The battle resumed in the second circle of the houses, where Salix was forcefully thrown against the towering statue of the Blendbreed. Tefine's son slammed violently into the monument. The metallic sound of the impact echoed through the air, and for a moment, it seemed as if the entire structure trembled. Salix collapsed to the ground, dazed from the blow, while the dust raised by the collision danced around him.
Meanwhile, Shirei emerged from the Interworld and headed toward him. It was then that his eyes widened, and his breathing became labored. A look of recognition passed through his violet irises as Cragar's son shuddered at the sight of the statue, as if a memory had awakened within his soul. His attention was entirely absorbed by the monument, leaving his guard down and his mind vulnerable.
Seizing the moment of weakness from his opponent, Salix got up and lunged forward. His chain moved quickly, the blade slicing through the air, aimed at Cragar's son with lethal intent.
"Are you having a heart attack or what?" the boy said.
Before the silver metal could penetrate his body, the boy dissolved into shadow, vanishing into nothingness, only to reappear instantly behind Salix. Tefine's son managed to react to the impending blow, instinctively pushing the chain outward and shielding his side with his arm. He was sure he could block the attack, but realized too late that it was a feint.
Shirei aimed at the completely exposed opposite side, striking hard beneath Salix's armpit, a punch that made him jerk in pain. The Blendbreed was thrown against the wall of another house. The sound of shattering stone and wood filled the air.
Shirei examined his hand with a glance and noticed a gauntlet of pure darkness wrapping around his forearm. The shadow armor swirled until it vanished, as if it had never been there, and Cragar's son returned his focus to the fight. The Blendbreeds inhabiting the surrounding houses began to gather around him. Some were armed, but they kept a cautious distance. The tension was palpable in the air as they watched the scene, likely deciding to assess the situation before intervening.
"Don't get involved!" shouted the son of the goddess of sleep from a distance.
Salix emerged from the house into which he had been thrown and, with an imperious gesture of his hand, put most of the surrounding Blendbreeds to sleep. The bodies of a few fell heavily to the ground, struck by the spell, and began to writhe in their sleep, tormented by the nightmares in which the boy had trapped them.
Shirei watched some Blendbreeds flee hurriedly from the building where he had thrown his opponent, a house with pink tones adorned with a myriad of sparkling glitter on the walls. The sparkling, well-maintained atmosphere of the dwelling confirmed his suspicions, and the Blendbreed emerging from it seemed to perfectly embody the image of allure.
The children of the goddess of beauty, all with impeccable and radiant appearances.
However, his attention was once again captured by Salix's movement as he advanced toward him with measured steps. The silver eyes of Tefine's son gleamed with a fierce light, marked by an intensity that reflected his inner fury. His weapon floated ominously around his arm. The sharp blade at the end of the chain was like a predator ready to strike its target.
Shirei recalled Salix's words, who in the past had often boasted of the origin of his weapon. Crafted personally by Corgi, the master forger of the gods, and then obtained through a clever exchange that demonstrated the cunning and ingenuity of Tefine's son.
Abilities that not even a son of Lodal could surpass, he had claimed.
Cragar's son closed his eyes, resolute in his intent not to waste any more time. If he wanted to complete the first step of his revenge, he could not stop there. Shirei prepared to take his opponent out of the game once and for all.
It took just one step toward him.
As soon as the tip of his foot touched the ground, a cloak of shadow spread rapidly, enveloping the entire square in a gloomy darkness. It was the sign that Shirei's peculiar technique had been activated, a dark power that emanated in the most natural way possible.
The boy with violet eyes moved calmly. As he advanced, the ground beneath his feet began to churn and tremble, a sign that something powerful was waiting, ready to respond to his command.
"You're serious," commented Tefine's son.
"Enough talking."
Salix grimaced, then nodded. "As you wish."
The two Blendbreeds studied each other for a brief moment before launching themselves into battle.
Shirei accelerated, hands open, unconcerned about being unarmed.
From the heart of the darkness beneath his feet, two spectral figures emerged—harpies of a sinister and unsettling form. Their black wings spread menacingly, while their fiery eyes shone with a malevolent light. With a flap of their wings, the creatures cawed and approached Shirei, arriving at his hands and transforming into two shadow daggers, as sharp as the keenest of knives.
