desired it to, and the sheer satisfaction I felt at annihilating every remaining beasts in existence was immense. With the curse of Beasthood removed from reality by my True Self, no one will ever turn into a beast again, at least not beasts by Yharnamite standards.
I had done it. I had saved Humanity, and ensured its prosperity.
And after everything I endured in Yharnam… It feltincrediblysatisfying.
Remaining floating in the sky for a long moment, feeling the storm of emotions, gratitude and Faith coming from all across this world, hearing the countless prayers spoken with absolute convictions in my name, I smiled at a job well done.
Then, finally satisfied that the world had been remade closer to what I wanted it to become, I finally descended back into Yharnam, in the courtyard of Oedon's Chapel where many familiar faces looked at me with religious awe.
And stars in their eyes.
Literal ones, that is.
It seems that there were some consequences to doing as I did, I mused, looking into the eyes of every human present.
Ludwig, Gehrman and Maria had joined up with the others at some point, all of them with the same awed looks on their faces, and more importantly, all of them with changed eyes.
Their irises had not changed, but their pupils very much had. Now their right eye's pupils were all showing a brightly glowing star, while their left had a black pit so dark it seemed to devour light itself.
In short, they all showed clear signs of my divine power having settled deep inside their bodies, minds and souls.
I held back a sigh. Well, that was fine. It was a relatively minor change anyway, though I knew that there was a lot more to this than just changed eyes.
As I touched ground once more, Oedon positively beaming with pride and joy at me, I looked at all the stunned faces with amusement. Also, they appeared to have all fallen to their knees at some point.
"I know I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread, but you all don't have to stare that hard. I'm not going anywhere." I told them with a grin.
That shook them out of their awe, and Eileen snorted.
"Godhood really hasn't changed you that much… Beyond the incredible power you now wield." she admitted, lingering awe shining bright in her eyes and heavy in her voice.
"Mister Aeon… That was… incredible!" gasped Violetta, the look of pure awe and devotion in her eyes somehow even stronger.
Her words earned a lot of nods from everyone gathered.
I rolled my eyes.
"Yes, yes, I'm awesome. You can pray to me later, for now…" I looked at the reborn Gascoigne and his wife, along with their grand-father, my expression softening as I looked towards Violetta and Vanessa. "You should focus on your family first."
Violetta gasped, before she got to her feet and threw herself at her dad with a cry of "Daddy!"
The whole family quickly gathered, tears of joy and relief streaming down their faces, and I looked away, focusing on the Dweller of the chapel instead.
The veryhumanDweller.
"Looking good, buddy!" I told him, sending him a grin and a thumb up.
"Good Hunter… You…" He stammered, still looking stunned.
I shrugged. "You were a good follower of my wife for years, the least I can do is repay that loyalty."
"Thank you! Thank you! Oh, by the Blood, thank you!"
The Dweller started sobbing, thanking me continuously, and I looked at Oedon, who gave me a truly brilliant smile.
"Thank you for helping him, Dear Aeon. And for bringing back the Ptumerians… And their Queen." she told me with immense gratitude in her own voice.
Every Hunter present started choking on air at those words.
"You didwhat?!" wheezed Gehrman, staring at me with wide eyes.
I shrugged. "I brought back Oedon's fallen kingdom. That tragedy should have never happened, so I made things right."
"As you always do." muttered Oedon, before she stepped forward…
And promptly smashed her lips against mine, snogging me silly.
Oh, I thought dumbly.She's really happy… And I didn't even tell her about Mergo yet.
By the time that she was done kissing me silly, we were both blushing brightly, and so was pretty much everyone else.
The way that Oedon's legs had almost passionately humped my waist had been… impressive.
Yes. Definitelyveryenthusiastic.
I took some amusement at the way that Vanessa had tried to put a hand over Violetta's eyes while blushing brightly herself, only for Violetta to peek through her sister's fingers anyway, her face a bright crimson red along with twin blue eyes almost shining with lust and desire.
Oh, and she was panting hard for breath too, just by watching.
Well… I think I gave her a sexual awakening…
Yay?
"You're going to be a very, very lucky man tonight." muttered Oedon, her blood-red eyes glowing, and I swallowed, very happy that I could control my body well enough to not have to worry about a very unfortunate boner right now.
I smiled weakly at her.
