148 Deep within...

Hey my bros!

As I said, I'll post one chapter and perhaps one side chapter later on depending on my mood, but that is unlikely as my mood isn't that great.

Exams were... Not exactly pleasant.

Can't win them all, at least I'm not depressed anymore.

Enough of this, we shall continue from where we left off.

This chapter was heavily inspired by the new Episode they released for the Danmemo game, the one that pretty much confirms that most of the main characters seem to be the reincarnations of some important figure of the distant past.

We also have some explanations and base to go by towards how the powers of the past went, such as the Goddess Finn tries so much to measure up to, she indeed existed, albeit she wasn't a Goddess but just a normal Pallum that was deified as time went on.

She was also someone's past reincarnation... If you are interested, just research a bit and it shouldn't be hard to find out who she was.

For example, we found out how strong they were, around Level 5-6 if they used their abilities, and also, the innate connection between Divine artifacts and the Soul, how the warriors of the past could awaken abilities within their soul, and how Spirits could see it to choose who to go by.

Kind of like that, anyway.

Some hate this development, while others like it, I find it interesting, perhaps, how would some of the characters think and react upon realizing their past?

Would they refuse it, believing it to be merely something that already happened, or would they stick to it with some level of pride?

It's interesting to think about.

Anyway, that's all from me, see ya.

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/Flash.../

'As her eyes flashed, Silver couldn't help but start to lose himself in them... Realizing once and for all the magnitude of the being in front of him.'

'Such beauty... A being indescribable by words stood before him.'

'Sensual… Mature… Pure… All at the same time.'

'Something that attracted all, beauty unrelated to gender and species, capable of stirring the hearts of all, Heroes or Demons.'

'This was what the being in front of him represented, not a mortal, a God.'

'A God of beauty, incarnation of nature, personification of a concept of nature, standing in the flesh in front of him, beckoning him...'

'A thought process way over the common sense of a mortal. Impossible to understand, impossible to refuse… Should it even be refused?'

'What can a mortal do when even those that stand with her will fall to their knees?'

"..."

It's done.

'As her eyes darkened and its glimmer vanished, Kichijoten stared at Silver's eyes… No, was she staring at something beyond that?'

'Her body moved slowly, like a tree in the faint wind, in sync with nature.'

'Silver watched as her lips parted and closed, faintly breathing in cold air…'

'He could feel it, he could hear it, all of his senses magnified… Wanting to move at her pace...'

'A petite body hiding beneath little clothing… Feeble, weak, it could not stop him.'

'Such were the events that happened within the single moment, faster than the blink of an eye...'

'His desires surging, he continued to watch... Like ice, his mind melted away.'

'His body desires it, his mind desires it… But his soul...'

'Yeah… What about his Soul?'

"Hm?"

I charmed him but…

Is something wrong?

Do I lack practice? Maybe, I rarely do this after all...

'Kichijoten looked at Silver's Platinum eyes, they seemed to glow faintly, perfectly reflecting her image, like a mirror.'

'She knew he was a man of will, and she saw the moment her eyes fell upon him.'

'Many... That was the number of mortals she met throughout her life, and all, male or female would feel attracted towards her.'

'However him... Did not gaze at her with hidden intentions, even from the first time he saw her, she knew he found her beautiful, as his reactions were very honest...'

'But at the same time, he acted cordially, he saw her as a woman, and not as an object of desire, it may seem odd, and even out of place to say this, but for her, that was a great accomplishment in itself.'

'As Gods many times failed in accomplishing this, that in itself may not be that big of an achievement as Gods aren't that different from Mortals, but that is a matter of perspective.'

'It's not like he was the sole mortal that ever reacted like this, she saw a few throughout her life, each with their own conditions, all regardless, possessed some sort of great will.'

'Be it towards a cause, idea, someone dear, revenge, and the many other complex emotions she saw ever since she descended.'

'That was, after all, the reason behind her descent, experiencing the many colors of the Mortals, understanding it, and finally, spreading smiles across the world, warm, like the sun, this was her... Motivation.'

