Chapter 243: We live our lives

"...You are coming with me to the Planet of the Gods."

"W… what?"

Cortana could not help but stutter as she heard Noah's voice. She was ready to perish from this world, but it was as if a rope kept pulling her up.

"Everything is over now. The Prophecy I have painstakingly created is all but gone. I need to bring you, even if you are just a godling so I can have something to show my peers."

"..."

"There is no debate here, you are coming with me," seeing as Cortana was silent, Noah continued his words, "If you stay here, you would just be wasted and will obviously choose to perish away in time."

"But--"

"If you come with me, then you might have a chance to reunite with Xanthus. It might just be his consciousness that is alive, but a god only truly dies when his or her soul is fully eradicated. If you kill yourself here voluntarily, your soul will just… vanish."

"I--"

"Mister Xanthus says you don't need to."

With Cortana's hesitation with her words, she was once again interrupted, this time by Viel.

"If you're tired, then it is alright… you may finally rest."

But as if a bell was being rammed, Viel's words awoke the fire inside Cortana's eyes. Cortana quickly shook her head as she looked Noah straight in the eyes.

"I am coming with you," she said, "That… is that alright with you?" She then looked towards Yinji.

"I don't really care. I'm just tired," Yinji let out a somber sigh. She had been fighting for more than a year now, she wanted to go back to her secluded meditation, "If you want to go, then I will just say to the populace that your humanity returned and you chose to kill yourself."

"But that--"

"Is the truth," Yinji quickly rebutted, no signs of any hesitation could be heard from her words.

"..."

The two stared at each other for a while, before Cortana finally nodded her head and returned her attention back to Noah.

"Then… do we immediately go now?"

"Yes. We--"

"No!"

All of a sudden, Noah felt someone hitting his leg. He looked down, only to see Lyanna punching, kicking, and biting his leg.

"Where are you going!?" Even with her muffled voice, Lyanna's words still echoed through Noah's ears clearly.

"I am going back home."

"But why!? Can't you just stay here with me!?"

"My goal here is done, and I have failed. I can no longer stay here."

"But why!? Then take me with you, father!"

Yinji and the rest of the group could not help but let out a quiet sigh as they watched the scene in front of them.

"I can't take you, you will die before we even reach our destination."

"I don't care, take me with you!"

"...I can not."

"No!" Lyanna's cries thundered in the air as she tightly embraced Noah's leg. "I won't let you go!"

Noah could only close his eyes as he once again let out a sorrowful sigh before turning his head towards Yinji,

"You are Yinji, correct? Can you take care of this child?"

"...No." Yinji quickly shook her head. Noah was about to open his mouth, but Yinji continued her words before he could do so, "But I know a place that could."

"I see. Then please take her there."

"Please, no!"

As soon as Noah said that, Lyanna's cries grew stronger, almost shaking the heavens themselves.

"You are not meant to be raised by a being such as I, Lyanna."

"But why!? Why can't you just stay here!? Please stay here! A… a father needs to stay with his daughter!"

"I… am not your father."

Lyanna's cries instantly stopped as Noah's whisper pierced her ears like a blade. "I hate you!" She screamed as she suddenly ran away.

"Lyanna, come back here!" Noah stretched his arms to reach for her, but was unable to do so, "...Please wait here," he said to Cortana before chasing Lyanna.

"..."

"So… that's a god?" With Noah gone, Yinji slowly walked nearer to Sofia and Viel.

"I suppose," Viel shrugged his shoulders in response, "It turns out that I am also one."

"Hm…" Yinji could not help but squint her eyes as she leaned in closer to look at Viel's face.

"W… what is it?"

"Do you… really now know who I am?"

"...I am afraid not, sorry." Viel slightly chuckled as he slowly stepped back.

"That is a shame," Yinji let out a long and deep sigh, "Seeing you all grown up now, I thought that you would be willing to let me bear your child."

"!!!"

"R… really?"

"Vi!"

"Just joking, just joking," Viel let out a nervous chuckle as he scratched his head.

"I am not." Yinji rebutted.

"..."

"Please stop giving Viel these weird ideas, miss Yinji!" Sofia adjusted her spectacles as the earth table that she made returned back to the ground.

Yinji, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow as she looked at Sofia. "Could it be… you have also started to develop feelings for the chi… for Viel?"

