"Yes... it is true. I am a Demi-God."
Raymond admitted at last, as in that instant the temperature within the Eternal Garden plunged to a bone-biting chill.
Thunder split the heavens, and for a heartbeat it felt as though time itself froze, for Raymond's eyes caught the faint glimmer of lightning crawling across the polished edge of Kaelith's origin-metal blade, as his own father turned his weapon against him.
Instinct seized him, his muscles coiling as he threw his body downward, hoping to slip beneath the first strike....
And for a moment, it seemed like he could potentially succeed, the dagger's arc whispering just above his head.
However, unfortunately for him Kaelith was no ordinary opponent.
The Eternal Sovereign had seemingly already accounted for his son's reflex as he threw the first dagger high on purpose as bait for the duck, while the real blow came via a second strike that was sweeping low.
A move that left Raymond with nowhere to dodge.
'So this is it huh? I'm going to be decapitated today by my own father...'
Raymond thought, as he had pure terror written in his eyes as Kaelith's blade approached him.
Internally, Raymond had already accepted death the second he saw that second blade come for his throat....
Yet, to his disbelief, the blow never landed, for Mauriss the Deceiver moved in that very instant, sliding the raw slab of Origin Metal into the narrow space between Raymond's throat and the glistening dagger, as sparks erupted violently into the frozen air while the Eternal Garden quaked under the clash of godly force.
Raymond's breath got caught in his throat as his mind reeled, for while Kaelith's blade pressed with the weight of wrath, it was Mauriss's strength that held it back, the Deceiver's grin spreading wide with unholy amusement as though he savored the irony of shielding the son from his own father.
"Let it go, Kaelith.... I have use for the boy and I won't let you kill him here today—"
Mauriss said, as he flicked Raymond aside, and stepped before Kaelith to fight him toe to toe.
"I can't spare him Mauriss.... You know of our ancient pact, any offspring of ours that reach the Demi-God realm must be killed by their own fathers ..." Kaelith spoke without emotion, as Mauriss scoffed at his words.
"Great acting, Eternal Sovereign, but you can stop now.
I know it's impossible for anyone to steal the Moonshine Flower from the Eternal Garden without you finding out.
So I know you allowed him to be a Demi-God yourself.
Of-course I can never prove it. But I know it happened.
And I don't mind.....
Like I already said, I have a use for the boy." Mauriss said, as he pushed back against Kaelith and created a moment of separation between the two of them.
"I'm not planning to snitch about this to Helmuth if I have my way.
So if you want to be known as both a father and son killer by the universe, go right ahead and kill your own son.
But if not, let me put him to better use..." Mauriss pleaded, as he stepped aside, granting Kaelith access to kill his son if that was what he really wanted.
However, just like he expected, Kaelith did not take the bait to attack.
"So, what do you want him for?" Kaelith asked instead, as Mauriss covered his face and pulled at his eyes.
"What do I want him for?" Mauriss repeated, his grin widening as though each word tasted of mischief and blood.
"What I want him to do is attack the Cult and lure fucking Soron out of his hiding shell, so we can see with our own eyes whether your brother is still the same powerhouse we fought 2200 years ago, or whether he's a washed up has-been."
Mauriss expressed, as he began pacing a slow circle, his shadow cutting sharp angles across the frozen grass as thunder rolled above like distant drums.
"You understand me, Kaelith," he continued, speaking while his palms flexed around the raw slab of Origin Metal as though it were a puppet he could make dance.
"I don't want you to kill him here, I want a performance. I want a mega conflict that drags Soron from whatever hole he's buried himself in, and force him to fight.
The Cult has no fighter stronger than a Monarch, so if we kill the Cult's few Monarch's, Soron will be forced to come out himself."
He leaned forward, his eyes bright and hungry as a predator.
"The cuts on his body are serious, Kaelith and he's fought his injuries for two thousand two hundred years now;
Do you know how long that is?
That's over two fucking millenia.
And do you know what happens over such a long time?
Men age, wounds fester and vigor drains even from gods who refuse to die.
I suspect he has lost tendon and temper both, but suspicion is not proof.
So what I want is proof of Soron's current strength...."
Mauriss demanded, as he began to chuckle, slowly at first, but soon maniacally and nonstop.
"Let your son be our test Dummy, Kaelith.... For if he dies, we honor him and his memory.
We paint him as the new face of our Anti-Cult campaign.
While if he prevails, we grant him life.
We allow him to live freely as a Demi-God, for the contribution he made to society by killing Soron is too great to go unrewarded.
So what do you say?
Is my plan glorious? Or is it just marvellous?"
Mauriss asked, as he tugged at his eyelids hard before beginning to laugh even louder, as his voice eclipsed even the sound of thunder in the surroundings, the entire Eternal Garden trembling beneath his aura.
'What a vile and disgusting man...'
Kaelith thought, as internally he did not feel even the least bit amused by Mauriss's plan.
However, no matter how much he hated it, realistically, he had no other option but to agree with it, since his son had already so foolishly admitted to being a Demi-God.
(More chapters in Buyers club for TMT)