Kadeon watched from the shadows as the emotional onslaught unfolded. Despite his words to the three shadows of Matthias, a sense of unease crept into his heart. This wasn't what he had expected. His calculations had not taken into account the power of emotion, or rather, the power of shared memories reflecting within the shield.
This was not the Galio he knew, the Galio who blindly wandered or ignored his royal guards. This was a man who found himself, acknowledged his past, and was willing to take responsibility for his mistakes, a God who had truly awakened to his divinity. And it filled Kadeon with an unfamiliar feeling. Was it fear?
Back on the battlefield, Sagittarius and Capricorn, although still somewhat conflicted, eventually ceased their attacks entirely. Their gaze was drawn to the ever-shifting images within my shield. They saw themselves amidst laughter and tears, shared meals, and hard-won battles, their presence always by their God's side, always by my side.
Aquarius, unable to tear her gaze away from me, fell silent. "I...I don't know what to feel," she whispered, her voice barely audible amidst the absolute silence that blanketed our surroundings. "Too much has happened, too many things have changed..."
"But Aquarius, we can overcome this. We can change what we've become," I said, reaching out to her. "Please. Trust me."
I extended my hand, not as a master reaching out to his servant, but as a friend reaching out to a companion. Everything fell silent, as if the world itself held its breath, waiting for their response.
It was a risk. True Magic had allowed me to remember and relive our shared past, to recreate the feelings associated with those memories. But I didn't know for sure if it would work. Could they see past their confusion and hurt? Could they remember who they were, and who we used to be?
I found my answer in Aquarius' face. Her features softened, and she tentatively reached out to touch the images enclosed in the shield. The water surrounding us stilled, the air rippling with anticipation. She stared at our past, her eyes softening as warmth filled them once more.
Her fingers gently brushed the surface of my shield, a soft gasp escaping her as the shield reacted to her touch. She slowly lowered her hand, her gaze not leaving the shield as she said softly, "I...I don't know what to believe. Everything... Everything is so confusing..."
"I know Aquarius, and I'm sorry for all the pain this confusion has caused," I said, sincerity lacing my voice. "But could you find it in your heart to give me another chance? Another chance to prove my sincerity, to show that I have learned from my mistakes."
"I don't know, Galio," she said, taking a step back. The hurt was evident in her aquamarine eyes, but so was a glimmer of hope. "I don't know if I can trust you again."
"Allow me to guide you, Aquarius. Give me a chance to show you that I'm not the God who neglected you before. Allow me to help restore our bonds," I insisted, pain clenching my heart as I saw her struggle.
There was a pause, long enough for me to fear that I had lost her. But then, to my relief, she sighed and nodded slowly. "Alright, Galio. I'll give you another chance. But only because I remember… I remember the good times we had."
Relief washed over me like a tidal wave, extinguishing the overwhelming anxiety that clung to me. I had done it. Aquarius had decided to give me another chance. There was still hope, for her and for the others.
"I know my words alone may not be enough, but know this; my promise is as true as the feelings projected in this shield. I will do my best to mend the past and bring back the family we once were, Aquarius."
She looked at me, then at the other Zodiacs. Her battle stance relaxed as she finally lowered her weapon. "We shall see, Galio. We shall see."
And with that, the storm stilled, the raging waves calmed, and a weird sense of tranquility hung in the air. Sagittarius and Capricorn seemed less apprehensive, their confused eyes now held a sparkle of hope. It was overwhelming. My plan had worked. My True Magic, magic sewn with the threads of shared memories, love, and camaraderie had worked.
But this was just the beginning. There were still ten other Zodiacs to bring back and countless other battles to win. But now, I had hope, something that was wavering before. Now, I have the determination and a plan. I'd awaken the other Zodiacs' memories as I had done with Aquarius and rebuild our broken bonds.
In the silent battlefield, I watched Sagittarius and Capricorn, their confused features staring at the shield flickering before them. Sage had shrunken back down to his normal size, but he looked lost and confused. The things that I had done myself to him while unaware were horrible, but that would have to be talked about after this was done. Capricorn, on the other hand, had always been a tough cookie, and now I knew why she and Leo had spent so much time apart.
Kadeon.
He was at the center of this all, and he was trying to do something else.
"What is Kadeon after in the Underworld?" I asked Sage, but he shook his head.
"None of us know, but it is a person. That is all that Kadeon would say," Sage explained, and then gave me a tired, yet apologetic look. "Listen, Galio, about Virgo-"
I put my hand up to stop him. "I am the one that is sorry you had to watch each time, but we can all talk about what happened after," I said, and the eyebrows on his horse face rose.
"Really, you didn't mind?!" Sage asked, but I narrowed my eyes.
"No, that does not mean that you can watch next time. Sheesh! I thought I was doing you bad, but you are just a voyeur!" I laughed as I looked around at the destruction caused by our fight, and then I noticed two familiar Demon women walking our way.
"Well, it doesn't look like there is much left for either of us to fight about," Harissa sighed as she looked around at the other demon women all around picking through the rubble.