"Hm?"

'Despite it all, her charm still took him down... Or did it?'

'His face was slightly flushed, and he was unresponsive as he stayed motionless looking at her, showing that he was influenced…'

'But she felt that… The connection wasn't properly established, something seemed to be missing.'

'Normally, the gaze of someone under Charm would be… More akin to one of desire at the start, more suited words may be, absent-minded.'

'But he looked oddly focused on something, and that thing wasn't her.'

Uhh… Did I ... Did I do...

Something wrong?!

"Oh no…"

Please no…

It has been so long since I actually used Charm that…

'Even though she descended long ago, Kichijoten rarely used her ability as she thought it was wrong to impose herself on others.'

'But sometimes, bad people needed to be disciplined, and as a frail Goddess, her only weapon for self-defense was this.'

'Lords that ruled tyrannically, merchants with lewd desires, assassins with dark hearts… She took care of them all, a simple Charm can send them to their knees.'

'Their looks were always the same and at the same not.'

'When their Soul is exposed upon the Charm of their Mind, their truest emotions will be displayed for her like words on a sheet of paper, like the words displayed on the back of someone who received a God's blessing.'

'But she saw none of this on him, something was lacking… She simply couldn't see it.'

'Her Charm had not reached his Soul, this was what she concluded… But was that even possible?'

'Hermes saw her expression changing, and he started to have a bad feeling, but he shook his head, there was no way such a thing could happen...'

"Is it done?" Hermes asked with a pensive expression

Even great Heroes will fall to the beauty of a Goddess… Be it Legends or Myths.

Such is fate, nothing to be embarrassed about, nothing to cry over.

I wouldn't be able to sleep if he could do so, it's not like he is the King, the man with the biggest self-control I had ever seen.

But their conditions are just that far from each other...

"I… It should be." She replied awkwardly

'She breathed in and out, trying to calm herself.'

'Hermes nodded.'

"Then let's do it, better have this done as quickly as possible." He said as he got up from his seat

If he gets charmed... Hestia wouldn't let me be...

Neither would Artemis...

Now that I think about it, several Goddesses would be mad...

Heh, he's exceptional even in this.

Now... Once this is done, I'll have a talk with him, there are a few things to discuss.

'He walked to the table behind Silver and set several cups of multiple colors and sizes on top of it, just like he said before.'

"Whenever you're ready, I'll be here in case anything happens, and to keep an eye out for unwanted visitors."

I brought a few things with me as well just in case... You have to be prepared for anything.

'She nodded.'

"Silver, could you turn around and take a look at the cups for me?" She asked cutely

"..."

"Hm?" She mumbled, confused

'A certain feeling starting to take hold of her heart...'

'Because Silver was unresponsive, like a statue he stood there, unmoving.'

'His Silver eyes simply stared at Kichijoten, not in defiance, not in anything, a simple gaze devoid of emotions.'

"Hm?" Hermes muttered in deep surprise

He's not moving?

Resisting? Doesn't seem like it.

Even if someone tries to defy a Goddess' charm, they'll at least show some sort of emotion or bodily reaction.

He looks more like someone that has been brainwashed.

'Hermes looked at Kichijoten, but her expression was pale.'

"Kicho?" Hermes asked, concerned

Things don't look good.

"I… I think I… Somehow he… His Soul it…" She stuttered continually

'Hermes realized something had gone wrong.'

"Okay okay! Calm down and reply to me slowly…" He said as sweat started to go down his forehead

Did something unforeseen happen?

This isn't good, she isn't one to take such serious things lightly…

'Hermes grabbed her shoulders, trying to calm her down.'

"Tell me what happened."

"He… I think… His Soul… Is gone."

"WHAT?!" Hermes replied as his expression twisted

Of everything, you could've said!

'He frowned, brought his right hand to his forehead, thinking… And then he said:'

/Slam!/

'Hermes slammed his hand on the table, knocking the colorful cups on the ground.'

