"If I must say, my dear Loki, I am impressed you figured me out so quickly after such a crushing defeat. Though I suppose you are the Goddess of Trickery," Dionysus said with a cackle.
"Though I must admit, one thing that truly caught me off guard was that you teamed up with Hel's pet. I had thought he had been dead for quite some time, but here he is, almost as if he has come back from the dead."
Dionysus chuckled to himself. "Ironic really, considering who his owner was and all."
"So the lad's Deity really was that bitch then, aye!" Loki said through gritted teeth. Just like Bete, every bit of new information learnt about Nathan only fell into place with what Thanatos told her.
"Oh my dear Loki, you have it all wrong. Hel wasn't just his deity, no, no, no." Dionysus said with another chuckle alongside a snarky grin.
"What do you mean by that, you bastard!" Loki snapped back. This reminded her of exactly what Thanatos had said to her a week ago.
Loki faced the androgynous god as he spat out the name Enyo, cursing him for cheating him into death.
"You're finished Thanatos!" Loki said triumphantly but she still kept an air of caution about her surroundings.
"Yes, I suppose I am. I underestimated your children's ability in all this. Truly, my props to them."
"Thanks but it wasn't just them you know," Loki said with a grin, wanting to rub in her victory before she took a page out of Astrea's books and delivered divine justice onto the smug bastard.
"Oh? Are you perhaps talking about our fellow acquaintance? I must say I was shocked to find out he was alive; let alone he was helping you."
The calm way of speaking for Thanatos was quickly replaced by a smile and excitement in his voice, a reaction Loki didn't enjoy.
"Why do ya seem happy mentioning him?" She asked, uncomfortable at the now re-energized look in the God of Death's eyes.
"How could I not? He truly is a special creature Loki. I mean, when I saw him dance once more in Knossos, I was reminded of why I enjoy being who I am. She truly created a special thing."
Thanatos was almost panting as he continued talking about how much he missed seeing Nathan.
"What do you mean dance?" Loki asked, a bead of sweat slithering down her forehead.
"I am talking about the dance of death my dear Loki. He is the only one I have ever seen master it so beautifully. I hate to admit it but I truly am jealous that she was able to have him."
"Who's her?" Loki asked. She had asked Nathan beforehand who his Deity was when he was in Knossos but quickly realised it was not a subject that could be breached if his narrowed eyes and change of aura were any indication. All she got was that it was a Goddess.
Thanatos, seemingly not even hearing Loki's question, continued to speak. " I mean, I tried on several occasions to get him to come to me but when she caught on to what I was doing..." Thanatos let out a quick chuckle as his face went even paler than usual as he recounted the memory. "... let's just say I stopped trying."
"Who are you on about Thanatos!" Loki stated loudly, annoyed at how Thanatos had lost himself in memory when one of the most important battles was just coming to an end.
"Oh Loki, trust me, you don't want to know. It would only cause a rift between you and that... boy, well wider than the one that is already there that is." Thanatos hesitated on how to even refer to Nathan.
"Let me just say this. In comparison, I may be a God of death who takes small joy and pride in what I do when it comes to the ending of a mortal's life. Compared to her, however..." Thanatos let out another chuckle." Yes. Compared to her, I am simply another Deity. There are many Gods of death but she... she is The God of Death."
"A goddess of Death? Huh! It can't be..."
"Oh, have you figured it out? I suppose you two did come from the same area in heaven so it makes sense that you would know her."
Loki was now sweating at the thought of Hel not only being on the same plane of existence as her but actually sharing the same city.
"She was... his Goddess?" Loki shivered as she asked a question she never wanted to ask.
"His Goddess. Technically yes but those two didn't share the same relationship you and I have with our dear children. Hel wasn't just his deity. She was his everything. She made herself his everything by tearing away anything he ever held dear. She played with his mind and you know how naïve and susceptible a mortal child's mind can be."
"What are ya talking about," Loki asked, not liking what she was hearing.
"You know exactly what I mean. But can I ask you something Loki?"
"Can I ask you something, Loki?"
The same thing Thanatos had said, with the same smile.
'There's no way..." Loki thought as she saw Dionysus' grin widen.
"Do you remember what Hel used to say back in Heaven?"
Loki had given Thanatos a look of confusion but now, she gave Dionysus a look of shock and horror.
"You're lying!" Loki shouted. "It's not possible and I would know!"
