Chapter 72 – Authority

<Catherine's POV>

I regain consciousness with a gasp and I jump up from the ground to avoid the strike I'm sure would be coming, and only a moment later I realize I kicked something hard and didn't move at all. And I'm held in the air by my waist.

"Catherine, could you please refrain from kicking me?" I hear a slightly annoyed voice above me and I feel blood rushing to my cheeks when I realize it's Vulcan.

"Uh, sorry." I mumble and raise my head to see around me. "What happened?"

What I see is the same inn I've been knocked out in, just that it's empty. Same bloodied room, damn the fucker. I'm so furious at the man for killing Xethu, and I'm not even sure what made me so furious. I mean, yeah, my feelings - gosh, my feelings - and my slightly changing personality, that much is obvious, but the last time I got pissed off enough to throw myself at someone without thinking was probably in middle school.

"Good you're awake, can you stand?" Daria says from somewhere I can't see as Vulcan jostles me up and puts me on the ground carefully. Which, with his size and strength, is very reasonable. "Helia came here a moment ago, she'll be fighting Demon Hunter if I understand correctly."

"Yeah, I can stand... Huh?" I let out, turning around and looking at the spirit, and I see the door to the bar slightly swinging in and out lightly like someone came through it a while ago. "Let's go watch them then!"

"That's the plan." Crimson says with a nod, already on the way to the door, and I start jogging after him. I hear Vulcan's heavy steps behind me, and when I turn around I also see Daria floating behind us.

We run out of the building and I immediately notice a commotion in the direction opposite to the central square. We head there under an unspoken agreement and squeeze between a number of people making a ruckus and talking about Demon Hunter.

We go like that for a few minutes till we arrive at an empty piece of land surrounded by a lot of people. I with my ears can hear sounds of fighting from inside of it. Or at least I'm pretty sure they are the sounds of a fight, because I can't be sure over all the voices from the people around the place.

Vulcan makes us a path through the densest gathering and we quickly arrive to a scene I would expect from David's anime. Or Crimson's? David's, probably...

Anyway, the moment we get to the front to see the scene, the fighting stops and we see something like from a picture. Helia and the man, Demon Hunter, across each other in combat stances. Demon Hunter coincidentally has his back to us, so I can't see much past his rather relaxed posture and massive sword held in one hand.

Helia meanwhile... holy fuck. Wide stance, flaming hands clenched into fists, every single muscle in her body tense and ready for action as she looks at her opponent with flaming eyes, exposing her long fangs in a grin. And her face is not that of anger, but excitement.

She's fucking hot, probably in more than one meaning of this word.

"Ah, so that's what she meant." Daria says in exasperation from my side and I look at her in confusion.

Helia speaks at this moment though, and I immediately turn to her again. "You've much more than that. Show it to me."

Huh?

Before I can comprehend what exactly she means, Demon Hunter twists his hand ever so slightly and dashes forward so fast I'm barely able to follow his movement, and they start fighting again.

The whole group of people seems to hold their breaths at the ridiculous exchange, with at least two or three blows dealt each second even with the constant movement of the two and the most likely ridiculous weight of Demon Hunter's blade, doubtlessly slowing him down greatly.

"Hey." I hear Crim's barely contained whisper amidst all the noise. "How strong is she to fight with that guy?"

"No idea." Vulcan replies in his low voice. "But it's ridiculous."

I look to my side at the two and I see both watching at the fight in shock and amazement, the latter much more prominent on the elven face. Xethu is obviously absent, damn bastard killed her, and Daria is floating beside them with her soul outside her body, figuratively.

"Daria?" I ask in concern, since she doesn't seem to be having a good time. "Is something wrong?"

She looks at me and shakes her head slowly with blank face. "...It's... nothing." She replies quietly, and I frown in suspicion and worry.

"You don't look like it's nothing."

"I..." She turns to me again and finally focuses on me instead of staring into space, but makes a complicated expression a moment later. "...Sorry, I can't talk about it now. I'll explain it later." She only says with another firm shake of her head and looks at the fight again.

Hm. That seems serious, but I'm not going to press her. It's not like I don't want, because I think Daria knows something I don't either about Helia or about something else connected to the current events, but butting in where I'm not wanted yet is a bad idea. She'll tell when she's ready, as it's always been between us, be it with Crim's gayness, his and Vulcan's relationship, about Jake leaving Gaia with his girlfriend, or about Helia... well, being Helia.

And it's of course the moment I get lost in my thoughts that something important happens, and it's Helia beating the guy into the ground with a distinct shockwave pushing me back and ruffling my hair.

