Across the span of Altera, seven grand temples stood as monuments of divinity and civilization. Each one was devoted to a single Deity, serving as a conduit between mortal reverence and divine will. The Temple of the Goddess of Combat lay within the walls of Rome itself.
Here, towering above all other sanctuaries, stood the Cathedral of Luminal Essence. It was less a building and more a statement. Every pillar was carved with the names of the fallen who had perished under the banner of the Goddess.
The Pontifex Divina, the protectors of the temple, were not merely priests and priestesses. They were lawmakers, judges, and the voice of divine authority. They were the only order permitted to interpret the Goddess's will and by extension, they held influence that rivaled even royal decree. Their word was not questioned. Their decrees were considered law.
They enforced Divine Regulation, ensuring that the usage of Combat Flux remained within ethical and doctrinal boundaries. To misuse Flux for heresy, blasphemy or personal gain was to spit in the face of the Goddess herself. Those found guilty faced Flux Severance, the most brutal punishment imaginable. Through this ritual, the Pontifex Divina stripped the offender of their Combat Flux entirely, leaving the victim hollow, powerless, and spiritually deaf for eternity.
In fact, every divine order within the seven temples can perform Flux Severance and are the law of energy Flux in the world. For the Combat Flux, they are the Pontifex Divina.
°°°°°
The great doors of the Cathedral opened, flooding the interior with rays of moonlight. The sound of ceremonial bells rang through the halls as Empress Aurelia Aurea Augustus entered, her long imperial robe trailing behind her. At her side walked Princess Hinesia Rameses. She wore less regal attire. Her outfit was more practical and elegant than ceremonial.
The vast corridor before them was flanked by dozens of priests and priestesses, their faces veiled in reverence, each bowing as the Empress passed. Hinesia noticed how none of them made eye contact. Even to look directly at the living incarnation of the Empire was an act that required permission. Yet what caught her attention most was not the grandeur but the absence. There was no High Priest or High Priestess among them. In all seven temples across Altera, not one had ever been appointed to such a role.
She said nothing aloud.
At the altar's end rose the magnificent statue of the Goddess of Combat. The statue stood ten meters tall. The Goddess was depicted in immaculate knight's armor and a helm they hid her face. In her right hand she held a long spear raised to the heavens.
As they stopped before the altar, Aurelia exhaled quietly. The priest who led them — a tall man draped in radiant vestments — bowed deeply and stepped aside. The surrounding attendants did the same. None dared to stand near the Empress and her guest when she spoke.
Dark Aurelia began to speak as she emerged from the shadow of Aurelia.
"According to the records of old, the Roman Empire was not strengthened by conquest alone but by divine intervention. When the Fluxwave Phenomenon struck the world seven centuries ago, our ancestors were blessed. The Goddess of Combat herself descended, granting the first of my bloodline a gift. I am sure you know about the five God-touched Fluxers, right, Princess Hinesia? She was one of them."
"Yeah. I know."
"I see. Well, that ancestor together with the God-touched Fluxers led the world to victory against the Fluviums. Under her rule, Rome was reborn from chaos. But she could not bear the thought of death. She feared it. She begged the Goddess not to take her spirit into the unknown. And the Goddess, perhaps moved by her devotion or her arrogance, granted her a pact."
Hinesia listened quietly, even though she knew that story from doing the quest. Verdamona was here instead of her in the main storyline to witness the death of the Empress. Only this time...
"That pact that allowed her to reincarnate through her descendants endlessly. Each Empress born of my House carried her soul, her memories and her will. I am the fourteenth vessel of that woman. I am the fourteenth Aurelia."
The revelation did not surprise Hinesia as much as it confirmed something she had already known. Aurelia turned to face her.
"And now, I am here to undo that blessing. Or curse, depending on how you see it. The Goddess gave my ancestor a means of ending the cycle. It's the artifact called the Erethis Chalice. It can sever the continuity but only if the vessel willingly offers up her soul before the eyes of the Goddess. That's why I died in the true storyline. Oh. Here they come."
From behind the altar, four figures emerged. They moved in perfect rhythm, each step falling in unison. Their garments were woven from immaculate white linen threaded with gold sigils. Their faces were hidden behind bronze Roman helmets.
