Cursed Queen: Battle Against Gods

The War of Gods

"Your Majesty! This is bad, Flambe got out of Wrecce and wishes to join the war with you. Because he opened the passage, some of the beasts have gotten out. It would be bad if they find the tribes!" Sheena panicked and begged Bythos to send her there.

My mouth went agape and panicked with her. I think Wrecce is the world beneath this one. There are monsters there that are even worse than magical beasts. If they reach the tribes, there would be casualties even if they can somehow slay them.

"Sheena, calm down. I know that you are worried, but we must wait for His Majesty's order..." Drake said and held her shoulders.

Sheena was still panicking, but she tried to calm down as she waited for an order. Bythos clenched his jaw as he tried to think of a way to protect the tribes without having to use his mana up. I don't think it is possible, though.

"Drake, the dragons are on patrol, right? Have they seen anything?" he asked.

Drake excused himself for a moment and tried to communicate with his dragons. "Four of the beasts are headed for the tribes. We should hurry up!"

He sent them there to protect the tribes while he headed for the passage to seal it. He flew using the air element and took me with him. Luckily, it was near the castle. There were traces of Flambe because a straight path has burned up. And there were big footprints as if some sort of monster came from it.

"The rift has gotten big. I need to hurry up and seal it..." he said and created a magic circle around the opened passage.

He did some hand signs, and slowly, the magic circle got bigger. I saw a beast trying to get through. When he finished creating the seal, the rift closed. I heaved a heavy sigh when he made it in time. It almost got out!

"Were you scared?" he asked with a smile.

I rolled my eyes. "No. It would just be inconvenient if you had to fight that thing."

He raised a brow. "Oh? Does it not scare you? Not the slightest bit? It can eat souls..."

I glared at him. Now, I feel scared! What if it can see me and it tries to eat me?! I can't defend myself because I don't have my physical body. But I could not say that to protect my pride.

He chuckled. "Being afraid means that you are alive, Flare. It is an emotion after all. Only someone alive can feel such a thing. Do not be ashamed of it. Take pride in that."

What he said struck me. He's right. Here, I am allowed to feel something. I am truly alive now because of these emotions. It is only right that I acknowledge them.

"It doesn't mean that I am weak, right?" I asked hesitantly.

He smiled and nodded. "Yes. Now let us go and check the area. According to Drake, four of the beasts were headed for the tribe. It means that some were not headed there. We cannot let them wreak havoc before the war."

He flew with me again. The monsters are gigantic, and it would be easy to spot them from a high place. True enough, we found two of them going in the same direction. Hylus Mountain...

We hurriedly went there to stop them. My brows furrowed when I noticed that they don't have a definite shape. They were just lumps of darkness that has the power to destroy everything in its path.

"This is bad. If I use my magic, they will only get stronger. I have to rely on physical power..." Bythos murmured.

Oh? The beasts are immune from him, I guess. If only I can hold a sword right now. I would be able to rip that thing apart. But I had to step back and watch him deal with the two of him.

"They have several hearts. I need to find it..."

He gathered a portion of his mana in his eyes to find the hearts. The beasts have noticed him when he started charging towards them. He moved at the speed of light to avoid getting hit by their attacks. It was a good thing that they were slow. He quickly stabbed their hearts until they got crushed. I heaved a heavy sigh when the other one turned to ashes. He did the same to the other one. He smiled at me when he finished them off. He was sweaty, so I tried to wipe his sweat. He got flustered and took me back to the castle. We waited for the twelve to arrive. It took them at least an hour to come back.

"We have taken care of it, Your Majesty..." Karis said.

He nodded. "I have sealed the rift as well."

When they did, they took a rest until it was time for the war. Bythos prepped himself up and switched to serious mode. I pursed my lips when he looked at me with that expression. He didn't smile. We went down and waited for the twelve to line up.

"Everyone, prepare!" Bythos shouted as loud as he can.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Bythos was still in his usual clothes. He didn't put his armor on, and neither did the twelve. Huh. Maybe they will defend themselves using their abilities. But I won't have time to look at them. I must only look at Bythos.

