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Chapter 113: For The Vessel (2)

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[His] goal of breaking Siva's spirit to corrupt him is on-going. First, [He] ordered the corruption of his friends that led to the fall of Mitra by Siva's very own hands. It was a success. Siva's spirit was now weak, so weak that [he] could smell its scent.

The anger boiling in his blood, Siva pointed them all to the LAGRAM Armada. [He] was happy. The more Siva burned, the angrier he got, the closer [he] gets into [his] success.

Cycles passed...

Siva only became stronger and stronger. Yes, the guy eventually met all the Primordial Gods' erratic recognition, but to [him], the stronger he was, the better. Because the [Vessel]'s strength in the end was also going to become [his] own strength and to his delight, Siva's power only grows even more the more wars he fought.

Eventually, Siva's anger met the saturation point and his patience had run thin. He wanted to vent his revenge and he had proposed to attack the Devil Gods first before they become stronger than they already are now.

To [him], this short patience he showed was a gift, an opening that must be exploited.

It was time to deal the big blow.

So, [He] ordered the attack on Terra.

It was a very elaborate plan and the result couldn't be even more perfect.

Siva's already fragile spirit became even weaker as Baal's provocation, Eros' threat, Invidia's face, Gyoolu's size, Sefirah's strength, and Lucifer's battlefield control forced the last of his patience to run empty. He exploded. Siva's battlefield execution couldn't even be more splendid.

It was time to act. Although the plan met a lot of contradiction, Lucifer's arrangements still made it possible and everyone had no choice but to say yes and agree.

The secretly half-corrupted and brainwashed Terran Gods incited the idea and Janus even had to make a personal appearance and try to protect Terra..... only to be met by catastrophe.

With Janus' command, [his] plan went even better as Terra was forced to undergo reincarnation as a Mortal, breaking Siva's last remaining wits, as the chance [he] had worked on for millions of cycles eventually came to greet him with a smile....

....only to take it back shortly after.

To say it short, [he] succeeded. He managed to actually and totally corrupt Siva and take control of his body but then, Siva's [Divinity] who was fused with "that guy" reacted with [Terra's Seal], totally mutating along with [his] own divinity who was already welded into Siva's body, creating a three-layered [seal] that ruined everything.

Yes... it totally ruined everything about his plans.

To explain what happened: Siva stole [his] divinity and then morphed it "along" with his own, creating something even more unique, elevating his own existence into something on the same level as the divinities represented by Terra and Janus.

—no.

To be more exact, "that guy" had always been one of them; one of the Trinity Gods.

All those times he was quiet, it wasn't because he was gone, but it's because he was looking for that one single chance to breakaway at everything that has been binding him to [this] Universe.

He had successfully «merged» with the [Vessel], both in body and in mind.

The plan [he] had been secretly thinking of, was, or rather, has always been, the plan of "that guy" all along as well —–and [he] was one step too late from the very beginning!

He was first to find the [Vessel].

He was also first to 'possess' the [Vessel]

Just who the hell is that guy?!!

But, it's not as if he had totally lost. His plan did still manage to complete something on his plan.

Siva's mind became fragile anything could affect him bigtime even with just the slightest of push.

As such, before he was completely ejected by the complete form of [Siva] as a Trinity God, [he] put all his power into corrupting NOT Siva's soul to convert him —no.

[He] corrupted only his mind.

—I may have lost the battle for this [Vessel], but I still won this war.

From then on, [he] became a [Prisoner].

Because [he] was still connected to the [Vessel] via his stolen [Divinity], [he] could at least know that Siva had become very powerful.

[He] cannot contact anything or anyone outside this dark prison, but he knew what Siva was going through and knowing that "that guy" was the one he managed to corrupt in the end, he felt happy.

In the end, the [Vessel] took control of his ego as well as he became a part of the [Vessel]... no, the now corrupted [Siva] —God of Destruction.

Back then, he was indeed strong but half of that strength came from [him].

