Chapter 374 - A World For The Lost One

“Neither world is your own. Yet, you still fight for the one you now call home?”

Chrys stared inquisitively at a familiar face, similar to her own but older. But older didn’t always mean wiser. Especially not when both parties carried many lifetimes of memories. Unlike the other gods, Chrysanthemum and the Architect were the only ones that kept the exact appearance as their incarnations. They had no need to distance themselves, and as such, it made Chrys wonder if she had strayed at all from the original’s intentions, just like how Claude had diverged from the will of the Architect.

Chrys fired a few magic shots forward, but the spells curved around the Goddess of Luck, landing elsewhere. The ancient robe that she had on hardly shifted from the passing attacks; most of her incarnations had been given a similar role as a priestess. In response, Chrysanthemum flung a magic spell at her counterpart, which also diverted harmlessly to the side.

They were shots calling at each other’s attention. Neither side expected to hit the other. And there was no attempt to continue, as neither one was adept at fighting.

Chrys had been trained as a priestess as well, but she found other callings as an idol and a baker. She wouldn’t let herself be bound to only one role any longer. Her adventures with Yi Long had forged her heart into her strongest weapon, offering support for the one she loved most. She was not so foolish as to jump right into combat.

Similarly, Chrysanthemum was a non-combatant during her time as a hero of Leguardia. Her songs were the basis of divine enchantment in the world, allowing for future diviners and similar studies to tap into the power of the Gods. Her gifts reached far and wide, throughout the generations, eventually passing to the Mitsubishi family.

How would two non-combatants face off against each other then? Especially when their attacks would just be diverted by their Luck?

“Is home not a place you love? Why must it be one’s birthplace or origins? Perhaps, we may have fond memories of the place we come from. Home is where we place our roots, is it not? But we must make best of what we have, so that we can cherish and nurture what is to come.”

The two elven girls met each other with words. A simple exchange of ideals thrown back and forth. As the most understanding of all the gods, Chrysanthemum was not one in which violence would stir. She sat in the background, listened and supported. With nowhere else to go and an alien to the people of Leguardia, the lone elven hero’s pointy ears had always been a thing of contention. Therefore, she tried to be accepting instead, so that others would accept her in turn.

“I am grateful to the Architect, as he allowed me to live freely, without the scorn that would come to being different from others. Because of that, I cannot let you rejoin your friends.”

She had an innocent wish – to be treated normally like everyone else. Thus, she followed the will of the Architect, who saw that she could be paragoned as a champion to restore the Earth’s vitality. She didn’t mind becoming a test subject for that purpose because it meant that everyone’s hopes were pinned to her. She had a place for herself as a result.

But Chrys had the perfect response to that.

“Is it not sad that you must rely on others to create a place for you? Why not make one for yourself, through your own efforts, through your own connections? Countless time has passed, yet you decide that the place that you belong is one that others have made for you. Why should I leave it up to others to decide what and where to love?”

Chrys didn’t want her existence to depend solely on others. She had seen how little came from it.

When she was the hero of Rinaldi, everyone asked her to keep singing to support the armies. But that was all she was to them – a voice that bestowed power.

But her current life was different. It was precious. It was forged by her desires and talents. And most of all, it was hers. That made losing it more bitter than any of her other lives that she recalled.

“Your talents, the fact that you are willing to confront me – they are all because of that one boy?”

Chrys shook her head at the god’s question.

“No, they are not just for him. If it was, then I would have remained in that dream land, forever content until the days between us came to an end. If it were only that, my courage would be far less. Instead, I must be brave enough for everything – the people I know, the places I’ve been to, the past and the future. Knowing everything had made me partially numb in the past. It made me feel like I had some grand role that I had to live up to.”

“And, how do you feel now?”

Chrys smiled. She walked right up to the god and stared up at her, undaunted.

“I just need to be me. Nothing more, nothing less. Because I have everyone to walk with me. I have shoulders to ride on if need be. I have people to listen to my song, to eat my pastries, and friends to place on my lap. That is all I need to do. And I will fight to keep it that way, however I am able to.”