"You're good~!" She says happily, but that grin fades a moment later as her eyebrows furrow and she speaks in lower, throaty, resounding voice that sends shivers down my spine and makes Demon Hunter scramble to a fighting stance quickly. "But you're fucking holding back. Are you trying to mock me? I told you to entertain me, and all you're doing is playing around."

Wow. Wow, holy shit. They were both holding back?

I see as Demon Hunter opens his mouth to reply, but at this moment I hear something behind me and see his head snapping in the direction.

A moment later I watch in surprise as someone shots out above the crowd and throws a net of glimmering chains at Helia, who looks at them in surprise and gets wrapped up within less than a single second. Around the same moment I hear a gasp from Crimson, and when I turn to the three, I see Daria with a terrified expression on her face.

Oookay, that's a bad sign, whatever the reason is.

I turn to the now trio in the field as all the noise dies down and take in the third arrival. He is a moderately tall man dressed in... uh, Templar's attire, I think? It's a light armor dyed completely in white, looking about as ceremonial as functional and largely made up of cloth instead of metal or leather. Kinda resemblant of the robes priests on Gaia wear, but with the only free part being a longish cape on his back, generally obstructing movements much less.

The man himself is now standing with his back to me, so I can't see his face, but I easily see the longish black hair with gray strands, combed back and shiny in the daylight, and powerful, wiry muscles exposed by the armor, mainly at his arms and legs.

"Xavier." Demon Hunter asks in evident displeasure as he turns to the man, who is apparently a High fucking Inquisitor. "Why did you interrupt out fight?"

"Because I can't allow this demon to be free, Lucief." He replies without a shred of hesitation and I see Helia's face twist into a heavy frown. Very reasonably, if you ask me, because he didn't even acknowledge her as a person. "I'm-"

"And I'm sure me killing her would have a particularly different effect." Demon Hunter, apparently named Lucief, interrupts him sarcastically with raised eyebrows, which finally makes him hesitate.

"Fighting here is a danger to the people." Xavier replies. "We both know you wouldn't be able to contain the damage if the demon decided to attack the town."

"I can agree with that." Helia says casually from her position of being trapped in chains and I blink in surprise. Uuuh, I am only a bystander here, but I'm pretty sure that won't help your cause? "If I decided to attack the town, you wouldn't be left with anything to save."

Oh. Oh shiiit.

That one sentence has amazing implications I'm not sure I want to put into words. Unless she is bluffing, but I see no reason why she would be... and that brings so much other implications here. She talks like that, because even now she isn't treating her enemies seriously. They pose no danger to her. Two people on the level of white hunters, and she is not even threatened.

...How powerful is she even? What happened to the randomizer? The strongest players that share their information on forums are right now at silver hunter level, some few can match low gold hunters.

"...How are you still talking?" Xavier asks cautiously after a moment of silence as he looks at the Demoness.

"Why wouldn't I?" The girl fires back and I need to stifle a giggle threatening to escape my mouth.

And I'm pretty damn sure it wouldn't be good if started laughing now.

"This is soul magic, or something?" Helia asks, looking down at the chains. "First time seeing something like that."

"You-!" The High Inquisitor lets out, straightening his posture and now probably pissed, but doesn't finish and instead takes a deep breath. "You'll be coming with me. I have questions for you regarding your... involvement in the attacks on Riverside and Aver's Crossing.

"I already talked with Inquisitor Captain Elisora." Helia replies, quirking an eyebrow. "I've told her everything I know on that matter."

"Her methods were judged unsuitable to the importance of this information. And she will be punished appropriately for her actions centered on personal gain." Xavier replies and turns to Lucief, but before he can continue, Helia interrupts.

"Lucief." She says quietly, but her voice carries further than it should. "You can consider our business to be done. Scram." Oh. She's pissed.

Demon Hunter turns to her in surprise and opens his mouth to say something, but changes his mind at the last moment, turns around, and starts walking away casually.

He gives a long glance to High Inquisitor and looks at Helia again. "Don't kill bystanders, okay?"

...Huh? Wait, what?

I turn to Helia in surprise and I lock eyes with her for a moment. She grins, and she spreads her arms casually, the chains that were supposed to restrain her snapping like twigs and clattering to the ground.

Xavier immediately changes his stance at that, his face a mix of wariness and surprise from what I can infer, and a wave of murmurs and scared voices passes through the crowd.

"High Inquisitor Xavier." The Demoness says deceptively sweetly, distinctly pissed at first glance if you know what to look for. "What did you do to my friend?"