Years went by.

[He] felt that the times where [Siva] used [his] stolen power became less and less. [He] knew it.

Perhaps everything had already ended.

Although it wasn't by his own hands, although he was still a prisoner, at least his own [Divinity] was used on its purpose: to destroy everything. [He] should have been satisfied but then... he felt it.

Something was not right.

It was too quiet.

Although [He] had given up all attempts to escape and only waited for the right moment to break the [seals] that binds him, it was still something else if it was this quiet.

Why?

What happened to him?

If he doesn't use the stolen [Divinity], [he] won't know what is happening outside this prison space.

Cycle passed by again.

[His] suffering continued for millions of cycles in the prison space and the silence tortured him.

[He] was a raging fire, he should be burning, he should be venting...

...but in this place, he can't even generate his fire as it was stolen. No amount of screaming counted as it too was silenced by this indifferent prison.

Millions of cycles passed by again and [he] felt it.

Siva used his [Divinity] one last time but this time, it was a stronger use, like a volcano giving vent to an explosion of the greatest magnitude.

The moment the [Divinity] ended a life, he felt it and realized that something else was different.

Siva killed Mefisto, Lucifer's [First Born], and the moment Mefisto died, [he] also felt that Siva was corrupted a second time... thereby frying his mind even further, deepening the madness, and even reinforcing the corruption [he] did to Siva in the first place.

[He] even saw Mefisto's silhouette in front of [his] room for a moment there.

But when he looked one more time... nothing.

Although it was something to be happy for, it was only so if [he] was actually outside the walls of this silent prison.

Oh what would [he] pay for in exchange to being able to see any person again?

In fact, [he] even thought of compromising with his standards and taking a [Vessel] with less of a standard than [Siva].

Free me already!!! [He] roared with madness but just like before, nothing replied.

And then, [he] felt it again.

Apart from the Devil Gods, Siva also killed unique-feeling [Mortals].

Hm? Where have I felt this kind of familiar feeling before?

[He] knew this feeling.

Siva had just killed someone like him —someone from the other side!

Such a waste! NO!!!

He screamed for him to stop but no amount of his cries reached anything or anyone.

The dark halls remained silent. No sounds replied from the indifferent walls.

[He] sat back on the chair, defeated. He waited.

After a while, he finally met someone.

Finally!

He stood there on the other side of the prison, out of his reach. [He] could only cry out and stare at the person. When [he] focused his gaze, [he] was surprised to learn that it was actually Siva.

Siva was looking at [him], he was holding what looked like a [Key] in his right hand.

[He] knew immediately what it was.

Free me!

Siva remained silent. No amount of cries reached Siva and the man only looked at him, smiling, the last look of ridicule [he] recalled Siva had before he turned around and walked away.

At the moment Siva's image vanished, [he] felt it.

Their connection....... was gone.

It was a different kind of disconnection. It's like losing a tooth. You know that it's actually not there anymore and knew that it won't come back.

This disconnection made [him] feel abandoned.

[He] was very incensed.

I'll kill you! I'll kill everything you love. I will kill all you held dear to you! I will destroy your world! I will obliterate everything around you!!!

[His] madness reached its peak. Even in the dark indifferent walls of the prison, [he] continued to rain curses at Siva's direction. Although he knew that Siva won't come back, he still swore, he still cursed, and he still beshrewed Siva in an eternal oath of promises of suffering he would bring him once he were set free.

Years passed by again.

[He] didn't know how many years it has been for time, in this realm, was an irrelevant mensuration.

At any random time, [he] would see someone just in front of [his] prison and for how many times this has been, [he] realized that the silhouette [he] was seeing was actually Mefisto but no matter how much [he] called, Mefisto won't reply.

Then... one day, [he] saw it.

For the first in countless millenniums, a single ray of light was showed in this world.

In front of [his] prison, there was a child hugging his own knees.

Who was that?

Yet before [he] could react, [he] saw it. Mefisto approached the light.