Chrysanthemum looked down at her incarnation. Her airs suddenly dropped as she bent forward to give the younger girl a hug. That surprised Chrys, who had her hand on her guns, just in case.

“Even though I am grateful to the Architect, that doesn’t mean that I cannot see how things have changed all throughout this time. You and your friends – they have come a long way. I am glad that I placed my faith in who you would become.”

“Huh, what do you mean?”

Chrys’s question would be answered when the god reached out and touched her on the forehead.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For a long, long time, Chrysanthemum sat back and watched her fellow gods follow along with a single-minded desire to restore the Earth. As it was not her home, she was the sole god that didn’t hold such an intent. Rather, her desire was rooted to being a part of their lives, no matter what happened.

As the gods slumbered and let their Apostles do the work over the cycles, they grew distant from each other, held together only by the leashes that the Architect had on them. Incarnations were meant to live alone, so that they could gather power while minimizing any corruption from Sistina. If too many gathered at once, then it would be difficult to control them.

Chrysanthemum was against this idea. Why live repeatedly when she couldn’t see the people she wanted? So after some time, she figured out how to gather multiple incarnations in the same place – she simply needed a war to do so.

Rinaldi and Botticelli. That was just one example where humans foolishly sought war with each other. And with wars came the desire for heroes to emerge. The intent of the people on Leguardia became so strong that they called for ‘Apostles’ to save them.

And given the chance, the Goddess of Luck would restore the memories of her current incarnation, in hopes that she would seek out those she once stood next to. If she could bring everyone together once again, then there would be no need for another home. She could be happy with this one.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chrys blinked rapidly in confusion as she gained the inner feelings of the goddess beside her. Rather than being against them, the Goddess of Luck had always been on the lookout for her, making opportunities for the incarnations to break away from the influences of the gods. But she was powerless to do so directly without the Architect’s notice.

“So that is why my memories came back to me during that battle….”

Chrys had been referring to the confrontation against the previous Chancellor of Sistina, Willingham. The memories of her time as the Hero of Rinaldi came back, allowing her to halt the demonic energies with her song. Her divine powers directly countered the ‘corruption’ that came from the Origin Goddess.

Even though it played into the hands of the Architect’s plans, she was able to protect the ones she loved. It was the beginning of her path in becoming independent.

“I have searched for a long, long time for a place where you could be happy,” Chrysanthemum said, patting the younger girl’s hair. “The happiness that I could never have – it is realized in you. I have made you the hidden light that guides the others. And because of that, you have found your own champion. One that fights against his origins for the sake of everything you cherish. Only in this space, while the mastermind thinks we are at odds, can I explain everything to you.”

“Then, what will you do now?” Chrys wondered. “Can you fight with us?”

Chrysanthemum shook her head. “Our powers are not our own right now. The Architect has them. As such we cannot use them against him. All we can do is merely ‘lose the will to fight’. That is how wars end. And that is how this long journey will end as well. Everything has come to this because we are tired of going on.”

Chrys stepped back, her eyes wide as the Goddess of Luck before her started to fade. She looked around at the space growing bright as well.

“I am glad to have the chance to convey all of this to you. I pray for your success, young one. A future where luck isn’t needed to find happiness. Because you have the ability to set the path towards it all on your own.”

Chrys watched the goddess bow before fading away. A smile never left her face as she departed.

“Hopefully, the others had as easy of a time as I did. But even if you’re struggling, we’ll be there for each other. Because everyone has a place in everyone’s hearts. That is what it means to truly be blessed.”

She knew for sure that their path was the correct one. Even without her guardian protecting her, she would make sure that this intent would remain clear to everyone.

A voice buzzed in her ear suddenly.

“Wait, is it over already?”

“Yes, Yi Long. There was no fighting needed.”

“Aw, man. I was hoping to see our sync-ed powers in action.”

Chrys giggled. “I’m sure there will be chances later on to try them. Shouldn’t you be worried that I might become more skillful than you with your own spells?”

“I… er… whatever! As long as it keeps you safe!”

Chrys pulled out a charm that hung around her neck. It glowed bright blue – the power of a Resonance Stone. She clutched it in her palms as she, too, faded from that place.