Drake called his dragons. Each of them had their dragon to ride, but I would be left out, so I rode with Bythos. They were serious, and no one was speaking. I felt the tension, but I did not yield. I shall keep my eyes open for what's about to come.

To be honest, I still don't know what Bythos's magic is. I've seen him use telepathy, but I know that it's not his only ability. During these past few days, he never used it. He was probably reserving it for today. Today, I will finally see it.

When we arrived, I felt overwhelmed by the tension, but I did my best to remain focused on Bythos. Concentration is the key to controlling myself and the curse. I don't need my physical body to keep my concentration so I should be able to do that.

I have a curse, and I need to keep that in mind. I shall never forget about it. I should keep it in mind while I observe Bythos. His eyes and hair started to glow as he took his sword out.

The dragons left so that they won't get caught up. Drake wanted to keep them out of this. They are probably with the other tribes now in that place that was made for them.

The gods started to arrive. They stood on the side they want to be in. Hundreds of them were on the other side. I'd say they were about two hundred. Only a few of them wanted to be on our side. To them, siding with Bythos equates to being a coward. There are only three of them who chose to take his side. It was Aiyana, Hachiman, and an unfamiliar person.

She glanced at me but immediately tore her eyes off me. I pursed my lips and remained on Bythos's side. His brows were furrowed as he stared at the other side. The Zodiacs are behind him, only looking forward as they are waiting for his orders.

"Flambe...? Why are you here?" Aiyana asked the unfamiliar man.

Flambe? Isn't he the god of fire? I stared at him and noticed his hair. It was...fire. His hands were covered with bandages, and I could see some burn marks. Well...that's strange.

He only smirked. "I was tired of that wretched place. Might as well participate in your silly games."

Silly game. To him, this is a mere game. He might not be able to ascend, which is why he's not taking it seriously. He is from the world beneath Plaisiria, after all. He might be sick and tired of that place.

"How dare you call it silly?! Lives are at stake in this war!"

"Oh? Do you expect me to take you seriously, Miss Immortal?" he mocked. They continued bickering after that.

This war is...a peculiar one. Bythos explained it to me last night. Both sides will fight, and if the other side is wiped out, the ones from the same group shall fight to the death. Bythos is the king, and Aiyana is immortal so they are the only ones who cannot die and shall remain here.

"You two, stop bickering. They will launch their attacks soon," Bythos said sternly as he placed me inside a bubble to keep me safe. I may only be a soul, but certain spells can affect me. That is why he had to keep me inside the bubble.

Is that his magic? Creation? Or did he only manipulate the elements to create the bubble?

"Read my mind, Flare," he spoke to me again through my mind.

I did, but his mind was full of strategies. I had to keep my concentration while listening to his thoughts and observing him.

Anyway, the two immediately stopped and positioned themselves. Karis put a flag up, and so did the ones from the other side. When Bythos snapped his finger, both flags burned up. As the sky turned black, they launched their attacks. The Zodiacs took their hybrid forms and their weapons out.

The archers moved to places where they can freely shoot arrows. Bythos moved towards the center and took two swords out. It was shining, and every s***h creates a huge impact. White balls would form in the place where the impact was created.

"Explode..." Bythos said in his mind.

After that, the white balls exploded and created arrows that struck those who approached him. Those who got through were slashed by his sword. Of course, they won't go down without a fight. They are not mere fledglings after all.

A bunch of spells and strange magic attacks were thrown towards him. I saw lightning, fire, water, and everything else coming his way. He created a ball of light and made it explode. It was blinding, so I had to cover my eyes while making sure that I can read his mind.

"Absorb..."

The bubble can probably protect my eyes so opened it. I saw how the light surrounding him absorbed all the attacks that were thrown at him. When it vanished, everyone was surprised to see him standing in the same place, unscathed.

However, the enemies didn't spare him some time to put it up again. They continued to attack him with all their might.