NO!!! He is mine! Get away from him!!

[He] cried but Mefisto didn't hear him. Mefisto then stretched out his hand and held the boy.

After that, he was gone.

NOOOOOO!!!

For how many times it was already, [he] roared in pure hatred and cursed at Mefisto.

[He] clearly felt that [he] hated him so he cursed.

[He] swore.

Time went by again.

Millions of cycles, maybe it was just thousands?

[He] didn't count. [He] long ago stopped caring.

And then.....

.....and then it happened.

In the darkness, [he] opened his eyes and felt it.

He's back!

Along with the feeling, [he] heard something was cracking and so stood up and walked. [He] met the room's 'boundary'.

It was where the Three [System Prompts] that has been barring his path.

The top-most [seal] had a dimmer glow if matched to the other two [seals].

[He] could feel it, he was back!

How many years has it been? How long past by in the outside world? Is the war over? Who won?

As these questions passed by, the anger [he] felt has been lying dormant before rekindled and the flames of [his] wrath began to seethe.

[He], out of nowhere, looked at a certain direction.

For some reasons unknown, [he] could feel Siva's gaze coming from that direction.

He's over there. [He] could feel it. what more, [he] could also feel that something was missing.

He lost it!

[He] roared with all [his] heart but the silence of the prison replied with its indifference.

For perhaps tens of cycles, [he] vented all of [his] anger by roaring and trashing the room, but all it did was nothing. [He] still felt empty. It changed nothing in his situation. It only made [him] confirm the fact that Siva had already forgotten this place.

Thousands of cycles passed by, [he] finally began to calm down.

After confirming it, [he] sat back to his "throne" as he waited again. But it wasn't long before changes began to occur in the prison.

The first change occurred when [he] heard that same cracking sound again.

[He] opened his eyes and walked over, stretched his hand to summon the [seals] and confirmed.

The first [seal] dimmed its light again.

A beaming smile emerged on his lips.

After that, nothing changed again.

[He] waited once more.

Cycles passed by, another change occurred. This time, he confirmed something else.

[His] connection to Siva was definitely weaker and the power he stole... had been fully changed into something else; something serving as a part of the [Divinity] of another Divine Being... of [Siva].

He is not [Siva]!

[He] confirmed it. Although faintly, he still did. The Siva outside wasn't a [God] but a Mortal.

Did he start over again? Did he die? Perhaps he did! That's the only explanation as to how he was this weak I could feel his fragility even from here!

Siva was reincarnated into this world again!

As delightful as this news was, it also served one other anger-inducing fact: Siva didn't know about the prison and its prisoner!

Upon realizing this, [he] felt despair. If Siva can't recall the fact that there existed [him] in this place, then how was he going to escape from here?

[He] stood up and checked on the [seals] and the first seal was still dim; weak and fragile, but is still there and is powerful enough to keep on sealing [him] eternally.

[He] couldn't even touch it, much less break it.

A chance will come! It will. It has to!

[He] thought desperately and so [he] waited.

Eons passed by again; a thought extending into a multitude of endless cycles of years.

Then, the next change occurred.

Another familiar cracking sound, but along with it, [he] felt [his] weak connection with Siva become a tad bit strong.

What's happening?!!

As much as [he] wanted to ponder over this, [he] did not waste time and focused on this weak link between [him] and Siva. Then, [he] found out that [his] link was stronger now because there wasn't a [Siva] to keep guard against him.

And so, [he] did not hesitate to trigger this link as [he] sent what little power [he] had left in [him], even as much as sacrificing [his] life essence just so [he] could trigger a release.

FREE ME!!!

[His] will was sent in full blasting effect.

———————SHATTER!!!

[He] opened [his] eyes wide and it went bright in jubilance and mad ecstasy. The first [seal] broke in addition to [him] knowing how to trigger Siva.

Hahahahahaha!!! I will be free! I WILL BE FREE!!!