"Oh yes, I suppose you did become somewhat infamous for starting fights with Gods. Fun fact, it was your innate, sadistic drive that apparently drove Hel into wanting to create such a creature."
Loki's breath caught in her throat. Was Dionysus trying to say it was her fault that Hel tried to create her perfect creature of death?
"It's not possible to kill a god. Both you and I know it. Hel knows it. Everyone knows it!"
But just as Dionysus' smugness could no longer get any bigger, a sound bounced off the dark walls of the man-made labyrinth.
Dionysus scowled as a resounding gong of a bell echoed throughout the halls of Knossos, as it readied the attack that would turn the tide of the fight.
Loki now held her own sinister grin as she watched her fellow God's facade of ego and arrogance fade and be replaced by that of contempt and frustration.
"Even though your plan was perfect, the children still struggled and managed to overcome you and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Even that boy broke free from those chains and is here now to defeat you.
Dionysus grew a small smile once more.
"Those chains are forever imbedded into his skin."
That was the breaking point for Loki as she strode up to Dionysus, intent on wiping his cocky grin off his face. And she did just that, kicking him in the shins and after the God fell to the floor, Loki bombarded him with a flurry of kicks. Dionysus cried out, pleading with her to stop but she wouldn't.
Loki decided to remind Dionysus that Hel wasn't the only God that was feared in Heaven as she brutally beat the blonde God into the ground, not giving him a second to breathe. Cries of pain came from the God's mouth but that only incentivised Loki to beat him harder.
In front of her was the God who had tried to play her, who had taken away her children from her. The bastard that thought it was a good idea to play a game of trickery with the Goddess Trickster herself. Loki was going to make sure he would regret this for the rest of his existence.
Dionysus began to scream as if he were possessed, a deranged screech coming from between his lips.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! You garbage creatures, kill her !"
"...They aren't here."
"Thanatos! What are you doing?! Call the Evilus' remnants or some monsters. Get here now!"
"Why did you think they would come? Wasn't it you who cast them away and killed them?"
Dionysus' face was plastered with blood. He had discarded everything and everyone after they had served their purpose and now he was on his own.
As he swung his blade over and over again in a futile attempt to hit Loki, he shouted once more, losing the last bit of his sanity.
"Filvis! Where are you, Filvis!"
At the mention of the God of Wine's last remaining child, the beating halted. Loki had frozen in place, no longer continuing her attack. However, Dionysus was not able to revel in the freedom as he had fallen under the same situation as the narrowed-eyed Goddess. Both of their blood ran cold as they slowly turned to one of only two entrances to the room they occupied. Seeping from it was a cold feeling of dread and anger.
"Finally, I found you."
The voice made both Deities gulp the saliva that had built up in just a matter of seconds. Dionysus had forgotten any physical pain that had been afflicted on them, likewise, Loki had forgotten her anger and hatred for the blonde man lying in a puddle of blood on the floor. Both of them were frozen at the sight that entered their eyes. It was directly attacking their very being, the thing that they shared, that put them above those who inhabited the lower world.
As the creature walked into the room, the shadows peeled off his bare skin, the aura that emanated off it was attacking their divinity itself.
The Reaper had entered the fray and locked its eyes on its final target.
The silence in the room was deafening. Neither deities dared to speak, not being able to comprehend what they were looking at. The Reaper didn't stop walking, slowly progressing to the pair. It barely registered Loki's existence, solely focusing on the one remaining thing that had brought it so much pain and anguish.
Revenge.
That was what it sought. It didn't bother hiding it or masking it behind some false sense of justice. It knew what it wanted and finally, it was within its grasp.
It smiled.
Dionysus' eyes widened in fear at the look the Reaper was giving him. A dark Jade green hungrily stared at him, a toothy, sadistic grin supporting it created a terrifying visage. It struck his deepest fears. Never had he felt such emotion, not in his eternal years of existence.
Even though it was enjoying seeing a God, a thing that believed itself to be so superior in every way cower at its presence, it would not play with his food. At the unsheathing of one of his twin blades, the blonde God began scrambling away. Dionysus couldn't walk, the beating from Loki almost crippling him, so he crawled. This only brought the Reaper more joy. How pathetic the God looked, crawling on his hands and knees as his own blood trailed after him.
"Help me! Anyone, please!"
Dionysus began screeching for help as his inevitable fate slowly made its way closer.
"Filvis! Filvis! Filvis where are you!"
"Dead."
At the sinister voice, the god stopped and turned around.
"What...did y-you...s-s-say?"
