The execution.

"Wait!" The black woman in the white robe ordered.

"I didn't hear a please~" I teased, pushing the knife harder against Reynard's throat.

"Please stop. I beg of you." She said.

"Aha! Now that's more like it!" I said, silently increasing the range of my reality anchor to cover her too.

"So, what brings the Despoinai, Our Lady Underground, Persephone to this humble little farming village? Hope there's not going be a mass grave here, cuz I don't think these backwater folks can afford to lose any more workers~"

She frowned.

"You know full well why I am here."

"Oh I do. I just want to see if you had the utter shamelessness to say it. So go on. Let me hear it."

"Spare my-"

"Atatatat!" I wagged my finger, "Where's your manners?"

Persephone ground her teeth and took a deep breath.

"Please spare my son."

"No." I fired back immediately, taking in the conflicted looks flashing over her face.

Hehehehehehe.

"You see, I was wondering what you were upto, y'know? Why come here now, instead of I don't know, three days ago when your little baby boy here was gutting a bus full of 3rd graders?

I mean I have heard that everything is part of the gods' plans and all that but seriously? Talk about killer plans. Whoo! And the less said about his trouser snake habits the better. You'd think he came straight from Zeus's nutsack with how much he can't keep it in his pants." She winced as I said that and I didn't miss it.

Holy shit. He is one of Zeus's crotch fruit, isn't he? And here I thought the gods couldn't get more fucked up. To think he raped his own daughter.

"I was busy. Gods have duties. Believe me I-"

"Ah, of course! Silly me. You had your godly duties to attend to, yes? What was your domain again?"

"You know wh- nevermind." She clenched her fists, as she continued, "My domain is the underworld. I was busy dealing with the souls of the dead. Ensuring their peaceful passing to the afterlife."

"Ah, of course. Of course. I get it. I really do. You had your duties and you can't really be expected to keep an eye on everything. It's too much work. I understand. Totally." I nodded with a chuckle, "Except you see I heard this funny little tidbit from a few of my contacts that were made guest of the underworld courtesy of the prodigal son right here. Nice lobby. Decent starters. They especially loved the bowling alley. First week is lucky week and you get all strikes and then slowly your rate of winning goes down until you're ready to move on. Just brilliant. Great design work. Really. But you see once they stopped winning and got bored, they started a fun little project. As you do.

They died unfulfilled and well, honestly traumatized so can't blame them for having second thoughts there.

And over this past week or so, they began to slowly map out the underworld. Checked out valhalla, made a trip to yamalok, until finally, finally, they found your secret little underworld factory run by child slaves."

"The shades aren't enslaved-"

"Atatatat! Did I finish? No? Then shut up and let me!" I snapped at her, shocking her into silence.

"Now where was I? Ah yes. The shades! See they told me that they heard from one of your pet shades, that you, Our Lady Underground haven't been seen in the underworld in let's just say....quite a while. Straight from the horses mouth too. So of course, I am led to wonder. If you weren't doing your duties in the underworld, and you clearly weren't managing your son on Earth, what in the fuck were you doing?"

"I-"

"And before you answer just know that I don't give a single flying fuck about anything that comes out of your lying whore mouth. So keep that in mind."

"You're just playing with us, aren't you?" She glared at me.

"Hm? Why? Don't like being on the receiving end of your own shtick? After what you guys did to Arachne? Cassandra? Hercules? Medusa?

Man tries, gods laugh. So, go on." I smiled, "Laugh."

"Please, don't do this there are more lives at stake-"

"There are always lives at stake, bitch. But that never mattered to you before now did it?"

"It's not like that. Killing gods has consequences!" She cried.

"Oh I know. The old gods shut down magic, massive disasters hit the world. Death toll in the tens of thousands. If you're lucky. And pray tell, who set it up like that? Not mortals I'll you that much. So tell me again how much you care about saving lives now, all of a sudden?"

"Jay maybe we should-" John suddenly interrupted.

Probably worried about the loss of life.

Silly goose.

"John. Relax. No one will die. I will make sure of it." I pulled out a magic battery with blood red symbols carved onto it. When he dies and releases a massive wave of energy, I'll suck it up into this battery so no disasters strike as an aftermath. Trust me, John. I came prepared. I have been preparing for this for years now."

