Epilogue.

(Hephaestus POV)

Although I made sure to compose myself in front of Ken, what he did was incredible, creating a divine sword without an Arcanum is... I smiled slyly, I suppose Ken isn't entirely normal. But that is no excuse, Ken can't be the only one that is moving forward.

My lover is my forging rival, how better can it get? I laughed happily, right, it couldn't get any better. Just thinking about him sent butterflies to my stomach.

Strangely, he didn't truly understand what it meant to put a fragment of my divinity inside the sword. I could track his location at all times.

NO, it wasn't stalking. Not at all. He is already mine after all, although not mine alone in the end. I shook my head. It didn't matter, I knew how much he loved me. He would never discard me. Besides, I wouldn't be here without him. I touched my exposed eye and smiled. He was full of surprises… And I'm sure there will be even more to come. I just have that feeling.

*Cling* *Cling*

I huffed, lifting my hammer to strike the hot adamantine ingot again. I was currently working on a new armour set for Ken, he had already surpassed my mortal body long ago. But I would be damned if I let him fly past the god me. I was laughing inside my mind when my entire being shook.

I surveyed the divinity fragment that I put inside our sword. It can't be…

Focusing, I looked through the sword, but I couldn't entirely do it. Something or someone seems to veil me.

Despite that, a scene of Ken facing off against a huge dragon struck me to my core.

"Is that the Black Dragon?!"

I couldn't comment further, as he kissed the blade of the sword with a reminiscent look.

I didn't like that look….

I grit my teeth, "Don't you dare do it, Ken… You stupid man…"

Ken got thrown around the forest like a rag doll, blood profusely seeped out of his head and the cracked armour, but it would meld back soon enough. The blood didn't disappear, however. Ken looked more like a walking corpse as he lifted himself back and headed back to fight the cursed dragon.

...I couldn't take it any further, I will go help him. I'm sure I can be of some assistance, at least.

Briskly unsealing my Arcanum, a pillar of light shot through the skies. My appearance took my actual divine form. I couldn't care less about some exile at this moment.

Ken needed help. And I WILL help him.

"I'm coming, Ken," I muttered, ready to hastily fly over.

"YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING, HEPHAESTUS!"

A strong familiar voice shook the entire Orario— it was Lord Ouranos' voice. My power seemed to fade away the moment his voice reached over to me.

"NO!"

I needed to help him. Things weren't looking good for him. Not at all. I resisted and struggled with tears in my eyes, I don't want to lose him. Please...

Ouranos has authority over our divinity use. Ever since he made that 'deal' with Gaia, the mother spirit.

...The contract... I gasped as it dawned on me. Was this what it was? Some other deal to eliminate Ken?

"Freya?"

I looked to my right, and it was another pillar of light rising up in the sky. It seemed, somehow or the other, Freya got a whiff of Ken's situation as well. I'm sure she had her means, but I didn't care about any of that at this moment.

My expression lit up. Freya was much stronger than me, she was not a war goddess for no reason. Perhaps she would be able to help my Ken.

"YOU WILL NOT STOP ME, OURANOS!" her voice bellowed. She took on her ethereal divine form with her massive sword as she went to Ouranos. Freya looked ready to wage war if he didn't let her go.

Everything was a mess… Nobody but the two of us knew the reason for the rebellion. Orario was in chaos.

"SEIZE YOUR REBELLION, AND THIS TRANSGRESSION WILL BE FORGIVEN!" that was all Ouranos had to say in response.

We had overthrown Knossos, how hard could it be to overthrow this Bastard. Sadly, he was in cahoots with Gaia, it was not possible for us to overthrow both of them. More so with only me and Freya. Freya was strong, undoubtedly so… But she was only one god.

No matter how much I tried, I couldn't even move as Ouranos was still locking my divinity down.

"NOO!" A pained scream made its way to my ears. It was Freya... Ouranos had sealed her in the end, for time unknown, as punishment for this rebellion.

I couldn't think about it for too long, as an explosion shook me to my core. A haunted expression made its way to my figure as I grabbed my heart, I couldn't feel my divinity fragment anymore, nor my blessing…

I waited for something to happen, just like usual... He would get another miracle, Ken always got stronger when things were tough.

That was always the case.

Shocked, I sat in a fetal position not knowing what to feel, until it hit me like a truck. My Ken was gone… I'll never see him again…

My sniffs slowly turned into choked sobs until the dam was broken, and I cried rivers…

"What is happening, Hephaestus!" Tsubaki's voice rang in my ears. She seemed panicked, registering my hopeless look.

I couldn't even look at her. I had no energy. Tsubaki fervently shook my shoulders, prompting me to look at her.

"Answer me Hephaestus, what's happening?"

"Ken… He's not here anymore."

"… I knew he would break your heart one day." she tried to console me.

"Stop it, Tsubaki. I mean he is gone… He is not with us anymore."

"Impossible. Is that why..." She shook me in her place.

Tsubaki hugged me after a while of apparent shock. We sat there, hugging each other silently. Seeing my state, she no doubt tried to be strong. But I knew this hit her just as strong as me…

—

(Riveria POV)

After making sure that my fellow elves are safe, just as Ken said. I headed to the place where the magic was strong. I looked at the mayhem that is happening. The Elven forest is no longer… It was more comparable to craters and infertile lands. I really would have just held him back. No, now is not the time for that.

I widened my eyes as I registered Ken's bloody appearance as he looked into the black dragon's corpse. He seemed like an ant compared to the beast's size. I couldn't even imagine how strong he had to be...

That didn't last long because some strange locks poured out of the sky and chained down Ken and the dragon into the soil in one go.

I never felt magic as dense as I did at that moment, and Ken seemed to be in the centre of it all. Helplessly, I watched as the explosion went off. And Ken was no longer...

--

"Are you sure about this, Lord Ouranos?" asked a skeletal like being, looking at the slightly whiffed out figure of the Tenkai Overlord, Ouranos. Freya had taken a bit of effort to get sealed...

"Do not question my decision, Fels" replied Ouranos, leaning back on his throne. "It had to be done. One man for the peace of many is a great deal. One that I am willing to make."