[A few moments ago]

From inside a shallow crater, Elaria slowly opened her eyes.

A dull ache pulsed through her entire body. She groaned, pushing herself up with trembling arms. As her vision cleared and she saw the ruined surroundings, realization slammed into her.

The battle.

Her mother.

Alex.

Her body jerked upright.

"Alex!" she yelled, whipping her head around.

Her gaze landed on Aeliana's unconscious form lying nearby, breathing steady but still. Relief flickered through her for a heartbeat—then the distant sound of battle crashed over her.

Explosions. Shockwaves. Metal on metal.

The forest itself shook as something tore through it.

Elaria gritted her teeth and tried to stand, legs protesting. She forced herself upright and turned toward the direction of the sounds, ready to run.

A voice echoed in her mind.

{ What are you trying to do? }

"Isn't that obvious?" Elaria snapped. "I'm going to help. He was already spent after fighting Mother—I don't know how much longer he can hold out."

The goddess of nature, Diana, spoke again, her tone cool.

{ And how are you going to do that? With your current strength, he'll squash you like an ant. You don't stand a chance. }

Elaria's fists clenched.

"You think I don't know that?" she shouted back in her head. "But what do you want me to do—just watch him die after he risked his life to save me and my mother?"

She started running, ignoring the pain.

"I'm going to do whatever I can," she muttered. "Even if it costs me my life. And if you're really a goddess like you claim, then help me instead of lecturing me! Or are you just useless?"

Silence answered her.

For several seconds, only the sound of her footsteps and the distant battle filled her ears.

Then Diana sighed.

{ Such a rude child you are… } she said. { But you're right. Given your measly strength, you may need his help in the future. }

A vein popped on Elaria's forehead.

"Measly?!" she yelled, glaring up at the sky as she ran. "I'll have you know I'm called a prodigy among my generation!"

{ Then why are you weaker than that handsome boy? } Diana asked.

Elaria's mouth twitched. "Just exclude him. That guy's a freak among freaks. Now do something—we don't have much time!"

{ Very well, } Diana replied. { Let me tell you this: the only way I can save him is by descending—and even then, not for long. Just a few minutes. Your weak body won't withstand my presence for too long before it breaks down. }

Elaria swallowed.

{ So, get as close to him as you can, } the goddess continued. { The man he's fighting also has the blessing of a powerful Outer God. We will have to act quickly and escape or i will have to kill him. }

"Got it," Elaria said.

She pushed her legs harder, increasing her speed, branches whipping past her as she raced toward the source of the chaos.

---

Elaria broke through the last line of twisted trees—and froze.

The forest ahead was devastated. Craters split the earth, trees were sliced in half or vaporized, and the air hummed with leftover energy. At the center of it all, she saw two figures.

Alex and Marcus.

They clashed, attacks shaking the dforest itself. Even from this distance, she could see that Alex was losing—his movements slower, his aura flickering.

She arrived just in time to see Marcus walking toward Alex, sword raised, intent crystal clear.

He was going to finish it.

"Diana!" Elaria screamed. "Do it now!"

Her vision blurred.

The world tilted as she suddenly lost control of her own body. Her consciousness felt like it was being pushed aside, sinking deeper as something older and vaster stepped into her skin.

Her body began to change.

Her chest grew in size, her hips and buttocks filling out more, her height stretching as bones lengthened. Muscles refined, posture straightened. Her blond hair shifted shade, turning into a pale, luminous green that flowed down her back like living vines. Her eyes, once amber, became a vibrant sapphire‑green, glowing faintly.

A divine aura radiated from her.

The entire forest reacted instantly.

The ground softened. Trees straightened, branches rustling as if in joy. Leaves unfurled wider, flowers bloomed from cracked bark, vines coiled gently around her legs like affectionate snakes. It was as if the whole forest recognized her and rushed to embrace her presence.

But when she—now carrying Diana's will—saw Marcus raising his sword over Alex, her gaze sharpened.

In a burst of speed, she appeared near them, crossing the distance in a heartbeat.

Her divine aura crashed down on Marcus.

It was overwhelming, suffocating—like the sky itself had decided to press down on him. His knees buckled against his will, muscles locking. His breath caught in his throat. For the first time in a very long time, Marcus felt something unsettlingly close to dread.

"Mortal," she said, voice echoing like it came from the depths of the earth and the tops of ancient trees at once. "Keep your hands away from him."

Every hair on Marcus's body stood on end.

He turned his head slowly, looking behind him.

