Saintess? Not Anymore! I'd Rather be a Destroyer-Chapter 291 - 228: who are you?

Grat didn’t flinch. There was no fear in his deep green eyes, only resolve. "I understand. I’m willing to do whatever it takes for the survival of my church members."

Eva studied him for a moment before nodding. "Alright. I will brand you and grant you the ability to brand your subordinates."

She stepped closer, her fingers cold as they touched his forehead. Grat felt a strange, bone-deep chill as a white triangle mark appeared in his eyes for a brief moment before fading away.

"Don’t worry," Eva said, her tone indifferent as she stepped back. "This mark won’t overwrite Barbados’ brand. It simply establishes that Aurianna holds the highest authority over you. Barbados comes second."

"Understood," Grat said, bowing his head slightly. "Thank you."

"The High God..." Grat began, but Eva cut him off with a sharp wave of her hand.

"I’m aware," she said curtly. "He’s a future enemy. I can only hope Aurianna would become strong enough to face him when the time comes."

Grat nodded, rising to his feet. "Alright then," he said.

’That High hof has been watching us for a long time,’ she thought, her expression hardening. ’I need to regain my full powers before anything goes wrong.’

---

"Sacred Grat, is it done?" Peter asked, his voice low as he matched Grat’s pace through the halls of the Diondraff family castle.

"Yes. She must become our ally, no matter what," Grat replied calmly.

"I know," Peter said simply, his eyes forward.

"You likely already foresaw this future," Grat remarked, glancing at him. "That’s why you approached her, isn’t it? Your powers rivals mine, after all."

Peter’s lips curled into a cheerful smile. "That’s not the reason, though. I genuinely want to be friends with her."

Grat raised an eyebrow before chuckling. "Kids these days... so adorable!"

"Sacred!" Peter pouted, his cheeks puffing in frustration.

Grat chuckled softly. "The High God is undoubtedly aware of what’s happening. But if my future sight serves me right, we may all live or die—whether I submit to Aurianna or not, I and our church shall be destroyed. But still, working with her gives our church a higher chance of surviving."

"Will Aurianna die?" Peter asked nervously, his voice trembling ever so slightly.

"I can’t say," Grat admitted. "My future sight can’t see Further ahead into the future. All I see is the last day of the Fourth world war. But I hope she doesn’t. The High God himself mentioned that she’s similar to him—a race that could surpass even his own. That alone is worth following. For now, I’ll blindly put my faith in her and see how it unfolds."

Peter nodded, though the unease in his eyes didn’t fade. "Alright. Let’s hope we’ve chosen the right side."

---

In the Land of the Gods, within the Hall of Cosmic Knowledge, books and scrolls levitated across the space as if alive. At the heart of the grand library, Azarath sat at a desk, her hands gracefully flipping through multiple books at once, her radiant purple eyes scanning their contents. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"Azarath," a deep, kind voice called out.

She paused, her gaze lifting toward the doorway. "Barbados," she greeted, rising from her seat. Her flowing robes cascaded around her as she approached him.

"Have you found anything about the Gemaris race?" Barbados asked, his red eyes gleaming with curiosity and concern.

"Unfortunately, no," Azarath admitted, her tone tinged with frustration. "Only fragments of information—vague references, scattered and incomplete. For anything concrete, I would need to go to the Heavens."

Barbados furrowed his brows. "It’s been centuries since we went there."

"Indeed," Azarath agreed, her voice thoughtful. "Perhaps asking the gods of neighboring worlds might have some more insight."

"That’s not a bad idea," Barbados nodded. "What about Alan, the god of Wisdom from the other world?"

"Ah, yes," Azarath mused. "Alan rules the Third Solar System—Hangroff, if I’m not mistaken."

"Correct," Barbados said. "The First Solar System is ours, Deirion. The Second belongs to the Main World, Earth. And Hangroff is the third main world."

"I don’t understand the High god’s motives," Azarath said, her tone laced with unease. "Why would he want to incite a war between the three solar systems?"

Barbados clenched his fists, the anger simmering in his voice. "He’s mad, I tell you. My time magic can’t show me his full intentions, but I’m certain of one thing—he plans to turn a vast portion of the population into those marbles again. Just so he can consume them."

"The fact that he created us doesn’t grant him the right to dictate the extinction of entire civilizations at his whim," Barbados growled, the light around him darkening.

"But what he said about another race coming here and needing us to grow stronger is true," Azarath mused, her tone thoughtful. "He actually seemed... concerned. Worried, even."

"That may be," Barbados admitted grudgingly, his golden eyes narrowing. "But let’s not kid ourselves. To him, we’re probably nothing more than cannon fodder—pawns to shield."

Azarath sighed. "Perhaps. But we need answers. Let’s head there."

"Alright," Barbados agreed. A magic circle formed beneath their feet, glowing faintly before they vanished and reappeared at the base of a long, winding golden staircase.

