A Promise with the Goddess

The Nameless Goddess landed centimeters away from Alden, causing his heart rate to slightly speed up. She was an ephemeral beauty who could also most likely obliterate him, confidence could only get him so far.

With a sweet smile, she placed her hands behind her back and slightly leaned towards Alden. It was an innocent gesture, but Alden was on his guard.

"If it's you, then you could probably do it." The goddess said as she looked at him over many times with her scarlet eyes.

"Do what?" Alden raised a brow as the goddess started to walk in a circle around him.

"Defeat the 12 Demon Gods!"

She suddenly stopped and gave Alden a serious look.

Alden was taken aback, from his memories of this life he knew that the Demon Gods were among the strongest forces in the world.

"Why in the world would I attempt to do something like that!?"

"If you do so, my father, the Creator, would certainly entertain an audience with you. You could ask of him whatever it is you desire, and for such a great feat he would certainly fulfill it."

"What would you gain from this!?" Alden asked, suspicious of her reasoning.

The goddess frowned and finally stopped in one place. The white void suddenly turned into outer space and they were floating next to the planet.

"This is the truth of the world. My father, The Creator, has forsaken it. The Demon Gods' presence has split my power, but if you consume them and return it to me, I can gain it back. My purified form as the world tree will restore my father's faith in this world."

"…" Alden didn't know what to say, usually the mysterious goddess would give someone power. In this case though, he already had a power but the Demon Gods did sound like trouble.

"You might want to decide soon, the knights hung you upside down upon my branches. I took you inside my trunk to shelter you, but you can only survive for so long with such wounds on your physical body."

Alden shook his head with a sigh, he knew he currently had no choice. She would most likely keep him here until he agreed or until he died.

"What do I call you?" Alden said in a soft tone as the void around them started to grow smaller and smaller.

"My father didn't name me before the Demon Gods fell to the earth, so I'll allow you the honor of doing that." The goddess said as she clasped her hands together.

"Fine then, "Daiyu". "Black jade" for your shining dark hair. I'll eat the gods! Then I'm going home, this world is too messy and chaotic!"

"…Daiyu." The goddess thought about it for a second before nodding with a smile.

Daiyu's smile was the last thing Alden saw before his vision faded to black.

It took Alden a few moments, but he soon realized that he was actually in a pitch black space and not unconscious. He was able to feel around with his hands before he found what felt like a weak spot.

The sound of cracking tree bark could be heard as Alden struggled to break out. With a piece of jagged bark, he cut the rope still hanging around his foot.

As soon as the rope was cut, Alden fell through the hole in the trunk he had made. On instinct, he flinched when he saw the jet black sap on the ground once more. But there was nothing he could do, his whole body got splashed by it and he closed his eyes.

…

..

.

"What the!?" Alden quickly checked himself and could hardly believe what he was seeing. The sap that had once burned and ate at his flesh was currently not affecting him at all! What's more, the sap was starting to evaporate into tiny black particles.

"Daiyu!?"

Alden quickly turned around as he called out the name he had given her.

His eyes widened in surprise as he saw the entire cursed tree also starting to dissolve into the air as well. It was like another dream, his parents were dead and his whole hometown as well. This once cursed tree was a part of the town too and it also was leaving Alden as well.

Tears started to well up in his eyes, emotions from his time as "Alden". But Alden was different now, he had recalled memories that made him harden his heart.

"Don't worry, I'm here." The shining light of jet black hair and the piercing gaze of blood red eyes entered Alden's gaze once more.

"Wait a minute, something's …" Alden looked closer at Daiyu who had manifested in her human form and was currently floating next to him.

"You finally noticed." Daiyu smiled as she brushed her hair for Alden to get a better look.

She didn't have two blood red eyes anymore, her right eye was dark brown just like Alden's.

"That's my eye!" Alden said as he took a step back, unsure of what to make of it.

"It's a symbol of our covenant, I gave you something of mine in exchange." Daiyu said as she gently placed her hand on Alden's right cheek.

That's when Alden finally realized!

He was able to see out of both eyes, even after the sap, no, after Daiyu had taken one of his eyes.

Reflected in his old right eye, now Daiyu's, was a crimson red eye and another dark brown eye.

"I have personally invested a lot into you now, your power is something that can surely defeat the Demon Gods. Those wretched souls can finally be laid to rest and to that end, I will personally go on this journey with you."

"You know, some reincarnated folks have a hard decision to make about their old home or their new one. But this world is pretty clear on what I should do." Alden laughed slightly before shaking his head and letting out a huge sigh.

"12 Demon Gods and the Creator will grant me an audience? This father of yours is going to have to come up with some more rewards for all this trouble."

As Alden started on the path back to his village, Daiyu looked at his back with misty eyes.

"…Mother, it has begun."