Free Web NovelChapter 132: The fifth god, Nyratalir
"Mmm... this dinner is delicious, my compliments, Platinum Death," Shin Seiko comments — the director of HESPARC Japan.
"To tell the truth, it’s all thanks to Princess Mia — she prepared all this. And please, call me Isabelle."
"Oh... then my compliments to you, Princess Mia — it’s all exquisite."
"I thank you, Mr. Seiko," she says simply, then looks back down at her plate.
Neither she nor Chris says a word unless spoken to. Even then, they stick to the few words necessary — just as Isabelle told them.
"Mmh... quiet types, huh? So, enjoying Tokyo?" fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
Both nod without a word.
Shin gives Isabelle an amused look.
"What, did you tell them anything they say can and will be used against them in court? Come on, I thought I’d spend the evening chatting, not sitting through a funeral."
"Something like that."
Then Chris breaks the silence, turning to Isabelle.
"To tell the truth, there’s something I don’t get... you said you and Shin fought on Earth about twenty years ago... but what were you doing here? I mean, you told me Scarlet Army generals are never sent to other worlds."
"Very sharp question, Chris — I’m surprised Mia didn’t ask me."
"I didn’t ask because I already know the answer," Mia grumbles, then goes back to eating in silence.
But Isabelle doesn’t listen to her.
"Simple — back then, I wasn’t a general. Before becoming one, I served three years in the Crimson Requiem — traveling to different worlds, seeing what was outside Elyndra."
"And if I remember correctly, at that time you didn’t even go by Crimson Requiem," Shin cuts in.
"Right — Otherworlds Operations Unit. A pretty plain name, huh? And get this — Crimson Requiem wasn’t coined by us. It came from our victims. At some point — I don’t even remember exactly when — during a mission on Elyndra, a powerful warrior we were ordered to kill called us that. He said that’s what they called us on N’Raeth. A name we more than earned. Not to boast, but we were unstoppable — the only time in history when the Otherworlds Operations Unit was more feared than the four Scarlet Army generals. It’s no coincidence that four of the original Crimson Requiem quintet went on to become generals. Ah... the good old days... makes me feel like a mummy getting nostalgic..." Isabelle finishes.
"Unfortunately time passes for everyone. We’re getting old..." Shin murmurs, just as nostalgic. "Thank you for dinner and for your cooperation. But before I go, there’s a nice green area around here, and after a big meal there’s nothing better than a walk in the moonlight. Isabelle, care to join me? I wouldn’t want to get lost in the woods."
"Let’s go for a walk in the moonlight."
Isabelle heads for the door and Shin follows, waving goodbye to Mia and Chris first.
They walk for a few minutes, chatting lightly about this and that, and when they’re far enough away, their tone turns more serious.
"So, what did you want to talk about, Shin?"
"How much do you know about the creation myth?"
"Not much more than anyone else."
"I see — you’ve never read the original Rithzargul. I’ll keep it brief. The version we have today speaks only of the four gods everyone knows: Azkarith, the Dragon of Destruction. Urvoras, the Serpent of Eternal Rebirth. Orzyath, the Spider Weaving the Web of Reality. And finally, Zhaethys, the Light-bearing Griffin. The first three died at the hands of a vampire, an incubus, and a human — and that’s in the text we have today. Zhaethys’s death, though, is shrouded in mystery — at least in the version we have. The original text makes it clear: Zhaethys wasn’t killed by a mortal. He was too powerful for any mortal to kill. He sacrificed himself."
Shin lights a cigarette, takes a drag, then continues. Isabelle listens without a word.
"What you may not know is that beyond the four canonical gods, there was a fifth — Nyratalir, the Primordial Shadow. An entity far more powerful than Zhaethys himself. All Nyratalir wanted was eternal darkness. Absolute nothingness. The moment the four gods created the multiverse we know, Nyratalir woke from his sleep, intent on erasing existence and returning the multiverse to the still void from before. A fierce battle erupted on a multiversal scale between Nyratalir and the other four gods, but the fifth god’s power was overwhelming. Backed into a corner, Zhaethys drew on the energy of the other three gods and the two most powerful mortals of the era — a vampire, Viktor Volkom, and a succubus, Lilith Desidael. With that power, he generated a new dimension to imprison Nyratalir — but that effort cost him his life."
