Chapter 412 - The Black God & The Harbinger of Catastrophe

"After all, it's not every day my child came to visit me…"

Alinea's and Ivan's eyes narrowed at the man before them. Sitting on the throne made of rocks in front was a slender young man with long, lavender hair. He wore a pure white robe and a golden mask adorned half of his face. Even if his countenance was partially covered, he had the looks that could rival the King of Heaven's. However, he might be lounging lazily on his seat but there was nothing lazy about how he regarded them with his pair of scarlet eyes. 

"Who is this pretty boy?" Alinea whispered to Ivan. "Why did he call me his child?"

"Ali that's Czernobog," Ivan whispered back, but his eyes remained on the man in front. 

Czernobog? Alinea then remembered that the Black God had always worn a mask. But she had always thought of him as an ugly creature not this man with ethereal beauty. 

"Isn't it obvious? It's because you are my child," the Black God said before inclining his head as if he changed his mind. "Or better yet, my grandchild."

Huh?

"What are you talking about? You're neither my father nor my grandfather. You're my enemy" Alinea unsheathed her sword and pointed it towards the man. "I came here to finish you off."

Alinea couldn't understand why but she suddenly felt very uneasy. It was as if the deity before her had a joke she was not privy to— and it's a lethal one. As much as she would love to attack him right at that moment, her instinct told her to stay put and hear him out first. 

CLAP CLAP CLAP

The Black God clapped his hands as he ended his laughter. "That Fanya didn't lie. It really worked. You came here."

"Damn…"Ivan suddenly muttered as he inched closer to her. Alinea who still had no idea what was going on turned to him with a questioning gaze. "We've been set up."

WHAT?

"The Black God has been expecting us the whole time," Ivan continued before clamping his mouth in a grim line. 

"How…"

"I take it my granddaughter came here in hopes to end her curse as the harbinger of catastrophe?" Czernobog asked as he raised his empty hand and conjured a goblet of wine out of thin air. His crimson eyes stared at Alinea as he drank. 

"If you already knew, what's the use of asking?" 

"Just to confirm so I can tell you to be rest ȧssured. There's no point coming here to end your curse as you were not cursed from the beginning," the Black God drawled lazily as he smiled. 

"What are you saying?" Ivan and Alinea gripped the handle of their swords as tension rose. They were ready to attack at any time. 

But the Black God remained calm. He snapped his fingers and the goblet disappeared. He then used the same hand to touch his face where the mask was and slowly removed it, revealing his face for the first time. 

Alinea and Ivan both stared in horror upon seeing a familiar countenance behind the golden façade. "I'm saying that you were never the harbinger of catastrophe in the first place…"

=====

"I feel so restless. How long do you think we have to wait," Gin ġrȯȧnėd as he slumped on the table. 

They had all finished their evening meal and the Wind God was getting bored. 

"If you're so impatient you can go out on patrol. Just stop whining here," Ryuu told him impatiently. 

"Ah! But I've scouted the entire Dark Valley three times now," Gin said woefully but Ryuu ignored him. 

"Scout it a fourth time, then a fifth time then. Just shut up," the Koutaishidenka retorted blandly, making Gin groan louder. 

"Are you a pig?"Perun sighed and a soft chuckle sounded next to her. 

Gin turned to see Yuuka silently giggling next to his twin. "Ah. Brother are you sure you want to show how mean you are to me to my sister-in-law?"

"Do you want me to demonstrate how sure I am?"Perun countered and Gin scrambled to his feet and hid behind Ryuu. 

However, regardless of how funny the scene might be, no laughter came from Yuuka again. When they looked at her, she was totally red on the face, embarrassed. 

"Aya…"Gin smiled meaningfully but looked away. 

"Don't mind him," Perun told Yuuka who shook her head.

"I don't. I mean, I-I…"Yuuka sighed looking helpless. 

"Brother why don't you take her out for a walk so sister-in-law can have some fresh air?" Gin suggested. 

"There's no need!"Yuuka protested as she shrank against the wall, trying to make herself invisible. 

Gin sighed. His brother's wife could be overly thoughtful at times it was frustrating. But it was a good thing that Perun seemed to be amiable to his match-making efforts. He stood up and offered his hand towards his wife. 

"Go out with me?" Perun invited and Yuuka shyly placed her hand in his. 

Gin and Ryuu watched the couple go out of the tent and fly off. 

"Ah, it's good to be in love…" Gin sighed again as he slumped back on the table. 

"Why are you so restless?"Ryuu asked seriously and Gin froze. 

"Ah, I got caught," he murmured. "I don't know why. Everything's planned out perfectly. But I still have a nagging feeling in my stomach that tells me that something's not right," he confessed as he turned to Ryuu. "How about you? 

Ryuu nodded. "It was too easy. It's strange."

That's right. Even if the process resulted in deaths amongst the army, they felt that it was all too easy. Czernobog, the Black God was the God of Destruction and suffering. It felt so strange that everything was going smoothly on their side. 

"Yeah. I just hope everything will be fine…" Gin murmured as he looked outside where his brother and his wife vanished a while ago. 

Up in the air, Perun carried his wife as they flew towards the forest near Ritz's and Ovid's territory. The Dark Valley was a stretch of barren land so there was nothing much to look at. When they reached their destination, he placed her gently back on the ground. 

"This place is…"

Perun smiled as he watched Yuuka looked around at the grove before them. She looked amazed at the beautiful trees as well as confused. 

"I-I don't know why, but I have a nostalgic feeling about this place," she laughed nervously and Perun's amethyst gaze widened before they warmed over as a smile softened his face. 

What the mind could not remember, the heart would not forget… 

This place was where he used to bring Shitara a long, long time ago. In fact, a few meters from where they were was the spot where they used to live as man and wife. 

"Let's walk," he told her softly as he guided her and started moving forward. 

However, after walking for a few minutes, Yuuka suddenly stopped. 

"What's the matter?" he asked as he turned but frowned upon seeing her. 

Yuuka had her head bowed low with her hair covering her face. She stood unmoving and unresponsive even after he called her. 

"Yuuka? What's the matter?" he asked as he reached out to touch her face but stopped when she straightened up. Her beautiful face had a sad smile as her eyes filled with tears as she looked at him. "Yuuka?"

"My love," she called out softly as more tears came out of her eyes and he inhaled sharply. 

Her face had changed in this incarnation but those eyes— the look she gave him and the endearment she used were all too familiar.

"Shitara…" 

How could it be? He couldn't believe it. 

"I'm back my love. Did you wait too long?" she asked as a sob escaped her lips, and he didn't waste time to gather her in his arms. 

"How?" he asked. She was a blank soul. How could she remember the past? Was it the place? 

"It doesn't matter," he said and she rested her head against his ċhėst as he tightened his hold on her. 

"That's right. It doesn't matter," she agreed in a whisper just as Perun suddenly felt a slicing pain in his ċhėst. 

The sound of a sword stabbing flesh resounded in the grove and Perun found himself stepping back from his wife. The shock was written on his face as a bloody rose started to bloom on his ċhėst. 

THUMP!

The King of Heaven fell on the ground as blood sputtered out of his lips. His amethyst gaze locked at the woman who stood above him. Gone were the gentleness in her eyes, replaced by cold orbs that were freezing. In her hand was a sword made of miasma that she used to stab his heart. 

"Die for me, my love…"