47 CHAPTER 46 (1/2)
The next day, Otorine was sitting on a bench, while she was relaxing at the vast indoor park encased in a dome-like crystal glass. The birds were chirping and the place wasn't that much bustling, turning the place to be very serene for anyone's senses. While Otorine was looking through the green vicinity, she was eating some kind of sandwich slathered with rich peanut butter and egg.
”Hmmmm, the Dragon Goddess Dance huh? And it'll be held tomorrow at night...”,
she said to herself. Sooner or later, Yumine came to her,
”Hey Ori! I knew I'd find you here!”.
Then, Yumine sat beside her friend. The two of them felt that their stress were gone, as they continued to feel the calming breeze and the scenery of the emerald field. Yumine swayed her legs and expressed herself with a smile, while she was looking through the horizon,
”Ya know that black penguin monster or whatever ya call it, looked similar to the penguin monster that Nassus fought before, when he was in our world...”.
Otorine replied,
”Yeah, and that's the last resort of that vile empress who proclaims herself to be the Goddess of our world...”.
Soon enough, Otorine dove to her sea of memories filled with vivid fragments of her past.
Following the events of Yumine's, Otorine's, and adult Nassus's early journey through the world of Uminoya, the three of them had already infiltrated the extravagant castle of the ambitious empress. The air was very intense as the giant crimson penguin monster was dead at the edge of the ruined wall. Its body was slashed and pierced through the edge of the wall. The empress who was sitting on the crimson throne was trembling in fear. Since, her eyes were seeing that adult Nassus was wielding his broad blade next to the silly-looking deceased monster. To Nassus's left and right, Yumine and Otorine were handling their respective weapons. There after, the empress who looked-like a terrifying woman blurted out,
”No...way...HOW COULD YOU THREE COULD BEAT MY MOST POWERFUL PET?!”.
The next moment, Nassus approached the empress. The empress sweated and gulped, as Nassus pointed his weapon straight at her neck. Then, Nassus let out his strong words, while he was giving her a cold stare,
”Now, stand down empress...and pay for your crimes of taking down the real Goddesses.”.
For some reason, the empress made a devious grin, as she heard Nassus's recent statement,
”Hah! Real Goddesses?! THOSE TWO ARE IMPOSTERS!”.
As for Yumine, she felt annoyed over the self-proclaimed statement of the empress,
”Sigh, how much do we have to tell you...we're real Goddesses!”.
Although, the empress just ignored Yumine's words. She made a sarcastic smile. Then, she caressed Nassus's cold face and asked him with her tempting voice,
”Tell me, warrior Nassus...have you seen of what they've said to you? Have you seen their MIRACLES? Have you seen these...THESE OTHER WORLDS THEY'VE MENTIONED?!”.
The empress grew confident and said more with a loud tone,
”If not then they're just FAKE GODDESSES! HECK! What kind of Goddesses loses their powers? Make-believe that is!”.
She tipped off Nassus's sharp blade and put her hand on top of her chest to reel-in that her words were true to tell,
”And I can prove to you that I'm the REAL GODDESS!”.
As Nassus heard those confident words from the empress even though her life was at stake, Nassus closed his eyes. He had stopped pointing his weapon at the empress. While for the empress, she made an evil grin, as she felt that she won the favor of Nassus. Sadly, Yumine and Otorine were utterly surprised of Nassus's strange action. The air was silent, as it seemed the tables had turned. Otorine tried to ask Nassus,
”N-Nassus? Anything the matter?”.
Nassus didn't respond but, he just let out a strong sigh. He opened his eyes filled with seriousness and said straight to the empress in front of his face,
”Tell me empress, do you believe that you're truly a Goddess?”.
The empress replied confidently,
”Well yes...”.
Nassus questioned her more,
”And do you believe there are other worlds other than Uminoya?”.
The empress responded strongly,
”Yes but, the only world that has life in it is...MY UMINOYA!”.
Nassus assumed,
”So you don't believe there is life in other worlds then?”.
She replied with pride,
”Well, yes!”.
Soon, Nassus pointed his blade, turning the empress to feel tense once again. While for Yumine and Otorine they've regained their composure, as Nassus was back on their side somehow. Nassus looked at the empress straight in the eye,
”Let me just tell you something, empress. I wasn't born in Uminoya. Rather, I came from another world...”.
The empress retorted,
”Hah! All I could say is that...you had memory loss!”.
Nassus replied,
”If that's the case, do you know the Goddess named, Ira?”.
The empress said,
”Hmph! I'm the only Goddess, that Ira must've been very close to you as you call her Goddess.”.
As Nassus heard those imposing words from the empress he just sighed. Then, he let out his final verdict,
”So that's your answer...”.
The next moment, Nassus swung his blade in a split of a second, decapitating the empress's head. In turn, both Yumine and Otorine were widely surprised, as Nassus did a fast one. Nassus closed his eyes and said with a very low tone,
”Sadly empress, you don't know what a Goddess is truly capable of. These two Goddesses before me might spout the the strangest and ridiculous things but, they know Goddess Ira and her world...And that's enough for me to believe 'em.”.
Sooner or later, the chilling vibe in the air had dispersed. Otorine and Yumine sheathed their weapons, as the battle was over and their persecution was no more. While for Nassus, he knelt and struck down his sword's tip into the ground to give respect to the deceased corpse of the empress. Yumine let out a relieved sigh,
”I guess it's over huh...”.
Suddenly, sparkling rainbow starlights showered over Yumine and Otorine such as those were blessings from the high heavens above. Yumine and Otorine felt soothed and they also sensed that their magical powers were back. Thereon, Yumine asked,
”Hey Ori! Do you feel what I feel?”.
Otorine replied with uncertainty,
”I think so?”.
Yumine responded with glee,
”We got our powers back!”.
Otorine looked dumbstruck but, she tried to cast out magic by bringing out her hands. The next moment, she was able to create a condensed water sphere made out of thin air. Yumine nodded, as she witnessed her friend's magic, so Yumine tried to do it as well but, by swinging her arms forward,
”GLITTER BUTTERFLY!”.
Afterwards, Yumine released lots of glowing pink butterflies that flew and shone like pink diamonds along the place. Later on, Nassus stood up and sheathed his blade, as he was done giving respects to the corpse of the decapitated empress.
He turned around and heard Yumine's voice from afar,
”Nassus Nassus! We got our powers back!”.
Otorine nodded and made another water sphere. Nassus made a smile as he heard and witnessed that they got their powers back,
”Really? That's great!”.
There after, Yumine pointed her finger upwards and dared at him,
Now do you believe us that we're REAL GODDESSES?”.
Nassus laughed and made a sarcastic smile while he was looking away,
”Hmmm, maybe?”.
Yumine was irritated once again,
Oh c'mon! How can we prove to you that we're the REAL GODDESSES huh?!”.
As for Otorine she laughed with lady-like poise, as she had seen that her friend was getting annoyed of Nassus's partial statement. Otorine looked at Nassus straight in the eye and she said with daring intensity,
”So you want us to prove that we're true Goddesses is that so?”.
Nassus nodded,
”Well yeah...”.