"You… You were supposed to be out helping the Xypelians! The war... how are you here?"
"Did you think I would let my son die alone, Stephos? Especially after you came for him?"
Her presence was a force of nature in and of itself, suffocating any lingering arrogance the Minor Deity of flames might have had.
"This is impossible. I thought you were too busy for this. This isn't what I expected!"
He took a step back. Vastarael was now leaning slightly against the debris waving at him.
"Good luck buddy. Nice knowing you."
Lysameria's smile widened as she glanced at her son before she turned back to Stephos.
"I ran here, Stephos. I knew you'd make a move the moment I sensed you. But as for your precious barrier… It's gone now. Too bad. I wanted to shatter it to prove my strength to my son but no matter."
Lysameria raised her hand and in the blink of an eye, a long sword materialized in her grasp. It was a long katana, though its blade was a shimmering teal that gleamed with an ethereal light. The handle was adorned with patterns resembling waves and the aura surrounding it hummed with power that rivaled the very ocean itself. The weapon hummed with an unnatural resonance, as if it were alive.
"You think you can fight me with that? You think one sword is enough to—"
Before he could finish, Lysameria raised the blade.
"I don't need it to kill you. I'm flaunting my power in front of my son."
Stephos' expression twisted in fury and with a snarl, he thrust his hand forward, sending an enormous wave of fiery energy hurtling toward her. Flames twisted and morphed in the air, taking the shape of monstrous serpents that hissed with wrath. Lysameria didn't flinch. She was a perfect embodiment of the sea itself. Without moving, she simply raised her sword. The blade shimmered once and then the water in the air began to gather, forming into a shield of water that effortlessly absorbed the firestorm.
The fire was enough to actually destroy an entire city or two. His fire wasn't weak. Lysameria was just too strong.
"What… how?"
Lysameria lowered the sword, watching him carefully.
'You're far too predictable, Stephos."
She dashed forward with unimaginable speed. The ground beneath her feet cracked and splintered as if the very land bent to her will. Stephos tried to react but his flames were too slow. Lysameria's sword cut through them effortlessly, dissolving them into vapor before they could even strike her. The god's fiery aura flickered and sputtered as he staggered back.
"You're a monster!"
"I'm your worst nightmare. Seriously, why bother fighting me?"
She swung the sword in a wide arc, sending a blast of water toward Stephos that exploded on contact with the ground, sending him flying. He barely managed to regain his footing before she was upon him again. This time, there was no escape. The sword cut cleanly through Stephos' defense, leaving a deep gash across his chest that sizzled and bubbled with the heat of his own flames.
Stephos gritted his teeth but he didn't relent. With a snarl, he conjured one last burst of flame, trying to push her back, but Lysameria was too quick. She effortlessly dodged the attack. Her blade met his chest once more, this time driving deep. He dropped to his knees, gasping.
Lysameria stood over him with her sword pointed at his throat. Stephos looked up at her but the fire in his eyes had dimmed. He had no more tricks left.
"Any last words?"
"You think I'm the strongest who came for your Dynasty? The most powerful ones are at the palace. They won't be able to win against them."
Lysameria smirked. The smile was so beautiful that the male Deity was speechless for a moment.
"You underestimate my sisters, flame poser. Now then, how should I kill you? Slice your piece by piece? Chop off your head? No, that will be too merciful. Oh, I know!"
Lysameria's hand shot forward and with terrifying precision, she drove her fist deep into Stephos' chest. The god of flames screamed in a raw, anguished cry. His molten skin began to turn cold under her touch. His golden blood bubbled up from the wound, sizzling as it met the air. Stephos struggled but his strength waned with every passing second. His fiery essence was slowly drained away, leaving his body flickering as the warmth left him.
She twisted her hand. With a final powerful pull, Lysameria extracted the orange core from Stephos' chest. It was his Godly Core.
His golden eyes began to dim, becoming hollow and distant. Stephos' body convulsed as he tried to cling to life but it was futile. In a moment of desperation, he gasped one last time but it was too late.
His form began to disintegrate to ashes as his soul was extinguished. The golden blood that had once flowed like molten lava was now just a faint memory, evaporating into nothingness as he turned to dust at Lysameria's feet.
"Another false Deity, burnt to nothing but ash."
She turned her gaze to Vastarael who had watched the entire battle. His exhaustion and strain on his face were unmistakable.
"Seriously, I didn't expect you to be in so much danger... absorb this."
She gave him the orange core with a sigh.
"It will make you stronger than before. A deity's core is very powerful—"
Before she could finish, Vastarael turned toward Adelasta, who had been standing at a distance, watching the exchange. Her eyes widened as she looked between the core in his hands and Lysameria's casual demeanor. Her voice was thick with confusion and doubt.
"Wait... you're giving me that? Why?"
Vastarael, still weary from the intense battle, sighed softly and turned his head toward her.
"Because you're the only girl born in the direct bloodline of the Viaca Family. You don't have power like the others. So, you focused on weapon mastery to overcome that. But now, you'll be stronger."
Adelasta could hardly believe what he was saying. She had always trained to compensate for her lack of innate power. She had worked harder and learned faster, fought longer, always feeling like the one left behind in comparison to the others who wielded divine abilities effortlessly.
"With this, you'll gain the ability to summon flames. And your strength will increase even beyond what you thought possible."
She knew the core was valuable than anything she had ever touched in her life but why would he give it to her?
"But… why? Why would you do this for me?"
"Because you're my Betrothed, after all."
He looked at her with a smile that caused Adelasta to freeze. She opened her mouth to respond but before the words could form, Vastarael's legs buckled beneath him. His mother held him before he fell down. His golden eyes flickered once, then closed as his body gave in to the desperate need for rest.
Adelasta stood frozen for a moment with the core still in her hands. There were so many emotions swirling inside her.
"Vastarael…"
The reality of the situation set in. He was beyond exhausted and she had no choice but to tend to him just as he had tended to her. She placed a hand on his shoulder, gently shaking him.
"You... you can't just pass out like this…"