I stared at Bythos and noticed that his eyes were dead. There were enemies behind him, but he didn't even bat an eye when they run towards him. I wanted to warn him, but that might break his concentration.

That's why I stayed silent and watched his moves. Suddenly, Aiyana appeared behind him. They watched each other's backs while making sure that they won't hurt each other while fighting. I don't know where the twelve are, but they are not beside Bythos. Although, I'm sure that they are probably in the vicinity, fighting gods who dare to approach their master.

As I watched Bythos swing his sword and create explosions and arrows of light everywhere, I heard battle cries and screams from those who perished. But since I am used to those kinds of sounds, I did not pay attention to them.

"Get struck..."

As he uttered those words, spears made of light fell from the sky and struck those who are not his allies. Because he has complete control over it, he stopped the spears that were about to hit his allies. Those spears changed their trajectory and went straight to the gods who are on the other side.

It's amazing. His way of fighting is so calm and sophisticated. It was beautiful yet frightening. And he's doing it while keeping the scale of the curse in check.

He visualized a scale wherein evil and good were balanced. It's still in his mind while swinging his blades and moving at the speed of light. He gracefully cut his enemies down with the blades while weakening the others at the same time.

"Revert..."

The arrows that did not hit anything reverted into balls of fire and exploded. With only a few words and phrases, he creates destruction. But whatever he thinks of becomes reality. He owns the light, and it bends before him. It obeyed every single word that he said because we were worthy.

"Blinding light..."

He used it as a chance to strike as many gods as he can. I knew that he did not want to do it, but he had to be as merciless as he can. I noticed how he's trying so hard because I can hear him crying and screaming from his mind. It was a very small voice, but I managed to find it amidst the chaos within his mind.

Even after he sent as many commands as he can to drown that voice, I could hear it. He shoved it towards the end of his mind and buried it under the strategies, commands, and the scale of evil and good. I wish I'll be able to stay and comfort him after this.

But now is not the time to think of that. I must get myself together. If I can't concentrate here, what would become of the hope that was placed upon me? I swallowed the lump on my throat and held tried to see how Bythos moves so fast.

"Arrows of light..."

He slowed down a bit until the arrows hit their targets. I noticed how his clothes shone brighter after the arrows explode again. And then his movements start getting faster.

"Speed up..."

Oh. He has limitations...

He cannot move at the speed of light until the arrows explode. However, he makes up for it by stopping and pretending to parry some attacks that came from archers.

"Lighting..."

Lightning struck his foes immediately. However, they seem to be a little resistant to lightning. They were spared, but they got weakened.

"You little brat..." The god of volcanoes got mad and tried to charge towards him.

Someone stopped him and created a magic circle. "Do not let yourself be swallowed by hatred. If you do, you shall not ascend. However, we shall continue to fight to the fullest..."

After he said that, the god of volcanoes calmed down and launched attacks on Bythos. I placed my hand on my heart as I watched him parry the attacks. He looked like my past self...just fighting like a doll. I gritted my teeth and stopped thinking about it.

"Tsk. Again. Lightning..."

Oh! I got it! His magic appears to be light, and anything that's within the box is possible for him to summon or do. But he's trying to limit himself so that he won't run out of mana.

After that one command, nearly half of his remaining opponents got struck down. I notice that after it hit a person, it turns into a sword and pierces through them. It took that much to bring half of them down. I know that his mana halted, and he's starting to get tired.

He's stained with blood, and he was panting as he stood there. I bit my lower lip and waited for help to come. Aiyana is busy guarding his back, and I doubt she can heal. They are equally tired, including those from the other group.

"Ruby, come quick..." Bythos said.

Ruby, the rabbit, came hopping and stabbed him with a sword that is made of water. I did not worry because I have seen it. That's how she healed The Zodiacs who were wounded during the brawl. Bythos regained a few of his mana and stamina. After that, Ruby healed the others who were wounded as well.

