Chapter 126: Simple moments and set ups

(A/N: Very sorry for breaking immersion but I just wanted to remind everyone that the Auxiliary chapters are still there for anyone who can't keep up with all the characters also every new introduced character is also immediately added to Auxiliary chapter 2, bye bye!)

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"Hm, you seem to be in a sour mood," Aegraxes mused, leaning against the wall of Rhiannon's luxurious room. "Is aught amiss?"

The woman scoffed, swirling the red liquid in her gold goblet before taking a dignified sip. "Telluris was no sport, the battle was swift and undecided. Yet I knew the outcome of it all the same."

"Oh? And what would that be?" Aegraxes asked, intrigued by the power dynamics among Divine Beasts, Ancestors, Gods, and Dragons. Given the unique abilities of each race, it was challenging to determine the most powerful entity.

"I would win, of course," she stated matter-of-factly. "Telluris is powerful, I will admit. But my powers are superior; eventually, I would win. They know this to be true." Was it merely pride talking, or were these facts? Could she truly defeat the strongest Divine Beast? Perhaps the Ancients' powers were more peculiar than the Dragons' abilities to impose laws on reality or the Gods' divine powers capable of altering the realm on a grand scale.

"Pride talking? Well, I don't care, I suppose. The emperor is keen on meeting you. Besides Selwyn and the rest of the children, you will be instrumental in the upcoming festival."

"The festival, yes, it does seem rather interesting. I've yet to properly test the denizens of this era," she hummed at the thought. "Though I care not about meeting this nation's emperor, his children are all that interest me, and I only find interest in them because they possess some measure of strength. The dragons were powerful, and I hope their offspring do not disappoint."

"I admit I did not initially peg you for someone so interested in something as barbaric as battles to the death," she scowled at the way he was putting it.

"Fool, I may derive some pleasure from battle, but at the end of the day, I could live without it," she spat out, taking another sip of her goblet. "What I find more entertaining is testing the worth of others," Rhiannon corrected with a sharp glance. "Worry not, Fate Walker, your time will soon come," she added with a grin. "But enough of that, I've questions you will answer," more of an order than a request. "North from here, I sense Divine signatures, about ten of them. They're identical to the Gods, yet I can gauge some key differences. It is much the same in what was that nation's name...ah, Galadriel."

"Ah, those are what this era calls the 'Inheritors,' spawns that stand out from the rest of them. Those who were truly chosen to 'ascend.' In essence, it is those who were found worthy, those that have the potential to reach the Gods. Though currently within this world, only three could rival them somewhat; they could even rival you."

Despite his words, she smirked, "Oh? Is that so? I have to retract my statement of this era being a bore. Oh well. Ten reside in the North, correct?"

"Indeed, though only five were ever made known to the public. And only five ever participated in the previous few festivals. Verdantis is scheming, but smart if anything. They keep a few Inheritors hidden, and now they've gained an additional two. They might shape up to be the most dangerous nation," Aegraxes mused.

"And among these Inheritors, who reigns the title of 'strongest'?" she questioned, anticipation almost lacing her tone.

"They are all undoubtedly powerful, though it took a great amount of sources to determine how strong each of them is. Each, while not Gods, has immense potential, and how they battle is unique from the Gods themselves. Among these blessed few, he stands atop them, the Inheritor of the God of strength. A fierce warrior who, like you, has bested a Divine Beast before. Without a doubt, he is the peak of mortal strength."

"Now that I find intriguing, a mortal can reach such levels of strength? I would like to traverse to the North this very instant, but the test must be savored. They do take more of my attention. Mayhap I should resign from meeting dear Lyra too soon." This was beginning to shape into quite the wonderful era. ("Yet still within this realm, it is lonely without you.") She internally mused, though said musings could not continue further as the door to her room suddenly and violently slammed open.

"So it was true!" She heard a voice bellow, the wild lime-green hair and red horns were the first things the Ancestor took note of.

"Beatrice," Aegraxes noted. "You should still be resting."

"Rest? Rest!?" She echoed. "You expect me to rest!? Rest while this fiend confines Arne's soul!?" She screeched. Aegraxes repressed a sigh. It was about as he expected; Beatrice was the closest to Arne, so her reaction was understandable, to him at the very least. He glanced at Rhiannon; her bangs hid her eyes and the majority of her expression. Rhiannon could not even be considered an acquaintance, but he knew her personality well enough. Whether it was from old tales of her cutting out the tongues of those she didn't like to look at or whether it was how prideful she was now, he knew what shaped her attitude and drive. So he prepared himself to battle Rhiannon should she make an attempt on Beatrice's life; he would lose. The body he harbored was but a husk and not his true one; that body had withered away long ago. But at the very least, he could keep Rhiannon busy for a good amount of time.