The man stays silent and doesn't speak up for a moment. He doesn't reply till a resounding voice bellows from the crowd.

"The demon is going to kill us! Run for your lives!"

Uh-huh.

And after this one timeless moment all hell breaks loose.

Xavier yells something, turning to the suddenly chaotic crowd scrambling backwards and trampling people, but he can't be heard properly in all the ruckus. Me and the group are lucky that we're on the inside of the vague circle of people, which makes them run away from us rather than around us.

I stay in place, as well as the rest of the group, but it doesn't take me long to realize we're going to end up in that awkward position where two incredibly powerful fighters might start fighting any moment and we're on the same battlefield very well within their range.

"Let's, uh, let's back away a bit?" I hear Vulcan's voice behind me, seemingly having similar thoughts to me, and I nod my head slowly.

"I'm all in for that suggestion." I turn around and quickly run to the border of the square, closely followed by the rest, and we assemble ourselves just between some buildings, close enough to watch, but far enough to be safe as long as the two don't damage the town. We'll be reborn either way if something goes south, but I think it's the gesture that matters in this case.

When I look at the two on the field again, I see Helia with a... slightly predatory smile, and High Inquisitor standing a fair distance away.

"Demon." The man says, at first glance confidently, but I can hear and feel a waver in his voice that indicates he's at least wary, maybe even afraid. "What happened to Inquisitor Captain Elisora is our internal affair. And, as I understand, you did not come here because of her. Why are you here?"

Helia snorts at that and takes on a haughty pose. "I'm, of course, here to kill these pests." She says in derisive tone. "We demons need space to live, and you humans are just a hindrance. You thought it would be something like that, didn't you?" She tilts her head and smiles widely, but definitely not joyfully. It's a scary smile. "It's not, idiot. I'm here because my friend was killed, and I've just learned you hurt my other friend." She suddenly looks to the side. "But it seems my time is up, so I'll be taking my payment at a later time. Sweet dreams, Xavier."

A bright light suddenly starts shining from her horns, and my mind blanks as I feel... weak. Insignificant. Nothing. Like a grain of sand at the feet of Goddess.

I think I want to run, bow, and scream at the same time, but I do nothing, staring blankly at... I don't know. I don't think... I'm capable of knowing that.

I absently notice as Xavier shots out from his position in Helia's direction. He flies by where she was just a moment after she disappears and stops in place after a while, looking back with a weird expression that seems like something between fear and anger.

Around this moment I finally register a loud rumbling noise and and notice a figure clad in stone shooting out from the street that seems to lead to the city centre. It stops abruptly beside High Inquisitor Xavier and starts talking with him in hushed voices as the latter sneaks weird glances at the place where the Demoness disappeared.

And I finally feel my heart drum again when I topple over like a pole and lay there in... I don't know. Awe? Admiration? Fear? Reverence? All of them?

I've no idea.

But that was not something I should feel in a game.

That was Helia? Felt more like Goddess, if you ask me. Not just a goddess, but Goddess.

...

<Helia's POV>

"Well, that was fun." I mutter to myself with a giggle as I stretch my arms while floating high in the air above the barrier that covers Beholder's Eye.

It was surprisingly fun, actually. I had no idea it could be so fun to pretend like that.

I'm a little conflicted over the fight with Lucief, cause I've... actually no idea what was it's point. Because... I'm actually not entirely sure why. I'll need to think about it. What happened later though...

I showed Xavier I am completely unaffected by his bindings, though they felt like they were supposed to constrain my soul somehow, then ran off with a promise of repayment for what he did to Xethu and whatever he did to Inquisitor Captain Elisora, which likely made him feel like he had any chance of beating me.

But then... if he thinks he still has a chance, then... I think it would be really fun to go along with it? Like a storyline in a game.

I smile almost involuntarily thinking about that. He'll probably go back to the command... they'll assemble a squad to capture or kill me... and I'll toy with them. Mmm, that really sounds like fun! Maybe I could even let them kill me? There are so many ways in which it could develop...

Hm. I guess I should do something about Elisora...? Though I'll inform Letty first, that things are a little more complicated than I thought... which isn't necessarily a bad thing when I think about it.

Damn, I think I just found a new hobby... and actually, what we did with Letty a while back, the queen and mistress thingy, that should spread over the net, right? An... identity to assume? I'll really need to think this through.

Before that though, there is something else to take care of, namely a person that just appeared not far from me under her own concealment spell.