John heaved a sigh of relief and settled back down.

Truly a moral paragon this guy.

I'll at least let him enjoy the last moments of his life in peace.

I turned back to Persephone who was looking at John with pleading eyes to no avail.

I grinned.

I had John under contract. He couldn't stop me if he tried.

"You know....a couple of years ago, I'd have sold my grandmother's soul for a chance at apotheosis. To be immortal and invulnerable. So much power. So much ....freedom. All of it wasted on your kind."

"Is that what you want?" She asked.

"Yes." I replied, "I want you to give me his divinity the method to extract divinities from a god, while you're at it. And in return, I won't kill you and your son for the crimes against humanity that you have committed.

A fair bargain, if I say so myself."

"And just to make the decision easy for you..."

I slit Reynard's throat open with a clean sweep, letting him fall to the floor like a rag doll, choking on his own blood.

"Tick tock, goes the clock~" I taunted, "You might want to be quick about it."

Persephone looked at me and then at Reynard, bleeding on the floor, choking out his last few breaths.

"Do you swear by it?"

"I swear it. If you give me his divinity the method to remove divinities from gods, I promise, on my life that I will spare the both of you. Do we have a deal?"

Persephone gulped heavily and nodded.

"Yes. We do."

"Good." I smiled and let up the reality anchor.

Immediately, she rushed to Reynard's side, and healed him before putting his to sleep.

She turned to me and tried to disappear, reneging on her promise but found herself stuck.

"Seriously? You're trying to run away? Did it work the first few times you tried? And don't even pretend you didn't try. I saw you do it a couple of times while we spoke. You're not slipping out of this lady. Just give me what I want and we can be done here."

She clicked her tongue with annoyance and resigned herself to the bargain.

"Observe well. I will only do it once." She said, placing Reynard's head on her lap.

She brought her hand over Reynard's chest as it blurred, causing some sort of distortion that the sensors in my glasses recognized as interfering with reality at a fundamental level.

With one swift move she dug her hand into Reynard's chest and in an instant, almost teleported it out at a blinding speed.

Except this time, in her hand lay a seed of divinity, glowing with a soft golden light that lit up the farm causing plants to sprout out from the sheer force of life it gave off.

I swiped it off her hands eagerly, and gave it a once over.

Measuring it's Hume level with my glasses, I found that it was producing a thin, constant stream of it's own personal reality.

Yes. This is a true god seed. Real divinity.

Shame she tried to scam me with it till the last moment.

"Just insert it within your soul and it will work." She said, gesturing at me to give it a go.

I snorted at her cheap tricks.

"Really? Again? Did you seriously expect me to not notice your son's soul still in the seed? Nice trick putting him to sleep back there, but it'll take more than that to fool me."

A shocked look appeared on her face causing me even more annoyance.

"What? Did you seriously expect me to just swallow it whole and get possessed by your son? Just give up my body as a new vessel for him? Piece of shit!" I brandished the blade at her.

".....I don't know what you're talking about." She said softly, averting her gaze.

Bet she's thinking I won't waste a god seed.

Heh.

Try me bitch!

"Oh really? Then you won't mind if I just..." I raised the Leo blade to the seed and slammed it down when-

"NO!" She cried out at the last moment putting her hand between the blade and the seed.

The blade pierced her palm through, stopping millimetres before it touched the seed and I immediately backhanded her, sending her tumbling to the floor, ripping her palm in two.

"You broke the deal. Now face the consequences." I once again went to stab the seed when she lunged at me, grabbing my leg, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"NO! PLEASE! Forgive me. Please! Anything. I will give you anything. Just spare my son."

"Should have had that attitude when you had the chance."

"No, I....I will give you my divinity too. If you let him go. Please."

"Jay, this...this doesn't look good. We're better than them, right?"

"You want to spare them?"

"No. Not him. But Persephone...she is a big deal. I have been reading. Her legend shows what happens when she is taken away or harmed. Her mother is the goddess of harvest and fertility. If she is angered.....that is a disaster no magic battery can contain."

