Against the Tides of War

Vaskill stood in the middle of the battlefield that was currently isolated. It was supposed to be a deadly zone for divinities, but with Nah'kia's power, she managed to make it a decent hideout.

Vaskill stood in a daze, but after a while, clarity returned to his blood-coloured eyes.

"Reminiscing?" Nah'kia asked.

Vaskill nodded. It had been several millennia after their first meeting, and they now had decent understanding with each other.

He then turned to Nah'kia, and asked. "Why do you not fight?"

"Because I loathe death."

It was ridiculous, but there was no falsehoods in her statement. A Goddess of Death who hated death was no different from someone who hated living itself, but the thick essence of death everywhere invigorated her Divine Authority.

"I see." Vaskill did not doubt her. There was no need to.

Ever since their first meeting, they had been into countless more battlefields as they supported each other. Skahr'dell had yet to appear again, while Nah'kia followed him wherever he went.

"It is time." Nah'kia reminded.

Vaskill didn't answer, and took out a sword. It was a sword that had been present within him ever since his birth, and it had been one of his most powerful cards.

His body released a gentle glow as Vaskill slowly released his Divine Authority. A powerful Authority then spread around a few hundred lightyears as everything inside were either suppressed, or inspired depending on who he chose.

It was his Divine Authority. The Authority of Heroism.

Nah'kia, who stood beside him, despite her expressionless face spoke. "No matter how many times I see it, it still baffles me. Who would you have a concept that belonged to mortals? I have never heard of anyone having Authority of Heroism before."

Vaskill, who was still releasing his Divine Authority, glanced at her. "I don't know. In the first place, I never knew my Divine Authority when I awoke."

After a while, Vaskill retracted his Divine Authority as he also put away his sword.

"How was it?" Nah'kia asked. Vaskill gently shook his head and answered. "No good. There is none here."

Nah'kia lowered her head. "I see."

They had come here to search for any new-born divinities, as it would have been time for new ones to appear, but to no avail. The Divine Realm was simply too damaged to give birth to new divinities.

Ever since the war began, the number of new-borns kept decreasing as time passed, and today, it had decreased to the bare minimum number. Zero.

Vaskill turned as he started flying. "Let's go." He called out.

And so, after confirming that no one would be born from the Divine Realm again, they moved to somewhere else.

◇◇◇

"Will they really follow you?" Nah'kia asked as they they traversed the skies.

Vaskill didn't answer. However, he already had his Divine Destiny read. He was given birth by the Divine Realm for a purpose. And he had realized it not long ago.

'Heroism...'

He thought about his divinity.

It was a concept that only existed in mortal worlds, but for some reason, the Divine Realm had given him such Authority. Although Vaskill had yet to know how it works, the sheer aura it exuded was great help.

Nevertheless, no matter what his Authority was, he had already taken the decision to fight. And fight alone.

"How much farther?" Vaskill asked Nah'kia who seemed to be in a daze as she replied with a bit of delay than usual.

"...Not far. Keep moving forward." She answered.

And so, they continued forward.

◇◇◇

BOOOM!!!

Not long after they continued moving, they could now feel the faint explosion from afar as the feeling of death intensified.

Vaskill who felt it, didn't have a change in his expression as he thought about how it all began.

◇◇◇

A few centuries ago, as he was dragging Nah'kia along his battles, he witnessed something he had never seen before.

In a battlefield where divinities continued their slaughter, only a few survivors remained, and Vaskill along with Nah'kia was among them.

And as he observed the battlefield, he heard a conversation.

"Why..." a divinity asked. He seemed to be a new-born. One born much earlier than Vaskill.

"Why do I have to fight?" He continued.

In his feet lay another divinity who could barely move due to the corruption of his own Authority, but was not resisting any attacks sent towards his way.

And it was the same even before now. The entire time, Vaskill had noticed that he wasn't attacking, but instead was only defending.

And now, the act had aroused an emotion from an opposing divinity.

"...I...do not want...to hurt...anyone..." the divinity who lay on the ground spoke. His voice was weak, but he had conveyed it clearly.

Vaskill's eyes widened from the exchange. All this time, he had thought that the fighting was something everyone wanted, but this event planted seeds of doubt in his beliefs.

And from then on, Vaskill observed. Everytime he joined the war and entered the battlefield, he watched.

He watched the spectacle repeat itself, over, and over, and over again. It varied from different divinities, but they were all afraid.

They were forced to fight in a war they never wanted, and forced to hurt and get hurt.

And the final trigger that affected Vaskill the most was when a divinity had killed himself. And before he died, he spoke...

'Save me...'

'Save me...' those words rang within Vaskill's ear as his Authority that kept itself dormant until then, exploded into existence as all divinities who fought were blown away from the sheer force.

And ever since that day, the world he saw had completely changed...

◇◇◇

"...skill...Vaskill." a voice called out.

Vaskill came to his senses as he looked towards Nah'kia. "I apologize. I spaced out."

Nah'kia shook her head and spoke. "It's alright. However..." she paused, and then informed.

"We're almost there."

Vaskill nodded as he looked forward where powerful blasts of Authorities flew as divinities constantly fell and died.

It was time for war.