"What? That... it's just that Zero was—"
"That's right... My lord Uriel has freed me from Chrom's terrible curse. I no longer fear his power, nor even his name."
—Zero... What the hell are you doing?
"He freed me, and now I possess color once again. This is something only my lord Uriel could do, and I am witness to his miracle, so look at me well."
"He said his name was Zerothiel? Then it is a miracle of our lord Nih?"
Many whispers began to rise among those who watched, stirred by Zerothiel's convincing words.
"It truly... is you, our lord Nih."
"My lord Uriel... our cult, our people... we never doubted that one day you would return for us."
Tears streamed down Aeris's face as her trembling voice touched the hearts of everyone present. The crowd, deeply moved by her words, erupted into a unanimous cry that seemed to shake the world.
"We will follow our lord Nih!"
"He has returned!"
After that, Aeris led Uriel and Zerothiel to the Temple of Nih. On the other side of the temple there was a wide plaza and a throne overlooking it. Some details remained in perfect condition while others had deteriorated with time. Aeris herself mentioned that the place had been cared for by her people and hidden from those who sought to destroy it. The reason this and the other temples still stood was because calamities near them made access extremely difficult.
"Was this throne Nih's?"
"I remember this throne well, my lord. It did not belong to my former lord Nih, but to one of his most faithful disciples, a priest who governed this place. His name was Zoren."
"You are correct, Master Daelvachor. I myself am a descendant of that faithful priest. He, along with the priests of the other temples, were the ones who cared for everyone in his absence and ensured that his legacy as Creator God would never disappear from this world."
"I see..."
"Despite the years, this place has been maintained splendidly. It is admirable what you have all managed to do for so long."
"It is just as Master Zerothiel says. For us it has never been a burden, but rather a way to protect what our ancestors protected, what, in the end, was the will of our god Nih. That is why we tend to the temples this way and welcome all who seek refuge. Our temples possess an imperceptible barrier that makes them difficult to find, though there have been times when their locations were exposed, or by chance someone with color stumbled upon them. Even so, they remain the safest places we know..."
Aeris's expression suddenly changed; she looked worried. She quickly said:
"Lord Uriel, please stay for a moment. Allow me to introduce you to the other priestesses, they will be overjoyed to see you at least once."
"I must depart. It is time to go after Chrom. I cannot give him more time."
"Just a little, my lord, I beg you. We have always dreamed of seeing the bearer of Adámanas and the Creator God. I beg you, please."
Aeris was prostrated, fully on her knees, making her plea to Uriel. Daelvachor then intervened with a whisper:
"My lord... I sense other relics in this temple that may be of use to you. I believe staying a bit could be beneficial."
"Very well, Aeris. I will wait. Go bring the others."
"Yes, my lord, at once."
"I will lend you one of our mounts so your journey will be faster."
[Contact with Abbadom]
A small portal opened, from which only a demonic horse emerged.
"He will take you to your destination."
"Obey this woman. My connection with all demons of Abbadom still works. Inform me if anything happens."
—Right, I still have that. I should use it with her; I still had available slots.
"Use one slot of the Active Communication Skill on Aeris."
[Active Communication]
//Notification
Checking...
Successfully used.
Current available slots: 3/5//
"Can you hear me?"
Aeris: "W—what is this? I am hearing your voice inside my head, my lord."
Uriel: "It is a way for us to communicate. You must think of my name and speak to me; your voice will reach me immediately. Can you try it?"
Aeris: "Is this alright?"
Uriel: "It's perfect."
Aeris was completely excited and motivated; she now had a direct way to communicate with her lord.
"I will head at once to the other temples. Please enjoy your stay in your temple, my lord... Master Daelvachor, Master Zerothiel."
After bowing, Aeris already mounted on the demonic horse, departed quickly from the village.
"Did you say there were other relics in this place?"
"Yes, my lord. I can feel the other objects with which I share energy."
"Are they like you?"
"Not in the sense of possessing consciousness. However, my former lord created them with powerful effects."
"Before leaving, Nih came here with Zoren and personally entrusted him with certain objects. He was the one who hid me under an impenetrable barrier—one that not even Chrom could break despite knowing where I was. And if he ever did, he created a sword similar to Adámanas and left it in plain sight, but my core was where you found me."
"Speaking of that, why did you merge with my scythe? And how did you know my name?"
"I can only merge with weapons, but not just any weapon. It must be a magical weapon forged by a master craftsman, and it must possess the ability to grow according to its wielder's stats. This new body fulfilled all those conditions, and I could feel it... Besides, I could learn your name due to the very nature of the weapon, as it is bound to your magic and therefore your soul to allow the growth effect to function."
"I understand. So that was it."
"In addition to your name, I could sense your desires. That is why I, Daelvachor, will cut down even the gods who oppose you, my lord.
I also possess individual skills. I wield the unique skill [Opposer]; I can even sever the thread of destiny. But the MP cost of this ability is immense. I also possess various cutting and long-range attack skills."
"All of that sounds very useful. You're incredible. I hope the other items are as well."
"There are some rings called the Rings of the Magic Series. I can sense two of them here. In total there are five. Perhaps Zoren hid the others elsewhere... I can feel them over there... You may follow me, my lord."
"You can move on your own?"
"Yes, my lord. I already possess enough energy. I can float and fly quickly, as well as attack, but my maximum power is only achieved when wielded."
"I see. In that case, guide me to the place."
Uriel began following Daelvachor, arriving at a statue of a full suit of armor. Daelvachor asked Uriel to move the statue, and underneath they found a staircase descending into a hidden chamber. Inside, there were gold coins, chalices, decorative swords, and many other golden items and precious crystals. At the center, a stone hand held two rings.
"My lord... it is these..."
Uriel carefully lifted the hand and removed the rings. After that, he returned the hand to its place and put both rings on the fingers of his left hand.