"Very interesting... but I don’t see where you’re going with this. These events date back millennia — what does any of this have to do with us?"
"You know why this part was wiped from history? To keep any madman from learning of Nyratalir’s existence and trying to free him. That’s why for millennia we’ve tried to recover and destroy every original copy of the Rithzargul. For the same reason, the ancient race that carried that knowledge was wiped out. But not every copy was destroyed — three survived, and one of them fell into the wrong hands. A group of fanatics calling themselves the Cult of the Primordial Shadow intends to free Nyratalir. To do it, they need to perform a ritual requiring the four divine artifacts and the blood of both the Volkom and Desidael lines, combined in one being."
"Well, I’d say there’s nothing to worry about then, right? A vampire and a succubus can’t procreate."
"That’s how it should be... and yet it happened, just as the Rithzargul prophecy foretold. Seventeen years ago, a girl was born — daughter of a Volkom and a Desidael."
Isabelle nods.
"I think I understand — you at HESPARC are tracking the half-vampire, half-succubus hybrid, and since you haven’t found her yet, you want help killing her before the Cult gets their hands on her. Am I right?"
Shin shakes his head. He takes a deep drag on his cigarette and exhales a thick cloud of smoke. After a moment of silence, he speaks again.
"No, I already found that hybrid fifteen years ago. The Cult had already identified her too. Fortunately, the vampire and the succubus both lived on Earth. So when a Cult member attacked them and killed the father, I got there in time, saving the succubus and the hybrid."
"None of this makes sense... the Monster Slayers’ job is to preserve the peace of this world. Why save someone who threatens not just life on Earth, but the entire multiverse?"
"Well... I’d say it was selfishness — that’s what drove me to take in the hybrid and her mother, and hide them from the HESPARC. As cover, I married the succubus and the hybrid became my stepdaughter. As you can imagine, a being with both vampire and succubus powers is arguably the most powerful mortal in the multiverse. And having raised her with a father’s love and discipline... well, she’d do anything I told her."
"In other words... you’re only protecting her to have a devastating weapon at your disposal? Yes, you’re right — it’s selfish as hell to risk the entire multiverse for something so stupid, especially from a Monster Slayer."
"Yes, I was reckless... but things have changed over these fifteen years. When you raise a girl as your own, you get attached. And now she’s not a weapon of destruction to me — she’s my daughter, and I’d do anything to protect her."
"Even risking the very fabric of creation?"
Shin smiles at her.
"Isn’t that what you’re doing with Mia Valakis? If you’d been the bearer of the Tear of Azkarith, no one in the multiverse could have laid hands on that artifact. Yet you chose to leave it to her, so she could defend herself against enemies far more powerful than her."
"True... but I still don’t see where you’re going with this."
"I’ve said enough already, so I’ll be brief: I need your help to protect my daughter and destroy the Cult of the Primordial Shadow."
Isabelle freezes. She hadn’t expected a request like this, and she needs time to process it. She only speaks again after several moments of absolute silence.
"Don’t even ask. We have enough problems of our own — no point making more."
"I expected a response like this, but there’s something you still don’t understand, Platinum Death. To complete the ritual to free Nyratalir from the prison dimension where he’s trapped, they don’t just need my daughter’s blood. They need your Mia’s Tear of Azkarith too. It’s only a matter of time before the Cult finds her, and when they do, not even you can stop them."
"If they’re as dangerous as you say, saving them the trouble of looking for us and walking straight into their trap is even stupider than waiting and doing nothing."
"The Platinum Death I knew twenty years ago wouldn’t have pulled back from facing incredibly powerful opponents."
"The Platinum Death you knew twenty years ago had no one to protect. Anyway, I’ll think about it."
