From entities like Perseus and Heracles in Greek mythos to the likes of Cu Chulainn and Scathatch in Proto-Germanic lore, the concept of a ‘demigod’ described those who were ‌born to, or rose to great powers, then becoming a beacon of their era. A person whose accomplishments were so above the bar that it was easier to believe them to have a divine origin than to try to explain their unreasonable conquests.

That was what it meant to be a demigod.

Had he been back on Earth, Lukas would have laughed his head off and called Zuken a lunatic for suggesting something so inane. But since his arrival, he had met an actual goddess, seen the utter devastation she could cause, even while running on fumes. Sure, he was stronger and far more skilled than ever, but to be considered anything remotely associated with godhood?

Even with a ‘demi’ prefix.

He opened his mouth to respond with a dry retort, but his words died in his throat. Instead, Inanna’s last words resonated within his mind. Words that he had heard but not really internalized back then.

⸻ ”I used my Presence to bind your shattered Soul” ⸻

Inanna had used her Divinity to resurrect him. Her Divinity. Her Presence. That which made her a Goddess. She used that as a fabric to reforge him and bring him back and, in doing so, sacrificed herself. But that Presence, that Divinity — it was still there, immersed in the shards that made up Lukas’s soul.

It was still there in him.

Divinity.

Power of a Goddess.

Power that belonged to Inanna.

But how did this… bremetan find out about that bit? Solana, for all her tricks, hadn’t been able to figure out anything about Inanna’s presence. Was Asukan technology really that advanced that they could test for ‘divinity’ within a soul? What was this ‘divinity’ anyway? And if it was really detectable by someone with enough resources?

He really hoped that wasn’t the case.

Either way, his mind began to run through a worst case scenario and make assumptions on what it could mean as fast as he could.

“Demi-god,” he said slowly. “What makes you think that?”

Zuken began listing his fingers. “You ignore the Eternal Light and cast a shadow in its presence, and just as easily, allow it to affect you as any of us. You die and yet your body shows no signs of rotting. You miraculously resurrect yourself back. Even though you don't have a kami, you can conjure both life force and multiple kinds of mana. And you’ve nigh endless soul capacity.”

Damn it. When put like that, it sounded suspicious. And insane.

“And that makes me a demigod?” he asked. “I also killed an anomaly. Would a demigod do that?”

“No,” Zuken admitted. “They won’t. No demigod would ever commit that kind of sacrilege. But that’s not all, is it? The Anomaly’s Guardian looked like you. Not just that, it talked to you. Like you share a history. And I remember what it said.”

Two pairs of brown eyes met each other.

“You still have much to learn about Omphaloi. That’s what it said. To you.” Zuken relaxed into his chair, “I’ve spent a long time researching anomalies during your… sleep, and from what I understand, ‌the Guardians are manifestations of the anomaly’s consciousness. If what you say is true, you’re not of this world. So why is— correction, was this anomaly so interested in you?”

“Even if it was,” Lukas murmured, never once looking away, “do you really think I’d tell you?”

“You’re evading,” Zuken replied, a stitch of annoyance seeping into his words. “Answer the question.”

Lukas crossed his legs and relaxed into his chair. “As I said before, I can’t just give you that kind of information. It’s too powerful.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

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“It means I’ve played ball for quite some time. If you want more answers, I’m gonna start charging.”

Zuken folded his arms. “What do you want? If it is the woman you cry out for in your sleep, I’m afraid I cannot get her back to you.”

A scowl darkened Lukas’s features. “Tanya told on me?”

“No, she didn’t. I placed you under complete observation. In fact, when Olfric tried to connect this with the yokai, she defended you.”

“Oh,” He mumbled, caught off-guard by the silent show of support from the blonde.

“I will be blunt, Aguilar. I don’t want to lose a rare specimen like you, and you can’t desert me. If you do, I’ve taken steps to get the Empire to come after you. Depending on what faction gets their hands on you first, you’d either be executed out of sheer paranoia, dissected for study, or simply made to disappear. Several clans would be ready to sell their firstborns to get a chance to research on your ‘divinity’ and try to replicate it.”

Why does that sound so familiar?

