I will strive beyond this cursed bloodline!

Elizabeth teleported back into her room within the Cathedral of Sin, she was already changed into comfortable clothes, one of her favorite pajamas, the ones she only put on when she was stressed and wanted to sleep soundly for a couple of years at the minimum, not that she had ever managed to do such a thing.

Elizabeth threw herself into the bed, not bothering with lifting the blanket or caring about what time it was, if it was time to sleep, eat, or anything. She was not worried about what other people would think or do if they saw her like this. Most of her Minion forces were still tied within Terra Nexus. The only people that remained within this place was people she trusted.

Be it Jenna, Lily, Rossie, Rena, her parents... or Atrhutr Saitnsworths, the man hadn't earned her full trust. But she knew he was not a threat to her. So that was fine, not that he could do anything, he had made it clear that he was throwing his weight with them.

"Eli-Eli... What are you...?" The first to find her, was not Rossie or Rena how she had assumed, she guessed that it could be Aura too. But no, who found her first was Mother, "... We thought you would start the Apotheosis when you kicked everyone and brought this building to Zaanam..."

"An apt Divine Throne... The naming could use some work, but I assume you picked it because the Divinity you will wield?" And after Mother, Papa arrived. Elizabeth turned on the bed and didn't bother raising her body to sit.

Instead, she pitifully opened her mouth and said the words that resounded within her soul, "Do I really need to?" Elizabeth was not having second thoughts of course, but...

"Yes," "Yes," Both her parents and her knew that she did not have many choices, not anymore.

"From the moment you decided to take this path, when you took in the last of the seven cardinal sins within your body..." Mother spoke slowly and thoughtfully, she sat beside her on the bed before continuing, "When you committed, your path was sealed. You can aim at a weaker domain if you don't want to stay that long as a Goddess, then you will only need to break that Divinity and fall. That is also our plan."

"You picked a weak Divinity?" Elizabeth asked, she doubted they would do that.

"Of course not, but our case is different, we are fulfilling needs for [The World]. Do you want to know our true Divine Names?" Mother said winking at her, there was a smug smile on her face.

"Of course I want, I had suspected your domains weren't really [The Mother of Modern Magic] and that Papa wasn't the [God of Family]." Elizabeth grumbled, "It annoys me that no one else seems to notice it."

"Of course they can't!" Mother laughed, "Their memories of our lives as mortals were erased for a reason, not only to protect you. But because it would make it easier for them to notice."

"How would them not knowing about my connection to you protect me?" Elizabeth asked confused, "It was thanks to them thinking I was an orphan that I was sent to that clinic..."

"Had they known about your connection to us, you would have been brought to a fancy room gilded with gold, your body would be a holy relic... And your girlfriend would not have been able to stay by your side." Mother answered with a serious face that didn't match her antics. "Without the sacrifice she made... You would have woken up at best in 5 years, at worst in fifteen or twenty."

"They would have then noticed you didn't age like normal, as your Inheritance would have started to seep into your body," Papa continued speaking, "I suspect that whatever your [Soul] was going through would have affected you, and by that... whether you woke up as Elizabeth or not..."

What would have happened if Elizabeth had taken longer than half a year within the ruins of the Shadow Haven? She... would either be fully a madwoman... Or she would have woken up as [The Shadow Weaver of Zaanam].

"Instead, we choose to believe," Mother said, "Believe that the people who loved you would do their best to take care of you, our hopes were in your girlfriend and Gaty actually. If your girlfriend didn't find you I was going to send Gatty to get you."

Agatha?

Oh right, she didn't hate Mother after [Advent] that was a whole other thing Elizabeth never got the answer for.

"As much as we would like to keep you safe, people knowing your connection to us never kept you safe, it made you isolated. And when growing up, even with the teachers of the MPI knowing you were our daughter, it still earned you some degree of ostracism." Papa sighed, "If not because it would be worse in other places... I would have thrown that school into orbit."

Ah... Yeah, that was something that Elizabeth always wondered about, for how protective her parents were, they had been too... understanding of the people that bothered Elizabeth after she left for the MPI.

"Well, thanks for clarifying that mystery..." Elizabeth couldn't help but say that, "So... Any advice for the whole [Apotheosis] thing? I assume you have some tips?"

"Be yourself." Mother said immediately, "No matter what, you have to trust in what you have achieved, the powers, skills, tricks, deceptions, mistakes... Everything that you have done and achieved is something that will be there to help you take this last step."

"Trust in your heart, instincts, and knowledge." Papa answered afterward, "The power you built using your flesh, body, and sweat will never betray you. But always remember, you are more than your power. Your heart will always tell you the right way, your instincts will always point you towards the more efficient answer, and your knowledge will tell you of the options."

"So... I should do what I have always been doing?" Elizabeth asked, confused. All her steps through this path towards ascension were just like that. Elizabeth always trusted her instincts and followed her heart. She trusted in the Shadows that had been accompanying her all this time.

She believed in the powers that she had suffered to acquire, one way or another she had accepted each fragment of power that she had gotten.

"Yes," Mother said nodding, "And remember, whatever name you pick will be meaningful."

