Chapter 650 Divine Challenges: Responsibilities and Threats
"You confuse cowardice with compassion, Akasha. If standing for those I care about makes me a coward in your eyes, then I will wear that title with pride," I responded, my voice steady against her mockery.
Silence followed my statement, Akasha's laughter dying down. After what seemed like an eternity, her ethereal voice once more rang out. "Your compassion is what keeps dragging you into trouble, Galio. You barely made it out of this one," her voice softened into a whisper of concern. "What happens when you face a threat far greater than this?"
"I'll cross that bridge when I get there, Akasha," I assured, the determination in my voice clear as day. "Leo is not the enemy. If this was Kadeon or Matthias, I promise you that I would kill them without hesitation. I have learned my lesson, but that doesn't mean that I will kill everything that gets in my way. I am the reason why everyone is here. I am the reason they all died in the first place."
Akasha's resounding silence followed her thoughtful scrutiny cloaking over us. The firm resolve in my words had asserted my final judgment to her. "Very well, Galio," Akasha finally agreed, a note of respect lacing her voice. "Although your sentimentality is amusing, it will lead to your end one day. That is another lesson you need to learn."
"And until that day comes, I'll stand for what I believe, Akasha," I replied, staring back at her without blinking. "It's who I am."
Without another word, Akasha sent me back to reality, leaving me with only the eerie space wind whispering her echoing laughter. Shaking off my unease, I shifted my focus back to the trapped Leo.
The dejected sigh I let out echoed in the quiet night, the intensity of the celestial duel having died down along with Leo's roars.
The ruins of the Black King's castle stood silent, a chilling testament to the powerful duel that had just unfolded. The demons observed in apprehensive silence, the once proud castle now a fractured shell of what it used to be. I glanced back at them, observing their odd mixture of awe and fear as they gazed up at me.
Crossing the battlefield, I picked my way through the rubble, making my way toward Leo's crystal prison. Placing a hand on the freezing cold surface, I promised, "I'll bring you back, Leo." I could feel the unnerving chill of the crystal seeping into my skin, a constant reminder of the task that lay ahead.
"Excuse me, but what do you plan on doing about the mess that you made?!" A slightly familiar voice demanded from behind me, and I turned to see the Black King in her imposing armor. Behind her were almost all of my Royal Guards, but there were some still missing.
Ignoring the Black King, I looked over the ones that had gathered. "Aries, where is Piccolo? Scorpio? Sage? Libra? Taurus? Where did all the guys go?" I asked, but Virgo answered.
"They were with us, but then turned into white light, shooting upwards," She explained, and I frowned, waving my hand to the side.
As I did, A portal opened just bigger than my head to a surprised-looking Tallia. Before she could say anything, I took her face into my hands and kissed her. She didn't fight me, returning it with the same passion as I targeted the five male Zodiacs. They were surprisingly close; within ten feet of Tallia's location, but there was no trace of Chaos or Negative Energy around them.
"HEY! ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING?!" The Black King wailed.
I slightly pulled my lips back, tilting my head to keep my forehead pressed into Tallia's, and looked into her rainbow-colored eyes. "I am sorry I have been gone so long, but I remember everything now. I wanted to check to see if the boys were up here, and it seems like they were reborn. Is there anything different about them? Don't tell me they are women now too!" I complained, and Tallia smiled.
"No, they are still the same as I remember them, but they seem to be missing a part. A certain growth, if you know what I mean, but I think you should clean up down there before coming home. Everyone is working really hard to get everything planned out for the goddess games. Once they are done, our boat will be ready. That is if you want to still use it. You don't really need it if you can finally remember how strong you are, right?"
"True, but I would prefer to explore this world with all of you," I smiled and then kissed her again. "I had better go deal with this mess, or the girls aren't going to be able to hold her back!" I laughed, and Tallia smiled.
"Finish down there, and then come back home. Everyone misses you, and you have a little one whose mother is way over her head, even with her memories," Tallia smiled, but then let out a long sigh. "Truthfully, she is a handful for anyone. The little girl has already flown away on Listenia and Elfinia which resulted in them chasing her for the entire day across the continent at great speeds! Not only that, but she is constantly playing tricks on everyone! I can only wonder who she gets that trait from?"
I burst out laughing as Tallia glared at me down, and then wiped a tear from my eye. "We are talking about my... less than a week old Grace is already doing all of that? Pretty impressive!"
"Oh, you will see when you get back, mister! You will be on daddy duty, meaning you will have to keep your hands off the women so you can set a good example for your daughter!" Tallia snapped, and then closed my portal on me, making me sigh as my shoulders slumped forward.
"Well, I suppose this is one of those things where our parents would remind us of how bad we were as kids, and how our unruly kids were karmic punishment," I grumbled to myself and then turned around. "All right, girls, you can let the king go."
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