The Reaper made its way to the God, passing the Goddess of trickery without sparing her a second glance, and crouched in front of him. Dionysus' breath caught in his throat as he struggled to breathe. His heart began racing as his golden Irises met those that wanted nothing more than to inflict unimaginable pain on him.
"I said she is dead. I killed her."
Dionysus tried to argue back but couldn't, losing the ability to speak. This was it, he thought to himself as he watched the creature stand back up and raise his sword above.
"W-wait..."
Loki tried to intervene but a quick glance back from the Reaper was enough to keep her mouth shut. Her vermillion hair was drenched in sweat as he eyes were as wide as they ever were, watching the spectacle of a mortal about to strike down a God.
Almost as if she willed it herself, a golden light flashed from the other end of the room where the other entrance to the room lay.
"I'm sorry Nathan, but I'm going to need you to stop."
The calming voice of Finn Deimne reached the three occupants of the room. Loki breathed a small sigh of relief; Dionysus breathed a much more profound sigh. The Reaper raised its head to face the blond prum, his narrowed eyes met the Braver's determined blue.
Though Finn Deimne entered the room seemingly in control and calm, just the sight of the half-elf holding his blade mere inches away from a Deity only enhanced the feeling of caution and unease that came from the almost suffocating aura the boy excreted. His thumb ached.
"Braver... why?"
"I would very much like to talk to the God calling himself Enyo and you sending him back to heaven would interfere with that."
"Not to mention strikin' a God is blasphemy, boy!" Loki spat out, her nerves clearly getting to her. She watched the half-elf casually walk up to Dionysus, no falter in his step, ready to slice the God's throat. Thanatos' smile lingered in her mind as the vague image of a tall Goddess with flowing black hair stood behind the boy, her hand nestled on his shoulder that he had used to point a sword towards Dionysus. Her cold green eyes alight in ecstasy.
Loki's sentiment was also shared by the rest of the adventures that had followed Finn into the room, including Gareth, Riveria, Shakti and the two Amazon sisters, all with their weapons at the ready.
Seemingly unfazed by the colossal wave of strength in front of him, the boy let out a small chuckle at the Goddess' words. The hollow sound was joined by a small laugh from the Dionysus.
"Oh, my dear Loki, this boy has truly told you nothing has he? Don't you know he..."
Dionysus was cut off as a small trickle of blood fell down the side of his throat where the Reaper was lightly pressing his blade into his neck. The crowd watching stood in shock at the God being held at sword point by a mortal in such a way.
"What! Y-you might as well tell them, or do you want me to, huh?"
Dionysus held his own as he stared the half-elf down, wanting to toy with the boy's mind one last time. But to his annoyance, the boy's smile only grew.
Raising his head, he looked over at Loki, tilted his head slightly and spoke in a cold voice.
"Goddess Loki, it would not be the first, nor the second time that I have struck a Deity down."
His confession was met with silence. Heads turned to Loki, hoping to grasp if what he had said was a lie but judging from the pale and horrified expression from the Vermillion-haired woman, the boy had not lied.
The statement hung in the air as no one dared speak, struggling to find words after such a declaration.
Seeing nothing else was going on, the Reaper once again readied his blades and with a swift cut down, aimed his swords at Dionysus' neck and chest.
*CLANG*
*CRSHHH*
As Dionysus slowly cracked his eyes open, expecting to see Tenkai, he was instead met with a golden spear and a large battle-axe obscuring his view, but more importantly, blocking the twin blades from impaling him.
Finn and Gareth stared the boy down as he jumped back, the two lowering their blades, standing guard in front of the God that had been their enemy for the past 15 years. Neither enjoyed doing it and part of them wanted to see the God be sent back to Tenkai but not this way.
"Why! He deserves to die!"
The Reaper's wrath only intensified at his final act of revenge being halted. His anger only adding fuel to the fire of a situation that was very close to imploding itself.
"I can't deny that I don't feel the same way," Finn started. "But I want to talk to him first."
"About what exactly. There is nothing left that is needed to know after he goes."
The Reaper held his blade up and narrowed his eyes at Dionysus, making him shrink back behind his newly appointed bodyguards.
"You don't know that. What if other people are still conspiring out there?" Finn said.
"There aren't!" The Reaper countered.
"How do you know?" Finn asked.
"Because I killed them all."
Finn's posture straightened at the confession, his grip on his spear tightening.
"I know there aren't any left because on the night I left I killed them all. Only the ones that remained in the depths of Knossos survived me."
