Scarblade Goddess 25 Chapter 24

"Ori onee-chan?".

His soothing call made Otorine to notice her young Na.s.sus. As she had seen him awake now, she let out tears of joy and she embraced him afterwards. Young Na.s.sus was astonished for a second,

"—?!".

Otorine looked-like she was ever thankful to the G.o.ds and G.o.ddesses. Since, the youthful Na.s.sus was conscious now. She was still hugging him for a very long time and expressed her gratefulness for him,

"I'm glad that you're awake now and thank you so much for saving me back there.".

While the youthful Na.s.sus was feeling the cling of his G.o.ddess, he was feeling a very sweet sensation from her flawless arms. Sooner or later, he hugged Otorine with his short arms to return the favor. Though, Na.s.sus was absorbed in his thoughts, recalling of what happened previously,

"So I did really brought out that sword and saved Ori onee-chan. But, what was that I saw afterwards? Was that someone and Ori onee-chan too?".

Sooner or later, the two of them had calmed down. Little Na.s.sus saw that the place was quite different somehow. The place wasn't the sandy dunes anymore. Instead, it was a vast place that had golden pillars at the 4 corners of the lavis.h.i.+ng room. More so, there was a long old fas.h.i.+oned velvet sofa made for the tired guests, in which Na.s.sus and Otorine were sitting on. The place they were in was the desert palace guest room of Cleara. Na.s.sus was swaying his fragile legs as he was a kid who can't touch the floor. Later on, Cleara opened the door, while she was with Lilieth. They went near Otorine and Na.s.sus. There after, Cleara spoke to Otorine,

"It's been a while G.o.ddess Otorine of Uminoya world.".

Otorine stood up and bowed to give respect. Then, she replied back formally,

"I could same to you as well, G.o.ddess Cleara of Mudowo world. Also, I'm relieved that you're here now too, Lilieth.".

The youthful Na.s.sus did the same as well but, it wasn't that much of a formal sight to see,

"Na.s.sus...kid...".

The air was stiff, as the two G.o.ddesses and little Na.s.sus don't know what to say next. Thereon, Lilieth tried to break the conventional air by saying with an optimistic gesture and tone,

"Good thing we've found and retrieved both of you faster. Who knew Cleara's CRYSTAL BALL would STILL be USEFUL.".

Cleara just dissed Lilieth's superficial statement,

"Give it a break Lilieth...".

Soon, Otorine asked Lilieth about something,

"By the way, Lilieth, have you seen Yumi per chance?".

The next moment, Yumine slammed the door open. She went near Otorine, while Yumine was wearing an overexcited expression. Then, Yumine said with intense eagerness, while her mouth was like a chipmunk,

"Owi! You fwoud fweck wout the fwoo—.".

Suddenly, Cleara smacked Yumine's head,

"Ow!",

as Yumine expressed. Then, Cleara scolded Yumine like Cleara was an uptight disciplinarian,

"Mind your manners Yumine, especially since you're in MY PALACE now!".

Yumine swallowed her food and her chunky cheeks was no more, returning her original appearance from before she ate her meal. Then, Yumine replied back, looking quite irritated,

"Geez, alright already.".

Otorine giggled, as she had seen Yumine was being silly as always. Yumine told the youthful Na.s.sus that there's a buffet at the next room, in which he could eat delectable food that would satisfy anyone's taste buds. Na.s.sus was very much interested, as his eyes were sparkling like starry gold. Afterwards, Yumine and Na.s.sus left the room. Though, before they could leave, Cleara blocked their path and told Yumine that she should come back immediately. Yumine just replied complacently,

"Okay okay.".

Sooner or later, she came back and left Na.s.sus to feast on the other side of the room. The four of them planned a short forum afterwards. There after, Cleara asked Yumine,

"So Yumine, I heard that you were able to find the MISSING FALLEN who was causing that abnormal sandstorm? Care to share your side of the story?".

Yumine relaxed herself and told them,

"Yes and well, here it goes...".

Sooner or later, Yumine explained her previous incident, as she said with great attention to the tiniest specs of details. It's as if she was telling a clear scenario of her flashback.

Thereon, Yumine woke up,

"Where, am I now?".

She rubbed her eyes and witnessed that she was in a cave filled with warmth. Next to her side was a small campfire. She turned to her right and the minotaur was there with a s.p.a.ced out look, while he was looking at the searing ball of fire. The strange thing she had seen is that, the minotaur looked sad for some unusual reason. Yumine felt that her body was covered by something. She looked down and saw that her whole body was wrapped in soft wolf pelt. She even sensed that her body was untouched as well as her sacred sanctuary. In turn, Yumine was engrossed and had doubts in her thoughts,

"Hmmmm...I thought he was going to take advantage of me. But instead, I'm untouched and covered in this, wolf pelt..."

