Even after the demise of the Void Assassins, Raiking did not halt his steps until he reached his familiar fishing spot. He cast his bait into the ink-black river, seemingly indifferent to the fact that he was fishing at the very mouth of the Void.
"Who are you?" Libinea demanded, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and awe.
"I told you before, I am a wanderer."
"Stop the deception!"
Silence settled between them until Raiking gestured to a stump beside him. "Sit."
As Libinea approached, disbelief washed over her at the absence of the assassins. The last time she had sensed such overwhelming power was when the Goddess of Creation plucked the wings from her back.
"Did you know," Raiking began, keeping his gaze fixed on the water, "the Void Koi are sentient."
Libinea's heart sank as she gazed into the river, watching the massive creatures glide beneath the surface.
"Of course you didn't," Raiking continued for her. "But if you had known, would you still have used them to restore your power?"
"...Did I not ask you before to speak plainly?"
"Very well." He allowed a slight smile. "I took your memories, so naturally, I know your motives for fighting and why you were defeated."
The Goddess.
"You must despise her now."
"Who wouldn't?"
"So you believe she was wrong?"
"Was she not?"
"That answer depends on whether you yourself were wrong."
"I sought justice!"
"Then, as the Goddess said, what about the mortals who suffered because of your battle? Should they now seek justice from your tribe?"
"As I told her, what else was I meant to do?"
"Perhaps that's the core issue. Instead of considering what should be done, one should first assess if they possess the means to achieve it."
"So you're saying that if I lack the strength, I must remain silent?"
Raiking hooked a Koi, yet unlike before, Libinea seized the line to release the creature back into the river.
"Feeling remorse?"
"I was not aware before."
"Then who's to say the fallen divine soldiers you fought were aware of your plight?"
"With their arrogance, how could the Heavens not be aware?"
"As we sit here by the river where we committed our own atrocities, I must ask, why did you choose to take rather than seek the truth of the flesh we consumed?" Raiking conjured a jagged blade and tossed it at her feet. "If true justice is what you seek, then be the first to pay the price."
She stared at the blade, her options hammering at her mind. If she ended her life now, who would protect her tribe? Yet to shy away was to admit her version of justice was mere hypocrisy.
"If you were in my position, what would you have done?"
"Did I not show with the Void Assassins that I will never be in such a position?"
Libinea recalled how, when she first met him, he claimed the Void Realm posed no threat to him.
She let out a hollow laugh. "So you really were arrogant back then."
"Or maybe I was once weak until I rose high enough to mold the world to my desires."
"So when the weak become strong, they just impose their will on others?" She scoffed. "Then what makes them different from those they opposed?"
"There is no difference."
Raiking brushed his hand through the air, creating a hazy mist akin to the Void Mirror. Within the mist, silent flashes of numerous conflicts around the world played out.
"When one considers the diverse opinions held by every species, no matter what action one takes, they will always face opposition."
He looked at her, knowing the truth of her life. When he took her memories, he saw more than the battle; he saw her isolation. She met her tribe only once a year, spending the rest of her existence in training, eating, and sleeping. If not for the constant prayers reporting the injustice of the pearl snatchers, she would never have left the shrine to seek vengeance. Her ignorance was understandable, for the elders never taught her the harsh realities of the cultivation world.
"Neither you nor the Goddess was wrong."
"Why do you keep defending her so much?" She glanced at the devastation around them, frustration boiling over. "From what I've seen, you don't seem the type to care much for others."
"Because she was my wife."
The words struck her like thunder.
"And you are my companion. I do not wish to see you two misunderstand each other."
Wife?
If that was true, and if the ancient texts were to be believed, then the man sitting before her was...
"You are the God of Death?"
"As I said when I first met you, I am known by many names." He reeled in his empty hook. "And that is one of them."
Libinea fell silent. A question that had been gnawing at her finally surfaced. While Phoenixes were renowned for their recovery due to the Nirvana Flame, regenerating severed wings required eons of cultivation.
"Then... are you the one who healed my wings?"
Raiking didn't answer. He didn't need to. His silence was louder than any confession.