“But I can tell that you’re a powerful tool. And I’m interested in seeing you grow. Register yourself as an adventurer and demonstrate your true potential before everyone else. So tell me, whatever you need— money, resources, information, I’ll provide it all. But in return, I want answers. All of them. I want your secrets. I want to study your unique nature, your powers. So I ask, once again, what is it that you truly want?”

Lukas froze in indecision. On one hand, Banksi was a collector and a treasure trove of resources. If he gave up on this deal, he’d likely not get another opportunity like this. With Banksi’s support, he had better chances of finding out what happened with Inanna and how to bring her back.

But…

This was too easy. Too quick. Could he trust him with that information? He might have gained a deeper insight into Zuken Banksi, but that didn’t negate the fact that he knew nothing about the man’s agenda. It was entirely possible that all of this was simply an act— a planned performance to get him to trust him and get the information out of him.

But what if it wasn’t?

He already had his body fluids. Lukas had been dead for a month and then had spent weeks waxing out of it. There was no doubt Banksi had already collected all the information he could have from analyzing his immobile form. No, what the man really wanted was a correct estimate of his potential. Lukas could already perform metamancy and pyromancy. Perhaps Zuken wanted to see if he could repeat that with the other elements as well? Maybe all of this ‘emotional rattling’ and ‘professional offer’ was nothing but a cover to extract information out of him.

Breathing slowly and closing his eyes, Lukas calmed himself down and emptied himself of his emotions.

He closed his eyes.

He wasn’t allowed to lose.

He was only allowed to win. To solve this problem.

Being a lawyer was all about solving problems. To take a complex situation and take it apart, and then put them together in a way that benefited one’s side. However, one couldn’t always solve the entire thing all at once. He had to look away from the biggest problem, and look at the smaller ones. If he focussed on the enormity of the former, then he’d lose focus and suffer defeat.

In this case, the larger, overarching issue was Zuken Banksi and his motives. There were simply too many variables, too little information and too high risk factors to reach a possible conclusion.

Lukas ignored it.

The key was to start small. Focus on solving what he could. Build some solid ground beneath his feet. Something to stand on. Something to base his existing hypothesis and transform the impossible problem into ‘difficult’ but solvable. He was looking too close at the tree’s trunk. To see the entire forest, he’d have to take several steps back.

And so he did. He separated himself from the fear, the paranoia, and the confusion burning within him. It was time to consider one question at a time.

Zuken wanted information. He wanted his secrets. The problem was, Lukas himself did not know what he was. Inanna was no more, and he needed information. On the world. On Anomalies and Omphaloi. On Divinity.

No. That was still too broad in scope. He had to narrow it further.

Zuken wanted information. And Lukas needed to find a way to get Inanna back, without revealing everything. And that meant understanding exactly what Inanna did to him.

Better reduce it even further.

What kind of information would solve both his and Zuken’s desires?

The answer was simple.

Lukas opened his eyes and smiled. “Fine. You win. But the truth is, there are several things about myself, and my powers, that I don’t yet understand. You want my secrets? Fine. But you’ll have to help me decipher them first.”

Zuken frowned. Clearly the conversation wasn;t going in a direction he was fond of. “And what kind of help would that be?”

“I need information. Texts. Ancient tomes. Grimoires or whatever you call them in this world. Research material.”

“On what?”

“An analysis of Divinity itself. Gods. Goddesses. What makes them? What kills them? What brings them back. I also want what you can get me on Anomalies.”

“A demigod, wanting to know more about divinity?? Zuken leaned forward, with a smile that said ‘I have you figured out’. “Or… Is that just you trying to find out what we know about Divinity? This isn't your research. This is you trying to figure out the limits of our own understanding of your kind.”

“Oh my,” Lukas gave his best fake smile. “Look at you. You’ve figured me out completely.”

Zuken glared at him.

He casually met his gaze.

Nobody spoke for two long seconds. Then Zuken’s evident anger evaporated. His expression turned placid and enigmatic. “You’ll give me what I want, but in return, take everything my civilization has on your kind. That’s an interesting quagmire you have me in.”

Lukas gave him a lopsided grin. “So, do we have an accord?”

Zuken laughed. “It appears we do.”