"But...".

Suddenly, he flung the golden dagger across Ange's left cheek, nearly sc.r.a.ping the ever holy light G.o.ddess's cheek with a scar, proving he has denied her generous offer. Soon, her face that had a fresh cut, leaked out a drop of crimson blood. Ange felt a mix of shock and surprise, as she had witnessed Zeran's defiance. Not only that, Zeran opened his eyes of burning rage and blurted out another response,

"I'll do things...MY WAY!".

Ange seemed convinced over his reckless behavior, so she stood up and went near the sitting Zeran. In a split second, she lifted up his chin with her flawless hand, proving her dominance over him, since she's a G.o.ddess of their world and he's just a mere speck of dust. Then, she tells him straight in the eye, devoid of any expression, revering the true light G.o.ddess's wrath,

"I'll take that as a warning shot Zeran Noah Aether..."

"Until then I shall wait for your final answer...".

Her whole presence had vanished magically later on. The freezing air was gone too. He sighed and scratched his head, thinking if it's alright to infuriate the light G.o.ddess through his reckless action. Though, he didn't mind it that much, since he was more concerned for Ru's current state, so he went back through the door. Thereupon, he saw the dark G.o.ddess Ruhime knelt down and leaking her crystal tears with immense sadness on her face. Her ears looked down in disappointment such as she was a sorrowful dog. His burning rage was gone immediately as he witnessed the poor little foxgirl Ru, instead his expression was replaced by the feelings of concern and pity for her. Then, he said,

"Ru...".

Ru replies, while she was rubbing her tears,

"So now you know the truth..."

"I'm just a pathetic, lazy, dark or evil G.o.ddess now..."

"I'm sure you'll just laugh—".

That sudden moment, Zeran embraced her with his n.o.ble guardian angel-like arms. Ru was shocked, turning her to delve into deep silence and freeze her words in time. Zeran wore a smile filled with immense amount of care and affection for her. His other hand caressed her head to ease her more. Fleeting b.u.t.terflies of divine gold and mystical lavanders surrounded around them as if those were flowing petals in the breeze. His heart full of empathy felt her scarred emotions. He muttered-out his expressive soft words that would penetrate her cold isolated self,

"Nah...I won't laugh at you...".

"Instead...I'm kinda relieved to see this other side of you..."

"Who you really are..."

"And besides...I'm sure you have other weirder reasons on doing this...".

"Other than what had she said right?".

Ru's frozen isolated heart had melted as she heard those comforting words of his. Her ever pained feeling was gone and felt Zeran's warmth. There were more and more graceful prismatic b.u.t.terflies swarming around them, as the two of them were understanding each others feelings deeper and deeper. Ru tries to utter out her reply to him, with tears of gratefulness,

"Zera...".

Though, her welling tears acted up, so she wasn't able to finish her grat.i.tude for him. She cried her heart out like there's no tomorrow but, the thorns weren't wreathed around her anymore, instead calming b.u.t.terflies were fluttering around her heart, while she was hugging Zeran very tight in her delicate maiden arms. Her tears kept on leaking unto the clean slate floor and her scandalous cries echoed such as she was a teenage girl but, he didn't mind those shameless things that she was doing, since he knew that she needed to release her pent-up self, so he kept on caressing the dark G.o.ddess's head to calm her heart more. Soon, he was in his thoughts,

("I don't know why...but this feeling...with her...it's something...")

("Before I hated her...but now...I just don't know anymore...in a good thing though...").

As moments pa.s.sed, Ru had dried out her tears and finished expressing her deep pain. The two of them were still embracing in each others arms. There were less b.u.t.terflies around the place. Their intensified feelings had calmed down. She uttered-out her words, with a relaxed look on her face,

"I'm okay now Zera...".

Zeran stood up and lifted Ru with his supporting hand. Ru brushed off some dust stained on her clothes later on, even though it seemed there were none at all. He asks her with an eager smile on his face,

"Hmmm...really now...well wanna go home for now or continue our quest?".

Ru replies,

"I wanna continue this quest with you Zera...".

He felt that her words were deeper and weren't her usual teasing ways for some reason although, he didn't mind it that much, since he knew she was still recovering from her previous state, so he continues to ask her more,

"Okay then...what's the next artifact we are after?".

She pulled out her smartphone from in-between her cantaloupe melons once again. She fiddled with her phone and tells him,

"It's called the...LAMP OF ESSENCE and the other one is called the...MIRROR OF TRUTH...".

He bowed down gracefully and gave out his hand such as he was a very nice gentleman to her. Ru experienced a mix of affection and surprise, as she saw his gesture, treating her some kind of a highly respectable lady. Red and pink petals burst behind her. She took his offer and let him hold her hand. The two of them descended the stairs such as they were stepping on starlight stairways. Zeran noticed that Ru was blus.h.i.+ng like a red beet, as they were moving down. Though, Ru just looked away since she doesn't want him to witness her embarra.s.sed self more. Their hearts were soothed as their warm hands were bonded together. As soon as, they came back from the luminous subterranean spring, there were blue and yellow fireflies sprawling and illuminating their bright tails the dimmed place blanketed in the night. Zeran stretched himself, since their journey was somehow very long. As for Ru, she grabbed her two plush dolls sitting at the corner together. The heavenly stairs vanished in a glimpse. Ru suggested that they should rest in this place first. He agreed with her and the two of them stayed at the place. Though, he was cautious since the monsters can enter the sacred place now. Ru was now sitting on the very ground, while she was hugging her two plush dolls that looked like their very selves in a cuter way. Soon enough, she was in her thoughts,

("I want those artifacts back...")