The dark blades vibrated in the air, ready to be used as instruments of destruction by the skilled hands of Cragar's son. With a cold expression, Shirei grabbed the shadow daggers and began to target his enemy. Salix focused entirely on defending himself from the attacks he could not evade, but in doing so, he forgot that he too had to attack.
Cragar's son seized his opponent's chain and yanked it toward him, then struck him with a furious kick to the abdomen.
Shirei's superhuman strength prevailed once again, and Salix was thrown backward with force, his body propelled by the momentum of the enemy's attack.
Shirei prepared to advance and defeat him, but suddenly, she appeared—the one who was not supposed to arrive so soon.
The founder of Lilies Park raised her right hand, exercising her absolute dominance.
Cragar's son bent over, while with his mind, he sent an order: Venorias, come back. I need you.
The shadow daggers vanished from his hands, and he did his best to remain standing. An immaterial hand seemed to grip his heart from within, in an unrelenting hold, causing him excruciating pain that spread throughout his chest.
He could no longer breathe.
At the same time, Aena's fury seeped from her eyes, a divine wrath burning intensely as she watched the aftermath of the conflict that had just unfolded. Her imposing presence and her power were the exact problem that Salix had hoped to avoid, but now, the choice was gone.
"You, Forbidden Heirs, always causing… trouble."
Cragar's son was not intimidated and quickly prepared to disappear into the Interworld through a spectral journey, in order to escape her divine grasp.
Aena thundered: "Block him."
Two boys charged at Shirei from behind and immediately threw him to the ground. The Blendbreed slammed his face against the earth, losing the clarity needed to activate his powers. When he tried to shake off his attackers, he recognized Aena's influence on their will. The goddess of love was capable of exerting irresistible control over those for whom she felt love. As a result, she could manipulate the emotions and thoughts of anyone under her charm, as long as that person's will was not strong enough to resist her power.
The alternative is that she's already in love, I haven't forgotten, he repeated to himself.
The hallmark of this power was the bright pink eyes, which shone like two lit beacons, clearly indicating the goddess's dominion. At that point, whatever order she decided to give, they would follow without hesitation.
Aena approached Shirei, keeping her body oriented toward Salix, to make it clear that she had not overlooked his presence in the slightest.
"I knew I should have stayed alert," the goddess said, looking down at him. "Though I feel unconditional love for all the inhabitants of the park, I trust neither you nor your sister."
The boy's heart rate gradually slowed, making him weaker, until the worst happened. For a moment, Shirei's heart stopped, a brief instant of paralysis that seemed to be enough to rouse his inner control. The relentless power of Aena, which had been squeezing his heart, weakened slightly, allowing Shirei to fight to regain control over himself.
That moment of uncertainty even made the goddess doubt whether she had crossed the line.
Did I break… the agreement? No… he's still alive.
The Blendbreed fought with all his will, but before he could free himself, Aena decided to intervene once more.
At this point, better to close this story forever.
With a swift motion, particles of magical essence condensed until they became a shaft of pink light that materialized in front of her.
She shot the arrow of love, but before it could reach its target, Salix intervened, deflecting the shot with his chain, protecting the boy from the imminent attack.
"That was close… so, do you want to help me get the queen of the gods out of the way, or die like any other Blendbreed?"
"This is too much."
After yet another disrespect, Aena was determined to end the battle. She concentrated all her power against the second of the two.
Nothing happened.
"What…"
The pink mana particles condensed in the air and immediately dissipated, indicating that the goddess's magic seemed to have no effect on the son of Tefine. A satisfied smile spread across Salix's face.
"You wish. You can't attack me with your magic."
Aena grew increasingly frustrated, wondering why her powers, usually so powerful and unstoppable, were proving ineffective. Her mind was tormented by uncertainty as she tried to understand what was happening, but that caused her to lose focus for a brief moment, just enough for the son of Tefine to seize the opportunity.
"And now… down we go."
Everything around the goddess turned red, and the environment began to crumble into nothingness. Lilies Park, her creation, her pride, was falling apart. Aena realized with horror the reality she was now facing.
Am I a victim of a nightmare? Me?
