“Or perhaps, just kill me outright, and wait for the divine essence to coalesce into a new consciousness? That way, you’d have a hundred years of peace.”
Sethlin frowned but remained silent, while Violet couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity.
“So why do those beings from beneath the abyss do this? To ensure that the Goddess of Earth can never be sealed again?”
“Who knows? I’m not familiar with them. It’s just mutual exploitation, each taking what they need. The [Doomsday Bombardment] was their own doing, apart from retrieving the sealed god-made beasts from the Aibus world, I have almost no connection with them.”
“In addition, if the technology from the abyss does indeed have problems, then this situation probably began to be arranged a thousand years ago.”
The goddess crossed her arms, with a demeanor that seemed indifferent to life and death.
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“Enough, stop dilly-dallying and make a decision quickly. Let me make it clear, if I manage to escape today, I won’t stop what you call slaughter.”
“What exactly do you want to do, Withering?”
With the situation evolving into such a tangled mess, even Sethlin seemed somewhat at a loss. As if intentionally waiting for this moment, the green-haired and grey-eyed goddess suddenly revealed the same cunning and joyful expression she had when she first encountered Violet in the illusion.
“Hehe, although the arrival of a formidable enemy was too sudden and unexpected for me, Life, your appearance is also a pleasant surprise. I have a proposal, care to hear it?”
“Go on, then.”
This time, it was the priestess who spoke up.
Seth didn’t contradict Violet this time. She took a deep breath and spoke each word deliberately.
“I intend to divide the authority of Life and Withering’s divinity, splitting it into two divine positions to counteract the destruction brought by the malice of the world.”
Although Violet and the little dragon girl listened nearby, puzzled, Sethlin suddenly gasped, as if she had already understood something.
“Withering, you...!”
“Hehe, Life, don’t you feel the slightest unwillingness? The malice of the world split us forcibly into two, even if the abyss truly had a hand in it, but the instigator remains the unstoppable original division.”
“During the thousand years of being sealed, I have been contemplating, not about right or wrong, but about where we initially lost. Later, I realized that Life and Withering, this divinity itself is the biggest trap and contradiction!”
“So we need to separate, split into two truly independent entities. I have already collected most of the divine fragments, and with you, we can reach at least eighty percent of the total. With sufficient life force to drive it, it’s already enough to differentiate the rules and authority.”
“The world wants to deceive us with this trick, so let’s really show it! All karma and consequences, the entire history of the Goddess of Earth, will be completely sealed by me as the disaster and withering, while the remaining part... you will become the new deity, the true Goddess of Life!”
“Thus, the original rules of Life and Withering disappear, transforming into the authorities of Life and Withering. You will be a brand-new existence untouched by karma. I’m curious to see the birth of the long-lost new god and what this damn world will do to respond.”
Seth seemed visibly hesitant.
“Is this your true purpose? But if that’s the case, then you...!”
“Huh? Isn’t this the result you all want? The evil god is permanently sealed and is now a newly minted Goddess of Life, who also happens to be excessively virtuous. Besides, don’t think I’m sacrificing for you. It’s just the cycle of karma. This matter is destined to be handled by you, Life. We were originally one entity. If you live, it’s equivalent to me living.”
Seemingly finding these words a bit too much, the green-haired and grey-eyed goddess tilted her head slightly to the side. Then, she stepped forward slowly and extended her hand towards Sethlin.
“Come, our struggle against the world has only just begun.”
Violet didn’t stop her.
Seth had not lied, she had never lied. Hearing this, the priestess finally understood what the Goddess of Withering intended to do.
She had never cared about any life, what she truly wanted to confront was the invisible, intangible yet omnipresent force of the world.
Bearing all karma and consequences with half of her body, utilizing countless lives as fuel, all for the sake of obtaining an opportunity... Indeed, this was unrelated to good or evil. This was a struggle between the gods and the world.
After a long silence, in the end, the virtual image of Seth reached out to grasp the extended hand.
Perhaps, as Sethlin had said, they were originally one entity. Even though their personalities differed, the sense of injustice they both felt resonated within them.
The spiral of green and grey transformed into intertwining vines between the two identical figures.
This was the product of the divinity of Life and Withering materializing in the mortal world.
*Sizzle... Sizzle...*
As currents intertwined and the heavens and earth changed color, the crown emitted a mournful sound of strain. It seemed that two powerful forces were simultaneously pulling at its form. The radiance flowed to both sides, gradually changing the harmonious blend of green and grey into distinct hues. The side closer to Seth became more verdant, while the side of the Goddess of Withering darkened.
At this moment, she smiled.
“Make good use of this opportunity. We don’t know what will happen next... But since someone like Violet exists, it indicates that the path of the new god is likely viable. Go and find out everything that happened back then. That’s my final request.”
“Go for it, Seth... no, Sethlin.”
“Boom!!!”
The crown formed by entwined vines suddenly shattered, transforming into two smaller objects, one green and one grey, merging into the bodies of the two goddesses respectively. The originally green hair of the Goddess of Withering instantly turned into a deep grey, much like her eyes!
“Boom boom boom boom!!!!”
Countless thunderous roars suddenly exploded in the sky, reaching the peak of frenzy brought about by the world’s rejection!
Although Violet didn’t understand what this exactly represented, it was apparent that the thunderous target was the gray-haired, gray-eyed “Goddess of Earth,” who was now “left with only calamity and withering.”
“Now, Violet!”
Sethlin’s resolute voice seemed to overshadow even the thunder, and the white-robed girl, who was already prepared, also activated her farewell magic.
“【Suppression of the Prison: Eternal Light Prison Imprisonment】”
Countless thread-like streams of light surged out from the apex of her artifact, as if they possessed consciousness of their own. Layer upon layer of radiance formed a solid, impenetrable barrier around the Goddess of Withering, transforming into sharp-edged and tightly woven paths of light. Then, the edges and light intersected, instantly solidifying into transparent golden crystals, sealing her securely.
Seth didn’t resist. Defeated as she was, she didn’t have the ability or intention to do so. She merely smiled with resignation, as if ending a millennium-long nightmare.
She closed her eyes, like a sleeping beauty trapped in crystal, time frozen around her, motionless and silent. The winds and waves ceased, and the roiling thunderclouds in the sky gradually dispersed.
“Phew, finally over. What a mess...”
She had received too much chaotic information in one night, even the priestess’s brain circuits were a bit overwhelmed. At times like this, she couldn’t help but envy her pet who didn’t bother with troublesome thoughts. All the chaos she had just dealt with probably went in one ear and out the other for her.
With a casual gesture, the seal formed by the 10th-tier magic 【Suppression of the Prison: Eternal Light Prison Imprisonment】 shrank and flew into her hand.