I turn my head where I feel a massive energy coming from, tens of times greater than whatever amount of mana the white hunters down in Black Harbor had, and I see a woman floating in the air and looking at me with a small frown and unreadable expression on her mature face the likes of which I'd expect from a welcoming, warm queen. And funny thing is, I... don't see a reason why I should be afraid of her, despite the power she holds that should not be inferior to the Eye in the middle of this island.

"Hello." I say as a greeting as my eyes skim over her, well... naked, beautiful, objectively basically flawless figure, with just a peculiar light covering her private bits. Which doesn't faze me, but is surprising, especially coupled with her appearance out of the blue. "Are you a goddess?"

"Straight to the point I see." She chuckles, her voice perfectly clear despite coming from at least a hundred meters away, in a manner I would imagine a mother to do. "I'm who humans in this world call Handrangea, their goddess of fertility and prosperity. You've probably made the connection already, but I'm the one humans on Beholder's Eye worship. The Church and the Inquisition have been created under my name, although I have little to do with their actions."

"I'm Helia." I nod my head. "You're saying that whatever Xavier did, it was his own decision?"

The goddess smiles lightly. "You can take it this way. However, I did not approach you just to tell you that; you'd not need to hear anything from me if you wanted to punish him."

"Not that I want." I quip in, turning to look down at Black Harbor. "There's no point killing him or anything now."

"...I'm glad you think so." Handrangea nods with a hint of relief in her voice. "The reason I'm here is to get to know you. There are quite many gods in this world, but the arrival of Wayfarers, and you in particular, has already upset their balance and I don't hope things will calm down soon. We would like like to know what is your stance in regards to the recent happenings."

"We as in?" I ask curiously.

"For simplicity, the thousands of various deities in this world." Oh, wow.

"Mmm, if you're asking what I want to do in this world, then nothing in particular." I tilt my head. "I'm here for entertainment, if anything." That's actually... I need to think about it. Because I think I just found a much more correct answer to what I want than earlier. Because while a fight of my own might be entertaining, there's no reason why I wouldn't enjoy other people's fights... and not only fights, come to think of it. Hm.

"I see." The goddess says quietly. "If it's not insensitive to ask, are you a Primordial?"

"I am, indeed." I glance at her. "You are... similar to spirits. Although it's my first time meeting someone like you. Is that specific to gods?" There is something more to her than the mana, which, basing on the stories I've read, would be faith, but I'd need to take a closer to make sure, and I won't dig in her body without permission.

The woman nods her head with distinct surprise, although it's not particularly visible on her face; more in her body, which is quite similar to Daria's in that it has an outer shape, but is formless inside, with mana flowing around mostly freely. The changes in mood are visible in the shifts and jolts in that flow.

"I'm still very young. An infant, by some standards." I add with a small smile. "Say, what do you do when you're bored?"

Another jolt of her mana and a blink of her eyes indicate this was far from whatever question she expected, but she composes herself quickly.

"Various things. Observe humans, relax, occasionally hone my abilities. Sometimes I descend under a guise to experience the human life. May I know where does the question come from?"

"I'm bored." I reply, thinking about what Handrangea said... particularly the last option. "Oh, also, among you gods. Is there a Fae or something? And do you meddle in human affairs?"

"We..." She hesitates. "Officially, we hardly ever do that. Although it is common to do some little things. As for the Fae, there is such a race and there are some gods that are more worshipped by them, but I do not know of a deity that would be a Fae."

"Hm." I stay silent for a while, thinking about Maala, as Handrangea stays still as if waiting for another question. "Well, thanks for answering my questions. It's nice to know you. I'll be going now." I tell the goddess, notice she is surprised again for some reason, and teleport somewhere away, hiding any sign of my presence.

I make sure Catherine and the rest are fine - which they are, although they seem slightly shaken - and send Vulcan a message to meet up soon.

Just before I teleported away, I tried pushing my domain even further by enforcing knowledge, control, and domination on everything in its range, which was, by the way, absolutely amazing. It's similar to that feeling you get when you're playing a game and suddenly unlock developer mode and can do anything you want. Somewhat empty, but amazing.

But, as I learned long ago, my Primordial Energy tends to be felt in some way by people, and I think Vulcan got more affected than others because of the show I made. And Catherine just as well... for some reason. Hm.

Well, they'll be fine, since I don't see any lasting effects on their minds, and neither on the others', but it's high time I explain to them, especially to Vulcan, what it's all about.

For now I write a longish message to Letty explaining what happened and that I'll probably be with Elisora, and then I'll visit the person herself. And looking at her with my magic sense... let's say she could be in better state.