"Well, I had one last surprise planned for tonight, actually, so… Please don't break my hips when you see what I have in mind?"
"No promises." Oedonpurred, and the look in her eyes was…
Oh.
Oh my.
I chuckled nervously.I'm in danger.
"Should we, hum, visit Queen Annalise? I have a few other people I wanted to check up on too…" I asked her, before trailing off.
Oh. Oh dear, that look on her face…
Sorry Annalise, you might end up pregnant again by tomorrow morning, I silently apologized to the Queen, because I could tell with a single look at Oedon that she was planning to drag the queen into tonight's "rewards."
"A most excellent idea." Oedon declared with a cheerful smile, before she took one of my arms and hugged it tightly against her chest. Then she looked at Maria and Eileen, and while her smile was as warm and friendly as ever…
The glint in her eyes was one I recognized all too well.
"Maria, Eileen, why don't you two join us? I feel that you would benefit from coming along with us." She asked with a brilliant smile, but I wasn't fooled!
My beloved first wife had entered full succubus mode, and was planning to drag those two women into pits of debauchery they could scarcely believe possible!
Run, you fools! Run for your purity!
Alas, both women shared a glance and nodded, stepping forward to stand with us.
As always, Oedon's innocent facade was just too good, huh…
I looked at Violetta and Vanessa, and mentally apologized to them both.
Two beautiful, blonde-haired, blue-eyed sisters? Who already worshipped me like their one true god? Those poor girls were absolutely doomed to end up in my bed, worshipping my dick with their bodies.
The only reason that Oedon wasn't dragging them both to our bed was their age, and that was not going to last long before they'd be old enough for her to make her move…
I mentally saluted them, and their inevitable fall to her seduction.
Frankly, ever since Oedon had discovered the wonders of human sex, she had lived vicariously through my own harem, and I was well aware that as far as she was concerned I could bed every beautiful woman in this world and she'd be right there with me.
Ah well. I wouldn't say anything, because in the end…
I was just as bad!
There was just something about the sheer awe and devotion in the sisters' eyes that was very attractive.
And as a Hunter, I could be very patient indeed.
"Come on, then, let us go see Queen Annalise!" cheerfully declared Oedon.
"It will be strange to see Cainhurst again, after all these years…" muttered Maria, looking faintly apprehensive.
"As long as we aren't welcomed at swordpoint." deadpanned Eileen.
"I doubt that they would be foolish enough to do that after…" Maria glanced meaningfully at me and Oedon.
"... Fair."
Meanwhile, I sent a look at Gehrman and Ludwig, who nodded at me. They'll take care of bringing some order to Yharnam, while I was off seeing the Queen of Cainhurst.
Though there were a few people I wanted to visit first, so I created some clones and sent them off.
The first of my clones came to a stop near a house with a broken window, and the man who had lived within.
I smiled faintly as Gilbert jerked at my sudden appearance, tear tracks clear on his cheeks from the joy of his rebirth and the awe he felt at seeing my greater divine self on his throne.
His eyes bulged at the sight of me, his jaw dropping.
"Good Hunter." he breathed in shocked awe.
I smiled gently at him. "Seems like neither disease nor beast will truly keep you down in the end, heh?"
Gilbert stared, then his shoulders began to shake, before he bursted out into hysterical laughter.
"Ah, Ahah, ahahahahahahahah!"
He laughed loudly, his whole body shaking before he looked back down at me with eyes bright with gratitude and relief.
"No, thanks to you neither will get me after all." He choked out the words, before staring deeply into my eyes.
"Thank you." His body shuddered at the sheer strength of the emotions in those two words. "If it wasn't for you, I… I…" he looked down at his hands, before shuddering violently.
"Thank you." he repeated, sounding like it was taking everything he had to not break down weeping once again, as the memories of turning into a beast must have been traumatic. Even with the spiritual healing I gave everyone, that wasn't something you could just shrug off.
I walked up to him, laying one hand on his right shoulder and gently squeezing, channelingcomfortandacceptanceinto him, and he shuddered at the feeling but leaned into them like a drowning man holding to a lifeline.
"Live a good life, Gilbert." I said gently. "The night was long and full of terrors, but the morning sun inevitably rises, banishing the nightmares."
A small, amused smile crossed my lips.
"Who knows, in time, you may think it all a merebad dream."
