The wind had calmed. After the shocks of the impossible, the world seemed to take a normal breath again. On the terrace, bathed in a soft, dull light, Jin Muleo, Lingyin, and Rivhiamë listened to Niyus in attentive silence.
"...and that's how we ended up here now," Niyus concluded in a grave tone.
Lingyin slowly ran a hand under his chin, looking thoughtful.
"So... it's really because of Mü Thanatos that we are still alive?"
Niyus nodded. "Exactly."
Jin Muleo leaned slightly forward, his gaze piercing.
"Did she resurrect our clan?"
At this question, Niyus paused. A barely perceptible hesitation crossed his face.
"Hmm... I'm not sure."
The answer fell like a stone into calm water. The atmosphere changed. The very breath of the moment froze. Lingyin slowly closed his eyes, a silent mourning expression stretching his features-as if he alone bore the memory of an entire people.
Beside him, Jin Muleo clenched his fists. His eyes filled with silent rage.
"What good is healing us if I have to live in a world where my clan no longer exists..."
No answer. Silence became a heavy tide. Rivhiamë, silent witness to this ancestral pain, felt something break inside her. A deep compassion for these once proud dragon-men now reduced to uncertainty.
Jin Muleo suddenly stood up.
"I'm going to get some air for a while."
Without another word, he left the terrace. Only Lingyin, Rivhiamë, and Niyus remained, each lost in their thoughts.
Niyus let his eyes wander toward the distant, blurry horizon. His mind, however, dove into the past.
Since I was little... I have never felt so powerless.
Lingyin broke the silence with a hint of bitterness:
"What a curse, all this... From what you told us, Mü Thanatos seems to be a... peculiar goddess. We know nothing of her intentions, her way of thinking... Even the help she gave you seemed... accidental."
He turned to Rivhiamë, watching her long.
"Before, I thought gods and demons were natural enemies. Irreconcilable. But she... she healed you. And that... that goes beyond my beliefs. Maybe they are just that: beliefs. Not truths."
Rivhiamë replied softly but firmly:
"The God-Demon dynamic is indeed based on a principle of adversity. But that doesn't mean all gods and demons recognize themselves in it. Some detach themselves. Refuse to bear the weapons of a conflict that no longer represents them."
Niyus and Lingyin exchanged looks, both surprised and intrigued. These words struck foundations long frozen.
Lingyin sighed thoughtfully:
"That's... very interesting."
Niyus looked away. An image imposed itself on him. An old memory, almost erased by time. He saw Graysus, the ash-winged demon, fiercely fighting a god radiant with light-a battle without context, without apparent meaning. A... personal conflict.
Really strange... he thought. All this is much more complex than what I was taught.
The wind rose again, light but heavy with omens.
Rivhiamë said softly:
In any case, I thank the goddess for saving me. Thanks to her... I can still be by Niyus's side.
Niyus looked at her, touched by her words. But deep inside, he wondered if this was the right moment for such a declaration, while Lingyin and Jin Muleo were living a grief so profound. He feared they might take it badly.
Lingyin noticed this hesitant look and smiled softly.
She's right, Niyus. Don't worry about us. Our clan wasn't strong enough to resist a fate orchestrated by a God of Destruction.
Surprised by such calm, Niyus replied:
You seem very serene despite this situation... Lingyin.
Lingyin sighed.
What do you think I can do now? Cry? Get angry? Whatever I do, it won't bring back our clan. Deep down, I am overwhelmed. With anger. Sadness. Frustration. And reason. Everything mixes inside me. All I have left is silence.
Rivhiamë and Niyus exchanged a compassionate look.
Lingyin added thoughtfully:
Jin Muleo may get angry... but he knows, just like me, that they will never return. Hence his rage.
Niyus felt deep respect for Lingyin. He finally understood why Lingyin always accompanies Jin Muleo. He is not just a friend: he is a guide. A pillar. Wisdom incarnate.
He asked him:
What will you do now?
Lingyin:
It all depends on what Jin Muleo wants.
At that moment, Jin Muleo came back hurriedly.
Lingyin... did you feel it?
Intrigued, Lingyin asked:
Feel what?
Jin Muleo froze, as if shocked by a revelation. He looked at Rivhiamë, then Niyus.
Don't you feel it too? Close your eyes. Focus your perception... on the world of myths.
Lingyin and Niyus exchanged a puzzled look, then shrugged. They closed their eyes and complied.
A wave passed through them. A truth they no longer expected.
Lingyin, shocked:
P...p...
Niyus, stunned:
Princess Amu... she's alive?
Rivhiamë opened her eyes wide, mouth agape.
Jin Muleo jumped for joy, like a child given a treasure.
Isn't that wonderful?!
Lingyin remained silent, thinking.
Zramë didn't destroy everything after all? But... our sanctuary is empty. They were all erased from existence...
Then, a spark of intuition lit up his mind.
He thought and said to himself: Zramë didn't destroy all our clan? I don't understand, in our sacred place, there is no one left, everyone was erased from existence...
Then an illumination struck his mind and he continued internally: Now that I think about it, our perception during the fight was only in our sacred domain... but yes!!! Zramë probably erased only the dragon men inside the sacred domain, but not in the world of myths or elsewhere. During the erasure of our clan, Princess Amu was certainly in the world of myths at that moment, which saved her. But this implies that all those who were not in the sacred domain of our tribe during Zramë's erasure survived.
Lingyin struck his fist against his palm, as if hit by the obvious.
Yes! That explains everything, it also explains why during this process, Jin Muleo and I were not erased from existence... however, all this is just a hypothesis, I can't really confirm it...