After the first [seal] broke, [his] connection to Siva became 1/4 as strong as when [he] first saw him.

Though limited, [he] could at least determine that Siva... could be fully corrupted once again!

What more, [he] also felt it.

——there was something else in the place where Siva was in that has a connection to [himself].

Although it was just a tiny trace, it was still a tiny bit connected to me! I know where this presence last appeared... it was that tiny Dragon on Siva's neck at the time when he... I see now, the reason why my connection to Siva could be restored is not because we were still linked, but because that Dragon that has a connection to me had cursed him! Hahahaha... I can use this... I can use this!!

Mad with joy, [he] did not mind waiting for millions of cycles more as [he] stayed vigilant for the next change that will occur.

And just as it did, millions of cycles later, he forgot his boredom while staying vigilant. He learned the art of patience as the next moment to trigger Siva eventually came.

This time, the "trigger" was some betrayal from a supposed allied party and as well as a threat to his beloved family... just like before with Terra.

[He] was familiar with this kind of feeling from Siva for [he] had watched the guy rise to power while having this trait on him at his very core.

But for [him], this was nothing but fuel.

[He] would use everything [he] can to trigger Siva, free himself, and then ultimately corrupt him and take what was rightfully his —this [Vessel]!!!

[He] was still unable to contact them but unlike in the past, [he] didn't see them as allies anymore.

At best, they were on the same side but they are not allies to [him]. Especially when he felt it... the presence of Lucifer radiating off of a Mefisto in the outside!

For [him], he had no true allies aside from The One, the person who had created him.

[His] father!

After arranging his bearing, [he] went back and sat back on his throne and waited.

Eons passed by again in the prison, and here it is now, the next chance to trigger Siva had come.

He is agitated again! This is my chance!

[He] walked over the boundary of the prison and stretched out his hand.

There, the three [seals] manifested and burned his finger but the pain only made him remember the hate he left controlled deep within himself.

Of the three, one was already broken and only its shadow remained. Of the two remaining, one was half-dimmed while the other was still as bright as sunlight; glaring, baleful, painful to [his] skin.

[He] retracted his hand that was burnt and if one could see him now, they'd be frightened...

...for [he], though trapped in a dark place, was still so much darker and blacker than even pitch black.

[His] excitement was reflected into [his] eyes, [his] murmur sounding like a mantra, or like a prayer, or like a brainwashing ticking medium for [himself] so that [he] wouldn't forget.

...I will kill you... I will destroy everything!

He was whispering, growling, or was hat it just the sound of his breathing?

They said that the most powerful [God] could use their [Divinity] even as they breathe. The more of an absolute was their [Divinity], the powerful the [God] will be. As such, just [him] plainly breathing in the air of the world and yet already manifesting [his] Divinity was clear indication of his power.

Alas, in this place, [he] couldn't recover what was lost and in time, the former venting of [his] anger only made him weaker. But the fact that [he] could still persist and live on until now is a testament of [his] power —a power stronger than Sefirah's!

[He] massaged the burnt flesh of [his] hand and it healed at the next moment at the expense of [his] own life essence.

Normally, this much lost can be replenished when [he] could absorb Mana. But in this place, there is no Mana and so, this much 'lost' to his essence is a huge damage —an injury— to [his] origin soul.

If left alone, it would take longer and longer for [him] to recover but he doesn't care. When [he] finally takes over Siva and become [his] Vessel, it will all be repaired and [he] could eventually reach [his] given enough time —which he had plenty of and learned to have from being imprisoned.

[His] eyes then turned at the very bottom of the [seals]. In there was a certain question with a pair of choices to choose from:

Recover memory?

(Yes?) – (No?)

[He] hovered his finger at the prompt and chose "yes" but his finger only went through the option... meaning, this wasn't a prompt meant for him to 'touch'.

Alas, it was this one simple thing that had actually prevented him from being freed all these time.

The [key] was in front of him but it also wasn't. It was only half of the [Key] that could set him free.