Gemini sat down on a snow-covered rock, and his will erupted out to conjure a bunch of balls made from light. Four for the elemental gods. One for the Dragon of Time. A particularly large one for the Sentinel of Space.

Those props weren’t really needed, but it did set the stage for a storyteller. Lila covered a smile, before egging him on to narrate the story with her eyes alone. Stretching his arms, the Demon Sovereign began to speak. At the same time, those implanted memories began to play out in his head for the first time, and a scene where every single great god lived together in harmony appeared in his mind’s eye.

At that time, they hadn’t quite decided on the forms they would take. The props that Gemini created wasn’t just an abstraction; it reflected the reality back then. A bunch of light balls were clustered together and discussing the way forward for their ultimately fragile world.

“I’m not sure what those plans were, since the Demon God hadn’t come into being yet,” said Gemini. “However, what I do know is that both the Human God and the Demon God manifested at the same time, bringing with them the first progenitors of humans, beastfolk and demons.”

“At the same time?”

“Correct. The myth back then was…somewhat inaccurate, but apparently, the elemental gods were too preoccupied with maintaining a stable world to sustain life to actually notice,” Gemini replied. “One could say that the Preserver and the World’s Blight were actually twins, not just siblings.”

“Why would they come to blows then?” Lila asked. “I remember that there was something about us demons being attacked by humans, and the Five Lands’ version was the other way around.”

“Your version’s closer to the truth,” Gemini replied, “but it doesn’t cover everything. The Human God, for some reason, believed that no mortals should ever approach perfection, for such an act would only bring about extinction for all transient life. In contrast, the Demon God believed that his children should eventually surpass their parents and lead them to even greater heights.”

“I am in no place to decide who is right,” Gemini hurriedly said, pre-empting Lila from asking questions he didn’t want to think about.

“Aww.”

“Oh, come on. Give me ten thousand years, and I’ll give you an answer.”

“Hey!” Lila cleared her throat. “Anyway, please continue. Did the two great gods fight over such an issue? Why did the other great gods side with Anren?”

Gemini closed his eyes. “Wasn’t it obvious? The other gods found Anren’s words to be a lot more persuasive, so they indeed came to blows. It was stupid, really. The demons couldn’t comprehend mortality, because they couldn’t die. Under the Demon God, they slaughtered humans and beastfolk, thinking that they would revive and tell tales of their martial superiority.”

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“That’s what drove the great gods to summon the Cardinal Champions?” Lila asked, her words full of disbelief.

“By the time the Demon God understood what the Human God did when humans and beastfolk were created, it was a bit too late. Humanity and beastfolk, vengeful after what they saw as cold-blooded murders on a scale that had never occurred before, banded together,” Gemini replied. “The Demon God learnt his lesson and controlled the conflict, but even then, it was too late.”

“That was when the Cardinal Champions were summoned?” Lila asked.

“Not only that.” Gemini pursed up his lips. “There’s a…very odd power source in an abstract space that’s within and around Orb. The Demon God called it the Abyss. The Human God, in his desperation, connected to the Abyss and used it to…”

A stake of pain rammed through his forehead, and Gemini reeled. The Demon God’s omniscience had picked up on what the Human God was doing, but even viewing it through an indirect source was enough to corrode a portion of his soul.

“Gemini? What happened?” Lila rubbed his forehead, a cooling sensation that assuaged the scorching pain he felt in his mind. “Did you…”

“I saw something that I shouldn’t,” Gemini replied. “Urgh. It hurts.”

“Maybe we should continue this on another day,” Lila replied. “You don’t look so good.”

“I’ll just skip it,” Gemini replied. “Not really important. In the end, however, the demons were outmatched. The Cardinal Champions and the other great gods were enough to push the Demon God back, and you know the rest.”

“Yes, I do.” Lila continued to rub his forehead with a knuckle. “But…what does that have to do with why you’re working so hard? The demons…my kind, they were the one who killed Magnus, and so many others.”

Darkness fell as he closed his eyes for a moment. “But they were innocent too, right? Controlled by a mad god. Just as how the Human God was. I…cannot find it in myself to stand by and watch another genocide. No matter who does it. I am glad that the Demon God has fallen, but I can also mourn for the demons that will be lost.”

“This…is your own desire, then? Not the Demon God’s?” Lila’s voice quavered slightly. “Your own will? Your wish?”

Gemini took a deep breath. “Yes. I’ve already committed one genocide with my own pair of hands. I will not let my inaction enable a second one. Lila, I know this must be hard on you. I’m essentially opposing the Five Lands. Ark City. Our friends. But…can I be selfish for this once? To ask you to support me, as I defy the Five Lands to my dying breath?”

“You…idiot.” Lila smacked his head with a small fist, only to bounce off. “Of course. Besides, if you really wanted to ask me that, you should have given me an actual choice in Ark City.”

Gemini opened and closed his mouth like a fish, speechless. She did have a point; he had essentially kidnapped her and his child after leaving behind a plea for Ark City to not involve itself in the war. On one hand, he did not want to implicate the two of them once he ramped up his tactics, but on the other…

The Demon Sovereign bowed his head. “I’m sorry for being so selfish.”

“You’ve been giving all in the time in this relationship of ours,” said Lila. “It’s time that I did the same.”

With a warm, cosy feeling in his chest, Gemini pulled Lila into a hug. “Thank you.”