To our surprise, Hachiman was surrounded and before we knew it, he went flying towards a big mountain. Despite that, they continued to fight. I saw a tear escape from Bythos's eyes, but he moved forward. He did not stop. That is why I need to be as strong as that. I shall not look down in the middle of a fight...

"Sword of thy creator, I summon thee..."

My mouth went agape when I saw a sword descending from the sky. He placed the two swords that he was holding in his back and caught the sword that slowly fell. I felt something strange as I stared at the sword that he was holding.

Whose sword is that? He said, 'sword of thy creator'. But who is that person? Perhaps it was the first God that was like Bythos? I don't think he would be able to summon it if it wasn't. When he held the sword, it was enough to create unbelievable tension that made everyone drop on their knees. It was so overwhelming...

They immediately stood up and got ready to cross swords with him, but one swing was enough to cut his opponents in half. That was all it took for him. He doesn't have enough time to continue dealing with this. The Zodiacs and his allies are running out of mana. They will get killed if this doesn't end. Hachiman has already fallen, and Flambe is now at his limit.

I tried to dive into his mind. I need to know what he is thinking at this moment. It's not like I will try to stop him because this is meant to happen from the start. And I'm certain that I will do the same sooner or later.

"Please stop me..."

"No. I don't want to do this anymore..."

He was suffering. But he doesn't have a choice. I sighed and gripped the end of my clothes as I watched him strike his opponents down. Flambe has fallen, and Aiyana can no longer fight. She would have gone out of control had she continued to fight. Time would be messed up if she does, and that is something we can't allow.

The Zodiacs stepped back and allowed him to drop the blow that would finish every single one of them. The gods seem to have accepted their fate, but they are not just going to drop dead. There were only thirty of them left, but they put their spells up.

I looked for Hildus, and he was nowhere to be found. What the hell? I swear I saw him earlier. Did he escape? But that doesn't matter now because the gods from the other side gathered up and combined the spells. The Zodiacs wanted to be Bythos's shield, but Karis stopped them. He believed in his master and watched him quietly. Oh, I guess I don't have to worry. Some people would comfort him even if I am not here.

Bythos put the sword up. A ball of light was formed at the edge of the sword as he closed his eyes. It grew bigger as he built his mana up. It was certainly draining for him. Just holding the sword up took a lot of mana and stamina. Ruby can't step in to help him because it might break his concentration. No one wanted to interfere.

"Petrify..."

The ball of light flew towards the other gods. Their spell has just been completed, and they launched it at the same time Bythos uttered his command. Before it could hit him, he used his sword as a shield, and it slowly absorbed it. I saw him flinch as he tried to take it in. Meanwhile, the ball of light exploded and petrified the gods. They turned to stone, but they were still alive. Bythos slowly walked towards them and swung his sword. That was the finishing blow. The statues crumbled, and it marked the end of an era.

Bythos held his sword up. It disappeared, and after that, he fell to the ground. Ruby healed him, so I did not worry about him anymore. The bubble he made popped, and I fell to the ground. No one noticed except Aiyana when I went near Bythos.

"You fought well..." I said, even though I know that he is asleep.

A small smile crept onto his lips. It made me smile, but I had to look away. It broke my heart to see him this way. Instead, I looked around the place. The war did turn upside down. The landscape that once looked green and healthy is now filled with blood and corpses.

The sky cleared up, and the corpses slowly turned to nothing. Something came out of their bodies and went towards the sky. Oh, that must be their souls. I figured they have finally ascended. Good for them.

I looked at Aiyana. She was looking at the sky with a bitter smile on her face. Tears streamed down her pretty face as she fell to the ground. I know that she wanted to ascend as well. But she can't. Her wounds slowly healed as she regained her mana. She gave me a side glance, but she didn't utter a single word.

"It's time to go back," she said.

My mouth went agape. I know that wasn't only talking to The Zodiacs. She was also referring to me. I smiled bitterly and closed my eyes, ready to go back to the present time. I have seen what I needed to see, and I don't have any business here anymore.

Slowly, I felt myself going back to my physical body. And I know what's about to come once I go back.

"Goodbye..."