The Sole Prince of the Fallen Kingdom

"Why did you force him to agree to do something like that?" After Mortivis sent Aiden's soul back to the Melux, a white projection appeared in the void behind him.

The Outline of the Projection made it harder to discern whether it was male or female, but the divine aura emitting from it was more than enough to assess that whoever it belonged to was someone compelling.

"Hmm... Forced him? I wonder what you are talking about. I gave him a fair choice, didn't I? If he did not want to accept it, He could've just said so, no?" Mortivis replied without looking back at the projection.

His solemn gaze fixed on the spot Aiden's soul was moments ago.

"You know very well, what I meant by forcing, don't you, Mortivis?" The Projection took steps to stand on Mortivis's side, and continued his words, "You blocked his memories when reincarnating him to gain the time you needed to erase certain parts of his memories which contained the knowledge of the events that were going to unfold, didn't you?"

"...Well, 'no one should know what the future holds, let it remain a mystery'. Don't you agree?" Mortivis turned towards the projection and shrugged, "Besides, Chrona told me to do that, I didn't do it due to my own will."

"Don't bring the Name of Goddess of Time in your dirty schemes, Mortivis." The Projection retorted in a slightly high-pitched voice but soon followed in an indifferent tone,

"Moreover, that was not the only thing you did to ensure that he would agree to your condition by the time he had to make the decision."

"You reincarnated him in that family knowingly that the Heritor of the Abyss would do whatever he could to exterminate him the moment he learned about his powers, and Liam would suffer a huge trauma because of it making him easier to brainwash into accepting your condition. Aren't I correct?" Its voice became sharp at the end of its words, and though it didn't have anything resembling any eyes, Mortivis could feel the power of a gaze trying to scrutinize him.

"Sigh~ ...Why are you saying it like that you didn't know what I was doing from the very beginning. It's annoying, y'know." With an exasperated sigh, Mortivis answered while scratching his head in irritation,

"Moreover, you are excusing me of brainwashing him into accepting 'My offer'. Yes, I agree I did that to some extent but Weren't you present there when he added that last condition? How could you even say that I brainwashed him into accepting 'My Offer' after listening to that? If he were actually completely brainwashed, he wouldn't be able to realize that I also had a motive behind that offer and force my hands to make it a fair trade! Heck, I would even say that it only benefits him more than me." Mortivis scoffed.

"That's kind of ...true." The projection tried to form words to refute his words but ended up agreeing with him.

"Kind of? It's absolutely true if you had paid close attention to what he said! Our conversation went like this..."

**********

"But..."

"But?"

"I have a condition as well."

"...Oh? And What are this 'condition', you speak of?"

"My Condition is..."

"...Is?"

"My Condition is that you'd have to bring Elsie back to life too."

"...Do you think that you are negotiating for Groceries, Liam? Like 'I want two instead of one for this much'. You do realize that if I want to erase your existence..."

"Euk... Urghh..."

"...I could do it in this instance. Right?"

"Cough... Hehe Hehe... Urghh..."

"Ho?"

"Hehe..."

"...Interesting. Here I am exerting some of my killing intent, and threatening to end your life once and for all, and you are laughing? Is it a sign of insanity, stupidity, or bravery? Care to explain the reasoning behind your actions?"

"Hehe... I was only taking my chances to know what the possibility is of you accepting my condition at first but now I know something."

"Oh? What did you discern from such a short conversation that made you laugh like that under the killing intent of mine?"

"I concluded that it was not such an absurd request that would inconvenience you in any way possible because if it was, I wouldn't have been speaking my mind right now, would I?"

"..."

"As I am desperate to see them again, you are also desperate for something too. And that something requires me, and specifically me, for some reason. Am I wrong?"

"..."

"After all, if it wasn't that, why would someone of your status, A God of Life and Death, bring back me, a literal nobody, from death, not once but twice? There has to be some sort of caveat there, wouldn't it?"

"...And what makes you so confident that I 'need' you? Maybe I just determined you a little worthy, and you let it get to your head? There could be other souls just as special or even more special and worthy than you, no?"

"Nothing. Nothing makes me confident. I would even go as far as to tell you that I am not confident at all in my actions anymore especially after what had transpired in Irin because of me. I told you that I was only taking chances, and if I die here by you, I don't care about it, in fact, I would be happy if it is my last day, my last moments right now because if you can't accept my request, then... I don't see any reason to continue living."

"...Even if I exterminate you in the cruelest and most gruesome way possible?"

"At least, I would be free from all of my guilt and won't have to repent for my actions."

"Aren't you quite the shameless and selfish thinking something like that?"

"Yes. Yes, I am. I know that."

"It would hurt, y'know?"

"I don't think it would be anything close to what I had already experienced."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

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"Sigh~ ...Alright, I yield. You want the life of that vampire as well, right? But she hadn't even died yet. What do you want me to do? Heal all of her injuries to ensure she won't die in that ice storm of pure mana in that Frost-whatever area?"

"No, Let her die."

"...What? Did you change your mind, now that I agreed-"

"No, I haven't changed my mind. Similar to how you have Father's soul in your possession, and you will only revive him after I finish your task, I want you to do the same with her soul as well."

"...Even though I am ready to save her as of right now?"

"...Yes. I don't want anyone who loved me to know what I am about to do and become."

"'Anyone who loved me' huh... Didn't you love them too?"

"Heh... I wonder. I thought so, but now I wonder if I ever loved them or was just using them as a reason to not feel lonely because of my ...selfishness."

"..."

"..."

"...Then As you wish. I am now sending you back, any other things you want to say? You won't see me again for quite a while."

