A week passes.
Within the solitude of the blackstone sanctum, I focus on what matters most: my core, my divinities, and my understanding.
It is not easy.
After giving a fragment of my soul to Hecate, my strength drops sharply. But now, through rigorous training, introspection, and past experience with the Underworld's power, I begin to ascend again.
Finally, after relentless effort, my power returns to its peak:
Mid-level chief god.
When I return to the throne room, Hecate stands at the foot of the dais waiting for me.
This time, she wears a stunning long dress, woven from twilight threads and starlight shimmer. Her silver lamp glows faintly beside her. She smiles in that way she always does when she wants to mess with me.
"Welcome back, dear husband~" she says sweetly.
I smirk. Today I am prepared.
I sit down on my throne, posture regal, voice smooth. I give a long sigh and say in a serious tone and face, "I don't know how this can be possible?"
Hecate worries, "What happened?"
"I really can't believe myself."
"What!?"
"How did I get so lucky to marry the most beautiful woman in the world?"
Silence.
"W-WHAT—?!"
Her face goes bright red with flustered embarrassment.
"Y-You can't just say things like that with such a serious face, idiot!" she stammers, turning away and pretending to adjust her dress. "T-That's dirty fighting!"
I lean back in satisfaction. Victory is sweet. Triple damage confirmed.
Trying to hide her flushed face, she quickly changes the subject.
"Anyway… ahem, husband, the Underworld has already sensed the fall of two Dukes."
Her voice steadies. The general returns.
"As we predicted earlier, the others have begun to move. Four Dukes have formed an alliance. We need to strike before they unify further."
She wears an emotionless face, either fully recovered from her embarrassment or at least pretending to be.
I don't take the teasing further and just focus on the serious matter.
"But they are weak dukes and we both can easily deal with them. I don't think we have to worry about them."
"Exactly, they are weak, but they have a good area of influence and we can use it. I will tell you my plan later. But for now, I propose that we divide. You go speak to Druvak again. Try to pull him to our side officially. Meanwhile, I'll deal with Amazel."
"Amazel? I don't recall hearing that name before."
Hecate's expression darkens a bit.
"Amazel is… different. A former humanoid demon who fell through an energy rift. Her body mutated, fused with raw arcane energy. What exists now is… unstable. Powerful, but chaotic. She doesn't follow logic like the others, but I might be able to reason with her."
"You trust her?"
"I trust myself. Besides, unlike you, I can handle weirdos. As I am already married."
"Exactly."
We both smile.
After parting ways, Hecate teleports west, while I soar northeast in search of Druvak, ready to challenge him once more.
I transform into a black phoenix, wings trailing obsidian flames as I fly over the shadowy terrain of the northwest Underworld.
Suddenly a sharp sound echoes, like glass shattering across the heavens.
The sky fractures. Dimensional cracks spiderweb through the air, creating a violent vacuum that pulls at everything in its range.
I fight against it, wings beating with all my strength, but it is futile. The force is overwhelming.
The void swallows me whole.
When I open my eyes, I have returned to my humanoid form, floating in a realm of endless darkness. No light. No floor. No horizon. Only the suffocating silence of the void.
I search for an exit, or someone, or something. But there is nothing there.
And then A blinding light tears through the dark.
From it emerges a stunning woman, her long hair and skin as pale as starlight, her eyes black as collapsed stars. She wears a simple linen gown that glows faintly with cosmic energy.
"Welcome, Ron," she says.
I blink. Confused. She must be addressing someone else. There are only the two of us here.
"Miss, you must be mistaken for someone else. My name is Hades."
"No, I have not mistaken you. I called you."
"…But I'm not Ron."
"Hmm… it seems you've forgotten your identity from your past life."
My heart skips. My chest tightens. For so long, I believe that secret is mine alone. To hear it spoken so casually is… terrifying.
No one in the entire universe knows of my past life except for me… and Lord Chaos.
"…How do you know that?"
She smiles faintly. "I am Ananke, Primordial goddess of the cosmos. I dwell near the Origin level, the apex of all creation, the level where Lord Chaos resides. Naturally, I know who you are."
I am stunned and humbled.
She tilts her head. "So… how is your new life?"
"I… don't remember who I was. But I am grateful for this life."
She nods, then waves her hand.
A shimmering portal opens behind her.
From it, Hecate bursts out, wand in hand, fireballs circling her like loyal guards. Her eyes scan the void, then lock on mine.
Then they flick to Ananke.
Her fireballs slowly fade. Her fierce stance crumbles.
Her gaze stabs into me with silent accusation, 'What have you done now?'
I shake my head, 'I didn't do anything.'
She raises her hand, palm up, 'Then why are we here?'
I mime a shrug: 'I have no clue.'
Our silent gestures continue.
We completely ignore Ananke.
She coughs. Loudly. *Cough!!!
We ignore her again.
She coughs again. Louder. *Cough!!!Cough!!!
Still no response.
Ananke narrows her eyes.
Then she releases a tiny bit of her cosmic aura.
Instantly, a crushing pressure floods the void. We snap to attention, realising our mistake.
"You two are quite a lively couple, flirting in front of me. Quite bold."
Blushing and flustered, we bow. "We apologise for our misbehaviour."
Ananke smiles faintly. "No harm done. Let me properly introduce myself. I am Ananke, Primordial god of the cosmos."
We both straighten.
"I summon you both," she continues, "because you've done something extraordinary. You completed one of the most sacred and forbidden rituals in the cosmos."
"We're… really sorry, we had no other choice at the time."
Ananke raises a hand. "Relax. I'm not angry. Merely surprised. No one has dared perform the Cosmos Marriage Ritual in eons. But you two did it and even succeeded. And with that, your bond is now recognised by the cosmos itself. Congratulations."
"Thank you… Lady Ananke," we say in unison.
"With this bond, your connection transcends life and death. Your emotions, memories, divinity, and growth are shared. When one grows stronger, the other does too."
"But this also comes with consequences."
We tense.
"If one of you dies, the other perishes too. If one breaks the bond through betrayal say, infidelity, it is considered a cosmic violation. Punishment for such betrayal is… absolute."
"We understand and we promise that we would never do such a thing."
Ananke gives a faint nod. "Good. Now… for your wedding gift." She smiles. "I will grant you one favour in the future, no matter what or when. Use it wisely."
Our eyes widen.
"We are honoured. And grateful, Lady Ananke."
She waves a hand.
Space twists around us. With a final, knowing smile, Ananke waves her hand, and the infinite void dissolves into the familiar place of the Underworld. We stand exactly where we were, the encounter feeling both an eternity and an instant.