Gilbert stared at me, then laughed wetly. "Ah, I don't know if that can ever happen, but… I'd like to believe that. I'dreallylike to believe that."
I grinned. "Then it's a good thing you just so happen to be on first-name basis with a god, right?"
He looked at me for a long moment, then slowly stood up, before smiling, a fire burning in his eyes.
"... Yes. Yes, I suppose so. And I shouldn't waste my time feeling sorry for myself when I can focus on repaying what I owe you, even if I don't think I can ever succeed." He declared.
I grinned at him. "Never say never. Who knows what might just happen, in strange eons where even death may die?"
He blinked, then chuckled. "Yes. I suppose that the word 'impossible' doesn't carry as much weight anymore, does it?"
He looked at me in silence for a moment more, then smiled. "You should go. You no doubt have many other things to do than spend your time with me, and I…" His smile grew, the fire burning in his gaze growing. "I have a debt to repay."
"Looking forward to it, Gilbert." I told him sincerely, before winking at him with a glowing eye. "I'll be watching."
And then I disappeared, leaving Gilbert to stare at the spot where I was… Before looking into the distance, towards Cathedral Wards.
He smiled faintly. "How amusing… That the place where I suggested him to go to find his destiny… Is where I too shall find mine." He looked down at himself. "I never thought of myself as a priest before, but… Well." His smile grew.
"Strange eons, am I right?"
The next stop was Iosefka, who I found in her clinic, already hard at work while looking at a sample of blood through a microscope.
She was rapidly muttering to herself, her eyes riveted on the sample while one of her hands was frantically taking notes on a piece of paper.
"No signs of mutations akin to beasthood in the sample… Clear heavy presence of the Arcane, of a type never seen before… Affiliated with the Good Hunter most likely, but need further testing to confirm… Was the curse of beasthood suppressed through divine will, or outright erased? I need to find the answer… I can't relax until I'm sure. There's too much at stake, I can't fail again…" I caught her muttering to herself.
I smiled at the sight. Already making sure that the miracle I brought wasn't just a stop-gap measure, huh? Good,trust but verifyis always wise.
Still, in this case there was no need for the good doctor to lose any sleep.
"It's the second actually." I told her calmly.
"Aaaaaaah! Who-?!" Iosefka jerked, screaming in shock at the unexpected sound of my voice, before freezing in place at the sight of me.
"You're… You're him. The Good Hunter." She breathed out, her eyes wide with awe.
I smiled warmly at her. "I am."
I looked down at her work. "Want some help with that? Your devotion to making sure that there are no unpleasant surprises left waiting to explode in everyone's faces is praiseworthy, as unneeded as it may be."
"I…" Iosefka swallowed thickly, eyes wide. "You… You want to help me?" she asked, sounding deeply stunned.
I came closer, glancing at her work with a faint smile. "I can't tell you too much, divine secrets and all that, but I can at least confirm a few things. Your work ethics is to your credit, and it deserves recognition. And besides…"
I looked at her with an apologetic expression. "As a mortal, I wasn't able to protect you from a terrible fate. The least I can do as a god is to give you a hand at least once."
Iosefka shook at the reminder of being turned into a Celestial Emissary, her hands shaking badly at the memories, before she clenched them into tight fists and took a deep breath.
Then she nodded at me. "It wasn't your fault. That madwoman who ambushed me… Well, I know that you killed her. And…" A fragile, but earnest smile crossed her lips. "You did bring me back. Just for that alone, I owe you a debt I can never repay."
I hummed, then shook my head. "I fear that we'll have to agree to disagree on the matter. As a doctor, you should know well that prevention is better than a cure. Still, I will not push."
I smiled at her. "For now, why don't you show me what you've got, and we can go from there?"
She bowed her head. "I… I don't think I'm worthy, I'm just a simple doctor-!"
"Are you questioning my will?" I asked her, raising an eyebrow.
"What?! N-No, of c-course not, my Lord!" she quickly stammered in panic.
I grinned at her smugly. "Then you should have no objections to me helping your work, right?"
She gaped at me for several seconds, clearly trying to think a way out of the verbal trap I put her in, before she slumped, a wry smile on her lips.
"... Indeed not, my Lord." She muttered obediently.
"Perfect!" I said cheerfully. "Then let's get to work, shall we?"
With one last helpless smile, she began to explain what little she had found since she had frantically started her research after being brought back, while I listened attentively.