These were the Pontifex Divina—the Supreme Executors of the Combat Goddess. Their arrival needed no herald.
The four stopped a few paces before the Empress and bowed not in submission, but in ritual acknowledgment. The one at the center spoke first.
"Empress Aurelia Aurea Augustus… is this truly your wish?"
Dark Aurelia raised her eyes to the statue towering above them. Aurelia just watched her counterpart speak.
"Yes. I already relinquished the Empire. The Senate governs now. There is nothing left for me to rule. This blessing has lingered long enough. I have lived too many lives, held too many names and worn fourteen crowns. It's time the cycle ends."
A brief silence passed before the Pontifex on her left inclined his head.
"You wish to sever the divine bond placed upon your bloodline. You want to cast away the contract of reincarnation blessed by the Combat Goddess herself."
"I do."
"Then," said the third Pontifex, his voice slightly older, "we must ask why now, Empress. Why cast away immortality when eternity still kneels before you?"
Aurelia's eyes lowered to the floor. When she finally spoke, her tone was filled with exhaustion.
"Because I am tired of ruling, of fighting and being everyone but myself. Every life, every death, every rebirth, it is the same endless loop. It is the same wars, the same politics, the same blood. I have watched empires rise and crumble under my name, and I can no longer tell where the first Aurelia ended and where I began. I want peace. Even if it means death."
The four Pontifex exchanged silent glances, unreadable beneath their visors. Then the central one spoke again.
"We understand. And we are aware of what you are, Empress."
Dark Hinesia's head snapped up. "What do you mean by that?"
Aurelia didn't flinch.
"They mean Outer. They have known all along."
The Pontifex gave a slow nod.
"Indeed. The Supreme Executors of all Seven Temples are informed of all anomalies that concern the Deities. And the Outers are one of them."
Hinesia's voice rose slightly in pure disbelief.
"You know about the Outers? How? No one outside us even—"
"Princess of Rameses," interrupted the rightmost Pontifex, "there is nothing upon Altera that concerns the Deities without our knowledge. We know of the Outers' existence, though not their origins, nor their motives. We do not know the realm from which they emerge. However, we are certain they walk upon this world."
Hinesia went silent, the words sinking like lead. Her pulse quickened, but her mind reeled faster.
'So the Pontifex Divina know about the Outers but don't know why they're here? Does that mean the Goddesses sent us here?'
Dark Aurelia spoke.
"Then you know why I can't remain like this. If I continue the cycle, the Outer possessing my body, will experience the blessing. It must end. But the Erethis Chalice requires souls to anchor the severance. And there are no souls near us."
A long silence followed. The Pontifex turned their gaze toward her in perfect unison, like statues that had decided to move. Then, the central one replied in a voice as calm as before but with caution this time.
"Perhaps, the solution has already presented itself before us."
Aurelia frowned slightly. "What do you—"
The cathedral was plunged into utter darkness, the only light coming from the faint glow of the statue's divine spear. Hinesia's instincts screamed before her mind could understand the situation. Her eyes darted toward the far end of the hall just as dark mist began to crawl across the floor l. It slithered across the marble, up the pillars, coating the inlays in shades of shadow.
Aurelia stiffened, her posture tense. The Pontifex drew closer to her, their bodies glowing faintly.
Something was inside the mist.
With the sound of fabric tearing through cloth, a shape fell right before the altar. It landed with one knee bent and one arm resting against the floor. Dark mist coiled around her like a shroud, swallowing what little light remained.
Hinesia's breath caught in her throat. She knew this presence. She had seen it back when she played the game.
The tall, feminine silhouette slowly lifted her head. Her skin was pale like moonlit ash. Wisps of black smoke trailed from her shoulders and fingertips, and every motion she made rippled the air like water disturbed by an unseen current.
She looked directly at Hinesia.
"You've been busy, haven't you?"
Hinesia froze, her lips parting soundlessly. The realization struck her all at once, dread and disbelief crashing through her veins.
This wasn't supposed to happen. This was not in the original timeline.
"The… Moth Maiden?"