Chapter 83: Fate, Life and Death
"Are you cheating on me?"
Klein gave her a dumbfounded stare "...What?"
Azara’s gaze flickered to Eleanor for a moment, who was standing like a statue in the time-stopped world.
"I felt the Goddess of Life’s energy within your soul, so I came to look at you."
Oh.
Klein frowned slightly and his eyes narrowed as he glanced briefly at Eleanor before returning his attention to Azara.
’As the Goddess of Death... she naturally hates the Goddess of Life, I guess.’
"Why do you have beef with gods like the Goddess of Fate and the Goddess of Life?"
Azara’s expression didn’t change immediately, but something subtle shifted in her eyes.
A faint darkness flickering beneath the surface as she looked at him, as if deciding whether or not to answer.
"...’Beef’?" she muttered as the unfamiliar word rolled off her tongue with slight disdain before she let out a quiet breath.
"It is not something as childish as that."
She turned her gaze away from him slightly, "The Goddess of Life and I... are opposing authorities. She nurtures, preserves, and extends existence. I end it."
"The moment one grows stronger... the other is naturally suppressed."
"As for the Goddess of Fate... she interferes."
"As if everything is nothing more than threads to be arranged at her whim, and she thinks that destiny is something that can be rewritten without consequence."
She glanced at him "Look at you... you should have been dead, but because of ’fate’ you are still alive."
Klein sighed in his heart ’Hmm... well Goddess of Fate reincarnated me.’
With a soft breath, she spoke "You are connected to all of them. Fate watches you. Life flows into you. And yet..."
Her voice dropped just a little.
"You stand outside death."
"...Do you understand how abnormal that is?"
Klein had a faint smile on his lips "...Sounds like I’m popular. Or maybe you are just jealous that you can’t have me."
Azara’s eyes narrowed just slightly.
"...Idiot."
Her gaze then turned towards Eleanor again "This girl is also... interesting."
Hm? Klein followed her gaze and his attention returned to Eleanor as well "What about her?"
Azara’s eyes remained fixed on Eleanor as a faint, contemplative silence stretched between them.
"She has both the Goddess of Fate’s and the Goddess of Life’s energy within her."
What- Klein was taken aback hearing her words "Is she also a reincarnate?"
Azara shook her head slowly "...No. It’s different."
"She was not reborn, nor did she inherit it in the conventional sense."
"She possesses an ability... one that allows her to see the fate of others."
Klein’s eyes narrowed slightly as the meaning settled in ’See someone’s fate...?’
’Isn’t that basically looking into the future? That’s... completely broken.’
His gaze lingered on Eleanor, who still stood frozen in time, unaware of the conversation happening around her.
Azara’s lips curved into a faint smile, as if she found his reaction somewhat amusing.
"To perceive fate is not without cost. Every glimpse she takes... consumes her life force."
"However, she replenishes that loss through the energy of the Goddess of Life."
Klein exhaled slowly with a thoughtful gaze as he processed everything "So she burns her life to see the future... and heals it back using life’s blessing."
Azara turned her gaze back to him "...A fragile existence. But also one that should not exist so perfectly."
Turning to her, Klein tilted his head slightly, "Which other Zenith Gods do you hate?"
Azara’s eyes shifted toward him again, narrowing just a fraction as if evaluating the intent behind his question, though her expression remained largely composed.
"I don’t particularly hate any Zenith Gods."
"We Zenith Gods stand above all other deities... why would we waste ourselves on something as trivial as hatred toward equals?"
Klein gave a small shrug at that, though he didn’t interrupt her.
"Well..." she continued after a brief pause, and her tone gained a faint edge of mild irritation, "...there is the God of Destruction."
"He is... annoying. He continues to pursue the Goddess of Creation, as if still bound by something as pathetic as mortal desire."
"The Goddess of Creation despises him. Because she considers #$%&*@#%&-"
Her words broke and glitched.
The moment that sound reached Klein, his pupils shrank violently.
*CREEEKKKKKKKK*
A sharp, piercing noise rang inside his head, like something tearing through his senses as a surge of distortion flooded his mind, making his vision blur for a split second as if reality itself rejected what he just heard.
"Urgh-!" He clutched his head slightly in pain.
"What the hell was that?"
The ringing persisted for a brief moment before fading away.
Azara frowned slightly as she watched his reaction, "...Oh. I suppose you are not qualified enough to know about that."
Klein lowered his hand slowly with a deep frown as he exhaled quietly in discomfort ’Not qualified...?’
