After finishing his conversation with Morax, Guizhong temporarily left the house to tour Morax's tribe—under the pretense of studying its structure and organization.
Some time later, she saw Morax smiling as he walked Akio out, and heard him propose that representatives from both tribes meet in a few days to negotiate an alliance.
"Akio, what did you say to Morax?" Guizhong asked curiously. What kind of promise did Akio make to get Morax to agree so readily?
"That's a secret." Akio grinned as he pinched her slightly chubby, adorable cheek.
"Come on, just tell me~" Guizhong pouted, acting spoiled.
"Nope." Akio shook his head with a smile. Everything he was doing now was to take Guizhong away. With no chance to rein in the timeline anymore, he had to be extremely cautious.
"Hmph! Stingy! So mean!" Guizhong crossed her arms and glared at him in annoyance.
"Be good~" Akio chuckled, rubbing her puffed-up cheeks. "You'll understand someday. I'll tell you everything then."
"Hmph~ Fine, I guess." Guizhong nodded. She was always understanding. Then, with a sudden leap, she landed on Akio's back and said, "Then carry me home! I'm tired, I don't wanna walk anymore."
"You're just lazy! A god gets tired?" Akio scoffed, but the corner of his mouth curved into a smile. Guizhong was growing more and more attached to him—definitely a good sign.
"Heh, didn't you say I'm just a weak little deity?" Guizhong murmured from his back. "So I don't care! I'm weak, so I get to act spoiled!"
"…"
Their playful bickering echoed in the air as Akio carried her back to the tribe.
———
Time flew by. With the alliance between Guizhong's tribe and Morax's, Guizhong's tribe had grown increasingly prosperous.
Centuries passed, but to gods like Akio and the others, it was nothing. Even Yoimiya, with her Heart of Ultimate Resilience, had a soul stronger than most gods and remained untouched by time.
By his reckoning, the final battle was drawing near. But Akio sensed something else.
A few years ago, Havria—the gentle god he'd only met once—had fled with her people to the area near Sal Terrae, not far from Guizhong's tribe.
They'd met a few times since then, and through Mind Reading, Akio became aware of the rebellious stirrings in her people's hearts.
Still, perhaps out of fear of a god's power—or a lingering sense of loyalty to their deity—they hadn't dared to act.
But today felt different. Akio had left spatial energy within Havria's body and now sensed it being disturbed. It was a clear sign: they were about to make their move.
"Tsk tsk… looks like it's time for a god-slaying scene to unfold." Akio's gaze turned contemplative. He had decided—he would take Havria away. Who wouldn't want to protect a gentle, fragile goddess?
But to avoid altering history, Akio had to tread carefully. Havria would have to take a hit first. Hopefully, it would also wake her up a little—humans weren't as pure and lovely as she imagined.
Akio sighed. The plan was simple: let her get stabbed, saltify the rebels, then revive and rescue her. That way, he could save Havria without disturbing the timeline.
———
In Havria's temple, deep within her tribe, a group of people were gathered, whispering urgently.
"I've had enough of this endless fleeing!" The man at the head of the group swept his gaze around the room, voice cold. "Our god can't give us the peace and happiness we deserve!"
"So what do you suggest?" another man asked, exasperated. "We have no choice. Our ancestors chose to worship her—do you really think she'll just let us stop?"
They all spoke at once, but their sentiments were clear: they wanted to leave Havria behind.
"I've heard that the tribe not far from here worships a god named Morax. They call him the Lord of Geo. He's unimaginably powerful—no other god dares challenge him." The first man's eyes glinted coldly. "We've got no way out. Our god is too weak. In this world, she's bound to fall eventually. So why not…"
"What are you saying? Are you talking about killing a god?" The others stared at him, eyes wide in disbelief.
"What other option do we have? You all know how much gods value faith." The man's voice was low and grim.
"But what can we even do? Even if Havria is weak, she's still a god. We can't possibly defeat her." The others shook their heads.
"I have a way." The man reached behind and touched the sword strapped to his waist. "I found this sword during a past war. It once belonged to a fallen general under a god. It cuts through iron like butter. I saw it cut Havria's finger once when I offered it to her."
"That means it can hurt her," he continued. "Luckily, she didn't keep it—she rewarded me with it instead."
"When she comes to the temple to create salt, she'll be using her divine power. That'll be when she's most defenseless. At that moment, I'll…" He didn't finish, but everyone understood.
"…"
The room fell silent as his words sank in. Then, one by one, they nodded.
Before long, Havria entered the temple. She wore a gorgeous gown—the same one Akio had gifted her during his last visit. She adored it.
She only wore such finery on important occasions, like when creating salt.
"Lady Havria!" they all greeted in unison.
"No need for formalities," she replied gently.
She stepped to the center of the temple, where her divine artifact lay. She would use her power to create a great quantity of salt.
As she closed her eyes and focused her divine energy, the others all turned their gaze to the man.
"I'm sorry… Lady Havria," the man muttered, drawing his sword. "To live in this era is a curse for you. Let us set you free…"
He charged forward, the blade gleaming, and plunged it into Havria's body. The sword pierced her heart without resistance.
"Urgh…" Havria let out a low, pained gasp. She turned to look at her people, disbelief in her eyes. Her lips trembled as pure white divine blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
"Lady Havria, I'm sorry…" the man said bitterly.
"Go… run…" Havria coughed, blood pouring from her chest, her heart pierced and agony searing through her.
Yet despite the pain, she forced the words out: "You must… go… I can't hold back my power much longer…"
"What?" The man and the others froze, confused by her words.
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