The Reaper was beginning to breathe erratically, not enjoying having to remember that night.
"Oh yes, I remember that night," Dionysus stated with a small grin. "You really did do a number on our forces."
Finn turned to look at the God, a shit-eating grin on his face as he was starting to enjoy the conversation again.
"So on the night you fled from Evilus, you killed all who were associated with them?" Finn tentatively asked.
The Reaper nodded, his teeth grinding together as his eyes stayed glued on the God lying on the ground.
"What about Hel?"
It was Loki's turn to ask a question that had been on her mind since Thanatos had told her about Hel. Where was she right now? Her whereabouts were crucial if Loki ever wanted to get a peaceful night's sleep again.
At the mention of the Goddess of death, the boy clearly tensed. His grip on swords tighening to such an extreme his knuckles turned a pale white as his eyes dialeted into mere dots.
"...she was the first one I targeted."
Loki externally grew a few shades paler but internally was relieved that she would not need to worry about that Goddess anymore for as long as she was on the mortal realm.
But then a cackle echoed around the barren room. It drummed in the adventurers' ears as it only increased in volume and intensity. Holding his stomach, Dionysus was struggling close to holding back tears with how hard he was beginning to laugh. The laugh brought no joy to those who heard it, only serving to add dread and unease on top of the already dense atmosphere.
"Y-you.. you... really! I thought you knew! OH MY FUCKING SELF, THAT'S AMAZING!"
"What are ya talkin' about Dionysus!" Loki shouted at the God currently trying to compose himself. He didn't answer, only continuing to laugh at the half-elf in front of him.
"So on that night, you believe you sent Hel back?" He asked, his smile splitting across his face.
At that, the Reaper's eyes widened with rage.
"What are you talking about, I know I killed her. I will never forget it!"
"SO YOU DO THINK THAT! THAT'S AMAZING! BWHAHAHAHAHA" The God boomed out, his cackle only intensifying the Reaper's aura of bloodlust.
"I know she's gone, don't bullshit me. There's no point in your shitty lies now! I felt her falna rip from my back when I slit her throat!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!" Dionysus just continued to laugh hysterically, rolling on the floor in utter disbelief.
"I didn't think she was being serious but to think that she pulled it off."
"...You're lying..."
"Oh my dear boy, I almost wish I had made this up. Hey, just a quick question but do you have a skill that has something to do with having strong resistance to most substances?"
At that, the Reaper froze. His eyebrows twitched as continuously moved his fingers across the handles of his sword.
"Do you also happen to have a development ability that strengthens your mental ability?" Dionysus said with a sinister grin.
"...H-h-how?"
"Well, you see, as you know you obtained that development ability when you became level 4. This was the first indicator to Hel that something was happening. I found it strange one day when she came to me and asked if I could obtain some divine wine for her. I didn't know how she found out who I was but to say it scared me would be an understatement."
The Reaper looked on in shock.
'But I failed her with that task. She already knew?'
"So as a way to keep her hush hush, I made her some. And well, you probably don't remember because my wine is the real deal and well, let's say over the course of a year she fed you my wine."
Loki, Finn, Gareth and everyone just mutely listened. This was information Finn and Loki had been dying to know for a while now but they hated each new revelation about the half-elf's past more and more.
"This strengthened not only your mental ability but also your resistance skill began evolving. It surprised me each time she told me but she seemed to revel in talking about how amazing you were and different to everyone else. I must admit, she isn't wrong in some accounts."
The Reaper just stood there, frozen in place not knowing what to do. He knew what was coming but was begging to anything that could hear him that it would not be said.
"It seems Hel even predicted when you would 'Break free' as she phrased it. And near that day, she did something ridiculous."
"Tell me, do you remember a God named Rudra."
The name immediately rang bells in some minds. A main deity in Evilus and Astrea Familia's main rivals in the aftermath of the Dark Ages.
"Well after losing most of his Familia, as you may recall, he grew bored of the mortal world and was planning on heading back to Tenkai but instead, Hel gave him a proposition."
"... no, impossible. I felt my falna go that night, it had to be her."
The Reaper... Nathan was trying to make an excuse, any excuse. Anything other than the truth.
"Well that was because Hel, just before you went on your little rebellion, transferred you over to Rudra and since you were completely off your face most of the time courtesy of yours truly, with a bit of divine work, you fell right into her trap it seems."
The glee on Dionysus' face was clear to see as the words sunk into the half-elf's mind. He was beginning to shake as his anger increased.
