Tahiri left because she was scared that she would lose her freedom and bind herself to me. Aratio simply did it on a whim because that's the kind of goddess she is. But the mother had to force the daughter back several times during their journey, or she would have returned to me for another hot night.
In the end, they arrived in Adanak within a few days and decided to find Mataku. The Primordial Terror had left on his own accord after our battle in the throne room of Kairaki palace, but it didn't mean he wouldn't appear again soon after. As one of the universal gods of Adanak, Tahiri had the duty to stand against him if he should try to realize his ambitions of consuming the world.
But he appeared before her with the help of Mithra and made her a proposition. If she helped him in a particular research, he would leave this planet forever. Of course, she didn't believe him and attacked, but her lightning had no effect on him. As a Crawling Chaos, he could adapt to it just as I did.
Ultimately, he held Aratio and her two brothers hostage. The Tahiri from before we met would probably have fought to the death even with their lives on the line. But she couldn't do so anymore after getting involved with human emotions once more. Bowing to him to save her children, the God of Storm agreed to help Mataku. But if she ever discovered that what he was trying to do would bring doom to the world, she would rather die than help finish it.
To her surprise, he asked her to provide power for a machine resembling the one Rapania used to create an artificial Crawling Chaos. He used corpses of humans and animals, injected with a small piece of him, as the base for the experiments. At first, she thought that he wanted to create an army of clones for himself. However, whenever she finished one, he would lock himself inside a room with it for a while.
When he emerged from it, the corrupted creature was always gone without a trace. Then he would ask her to make another, repeating the process. It seemed that he was trying to confirm something, possibly their abilities or completeness.
In the end, she helped him make nearly a hundred of the monsters, growing more restless with each one. At one point, a dozen of them were locked inside glass containers while he spent increasingly more time experimenting with one at a time. But it seemed that Mataku achieved a breakthrough one day. She would never forget his face as he laughed from the bottom of his heart, crying tears of joy.
It terrified her.
With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the God of the Storm and her children, almost as if they were an afterthought. He had no more business with them, and it was clear that he didn't even care if they would try to stand against him again in the future. Tahiri, not one to run away with her tail between her legs when told to do so, wrecked his hidden research lab with an indoor thunderstorm before leaving.
"[That was the last time I saw him. He never appeared before me or my children again.]" Concluding her story, Tahiri averts her gaze as if ashamed of bowing to Mataku's threats rather than fighting him to her last breath.
"[I know what he was trying to achieve.]" I state with a thoughtful tilt of my head. He used the Crawling Chaos spawns to practice how to overpower one of his kind, just as Flann told me. It seems he learned how to consume one from the inside, as he did with Chaos-Juzual on the Moon. That could be an ability with which he could even defeat the Outer One.
That's when the full extent of Mataku's plan dawns on me. He wants to consume this world and be called back to the Outer One, at which point he's going to eat him from the inside. The Primordial Terror would be able to replace a cosmic god and become an untouchable existence himself.
And I'm pretty much the only one who can prevent that from happening. Defending this planet against the Outer One's seed every few millennia is one thing, but if Mataku takes over, this entire universe will be at peril.
I can turn myself into the size of a mouse by compressing all the matter inside me into the other dimension that is my stomach. I'm sure Mataku knows that trick as well, so he could enter this dimension through one of the tears created by the Imagination Engine. He wouldn't be limited to sending through a fragment of himself to do his bidding; he could pass through all at once and consume as he pleases.
"[What is it?]" Tahiri asks with her eyebrows drawn into a frown. I realize that I wasn't explaining it but only putting things into thought.
"[Another time. It's not important right now.]" I shake my head and give the God of Storm a warm smile. She blushes slightly at my doubtlessly charming expression and averts her gaze. We're flying through the sky with me still carrying her, enjoying the nightscape illuminated by the still massive moon. It's a romantic getaway with just the two of us.
"[So, what did you come here for? Aren't you the queen of your own nation?]" Finally, Tahiri's voice breaks the windswept silence of our flight once more. She sounds sulky but not at all unwilling to remain in my embrace.
