Ñout stepped forward. Her aura spread like a silent tide, covering the horizon. Her voice, soft but unwavering, shot like a universal verdict:
— You have gone too far already, Isissis. It's time to leave.
Isissis burst out a dry laugh, his gaze sharp as a thousand blades:
— Tsss… And you think I'll just obey so kindly?
His lips stretched into a predatory smile.
— I'm not done having fun with this little Sakolomé… So you must—
He didn't have time to finish.
The air cracked. The sky split in two like a torn page. And she appeared.
A gigantic golden statue, colossal, emerged with a tectonic rumble. Over a thousand arms twisted around it, each holding a symbol of cosmic authority. Its face... had no eyes, no human features. It was not an entity: it was an embodied principle. Its mere presence disrupted the concept of height and distance; even the sky bent like warped fabric.
One of its arms descended with crushing slowness and grabbed Isissis like a mere toy. Instantly, the Primordial Domain exploded in silence. The layers of reality he had woven for amusement dissolved like shadows chased away by dawn.
— Ñout!!! Isissis screamed, his eyes blazing with cosmic hatred.
— How dare you ruin my pleasure?!
Ñout tilted her head slightly, her expression icy, indifferent:
— My duty is to watch over order and the gods' commandments.
She closed her eyes briefly, and her voice became a blade:
— I neutralize everything that hinders them… And you, Isissis, have crossed that line.
Isissis sneered despite the crushing grip of the statue:
— Ha ha ha… Neutralize?! You think you can extinguish me?!
Then he slowly turned his head toward Sakolomé, still panting, covered in blood, but standing nonetheless.
— You… little human… tell her we're not done having fun. Tell her she's deaf, that she refuses to hear me!!!
A crystalline, cruel laugh rose behind Ñout. Goth Chancellor advanced calmly, his childlike face lit with an almost innocent smile:
— Do you really think if this human speaks… we will heed his words?
His eyes gleamed like two bottomless abysses.
— You are… quite the jester.
Isissis's features tightened. His fury exploded in waves of black energy, but the statue tightened its grip, fracturing his meta-conceptual being.
— I'm not done having fun!!! he roared, his voice saturating the air like a hurricane.
— You will all pay for this! I hate the primordial gods… You love ruining everything, you bunch of—
SHKRRRHHH.
Another hand of the statue fell, completely swallowing Isissis. Then, the world trembled. A silent roar rose into the void, followed by a golden celestial light sweeping the horizon like a reversed sun. And… silence.
The statue had vanished. With it, Isissis was nothing but an absence in the cosmic fabric.
The Protective Goddess sighed, folding her wings gently:
— It is finally over…
Goth smiled, his eyes shining with cold irony:
— Over? Hmm. No. This is only a respite.
He crossed his arms, his tone becoming almost childlike:
— We won't see him again for a long time… And fortunately.
Silence finally descended on the battlefield. The air still vibrated with the scars of Isissis's domain, but the frenzy had extinguished like an ember under rain.
Ñout let out a long sigh, her shoulders relaxing slightly:
— Anyway… next time he returns, he'll get what's coming to him.
Goth burst out a small ironic laugh, floating above the ground like a child's shadow:
— Next time, huh?
His eyes gleamed with disturbing mischief.
— In the meantime, we'll have to fix all the damage he caused. And believe me… there's plenty.
Ñout nodded calmly, her voice neutral again:
— That's not a problem. We will restore balance.
— Hmm. If you say so.
Goth made a slow circular motion in the air, his body levitating as if sliding in reversed gravity. Then he cast a mischievous glance at Ñout and the Protective Goddess:
— See you later, you two.
A slight breath of energy, and he vanished, leaving behind only an almost childlike echo.
The Protective Goddess spread her wings, bathing the scene in a soft but authoritative light. Ñout gave her a brief look:
— Gather all the gods still present here. Take an exact count and assemble them.
She nodded without arguing:
— Understood.
Then she walked away, her steps echoing like bells in an infinite silence.
There remained only Ñout… and Sakolomé.
The young man was kneeling, head bowed, his hands trembling. His tears flowed silently, tracing tracks on his cheeks smeared with dust and blood. His shoulders sagged as if the weight of the world rested on them.
Ñout approached slowly. Her voice, soft but firm, pierced the silence:
— What's wrong, young human?
Sakolomé raised his head slightly. His eyes were red, full of raw pain. He awkwardly wiped his tears with his arm:
— I… I lost my sister. And my brother…
His voice broke, he took a sharp breath before continuing:
— I wasn't even able to be a worthy opponent for Isissis… I was… just good for nothing in this duel.
Ñout crossed her arms. Her features softened, revealing a slight sad smile:
— Tell me, Sakolomé… did you want to save your loved ones… or defeat Isissis?