Which means whatever that was, it was something he, in his current state, wasn’t allowed to perceive.
’Must be something related to the Zenith Gods... or maybe something far beyond that. I guess, I shouldn’t probe much further.’
"Forget it."
Azara had an amused expression on her face "Anyway, I am leaving. Don’t continue to cheat on me."
"I will. I am not even your Acolyte, so why should I listen to what you say and not absorb Life energy that heals me."
Azara’s eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at him, "...You really have no sense of fear."
Klein met her gaze without flinching "Because I have a Zenith God who will revive me even if I die."
She glanced at Eleanor for a moment before turning her eyes back to Klein ’Fate, Life and Death. He already has faint connections with three Zenith Gods...’
’What if other Zenith Gods take him as their Acolyte?’
"Just remember, you already belong closer to Death. You belong to me."
As she was about to say that and leave, he reached out and grabbed her hand "Wait."
Azara turned her head back slowly, and her eyes lowered to where his hand held hers before looking up to meet his gaze again.
"...What is it?"
Taking a wine bottle from his storage ring, he extended it to her "Last time you came, you just had coffee. I told you I’d bring you wine."
Her gaze dropped to the bottle in his hand, and a faint flicker of curiosity passed through her otherwise composed eyes.
"This is the finest wine in the Human Domain of this world."
Her eyes stayed on the bottle, then slowly lifted back to him.
"...You prepared something like this... for me?" she asked in a quieter voice, though not softer, as if she was trying to understand the intention behind his actions.
Klein shrugged slightly "I said I would."
A small silence followed before Azara reached out, her fingers brushing against the bottle as she took it from his hand.
Her lips curved ever so slightly, a faint smile that appeared and disappeared just as quickly as it came, before her form finally began to dissolve completely.
And just like that, she was gone.
Time resumed.
Klein exhaled softly, rolling his shoulders slightly as if shaking off the lingering weight of that unnatural pause in time.
’Well, it’s a good thing I bought that wine from the capital. It costs a fortune... but Lyra paid for it anyway.’
His gaze shifted back to Eleanor.
Looking at her, Klein spoke in a casual tone, "I heard the Saintess is living in the main Spirit Division building... I guess it is true."
Eleanor nodded gently, her eyes lowering slightly toward their joined hands before lifting again to meet his gaze.
"Yes, if you would like to visit me, you can drop by."
There was a brief pause as her fingers shifted just slightly against his, almost unconsciously.
"I wouldn’t mind it."
Klein felt a little strange looking into her gaze as she was giving him the ’fuck me’ eyes which he had seen before from Cynthia.
"...Then I’ll take you up on that."
Eleanor’s lips curved into a faint smile at his response, "I’ll be waiting."
---
After leaving Eleanor behind, Klein made his way toward Erica’s office.
As he reached the door, he didn’t bother knocking and pushed it open.
"FUCK OFF! YOU WERE THE ONES WHO PRETENDED I DIDN’T EXIST ALL THESE YEARS! AND NOW YOU SUDDENLY REMEMBER I’M YOUR DAUGHTER??"
Klein stopped just inside the doorway, and his gaze settled on Erica, who stood behind her desk with her back partially turned toward him and a phone tightly clutched in her hand.
"...Don’t give me that bullshit about ’family obligations’,"
"Where were those obligations when I was struggling on my own? When I had nothing? When I needed even the slightest bit of acknowledgment?"
A pause followed as the voice on the other end spoke.
Her expression darkened further.
"...No. Don’t call me your daughter now. You lost that right a long time ago."
"You want me back? For what? Because I finally have value now? Because I’m useful?"
Her breathing slowed slightly, though the anger didn’t fade "...Tell him this."
"I built everything I have without that fucking name."
"I don’t need it now."
Beep.
She ended the call, and the room fell silent.
Erica stood there for a moment as she stared at the phone in her hand, and her chest rose and fell as she tried to steady herself.
As she turned her head, she noticed him.
Her body stiffened slightly as her gaze snapped toward Klein and a flicker of surprise crossed her face before she quickly looked away in embarrassment.
"...How long have you been standing there?"
Klein stepped inside with a dry smile "Not that long enough."
A brief silence followed.
She exhaled softly, running a hand through her hair as she tried to regain control of herself, "...Sorry you had to see that."
With a shake of his head, he walked to her and sat on the desk "It’s alright. Seems like it’s some family matter."
Comments