ตอน 167: Compassionate Send-Off
Isaac Blackshaw… why was this man here? And how? Had he been sent here to keep an eye on him after the teleportation, or was there another reason for his presence?
Within Dionysus' head, there was a fierce battle raging between reason and intuition. The rational part of his mind tried to analyze the information that he currently had available, determined to figure out what was truly going on.
Considering everything that had taken place prior to him getting teleported, it was likely that this was a trap that had been laid out for him a long time ago - at least weeks, if not months had gone into this. Also, the various abilities necessary to facilitate all of this could only possibly have been mastered by his own kind, fellow deities. There had to either be a whole group of them working together or a singular primordial one targeting him, but the latter was way less likely. Not only had he taken proper care to never deliberately offend any of them directly, he also wasn't aware of a primordial deity who had a Divinity and Arcanum combination that could achieve anything similar to what had occurred. To be fair, that didn't mean much, as most wouldn't openly display all of their abilities, but there were at least many that he could rule out.
As for Isaac Blackshaw, from the recording that he had seen during yesterday's assembly, he could gather that the young man should be at about Level 4 right now - definitely a never-before-seen talent and someone who could kill him at a moment's notice, but not the one who could have pulled the strings this time. Upon further contemplation, the voice that he had heard back in the secret room had most definitely been Isaac's, so he should also have an impressive stealth-related Skill, but that should be the extent of the threat that he posed.
And yet, his gut feeling was screaming at his logical deductions, almost growing insane out of both frustration as well as panic. His instincts were telling him that he should get as far away from Isaac Blackshaw as he possibly could - and in case that he couldn't do so, he should submit and pray for the best.
Such a strong reaction couldn't possibly have come from nowhere, so for a second or two, Dionysus found himself stuck in a bind, uncertain of how to handle the situation. Eventually, he chose to stay vigilant, just in case.
He had never been the kind of guy who would rush into a matter without careful consideration and preplanning, after all. Only once he was certain that everything would go swimmingly - or at least that it would stay within a range of expected error - would he make his move. Admittedly, today's events seemed to be spitting on this idealized image of himself, but… it was probably just the exception that proved the rule.
Seemingly relaxing a little, he loosened the grip on his dagger and lowered it a bit, sneakily angling it very minutely towards himself so that it would be easier to get a chance to destroy his mortal vessel. Because Isaac didn't react to this, Dionysus showed a polite, but strained smile and addressed him.
"My my! If it isn't Orario's currently most famous celebrity. Forgive me for not treating you to a drink, as well as for the slight hostilities, but I've just had a rather unpleasant run-in with your familia, so I'm still on edge. You were brought here alongside me so you could guard me, I presume?"
The right corner of Isaac's mouth rising a little as he heard this, apparently amused, couldn't escape Dionysus' scrutiny, making the masked deity wonder whether he had made some sort of mistake in the analysis of his circumstances.
"No worries, I won't blame you for watching out for yourself. That would be unreasonable of me, after all. Now then, do you want me to play into your little roleplay and call you Enyo, or would you prefer it if I called you Dionysus?"
The blonde god's eyes widened in disbelief for a split second, before instantly returning to their previous state. It was at this moment that he realized that he was still wearing his mask, so it didn't even matter what kind of look he had on his face. Everything that had happened had thrown him so far off his game that he had even missed such an obvious, essential detail. And yet, he had still acted as Enyo… while forgetting about the whole mask part. Honestly, he had stupidly messed up, but there was a bigger issue than his ultimately inconsequential mishap.
'How does he know that I'm Dionysus? Don't tell me… those behind him have somehow connected my actual self to Enyo's deeds? I thought that only my persona Enyo had been targeted, not the real me… This complicates things.'
Of course, he had no idea that Isaac had simply seen everything that had taken place in Knossos for a fair while, exposing this most deeply hidden secret of the god of winemaking that only two people - Filvis and Thanatos - had been privy to.
Sighing helplessly, Dionysus reached out towards the black-and-white mask that covered his face, took it off slowly and showed a helpless smile. There was no need to keep up the Enyo act now that the gig was up.
"Dionysus is fine. Shall I call you Isaac, then?"
The cold shiver-inducing smile on the young man's face widened at their friendly exchange of pleasantries.
"Please do."
Pausing for a moment, he openly sized up Dionysus, before shaking his head with a hint of sadness stealing itself on his features.
