The Goddess' Champion

Shadows and red hues covered the endless skies, the dark clouds made it look like it was going to rain in this scorching land, but those clouds merely fell on the world producing cracks and destruction, dividing anything in their wake.

This is not Sandoria, if Constantine had been here he'd be able to know perhaps, that this is a sub-dimension.

The private realm belonging to a God, its powers unknown, but an Evil Divinity nonetheless.

*RUMBLE!*

But in the wake of this nightmare, there was sudden light.

The entire world shook upon the arrival of another entity.

!!!

"How..." A mighty voice said as among the shadows opened an eye, completely red and slit like the freshest blood, black cracks encroaching it all over its surface, its hideous look only turning eerier.

It redirected itself towards a brewing light that began as a mere root.

The root expanded on its own, forming a figure... the figure of a lady encroached in roots and emitted the aura of life that kept at bay the darkness in this world.

The lady glared directly at the eye, not flinching even if in this realm she's at a clear disadvantage.

"It is you... another living God, who would have imagined... this one thought Sandoria was desolated and bereft of Divinity... it seems that bastard wasn't lying, Gods conceal like rats in every corner hehe~" The eye mimicked a maniacal laugh of sorts, not taking this entity seriously but still wondering.

'How did she manage to come here... for Gods to invade other's private realms, it is needed a profound knowledge over the concept of the other god's... our concepts couldn't be any less compatible.'

"Nice to meet you, Dior... God of Scars... I'm Aurelianne, The Goddess of Life and I believe we have come upon one another through mortal outlets." The Goddess began with a rather courteous tonality as if she was referring to an equal.

"Goddess of Life, this one assumes you come here seeking to apologise after your little vassal challenged our deranged faith." Dior too despite his comment, seemed like he didn't want any trouble against this other entity.

They were both Lesser Gods, weakened, a fight between them would be meaningless, but... the pride of a God is stubborn and unfathomable.

Dior couldn't forget about that little bastard that killed one of his cultists and challenged his faith.

"Haha~" The Goddess laughed alluringly upon hearing his comment, it was a funny joke.

"What is so funny?"

"My Champion believes in his goddess to the utmost, what is wrong with that? You're wrong, Dior... I came here to warn you... you better allow mortals to solve their own strives... if you involve yourself, I won't answer lightly... my champion has my entire support regardless of what decision he makes." Her tone switched completely at that moment, from the beloved Goddess of Life to an entity that resembled anything but life and peace.

The contrast surprised Dior, goddesses with such divinities aren't usually this threatening and bad-mouthed, however, there was something else that called for his attention.

"Your champion? that weakling? laughable... this one feel even less apprehension towards you now, we had never seen a God reduce him or herself to such an extent; guess even for existences as old as us, there is always a first time." The voice contained disappointment, the Goddess ignored his chattery and awaited his answer.

"How about this, Goddess of Life, since we're both in a weak position... your faith is laughable whilst we remain injured.. let's do as you say and allow Mortals to do their wicked ways, but... with a little bet in between if even to not allow our immortal serves to die of boredom." Unprecedented wickedness was released.

"..." In contrast, Aurelianne was all serenity, she even curled up her lips slightly.

"What are the terms?"

"If you're doll wins, hand over your God Spark... if my cult loses, you shall take ours, deal?~" His bargainship produced the wooden lady to tilt her head in contemplation.

"Your garbage divinity? the power to create scars over concepts and weaken them, a lesser divinity of destruction... interesting... it might end up being a good gift for my dearest... I accept, Dior. I hope you won't dishonour your own words when the time comes."

Leaving those words and having reached an agreement, the goddess had no reason to remain in this pestilent realm, she disappeared in a gust of leaves that dematerialised before Dior had the chance to erase them with his will. She was seen rejoicing, not only did she secure a nice battleground for her beloved champion, she even secured him a gift.

Just like he had faith in her, she also believed that there was nothing he was unable to achieve, and Dior together with his cult was merely a 'Lesser God'.

