“NO! This can’t be!” Yeriel broke down in fright, her legs shaking in fear.

Vincent the First breathed in the fresh night air. It has been quite some time since he walked the land.

“For taking great care of my grandson, here a gift.” Vincent the First pulled out a bottle that shined with a ruby light and tossed it over to Yeriel.

“That’s… a potion of enlightenment?” Yeriel lost herself as greed clouded her eyes.

*Thwack!*

“Gah!” Yeriel felt a burst of pain as she flew another twenty meters away.

“That was for toying with my grandson.” Vincent the First was holding on to a cane with a blue gem on the handle. Right now, he looked like a dandy gentleman with a mask on his face, a cloak, and cane. This appearance starkly contrasted with his bloodthirsty presence.

“Toying with a lady’s heart won’t earn you the favor of women.” Yeriel angrily shot back up and shot a blast of dark mana forward. She desired the potion that the Godslayer had just picked up.

“Trying to play magic with me?” Vincent the First held up his palm, the dark ball of mana stopped in midair. “You are centuries too early.” He pointed his cane and shot the dark mana back at its caster.

“Kya!” Yeriel bounced back.

“Do tell me, Girl. Who taught you your information?” Vincent the First asked as he stuffed away the potion and picked up Princess Arya.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Yeriel defensively shot back, nursing her injury. Right now she was being suppressed just from sheer pressure alone, there wasn’t anything she could do but answer his questions and buy herself some time.

“Because they managed to raise such a fool like yourself.” Vincent the First tapped the cane on the ground resulting in a resounding echo.

*Clang!*

Pillars of roots shot out of the earth and bound the dark elf.

“Me a fool? Just what makes me so foolish? Is it the fact that I’ve misjudged your identity? How could anyone have guessed that the man that died that day wasn’t the Godslayer?” argued Yeriel.

“No, it’s not that.” Vincent the First shook his head. “Let me ask you this, one century ago, during the time of the cyclops invasion. The people of Valencia drew the cyclops south toward the Emerald Forest. The defensive pact between the elves and Valencia meant that both nations were cooperating to annihilate the cyclops. The plan was that Selvyrus would use Faerin’s horn to call upon the help of the treants and hold off the cyclops against Ithvije’s impregnable walls.”

“So what? They still abandoned my father, letting him die alone in front of the walls. I watched the cyclops slaughter my father as everyone watched. In the end, everyone cared for themselves.” Yeriel shook with fury, threatening to break out of the wooden chains binding her.

“Let me finish.” Vincent the First held up his hand. “One particular elf sold himself to Thaesis. He was convinced that the cyclops were soldiers sent down from the heavens to help him fulfill a prophecy.”

“Bullshit!” Yeriel quaked in shock as she felt her resolve waver. Memories of her father quickly passed through her mind.

“The prophecy in question stated that on one particular day when the sky grew black like night, demons would invade from the demon plane. The halls of the forest-folk would run red with blood as brother will slay brother and kin will slay kin. Doesn’t that prophecy resemble something that happened two decades ago?” Vincent the First quipped.

“No…” Blood drained from Yeriel’s face. The corruption of the world tree, the blackened sky from the outbreak of dark mana during the initial corruption, the civil war between the elves as they slew their own played through her mind. “I started… All of this?”

“What’s more, you played right into the gods’ hands. The cyclops are the known gatekeepers of heaven’s gates. Then why do you suppose they have descended onto the earth? That’s why I asked you, who taught you your information? Because they’ve done a poor job!” Vincent the First’s voice picked up a tinge of malice.

“I-I refuse to believe it!” Yeriel teared up and cried out in denial.

“Believe it or not, everything has already happened. It’s too late to change all that’s happened.” Vincent the First looked melancholic and looked off to the south. “We all played magnificently into the hands of the gods. They treated our lives like pieces on a chessboard. Even I was unable to change our fate.”

“…” Yeriel had been struggling all the while, but now she stopped moving altogether. “Kukuku~…” A sinister laugh escaped from the elf.

“—!” Vincent the First shrank back in shock. He pointed his cane, and the binding roots pulled apart, tearing up the girl.

“Nice try, Godslayer.” The elf reappeared in the air. “I can’t have you destroying my precious toy. It took me over a century to mold such a beautiful toy.” The malicious voice giggled some more before brushing her hair aside.

“Dova. It seems that the girl is more precious to you than I thought.” Vincent the First went on the defensive.

“Of course. She is my daughter, after all.”

“What?!”

“Kukuku~, Thaesis found out about her and sent down his cyclops to kill my sweet Yeriel. Her father was the same when he found out my true identity, so he had to be killed.”

“Hah~…” Vincent the First hated what he was going to ask next. “Then the destruction of Valencia and Ithvije were…”

“Collateral damage.” Dova shrugged, “Who knew that the Godslayer resided in Valencia? When we found that out, Thaesis and I joined hands temporarily to slay you. But…” Her eyes flashed interestingly, “Who would’ve thought you weren’t dead.”

“Hehehe~…” Vincent the First chuckled, “I won’t die until every last one of you are sealed away.”

“I’d like to see you try.” Dova laughed and flew up into the sky. “Although, not today. My poor daughter is exhausted from all the fighting.”

“…” Vincent the First stood in place and watched as she flew higher and higher.

“Not going to stop me?” She shot back a smirk but didn’t stay for the answer, afraid of being proven otherwise.

Once Dova disappeared, Vincent the First sunk down. Right now he was borrowing Vincent’s body and couldn’t exert too much power. If Vincent was stronger, perhaps Vincent the First could’ve fought Dova, but right now that option was not on the table. Vincent the First turned over to the sleeping princess and raised her up.

“Awaken.” He uttered.