"My divine name is [Framework], for my job is to be the Framework that holds [This World] together." Papa spoke, after he said that, his presence seemed to pulsate. "People don't think too much about why that is my name, and most probably just think that is my name because I symbolize the framework of [Strength], [Family], and [Growth]. When in reality, it is under my body that the [System] can run and the world is kept together."

"... How are you sane?" Elizabeth couldn't help but ask, "The amount of information, mana, Prana... The amount of things that your body is supporting... How?"

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"I adapt." Was all that Papa said shrugging, "My base power is that, [Adaptation] and [Evolution]. As soon as something starts to become an issue my body adapts and it becomes easier to deal with it, I suspect that the issues of a broken divinity will last me around a day or two. So as soon as the contract we signed is off, I'll just become a fallen deity, then purge the bad side effects within the week and return to a relatively normal life again."

... Somehow, Elizabeth didn't think that was how things were done... Normally. But if Papa was the actual framework this world-wide [System] ran... Then Mother...

"And my Divine Domain is being the [API] the [System] uses!" Mother said proudly, sticking her chest, "I am responsible for the screening and connections that the users have with Hubby!"

"... Ah so." Elizabeth was of course impressed about that, but... it didn't match the image of Mother. At all.

"Come on, it's impressive!" Mother said, puffing her cheeks, "I even used my VA talents to do the voice that some people hear when they can't see and never saw words in their life!"

There was a voice?

"Of course, people can turn it on even if they can see, but that is up to them!" Mother added later.

Elizabeth... had never seen such a thing.

"I'm using Cath's magic experience and ability to calculate data to filter the petitions from the users within Zaanam." Papa spoke, nodding to Elizabeth, "She wields the brunt of the data while I work as the base she uses; she doesn't interface directly with the petitions, it's more like..."

"I fish the data and ensure that all runs smoothly through Hubby," Mother nodded as she said that. "I need to use my main body and most of my avatars there... And since Hubby must hold the [System] in place, his real body can't move far, nor can he make that many avatars..."

"My limit is two avatars, and one must remain in the divine realm, so that means I can only use one for miscellaneous jobs... Or special occasions." Papa said sighing, "That is why, your [Divine Name] is important. Have you picked one?"

Had she?

Of course she had. She didn't quite like it since it gave her a bad image, depending on who you asked, but it couldn't be denied that it was part of her identity.

"I will be [The Mistress of Sin]," Elizabeth sighed, "Most of my power comes from either Shadows, Dragons and Sin Mana. Shadows and Dragons have... troubling connotations. So I decided to pick the third thing that could help me achieve the next step."

She half expected complaints or advice from her parents, to be honest, what kind of parent would accept when their daughter said that she was going to fill herself with as many sins as she could after all.

"Good plan," Mother instead nodded and applauded her, "I was worried, worried that you would follow in my old clan head's steps... I would respect it of course, since you aren't that asshole or even think like him, but still... I was truly worried. Instead just picking Sin as your domain will give you good advantages."

"Yes," Papa said nodding at Mother's words, "It gives you good range to acquire [Prana] and since you will pick on [Sins] it doesn't taint the perception that the Prana brings, so it will be easier to purify it if that ever becomes an issue but... That shouldn't be a problem for you right?"

Did they know? Well, of course they knew, they were that kind of people after all.

"Right," Elizabeth said nodding, "The main reason I picked it was because the [Inheritance], purifying and converting mana and energies into other things is what I can do better than anyone else."

It was what Alexanders had planned for his own path to Apotheosis after all, and she knew for a fact that the blonde asshole had achieved it... to some degree. She wasn't sure how far he got or why he ended up dying. Of course she knew some information and theories, but she wasn't sure if that was the whole truth.

What info she got wasn't from the man in question after all, merely hearsay, she had no way to verify it. And she didn't want to verify it either, she felt that doing so would be disrespectful after all.

"So you think I should take that step now?" Elizabeth sighed and asked.

"Yes, if not now, as soon as you can." Mother nodded seriously, "We can remain here for some time, but not long. So it would be better if you did your Apotheosis with us nearby. We... will not be able to return soon, we may be able to return only if something important happens."

"If not today, within this week." Papa added afterward, "They will not do any moves for at least a week, but after that it will be too dangerous unless something can affect the [Fate] of the [World] we will not be able to make a descent."

Something that could affect the [Fate] of Zaanam?

"Like what?" Elizabeth asked intrigued, what kind of things could have that much of an effect on the [World]?

"The birth of our granddaughters or grandsons." Mother said, looking at Elizabeth as if she was dumb, it really hurt when Mother was the one doing it, since if someone was responsible for Elizabeth's bimbo genes, it was that woman.

"Of course it would be that..." Elizabeth said shaking her head, "How do you even... No, never mind."

Elizabeth almost retorted with 'How do you even know we will have daughters?' But she was speaking with the woman who designed a spell just for that. So it was a moot point from the beginning.

"Fine, I'll do it." Elizabeth said sighing, "I just have to do it right?!?!?"

Elizabeth stood up from the bed in one go. She refused to change into something else, this was something about her principles... Besides Papa and Mother didn't wear something fancy when they ascended, and they were wearing normal clothes even now!