"It's such a shame that we can't sit down and have a proper, relaxed conversation, but that's just the way things ended up, I suppose. Well, anyway. Let me respond to your previous question. Yes, I am here to keep an eye on you, but that is only a part of it. Would you be so kind as to answer a couple of questions for me as well? If you cooperate, I promise that I won't make things any harder for you than they already are."
This request wasn't entirely unexpected, so Dionysus didn't find it to be out of place. For now, he was sure that he couldn't escape, and the only way out was for him to end this vessel's life. But because doing so wouldn't bring him any benefits, as it was highly unlikely that his return to Heaven could take anyone down with him when it occurred out in the open - adventurers were quite quick on their feet, after all - he chose to at least hear Isaac out, buying himself some more time. Perhaps, there was no need to take the most drastic measures. It was unlikely, but possible.
As for that threat that had been disguised as cutting him some slack, despite the extreme apprehension that he felt, he didn't take it too seriously. In front of a mere Level 4, he should still be able to die, at the very least.
"Sure, go ahead. I can't guarantee that I'll be capable of clearing up all of your doubts, but I'll give it my best shot."
Showing an approving nod, Isaac made his first inquiry.
"Fair enough, let's begin. Where did you get all those Jewel Fetuses from?"
Ever since the unused Jewel Fetus back on the 59th floor had gone missing, after Revis' and Titania's deaths, Dionysus had suspected that his enemies had taken it. What took him aback was the fact that they were also aware of what it was called.
'Perhaps they tortured Revis and made her spill something? Tch, useless. Oh well, I can still salvage this.'
Showing a sorrowful, weak smile, Dionysus shrugged.
"About a decade ago, an unfamiliar woman approached me on the streets of Orario, pulled me into a deserted alleyway and showed me a Jewel Fetus. She seemed to be making use of some kind of concealment technique, as I couldn't discern her exact features. In any case, she seemed aware of my desire to wreak havoc within the city, so she explained what I could do and achieve with the beings that slumbered within the orbs. Ever since then, she would seek me out once per month and offer me some Jewel Fetuses - for a price, of course. I'm certain that your real desire is to find out who that woman is, but I truly don't know. I tried to look into it many times, but couldn't discover any information."
A second or two of exasperation later, a heavy sigh escaped the young man's lips. Contrary to what Dionysus had feared, Isaac didn't attempt to attack him, so his worries had clearly been unfounded. Apparently, the youngster was not as dangerous as his gut was trying to make him appear.
"Alright, I guess we'll have to look into it on our end, then. Anyway, time for the second and last question."
'Only two questions? So it's literally only 'a couple'?'
"Do you want me to do it, or do you want to do it yourself?"
Before this sentence had left Isaac's lips, Dionysus felt a sharp pain within his chest, one that was more agonizing than anything that he had ever experienced during his time in the Lower World. His heart, which he usually would have to go out of his way to feel, appeared to have been strongly gripped by something.
"W-Why…?!"
Bewildered by this sudden change, he stared at the arm that was sticking out of his chest, clutching his heart just tightly enough to not entirely make it unable to perform its regular duties. At an unknown point in time, Isaac had arrived right in front of him and had stabbed his hand into Dionysus' chest, giving the wide-eyed deity no opportunity whatsoever to fight back. The warmly beaming young man hadn't even bothered to disarm him.
Some blood welled up in the back of Dionysus' throat, filling his mouth with a metallic taste. Hastily, he swallowed it back down before staring at Isaac with trembling eyes.
'I underestimated him! This man… he is definitely not Level 4. Just how deeply did he hide his strength!?'
Dying wasn't an issue to Dionysus at all, but leaving the stage right now would indeed be pointless, which was why he hadn't been particularly fond of the idea. Reluctance and anger bubbled up from deep inside of him, pushing down the instinctual terror that had overtaken him.
"You… lied to me. You said… that you won't make things any… harder for me."
Blinking innocently, Isaac tightened his grasp on the deity's heart, causing Dionysus' suffering to increase by a notch.
"What do you mean? I didn't lie to you at all. I stated that I 'wouldn't make things any harder for you than they already were', and I've definitely kept that promise - because even back then, your punishment had already been decided."
Annoyedly scoffing, Dionysus gulped down another mouthful of Ichor, his eyes spitting sparks. And yet, he didn't bother to physically attack, because he knew that it'd be useless. This young man's Endurance should be far more than high enough to not even get scratched by any of his considerably puny attacks.
