Vol 2. Chapter 2: Luxuriant Virago Wrapped in Scarred Gold! Enter Isharnnat! (4)

“Eh…?”

“Kakakakaka! Your face! Kakakaka! You are utterly stupefied! Kakakaka!”

“What’s the meaning of this, Isharnnat?!” I snapped at the belly laughing goddess who’s pointing at me, my anger breaking through my utter confusion and shock. “One moment you’re trying to make me doubt Nerinne, the next you’re burning my very being with soul blazing flames just to see if I would give you a different answer, and then, when I don’t, you just make it as if none of it ever happened! Just like that! Of course I’d be stupefied! But most importantly… was all of this just a twisted joke for you?!”

“Kakaka! Cool your head, Auros Argento. You are asking questions you have known the answer to from the start. This was no joke. This was a test. Your test,” she answered, and she was right. I did figure that out even before she started with that question about my death. I even mentioned it. But so what? I’m still angry about it! And that doesn’t answer my question anyway!

“Why?” I snarled. “Why did you do all that? Say all that? Why go that far for just a test?”

“Just a test? Oh no. No, no, no”—she shook her head—“this was not ‘just’ a test, Auros Argento. This was a Divine Trial. And they are not supposed to be easy. Divine Trials are meant to put you on your knees, to make you lose confidence, to push you over the edge and make you hit rock bottom before tempting you into losing your way. Otherwise there would be no worth found in them and those who are put through them.”

“…is that really all there is to it?” I ask as I look straight at her straight in the eyes and find them telling me otherwise, telling me that there’s more to it than that. Regardless of how much you try to hide it by appearing all godly serious.

“Uncannily sharp as always, Auros Argento…” She sighed in resignation before looking at down at her reflection in the tea. “It is as you say, there is more to it. I also did this, all of this, because I needed to be sure.”

“Of what?”

“Of you, Auros Argento.” She said, raising her gaze and pointing at me with her teaspoon. “I needed to be sure that you would not hurt my best friend, that you would not… push her into a kind of despair I wish not for anyone to go through, much less her.”

Hearing the pain in her voice as she spoke of such despair, I couldn’t help but recognize the weight of experience in it, making my eyes veer off towards her scar almost immediately as my mind started to connect the dots. Love between mortals and gods. A melancholy and pain too strong to fully hide. Doubt. Grief. Despair. “It all makes sense now. Isharnnat, you…”

“Yes…” she nodded before looking at me with a pained smile on her face. “It is as you think... I was in the same position as Nerinne long ago, but things fell apart. Many, many things I’d… prefer not to talk about. That is why I don’t want Nerinne to go through that. Of course, she might be alright even if that happens. She is a strong one after all. But… there is always a chance for things to not go as planned, especially when gods and mortals are involved. And it is in that chance that my fear lies, as I cannot help but wonder… What happens when you break the heart of the Goddess of Love?”

“That’s… I… don’t want to imagine something like that.” I said, purging the image of a twisted, despairing Nerinne from my memories as quickly as it flashed through my mind’s eye. It’s just… too painful.

“Exactly. I do not want that for my beloved friend who is Love in all her forms, which is why I am glad that you passed my divine trial with flying colors. Well, burning colors in your case, kaka.”

“Ha-ha. That is not funny.” I dryly said as I squinted at her, annoyed. Speaking of which, can you turn these flames off already? I was too mad to mention it before, but they’re still here, and while they do not hurt anymore, they’re annoying. Even more so ever since they turned golden.

“Kaka, now, now. There is no need to be so averse to them, Auros Argento. Those are no longer soul blazing flames, but rather the one thing of mine you already had before I brought you here, mine blessing. Of course, since you passed my divine trial, I uplifted it into a much more proper one as part of your rewards. The effects of it, however, I shall leave a mystery given that you dislike ‘spoilers’. Although, I can assure you that it will come in handy soon enough. And do not worry, the fiery effect shall fade away in a minute. As for your other reward, I shall tell you something. You see—”

“Nope,” I cut her off immediately while crossing my arms and shaking my head repeatedly.