I may have had no real way of protecting this woman while mortal, but now that I was a god I had a myriad of ways that I could clear my conscience while helping her out in general.
And I wasn't one to leave a debt unpaid if I could help it.
I stepped into the cathedral, which certainly seemed to be doing much better after I fixed the entire city while claiming this world.
No more holes in the ground, or the walls, or the ceiling…
No more burnt marks everywhere…
No more bloodstains all over the place…
… Well, the point was, it actually looked alright now!
Though I had to say…
"Remain wary of the frailty of men. Their wills are weak, minds young."
"Were it not for fear, death would go unlamented."
"Seek the old blood."
"Let us pray, let us wish... to partake in communion."
"Let us partake in communion... and feast upon the old blood."
"Our thirst for blood satiates us, soothes our fears."
"Seek the old blood."
"But beware the frailty of men. Their wills are weak, minds young."
"The foul beasts will dangle nectar and lure the meek into the depths."
"Remain wary of the frailty of men..."
I could do without the rather grim reminder of the past these words evoked in me.
The entire Cathedral Wards was basically filled with the people I brought back, kneeling in reverence and praying in thanks for the salvation of their lives and souls.
My calm walk through their ranks sent ripples amongst the faithful, though not one of them dared to raise their heads and stopped praying. Instead they all remained kneeling, heads bowed and hands collapsed together as they whispered every prayer they knew of with zealous energy.
The only ones still standing were the remaining Church's guards who had passed my Judgement, towering giants even taller than myself who bowed their heads deeply at the sight of me, their hands holding weapons as tall as they were.
Finally I walked up the stairs to the main cathedral, currently filled to the brim with the surviving clerics and regular people, the first of which were notably far fewer in numbers than they should have been compared to the official full roster number of the church.
My Judgement had purged a majority of their numbers, which showed in how little the grand cathedral was currently filled with clerics compared to the regular citizens of the city, which made up the vast bulk of the people gathered here.
Finally, I came to a stop not too far from the altar, taking a moment to look up and appreciate the changes my divine self brought to the ceiling, as my divine power had turned the ceiling of the cathedral into a perfect image of the starry night sky, irregardless of the fact that dawn had come and the sun was rising in the sky outside.
I took a moment to smile faintly at the twinkling stars above my head, before looking down at Vicar Amelia, who was still praying while kneeling with her head bowed before the Altar, which had changed as well, as it now bore my personal symbol rather than those that were previously present.
"Vicar Amelia." I spoke, my divine voice cutting through the prayers like a lightning bolt, the sounds of prayers suddenly becoming almost silent as everyone suddenly began to mumble their words in order to let the sound of my voice be easily heard by all.
The woman froze, before slowly standing up and turning around.
Pale silver eyes framed by golden hair met my eyes, her eyes showing the same changes that everyone received after being touched by my divine power.
Awe and religious zeal burned within those eyes, but underneath that showed a far more chaotic storm of lingering horror, terror, shame, guilt and regrets.
While the Vicar herself has kept her hands relatively clean, she was still well aware of the many, many sins of the Healing Church, and my greater self had not been shy about expressing his opinions on the failures and sins of her Church before bringing her back.
"From now on, the Healing Church will be reorganized as the Church of Celestial Wisdom. You will remain in charge of it until a more fitting successor will take your place. Then, you will retire to a distant land, where you shall preach to a small community and live a humble life until such a time as I decide otherwise." I declared.
To her credit, Vicar Amelia didn't even hesitate to bow in obedience at my words.
"I hear and obey, Great Celestial King of the Gods."
I nodded, then began walking towards a side-passage leading to the personal quarters of the clergy, and of course that of the Vicar.
"Come."
Amelia quickly made her way to me, and we left the praying masses behind as we made our way through dimly lit corridors.
"The Church will have a great many sins to make up for. Even you are not free of them." I said bluntly.
Vicar Amelia bowed her head. "The frailty of Humanity has led us to desperation. No price was deemed too great for Salvation."
"And yet, ultimately it is an outsider with no links to the Church of Yharnam that brought Salvation to all: Me." I coldly remarked.
Amelia kept her head bowed, though I felt her shame, guilt and regrets grow at my words.
"I cannot deny the truth of your words, Great Celestial King. I can only offer my life in whatever way you deem pleasing to make up for it." She softly replied.
