Chapter 399 - Mimic The Strongest

"My love, what's the matter?" Alinea asked as she turned to Ryuu. 

"Just wait here awhile," he said and she obeyed. 

The sun had just risen from the horizon and the army had already started to move with Fredek, Ivan, and Gin on the lead. She was also expecting to go with them, but her husband stopped her. They stood at the courtyard of the palace where the army had been camped just earlier and watched as the last soldier rode away. 

"My little one, take care, alright?" Perun said softly, and Ali turned to her father and smiled as she stepped in his open arms. 

"I will." She thought that the reason why her husband asked her to stay back was because her father still wanted to talk to her. "Take care of Mother," she retorted. 

Yuuka was not present at the moment because she and Alinea had a late night. Her mother accompanied her to her friends' graves where Alinea unabashedly cried her heart out while being comforted in her mother's arms. 

"I will," Perun promised as well. "Give it all you've got. In case you're in complete danger, release Aurel and I would come to you in a flash." 

The king's voice was determined. Because of his position as the King of Heaven, he couldn't join this war. But if his child would be placed in grave danger, he would disregard the law of life and would come to her. 

"I will protect her with everything I have," Ryuu said with equal determination. 

"As you should," Perun agreed but his tone hinted a warning as his amethyst eyes scrutinized his son-in-law. 

Alinea found this amusing and was about to say something but remembered something else that she thought about the night before when she was told about the plan. 

"Father?" she called her parent, making sure he was paying her attention before she spoke again. "I… There's something that's been bugging me."

"What is it, child?"Perun asked; the eyes that had given a warning to Ryuu earlier turned warm again. 

"It's about the Black God's lair," she said as a frown marred the space between her brows. "I was thinking that the reason why Ryuu and uncle can't go with me to fight Czernobog was because of the last seal."

Perun's seal wouldn't let anyone or anything above level A to pass through, normally. 

"Yes?"

"But since you will remove them, why can't they come with me all the way so I can concentrate on Czernobog?"

The men looked surprised at her question. Normally, other people would think the same way she did. But Perun shook his head so this meant that this wasn't the case. 

"It's our fault. We forgot to tell you another thing that's preventing us from going near him," Ryuu apologized, confusing her, but she remained quiet, waiting for an explanation. "Do you remember when we told you about your greatest enemy?"

Alinea nodded. "Myself? It's because the spawn will try to take over me, right?"

Perun shook his head. "It won't."

"Ha? It won't? How…come?"

Alinea was more than confused now. She believed that the reason why she was the harbinger of catastrophe was because the spawn in her body would try to take over her consciousness and wreak havoc across the land. 

"The divine powers that you have completely integrated within your soul are suppressing it now. Even if Czernobog would try and manipulate the spawn, it couldn't take on all three of us." 

Both Perun and Ryuu looked apologetic after saying this and Alinea understood why. It was because if this method was really effective, they had wasted thousands of years and tears. But she also understood that none of them knew about this until this lifetime, so she forced herself to forget about feeling aggrieved over something that's already in the past. 

"So the Black God can't control me anymore," she confirmed, and the two nodded. 

"This is why I told you that if you do not wish to deal with it yet, it would also be okay," Perun said. 

Upon realizing all their mistakes and finally discovering the entirety of Czrnobog's folly and the nature of the curse, they were no longer in a hurry as long as they were able to secure Alinea's life. 

"Then why is my greatest enemy still myself?"

"Because you will be literally fighting against yourself," Perun answered enigmatically. "Aside from making himself intangible after a specific amount of damaged received, his other ability would also be triggered." 

Ability? 

"What ability is that?" Alinea asked although in her heart, she somewhat already had an idea what it was. 

"He would mirror the strongest individual in the vicinity," Ryuu answered. "The reason why I can't go with you to the deepest lair is that he can copy anyone within the area of the inner seal."

Alinea was already expecting this answer but she was still shocked. No wonder… 

"The only exemption to that is your father. Nobody could make a complete copy of the King of Heaven," Ryuu continued and Perun nodded. 

"So that's why…"Alinea murmured. She had also been wondering why despite the might of all the deities in heaven— despite Czernobog's pittance of power compared to her uncle and her husband, Perun had still needed to deal with him personally during the first Immortal War. 

"That's right. Because he can copy not only their physical feature but their powers as well," Perun confirmed. "We cannot let him be that powerful."

"So he will copy me,"Alinea nodded in understanding. 

"Technically, he would copy Ivan. But with our divine powers within you, you have become stronger than him. The Black God would choose to mimic you." 

Oh well…

At least she got this issue clarified. If she wouldn't lose control of herself then there's no problem. But as if reading her thoughts, her father poked her forehead. 

"Do not lax because he won't take control of you. The Black God can still mess with your mind," he admonished her, and Alinea gave him a sheepish grin. 

"I won't," she promised again. 

Perun studied her after a while before nodding. He glanced at the bangle he had given her on her wrist before turning back to her and smiled. 

"Then go," he said and he gave Ryuu a warning glance again. "Take care of my daughter."

"I will, father."