"Speaking of lies, I wasn't the one who spoke any falsehoods. Did you really think that I wouldn't notice you were making up absolutely everything that you said in regards to the Jewel Fetuses? Considering that you went back on your word, my treatment of you can be considered quite merciful already. After all, didn't I give you a choice? Now, choose. Do you want me to destroy your mortal vessel, or do you want to do it yourself?"
At his repeated offer, a mocking smile played across Dionysus' lips. Between his laboured breaths and forcing his lifeblood back down his throat whenever necessary, he defiantly spat out his response.
"You've already killed… one deity. What's… another one?"
Chuckling a little, Isaac used his free hand to grab a pouch that had been fastened to Dionysus' belt. He opened it just a bit, glancing at the extravagantly decorated golden cup within, before casually throwing it over his shoulder, where it disappeared into thin air.
"I hope you won't mind me taking that."
Feeling his connection to his precious Arcanum suddenly getting cut off, Dionysus' barely maintained facade of wrathful calm broke down, a hint of panic distorting his face for a fraction of a second. However, he quickly managed to regain control.
'It's just some spatial Magic. It probably sent it too far away from me to sense it right now, but it should return to me once I'm back in Heaven. There is no need to panic. In any case, this proves that whoever is responsible for the teleportation is nearby and coordinated with Isaac just now. After all, a chantless Magic is unachievable in this day and age.'
Feeling his frail mortal vessel's life slowly but surely coming to an end due to the Ichor unceasingly streaming out of his chest, Dionysus sighed dejectedly and shook his head slightly.
"... sure. Take… it."
Finally, his heart stopped beating on its own and his soul started to feel a certain pull from above, causing his mostly successfully maintained image to break down in its entirety, an overt grin of ridicule emerging from underneath.
He glanced upwards, towards Heaven, and immediately glimpsed a still incredibly miniscule, but rapidly approaching golden glow. Because he had used up pretty much all of his Divine Energy to prematurely awaken Nidhogg, he couldn't return to Heaven the regular way. Instead of, as usual, utilizing the remains of the Divine Energy that he carried with him in the Lower World, his Divine Soul would still follow the same path at first and resonate with everything that he had left behind in Heaven, including the ridiculous amount of Divine Energy that he had had to store up there because his mortal vessel couldn't contain it. After that point, the procedure changed. As it was detected that he didn't have enough energy remaining to return on his own, a small portion of his stockpile of energy in Heaven shot down towards the Lower World in an attempt to encapsulate his soul and deconstruct his vessel, before bringing him back to his birthplace.
The biggest difference between a regular return and the one that he was banking on was the amount of Divine Energy that made up the golden pillar. His method would make use of more than a hundred times the energy - which was why other deities usually saw it as a complete waste. The Divine Energy might not actually be consumed, only temporarily moved, but wouldn't it still be making a mountain out of a molehill to utilize this much of it for a simple return trip home? Also, huge stretches of the Lower World would get demolished in its wake, which most of them wanted to avoid.
But Dionysus wasn't like them. If he had managed to pull off his suicide back in Knossos, then the width of the pillar would have been sufficient to destroy everything in his surroundings, in a diameter of at least a kilometer! And now, in less than the blink of an eye, Isaac would also be enveloped by it. Dionysus had deliberately stalled long enough for this moment to come, so that even if his enemy tried to run, he wouldn't be able to escape the area of effect. The one responsible for the teleportation had also just used their Magic, so it was highly unlikely for them to be able to save this hateful youngster - or even themself, for that matter.
Without giving Isaac any opportunity to pull back his hand and make a run for it, the small hill that the two were standing on was flattened and an enormous patch of the forest got evaporated, alongside the blonde god's clothing. The pillar penetrated tens of meters into the ground, making everything in its way vanish, before finally coming to a stop. Dionysus' body was rapidly dissipating and changing into Divine Energy.
After turning to soul form and relishing in the embrace of a fraction of the power that he had dearly missed, Dionysus quickly pulled himself together again and searched for his assailant, dearly anticipating for his gaze to fall upon… well, nothing.
But instead, what greeted him was an unharmed, handsome young man, whose clothing was still completely intact - even though the Ichor that had stained his arm and garments previously had dematerialized, as it had been converted to Divine Energy. A very faint layer of colourless energy encased Isaac as well as every fiber of his clothing, acting as a shield against all of the destructive effects that he would have normally had to endure.
