Weak. Too weak. She'd forgotten her murderous intent because of one casual compliment. If she were in her full form, she'd be chasing Tet across the globe; a few nice words wouldn't have moved her an inch.
"Well, I gave her all the divine power anyway, so it was fine for her to handle it~" Tet said dismissively. "You guys should trust your comrades! Jibril is very strong!"
"That's right! I am the strongest!" The cute angel stood with her hands on her hips, soaking up the praise.
Poor Jibril. Played like a fiddle.
Tet is also a huge villain! Sū ěr realized that the simple god he knew had evolved into a master of human hearts. It was a subtle, unsettling change.
Time really is a monster.
"Wait! That's not right—did you think I'd just forget what you just did?!" Jibril triumphant laughter cut short as she looked down at the crystal on the floor. Her happy face instantly turned back into a mask of humiliated rage.
Her logic had become childish, but her intellect was still there. Give her enough time, and she could still piece it together.
"Ahem. She's right. Tet, that was a bit much." Sū ěr feigned condemnation, but the look he gave Tet was: 'Good job, got any more?'
"Yeah, my bad. I should apologize to Jibril... but I thought Sū ěr and Think would want to see that~" Tet said with a look of pure innocence.
Not "want" to see. "Desperately needed" to see! Sū ěr felt like someone who had accidentally overheard colleagues saying nice things about him behind his back; he wanted to play the compliments on a loop and savor every word.
"Do it again next time," Think said, nodding to Tet in approval. She even gave Jibril a provocative smirk.
Score one for Nirvalen.
"Alright, alright. So how are Riku and the others? You're taking good care of them, right?" Sū ěr asked, changing the subject before Jibril exploded or started crying again.
But he made a mental note: when Jibril wasn't around, he was going to watch that miniature stage performance ten thousand times.
Yes, I am also a villain.
"Of course," Tet smiled expectantly. "I sent them to another world. I'm really looking forward to seeing how strong they get using knowledge from another dimension~"
"Is that so?" Sū ěr imagined it. "That sounds nice."
Riku only had a human lifespan, and Schwi only had a few hundred years more than him. It was likely that when Riku's time came, Schwi would choose to go with him... so Tet sending them away was actually a blessing.
Rather than "respecting the natural cycle of life and death," Sū ěr just wanted the people he cherished to be able to share their stories and sit in the shade of a tree together.
"Ah, right. Even when you come back, I'm not just going to hand over the One True God throne... You ran away for so long, and you lied to me about coming back soon, hmph." The gender-neutral god puffed out his cheeks and stuck his tongue out at Sū ěr. "When you return, you and Riku can fight me for the seat! Only the winner gets the Suniaster!"
"...Pfft, hahahaha. Fine," Sū ěr laughed. "Then we'll all play to win."
Think looked like she wanted to protest, but after Sū ěr squeezed her hand, she stayed silent, shaking her head with a resigned smile.
"That's the spirit! When the time comes, let's all have a grand, happy game together!" Tet cheered, raising his hands. This was the game he had been waiting thousands of years for.
Tet left as quickly as he'd arrived.
This wasn't his true body, just a sliver of consciousness. Aside from the invitation to play, he spent the rest of his time chatting with Sū ěr about the progress of humanity in that world and the stories of the friends who had helped him.
They were marrying, having kids, laughing, and clumsily trying to live by their own will.
"Hahaha! Sū ěr, you really should see it! After losing to me, Artosh spends every day studying how to play games!"
"What? Really? Isn't that a bit... out of character?"
"Hey, playing games is a noble pursuit! Pffhahaha, he even sends Flügel to the Elf cities to find research papers and books on game theory. It's adorable!"
"DO NOT INSULT LORD ARTOSH!!!"
CRASH! BANG! THUD!!
A joyful gathering wasn't complete without some ruckus... though if Jibril relentless combos on Tet counted as "ruckus," Tet ability to dodge and sip wine simultaneously while laughing made it look very casual.
Sū ěr loved this feeling. He even invited the blonde vampire to join. She stayed at the furthest possible edge of the table, stuffing her face with Jibril snacks like a silent passerby.
Whether Tet actions were intentional or not, Sū ěr noticed the barrier that had existed between him and Jibril since he woke up had vanished. In the laughter and bickering, even Think and Jibril went back to their usual "teasing but civil" mode, instead of the razor-sharp tension that had been giving Sū ěr a headache.
For Jibril, the thousand-year-old awkwardness of their separation was gone. So were the shadows of their brief opposition and the torment of the past.