"Please take another look! I refuse to believe a simple Charm experiment would have done any sort of harm to him!"

It makes no sense! Why would a Charm do such a thing?

Unless?

No, that is simply... Those times are long gone.

However... There are many irregulars in heaven who wouldn't mind breaking the rules... More than once...

"But I'm telling you! I cannot feel it! I cannot sense it! I…"

'The two continued to bicker with each other while Silver stood there…'

'Until…'

/Blink.../

"...?"

'His gaze shook as he blinked his eyes, the white sheen on his eyes vanished as he started to look around confused.'

Urg… My head…

'Silver felt extremely dizzy, a level of confusion he hadn't felt ever since his childhood training, a time when working out until he passed out was frequent.'

It doesn't quite hurt... I just feel... Overly heavy.

'He raised his head, seeing a peculiar scene…'

"... YOU! Do you even..." Hermes exclaimed

"ME?! I simply...!"

'Two Gods were screaming at each other furiously, their expressions were pained.'

'Hermes bit his lips, he didn't want any of this to happen, he never wished nor predicted this…'

'He felt he failed, an oversight, he should've done more research, asked other Goddesses' opinions, prepared beforehand for any scenario.'

'While the beautiful Goddess was full of grief and indignation, guilty of what she had just done.'

'Due to his current confusion, their words were echoing in his ears, so he couldn't quite understand them, only when they talked loudly…'

'But that hurt… Akin to when someone screamed next to you while you were extremely hungover.'

"... To do?..." Hermes said as his eyes trembled

How do I explain this to them?

No... It's not too late.

Someone that knows the Soul intricately... I know several such people, one is bound to have a solution...

'Their screams were starting to pain Silver as his headache continued to increase in magnitude, and he also didn't like the course this conversation was taking...'

'So before they screamed further, he said:'

"Urg… Stop… By all of those up and down… Speak less… And in a lower tone..." Silver said as he clutched onto his head

"?!"

He's…

'But before Hermes could think, Kichijoten jumped towards Silver and grabbed him as tears formed in her eyes:'

"Sniff!... I'm s-sh-orry…." She said, stuttering

I... I almost...

"??"

About what?

'As his vision returned to normal, he saw the relieved yet concerned gaze of Hermes with a face full of sweat, and the crying face of a Goddess as she plunged into his chest…'

What happened? Did she use Charm on me? Why is she crying?

And why does Hermes look like that? I never saw him so out of character.

'His eyes darted around, but he saw no signs of struggle or anything bad... But there was none, everything was in its respective places, apart from the cups that were scattered on the ground.'

'He turned his gaze to the side, looking at a small ampoule Hermes had set up beforehand.'

It's lower… So time passed, was I… Charmed? Around 3 or so minutes?

'Silver tried to remember the cups, but he couldn't… This only meant one thing for him...'

'He had failed!'

'He had been Charmed, fallen under the control of someone else! And even now, he couldn't even remember what had happened, only a terrible headache remained on his mind.'

Dammit!

So in the end, it was useless.

'Frustrated, Silver misunderstood what happened, his expression becoming dark as he thought about everything that just happened.'

'Still, he couldn't understand their current actions, why were they bickering with each other, and why were their expressions like that?'

"What happened?" He asked out loud

'At the same time, he thought:'

Regardless if I was charmed or not, my plans do not change.

However, I would like to know as much detail about this as possible, so I can formulate any sort of failsafe…

'Hermes thought about what to say, but he couldn't find the right words to do so...'

'While the Goddess remained there, hugging him, albeit, she had stopped crying.'

'So Silver resumed his thinking:'

My greatest idea so far would be to walk around with a bomb, every few minutes I would stop it from ticking, but if a Goddess charmed me and stopped me from doing it, the bomb would go off and throw her into heaven…

Just kidding, that was a dream I had one day, but it stayed in my mind for some reason.

I woke up with a loud gasp, scaring Hestia awake...