"Hmph! Never had I seen a goddess so delusional, a mere Adept Magus and he dares challenge my hundred-generation cult? some people just don't desire to live... and some other gods don't value their sparks~ better for me, by consuming hers I'll finally heal~"

The eye closed and the world regained its normalcy, a deal had been achieved between both Gods.

**

**

Constantine was already tired... for how long he had remained like this, he didn't know, but he lay down together with this weird woman, Zamira, Andre, the boy and the girl... all of them pressing their nose as dozens of shadows leapt above the trees, this had been one of the many groups who they reckoned were looking for the princess.

Their speeds, ridiculous... their strength, enough to shake any three they lept on.

Werewolves, black and abysmal.

After the group passed by, ten minutes later, they rose, Andre puked directly, not a problem since the puke smelled better than the flower's odour.

"Can we please get out of here?" The woman, covered in her white hair cleared her nose and literally begged.

"The reason we're not trapped is because of this smell, are you sure you want to go away?" Constantine crossed his arms, what was this little smell? hundreds of rotting corpses smelled worse.

"Sorry..." Her long ears fell in dejection while Raki struggled to hold herself back from patting the princess.

At some point Constantine even killed a boar nearby, tore it apart and placed it there just to justify the smell, they couldn't allow themselves to be found by those numbers.

"How about you begin by stating who you are?" He started the conversation, always on guard, regardless of where they moved it would only be worse, the best they could do was to remain here... they would need to stop searching eventually.

"My name is Nia Kurogiri... y-you are?" The woman sat in a lotus position, and looked at the entire group as they introduced themselves to her, they noticed she seemed to not be constrained by the fact they were humans, werebeasts are usually quite territorial and racist.

The woman looked around, placing her gaze on Constantine and Zamira for a little longer than the rest, especially Zamira, when she saw her, a little gasp was produced, one that the purple-haired beauty didn't understand.

"My name is Constantine, we found you in the forest... period." He coughed.

It is better to say that than explain the actual circumstances in which they met.

"Oh... yes, I remember I was running when I saw you, you two were- hmn!" Before she could finish, Zamira covered her mouth with a blush.

"We were eating and doing some workout, nothing you need to concern yourself about." The champion coughed again, trying to deviate the subject.

"But boss, you're not supposed to eat and work out at the same time." Andre, the smartass, couldn't stop himself from adding his opinion while Malik and Raki both nodded in agreement.

"But we can... and we do it very well. As for you, Nia... Just tell us who you are, what are you doing here... and if you need help." By now he'd just part ways after having assured that the other party is healed, but he couldn't do that.

The woman would likely go, get herself killed and voila twelve hours in the abyss where death is anything if not guaranteed.

"B-Before I tell you anything, seriously, w-what is this horrid smell?!" She'd pay anything to get away from here, but then she recalled the packs of wolves going after her and the smell suddenly turned sweety.

"You better get used to it because it just saved our lives... you're being hunted by at least twelve groups of three werebeasts each, or at least that's how many times they have passed by us in less than three hours, we even had to corpse to justify the smell and avoid suspicions." His comment was ignored when Nia spit some saliva on the ground as if to feel better.

"For the Goddess, it smells so bad!" as a Werebeast she had a way more sensitive nose than them, if the smell was killing them; that equalled her nose burning.

"Right? Master is so mean!" Raki followed along and everyone seemed to nod.

'Maybe I shouldn't have created such an overkill flower.' He thought, in any case, it was too late.

Just in time he heard something in the distance and pulled everyone back down before whispering.

"Careful, another group incoming." His words served as a warning that everyone followed, especially Nia who seemed to snuggle against him further, an action that Zamira didn't seem to like.

!!!

This time they seemingly stopped amidst a jump, landing dangerously nearby.

"UGH! W-WHAT A DISGUSTING SMELL!" One of them yelled and even waved his hands as if he could feel the flies messing around, but there were none.