Chapter 118: Chapter 118 - Gathering of Demon Generals ( Part 2)
Far, far from the Demon Continent.
Under the azure sky, Jennie, Snow, and Roxy traveled further along the ancient forest road.
Neither of them knew that their names had been mentioned in the Obsidian Throne Hall.
Neither of them knew that an ancient prophecy started awakening.
For Jennie...
It was just another ordinary day.
The sun shone brightly through the emerald crown of the forest above.
The small colorful birds fluttered from branch to branch, joyfully singing.
The butterflies flew amid the blooming wild flowers.
Roxy walked in front of them, hummed while reading some ancient book.
Snow followed behind the girl, his white tail lightly swaying.
"..." It’s quiet today," - said Jennie with a smile.
Snow nodded.
"Almost too quiet."
Roxy lifted the head from the book.
"I like silence."
"You only like it because no monsters interrupt your reading."
"...That’s also true."
Jennie smiled.
These moments were invaluable.
After all they’ve been through...
Peace became reality almost unbelievable.
However, then...
A bright golden light appeared before Jennie.
She suddenly stopped moving forward.
Snow immediately sensed this.
"Jennie?"
"I’m okay..."
"I think..."
The light slowly condensed into many golden feathers.
Time froze.
The forest fell into silence.
The wind stopped even breathing.
A familiar gentle voice resounded in Jennie’s mind.
"My dear..."
Jennie smiled.
"...Lady Miasa."
From the golden feathers formed the figure of the Goddess.
Her silvery hair was like flowing moonlight.
Her white robes shimmered with many small stars.
Behind her blossomed the giant tree of bright light.
World Tree.
Its branches reached beyond the sky.
Roxy looked around confusedly.
"Jennie?"
"With whom are you talking?"
Snow quietly answered:
"She cannot see her."
Roxy blinked.
"Oh..."
"With the Goddess again?"
Jennie nodded slightly.
Only those blessed directly by Miasa could see her manifestation.
For others...
Jennie was just quietly standing there.
Miasa smiled warmly.
"It has been some time."
Jennie bowed politely.
"I missed your guidance."
"And I have been enjoying observing your journey."
Her eyes sparkled gently.
"You grew very well."
Jennie shyly scratched her cheek.
"I am still making many mistakes."
"You will always make them."
Miasa smiled softly.
"That is what makes people beautiful."
Her face slowly took a serious look.
"I came here..."
"...because there is something you should know."
Jennie’s smile disappeared.
"What is it?"
Goddess looked towards Excalibur and Leviathan.
Both Divine Swords suddenly went silent.
Even they listened.
Miasa slowly raised one hand.
Golden light enveloped Jennie.
It flowed gently around her body and condensed near her heart.
"You have wondered..."
"...why no Divine Mark has appeared on your body."
Jennie nodded.
"I always assumed it was because..."
"...I already carried your blessing."
"That is partially true."
Jennie’s eyes widened.
"Is there something else?"
Miasa nodded.
"A lot of something."
She held out her hand.
Various images appeared in the golden light.
Jennie saw Leonis.
Standing confidently one thousand years ago.
His sword Excalibur shone brightly in his hands.
"I blessed Leonis."
Miasa said quietly.
"My blessing did not give him this strength."
"It only nurtured the courage already existing in his soul."
The picture changed.
Jennie saw herself now.
A little baby.
Lying calmly.
Without any Divine Mark shining upon her skin.
"This body..."
Miasa said.
"...was born different."
"The gods have never placed a Divine Mark upon it."
Jennie frowned.
"...Why?"
"Because your soul has already received my blessing in your previous life."
"No Divine Mark could have taken root."
"It would have rejected this body."
Jennie slowly comprehended everything.
"So..."
"My body..."
"...does not belong to any Divine Authority?"
"Yes."
Miasa’s voice was still gentle.
"Eveyone is born with a Divine Mark."
"It is the blessing by which the gods guide mana."
"It ties every soul to the natural laws of the creation."
She looked into Jennie’s eyes.
"But not you."
"You have been reborn with a soul already blessed."
"As a consequence..."
"...you new body does not exist within this system."
Snow listened quietly nearby.