Thump.
Raiking looked down. The Queen of Phoenixes was kneeling at his feet, her forehead pressed against the dirt.
"Please," she whispered. "Help my people."
Raiking looked at the water. "I will not draw my sword against her. Not for you. Not for your people."
"PLEASE!"
Her voice, filled with desperation, pierced the air, causing Raiking to hesitate. He looked at her and reflected on the past few weeks they had spent together. He remembered how she would always taste the Void Fruits first to ensure they weren't poisoned and her bold claims to protect him from hidden dangers. He thought of how she had shared her most sacred tribal ceremonies with him, a stranger.
Even when he refused to tell her the way out, she never tried to force or deceive him into revealing the answer.
Acknowledging her integrity, Raiking raised his hand.
He summoned a rune of such immense power that the entire Void Realm seemed to freeze in awe. The creatures in the sky, the inky river, and even the wind itself paused, acknowledging its dominion.
"What is that?" Libinea whispered, fixated on the fearsome design.
"The Law of Time," came the response.
Although she knew a deity wielded such might, she was perplexed by his decision to reveal it to her.
"I cannot fight your battle for you," Raiking explained. "But there is another path available to you."
With a graceful sweep of his hand, he bypassed the Void Exit and transported them back to the Mortal Realm. Above them, the gateway to the Divine Realm appeared, glowing with golden light.
"You are much stronger now," Raiking continued. "If you choose, you can ascend to the Heavens right now. Perhaps this time, fortune will be more favorable."
As Libinea's eyes caught the gleaming lights concealed within the clouds, she was suddenly alerted by the sound of footsteps crushing the ground. Turning around, she saw Raiking moving away.
"Where are you going?" she inquired.
"I'm setting out to form a guild. I sense it's going to be essential." he responded.
Libinea stood at a pivotal moment. The sky above was alive with the energy of her foes. In the distance, Raiking's silhouette grew ever smaller as he headed toward the horizon.
She pondered her battle against the celestial forces. Despite having the strength to face more daunting adversaries, she was acutely aware that the power of the Goddess remained beyond her reach.
She remembered the overwhelming disappointment of her downfall—the stark reality that she could not return to her people to reassure them of their safety.
Can I afford to let them down again?
She remembered Raiking's specific words: I cannot fight for you.
In understanding those words, her gaze fell on the fading image of the Time Rune he had conjured. He wasn't offering to save her; he was offering to teach her how to become strong enough to save herself.
She reflected on his most irritating proverb: "Sometimes a long journey provides an opportunity to reflect on decisions made in haste."
"I've been patient in the past, and it brought me rewards," she murmured to the breeze. "If I decide to place my trust in him again, will I discover the answers I'm genuinely looking for?"
Raiking had not turned around. He kept his eyes forward, considering where to establish the guild. He had heard from some passersby that the Dawnfall region had pleasant sights.
His thoughts were interrupted as he felt a warm presence settle on his shoulder.
"So you have made your choice."
"Yes, but I refuse to call you God or My Lord."
"Oh?"
She puffed out her chest, her feathers glowing with renewed purpose. "This Queen will allow you to be my Little Brother."
Raiking smiled.
"Then, Big Sister, let us head west."
"West?"
"To where our guild will be established."
Our guild.
"Mhm." Her beak curved into a smile. "Let's."
In that moment of shared agreement, they vanished into the twilight, leaving the past behind.
---
[Present Day - The Twilight Gap]
Libinea gently lifted her head from Raiking's shoulder as the memories began to dissipate, and the soft hum of the carriage once again filled her ears. She glanced at Raiking, who remained unchanged, a constant and unwavering presence.
"Are you ready?" Raiking asked softly.
Libinea straightened her posture, smoothing the fabric of her crimson robes. With a swift motion, she opened her fan, her eyes alight with the cold, calculated determination of a woman who had completed her education. "I am," she answered.
As the carriage halted with a heavy thud, the doors slid open with a hiss, revealing the imposing Golden Gates before them.
"Let's go," Libinea declared, stepping out with confidence. "I believe it's time we impart a lesson in patience."