Will of chaos

Just as Callidora expected, I was forced to accept her so-called 'Compensation,' which truly was impossible for me to refuse.

I can swallow my pride for the sake of the children. I've been doing it since my previous life, when I was still in the orphanage, for the sake of the younger children. I can very well do it now that I'm a God.

Even though it left a bitter taste in my mouth, it was impossible to refuse Callidora's offer from the beginning. She knew where to hit me, she knew what my response would be. She doesn't want my trust, she doesn't want my friendship.

In Callidora's eyes, I'm just a resource, a way to keep Niryna under control, which at this moment was even more precious to her since her recent actions had severed any bond Niryna had with her.

After getting what she wanted, Callidora left. She knew both Niryna and I were at our limit; pushing her provocations further could very well make things worse.

I look at Samara, and she walks away. Through my connection with her, I make her stop the others from coming looking for me, especially after that outburst of anger just now. It must have drawn some attention, but right now, I have to take care of Niryna.

Tears

I walk over to her, and she keeps her head down, her tears falling to the ground, her Aura unstable, just like the day of her rebirth.

I try to hug her, but she recoils and turns as if to flee. Her speed is no match for mine. I appear in front of her, floating to her level before hugging her tightly, knowing she'll try to pull away.

"I'm so sorry, I failed to protect you..." (me)

"It's not fair... it's not fair..." (Niryna)

Tears

"It's my fault... she used me against you... it's my fault..." (Niryna)

Tears

"Even now... I can feel her looking right through me..." (Niryna)

Tears

I hug her tighter, feel her try to pull away with less and less force before giving up completely, then she continues crying into my chest and starts hugging me.

This goes on for over 30 minutes before she stops crying, and even then she continues hugging me. I can't help but let my mind wander to an old memory of her as a child in the orphanage, tugging at my shirt, still crying over a doll stolen by another child younger than her.

When she finally let go of me, I could feel her almost normal Aura as I pulled her face toward mine, wiping the remaining tears from her eyes and wiping her face.

"Better...?" (Me)

"No... but I'll stay..." (Niryna)

-------------------

After several hours of talking to Niryna, I finally managed to calm her down, and thankfully no one else appeared.

I was sitting on a floating patch of floor left after my tantrum. I was cross-legged with Niryna's head resting on my lap, while I stroked her head. Her face was still depressed.

"None of this was your fault. No one expects you or me to be able to handle that bitch." (Me)

"..." (Niryna)

"She knows how to get to us. All those with emotions and desires are easy targets for her, so don't worry about it. She'll get what she deserves eventually." (me)

"She can hear you right now..." (Niryna)

"Let her hear it, she's too much of a coward to do anything about me, just a dog on the System's leash." (me)

"She's laughing at your words..." (Niryna)

"Because she knows they're true and still doesn't care. She has a lot to gain by keeping things as they are, and her previous words are right." (me)

"Good and evil will always exist, which means that just as she embodies Evil and cruelty, there is also someone opposite her who embodies the opposite." (me)

With my words, Callidora emerged from Niryna's body, this time in an adult guise with 90s biker clothes. Her expression wasn't smiling when she looked at me.

"Be careful what you pursue, kid. I for one am selfish and will only act in my own interests. Those who do things for the greater good as an excuse tend to be extreme beyond all measure." (Callidora)

"You have some idea that your reaction now only serves to encourage it, don't you?" (me)

"I don't trust you, and even if, due to your blackmail, I allow almost everything to remain as it was, that doesn't mean I'll look for ways to even the slightest bit hurt you..." (me)

"You'll have to look hard, then." (Callidora)

"As you said, we have eternity for this, and I'm very patient." (me)

"..." (Callidora)

"Don't treat me like your enemy, boy... you have nothing to gain from this other than more suffering than you can even imagine." (Callidora)

"You should have thought about that before acting like you were my enemy. Me accepting the terms of your blackmail doesn't make me forgive what happened, and you know it." (me)

"You just don't yet understand how far I'll go to get even..." (me)

"Now go away and don't ruin my time with Niryna!" (me)

"< Territory >" (me)

"You..." (Callidora)

Just before I could say anything, I activated my Territory, but it was different. I could feel the power of the Concept within me. It was inert, yet it was there. So I decided to test it now that my mind was calmer.