“Nope?” She asked, confused to the point of being taken aback. “W-why not?”

“Because while I can understand your reasoning behind testing me and agree with you about wanting the best for Nerinne, I don’t see myself easily trusting anything else you say for a long while, Isharnnat. Heck, right now, I trust your gacha game version more than you.” I said sharply, making her flinch from the emotional damage. Of course, that didn’t last long, as she immediately recovered.

“Then you leave me no choice but to do something drastic to remedy that,” said the goddess before me as she stood up from her chair and raised her right arm, her eyes burning with determination. Soon enough, her godly power began to overflow, which made me brace for whatever she was about to do to me, but… nothing’s happening to me? “Kaka, that is because what I am about to do is not meant for you, but for mine self.”

What followed was her voice turning once again into a booming, commanding one as she turned to the infinite ceiling of her golden palace—no, to the heavens beyond it and declared, “heed me, oh Divine Law that binds us all! I swear on my true name, the name of Isharnnat, that what I shall tell this mortal soul before me is the truth and nothing else but the truth! And if I fail to uphold this oath, may punishment befall me!”

In that moment, a series of incandescent chains made of light descended from the heavens beyond the ceiling, which coiled around not just Isharnnat’s arm, but her entire body before they began burning a pattern onto her skin, causing her so much pain that even her divine plane was trembling from it. I don’t want to say karma but… karma.

“Kaka… ngh… you could call it that, yes. Gnn… Since if I had n-not tested you, I  would not be… khh… experiencing this. But I call it… gnn… making things even as a show of good faith…!” She exclaimed as the chains’ incandescence intensified so much that I was forced to look away, and even then the scalding, pure, white, brightness threatened to blind me at any moment.

It was only after they vanished, and I heard the now freed Isharnnat collapse onto her chair that I dared open my eyes once again. And when I did, I found that the once proud goddess who had brought me here was… not a mess. Despite the pain, despite the incandescent pattern that now riddled her body, despite everything, she remained proud, an unfaltering smile on her face and an unshakable conviction in her eyes. What a way to be reminded that she is also a goddess who reigns over combat…

“Ha… ha… ha… I shall take that as a compliment,” she heaved as she slowly straightened herself on the chair.

“Hmph, do as you want.” I said, dismissing her words and shifting my attention to the red-hot pattern. “What is that, Isharnnat? Why would you do that to yourself?”

“Because it is the best to make you trust my words. And, as I said before, it is also a way to make things even between us, for just as you burned, I burned. As for what this is, this is a stigma,” answered the goddess having seemingly gotten back her bearings. “Those who swear upon their true names and the Divine Law are bestowed with it. And just like you heard, punishment shall befall upon me if I fail to uphold my oath.”

“What kind of punishment?” I asked as Isharnnat’s words gave me not just mixed feelings over us being ‘even’, but a very bad feeling regarding the punishment she mentioned, one that I really wish is misplaced.

“Sorry to disappoint but it is not misplaced, Auros Argento. If I were to fail to uphold this kind of oath, the stigma would come alight with the same intensity as the chains that made it, and I would burn for an eternity.”

“…what?! An eternity?! Isn’t that hell?!”

“Yes… you could say that.”

“Are you an idiot?!” I exclaimed, making Isharnnat flinch once again, but I don’t care because I’M SO FRIGGING FLABBERGASTED BY WHAT THIS GODDESS JUST DID THAT I COULDN’T NOT SAY THAT! “Like… you really didn’t have to go this far!! Yeah, I might be mad at you! Heck, I might even hate you right now! But I wouldn’t want you to burn for an eternity! Are you crazy?!”

“Kaka, while it is amusing to see your negative feelings towards mine self clash with your concern over mine safety, I must clarify that there is nothing to worry about as long as I do not break my oath, and I will not. So, will you listen to what I have to say now?” Asked… Isharnnat… AS IF I HAD OTHER CHOICE, YOU DUM DUM!!

“If I refuse and don’t listen to what you want to say, I might trigger the stigma!  There could be a loophole like failure to disclose anything at all counting as you not telling the truth! You understand?! You’d be goddess barbecue if that happens!”