A little while later, Yumine was hearing the crackling sound of the wood that was being ignited by the campfire. She felt that the silence was nerve-racking, so she masked a smile and started a small conversation with the huge minotaur,

"Ummm...hey! Thanks for saving me back there. I thought I was a goner, eh-he-he!".

Sadly, the minotaur didn't respond to her compliments. Thereon, The place was filled with an awkward silence. The only thing you could hear was the campfire burning its supply of wood. In turn, Yumine felt anxious deep in her thoughts,

"O-kay this is awkward...".

Thankfully, the minotaur expressed himself out but, his tone was low and sincere, while he was talking in broken english,

"Me hate G.o.ddesses...but me no hate you...saved me from pain.".

As Yumine heard his uncivilized reply, she a.n.a.lyzed his words deeply. She had concluded that he was thanking her, as she had saved him from pain. She replied back in a polite and cheerful way later on,

"O-kay? You're welcome, I guess eh-he-he-he!

Though, she had stopped laughing and she asked a very serious question instead,

"But, I just wanna ask something. It's kinda strange for a Fallen to have a seal crest, since the Fallen were released from all sorts of seals and contracts...".

It seemed those forsaken Fallens aren't just given eternal isolation. But also, they were chained down, in order to not have any kind of vows or dealings with the others who were beyond the gates of the cold iron prison. The minotaur replied back with a cold sorrowful look on his face,

"New G.o.ddess in hood try give me power but, me was sealed instead and felt strong pain.".

Suddenly, Yumine's cat ears and feline tail popped out and she looked sad as well,

"That's sad.".

When the minotaur saw a glimpse of her downed cat ears, he blushed such as he was a teenage human guy, since those animal ears of Yumine looked cute. Though, he just looked away, since he doesn't want her to notice his embarra.s.sed self. Yumine looked up and touched her lower part of her lips while she was thinking,

"Hmmmm...I wonder what else can we talk about though...".

After a while, she had stopped making the gesture and she asked the minotaur once again,

"I just wanna ask something. Why do you hate G.o.ddesses? Err, it's alright if you don't want to talk about it.".

The minotaur didn't reply back. He just shut his eyes, while his expression was truly serious. There was an awkward silence once again. He sighed and told the tiny tidbits of his past,

"Me hero in another world before...I loved G.o.ddess...G.o.ddess liked me. She want me turn minotaur, don't know reason. Me accept...".

"Ooooh! And then?",

she said. Yumine was very much engaged of his short backstory, even though his story wasn't that clear enough. It's as if she can understand anyone's way of speaking by constructing the fragmented information. The minotaur continued on with his story,

"Me berserk...me killed companions and destroyed kingdom serving in...".

"Ouch...",

Yumine expressed, as she was truly hurt by the part of his backstory that he had said a while ago. Though, the minotaur didn't mind it, as he just resumed his tragic story,

"She trained new hero...chose new hero instead. Me dead and judged, framed up by G.o.ddess yet, none believed. Me sent to prison...become Fallen. G.o.ddess visit me, she said, not interested in you...just tool to get better looking hero...".

The next moment, he opened his furious eyes and smacked the ground with brutal force, creating a sudden tremor and a small crack on the ground. Then, he exclaimed filled with raging vengeance,

"THAT WHY ME HATE G.o.dDESSES!".

For some strange reason, Yumine embraced the minotaur with her slim arms. The minotaur's anger had ceased, as he felt the heavenly touch of a divine being. Strangely enough, there was a sudden swarm of mysterious fireflies surrounding the two of them. Those fireflies were illuminating calming pink and violet lights, as if those were trying add more comfort to the minotaur. Thereupon, the atmosphere was very relaxing and soothing. Sooner or later, Yumine expressed her deep concern to the minotaur,

"I'm so sorry to hear that. To hear that you've just been toyed by a G.o.ddess you adore. Though, I don't really know on how to help you with that so, this is the only thing I could give you.".

The minotaur looked at Yumine who was hugging his broad muscular body. He was seeing her br.i.m.m.i.n.g smile of an angelic maiden that can soothe anyone's negative emotions. He wasn't feeling dangerous l.u.s.t but instead, the kind of affection that his inner core had longed for. Her immense warmth and caressing empathy made him to relax his whole nerves. His painful thorns and haunting memories were all gone in an instant. Though, for some strange reason, his heart was beating faster than ever before, turning him to feel b.u.t.terflies in his stomach instead. Soon, the minotaur expressed with a relieved look,

"Me like you better, cat G.o.ddess. Name?".