Their divine statues also didn't wear the same clothes they had as [Hero] and [Magical Girl]. So clothes weren't important! Elizabeth could probably ascend naked if she wanted!

Not that she would, parents or not, what kind of woman would get naked in front of their parents?

"Do you think I should invite Rossie and Rena?" Elizabeth asked turning to her parents, "This is important..."

"... It would be better if you don't." Papa was the one to answer first, "In a normal [Apotheosis] it wouldn't matter, and some rituals would benefit if you indeed brought believers, but yours will not be normal."

"Why not?" Elizabeth asked confused, "Yours had spectators and they weren't loyal or cared for you either, right?"

"Mine wasn't special either," Papa said shaking his head, "Mine was a contract with [The World], one that was prepared from the moment I was born. I merely accepted it after I made my counteroffer."

"Mine didn't have that many expectators either!" Mother raised her hand and said as much, "Well, besides your other friend... and a couple of snooping pests."

... Don't speak about that Elizabeth... Don't speak about that...

"And why will mine not be normal?" Elizabeth decided to ask instead that.

"You are aware of the issues with your soul." Papa asked, "And the source of your [Inheritance]."

"...Yes." Elizabeth answered honestly, "My soul is more powerful than it should, and my [Inheritance] comes from a [Dragon]."

"Your soul was [Divine] from conception." Mother stated without preamble, "We forced it down to a mortal level, but the base was already [Divine]."

"And the inheritances doesn't come from something as mundane as a [Dragon]," Papa added afterward, shaking his head, "Yours came from a [Dragon God], one that was probably either an [Ancestral Dragon] or a [Elder Dragon]."

Elizabeth guessed as much, she suspected it was an [Evil Dragon]. No way someone who was called [The Calamity Dragon] was a good person, right?

"So chances are when you try to build your [Divine Name] that there will be some corruption or influences trying to guide you to that," Mother spoke next, "And if you refuse those advances, then they will attempt to influence your believers or saints. So having your waifus here would put them at risk of corruption."

"I see..." Elizabeth said thinking on that, the forces that could try to change her path were either the purple woman (Crystal) who wanted her to be [The Shadow Weaver of Zaanam] or the blonde asshole, since he was [The Dragon of Calamity]. As far as she knew, neither wanted nor would force her down one of those paths.

Crystal was happy keeping her distance from Elizabeth, and Alexanders had never shown up again.

"It doesn't matter if the actual people doesn't mind you picking other path. The corruption doesn't come from them, but from the power you wield. Surely you have noticed, that sometimes your powers move before you ask them." Mother spoke sagely, which was weird for her, but then again, this was the thing she was good at. So there was that, "That is what we refer to as corruption."

"Fine." Elizabeth admitted in defeat, "Then... Should I build a ritual site? Prepare a new mandala? Magic Circle?"

"... Did you see us do something as pointless as that?" Papa asked flabergasted, "You only need to ignite your [Divine Spark], your mana will do the rest. All you need is to just become a [Goddess], it isn't that hard."

"What hubby means to say," Mother said jumping inmediately before Elizabeth could do anything, "Is that you need to start the process to turn your Mana into Prana, then focus your [Idea] into what you want to achieve, use your achievements, memories, powers and everything that makes you [Elizabeth Starbright] into what you want to become."

For one, Mother was truly the embodiment of what people thought she was. A learned [Sage].

"If that something is [The Dragon of Magic] or [The Shadow Weaver] as the voices will probably try to convince you, or the identity you wish to have as [The Mistress of Sin]." Mother spoke slowly and with examples, she conjured a few magic circles, spell nodes and other examples, probably not examples, but the formulas and spells she had used in her own [Apotheosis], "And when you are done, you need to hold all of that close to your [Heart], the core of what will be the new you. Feed it all that you wish to keep, and throw away what you don't want. But beware of that last step, because if you throw something that is fundamental to who you are, you may awaken as someone else."

What?

"I... was tempted, very tempted to throw away the memories of my time as... The time I spent before arriving at Zaanam." Mother said in a small voice, Papa silently hugged her close to his chest, "But I realized, before doing it, that doing so would change me into someone who I am not. So I didn't. It is tempting, to throw away the bad memories, the embarrassing memories, but I realized at that moment. The mad gods we hunt, the self-important assholes that rule as evil gods... Are probably people who did that, so I didn't. And you shouldn't either, no matter how enticing it is. Promise me that Elizabeth, as my daughter... Think about your loved ones, not only me and your father. Think about the lovely women who love you and are worriedly waiting for you."

...

"Thank you," Elizabeth said, stepping up to her parents and joining in the hug, "I will remember it, now... Let me prepare for a few seconds and... If you can, make sure that whatever comes after this, it's not a threat to Rossie and Rena."

"You will not become a threat to your family." Papa said seriously, "If it comes to that, we will force you down into a mortal and help you do it again."

... Elizabeth hoped it didn't come to that, because she knew how Papa fixed the problems... And she did not look forward to that. But it was time.

Elizabeth would take the new step forward.