She had been trapped in a personal hell, created by Salix's skilled dream-weaving hands. The goddess found herself suffering, trapped in her own mind for several minutes, as the growing despair of what could happen in the real world gripped her.
Meanwhile, Shirei slowly regained his senses. As soon as he became aware of himself again, he dove deep into the Interworld to escape the grasp of Aena's servants.
He reappeared beside the other boy, his face showing signs of exhaustion and seeming quite destabilized.
"Salix, what's going on?"
"I should ask you, what are you going to do?" replied the son of Tefine.
"What do you mean?"
Salix placed a hand on Shirei's shoulder, but as he did so, he sensed the change in his old friend. The strange dark spot at Cragar's son's feet had disappeared, as had his spectral weapons. A wave of indifference washed over him as he realized that his plan had just lost all meaning.
He narrowed his silver eyes. "You're back again, but you're not him."
The Blendbreeds had now all gathered in the square, some still holding their weapons, but no one dared make a move to attack. A tense silence filled the air, and the onlookers watched the scene with a mix of terror and uncertainty. The two had just defied the goddess of love and were still alive; they even seemed to be gaining the upper hand.
"All that's left is to cause as much chaos as possible," thought the son of Tefine.
"What are you doing?" asked Shirei, seeing him advance.
"What you wanted, I'm killing Aena."
Salix lunged forward, aiming his weapon at the mask on the face of the goddess of love. Aena opened her eyes at that precise moment and saw the son of Cragar stepping in, only to be pierced near his shoulder.
Now consumed by her own uncontrolled fury, Aena turned to Salix.
"I am a goddess, you can't kill me!"
A smile painted itself on the enemy's face.
"Really? Really, gods can't be killed?"
The queen of the sky hesitated. She couldn't tell if the boy was bluffing or not. Salix touched his face and mimed the act of removing a mask, dispelling any doubt in the deity's mind.
"Are we really sure that you're immortal?"
Silence.
A tear of cold sweat ran down Aena's cheek, tracing the entirety of her face.
One thought traveled through her mind: Salix had to die.
He was too dangerous to leave alive. If his information were made public, everything Emion had worked for would become meaningless.
The goddess gritted her teeth. "Blendbreed, retreat! Immediately!"
When Shirei took a few steps back, Aena stopped him.
"Not you, son of Cragar, stay by my side."
The violet-eyed boy did as he was told and stayed beside the goddess. He wasn't thrilled at the idea of teaming up with Aena, but he really wasn't understanding anything. Assuming the situation was a problem, he was certain Salix was the enemy to defeat. He prepared for the imminent clash by summoning the Blade of Discord from the Interworld.
A mystical atmosphere enveloped the figure of the goddess of love as she prepared to reveal her true form. With a slow and majestic gesture, her long hair untied, floating in the air around her as if submerged underwater, taking on a gleaming white brightness that radiated an aura of purity and grace.
Her skin began to emit an intense glow, as though it were being passed through an inner fire, but instead of red or orange, the sparkle she emitted was a vibrant fuchsia, enveloping every inch of her with an enchanting light.
The mana in the environment began to travel toward her, quickly being absorbed.
Aena's figure grew, surpassing human size, causing some tears in the delicate fabric of her divine gown. The silk drapes tore under the pressure of her increasing brilliance, revealing the perfection of her divine form, which could not be confined by mere mortal clothing.
The goddess of love stood tall in her full grandeur, with snow-white hair and alien skin, a vision of beauty and power that left breathless anyone fortunate enough to witness her manifestation. The Blendbreeds still near the conflict didn't even realize what was happening, captivated by her magnetic figure.
Aena released a rosy flow that began to spread a magnetic scent through the air. Shirei did his best to stay focused while, around him, the Blendbreeds who had stayed to watch the battle began clutching their heads. The seductive and perfect smell continued to travel through the air, growing more intense. The son of Cragar was about to ask the goddess's intentions, but fell silent as soon as he realized what was about to happen.
Aena snapped her fingers.
The sound made by the gesture traveled across the area, reaching the present individuals, who fainted after rolling their eyes back. The only ones left standing were Salix, Shirei, and the goddess herself.
"Now, the time has come to resolve this issue," she declared. "No one dares to attack my Lilies Park."