“Wha…?! No way…! That could… actually be right!!” WHY ARE YOU SO SHOCKED?! COULD IT BE THAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW?! Did… did you just look away…? Oi… look at me…

“You knew, right?” I ask—no, I’m begging you.. please tell me that you knew…

“I-I did not…”

“ARE YOU SERIOUS?! WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT GODS KNOWING EVERYTHING, YOU FUTURE IDIOT GODDESS AL PASTOR?!”

“I-it is not my fault! The stigma messes with our powers when it is being bestowed!! Including my omniscience! And I am not an idiot!” DON’T YOU DARE EXCLAIM THAT RIGHT NOW! BECAUSE THAT’S NOT TRUE! YOU ARE!

“NOW SPIT IT OUT BEFORE YOU TURN INTO A KEBAB!!”

“Giii…!!” Don’t ‘giii’ me out of frustration either! Just get on with it! “Fine! Listen well!! NERINNE IS A WEIRDO!!!!”

“HAAAAH?! IS THAT IT?! YOU ARE RISKING TURNING INTO A PENTUCKY FRIED GODDESS JUST TO TRY AND INSULT MY HEROINE?!” NOW I’M MADDER AT YOU! LOOK, I EVEN GOT OFF THE CHAIR AND WAS ABOUT TO BONK YOU ON THE HEAD WITH MY HAND!! “AND SO WHAT IF SHE IS A WEIRDO?! I INTENTIONATELLY REINCARNATED IN A BODY IDENTICAL TO MY WAIFU!! A FICTIONAL CHARACTER!! I AM THE KING OF WEIRDOES!!”

“GAHHH! YOU TWO ARE SO PERFECT FOR EACH OTHER! BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT!! AND STOP USING DIFFERENT DISHES TO REFER TO ME!! I MEANT THAT SHE IS A WEIRDO EVEN AMONG US GODS!!! SHE REFUSES TO ALWAYS HAVE HER POWERS ACTIVE AT FULL POTENCY JUST TO ENJOY THINGS!! SHE ONLY EVER GOES ALL OUT WHEN IT COMES TO THAT ACCURSED IDIOT!! AND THAT’S WITH THE CLASH OF DIVINITIES STILL BEING A PAIN IN THE HIND FOR HER, REGARDLESS OF HER SHOWING THEM WHO’S WHO! BESIDES THAT ONE CASE, SHE JUST TAKES A PEEK AND CALLS IT A DAY! WHO DOES THAT?! I’LL TELL YOU!! HER!! YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?!”

“That my death was really an accident and not planned at all?” I ask, finally seeing where this hysterical goddess was going with this.

“I AM NOT HYSTERICAL! YOU STARTED IT!! AND YES!! WHICH ALSO MEANS THAT…” Isharnnat pauses, urging me to continue her sentence. So I oblige her.

“It means that Nerinne really loves me and our daughters dearly, that she truly enjoys being with me, and that whenever she is surprised by me, she is genuinely surprised.” I said, matter of factly, as that is what those things are, facts I already knew to be true. But now they are not just facts, but divinely confirmed facts of the highest order thanks to you, quashing any microscopic sliver of doubt that I may harbor deep, deeeeeeeeep within me. In other words, the best and most fitting reward for the kind of divine trial you put me through.

“YES! YES! AND YES!” Exclaimed Isharnnat with a face that screamed ‘finally!’ before running out of breath, I guess the stigma really took a toll on her. “Ha… ha… ha… yes… but how can you scream for so long and not be short of breath?”

“Practice. By the way, you really should drink some water or tea for the throat, you’re sounding a bit raspy and that’s no goo—oh, you’re already doing it. Great. Drink it all. Yep, just like that. Better?” I asked as I sat on back down on my chair.

“Better…” said Isharnnat after letting out a big sigh.

“Good, because I want to talk about Yawue. Is he an Old God? I mean… he looks like it, but it never hurts to ask.”