They ascended in silence, their steps heavy as they climbed. When they finally reached the top, a massive gate loomed before them, flanked by two colossal beasts. The creatures resembled dark wolves, and their hollow, rainbow-colored eyes seemed to pierce directly into the soul.

"Welcome, goddess Azarath," the beasts spoke in unison, their voices resonating deeply. "May we ask the purpose of your visit?"

Azarath straightened, though a subtle tremor betrayed the strain their presence imposed on her. "I wish to request a meeting with the god of Wisdom, Alan of the world Hangroff, in three days," she said, keeping her tone even despite the oppressive aura.

The beasts exchanged a glance before replying in synchrony, "You may only meet him in three years’ time. These are the rules."

Azarath’s expression remained neutral, but inwardly, she seethed. "Understood," she replied curtly, turning and descending the staircase with Barbados in tow.

"Damn those Keepers," Azarath muttered angrily as they reappeared in the Hall of Cosmic Knowledge. She rubbed her temples, frustration radiating from her.

"They probably exist to prevent the gods from cooperating too closely," Barbados remarked, crossing his arms. "Divide and rule—it’s the High god’s favorite game."

"Hah, we’ll wait, then," Azarath sighed, her hand covering her face. "In the meantime, I’ll keep searching for clues."

Barbados watched her for a moment before speaking. "And what of Aurianna?"

"Leave her be for now," Azarath said decisively. "It seems the High God has no intention of harming her—or perhaps he can’t, even if he wanted to."

Barbados tilted his head, curiosity sparking in his golden eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Remember when he showed us the crystal embedded in his arm?" Azarath asked, her voice low.

"Yes," Barbados replied, his expression darkening as he recalled the memory.

"He said it was placed there by Aurianna’s ancestor to ensure that he couldn’t betray her," Azarath explained. "And since Aurianna is the next generation, he’s still bound by that rule. She’s... incredibly lucky."

_______

"Where am I?!" Aurianna gasped, her voice echoing in the gray, mist-filled space. She turned in circles, scanning her surroundings with wide, confused eyes. The air felt dense, and the ground beneath her feet seemed neither solid nor liquid, shifting subtly as if alive.

"Aurianna? Is that you?" a familiar voice called out, breaking the eerie silence.

Aurianna spun around, her expression lighting up. "Leila?! You’re here too?!"

Leila, with her usual calm expression, approached. Her brown skin shimmered faintly against the gloom, and her whir eyes reflected a weariness that didn’t go unnoticed. "Yeah, I just entered evolution," Leila admitted, exhaling heavily. "The system dumped a bunch of souls on me, and a lot of my chains snapped. For a moment, I honestly thought I was going to die."

Aurianna’s face tightened with guilt. "That might be my fault... The High god of my world gave me souls. But I don’t understand why he’d help me."

"He probably has his reasons," Leila warned, her voice. cautious. "Be careful, Aurianna."

Aurianna nodded firmly. "Alright, I’ll keep that in mind."

Leila’s gaze shifted, scanning the eerie void. "So... any idea where we are?"

"Not a clue," Aurianna said with a shrug. "It’s creepy, though."

"Want to stick together?" Leila extended her hand, a faint smile breaking her usual stoicism.

"Absolutely!" Aurianna said, beaming as she grabbed Leila’s hand without hesitation.

As they began to walk through the mist, the silence of the space pressed down on them. The ground twisted and shifted in subtle, almost unnoticeable ways, and faint whispers drifted in the air. Aurianna frowned. "This place is so unsettling."

"Yeah," Leila agreed. "It reminds me of our Chaos Space... but calmer, less... chaotic."

Suddenly, a strange, flat creature resembling a piece of paper wobbled into view. Its edges flapped as it giggled in a strangely melodic voice. "Come for tea time!" it announced, bouncing in excitement.

"That’s a lesser Archeon," Aurianna observed, narrowing her eyes. "But what’s it doing here?"

"Maybe we’re in someone else’s Chaos Space," Leila suggested, her tone tense.

"Possible," Aurianna muttered, eyeing the strange entity as it led them forward.

After what felt like hours of walking through the formless void, the mist parted, revealing a secluded area. The air shifted, and faint, whimsical music floated around them. In the center of the clearing stood a round table set with tea cups and plates of strange pastries. Figures moved around it, their shapes unclear in the mist.

"There are others," Leila murmured, her tone cautious as she gestured toward the table.

"Oh, newcomers!" a voice squealed, high-pitched and enthusiastic. The mist parted further to reveal a teenage dark elf girl. She sat cross-legged on a chair, nibbling on a stick of bamboo. Her green eyes shimmered with mischief, and her long green hair glinted like shards of gemstone under soft light.

"Who are you?" Aurianna demanded, stepping forward, her gaze sharp.