"Oh? You've a mouth on you, child," Rhiannon mused in an almost neutral tone, as if completely discarding that she was insulted moments ago. "Normally I would just kill a cur who would dare gaze at me with such eyes or insult me, but you've my interest. You and the other more humane one, your potential intrigues me," she casually mused. Beatrice's eyes narrowed into a glare.

"I care not what you think! Return Arne's soul!" She demanded.

"Ah, the Fate Walker's soul residing within me? Hmm, I think not," Rhiannon's lips curled into a smirk. "There are benefits I seek to reap from this soul. Benefits that are there but that I have yet to discover. But if you want it, then you'll have to take it by force."

Beatrice gritted her teeth hard enough to almost shatter them as she took a single step forward. But a raised arm from Aegraxes stopped her.

"Do you mean to demean Arne, Beatrice?" He asked, his voice blank.

"What?" Beatrice furrowed her brows at the sudden question.

"Arne sacrificed his life for yours; in fighting Rhiannon, you are merely throwing away that life," Aegraxes clarified in a pointed tone.

"B-but, she is-"

"Arne's sacrifice would be all for naught," he cut her off; her fierce look slowly dissipated. She looked to the ground like a sullen child. "What Arne wanted most was for us to reclaim Aethel; Rhiannon might not be an ally, but she is instrumental all the same. I understand your frustration, Beatrice." Approaching her, he gave a small smile. "For now, Beatrice, be strong; not long now, and the first calamity will begin. When six others follow, this realm will be devoid of life; nay, this universe will be. Then we shall reshape it; we will bring back all those we have lost, including Arne."

"I-" She pursed her lips, glaring at the surprisingly quiet Rhiannon before turning a sullen gaze back to Aegraxes. "I apologize; I shame both Arne and myself," she muttered out.

"It is understandable; to the denizens of this realm, you are an old entity. But you are still but a child. Now rest. You and Ezerald have the most imperative roles to play after all," she merely wordlessly nodded her head as she turned around, quietly leaving the room. A few silent moments passed before Rhiannon gave a humorless chuckle.

"Fumu~ With such honeyed words, you may even attract my attention," she mused, sipping gracefully on her goblet.

"Well, I am flattered," he said with neutrality.

"Do not mistake me, Fate Walker. To warm my bed, one needs more than a few words," she stated with a smile. "And besides, I find your true form... much more appealing." She licked her lips to get more of the wine off; for some reason, he felt as though the action had a different meaning, one he chose to ignore for now.

"I see," he did not, well physically he saw, but he could not gauge what she was getting at.

She merely rolled her eyes, "Never mind; mayhap later when I'm sufficiently more bored and in need of a plaything."

Rhiannon was powerful but odd, he decided. "I see, so what is your plan now?"

"I'll observe things up North, maybe test these Inheritors," she mused, swirling the wine in her goblet. In other words, she was going to cause a lot more chaos, swell. "Still, I've an interest in that girl, Beatrice, was it? And that other one, Ezerald, they have potential despite being so young."

"They are the least affected by the metamorphosis our kind underwent due to the war between the dragons and Gods," Aegraxes clarified; she hummed in interest.

"I suppose that is why you are inhabiting this husk? Oh well, no matter," she set her goblet aside as she rose from her chair. "Prepare those two for me upon my return; I've plans for them."

"You're off to the North then?"

"I am; I look forward to seeing what these Inheritors are like," she smiled at the thought.

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The setting sun was quite the view from up high. Mikoto watched it listlessly while leaning on a railing overlooking some city buildings.

"Enjoying the view?" He heard Mirabella utter before taking a place beside him.

"Hm? Where are the others?" He questioned.

"Well, little Valerie was insistent on getting ice cream, so she dragged us all to the nearest available vendor," she chuckled a bit. "Luckily I was able to escape," she joked.

"Little sister, huh? Little urchins, I swear," he mused. Hinata had a sweet tooth. Usually, whenever they passed a store, she would hound him to buy her sweets with his own money, annoying but endearing. It, at the very least, showed that Hinata was still a child despite what they had gone through. "But color me surprised, Mira."

She gave an apparent eye twitch of annoyance at the use of her nickname. "Gah! Don't go starting with that! It's bad already; my sister already calls me that!" She exclaimed, though with no real hostility behind any of her words.

"Thought best buddies were supposed to have cool nicknames for each other; what am I supposed to call you now?"

"Hmph! We're acquaintances at best," she denied. "And even if I had to pick a nickname for you, it would be 'the idiot who doesn't want to show his face.'"

"Dunno," Mikoto shrugged. "Sounds like a mouthful. But better than nothing, I guess. But you seem less cranky than usual."