When he raised his eyes, he saw Niyus, Rivhiamë, and Jin Muleo dancing and singing like children.
She's alive! She's alive! She's alive!
A smile formed on Lingyin's lips, almost unconsciously.
It is true that the disappearance of the entire clan was a shock because all history and culture are lost, but with the existence of Princess Amu, Jin Muleo, and Lingyin, nothing seems lost yet. The culture is still there, that of warriors like Jin Muleo and Lingyin, and that of emperors like Princess Amu. This is what makes the dragon men clan.
Lingyin could therefore understand Jin Muleo's joy, because nothing was lost after all.
A world without light, without matter, without life.
A world of the Void. Of Nothingness. Where even gods hesitate to set foot.
A step echoed.
A black shoe pressed on the invisible.
A silhouette emerged, a long dark coat floating in the absolute.
Red eyes shone in the darkness like two embers.
A thin, carnivorous smile stretched across the face.
Wamy:
– So, Ares... Why did you summon me here?
A golden flash cut through the silence. Ares appeared abruptly, as if born from the Void itself.
Ares (calm, grave):
– I have something important to tell you.
Wamy (raising an eyebrow, intrigued):
– Oh? And what might that be?
Ares (piercing gaze):
– About the goddess Mü Thanatos.
Wamy's eyes lit up.
Wamy (enthusiastic):
– Ah! My divine beloved! If she's involved, it's definitely good news. Go on, tell me everything.
Ares (dark look, firm voice):
– We must destroy her... before she destroys us.
Wamy's smile vanished. His gaze hardened like stone.
Wamy (icy):
– Is this a joke?
Ares:
– No. And we'd prefer you stay out of it.
Wamy (closing his eyes, turning away, detached):
– No. I won't let you do that anyway.
He began to walk away. Ares called after him authoritatively.
Ares (frowning):
– You think you can stop us?
Wamy stopped, not turning immediately.
Wamy:
– You always say "we." So you're not alone in this betrayal?
Ares (without hesitation):
– No. Several gods are involved. Zeus himself gave us his authority.
Wamy spun around sharply, eyes wide.
Wamy (stunned):
– ZEUS? You're lying!
A dark laugh escaped Ares. He raised his hand: a lightning bolt crackled, tearing the Void with a divine streak.
Wamy (shocked):
– That's... really his lightning...
Ares (somber):
– Do you believe me now?
Wamy straightened slowly, then bowed solemnly.
Wamy (calm voice):
– No matter. Even if all the gods united against her... I will always fight for her, and only for her.
Ares (clenching his fist, annoyed):
– You're an idiot. Mü Thanatos isn't a normal goddess. She surpasses all of us. If she becomes aware of her true nature, she could annihilate us all.
Wamy let out a mocking laugh.
Wamy:
– So what? Why always see evil in what surpasses us? Instead of destroying her, why not try to understand... to cherish her?
Ares (irritated):
– You're just a black angel... submissive to her. You're not even a god. Resist, and you'll die with her.
Wamy (snickering, arrogant):
– Die? By you? Come on, Ares... I'll rather teach you a lesson for daring to profane her name.
He lifted his head, proud gaze.
Wamy:
– A piece of advice, Ares: give up. If you start this war, there will be no turning back.
Silence broke. Ares roared with rage and leapt.
Like a black lightning bolt cutting through the void, he closed the distance between him and Wamy with inhuman speed. The ground of emptiness beneath his feet seemed to bend, invisible yet real, as if the air itself recoiled before his fury. Fist clenched, muscles tensed, every line of his body said one thing: Strike to kill.
But Wamy didn't flinch.
A slight smile hovered on his lips, almost mocking. He tilted his head a millimeter, just enough to dodge the attack. Ares's fist grazed his cheek, tearing the void with a rough breath.
CLACK.
Wamy spun fluidly, feline. His leg rose in an elegant twist, striking Ares's ribs with surgical precision. Not to hurt. To humiliate.
You fight like a drunken mortal, he murmured into the god's ear as he lightly bounced back.
Ares growled, stepped back two paces, then struck again. His blows were heavy, brutal. He didn't seek to dance, he sought to crush. Each hit made the air vibrate, each impact accompanied by a low rumble, as if the void itself cracked.
But Wamy slipped between the attacks.
He circled him, fluid as a shadow, hands sometimes in pockets, just to provoke. He dodged torso, chin, shoulders, letting Ares's divine fists break the void again and again without ever touching him.
A god of war? Seriously? I was sold a monster, and I found a grizzled old drunk.
Ares roared. He grabbed Wamy by the collar, lifted him like a feather. His face twisted with anger as he threw him to the ground.
But Wamy, still in the air, arched his back, flipped, and landed on his feet with a sharp snap, like a cat. He slowly wiped his collar.
Bad reflex. Hit, then think. That's why you always lose to Athena.
BOOM.
Ares charged again, knee forward. This time, Wamy didn't back down. He raised both arms, absorbing the blow with crossed forearms. The god's force threw him backward, his heels carving luminous trails in the void. But he didn't fall.
He slid. Pivoted on one foot, followed with a sharp elbow to Ares's temple. Then a right hook, precise, sharp, like a celestial slap.
Ares staggered back.
Wamy smiled, breathed lightly, then said calmly:
You know what I love about fights? That exact moment... when the great god realizes he's been played by a black angel with too much style to die.
He stepped forward, straight, proud.
Ares, panting, stared at him with cold rage. But he no longer moved.
Silence fell. The fight stopped.
Not by choice, but because each knew the next exchange would be an absolute declaration of war.