Without seeing the Goddess...
He could feel divine mana surrounding the forest.
Jennie lowered her gaze down at her hands.
"So that’s why..."
"I was called markless."
Miasa nodded.
"Many people thought you have been abandoned."
"They pitied you."
"They mocked you."
"They were judging your worthiness by what they could not see."
A warm smile appeared on the face of the Goddess.
"But they never understood."
"You were never without blessing."
"You were carrying one much older."
Tears filled the eyes of Jennie.
"I..."
"I thought I disappointed everyone."
"You have never disappointed me."
Goddess gently touched the forehead of the girl.
Warmth spread through her entire body.
"You have walked a path no one else has been able to walk."
Miasa’s face took a solemn look again.
"But there is also another consequence."
"The one I wanted to warn you about."
Jennie felt tightening of her heart.
"What consequence?"
Goddess slowly looked towards the distant horizon.
Her voice became softer.
"Your soul was once Leonis."
"Your body belongs to a markless baby."
"My blessing connects both lives."
She closed her eyes.
"The result..."
"...is an existence the world has never seen before."
Jennie silently waited.
Finally, Goddess spoke the truth.
"Your blood is unique."
"It contains traces of divine blessing..."
"...and yet it is completely free from the chains of Divine Marks."
"It is neither wholly bound to the gods..."
"...nor it is completely separate from them."
She looked directly at Jennie.
"You are the link between light and darkness."
"The laws that rule every other living being do not fully rule you."
Jennie breathed softly.
"I do not understand..."
Miasa’s gentle smile disappeared.
"You do not need to understand everything right now."
"But you should remember this."
"If those people who are seeking the forbidden rituals will ever discover the truth..."
"They will not hunt you only because you possess the Divine Swords."
Her golden eyes reflected sadness and firmness.
"They will hunt you..."
"...because your blood is the only pure vessel capable of completing the ancient rituals that remained impossible for a thousand years."
Cold breeze moved in the forest.
Somewhere far away...
On another continent...
The ancient demons have already started to search for the Markless Maiden.
And neither Jennie nor her friends have known that the greatest secret that she possesses...
Was not the swords at her side.
It quietly flows in her veins.
It was still just golden and harmless.
Jennie stood in the middle of the forest under ancient trees.
Looking down at her shaking hands.
"So..."
"My blood is unique."
Goddess Miasa nodded.
"Yes."
"That’s been true ever since you were reborn."
Roxy continued walking several meters ahead of her, totally ignoring their current conversation.
Flipping through another ancient spellbook happily.
"I wonder if this spell can make soup cook itself..."
Snow sighed.
"...Please don’t use it during dinner."
That made Jennie smile.
For a second...
Everything was still okay.
But then the face of the goddess changed.
"But there is another side of the truth."
An even more dangerous side."
Jennie’s smile faded away.
Somewhere...
On the other side of the endless ocean...
Deep below the Demon Continent...
The Obsidian Throne Hall was silent.
The Demon Oracle lifted up the ancient stone tablet once again.
Golden runes lit up the whole room.
The old prophecy continued its way beyond the words already said.
The voice of the Oracle echoed all around the dark hall.
"The blood which carries no marks..."
"...shall become the vessel beyond the heavens."
"Only by that blood..."
"...may the Emperor of Evils be awakened once again."
The hall became silent.
Even the Third Demon General, Draven, stopped smiling.
Morgatha quietly said:
"So those old legends were true..."
Lokiar folded his hands.
"The last key..."
"...was never a weapon."
Grom lowered his head.
"It was a man."
Only Azrael stayed expressionless.
Back in the forest...
Jennie turned to Miasa.
"What does the prophecy mean?"
The Goddess closed her eyes.
"In ancient times..."
"Before the Great Demon War..."
"The Demon Emperor Zuko sought immortality."
"He wanted the body which couldn’t be controlled neither by gods nor demons."
Jennie listened carefully.
"Gods defeated him."
"They sealed his soul and body separately."
"To prevent him to be resurrected once again."
Golden visions appeared around them.
Jennie saw twelve Divine Swords forming a circle around huge black crystal.
Seven powerful chains of light surrounded it.
Above the prison stood countless gods.
"This prison wasn’t created using only power."
Miasa explained.
"It was created using Laws of Creation."
"No regular ritual can break it."
"No demonic mana can destroy it."
"No sacrifice is strong enough."
Jennie frowned.
"Why am I involved then?"
Miasa looked straight into her eyes.
"Because every seal recognizes the power of the gods."
"But..."
"You are out of that power."
Jennie remembered the previous words.
Outside the system of gods.
"So..."
"My blood..."
"...isn’t recognized by the seals?"
Miasa nodded.
"Yes."
"Every living being which was born into this world is associated with Divine Marks."
"This prison repels them."
But your body..."
"...is free from that system."
Her voice was full of regret.
"You are the only known person who exists beyond the laws of creating that prison."
Jennie breathed deeply.
"So if someone uses my blood..."
"The seals will not recognize the ritual as a forbidden one."
They will open."
An unpleasant silence appeared.
And finally...
Miasa answered.
"Yes."
Jennie lowered her head.
"I didn’t want this."
"I know."
"You didn’t choose your destiny."
"You’ve been born into it."
Golden leaves were flying around them.
The Goddess came closer.
"But remember this."
"Only your blood isn’t enough."
Jennie looked up.
"It isn’t?"
Gently shaking her head, Miasa replied:
"The prophecy contains many conditions."
"The Divine Swords."
"The ancient seals."
"The unique blood."
"And..."
She paused.
"The Seven Legendary Divine Marks."
Jennie’s eyes opened wide.
"So there are others involved."
"Yes."
"The Demon Emperor cannot be revived by your blood alone."
"He requires the blood of the seven Legendary Mark bearers as well."
"Their Divine Marks were created by the fragments of the seals imprisoning him."
Finally, Jennie understood everything.
So that’s why..."
"They’ll hunt Legendary Mark owners as well."
Miasa sighed.
"They will."
---
Somewhere...
Inside the Obsidian Throne Hall...
Draven smashed his spear into the stone floor.
"So our mission is very simple."
"Take the girl alive."
Morgatha smiled.
"The ritual requires living blood."
"Corpse is useless."
Lokiar chuckled quietly.
"So..."
"We have to make sure that no one else kills her first."
Grom crossed his giant arms.
"I’ll send my beasts."
Azrael was silent.
His red eyes showed the image of Jennie laughing next to the campfire.
Silently closing his eyes...
---
Back in the forest...
Jennie tightened her fists.
"If demons will learn about this..."
"They will chase me until the end of my life."
"They will."
Miasa answered truthfully.
"Because you are the only known markless owner of the Divine Swords."
"There has never been anyone like that before."
"And there will never be one again."
Jennie looked at Excalibur.
Then at Leviathan.
Those two Divine Swords hovered next to her.
Excalibur spoke first.
"We won’t let anyone touch you."
Leviathan continued with his calm voice.
"As long as we stay together..."
"You will never be alone."
Snow approached Jennie.
Although he couldn’t hear the words of the Goddess...
He sensed the sadness in Jennie’s eyes.
Without saying anything...
He gently placed his head on her shoulder.
Roxy noticed it and smiled.
"Aww..."
"Snow knows exactly when to cheer someone up."
Jennie smiled softly.
Hugging Snow around the neck.
"Yeah..."
"He always does."
Watching those three companions with quiet affection...
Then Miasa smiled.
"The demons think that your blood is the key to the resurrection of the Demon Emperor."
Looking towards the endless sky, she added:
"They are wrong."
Jennie blinked.
"What do you mean?"
The Goddess’ eyes were full of unshakeable hope.
"They see your blood as a vessel of the darkness."
"I see it differently."
"I believe the same blood which the demons try to corrupt..."
"...will become the light destroying the Demon Emperor forever."
With these words, the radiant body of Miasa dissipated into thousands of golden feathers.
They scattered with the wind.
Leaving Jennie standing beneath the silent canopy of the forest.
Not knowing that armies were already marching across the world trying to find the Markless Maiden whose blood could either revive the greatest evil in history...
Or become the key to its destruction.
And in far away land of Seraiya Kingdom , there is a princess with legendary mark name Lilia KingHeart.