"[You may have missed the God of Growth stopping the moon when it was falling from the sky.]" If she was in Aoranam for the past few days, she must have missed it. "[And we had a battle with Mataku on the moon.]"
Tahiri only stares at me blankly, unsure what to make of what I just told her so casually. She didn't notice that the world was about to end.
"[Oh, and Areteniha is going to destroy all life on this planet in three days. That's what-]" When I get to this part, Tahiri's whole body begins to shake, which causes me to stop in surprise.
"[WHAT?!]" Finally, finding the word she was trying to say, the God of Storm lets her emotions burst out straight into my face. So that shaking wasn't from fear but growing bewilderment. "[What did you do for her to react like that?]"
"[We... killed her child.]" It's hard to admit this when she's already so upset, but she would have found out sooner or later anyway. "[Ah, not Aorutihaua.]"
"[I didn't know she had any other- it doesn't matter... WHY?!]" For a moment, Tahiri seems to calm down, but another wave of panic overcomes her.
"[He was Alverost.]" I reply in a matter of fact tone. For a moment, I wanted to compare him to Rapania, who killed many humans in her experiments to help Mataku create an artificial Crawling Chaos. But I already told her about all the Old Humans when she came to the Dominion with me, so she knows what he has done. Hearing that name, she turns thoughtful instead.
"[How can we stop the God of the Sun?]" Regaining her composure, Tahiri stares at me in all seriousness. I smile at the fact that she so naturally included herself with that question. But this affects everybody on Earth equally, and I'd be happy for somebody with an imagination as powerful as hers to join us in this battle.
"[We're going to the Sun and stop her there.]" When I put it into words like this again, it just sounds so absurd. It's as ridiculous as that one movie where they fly to the Sun with a nuclear bomb to make it shine brighter again. "[As you know, these godlike powers are created from a machine on the surface of the Sun.]"
Tahiri had a hard time accepting that fact when she first learned about it, but it ultimately changed nothing about who she is. Others, such as Tokomaha, were similarly unimpressed, to the point where it didn't even affect how they use their powers. If she were limited by the common sense so ingrained into me, she would have never been able to grow herself to nearly the size of the Moon to stop it.
"[I came to Aoranam to get Asoko and my children.]" I finally answer her earlier question. She must have already gotten acquainted with my other half as they were in the same village for who knows how long. One part of me considers the possibility that Asoko may have put the moves on her, too.
"[So I was right in my assumption that this Asoko is like you.]" Tahiri tilts her head to look at my face at a different angle. My other half looks like me, but she has black hair and dark skin, which may hide our resemblance at first sight.
"[She's not just like me. She's another me.]" We both know Tokomaha, who makes many clones of herself, so I have to elaborate at this point. "[Not like the God of Growth. Asoko is half of me but with a soul that is a copy of mine.]"
Tahiri remains silent, looking at me curiously. It's a difficult concept to grasp for anybody, including myself. Asoko and my children are a strange case, as the one other time I was split into several pieces, I maintained control over all of them through one mind. Maybe the distance made the difference, or my understanding of my body did.
"[Anyway, I want their help in this battle on the Sun.]" I conclude my explanation. Among everybody that I know, I can trust those three the most to be able to fight alongside me even when the Imagination Engine is shut off or damaged in the battle.
"[What is your plan?]" She finally poses the dreaded question. "[Let me guess, you have none.]"
"[You haven't even given me time to answer!]" I cry out against the unfair treatment, but she puts a hand on my cheek. Her charming smile blows away my indignation.
"[Knowing you, we will simply charge in and crush the opposition with overwhelming strength.]" But her words don't match the feeling her expression is conveying to me. Only somebody with as much life experience as Tahiri can look and sound so innocent while making such a sardonic remark. "[Do you think this will work on the God of the Sun?]"
"[I don't know if anything will work on her.]" What I do know is that beyond a certain level of power, nuances achieved through tactics and techniques go out the window. Oinos won against everything with overwhelming strength, and it was the same that beat him in the end. "[But for the sake of this world, we have to try.]"