Finn whispered to Gareth to tell those who wouldn't be able to handle this to leave. The dwarf slowly moved away and carried out his captain's orders.
As the quiet shuffling of feet began to move out of the room, leaving only a few remaining, Dionysus finished off his little speech.
"Poor Rudra. I wonder how he felt in his last minutes on the mortal world."
*CRRRRRRRRRRSHHHHHHHHHHHHHH*
"WHERE!"
Dionysus jumped back as the Reaper's blades dangled inches away from his throat, with only a spear blocking it.
"WHERE IS SHE. TELL ME NOW!"
"...wouldn't you like to know?"
"URRRRRRRAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
Dionysus squirmed in fear as the unholy sight of the Reaper rattled Finn's spear. Even though a whole Level separated the two, the gap in their strength was closed by the raw intensity of the Reaper's anger.
Finn was slowly being pushed as the Reaper slammed his right sword back down again, forcing the Prum to bend his knee. In the battle of strength, the Reaper was winning.
*FWWWWWWSSSSHHHHHHHHH-*
The Reaper narrowly avoided the swing of Elgarm's battle-axe. Darting back, he swiftly entered the nearest shadow, evaporating from sight.
"Nathan, we can talk about this..."
"..."
"Let us talk to him and we will get your Goddess' location.
"She isn't my Goddess!" The boy hurled back, refusing the claim. Finn winced at the harsh, deep voice.
"Ok, I understand but just calm down, let's just talk."
Finn was sweating. He knew that the boy's anger gave him extra strength but not to such a degree that it ignored the level gap and more.
"...Ok, let's talk." The Reaper's voice was quiet and sharp.
"Thank y-"
"You leave Dionysus to me and I won't kill you."
Finn's eyes narrowed at that.
"Is that a threat?"
"...I don't do threats."
Finn tightened his grip on his spear. The others joined him. Tiona and Tione stood by, their senses on high alert. Shakti readied her metal whip, looking around the room. Gareth studied his two friends. Finn was doing his best to remain calm and anticipate the half-elf's next move while Riveria was fighting herself whether to speak or not. The dwarf simply raised his axe once more and readied himself for the next fight.
"...so be it."
The silence that entered the room after the Reaper's final words was accompanied by a thick atmosphere. Beads of sweat trickled down the adventurer's foreheads as their eyes darted around the room, wondering where the boy was going to show up. Their mouths became dry as they didn't even dare to blink. They knew of his ability to hide in the shadows by now but finally having to come face to face with it in a fight was a feeling they had never felt. Not even Tione, who had fought him in similar circumstances could compare the two, even though only a month separated the two battles.
It wasn't until a cackle from behind the group of adventurers broke the silence did the dance begin.
Confused by the God's laughter, Tiona turned her head slightly to view the deranged deity. Even if it was only a millisecond, that was all the Reaper needed. Darting out of the west side of the room, the boy swung his left sword directly at the Amazon's throat, only to be blocked by the other Hiryute sister's blade. Instead of pushing him back, she tried to hold him, allowing Gareth to swing his axe at the half-elf. Elgarm only managed to hit the air as the Reaper used his momentum from his jump to twirl upside down and push off Tione's 3 pronged weapon.
"Gift me the power to control the wind around me, so I have the strength to fight another day."
Just managing to chant his magic in time with his feet hitting the ceiling, he used it to say crouched on the roof, only to evaporate into the murky darkness of the room.
"Pay attention, everyone! I wouldn't even dare blink if I was you." Dionysus shouted as continued to chuckle as he watched the battle halt once more. However, he noticed the death stare Loki was giving him.
"Why are ya even talkin' ya bastard? My kids are riskin' their lives right now to stop that brat from slicin' ya throat and ya mock them! Bastard!"
The adventurers tried to block out the argument between the two, knowing that if they were not 100% focused it could mean the difference between life and death.
"Now now Loki, no need for such vulgar language. I am just waiting to see how your children overcome another impossible task, that's all."
"The hell you talkin' about?"
"Loki, my dear," Dionysus said with a fake pity smile plastered on his face. "Let me inform you of something..."
Finn's blue eyes were darting around the room. All of a sudden a gust of wind shot out from behind him. Before he had even any time to react, Gareth slammed into the wall in front of him. Blood splattered out of his mouth.
Loki watched, horrified at one of her generals being blown away by something she didn't even see. She immediately switched her focus back to the blond God.