'He… he's a god?! How is this possible? Wasn't he just a mortal? Did he fake his identity and secretly creep his way into the adventurer society? But how come Loki allowed this? Is he an old acquaintance of hers, or are they scheming something? Just how much of my plans' downfall is he responsible for!?'
Almost as if he intended to reply to the questions that Dionysus couldn't currently vocalize, Isaac stared directly at his adversary's Divine Soul with pity evident in his eyes and an entertained smile on his lips.
"Did you really think that I wasn't aware that you were just playing for time? Well, you failed. You were completely and utterly defeated. Congratulations!"
Controlling some more of his own Divine Energy on his palm, clearly a bit intrigued by it, appearing like someone who had only just acquired this power, Isaac shook his head. He had no time for research right now, as he was on a ten to twenty second timer.
Still with the same saint-like expression as before, he closed his eyes and let more and more of his energy spew forth, instantly surrounding the golden pillar, following it close to a thousand kilometers into the sky. At this point, a few beads of sweat dripped down his forehead and he appeared slightly less relaxed than before.
"If you think that this is already the extent of what you'll have to endure, then I will have to disappoint you. Don't worry, I'll let you go home - but you'll have to pay a bit more of a price!"
Opening his arms wide, almost as if he was anticipating a hug, Isaac manipulated all of the Divine Energy that he had sent out, cutting away the vast majority of the golden pillar and preventing it from reconnecting with the rest by enveloping it within his own energy, leaving no gaps whatsoever. Only a comparatively 'thin' pillar of golden Divine Energy remained at the very core of the greater pillar, which contained about as much energy as the regular pillars that he had seen on two prior occasions. In other words, Dionysus wouldn't have any issues with returning to Heaven.
Waving both of his hands, without warning, all of the golden Divine Energy that Isaac had sectioned off simply disappeared, as if it had been deleted from existence.
Sensing this, Dionysus' Divine Soul shook in disbelief, fury and hatred. While he couldn't explain what had happened, due to his connection to Heaven having almost been reestablished, he knew that all of that energy… was now gone. It also wouldn't recover normally, as his upper limit of Divine Energy, which he had painstakingly raised over millions of years, had been reduced by exactly as much as what had been erased just now. It was almost as if someone else had simply taken possession of it… as if it had been stolen from him. Simultaneously, he also realized that his treasured Arcanum hadn't merely been teleported away… rather, it had been disconnected from him in the exact same way that he couldn't understand at all!
'This isn't over, you despicable, abominable, snake-like bastard! I admit, I vastly underestimated you… but next time… next time, I won't make the same mistake. I'll leave you no way out and obliterate you entirely!!'
After his internal vow was finished, Dionysus noticed that the return process, albeit slightly prolonged by Isaac's interference, had been finalized. In the next moment, with exactly the same speed at which the pillar had approached, it shot into the heavens.
Appearing especially odd, Isaac affectionately waved at his leaving adversary until even the slightest glint of gold had faded from the sky. Silently, he stood alone in the three kilometer wide circle of scorched earth and contemplated something, then his holy smile faded, giving way to a mostly calm, enthusiastic one.
"Control-wise, Divine Energy really seems to be the same as mana. Maybe there are some differences, but I simply haven't discovered those yet."
Muttering to himself, he took a glance at his inventory, to which a certain ornate cup and a terrifying amount of golden Divine Energy had just been added.
'What a shame, I could only snatch away this much. Ultimately, I didn't have enough Divine Energy to trace the pillar all the way to Heaven… so I couldn't take anything from up there. Oh well, maybe next time. For now, I don't even know what to do with these things…'
While he was deep in thought about several future research projects, someone gently poked his cheek, awakening him from his daze. He didn't even need to look to know who it was, but he did so anyway. A loving smile blossomed as he grasped Ais' hand and gazed into her eyes, which showed a hint of worry, but mostly joy.
"He will definitely tell others about you being a god. You know that, right?"
In response to her concerned query, Isaac nodded. It was obvious that there were many more questions on her mind, so he intended to wait for them first before clearing up everything that was puzzling her.
"Then why did you expose yourself like this? And why did you let him go in the first place? If you had taken him to your private world instead of this area, then you could have gotten rid of him for good, right?"