“Kakaka, we are gods, Auros Argento. Regardless of our rank, if we do not desire it, our looks never get old. The same can be said for the opposite. Yawue just looks the way they do as a way to show that their dark past is buried and done. As for their rank, it is indeed that of Old God. They were the first of us three friends to reach that rank.”

“So you, Nerinne, and Yawue are friends—wait, dark past? Does that mean that Yawue is the last part of a weirdo trifecta? And yes, I just implied that you’re a weirdo too. Who else but a weirdo would do everything that you just did in the way you did?” I said, preemptively shooting down Isharnnat’s rebuttal of the weirdo charge before taking a sip of the teacup she conjured in front of me. Ahh… it’s good.

“That is… fair, I suppose.” Said the pouting goddess. “As for them being a weirdo, they sure are. Just not in the same way as Nerinne. For example, they might have known about your death beforehand, but I am not sure. They are weirdly finnicky about using their powers. One moment they are using them completely, the other they are just using them while observing one person, and the next they are not using them at all. There is one thing I do know though.”

“What?” I ask, obviously curious.

“They might seem detached from your world now, but they do care. So if they indeed knew about your death beforehand, and they thought that such thing happening would lead to your overall happiness, then they would’ve been fine with letting it happen. Believe me, I know them well. They are the silver to my gold,” said Isharnnat, her face showing just how deep her affection was for her friend. “Of course, you could say that letting you die is bad, but they are still a god, what is good for them might not always align with your concept of good.”

“No”—I shake my head—“I’d be with him on that one actually. While I regret leaving my little sister behind, I am very, very happy in Arte. Regardless of what I’ve done that still weighs on my heart… taking a life, multiple lives… and that is because the people I am fighting for are my happiness. The same goes for the world they’re in.” I declared with as much conviction as I could muster.

“Kakaka, you are a truly, truly interesting mortal, Auros Argento. As a goddess of combat, those words are like music to my ears. It is a shame… if you were not in a relationship with Nerinne, then I would have taken you right here and now.” Said Isharnnat in a very flirtatious manner and… ugh…

“Nope. Just nope. I would literally take a rock with a wig, a dress, and cutesy anime eyes drawn on it over you any day of the week.”

“That… that hurt… You didn’t have to go that far, you know? I was just joking…” She said while sheepishly looking down and playing with her fingers. And hey, you’re still bound by the stigma, so I had to nip things on the bud in the case you were serious. “Ok… I understand…”

“Good. Anyways, I’m leaving.” I said before getting up from my chair and walking to an empty part of Isharnnat’s golden palace, with Isharnnat following me closely, of course.

“Of course! No matter how much you walk in here, you cannot leave just like that,” said Isharnnat as she put herself in front of me. Still, what she says is correct. But…

“What if I focus hard enough? Last time, I managed to push you back. So maybe I could open a door if I close my eyes, imagine really hard that this divine realm is but a part of a giant apartment complex, and that the exit to this one apartment is just a step to my right… Hmm, yes, it feels like it could work… In that case, I just need to keep doing what I’m doing for the door to appear and then I’ll be able to go to where I want!”

“Wait… you are not planning on returning to your body?!”

“Look! The stigma is gone! Don’t you feel better now?”

“Oh! You have the right of it! I do feel much better! Thanks for askin—DO NOT CHANGE THE SUBJECT!”

“Whatever do you mean?” I smile oh so smugly. “I wasn’t trying to. I just commented on what I noticed, heh. And yeah, I’m not returning to my body. After all, I need to get back something that is really important to me. Something that is in my darling’s divine realm!! MY COLLECTION!!”

“JUST FOR THAT?!”

“OF COURSE!”

“You cannot do that! The soul of a mortal cannot traverse the Urbs Deorum! The city of the gods!”

“Watch me! For I shall do anything to get back my precious collection!!”

To be continued… (cue new opening of the new season as the ending for the first episode!! BY MYTH & ROID OF COURSE!! What? This is chapter 2, you say? Just imagine chapter 1 and 2 being one of those one-hour episodes that are all the rage right! Ok?! OK!!)