"Get talkin, NOW!" she shouted, beads of sweat dropping off her forehead.
"Just think Loki. They are choosing to fight Evilus' best killer on his home turf. A place in which he grew up for over 6 years."
It was Shakti that was next, the Reaper dropping down from the roof. Nobody saw it coming and before anyone could even help her, the Ganesha Familia captain was stabbed through the shoulder and kicked with a wind-covered boot into the east wall.
Finn, now grasping the severity of the situation, wasted no time in a swift counter-attack. Immediately charging at the half-elf, he engaged in combat, making sure he wouldn't dive back into the shadows.
Thrusting his spear at the boy's neck while also carrying a lot of momentum, Finn made sure that if the Reaper tried to jump backwards, Finn would just pin him to the wall. The Amazon sisters had also advanced on the half-elf, covering their Captain's flanks, not allowing Nathan to dart to the side either.
Caught in the Loki Familia's trap, the half-elf blocked the Prum's attack head-on. Sparks flew as the two opponent's weapons clashed. Riveria was already sending a healing spell to Gareth while preparing one for Shakti.
Finn and the Reaper held each other in a stalemate. Finn's level 6 strength versus the full weight of the boy's never-ending anger. However, Finn was no longer holding back. The Reaper felt his feet slip back slightly, his grip on the ground loosening. He wasn't the only one to spot this as Tiona leapt in, her Urga in full swing as she prepared to cut off both the boy's arms in one clean cut. Tione was a split second after as she readied a hard-hitting roundhouse to the half-elf's stomach.
In response, the Reaper pushed his wind into his swords and with all his strength, pushed his wind outwards, knocking Finn and himself backwards just in time for him to bring one sword up to block Tiona and the other down to meet Tione's bronze shin.
He barely managed to keep his right arm from breaking as the full weight of Tiona's Urga slammed into his sword only for his other sword to take the power of the other Amazon sister. The combined strength of the two Amazon sisters was only outmatched by the Warlord and the Reaper was reminded that the Loki Familia executives were never to be taken lightly as he was flung into the wall behind him.
As he coughed up blood, a golden light flew at him. If not for his instinct, he would've lost his right arm but instead, he managed to manoeuvre his body so only his left shoulder was pierced by Finn's spear.
Not wasting any time on the pain, he ripped the weapon out and before Finn had time to catch him, the Reaper immersed into the shadows.
The three attackers were once again joined by Shakti, Gareth and Riveria as they formed their huddle once more. Even though they had pushed him back and injured him, he had still taken out two of their members. If not for the courtesy of the half-elf not landing lethal blows, Gareth would be seriously injured and Shakti would have been dead by now.
'If we keep fighting, there is a high probability that he will stop himself from holding back.'
Finn gulped at the thought.
"C-captain? What do we..." Tione's voice trailed off.
"You know what happened the last time he fought seriously with an intruder of Knossos. Well, let's say he deserved that level-up. Beating a Ganesha Familia executive is nothing to scoff at."
Shakti's eyes narrowed to daggers in anger as she held her wounded shoulder as Riveria's magic began its job.
'Executive. He can't be talking about... No, it can't be. Julian?'
"I mean a level 3 defeating and killing a first class adventurer puts even the likes of the sword princess and the Little Rookie to shame."
"NATHAN YOU BASTARD, SHOW YOUR SELF!"
Finn watched as Shakti began roaring in anger at the half-elf, hurling threats and obscenities everywhere. He turned his attention to the amazon behind him.
"Just stay focused Tione. There is still time to talk.
Finn wasn't asking Tione, instead pointing his question to the hidden attacker.
"Braver, stop being ridiculous He has never had a reason for any of this, not really. The only one he ever had is now somewhere, only the Gods in heaven know where." The God formed a twisted smile. "The boy has been discarded, left alone with only a set of skills that makes the world shun him. What else is he meant to do? You seriously can't believe you can talk to him, do you? He has never known to talk, only to kill."
"I don't believe that. Nathan, please let's talk about this. Before you cross a line that can never be uncrossed!"
His plea was might by a snigger from Dionysus.
"Braver, did you not hear me just now? He's already crossed that line hundreds of times. There is no going back for him. But by all means Reaper, please prove me wrong."
The God's deranged smile was an unpleasant sight as he held his arms wide, knowing that the Reaper couldn't talk.
"I don't want to talk to the Reaper, the killer. I want to talk to Nathan of Hestia Familia."