I grunted. "Focus on beingbetterfrom now on. All of you. I do not deny the occasional moral sacrifice on the altar of necessity. I am a Hunter, I understand the weight of Duty, and the limitations of mortal kind. Not all victories can be achieved without sacrifices. But the Healing Church didn't merely walk a path to Hell paved with good intentions, it ran forward like a blood-starved Beast scenting fresh Blood. Moral corruption is a path often walked by those convinced that only through the sacrifices of one's morality can victory be achieved, until the day comes where the thought that victory without sacrifices is possible becomes impossible to contemplate for such people."
I entered her personal quarters, sitting down on the chair meant for a guest, only for me to change it into a lesser replica of my Throne at the center of the Void.
Amelia's eyes widened at the sight, but she said nothing, merely taking her own seat and looking at me with the grim determination of a woman desperate to make things right this time.
"Your future replacement will be Violetta Gascoigne." I told her, her eyes widening once more at the name I dropped. "She met me during the long night of the Hunt, and has sworn that she will rise in whatever clergy I end up creating. Teach her without mercy. She needs to face trials worthy of tempering her body, mind and soul. She has less than a millenia to rise as the religious leader to not only this world, but all others who serve me. I will teach her as well, but many lessons need to be learnt at the hands of fellow mortals."
"I hear and obey." Amelia declared, bowing her head. "Violetta Gascoigne will be made into a worthy vessel of your will, my Lord."
"Good. Do not hide the horrors and mistakes of your church to her. Give her the Truth, andonlyever the Truth. Your failures will serve to teach her just as well as your successes."
I paused, then my expression hardened.
"In less than a millenia, the greatest war that Reality will ever see will begin. Entire universes will most likely be forever lost in the raging fires of the conflicts to come. This world is one whose' people have the potential to make small but valuable contributions to the war effort. I will shape it to prepare for such. Soon enough, I will move it from this reality into the Prime Multiverse, where the territory of the Eldritch Kingdom is found. The people must be ready to embrace all who serve the will of the gods, regardless of species or religion. I am aware that Yharnam's people are distrustful of outsiders. That will need to be changed, at least to the point that anyone from the greater Eldritch Kingdom is considered a trustworthy friend, and those allied to it trustworthy allies. I will not tolerate racism and mortal foolishness to potentially get in the way of waging the upcoming war." I told her with cold resolve.
"Who are the enemies who have been judged unworthy of existence, my Lord?" she inquired, her eyes brightening at the thought of waging holy war, as expected of a religious leader.
I smiled coldly at her.
"Isn't it obvious? The legions of the Damned themselves, Vicar Amelia, who refuses to acknowledge the supremacy of the Eldritch Pantheon. I speak of the demons of the Abyss… and the Devils of Hell themselves!"
A.N: Alright! Here is the next chapter in which we finally meet back with many of the people of Yharnam!
God!Aeon and Oedon finally step into Yharnam, much to the shock of everyone present.
Then God!Aeon claims Bloodborne!Earth as his, with everything that entails. Nothing quite like a planetary-scale miracle to announce yourself, right?
It's a bit hard to describe proper religious behavior as an atheist myself, but I tried my best to make it work. Obviously, seeing and being touched by God!Aeon's power has consequences on everybody, the eyes mutation in everyone on the planet being but one of them.
And as for the Healing Church, well obviously Aeon was going to rename them to something more fitting of him. You guys have no idea how hard I was pouting when I saw that Nyarlathotep canonically already has a cult called "The Church of Starry Wisdom." It would have been so perfect for Aeon!
Oh, and poor Violetta is absolutely going to be put through hell in order to become worthy of being Aeon's Vicar. Aeon isn't one to have his clergy be anything but the biggest badasses around after all, and obviously their leader has to be so utterly OP that they may as well be a deity in their own right.
On the bright side, by the time that Violetta is fully trained and gains her post as the leader of Aeon's religion, she'll be strong enough to fold planets in half with her pinky. So that'll be fun! Nobody expects the innocent, beautiful woman with a cheerful smile on her lips at all times to also be able to tear a Demon Lord's body in half with her bare hands, after all…
Still, with all that being said, I hope you all enjoyed this update! Next time, Queen Annalise gets more headaches! On the bright side, Oedon is here to help! Oh,wait…