She just gave a mock scoff as she watched the sun set along with him, "It's just not having to do some useless training anymore."

"Arcane Ascendance, right?" She nodded her head with an annoyed look.

"I haven't even begun to make progress; this whole thing is just annoying," she scowled slightly. "Blondie is the same age as me, yet she got it down instantly, and here I am struggling. I won't be good to anyone if I can't use it."

"Think there's a reason Agatha was able to use it immediately," Mikoto started, her gaze snapped to him with interest.

"Really? C'mon tell!"

"Well, it's simple; she's changed. I doubt it's something most would notice, but she has mellowed out considerably," Mikoto explained, getting furrowed brows from Mirabella as a result. "See, back in Verdantis, there was this village the two of us discovered; it was destroyed by those cultists, and it was a massacre there. Seeing that must've clicked something within her, if I had to take a guess."

Mirabella's lips thinned, "So what I'm suppose to change? What would I even change?"

"The way you think, probably; you're too keen on utilizing things that have nothing to do with destruction. Maybe that's something you need to start embracing, just my thought."

"But..." She frowned deeply, "Thanks to you, I just started making progress with other branches of magic. I don't want to go back to how I was; destruction... I don't just wanna rely on something like that. Something only good for killing," she took a distant glance at the cityscape below them. "That's all I was ever good at, whether on purpose or not, my magic was too unstable; I just end up killing. Just saying it leaves a bad taste in my mouth would be putting it lightly. It disgusts me, but that was all I was good for."

She heaved a heavy sigh for a moment before a slightly embarrassed look adorned her features, "Well, with your help, I was able to deviate from that path," she cleared her throat. "Don't get the wrong idea, though; I'm pretty sure I could've gotten it down easily on my own!" She finished with mock ego.

"Uh-huh, whatever you say, little Mira," he got his desired reaction via an annoyed glare from the aforementioned girl. "But destruction is also good for protecting, you know; it's how I'll be using it, at least." She looked at him questionably. "Destruction, use it to kill scum," he bluntly stated. "With destruction, you can protect those deserving; even if you dirty your hands, at the very least, you'll be using it for good and not for what it was originally intended."

"But won't it be the same?" She questioned, her eyes seemed uncertain but with a hint of understanding. "I'll kill and destroy all the same; I'll still be the same."

"Doesn't seem all that bad; this Mirabella seems like the best."

She spluttered slightly, "Don't just go saying that kind of thing!" She exclaimed with a slightly red face.

"Geez, calm down; it's just a compliment," he waved off. "One you should take to heart; you shouldn't try to be someone else. I haven't known you for long, but you—Mirabella, you're fine. Nothing needs changing."

Her eyes widened slightly before she gave a small scoff as she glanced away, "Of course, I knew that! I just... uh, wanted to use other magic; I don't want to change myself," she argued. Mikoto hummed.

"Then there's your starting point; embrace what you're good at," Mikoto advised sagely. "But if you do need help, I'll still be around for a while tomorrow."

"You're going away again?" She questioned, almost sounding disappointed.

"Yeah, there's something I need to see back in Verdantis."

"Huh!? You're going all the way back there? For what?" She questioned, perplexed.

"A romantic rendezvous with a hot older woman."

"W-what!?" She blurted out, red in the face.

"I'm just joking; I'm doing some research 'bout something. There's someone there that'll provide me with some much-needed advice," he clarified with a chuckle at her still embarrassed expression.

"I... I see. Then could you..." She pursed her lips, debating whether she should voice her next words. "C-could you help me out tomorrow?"

"Sure, why not?" He answered; he did not know why it took so much effort for her to say that.

"Aww! So cute! It was like you confessed, Mira!" Astrid's voice cut in, causing Mirabella to nearly jump in fright. "The setting sun was a nice touch too! So romantic!" She chuckled on, along with her was Juliana, who stood with slightly flushed cheeks, no doubt due to the misunderstanding. Valerie seemed oblivious, merely enjoying her vanilla ice cream. Lucinda idly stood to the side, a strained smile on her face for some reason.

"I-it's not like that!" Mirabella was quick to correct.

"No, she totally confessed; she had tears in her eyes and everything. You just missed it," Mikoto 'corrected,' Mirabella gave him an incredulous look.

"Wha-"

"Hahahaha! Mira, how bold of you!" Her older sister blurted out with a hearty laugh.

"Wait, did you really...." Lucinda herself seemed quite taken aback.

"Of course not!" Mirabella denied. "He's spouting bullshit!" The spawn of Octavia somehow seemed a tad relieved. The second princess, meanwhile, gave him an embarrassed glare; he shrugged.