Elaria stood there—yet not Elaria. Divinity wrapped around her like a mantle, green hair flowing, sapphire eyes cold and ancient. The forest seemed to lean toward her.

For a brief moment, Marcus was genuinely mesmerized.

Then he snapped out of it as his instincts screamed danger.

He leapt back, putting distance between them in an instant, sword held at the ready.

"Who are you?" he demanded, though part of him already knew.

He looked closer—and recognition dawned.

"Impossible…" Marcus whispered. "Elaria? Are you telling me someone chose her as an avatar? It can't be. I thought her previous power‑up was from some artifact."

Diana's voice came from Elaria's lips, calm and cold.

"Mortal," she said, "I will give you a choice."

She took a step forward, pressure intensifying.

"Leave," she commanded, "and I will spare your life. And do not even think of touching a single hair on the boy's head."

Diana—wearing Elaria's body like a vessel—stood between Marcus and Alex, divine aura rolling off her in waves.

Marcus looked from her to Alex and back again, studying them both with narrowed eyes.

"So," he said at last, voice low, "you actually descended to help Elaria, huh."

There was something almost wistful in his gaze.

"This is the one aspect I'm really jealous of you gods," he went on. "Because unlike you, the Outer Gods don't care about their avatars at all. Even if we give our lives for them, those bastards only know how to use us."

Diana's eyes hardened.

"That is not an answer to my question," she said. "Will you leave, or not?"

A small smirk curved Marcus's lips.

"Alright," he said. "I'm leaving."

He slowly began to step back, posture relaxed, as if he had accepted her terms.

Then he blurred.

In the blink of an eye, he appeared right beside Alex's prone body, sword already raised.

"Did you take me for a fool?" Marcus snarled. "To give up this chance?"

He swung his blade with all his strength, aiming to sever Alex's neck in one clean stroke.

A low voice answered him.

"A foolish decision you have made."

The forest reacted.

A thick tree branch shot out of the ground like a spear, smashing into Marcus's side.

BOOM.

His body was sent flying, tearing through several trees before crashing into the dirt far away. He rolled, then dug his feet into the ground and forced himself upright, blood trickling from his lips.

All around him, the forest came alive.

Roots whipped from the soil, branches twisted like arms, vines lashed out—all aiming directly at Marcus. He gritted his teeth and swung his sword, hacking through the first wave, splintering wood and severing vines easily.

"What happened to your earlier bravado?" a calm voice asked from behind him.

Marcus spun around, eyes wide.

"What the—"

SCHLK.

His words cut off as his left arm separated from his body in a spray of blood, falling to the ground with a dull thud.

He staggered back, clutching the bleeding stump.

Diana stood a short distance away, eyes cold.

"You reacted to that, huh," she said. "Only managing to sacrifice your left arm. I suppose I still can't use all my powers through this vessel."

Marcus winced, breathing harshly.

He barely had a second to adjust before she moved again.

The Bow of Moonshade materialized in her hands, but it was different now—enhanced by a divine presence. An arrow of pure, condensed divine energy formed on the string, humming with lethal power.

"Sky Piercer," Diana whispered.

She loosed.

The arrow vanished.

For a heartbeat, Marcus saw his life flash before his eyes—memories, regrets, rage—sliding past in a blur.

He snapped out of it with a snarl.

"Silent Blade, Eighth Form: Guardian Vigil!"

Dark mana exploded around him, forming layers of shields and barriers—a dome of swirling shadows meant to block anything and everything.

The arrow tore through them like paper.

It shredded the dark mana, ripped apart the protective dome, and pierced straight through Marcus's chest as his vision started fading and his body started growing cold.

Suddenly a burst of blue‑white light engulfed him, swallowing his figure completely.

The explosion rocked the already‑ruined battlefield.

When the dust finally settled, there was nothing left.

No body. No lingering aura.

Only the scorched mark on the ground where Marcus had stood.

"Tch," Diana clicked her tongue. "The rat escaped."

She dismissed the bow and walked back toward Alex.

Carefully, she knelt and lifted him, supporting his upper body in her arms. His head lolled against her chest, eyes half‑closed.

Slowly, his eyelids fluttered open.

He blinked up at her, vision hazy.

"Wow," he muttered weakly. "What a dream… and in the arms of a babe, huh."

He shifted slightly, pressing his cheek more comfortably against her chest.

"And if it's not a dream then Looks like I finally made it to heaven after dying, Looks like the gods are not as useless as i thought." he said with a dopey smile.

A vein throbbed on Diana's forehead.

Her eye twitched as she looked down at the blissfully stupid grin on his face.

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