The goddess of love turned toward the infiltrator and opened her hand in his direction, but just as she was about to obliterate him, the son of Tefine smiled.
A strange sensation filled the air.
Salix suddenly stopped, as an indistinct substance seemed to gather around him.
A chill ran down his spine as his skin began to change, transforming into an ethereal texture, like a dreamlike illusion. His complexion, once pale, turned into a grayish hue, so surreal that it seemed alien to reality. His face dissolved into an energetic painting, and his features blurred as if covered by a nearly translucent veil. From his forehead sprouted a red horn on the right side, serpentine and sharp, while two golden wings appeared on his back, transparent and thin, as if woven from threads of golden dust with breathtaking beauty.
Except for his silver pupils, the son of Tefine had become something else.
The chain he had used as a weapon coiled around his right arm. Salix gracefully grasped the pointed end, testing the firm grip as though it were an integral part of his own body.
At that moment, in the heart of Lilies Park, he revealed himself for what he truly was: a hybrid creature, with two different divine legacies fused into a singular harmony. His presence radiated an aura of power that would make the skin of the young Blendbreeds who had just entered the Otherworld crawl.
Aena was motionless, terrified. "No… this can't be possible…"
"Go ahead, please, try to kill me," the boy said in an otherworldly voice.
The goddess was visibly incredulous. She tried to utter a second coherent sentence, but the tremor of her lower lip betrayed even the slightest effort to hide her surprise. She had been warned about the presence of an unusual son of Tefine, but she couldn't make sense of what she was seeing.
"You…"
"Exactly," Salix confirmed. "I'm like you, I'm a god too."
Marina, along with the entire group who had just arrived directly from the training arena, stopped. After the battle against Venorias, the kids had superficially worried about making sure no one was injured and rushed to the site of the confrontation. The daughter of Ien had expected to find Shirei and Salix kneeling before the divine Aena, and in fact, she was already prepared to plead for the indulgence of the gentle lady in order to save the boy with the violet eyes.
She would never have imagined finding herself in front of such a scene.
Shirei suspected that Salix's monstrous smile had widened. "You know what this means. A new era is coming. You can't stop it, and you can't attack me. The moment has arrived."
Aena did not respond; her mind was swirling with a myriad of doubts and concerns.
"Today, I'm feeling courteous. Let me reveal another secret to you: I'm not the only one here in the field," continued the son of Tefine, concluding his speech. "That said, watch yourselves. I'll bring your regards to the Ancient. You know, he's looking forward to meeting you."
Shirei moved forward, drawing his Blade of Discord, but Salix had no intention of fighting. The young deity strengthened his legs, bending them and concentrating the necessary force, then launched himself into the air toward a distant destination. Darkness began swirling around the son of Cragar, a sign he was about to travel through the Interworld.
However, just before he vanished completely, Aena grabbed his arm.
"Let him go."
The Blendbreed saw the goddess return to normal. The tone of her voice wasn't furious; on the contrary, she seemed frightened by what they had just witnessed. He simply nodded and appreciated the kindness shown by the deity.
Aena looked around and noticed Lyceum along with a sizable group of Blendbreeds, including Marina. She sharpened her gaze, but her concerns were soon alleviated.
They don't seem to have heard the revelation, thank Thebribes, she thought with a sigh of relief.
The remaining inhabitants of the park began to wake up one by one, showing signs of shock and confusion as they got back on their feet. Their expressions were marked by a mixture of terror and dismay, probably due to the nightmares Salix had subjected them to. Some looked around, while others tried to organize their thoughts and understand what had happened.
Marina quickly caught her breath.
The girl was still visibly shaken by the experience she had just lived through. The wound on her forearm didn't seem deep, yet the pain penetrated to the bone. Looking at it, she noticed that the bleeding had stopped, but some capillaries near the cut had turned a bluish-green. She managed to grit her teeth in determination and let out a sigh of relief upon seeing Shirei alive.
The Blendbreed seemed to have returned to himself, and the way he stood beside Aena made her hope the goddess would be lenient in their punishment. For a moment, the boy looked around the crowd until their eyes met.
His presence offered her a sense of comfort amidst the surrounding chaos, a feeling that the daughter of Ien hadn't experienced since that morning: tranquility.