"[I don't know if I can be of help.]" Unexpectedly, Tahiri speaks words of weakness. But it takes me only a split second to realize that with the Imagination Engine gone, all the godlike beings around me would become mortal humans. Aurelia, Tahiri, Tokomaha, Exla, and, most likely, even Korenga would be rendered powerless and turn into liabilities in a battle.
That means we have to make sure not to shut down the machine unless everybody is safe. According to Exla, all of Alverost's inventions, as well as the demons he created, are viable without the powers of the Imagination Engine. Beings that were conceived through imagination alone are a different matter though; fire and frost giants were created by Kanundra and Zylos, with no scientific basis. They would cease to exist immediately.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
But I'm sure some demons have come to rely on a specific ability granted through the Imagination Engine that they couldn't survive without it anymore. In other words, destroying it is only a solution when we have exhausted all others.
"[It should be fine.]" Mustering my determination, I show her a confident smile. To prevent doubts from rising inside me, I change the topic. "[I'm going to return your powers. Don't run away again, alright?]"
"[I promise nothing.]" Tahiri smirks mischievously, causing my heart to skip a beat at the sight. Tearing away my gaze from her, I grow a tentacle to input the unlock pattern on the inhibitor device on my wrist. It seems that the difference is immediately noticeable, as the God of Storm begins to float under her own power.
"[Let's go back to Aoranam.]" I look up into her fascinating rainbow eyes and grasp her hand. She squeezes mine in return as if to affirm that she will stay by my side. Maybe it's just my impression, but it seems as if she's saying that it won't be only for the foreseeable future either.
In the next moment, we turn into a streak of light across the night sky.
"[So romantic.]" The twins call out to us and whistle. We descend from the sky with our hands still interlocked, but all the attention doesn't compel Tahiri to let go. When I glance at her, I find that she even appears to be pleased to be viewed that way. Maybe she's proud of herself for being able to admit her true feelings after all this time.
I've seen several new sides of the God of Storm today, and I'll cherish those memories forever.
"[So, why are you here?]" Asoko gets straight to the point. She speaks in the Adanak language but still has a thick accent. Is that what it sounded like when I barely spoke it back then?
"[I need your help.]" I answer in kind. The maids that left the castle with her are gathered behind her, glancing up at me shyly. Not all of them are present, but I'm sure that they're alright. They aren't able to contribute this time, so they should stay here until Asoko's return.
"[What for?]" She asks in a brusque tone. I understand that she came all this way to escape from the fighting and the dangers to those she loves. To have me appear before her like this not long after she left must come as an annoyance.
"[This is the final battle.]" With certainty in my voice, I present her with what awaits us. "[We're bringing the fight to the last remaining Old Humans. After that, there will be peace.]"
I doubt that there can ever be lasting peace in a world where sentient beings live, but since I'm an immortal deterrent, I should be able to help it somehow. As long as no more people with godlike powers try to pull strings and make nations fight each other for sport appear, things should turn out for the better.
I'm also leaving out the fact that Mataku is still out there. But who knows when and if he will strike anytime soon, and where that will be. At that point, I'm sure Asoko will be ready to fight once more when called upon.
"[What was that about the Moon falling?]" My other half glances at Tokomaha, whose ears perk up at the mention of her godlike feat. It seems that the little goddess has been going around town bragging about it, but is now eagerly waiting for me to tell the story once again.
"[Juzual turned out to have fused with the Primordial Crawling Chaos from which our mother was born. She made the Moon fall toward Earth, but we stopped her.]" I give her the short version as I'm sure Tokomaha already gave her the long one. The little goddess looks disappointed that I didn't even mention her name. "[But our issue now is that we have a solar storm heading this way. According to Senka, nothing will survive if we don't stop it.]"
"[So we go in, beat up those responsible for it, and force them to cancel their doomsday device. Then we kill them.]" Putting her hands on her hips, Asoko states as if it's the most obvious course of action. It seems she optimistically thinks that this is the usual simple problem with the usual simple solution. Tahiri chuckles behind me at the realization just how alike we are, but I don't give her the satisfaction of turning around and rolling my eyes at her.