"You… Are you okay? No stress, no hard feelings?" Hermes asked as he sat down, finally gathering the words for the situation

'His expression returned to normal, not to his usual relaxed appearance, but to his true side, the cunning man he is, the messenger of the Gods.'

'He thought and thought, trying to make reason of what just happened.'

'As the cards fell in place, the theory formed on his head...'

'Someone had to think, and that little Goddess over there wouldn't be the one to do it...'

"Why would I feel bad?" Silver asked, starting to understand something gone wrong

"Albeit I do have a headache..."

And this Goddess… How long will she hug me?

I don't quite mind, but lady... We met not so long ago... I'm afraid this might provoke a few too many people...

I know Gods have completely different standards in regard to things, but this is pushing my tolerance limits.

I just don't want to push her aside when her mental condition is like this and sound rude... I have a certain image to maintain, despite it not being that important.

And uh... Cough! A goddess of beauty is quite... Cough!

'Seeing his expressions, Hermes let out a small sigh of relief as he formulated his response.'

"Well… To explain… You weren't Charmed… Kind of." Hermes replied slowly

If Hypnosis takes hold of the Mind, Charm takes hold of the 'Self' and the Soul.

So the phenomena responsible for this awkward situation have to be contained within one of those two.

Or within the process...

Meaning, that he has to have some sort of ability that can block a Goddess Charm.

It's the only possible scenario, and I'm sure he's not with any sort of protective gear... And as far as I know, there are no such examples within Orario anymore.

As for the matter of her not being able to feel his Soul...

There is no living being without a Soul.

So it has to be... A Skill? One that when activated, resulted in him being absent-minded.

Perhaps that was his reason for wanting to do such a thing.

If that's the case, he still doesn't trust me enough...

Kicho not feeling his soul may have been due to that, something strong enough to...

Make it disappear from her senses!

And if that isn't it... He was born with some Unique 'element' inside his body like the Heros of Old.

'As he processed Hermes words, Silver asked with a confused gaze:'

"I wasn't Charmed? Say that again?"

"You weren't charmed." Hermes replied seriously

"..."

"Everything points to that friend."

"You don't remember the cups because you never looked at them in the first place, if you did remember, I would be even more confused." Hermes said with a small smile

/Nod.../

'The goddess nodded slowly, despite being like this, she was somehow paying attention to it all, much to Silver's discomfort.'

'Ignoring her, Silver continued with his questions:'

"Then what happened to me?" He asked as he scratched his head

If I wasn't charmed, then what was I doing for 3 whole minutes?

And how did this cause them to start arguing?

What could make a composed person such as Hermes lose it, and make someone that wishes to spread happiness scream in anger?

"You don't remember?"

"What is there to remember?" Silver counter-asked

"This is… Peculiar… I was expecting to hear some sort of reply from you..."

He isn't lying, how concerning.

So despite it all... Did the Clash between the Charm and whatever happened result in his mind shutting down?

A protective measure perhaps? Or something else?

There were a few cases where mortals had displayed capabilities on par with the Gods... So it wouldn't be surprising if they canceled each other.

But that is so rare...

Or is it something else?

Urg... I hate having so many possibilities for a single question...

"Can you explain to me what happened at least?" Silver said, ignoring the Goddess that had somewhat calmed down

"Well…"

Explaining is pretty simple.

...

/A minute or two later.../

'Hermes quickly went over what happened, leaving Silver with more questions than answers.'

"I can understand why you're so puzzled now…" He said as he shook his head

Summarizing what he said…

She used Charm on me, but something happened and the Charm failed.

I became unresponsive, and it was then that Kichijoten found out that she couldn't feel my Soul.

More precisely, she couldn't see it from the beginning, but she, like many other Goddesses of beauty, can get in touch with the Soul during a Charm, even if only for a brief moment, or in different magnitudes varying from Goddess to Goddess...

But not feeling mine even after using charm was indeed distressing for her, greatly in fact, because it meant something she had never experienced before, and the unknown was fearful, hence, she assumed my Soul had just left my body, or worse, the recoil of whatever happened might've destroyed my Soul.

Something that isn't impossible considering the differences between Gods and Mortals...

Freya is Unique in this regard, she can see the Soul at all times… But I can't ask her to be the one to Charm me to confirm what just happened.

There may be others like her, or others with their own unique features, but that is irrelevant right now.

So what happened exactly? I have nothing, nor did I ever do anything that could generate such a reaction.

Perhaps my Skill?

I could say that the Charm of a Goddess is a challenge to overcome, and hence, it activated.

However, if I assume it did... Even if it did, how would it...?

Regardless, this is a stretch of its capabilities... albeit I cannot deny such a possibility since in the first place, analyzing a Skill simply based on its Hyerogliph explanation is unreliable.

The Divine Glyphs can be wrong, or incomplete as they are often unable to discern certain abilities, like Fin's Intuition and Cassandra's Prophetic abilities.

"It seems we got a mystery upon our hands," Hermes said with a small smile

Whatever it is, things took a turn for the better.

But now, I need to make sure it stays as such and no sort of side effects will haunt him…

While also finding out his uniqueness.

My attention has once again been picked... Not that it ever dwindled.

'Hermes smiled.'

It has been ages since I felt this eager to find out about something, ever since Zeus left things became quite...

'His expression soon darkened.'

Without him, things became a tad bit... Darker.

Even the Children that once held the future choose to turn their backs on their past glory...

Just what did they see that day?... That doesn't matter now.

"..."

'Once Hermes was done talking, Silver looked at the Goddess, thinking that enough time had passed and it was time to act, so he looked at her and said:'

"Thank you for your concern, I'm better now." He said with a small smile as he patted her head

"... Sniff… Okay, sorry for intruding..." She said slowly

'She stopped hugging him walking away from him, but when she stopped, she started looking at the ground like a kid that had done something bad.'

"..."

'Hermes looked at her and thought:'

Sigh…

For someone eager like her whose happiness is to spread more of it all around, causing such a scene must've taken quite the toll on her mood.

But she'll recover soon enough because that's how she is.

Once enough time has passed, I'll... That'll work!

'Hermes smiled once more, another plan lit up beneath his Golden head.'

"Anyway… Thank you all for the help, I've learned a lot." Silver said with a bow

It's time to start moving after I research more about this.

"Huh? Are we ending this like this?!" Hermes said as his eyelids twitched

You can't just leave?!

"Is there anything else to do?" Silver asked

"Of course there is! We need to find out what exactly happened… I… I could try looking for someone more versed in this field and…"

'Silver raised his hand.'

"Thank you for your effort, but I don't think it'll be necessary."

I know what he's trying to do, figuring that the problem is within my Soul is the most likely scenario since that is the root of the Falna...

But no matter how good the intent behind it is, I don't think it's a good idea to go after Gods that can peer into my Soul… Much less allow them to do as such.

Since that is pretty similar to allowing them to see my Status... It would depend on what they see...

Still, I myself don't know what they'll see... And in a sense, I fear that.

'Silver's expression blackened.'

Not like I can stop him if he brings one to me of his own accord...

But in that scenario, I'll have the moral ground, not that it matters much.

Depending on what they see, they may just ignore everything including morals.

'He saw that his answers wouldn't be bought so easily by the two of them, so he said:'

"If I start to feel bad, no matter how much, I'll come to you two okay?" He said with a small smile

'Hermes wanted to say something, but he simply let out a sigh.'

'He nodded, and Kicho did the same, albeit she was still a bit down seeing how well-mannered she was being…'

"T-take care..." She said in a low tone

"... Sigh." Silver said as he shook his head

"One of these days, why don't you visit our Familia?" Silver asked with a small smile

It wouldn't be bad to have her Familia know ours, since she is a cheerful Goddess, most likely, her children would be well mannered as well.

"Ah!"

'Her expression brightened, and she said yes with a smile, she was back at her usual appearence.'

'And that was how it went, albeit, the repercussions of this event were only starting.'

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Notes

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