Smirking a little, he softly stroked the back of Ais' hand with his thumb as he was holding it, reassuring her vocally at the same time.
"I intended to make my ascension known relatively soon anyway. But for now, with the wound that I just inflicted on him, he won't be capable of doing anything but focusing on his own recovery for a while. From what I've gathered, while in Heaven, deities will find the unceasing flow of time to be far less of a pressing matter than when they're in the Lower World, so it's likely that he'll subconsciously slack off for a bit, wallowing in his misery. And even if he catches himself within a few days, sets out for revenge as well as spreads the news, that's fine too. Not only is it not guaranteed that others will believe him, but it isn't all that easy to get information to the Lower World's deities, except for primordial ones. I'm certain that Ouranos already knows, so he won't spill the beans. In other words, I have more than enough time. Technically, even if I got exposed right now, I would still have ample preparations in place. I have absolutely no need to hide anymore."
Finally having grasped all of his actions now that he had revealed his degree of readiness for the god reveal, Ais' eyes lit up in amusement. With an impish grin, she poked his nose, before giving him a quick kiss.
"I see, I see. So you let him go for the express purpose of letting him work on a sort of 'welcome ceremony' up in Heaven?"
A faint, instinctual blush on his cheeks due to their intimacy, his smile turned mischievous as he nodded.
"Exactly. By the time we go up there, wouldn't we absolutely steamroll everything in our path? Where's the fun in that? Also, we might not have enough enemies to have a go at, so if we wanted to test our limits, we wouldn't necessarily have a good way to do so. With such a dedicated foe already at hand and primed to oppose us, why would I prematurely get rid of him?"
The corners of Ais' mouth rose in response, before she suddenly took another step closer and enveloped him in a hug, taking him ever so slightly aback. However, this surprise was a welcome one, so he happily reciprocated her loving embrace amidst this charred wasteland.
What he didn't know yet was that Ais' sudden urge to hold him had come about because she had realized what other effects his actions would have - ones that he couldn't possibly be unaware of. He was removing her from the spotlight, focusing all of the world's gazes on him. This wasn't done out of a desire for fame or recognition - both of which he was anything but a fan of - but rather, it was to protect her.
She was the one who had attracted all those wind deities to come to the Lower World, the one who had instakilled Nidhogg, garnering fair amounts of Dionysus' hostility, and the one who countless deities had been intrigued by ever since the start of her adventuring career.
And now, Isaac was attempting to concentrate all of these issues on himself, to help her shoulder her burdens. Due to the peculiarity of his existence, he felt himself less at risk when facing all of these dangers. But even though she knew that there was no need to be anxious about his safety, her heart couldn't help but do so in spite of what her brain continuously told her. He was still able to feel pain, after all. Who would ever be comfortable with their loved one enduring agony? Well, definitely not Ais!
Recognizing the sacrifice that he had 'discreetly' made and feeling pangs of guilt, unease, but also sweetness well up in her heart, she snuggled up to him even closer.
Only a few minutes later did they eventually return to Knossos, where a couple of issues still awaited them.
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Shiro_the_Hero
Shiro_the_Hero [THIS IS A BONUS CHAPTER TO MAKE UP FOR MY CHAPTER DEBT!]
Remaining chapter debt: 22
I'll be posting 2 chapters per week - instead of 1.5 - until that number reaches 0... which will take quite a while, but better late than never, right? xD
(In case I build up sufficient advance chapters, I might post some more chapters occasionally to help get to 0 faster, but that's just a 'maybe', so don't bank on it.)
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(Want to read ahead? Check out my P atreon for advance chapters! :D - One of them is currently available!)
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Originally, this was meant to be the first half of a chapter... but then it somehow turned out a lot longer than I had initially thought it would... ^^'
What do you think? Did Dionysus get his just desserts?
No matter what, though, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! \o/
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Remember when I told you that the rest of the Knossos arc would take four chapters? Yeah, it'll take four chapters. Still. At most. I think. *cold sweat*
Well, in any case, you know that I'll never drag it out for no reason, so you can rest assured that everything that's coming up is both necessary and worth reading :3
Now, let's take a look at the comments/replies/reviews that you've left me, shall we? o7
I'll see you all on Sunday, February 27th, when chapter 168 will be posted! Well, in case you can't wait until then, you can always check out my P atreon (which already has it)...
As always, stay safe, stay healthy, and - most importantly - stay alive so you can continue reading this story for years to come~ o/
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