"What's the difference?" Dionysus questioned, his grin only widening.
"Don't listen to him. There is a difference!"
Finn was doing his best to stay composed. The Reaper's overwhelming wrath was beginning to take its toll on his mind, as it was for everyone else. His thumb was aching like it had never done before. Fatigue from the long day of fighting and sleepless nights from the past week was beginning to set in. It wasn't looking good.
"Yeah, you are right. There is a difference."
A voice surprised everyone. Dionysus lost a bit of his smile at the voice as fear crept back into his mind but still, his cockiness had not completely disappeared.
"Oh, do tell, please."
"Lord Dionysus, if you don't stop talking I will walk out of here right now, understood!" Finn's fiery eyes were quick to shut the God's mouth as he detected no lie in the Prum's words.
"Nathan, please-"
Before he could continue, Finn was interrupted.
"Stop calling me that! Nathan never existed... not really. He was an act that I used to help take down Evilus and Goddess Hel. I used him to escape her grasp. I used him to join Hermes and later on, Lady Hestia. He never existed... only an act."
Finn remained mute, as did everyone else as they watched a part of the shadow break free from the northern wall. Shakti was about to hurl her metallic whip straight at the half-elf but Gareth held her arms firm, not wanting to re-instate the fight. It was clear the Ganesha Familia captain was not ready to listen.
They all saw the two swords by his side, his naked chest with his countless exposed scars and markings that littered his body. His hair and face having no cover showed matted bleached hair with dents of blood and dirt mixed in. As for his eyes, the original jade was fighting tendrils of black as they held a look of depression and apathy.
"That's the difference. Nathan of Hestia Familia doesn't exist. Who I was before no longer exists..."
The boy's words held sadness as he stood still, facing his opponents. The ones he had fought for almost 7 years. That was just short of half his life and every time, they had pushed him further down the hole. They forced him to hide within the walls of Knossos, made him deal with the likes of Valetta and Revis.
They had not come and saved him but he had not gone and asked for help. His eyes met his aunt's. It was clear she wanted to say something. It was obvious she knew by now they were related, even though she hadn't figured out exactly how. But now, any connection they might have had was gone and only one thing remained.
"There is only me... the killer."
With that, the Reaper sighed as he raised his right sword, hopefully for the final time, at Dionysus. He didn't say anything else; his message was already being portrayed.
Finn looked around. While Gareth was back on his feet, he wasn't completely stable. The day's fighting had taken a toll on his body, just like everyone else. Tione and Tiona were clearly shaken by the half-elf. Shakti, after hearing about another of Nathan's victims, was no longer in the right frame of mind but she too, like the rest of them, had lost the will to continue the fight after listening to the boy.
Finn spared a glance at his vice-captain, who was handling the situation the worst. Her mouth kept moving, attempting to make any semblance of noise but to no avail. Finn too, was at a loss for words but he knew it was for different reasons.
'What can I do, what's the best outcome for us? He's basically said there is no hope for talking now, so now what, we fight?'
Finn did not want to fight, so he did the only logical thing.
"Oi Braver, w-what are you doing?" Dionysus stammered. He was now beginning to realise what Braver was doing.
Finn had lowered his spear and had turned around.
"Let's go."
That was all he said as he began walking away from the boy, not sparing him a second glance.
"WHAT!"
"HEY!"
"BRAVER YOU BASTARD!"
Dionysus, Loki and Shakti all turned to face the Prum. Gareth had seemingly gotten the memo just before and the Amazon sisters would not question their captain.
Shakti had grabbed his colour, fire in her eyes as she stared the Prum captain down.
"DID YOU NOT JUST HERE WHAT THAT BASTARD DID! HE KILLED JULIAN!"
"I understand that you're angry but..."
"HOW CAN YOU UNDERSTAND, YOU-"
Shakti was cut off by the glare Finn was giving her, telling her everything. Finn too had lost people to the Reaper.
"BUT THEN-"
"Now is not the time or place. Trust me, I will not let it go but for now..."
Shakti turned her head to look at where Finn focused his gaze. She saw the melancholy look on the boy. The sight was pathetic but when she saw his gaze shift towards the god next to her, the anger and wrath came back as his eyes became slits once more. The sight made Dionysus squeal in fear.
"Braver, wait. I'll tell you everything, please. Just don't let him near me, please, please, please! I BEG YOU!"
'We won't win this, not now. But afterwards, I swear on Julian's name that I will have justice.'