("Those are the only things that those former heroes left for me...before they left and reincarnated in the other worlds...")

("Except for the cheap-*ss Zeran plush doll though...")

("I really do wonder why Mai gave it to me...")

("I loved those heroes but...they chose to live on for their better lives...")

("When they knew I was the dark G.o.ddess of this world...")

("For Ange...my role is just to strengthen and test the heroes accordingly...")

("But...I feel more than just that when I was with them...even if I haven't BONDED with any of them...")

("But I feel something much deeper when I'm with Zera...")

("I truly can't explain it...").

She looked at Zeran with his golden claw attached, training himself at a short distance. He was letting out powerful blows and roundhouse kicks, while stanced for the heated battle. His face was nearly sweating, as he was improving himself for combat. Ru felt her chest had skipped a beat and an unexplainable warm sensation had coursed throughout her whole body, as she was observing the manly Zeran. She wore an endearing smile and says in her thoughts,

("I wonder what kind of artifact will Zera give me this time...before he leaves me...")

("Forever...").

She held her inverted purple moon necklace and foccused at it, making her to s.p.a.ce out for a moment. Soon, she was inside her sea of memories. She was in a specific vivid flashback. She was sitting down on the ledge of a fountain at a certain plaza. Though, her purple necklace wasn't worn around her. The area was filled with joyful people and kids playing around without any hint of concern. A little while later, a guy dyed with a light brown hair approached the lady-like Ru looking at the people with an angelic smile on her face. Thereon, he gave out a present wrapped in a purple ribbon and says,

"Princess Ru? err...here...".

Ru was surprised for a second but, she accepted it later on. She responded with a thankful smile and said such as she was truly a princess of high stature,

"Oh...thanks so much Lyon..."

"But why would you give it to me?".

Lyon replies back,

"Because, it's your birthday today right?".

Her face was dumbstrucked for a moment, as she heard those words from him, turning her to delve in her convoluted thoughts, while she was feeling embara.s.sed,

("I forgot...He asked when did I get born...")

("So I just thought of a random date...since I don't know when I became a dark G.o.ddess...")

("And I guess...I'm roleplaying as a princess now...sigh, I can't believe I came up with this idea...just to test him...").

She opened the present with her graceful hands and saw the two winged gla.s.s sculptures and her inverted moon necklace.

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Meanwhile, back at the sacred divine room of the light G.o.ddess Angehime. Ange revealed her total presence again but, she was wearing a stressful look. Moreover, she was walking around in cycles since, she was still disturbed over Zeran's decision. She sighed and brought out her pent-up words and frustrations,

"Tsk...How ironic...to think the chosen hero is supporting and helping the Dark/EVIL G.o.ddess on her measly demands..."

"Instead of MY greater demands for my world..."

"Hero Zeran...you truly disappoint me..."

"You aren't like the glorious heroes before you..."

"Your only path now is true despair...".

Suddenly, Queen Fae appeared from the midst of darkness and sat at the vacant chair with her crossed legs. She cracked out a vile smile and said with oozing interest filled with grave sarcasm,

"Well he's fond of that weird and weak dark G.o.ddess now...".

Ange took the fallen golden dagger from the floor. She glanced at it with great curiousness. The air became cold once again. In a split of a second, she slitted it across her other arm with a clean streak. Deep blood gushed out from her deep fresh wound that she had incurred on herself. The floor was stained by crimson ruby puddles. Her arm was seeped in her own blood. Though, her own wound healed soon enough without any hint of a cut nor damage at all. The golden dagger turned back into a normal bread knife later on. Her hand dispersed the bread knife into nothing very mysteriously. Ange agreed upon what Queen Fae had said before. Thereon, Ange says,

"I guess you were right...Priestess Fae...or should I say QUEEN FAE..."

"That hero Zeran was a mistake..."

"And how goes the conquering of the other Nations. The Nations that were against my ideals?".

Queen Fae replies,

"It is going smoothly Great Holy G.o.ddess..."

"The other nations were crumbling fast...thanks to...HIM..."

"Even if I destroyed the alliance from within...it was almost too easy...I just used my charming looks and beautiful body..."

"Then, let HIM crush them while they were mesmerized by me...easy peasy...".

The atmosphere was filled with negative vibes and malicious intent that would give chills to anyone, despite the two of them were revered as the light G.o.ddess of hope and Fae, as the queen of purity and peace ent.i.tled by the people. The golden b.u.t.terflies were gone and black b.u.t.terflies of bad omen had swarmed throughout the place instead. Ange went near to the trickster temptress Queen Fae. Then, Ange imposed her words on her,

"Also Fae...you'll know what to do...".

Queen Fae nodded and responds,

"I understand...my light G.o.ddess...".

Fae crossed her legs once more. Ange took a seat at the nearby chair. The air became stagnant in coldness. For some reason, there were an immense number of abyss b.u.t.terflies fluttering around them such as some kind of effeminate ritual was being held. The floor released a runic golden glow, in which it was very entrancing and mystical to see, depicting an ancient symbol of a huge golden rose along the place. The two of them said with great determination in their eyes,

"FOR THE BETTER OF OUR WORLD!".

Though, there was a vague womanly figure looking at the both of them with a devilish grinning smile at the distance unnoticeably. She was letting out a deathly aura that amplified the distorted sacred place even more.