He raised hesitant eyes to her.
— Both… he whispered.
Then, louder, clenching his fists:
— I wanted to defeat him to save my brother, my sister, Ysolongue… and all this mythical world. But… it was a crushing failure.
He turned his face toward the sky, his eyes reflecting the broken light of the horizon.
— If you hadn't been here… it would be the end.
Ñout looked at him for a long time. She felt the raw sincerity vibrating in his voice: it was not fear driving him, but overwhelming regret… and a thirst to do better.
She spoke softly, as if placing a truth into the depths of his soul:
— Luckily for you… Isissis is just one god among others.
Sakolomé lowered his eyes toward her, surprised:
— What do… you mean?
Ñout knelt slightly to be at his level, her golden irises shining with unfathomable gravity:
— Imagine for a moment that this monster is the absolute god…
She paused, her gaze piercing the young warrior's eyes:
— Imagine a reality ruled by an entity driven only by its ego… and low desires.
Her voice grew graver, almost sharp:
— Eternal chaos. A creation without law. An existence… without balance.
Silence fell again between them, heavy as a prophecy.
Ñout took a step toward Sakolomé, her shadow mingling with the twilight light of the battlefield. She paused long, her golden eyes shining like two ancient suns, then plunged her gaze into the young warrior's:
— Isissis… doesn't even reach the level of the weakest primordial god.
Sakolomé's eyes widened, stunned:
— What?!
Ñout nodded gently, her tone calm but cutting:
— Yes. He is powerful, sure… but his power is limited. Isissis reigns only over what is called the second zone of the Dream.
She took a few steps, her hair floating like fluid shadows.
— In that zone, he dominates all. There, he is an absolute god. Everything there is beneath him… including you.
Sakolomé clenched his fists, his voice tense:
— So… what must one do to surpass him?
Ñout tilted her head slightly, an enigmatic smile on her lips:
— Detach yourself from that zone. Leave the circle he controls. And climb the strata… up to the first zone. Where those who dictate the very laws of existence reside.
He furrowed his brows, lost in these words:
— These… zones? What does that mean?
Ñout averted her gaze slightly, as if seeing beyond time:
— One day, I will explain everything to you.
— One day?!
Sakolomé's voice rose, broken by anger and fear.
— But I will probably never see you again!
A heavy silence followed. Then Ñout approached and, against all odds, took him in her arms. Her embrace was both gentle and overwhelming, as if binding him to a destiny he did not yet understand.
— Don't say nonsense. Her voice resonated against his ear, deep and warm.
— You are now my human subject. As long as that remains true… our paths will cross again.
Sakolomé murmured, eyes wide:
— Your… human subject?
Ñout smiled faintly, almost tender:
— I like your mentality.
She tightened her embrace a little.
— You chose to protect those dear to you, even if it meant humiliation. Even facing the impossible… you kept going. That's a rare strength.
Those words struck Sakolomé in the heart. But his mind immediately returned to the lost faces. Salomé… Bakuran… Bakuzan… His tears rolled again, burning like shame.
Ñout slowly pulled away, plunging her gaze into his:
— Enough crying, little human.
She placed a light hand on his shoulder.
— Not all is lost. The thread of order can be rewoven. Your sister… your brother… they will return to normal.
Sakolomé raised his head abruptly, his eyes swimming with hope:
— What?! Really?
Ñout nodded calmly:
— Yes… but not all.
Her tone deepened.
— Your big brother… he, you will have to face yourself. Not now. Not with your current strength.
Her eyes shone with a sharp intensity.
— One day, Sakolomé Satsujin Otoko.
He shivered.
— How… do you know my full name?
Ñout let out a light laugh, deep and crystalline:
— I see everything from my state. I know everything about you.
Then, her face darkened.
— I made you my temporary human subject for reasons you cannot yet grasp. But remember this: if you break the balance… I will annihilate you.
Sakolomé swallowed, but his voice remained firm:
— I do not seek to disturb order. Never.
Ñout gave a satisfied smile:
— Good.
She looked away slightly, her eyes seeming to seek an invisible presence.
— And we must thank the one who tipped the scales… the one who allowed us to intervene before Isissis finished his game.
Sakolomé frowned:
— That… that wasn't you who cut off his arm?!
Ñout shook her head slowly.
— No. It was… her.
Her tone grew heavy, almost sacred.
— Mü Thanatos.
Sakolomé felt his heart stop for a moment.
— What…? But… she wasn't here! How…?
Ñout moved closer still, her voice becoming a shadow-laden whisper:
— She is everywhere, Sakolomé. Like space itself. You cannot escape her. She does not need to be present… to reach you.
A chilling silence followed, as the name Mü Thanatos echoed like a distant echo in Sakolomé's soul.