Unlike in the past, my Aura felt like a strangely malleable block of concrete that had to be moved with force. Just covering this entire 100-meter space was tiring, as my Aura marked this space not only as mine, but more than that. It was as if this space were an extension of me and an Embodiment of my Will. I could clearly feel Callidora's connection to Niryna.

With great effort, my Will partially blocked this connection, causing her illusory image to disappear, and Niryna to stand up with a surprised face looking at me.

"What did you do?" (Niryna)

"A test... a successful test..." (me)

Sigh

"I no longer hear her voice, nor do I feel her looking through me... I can't look into Hell either... but I still feel the connection..." (Niryna)

"What I did is merely a signal interference between you. I wanted to do more than that, but that's my limit..." (me)

"Just this is enough..." (Niryna)

Niryna looks tired. I lay her head on my lap again and soon I hear the change in her breathing. She was asleep, she seemed so vulnerable now that it tugged at my heartstrings.

Callidora is always planning something that might benefit her; her appearance just now was strange.

"(She wasn't afraid when she appeared, she was serious, which shows it was either a warning or just a way to manipulate me into continuing this line of reasoning, knowing it won't lead to anything.)" (me)

"(But if there's nothing that can counter her, I just have to create it...)" (me)

"I have no illusions about killing you or defeating you... a little inconvenience will be enough..." (me)

If I could show Callidora that being my enemy was against her interests, then at least that could protect us all from her schemes like what happened this time.

--------------------

10 hours later.

I was walking through the buildings in the Space City alongside Urd. I was tired; maintaining that territory was exhausting, and yet I forced myself to do it until Niryna woke up. I didn't want Callidora to bother her anymore.

I learned a few things about the territory because of this. One of them was that it was incomplete; in fact, it would be more accurate to call it embryonic, like a seed.

It had no function or form, so it couldn't expand. It also seemed to have things connected to it, like Tarzor, my Divine Realm, and this Realm of Urd's Law.

I could feel my Concept more easily and control it with my Will within it, as if I were moving the Concept within my own body. That's when I realized that that territory was under the control of my Energy Cycle as a base.

It was a very productive few hours for understanding a few things, especially now that I've confirmed that it's possible to exclude an area from the interference of other Entities.

"Are you sure you want to see her now?" (Urd)

"Yes, she's the last. I don't know Vecna's fate, but Mavor dies too easily." (me)

"Your suffering won't make up for what was caused in the past." (Urd)

"No, but even so, punishment must be meted out. The impunity for what was done bothers me, and I needed something to vent my anger on." (me)

"I still don't agree with this..." (Urd)

Urd was much taller than I was; walking beside her was a bit uncomfortable, as I couldn't look at her face while she spoke.

She led me through the staircases and corridors of one of the buildings in her Space City before we stopped in front of a metal door that Urd was reluctant to open.

"I know you don't like violence, much less torture, but the one inside this room deserves no mercy." (me)

"I don't want to interfere in your affairs, but one thing I don't accept is an enemy being easily forgiven." (me)

"She seemed willing to surrender, and I really feel like she wants to be on our side." (Urd)

"Because she feels like there's no other alternative. She hasn't changed her mind, much less regretted what she did. She's just jumping to the winning side like the parasite she always was." (me)

"..." (Urd)

"Open the door, Urd... we need to deal with her and finish everything before focusing everything on Hatred..." (me)

Snap

Urd doesn't do anything, but the metal doors clang loudly before they begin to open, revealing a very beautiful, albeit disheveled-haired, Ascended woman chained to the wall while sitting clutching her knees.

"Hello, Urak..." (me)