"W… what!? N… That… well," Sofia could only let out stutters as she fidgeted in place, her eyes trying their best to avoid Viel's, but at the same time wanting to glance at him.

"You have, haven't you?"

"T… that's--"

"Excuse me."

Before Sofia could stutter again, Cortana interrupted their very important discussion.

"I would like to say thank you for giving me the chance to go peacefully, Yinji." Cortana bowed her head towards Yinji.

"Hm."

"But even if I do not know Viel that well, my beloved's soul is inside of him-- the father of my child."

"Hm?"

"So out of the three of us…

...I have the most right to be with Viel."

"!!!"

"What are the two of you even saying!?" Sofia almost broke her spectacles in frustration, "Vi is too young for these discussions!"

"Really? You are saying that as if Viel is not already taller than you," Yinji squinted her eyes as she looked back and forth between Sofia and Viel.

"Still, these discussions are not appropriate for his age!"

"Age? What age?"

"Vi, say something!"

"E… eh?"

Sofia stomped her foot on Viel's. And Viel, whose eyes had been going back and forth between the three, did not know what to respond. And the only thing he could say was, "Well…

...I am cursed with beauty?"

"No!"

And so, the curtain of war abruptly closes. Out of nowhere, the undead which plagued the lands and threatened to destroy every life in the world finally rested, dropping to the ground as if their strings were cut.

The people that have been fighting, the people that have been suffering for years all rejoiced. Their voices thunder in the air, a celebration that will forever now be immortal.

However, they were completely oblivious that as the curtains of the brutal war had ended, another war was brewing.

A war between 3 women.

And this war continued for quite a while before the air around them calmed down. Noah had also come back, carrying Lyanna who seemed to have fallen asleep from all her crying.

"It… is probably best to leave now. Please… take her."

Yinji nodded as she gently grabbed Lyanna from Noah's arms.

"Viel, I will see you in the Planet of the Gods." Noah's voice was hurried, as if afraid that he might still be here when Lyanna wakes up.

"Still no idea where that is."

"Then come with us now."

"Pft. No," Viel quickly shook his head, "This is where I belong…

...beside the people that I love. I feel like I at least owe my old self that."

"...I see," Noah could only let out a sigh, "Well, gods always find their way when the time is right."

"Viel…"

As soon as Noah was finished with his words, Cortana leaned in closer to Viel, "Please smack Xanthus whenever he does something stupid, okay? I will wait for you in this… Planet of the Gods place."

Hearing Cortana's words, Viel was silent for a while. But after a few seconds, he let out a laugh.

"What… what did he say?"

"...Something cheesy."

"I… I see," Cortana chuckled, "Then please… tell him to say it to me when we meet next time…

...I will see you later, Xanthus."

"Hm."

"Alright. We shall take our leave now." Noah said as he grabbed Cortana's wrist, "Please, do not destroy this world while I am gone, sir Viel."

"What? No. Of course not."

"Alright. We will leave now," Noah quickly said as he noticed Lyanna slightly fidgeting in Yinji's arms, "Sorry to cut our farewells short."

"Wait… Can I at least see my daughter once, even from a distance?"

Noah's eyes started to lit up, but before they could fully glow, Cortana pulled her wrist away.

"...Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Alright, let's go."

With the two flying away, Yinji also took her leave, bringing Lyanna with her. But before she left, she asked if Viel wanted to tell Xing Cai about what happened to him.

"...No," Viel shook his head, "Please let them live their lives. My old self has already said goodbye to her as far as I know. If she meets with me again, I am afraid she won't take it well if I leave again."

"You… have grown up," a small smile crept up on Yinji's face, "You should visit my sect from time to time."

"Hm," Viel nodded, "Also… please. If anyone is coming here since they heard my voice as you did… Please tell them not to come."

"...Alright. Farewell… Viel."

And so, once again, Viel and Yinji were left alone.

"What now?" Sofia said as she looked at Viel's face.

"We… live our lives, Sofi," Viel whispered as he held Sofia's hand, holding it dearly as they walked back inside the town.

"Should we… buy a house inside the town?"

"...Okay."

"Vi…"

"Hm?"

"..."

"What is it, Sofi?"

"...I love you."

And so, just like that, years passed by.