"John. Trust me. Please. And let me do my job."

He nodded and stepped back.

"There we go." I turned back to Persephone, "So you'll give me your divinity too huh? But that's not enough. You need to compensate me for the emotional damage you've put me through too." I bullshitted, acting up, "I don't think I can trust anyone ever again!" I wiped a fake tear from my eye.

"What do you want?" She asked defeated.

"I want you to sweeten the pot. But, I am a reasonable man. I'll settle for your divinity, Reynard's divinity and twenty shades from your Elysian mansion."

"That is all?" She asked with surprise.

"As I said, I'm a reasonable guy. Unless you want to give me more?"

"No! No. I... I will give them to you. Twenty shades. Yes."

"You will huh? No tricks?" I asked again.

"I will. I promise. On my life. On my godhood."

"Uh huh?" I looked at John, "You see that John? That's who you were trying to save. The kind of woman who would sell the souls of twenty innocent children to me just to save her rapist, murder happy son." I pointed the blade at her.

And finally, I felt his eyes go cold too as he realized what I was saying.

"Was this all a game to you? Is that what it is? Do you rejoice in our misery?"

"In a word? Yes. Very much so. But more than that, this was a test. You gods are fond of tests right?" I chuckled, kicking her away, "Call it baby's first test of morality. Twenty children's souls or one rapist and murder's soul. And let me just say this, lady, you failed it spectacularly. I mean, selling twenty kid's souls to some rando behind a barn? You're gonna make satan blush!

But! John is right. I am better than you." I said, tossing her Reynard's divinity back along with a contract.

Even gods cannot break a Word As Bond after all.

"Sign the contract. Put his soul back into him, wake him up, then give me the both of your divinities. And then fuck off." I said, putting away the dagger.

Gotta give them a string of hope.

Just enough rope to hang themselves with!

That way their betrayed expressions will be even more delicious!

I cackled internally as I watched her bow gratefully to me as she did as I asked and woke Reynard up before handing me two, pure divinities.

I nodded and stowed them away.

"Thank you." She said tearfully, "Thank you so much."

"Oh don't mention it." I waved her off.

"I won't forget this. You won't see me ever again." Reynard said, but I could see his intentions.

"I know." I said, and smiled, handing Yue the dagger.

"Do the needful, will you darling?"

"Gladly." Yue grinned.

"Wait you promised them-" Immediately I froze him in place.

"That I wouldn't kill them. Yes. But Yue....is not me." I grinned evilly, as Yue flew onto action. Within the second she was upon Persephone, hacking away as I grabbed Reynard who fell to his knees in despair.

"Now, now." I brought him back to his feet, turning his head to face John, "You might want to have a look this way. Give your son some last words before you go. Be a real father for once." I patted his back.

He gave me a helpless look and turned to face John.

"Don't trust him." Is all he said.

And I laughed.

"Too late. John is already contractually enslaved to me. Isn't that right John?"

I looked at him as his eyes flickered with fear and panic, unable to move.

"So here is my last request to you, John. Die. By turning into bloody puree." I tossed the magic battery I had prepped earlier at his feet, just as the word as bond came into effect.

In an instant, before Reynard could even react, John blew up into a blotch of bloody goo, letting out a massive burst of magic all collected by my magic battery, before collapsing onto the floor as I felt the word as bond I had signed with him burn away.

"Nyooooo!" Reynard screamed, falling over, grabbing the gooey, bloody mess that was his son with his hands, his fists clenched in pain.

Ah! That's the face I wanted to see.

Hehhehhehehehehahahahahhaah!

"You monster! How dare yo-"

Slap!

I slapped him into the remains of his son, dying his face with blood as the battery glowed with magic again, as Persephone died too, chopped up neatly to pieces. Diced and cubed.

"Now I would love to torture you. I really would, but...." I tapped my watch.

"We're out of time. So..."

I grabbed Reynard's head by the hair amd lifted him back up as Yue swung out with the Leo blade, beheading Reynard in one clean stroke and let loose another shower of blood, completely drenching us both.

And damn, does she look hot in red.

I leaned down and gave her a deep kiss that tasted of iron as we both teleported away one last time.

Back to Fillory.

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