"It is not the first time that this place has been torn to shreds, nor will it be the last, " Erisa said from beside her. Both women were standing rather close; it seemed this little experience brought them much closer without me even taking my pants off!
"What if I could fix everything? Would you and the rest play along nicely?" I asked, but the truth was that I was itching to use the True Magic that was at the tip of my fingers.
Harissa and Erisa exchanged confused glances before snapping their suspicious gazes back at me. "What do you mean 'fix everything'?" Erisa asked, a hint of disbelief in her voice.
I just gave her a flat-faced look. "Do I really have to explain what the word fix means?"
Erisa frowned at my response, but Harissa quickly intervened. "No, we understand what you're saying, Galio. But, it's hard to believe... It's too good to be true."
"Well, you'll have to see it yourself," I replied, my gaze shifting to the ruins of the Underworld Market Layer.
I let my body lift into the air as I surveyed the near-endless sea of run-down houses, shacks, and stalls. Everything on this layer looked like it was on the verge of falling apart, or like a battle had just been lost and this was all that was left.
Now, it was time to flex my city-building muscles, but this time would be much easier, and one hundred times as effective. It was time to turn this demonic cesspool into a paradise that the inhabitants would remember for a lifetime.
My mind whirled with ideas, each structure of the ruined city acting as a base for the grand transformation. I envisioned towering spires, grand markets, luxurious homes, vast plazas, lavish gardens, and striking monuments - a city that was the perfect blend of earthly grandeur and ethereal beauty.
I reached out with my True Magic, feeling it pulse with delight at the sheer scope of our task. I imbued my divine will into it, visualizing the city's transformation. As soon as my will was set, I commanded, "Rebuild."
A cascade of shimmering energy burst from my outstretched hands, flowing towards the ruined city. It enveloped everything in sight, the raw power of my True Magic resonating with a divine hum. The dilapidated houses and buildings began to glow as the magic seeped into them, rejuvenating their structures.
With each passing second, the ruins of what was once a simple market layer began to morph into a city of such splendor that it took the breath away from every creature that witnessed it. Houses and stalls straightened their bent structures and smoothed their weathered surfaces. The shattered cobblestones covering the streets rearranged and polished themselves to perfection. Broken walls mended their cracks and filled their voids, lush gardens bloomed anew, and grand buildings and towers sprouted from the ground, reaching out to the skies like they were made of dreams.
The dilapidated city transformed into a vision of architectural brilliance and ethereal beauty, a city worthy of gods and revered by demons. The final touch was a grand palace in the center, rivaling those in the Mortal Realm and the Upper Realms, a testament to my divine power, and my promise to the Underworld.
It was miraculous.
It was divine.
I slowly descended, the awe and astonishment of my transformation hanging in the air. Harissa and Erisa were in shock, their mouths agape at the sight before them. The entire Underworld was in a similar state.
"You... actually fixed everything," Harissa whispered, her disbelief still lingering despite the chiseled proof before her eyes.
I couldn't help but smirk. "Told you."
"But... how?" Erisa asked, her eyes wide with wonder and a trace of fear. I mused how long it had been since she feared me if she ever really had. Fear was a wise reaction, at any rate.
"Truth be told," I admitted with a shrug, "I'm a god. Once I remembered that, everything kind of fell into place."
Erisa stared at me, her eyes finally taking me in. Disbelief, fear, hope, and respect swirled in their depths. "You truly are... A god."
I nodded, then I slapped Harissa so hard that her skin turned fair, and her horns flew off her head. By the time she stopped spinning, Harissa was human.
"Umm, was that necessary?" Capricorn asked from beside me, and I laughed as the blonde-haired and human Harissa caught her balance.
"Hmm? No, not at all, but it's the concept that is so amazing! I slapped the demon right off her!" I laughed and then walked over to Erisa. "Would you like to join your friend as normal humans? I don't think this world is suited for Demons anymore."
Erisa looked from me to Harissa who was still lost in looking over her new body. "Do you like it?" She asked, and Harissa finally looked up.
"I think that you will feel like a new woman if you do. I don't feel angry anymore, and I have no desire to betray you like I was going to after we brought our gangs together... I thought you should know..." Harissa said shyly and then looked away.
"Huh?! You were going to betray me?! I should kill-"
*SMACK!*
"Goes the Demon!" I laughed, but then raised my hand in the air as Erisa was still spinning. "STRONG DE-PIMPIN' HAND OF GOD!"
As my hand went up, hands all over the Market Layer appeared and rose up in front of every demon woman present. My hands came down in a single sweep, and a myriad of clapping noises reverberated across the layer.
All bodies fanned through the air and when they finally settled on the ground, the demons rose as human women, blinking in dumbfounded silence as they regarded their new bodies with wide eyes.
"G-Galio?" A familiar voice called out, and when I turned, I recognized Erisa, or rather, the woman who used to demon Erisa. She eyed her newly-restored human body with a blank expression, then looked up at me. "You... changed us back into humans?"
The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel