Zhong kui grabbed Fragarach from Lugh. He unsheathed the blade and pointed the bronze blade to Loki, who now sat on the ground, bloodied and bruised. “Did you shapeshift into Nuada and sabotage his retainer’s starting point?”
The blade shone, and then Loki's body shone after. He looked in pain as if something was forcing his soul to push something out. Nuada watched Loki’s expressions and paid close attention to his ather to see if he was doing anything to break the sword’s hold.
“Yes… I did it.”
“Why?”
“To help Lugh win and get back at the dirty Celtics that hate him.”
“Did he tell you to do it? Or did he specifically ask you not to do it?”
“He told me to do nothing, that he wanted to win this alone.”
“Why make him a slave?”
“To show how vile humans really are…! Since humans have free will, they would do unspeakable things to their own. Just like on Earth.”
Zhong kui stopped using the sword and placed it back in its sheath and returned it to Lugh. Zhong kui looked at Nuada and waited for his response.
“It doesn’t change anything, the tricksters are his people.”
Yes, the tricksters. “Wait, is that why everyone came to the war room and you weren’t there? Did everyone have a part in this?” Lugh asked. He was trembling in anger, a small voice from the past started to creep itself in his mind.
“You are no trickster nor a Celtic deity. You are far too honorable to be a trickster and far untrusted by the Celtics for them to accept you.”
Lugh clenched his fists, remembering the confrontation that he had with Lucifer years ago. “Answer me!”
“Everyone but Wu kong wanted to go with it.”
Minerva nodded her head “Wu would never do that as a holy Judicator!” She looked quite proud after hearing that.
“No matter what you do, no matter how much good you do, your so-called kin will never accept you.” It was just as Lucifer had said long ago.
Nuada slowly walked towards Loki, picked him up, and then slapped him in the face. “You don’t deserve my fist.” He then headed towards Lugh and continued to stare with hate in his eyes.
“It doesn’t matter anymore, Lugh. We have had it with you. You are exiled, your title of Celtic deity is gone. Get your things and get out.”
Arawn ran to Nuada, one of the other deities grabbed her but she broke through, racing to save Lugh. “King Nuada please, you don’t understand how much Lugh has been atoning! I’ve seen him do so much for us in secret! He never took credit for saving human souls, or erasing demons and curses still left on Earth. He didn't hurt the Celtic legend, João.”
Again, the legend. Lugh remembered hearing that title during the Fantasia festival. “What is the Celtic legend?” Lugh asked, upset to be out of the loop, like always.
“The Celtic legend is João; it’s the title I gave to him and the one that my Celtic deities call him. I made sure to have no one tell you about João. He doesn't deserve to know what he suffered.” Nuada spat.
“They hold secrets from you. Brigid's job was to watch you and inform everything you did back to Nuada. How do I know this?... Because I killed and absorbed her soul. I know everything. Nothing you do well ever make them like you, admire you, or respect you.”
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Lugh finally snapped.
“You're all terrible! Everyday I’m reminded about my screws up, about how I took things from you all. When that wasn’t even my goal! I went down to Earth, to Ireland to be with the humans that wanted me with them!” he yelled. Some of the Celtics started to look away and felt regret in their eyes.
“I’ve changed! I suppressed my nature and tried to do right! I got attacked by Lucifer but was too scared to say anything and held it in to not cause panic or pain to you all!”
Zhong kui’s eyes opened wide. The crowd of deities started to murmur and whisper to themselves. Lugh had dropped the bombshell of Lucifer's return.
“AND YET YOU ALL STILL ASK ME TO CHANGE! When all of you think you're so perfect. I don’t have to change anymore! YOU DO!” Lugh bent down and picked up his cloak, placing it on. “None of you were ever going to cheer me on, none of you were ever going to believe in me, none of you ever thought I would win.”
Lugh wanted to cry but he held it in. They didn’t deserve his tears. “You all left me behind and burnt my ships so I couldn’t head to Earth during the Great Rebellion. And yet, I still came and saved your precious little king, and everyone else. I’m the one that defeated Balor! I’m the one that is the Celtic savior! The title that is above all titles! I will win the Tryfing, not for your respect, not to help another deity. No…”
Lugh turned around and a savage trickster grin appeared, one that was burnt into the minds of every single deity and angel there.
“But to make sure Nuada doesn’t win. I’m Lugh Lamhfada, of the long arm. I don’t need you tricksters or you Celtics by my side.”
Lugh walked away, the hammer and his dog walking beside him. Lugh had always felt like an outcast and now his worst fear and doubts had come true. He was now exiled from his home, the deities he called friends he abandoned for their part in this fiasco.
Loki watched as his friend walked away.
The only few he could trust were Failinis and Ariel. So he walked away and went to wait for his retainer to awaken. The Celtic crowd was mixed in their responses; some said nothing, others wanted to at least talk with Lugh, and the rest believed this whole situation was justified.
Achilles walked up to Nuada with concern on his face. Damaris was also there but kept her distance. “I’m sorry for how I acted. But I want retribution, I request to save João and for him to have a permanent godsend for him to use. Also Lugh and his retainer need a punishment for the Tryfing.”
The two judges looked at each other and then whispered to each other. “We can do that. João deserves some advantage, but Metatron wants to speak to you after we save him. Got it?”
Nuada nodded and then instructed his deities to start fixing the Celtic island. Nuada looked at Damaris, who cowered a bit behind Achilles. Nuada looked remorseful and nodded in apology to her again.
Achilles and Nuada warped out together to head into the Fantasia world.
///
“Are you okay, Lugh?” Zhong kui had left the others and caught up to Lugh after Achilles and Nuada left.
Lugh was still walking away, heading towards his old home to gather some of his belongings. “No, I’m not okay. I spent all of my life feeling like I didn’t belong. And it turns out, it was true.”
Zhong kui kept walking by his side. “That sword of yours is incredible, it’s very useful to get the truth out of others.”
“Yeah and then they start to despite you. Forcing someone to do something always ends wrong, even if what you're doing is right. So, I make sure not to use it too much.”
Zhong kui didn’t say anything else, instead he just stood next to Lugh and walked with him, listening to him.
“Thanks big guy, I appreciate you sticking up for me.” Lugh’s voice cracked slightly as he gave his thanks to the Chinese ghost deity.
They kept walking together not saying one word.
///
858 F.R.
The Land of Slavers, Noin
The gates of Noin exploded causing confusion and hysteria to the slaves and the slavers. The smoke cleared and Nuada stood wearing a soldier's outfit, a small army with him. The army were people from the Fantasia world that had served the Machado family in the lore. They had been looking for survivors ever since the attack that took João.
“WE ARE HERE FOR THE LIVING HEIR OF THE MACHADO FAMILY!” Nuada screamed. He pointed his finger at the slavers, and his army ran into the gates. Nuada scanned the souls of all the Noin slavers, he recognized one of them and jumped.
Landing in front of the man, he punched the man's head clean off. “One.” He continued to scan the slavers; he found another one he recognized, dashing towards him and punching him through the stomach, splitting him in two.
“Two.”
He found another slaver who was too scared of the “man” who stood seven feet tall; he didn’t move, instead he trembled uncontrollably. The “man” then lifted his hand up and flicked his finger, destroying the slaver’s entire face.
“Three.”
He saw the last two men, they saw the systematical deaths of their comrades and turned tail. Nuada lifted his arms to the side and clapped them together, sending a shock wave that evaporated the final two men instantly.
“Four. Five.”
Nuada had sent the souls of the five who had sliced João’s hand off straight to the eternal oblivion. As the fighting continued Nuada found João, at the brink of death.
Almost another year had passed. João’s body had withered to skin and bone. He was still working hard but because of his handicap he would have to work twice as much and twice as long. The slavers often skipped his meals for taking too long.
The life in his eyes was slowly disappearing. João was hallucinating that he was with his family one last time, that he held the championship belt and placed it around his grandfather.
He truly was about to die.
Nuada quickly crushed the collar off of him and restored his connection to him.
João started to naturally heal and his pupils started to widen. “ My king… I knew you'd be here eventually… I just had… to hold on.”
Nuada said nothing. He picked up his retainer, who was just a young boy in the Fantasia world and walked towards the slave family that caused it all. Charging his fist he was going to end their lives as well. The family pleaded with Nuada who didn’t want to hear it.
“This is just how it is.”
As he was about to kill them, João tugged on his cloak. “Please, Nuada. If you kill them they’ll go to oblivion... It’s okay… Can we just go?” Nuada stopped his attack and nodded.
Even with what they did to him João didn’t want others to suffer that way for eternity. At least not a family trying to protect themselves, like João would have done.
Nuada looked at the family. “Remember the day Lord João Machado spared your pathetic lives.”
They nodded, they would never forget the kindness of João. Nuada jumped from the top of the slave quarters and landed near the gate. He signaled for the retreat and then turned back to view the slavers, slaves, and the castle that held the trinity. The three leaders of Noin.
“When my Lord João comes of age, he will return and he will seek retribution. And conquer this land.”