As if to make her point, she gave a death stare to the half-elf, who gave the Ganesha Familia a side glance as if to register that he felt her gaze.
"Finn, you sure about this?" Loki asked her captain. Finn solemnly nodded. "It was either this or have him kill all of us."
"You serious?"
"Deadly."
The resolution in his answer shook Loki to her core as she too watched the boy begin to walk over to the sniffling God. Finn had freed himself from the pathetic deity with help from his Goddess who gave a swift kick in the face to Dionysus.
"Loki... *sniff*... please take me w-with you."
"Shut it..."
"You seriously can't allow this. A mortal killing a God."
Loki stopped walking away, turning to face the pathetic-looking God, then back to the half-elf.
"Not my issue anymore, take that up with him. It should be easy considering how much you know about him."
Finn left the room, followed by Gareth. Afterwards came the Amazon sisters who were hurrying Shakti out, stopping her from changing her mind. The only one still facing the boy was Riveria, who felt a touch on her shoulder.
"Come on, let's get going."
Loki gently grabbed the high elf's arm as she began walking her out. Finn had told her his theory that connected the two elves and when looking at his eyes, there was no mistaking it. She could only mentally apologise to Riveria as she forced her out of the room.
She gave one last stomp in Dionysus' back as he was beginning to stand up to run before Loki kicked him back down again.
Riveria just continued to look back as the boy's darkened jade eyes gave her one last sorrowful look as she was dragged out. She still wanted to speak but after hearing the boy, she could do little. She blamed herself for it. Someone from her family had been living in Orario for over 8 years and she had never known about it. He had suffered so much pain and anguish yet she had not been there to comfort him or help him when she should have.
That look in his eyes showed only sadness and regret. She followed her captain's orders, one last time, knowing it was the correct decision, no matter how horrific the outcome would be. But afterwards, even if the whole world would turn against him and hunt him down, Riveria promised herself something.
This time she would save him.
'But when, if not now, then when?'
The half-elf known as Nathan watched his aunt leave the room, the look in her eyes was one of regret and guilt before disappearing. The boy turned his attention to the snivelling mess on the ground a few metres in front of him. Finally, after all the years of torment and suffering, he was finally going to get his revenge. So why did he feel so empty?
Dionysus froze as he watched his only hope vanish, the sound of boots on cobble slowly making their way towards him. He spun round onto his back as he began his final plea.
"Look, Reaper. I can-"
"Don't call me that."
"Yes of course, sorry. You know I always hated that name Hel gave you. Horrible name isn't it."
His words were a mix of snot and water as his throat became clogged up.
"Where is she!"
"Spare me please, I can help you..."
"Tell me where she is, now!"
"I d-d-don't know, b-but I can..."
"What?"
Dionysus did everything he could not to throw up as the intensity of the half-elf's aura spiked again at the confession.
"I-I can h-help you..."
The boy looked at the God, hate piercing through the God. The boy raised his right sword up and above the God.
"P-please! Please, if y-y-you sp-spare me, I can help.
"How?"
"I can help you look, I'm sure I c-c-can!"
The stuttering mess of words, crying and sniffling was everything the boy had wanted. To see the ones who viewed themselves as superior finally be made into the pathetic messes they really are but he felt nothing and he knew why.
"You said you don't know where she is though."
Dionysus was scrambling backwards his arms flying in the air. The half-elf was getting annoyed by them so he cut of both God's hand in one quick sweep of his sword.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Dionysus screamed in agony as blood spurted out from his wrist, the red liquid staining the cracked floor of his soon to be grave.
The boy couldn't feel any satisfaction from this. His hope of having any semblance of a normal or happy life had now dried up completely. He had disowned his identity as Nathan. There was no place to go back to after this, nowhere to go. But he had known this since the start. This was the plan. Everything was for his revenge, the afterwards was meaningless.
"If you do not know, then you can not help. If you can not help, you are of no use."
But the boy knew the other reason why he felt nothing from this. Hel was still alive. She was still somewhere, ready to pounce on him when ever she had the chance. With her still alive, all of his revenge had been pointless. It could all happen again. That moment, 2 years ago, was the only time he thought he had gotten the better of her and now he knew. He knew that it was impossible to beat her. He was still trapped within her grasp, never to be let go.
"p-p-please... no... d-don't"
Dionysus was now whimpering his final words. Just like him, they meant nothing to the boy as he readied his blade, a final thought in his head.
"Goodbye."
'Nothing's changed.'
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