"[That's the plan. But our opponent is the God of the Sun. False god she may be, her ability to control the Sun to some extent is quite real.]" I'm the last person who likes to rain on my own parade, but I have to present the facts. If we mess it up, only my newly-acquired grand-scale gravity manipulation, which I'm not entirely confident in, will be able to save this world.
"[So, how are we getting to the Sun?]" Ignoring the concerns, my other half asks for the next step of our plan.
"[We have a spaceship waiting for us in Arkaim. It's going to take us there in a day.]" I'm glad that she's quick on the uptake; she's me, after all. It saves us a lot of time when I don't have to explain the details to her since she already has some prerequisite knowledge to grasp the issues we face.
"[That's cutting it close, isn't it? Won't we have to circumnavigate the solar storm?]" Suddenly, Asoko brings up a point I didn't consider before. I look up at the glaring sun as if trying to gauge how wide this storm is, but it's obviously a pointless endeavor to do so from Earth.
"[Then I'll help us push through using my gravity control.]" I may not be confident in stopping the entire storm with it, but if it's covering the size of Alverost's spaceship, I should be alright. "[Anyway, let's go.]"
"[Are you leaving already?]" Awhina asks with a sad expression on her face. We've been here for maybe half an hour, and all I've done is speak to Asoko and my children.
"[I promise to come back when this is over. Then I'll spend a few days here. I hope you'll cook for me then.]" With these words, I bridge the few steps between us and hug her. The demigoddess is half a head taller than me, so I nestle into her neck. She smells nice, like the flowers that grow on the cliff from which she first showed me Ototawa island.
"Death flag." Asoko mutters behind me, but I ignore her. I'm well aware of the fact that my words are a bona fide death flag, but we're not in a story here. We will defeat Areteniha, stop the solar storm, and end the reign of the Old Humans once and for all. After that comes Mataku, and when there is finally peace, I will be able to take some time off for myself after all these battles.
I separate from Awhina and leave to gather my companions, who have scattered throughout the village. They already know the details of this mission to the Sun and don't understand the Adanak language anyway.
The first I find is Kamii, surrounded by curious children captivated by her crab pincer. I see one of them carrying a living crab, seemingly comparing the animal's weapons to the little dark elf's. She maintains a neutral expression, not at all flustered by the attention. When she sees me, a slight smile appears on her lips, which blows me away. After all the time we have been separated, I love her more than ever.
Secondly, I spot Hestia standing at the beach, looking out toward the sea. Everybody is keeping a respectful distance from her, the aura of majesty that surrounds her acting like an invisible shield. But I break through it, as I did when I first met her, and put a hand on her shoulder. She turns her head and meets my gaze with her crimson eye - the other one hidden under her bangs as always. Her ethereal smile sets my heart aflutter, as it has always done and always will.
Next, I find Aurelia with my children. The two are making a fuss about her golden skin and hair, touching her arms to check the feeling of her skin with sparkling eyes. I would have expected her to get angry with them, but she only watches them warmly. Maybe she's thinking about what it would be like to have children of her own. When she looks up at me, her golden gaze captivates me just as it did when we first met as enemies. I may be the ruler of the Dominion, but she's my queen.
When I send the five back to the village center and go to find Korenga, I realize that Tokomaha has joined me on my walk at one point. With her amber eyes, she scrutinizes my expression, then stretches out a hand to grasp mine. She started as a bratty tsundere who didn't know how to express her feelings. But over time, she has become a loving companion who always tries to show me her best side. Squeezing her hand in silent affirmation, I continue.
Korenga has turned into a living jungle gym. Children are climbing all over her, and she's laughing with them. Seeing her like this, I can't bring myself to tell her that we have to leave. She went through so much pain in her life, so I would love to leave her here where she can have peace. But I know that as long as Mataku is still out there, her curse of rage will rear its head again to destroy her happiness. When I resolve myself and walk over to her, she puts down the children and meets me halfway with a determined grin.