"Anything to say huh... I just hope you keep your end of the 'deal'."

"Obviously, I would. I swear on my name that. I'm God, Put a little more trust in me."

**********

"Like could you even believe how stupid his reasoning was? 'You need me, just like I need you.' I barely managed to stifle my laughter that time... Haha..." Mortivis tried to laugh his emotions off, as he wiped a tear on the corner of his right eye.

"Yet, you let him get away with his unreasonable request. You know better than anyone Mortivis, what would the Reaction of Creator be, the moment he learns about this." The Projection said, his tone remains indifferent as ever.

"And who would tell him? There's no one aside from us who knows about this, and I won't tell him, so that leaves you." Mortivis turned towards the Projection, releasing his killing intent far surpassing the one he demonstrated against Aiden.

"Tell me, would you tell him?"

Its pressure was so powerful that both Aziel and Abraham would have been killed instantly if faced with it, yet the projection didn't so much as to budge a little.

"Stop it, Mortivis, you know that something as weak as this would not be able to threaten me. Besides, you already know that I won't tell him anything, don't you?" The projection scoffed.

"Oh C'mon, just play along with my antics, once in a while, 332 or should I say ...'Char'?" Mortivis addressed Char, the Projection, in a mocking tone.

"Shut up, Mortivis. I have already told you multiple times I don't like that name."

"Oh, why not? Do you prefer to be called by a number rather than a name?" Mortivis continued teasing his friend, Char, or rather 332, as it likes itself to be called.

"...Shut it, Mortivis, just because you have achieved Godhood doesn't mean I can't do anything to you, and more importantly, stop trying to divert the subject of the conversation." Projection of the 332 retorted in frustration.

"Hmm... trying to divert the conversation? I wonder what you are talking about." Mortivis tried to feign ignorance, but 332 continued regardless.

"Why did you grant his request being how unreasonable it was, and how much power it takes of you just to revive a single soul?"

"Well maybe because..."

"Because?"

"Because I am a Kind Go-"

"Pfft-!" Before Mortivis could complete his statement of 'Being a Kind God', a muffled laugh escaped from the 332's projection.

"...At least, Let me finish my sentence before laughing." Though Mortivis sulked, the projection of 332 didn't care a little.

"Haha... I'm sorry. That was just too much, even for me. I couldn't haha... hold myself from laughing." 332 continued laughing for a bit longer, and Mortivis seeing his reaction, quietly turned his gaze towards the spot where Aiden's soul was moments ago.

His gaze was hazy as if remembering something he adored yet was afraid to face it directly. 

It was the solemn gaze of someone who was recalling a cruel and unforgiving past.

"..."

"..."

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"It's because he is your son, isn't it, Mortivis?" 332 said, finally having laughed all he wanted, noticing the silence of his friend.

"..."

"That was the reason you appeared in front of him in this appearance, wasn't it? Your Human appearance, that is." 332 pressured his words as if interrogating him, though there was a certain kindness hidden beneath them.

"..." In reply, Mortivis didn't do as so much as move his lips. He only nodded slightly, providing affirmation to 332's statement.

"Yet you gave him such a dangerous task? You know that the emperor or should I say 'Heritor of the Abyss' is someone even you can't kill. He has the Blessing of the Creator himself, and even if he did not have that blessing, he still is strong enough to go toe to toe with all the Elemental Sovereigns combined. Aren't you worried about his safety?"

"I am. That's why I asked you to protect him."

"Then you could have just not assigned this to him? He could have lived safely and happily if you had done that."

"...I couldn't. The Heritor of the Abyss would have demolished the entire Melux if I had done that."

"Then you could have just chosen someone else to save that world. You, yourself, said that there could be someone more special and worthy than him, didn't you?" 332 pushed his words as he did not want to see his friend forever living under the shadow of the past.

"That ...was a lie," Mortivis replied in hesitation, his lips quivering slightly.

"A Lie?"

"Yes, a lie. There's one flaw in the Blessing of the Creator, and he... he is the only one who could kill the Heritor of the Abyss. I had no choice but to give him that task." Towards the end of his words, Mortivis closed his eyes as the painful old memories flashed before his eyes.

"...And what is that 'Flaw' in Creator's Blessing that only he can exploit?" 332 cautiously chose his words, as this was something that he didn't know about.

"I'm sorry, but it is something I can't tell you, 332."

"...Is it because I have lost the trust of the Creator and have been labeled as a 'traitor'?" 

"...!" Mortivis was surprised to hear these words coming from 332's mouth, "You knew that?"

"Obviously, I would know what my reputation is in the eyes of the Creator." 332 stated that as if it was a matter of fact.

"Still, I'm sorry..." Mortivis apologized once again.

"Don't worry, I have known you for long enough that I know if it was something you could tell me, you would have, right? And besides, if I am going to live with him till he defeats him, I would eventually find out, wouldn't I?"

"Heh... You got that correct." Mortivis smiled a little at the light-hearted comment.

"Alright, I am going now. I would have to protect that kid as well."

"...Yeah, please do, 332. That's the only thing I can ask you right now."

"You don't have to tell me twice." With a sharp retort, the projection of 332 faded into nothingness, bringing the ever-dark void to come to a still silence.

"I'm sorry, Liam, for forcing you into the dirty work of the universe." Reminiscing under his breath in the void, Mortivis soon disappeared from there as well.

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[A/N: So now, except for the emperor, who do you think is also a Bad Guy: Mortivis, Kiera, Abraham or Are they all equally Bad, including the protagonist?

Comment and let me know!]