Yumine replied back,

"Yumine, the dark G.o.ddess of Uminoya...".

Sooner or later, things had calmed down and Yumine was no longer hugging the not so scary minotaur. There were no more mysterious fireflies radiating their tiny lights around and the minotaur was back to his relaxed state. He was managing the campfire with a small twig. After a while, the beast asked once more,

"You friend, Na.s.sus and his G.o.ddess Otorine?".

Yumine smiled and nodded,

"Yup! Ori is my bestfriend!".

The minotaur grinned a harmless smile,

"Me happy. Me can go back to cage but, me wanna fight cat G.o.ddess before leave. Bring G.o.ddess companions, me wait here. Me fight you fair and square.".

Then, he looked at her straight in the eye without any kind of dangerous intent,

"Me interested in you...".

As Yumine heard that he liked her that much, she felt very much fl.u.s.tered. Not only that, but her cat ears were twitching non-stop. Her face was red as a tomato and she was having an unexplainable soothing yet, nervous feeling. Her heart was pounding gradually as well. It's as if she was in a cadenza of sweet budding succulence. In turn, she was panicking inside her mind,

"Kiiiiyah! He's interested in me?! I just gave him a hug that's all! Really Shunya, your wholesome hugs are really powerful. Also, why I am I feeling like this? S-STOP BEING NERVOUS, ME!".

While her inner self was already jumping with immense joy, since she liked any kind of praises for anything she had done, she just replied back normally,

"Oh! Okay...thanks for that err—.".

"Mi-ro...",

the minotaur told his name. Thereon, she replied back with complete information,

"Okay! Thanks Miro!".

Afterwards, Yumine had finished telling her previous incident with the minotaur. Then, she ended her story by saying,

"And that's what really happened. Oh and he's just waiting there at that sand cave or something—.".

"It's called desert haven and they're mostly seen at Gigantes Boulder desert.",

as Cleara cleared out on what Yumine was trying to say about the place she and minotaur had slumbered in. It appeared, the so-called desert haven was a hollowed part of a gigantic boulder. Then, Yumine asked for their responses about the story she had told,

"So err...what do you girls think?".

For some reason, Otorine and Lilieth were wearing awkward smiles, while their eyebrows were twitching, except the uptight Cleara for some reason. It seemed they were very much crept out by Yumine's kindness. Despite, she was a dark G.o.ddess who should scare, terrorize, test, and bring judgement to the world. Thereupon, Lilieth told her,

"You kinda did something that wasn't the role of a dark G.o.ddess, more like you acted like a light G.o.ddess such as Ori here...".

Cleara crossed her arms and nodded,

"I agree. Also, about the first G.o.ddess he had told, it's possible for a G.o.ddess to do an evil deed. Since, WE were ALL humans before.".

Then, Lilieth pointed out something cruel,

"Sadly, due to our human nature of finding something better, basing on that certain G.o.ddess's case, she had chosen a newer hero who had better looks. Then, she tricked, used, transformed, and threw her old hero away like he was some hot garbage.".

Cleara continued the conversation,

"Also, frame-ups are very hard to prove in our heavenly system's court to be quite honest.".

Then, Otorine expressed her opinion,

"Some G.o.ddesses and G.o.ds can be just too cruel just for them to obtain their desires.".

The G.o.ddesses sighed, since they all felt some kind of pity for the forsakened minotaur who was just manipulated through and through. Lilieth tried to brighten the mood by stating a different topic,

"Getting back to the prime subject, Really, he's just waiting there for us to come?".

Yumine nodded with a nice smile and explained,

"Well yeah! I could feel he's telling nothing but the hard truth, due to my ABYSS EYE ability. Since, this divine power of mine detects the darkest lies and such.".

Then, she clasped her hands,

"So, when are we gonna meet him?".

Yumine waited for their input but, neither of them responded back. Instead, Otorine, Lilieth, and Cleara looked at each others subtly. The next moment, the three of them distanced themselves from Yumine. Then, they started a short conversation without her. In turn, Yumine looked dumbstruck. Lilieth started the short conversation by whispering softly,

"Say...do you think there's something between that FALLEN and Yumine perhaps?".

Yumine tried to sneak a peek like she was highschool girl who wanted to join any conversation,

"Ummm, what are you all talking about? C'mon let me join in!".

Though, Otorine, Lilieth, and Cleara just ignored Yumine. Then, Cleara clarified something out without having any evidence whatsoever,

"More like...something DID happen between them...".

Lilieth couldn't believe it, so she asked Otorine's side of things,

"What do you think Ori? Since, you're her closest friend and all.".