“Hm…” Princess Arya stirred awake from a long dream. “Who art thou? Have mine own life come to past?”

“You are still in Emerald Forest. The danger is gone, so you can rest easy.” Vincent the First put her down and let her sit up.

“Yeriel… Hast thou seen mine retainer? What of that silver hair child?” Princess Arya lost consciousness right away after being knocked aside by Yeriel. She had slept through all the happenings within the last few hours and only now had she awoken.

“Calm down. Let me explain.” Vincent the First took off the mask of the Godslayer and started explaining the events of the last few hours.

“So… all of’t ‘twere the work of the gods?” Princess Arya despaired. She felt grief and loss, knowing that her people suffered because of the whims of the gods above. She angrily cursed the heavens in her mind at the unfairness.

“Unfortunately so, Princess.” Vincent the First got up.

“From whence dost thou come?” Princess Arya asked. He was the same boy that convinced her earlier, but the air around him has drastically changed since she was last awake.

“Me? I’m just a ghost.” Vincent the First smiled wryly. “What do you plan to do from here, Princess?”

“Me?” She looked up at the lightening sky. Dawn was only a short ways away. “I know not. Perhaps I shall leave this world.”

“Is this about the poison?” Vincent the First examined the girl. She was still hopelessly suppressing the pain that the light poison was causing to her body. “This all came about because of your connection to the world tree.”

“Alas, tis the gage betwixt the heavens and the earth. We have nary but aught to do against fate.” Princess Arya laid down on the ground, resigning herself to her horrible fate.

“…” Vincent the First stared at the princess for a long time. “Is that truly your desire?”

“*Sniff*” Princess Arya turned away.

“If that is your wish. Then I will leave you here today. But… If you want to fight against your fate…” He held out his hand, “Then follow me to destroy the heavens.”

“—!” Princess Arya’s heart shook upon hearing the young man’s decree. He was a boy a fraction of her age and yet he promised her the heavens. How could any young maiden not feel their heart rate speed up? Before she knew it, she had already grabbed onto his outstretched hand.

“Then let’s go and remove your curse.”

“Curse? Dost thou meant mine poisoned self?”

“No. The curse of the world tree.” Vincent the First pointed up at the massive canopy overhead. The leafless branches of the corrupted world tree loomed overhead as if challenging his decree.

“T-thou mustn’t!” The world tree may be corrupted, but it was still a pact between the heaven and the earth. Destroying the world tree was on the level of blasphemy against the heavens.

“Open your eyes, Princess.” Vincent the First picked her up and flew towards the base of the world tree. “You’ve been lied to your whole life.”

“N-No!” She pleaded, but he refused to listen. He pointed his cane forward, straight at the world tree.

“Vincent. Today is the day to announce to the heavens that the Godslayer has returned.”

*BOOOM!*

A raging inferno lit up the brightening sky, engulfing the entire tree in its flames.

“Nooo!” Princess Arya shrieked out in pain as a terrifying wave of pain assaulted her body. Her instinct as the tree’s protector was forcing her to move to protect the burning world tree.

In the northern tundra of Valencia, a gathering of demons also witnessed the sight of the sky-high conflagration. Every demon stood still and watched on in stunned silence. Lord Xishol also stopped sipping from his goblet and stood up from his throne.

“This power… I’ve only felt it once before…” He pondered to himself as he watched the tree burn.

In the bastion of Northgard, the soldiers on the wall also dropped their weapons in awe. Grand Marshall Reginald stared off to the east, at the pillar of flames that burnt to the high heavens.

“The Church of Light has done it now.” Grand Marshall Reginald cursed under his breath. “But why do I feel this wave of energy… familiar…”

In the deepest region of the Emerald Forest, an ancient stirred awake.

“My friend. It has been a long time.” The ancient voice spoke aloud, causing the monsters of the inner region to quiver with fear. The presence momentarily stayed in place before quickly departing to the north toward the world tree.

In a golden throne room surrounding by winged angels on all sides, a godly existence felt the wave of energy. It came from the direction of the world tree located in the continent of Alasia.

“Milord, Goddess Dova, seeks an audience.” A six-winged seraph bowed and spoke out.

“Let her in.” He playfully waved his hand. He watched as a devastatingly gorgeous woman walked down the hall toward his throne. “What brings you in today, Dova?”

“He’s still alive,” Dova spoke out only three words, silencing the entire room.

“The Godslayer?” Thaesis furrowed his brow and stood up. “No, that can’t be. We watched him die. Then can it be… a successor?”

“I think so.” Dova concurred.

“Do you know his identity? Anything that can help us locate him?” Thaesis felt a bit of fear. That day, two decades ago, a few gods with Dova’s and his strength barely managed to kill the Godslayer. Even then, they lost half their numbers to that man.

“Why don’t you find out yourself?” Dova wasn’t on friendly terms with Thaesis. Why would she help the enemy that tried to kill her daughter? Plus, things would become more interesting this way. This new Godslayer was quite different from the past ones, and Yeriel had some connections to him. It might be interesting to see how things turn out.

“If you aren’t willing to help then get out of here.” Thaesis coldly stated. Dova had obviously come to gloat at his slow response to the ongoing events on the earth.

“I’ll come and go as I please.” Dova smiled wryly and walked out.

“Send down a message to my servants in Alasia. They are to locate the Godslayer.” He commanded his seraphs.

“Milord, what about the world tree?”

“What of it? It’s just one of many chaining the earth. Why should we care what happens to it?” Thaesis answered back putting a stop to the conversation. “Now go!”

“Yes, Milord!” The seraphs all flew off, some went to spread the news and others, to relay the prophecy to the Church of Light.

“It might’ve escaped my grasp last time, but this time… I’ll finally obtain that ring.” Thaesis swore under his breath and sat back down.