Chapter 114: What Must Be Done To Stop Divinity - Draconic Ascension: Book of Reality and Spirits

The room was quiet. Too quiet.

Orin finally broke the silence.

"…Are you sure it's really a god?" he asked hesitantly, almost like he didn't want to hear the answer.

I nodded.

Everyone stilled.

Even the spirits seemed subdued.

Willow stared at the floor, her wings drooping slightly. She didn't say a word.

The wind fairy—still unnamed—drifted toward the ceiling and into a corner, nervously folding their wings. I could feel it through the bond: unease, discomfort… fear. Not of Aaron.

Of me.

Because I was suggesting we fight against a god.

A few long, silent minutes passed before Zek cleared his throat.

"…Could it be a mistake?" he asked. "Maybe you misread the energy? Holy magic is weird—I've seen some artifacts that feel divine, but they're just blessed relics. Maybe this is just… I don't know. A stronger variant?"

I shook my head slowly. "No. I've encountered a god before. Years ago. I know the way it felt. The pressure it gave off. The energy I felt from Aaron… it was exactly the same."

Zek stared at me. "You're sure it's divinity? There's no other explanation?"

I looked him straight in the eye. "No other explanation. The first time I felt it was during my first encounter with a god. And thanks to a contract I made, I confirmed that being was a god. This is the same. It's divinity."

"…Divinity…" Orin echoed, eyes narrowing. "Is that… different from holy magic? I thought they were the same thing."

I nodded. "They're not. Holy magic is a fragment—an echo. A tiny portion of a god's power lent to their followers. Priests, paladins, and others can wield it through faith and training. But it's still a gift—measured, filtered, and safe by divine standards. Divinity itself, though?"

I paused.

"It's raw. Unfiltered. The source itself. Not something mortals can hold or survive, not for long. Gods are divinity. It's the foundation of their existence."

"But priests use holy magic," Orin said, confused.

"Yeah," I replied. "But even then, they train both mind and body for years just to handle it safely. Holy magic causes strain the longer it's used—if you're not prepared, it burns you out, even breaks you. Technically, someone could use it endlessly… as long as they remain conscious and their faith holds strong. But divinity? That's thousands of times more intense. And that's not a metaphor."

Ark looked up, pale but focused. "…Then what is the true power of divinity?"

I glanced at him.

Then looked down.

"…I don't know."

That stunned them more than anything else I'd said.

Even Willow looked up in surprise.

Zek actually blinked, caught off guard. "…Wait. You don't know?"

I smiled faintly, but it didn't reach my eyes. "Divinity is beyond me. I know a lot of things. I've seen a lot of things. But that? That's on another level. I've never witnessed its full extent—and honestly? I'm not sure I want to."

Orin slowly turned his gaze toward me. "…Then how do we fight it?"

I let out a breath. "We don't. Not yet. The god is limited right now. It's still locked within Aaron and needs to finish converting his body into a vessel before it can act freely. Even after that, it'll need time to adapt to a mortal shell."

I looked at them all.

"If we fail to remove it from Aaron, that adjustment period will be our last window to end this."

Zek nodded, though his jaw was tight.

"The stronger the god, the more restrictions it faces in the mortal world," I explained. "Even if it fully takes over, it won't be overwhelmingly powerful right away. And even if it is, no shadow god is omnipotent. We can hide. We can defend. As long as I set things up… we'll have options."

The silence returned.

Then Araki broke it, voice tight. "…What happens to Aaron? Truly."

I looked down, suddenly very tired.

"…I don't know," I admitted, shoulders slumping. "I have an idea. But truthfully? I don't know."

Araki's expression darkened. "Tell me anyway. Even if it's a guess."

I met his eyes. "…His soul will shatter. And he'll die. If the conditions are right, maybe I can intervene. But I don't know if anything I try will work."

There was a long, cold silence.

Then I added, "My primary goal is to banish the god. I want to save Aaron—but if I have to choose between killing one friend… or letting a god destroy thousands…"

I looked down again.

"…Then I'll kill him."

Ark squeezed my hand, his voice soft and a little distant. "Will that happen…?"

I looked at him, hesitated.

Then nodded. "If it comes to that… the sacrifice of one to save thousands is the best path forward."

Araki's fists clenched. "You really believe that?"

I turned toward him, tears in my eyes.

Not from sadness.

From hatred.

I hated this choice.

"…I don't like it. But I don't have a choice. I hate the idea of killing someone I care about. But sometimes… you don't get happy endings. Sometimes you have to choose the ending that hurts the least."

Ark looked into my eyes. "Have you ever made a choice like that before? To kill someone… even if you didn't want to?"

I gave him a small, sad smile. "…Once or twice. I always try to find the path with the fewest deaths. But sometimes… killing one person is the path forward."

No one responded to that.

The weight of it was enough.

This was only the edge of what I'd warned them about.

The Mountain of Stars was no myth.

It was real.

And they were now standing at its base.

Orin finally stood. "I… need time to think."

He walked toward the door slowly.

Zek and Araki followed a moment later, silent.

Ark and I stayed behind.

I held his hand tighter.

With a sigh, I slowly released the [Null Invocation].