Yumine tried to jump into them literally but, it was no use. Since, Cleara made an impervious barrier in the nick of time. In turn, Yumine just expressed her irritation, while she had a sudden bruise on her head,

"Geez Ori, why let your bestfriend out of this!".

Otorine closed her eyes. She was deep in her thoughts for a second, trying to a.n.a.lyze her friend's story and the way she told it. A little while later, Otorine opened her eyes and said the right words,

"Yumi's acting kinda strange and not her usual self. I can't say for certain but, there's something going on...".

Lilieth and Cleara were pleased of Otorine's a.n.a.lysis. Thereon, Cleara was convinced,

"Sigh...once a G.o.ddess or a woman acted strange for some guy, we all know the meaning.".

As for the uninvited Yumine into their short conversation, she was pouting like a spoiled little girl and just waited for them to finish. Later on, Otorine, Lilieth, and Cleara were done talking. They went near Yumine who was already fiddling with her smartphone. Yumine took notice of them. Afterwards, Lilieth patted Yumine's shoulder,

"Yumi, best of luck!".

Not only that, Yumine was witnessing that they were wearing motivational smiles for some unusual reason. Thereupon, she was filled with doubts,

"Eh? Err okay, so does that mean we're going to see him now?".

They noticed that Yumine's cat ears popped out and these were twitching more than usual. The three G.o.ddesses just sighed with a stressed look and they agreed that they'll meet him. Suddenly, Na.s.sus opened the door and said, while he was feeling very uncomfortable,

"Ummm Ori onee-chan?".

It appeared he had too much liquid intake as he looked-like a wanted to pee. Otorine asked Cleara where the toilet was. Cleara told them to go westward to find the bathroom. Otorine thanked Cleara. Then, the young Na.s.sus and Otorine went elsewhere, following the simple directions that Cleara had told them. Cleara witnessed that Lilieth was teasing Yumine regarding the minotaur she was with.

Cleara just sighed with a tired look, while she was engrossed in her thoughts,

"Honestly, this has to be the strangest incident I've ever witnessed. Two fallens, one who had turned into a kid and lost all his memories, while for the other he had a grudge for a certain G.o.ddess.".

For some reason, Cleara realized something,

"I thought these Fallens were all evil beings but, they're not. Some of them were just misunderstood or manipulated.".

After a while, Otorine and little Na.s.sus came back. Na.s.sus looked very much relieved, since he was finished with his business. Though, for some unusual reason Otorine was blus.h.i.+ng and she was looking away from the youthful Na.s.sus. Though, the three G.o.ddesses just didn't mind Otorine's embarra.s.sing expression. Later, the six of them went outside the egyptian-themed city and they went east. As usual, there were loin-clothed guards who were protecting the city's walls. The guards were alarmed that their ruler was leaving the place along with some unfamiliar people. Though, Cleara just commanded them to just mind their own business,

"I command you to keep your prying eyes to yourselves! Understood?".

The guards had stopped asking a lot of questions and followed her orders of just safeguarding the citizens within the city's walls. Thereupon, Otorine, Lilieth, Yumine, Cleara and little Na.s.sus were now outside the city. At a distance, there were huge boulders that looked-like they were igloos yet, those were in a desert and they were naturally-made instead. There were a few coconut trees nearby them as well. Not only that, they noticed that the minotaur was already outside of his shelter. Moreover, he was holding a giant and long polearm that was made from a hard trunk of a coconut tree. Lilieth told them, while she was looking at the minotaur,

"I guess that's him.".

Thereon, Yumine called onto the minotaur, while she was wearing a cheerful smile of a teenager,

"MIIIIIIRRRROOOOOOOO!".

As the minotaur took notice of G.o.ddess Yumine, he waved his huge muscular hand. Lilieth sneaked behind Otorine, while Yumine was busy waving her hand back to the minotaur. Then, Lilieth wore a seedy look,

"Yep, there is something between them alright...".

Otorine just sighed and all of them went to the minotaur. Soon, Yumine's battle with the minotaur was nearly getting ready. Little Na.s.sus and the remaining G.o.ddesses were spectating on the duel that was brewing. The four of them were observing through the short distance. Yumine was stretching her body, as she was doing warm-ups. The minotaur was cracking his fists and neck. Soon enough, Cleara went to the front and center of the battle. Then, she announced,

"As the G.o.ddess of this world, I hereby declare that the DIVINE BATTLE TO BE OPEN!".

Gonging of bells were heard afterwards. The sound came from nowhere, it was as if they heard the bells of judgement from heavens above. Not only that, there was a golden yellow magical barrier that shrouded the fighters and spectators in an invisible plane. Yumine and the minotaur stared at each other with determined looks. Thereon, Lilieth expressed her non-chalant concern,

"I wonder how this'll work out?".