Finally, we make our way back to the village square in front of Rangi's house. I see just in time as Tahiri accepts a gourd of alcohol from the towering land god. This brings back memories of how I accidentally challenged her with alcohol the first time we met. It began with duels to the death and ended in a relationship of mutual trust. With the misunderstanding out of the way and her true feelings laid bare, we have now officially become lovers.
With everybody gathered, I say my farewells to the villagers, thank Rangi and Ruiha for taking such good care of my children, and turn to my big sister, Flann. She nods with her usual emotionless expression, and in the next moment, we disappear in a vortex and reappear on the terrace of Arkaim castle.
"Took you long enough." Exla's voice booms down on us from the sky, and I look up to find Alverost's floating city looming over us. I hear panicked voices in the streets, so she couldn't have been here for long enough to explain that this isn't another attack by the Old Humans. And I even told her to park it away from the city.
"Everybody is here, huh?" I hear Senka behind me and turn around to find Rewera carrying her on her arm like a porcelain doll. The giant maid uses a hand to keep the doll girl from falling off and bows to me.
"Welcome back, Your Majesty. I have sent out the Maid Corps and the garrison to calm down the citizens." When she rights herself, her piercing red gaze bores into me. I shrink under it, well aware of the reason for that glare. "You should have warned us that You would bring that here."
She doesn't need to point up for me to understand what she's referring to. But this isn't even my fault! Exla forgot what I expressly told her before we left for Aoranam. I need to have a word with the cloud girl about this. For having what is essentially the entirety of the Internet saved inside her brain, she seems to have trouble retaining small but essential details.
"We're leaving right away." I stretch out my hands, and immediately understanding what I want, the maid leader hands me Senka. Suddenly, Uten and Saten pop out on my two sides and stare at the doll girl with glittering eyes.
"What's that?" Saten asks in a delighted tone.
"What's that?" Uten repeats after him.
"She's so cute!" They declare in unison and reach out to grab Senka.
"Gah! Now there's two more of them!" She complains with apparent aversion written on her face. I hug her to my chest and turn away from my children, whose expressions immediately falter.
"She's mine." Snuggling the doll girl, I stretch out my tongue in a mischievous gesture. Then I run away from them, compelling the twins to chase me.
"I'm nobody's but my own! Argh!" Senka struggles in my grasp but is too weak to escape me, as always.
"No fair!" Uten and Saten complain as little children would about an older sibling getting a bigger portion for their meal.
"Can we get going?" The doll girl grabs my face to force me to focus. I stare into her big blue eyes for a moment, then give her a heartfelt smile that seems to catch her by surprise. "What's with you?"
"Just remembering the good old times." Hugging her, I look across the faces of my companions. When I was reincarnated, I was thrown into this unfamiliar world all by myself. Senka was the first person out there whom I felt I could trust. And after I met her, I made so many friends and lovers.
"We're coming as well." Suddenly, Rolan's voice declaring from the doorway of the terrace pulls me out of my reverie. It seems that he has fully embraced advanced technology, as he wears something like a sleek spacesuit. The mechanical arm that the gremlin maid Kleihn gave him is exposed so that its functions can still be used. Gram, Svanhild, and Halthor standing behind him wear the same kind of suits, tailored to their different sizes.
I anticipated that they would want to come along, as Shelnir kidnapped Luna with a message directed at them to go and get her back if they can. Under different circumstances, I would consider them a burden, but they were the ones who brought down Alverost. Of course, there were special conditions involved in their victory, but they bring the right amount of determination to make use of such situations when they present themselves.
"Just make sure not to get in my way." Turning away from them and toward Flann, I answer Rolan with a silent smile to myself. Senka may be the person I first trusted, but he and his party were those who made it possible for me to meet her in the first place. No, it was Luna in particular; if I hadn't followed her that day, I would have never found Lady Nightwane's store.
Everything that happened in this world led me to this point. All the lovers, allies, enemies, and everybody between them made me who I am today. I have to be grateful to the opposition I faced, which forced me to grow beyond myself. Now, I'm standing at the last step before becoming the most powerful being in this world. Once I do, I can protect those important to me.
"Let's go." I raise my head and look at Flann before declaring with a confident grin. "Let's take down the Sun."