After receiving Flareth’s Blessing, our next destination was the Hall of the Cosmoria—the grand council chamber where the gods and goddesses gathered to discuss matters of cosmic importance called. Without giving a chance to protest, Flareth hoisted into his arms once again like a child. I squird and struggled, demanding to be let down, refusing to be carried like a toddler. But as usual, he ignored my pleas and held on tightly.
With a booming laugh, he blasted off into the skies, using his fiery legs like rocket boosters. The rush of wind and heat from his flight was disorienting, but I had to admit—this was probably the fastest way to get there. Cosmoria was unimaginably vast. Running or even flying with my own limited power would’ve taken hours, maybe longer.
Still, I couldn’t help but feel annoyed. "Put down, damn it! I can travel on my own!"
"You? Travel by foot? At your pace, we’d get there next week!" Flareth laughed again, the sound echoing like thunder.
As the landscape blurred beneath us, I decided to break the tension with a question that had been nagging at . "Hey... why did you give your blessing? You looked like you hated at first."
Flareth didn’t answer right away. Then, with a bitter grin, he said, "HAHAHA! Yeah, you were annoying as hell! The mont I felt your Dark Magic, I wanted to roast you alive! You reminded too much of that damned traitor... the God of Darkness."
His expression turned somber, laced with bitterness. I could feel the weight of the mories pressing down on him.
"That bastard ruined everything," he continued, voice now low and dangerous. "If I ever see him again, I swear I’ll burn him down to his soul. He’s the reason the war got so bad. He empowered the demons. He fractured the divine council. He tore Cosmoria apart!"
Flareth’s grip tightened slightly, his teeth clenched, eyes burning not just with fire—but pain. It was clear now. There had once been a connection between him and the God of Darkness, maybe even friendship, and that betrayal had left a scar that refused to heal.
I offered a nervous laugh, trying to lift the mood. "Well, just don’t go mistaking for that guy, alright? I’d prefer to live long enough to beco a real hero, not get barbecued before I even start."
To my relief, Flareth burst into laughter again. "Don’t worry, kid. I’m not that insane. Besides, they say you’re the Child of Fate now—the one we gods are supposed to protect. Guess that ans I have to help you... even if you’re annoying."
"I’m not a kid! I’m a 25-year-old grow adult man!!"
"That’s still a kid to damn it.. I’ll consider you an adult when you’re a thousand years old LOL!"
He made upset, his personality is like a mix between Cain’s fighting maniac and Envi’s annoying personality.
But his previous words surprised more than I expected. Was that why he had given his blessing? Was it simply because of so prophecy? Or had he genuinely co to accept , even if just a little?
Whatever the case, I knew I’d get more answers soon.
...
Eventually, we arrived at the Hall of the Cosmoria, a structure so grand it made mortal palaces look like re huts. Towering like a celestial fortress, it reminded of Olympus—but more ethereal, more sacred. Inside, the main chamber housed ten thrones arranged in a perfect circle, each bearing the insignia of one of the divine patrons. Only two seats were left unmarked: one belonging to the long-absent God of Darkness, and the other to the mysterious Forgotten Goddess.
"Brace yourself, kid!" Flareth shouted with a grin, slapping my back hard enough to make stumble forward. "The whole divine council is in there. Try not to pee yourself!"
Gritting my teeth, I stepped through the glowing doorway into the central chamber. The mont I crossed the threshold, silence fell. All the gods and goddesses turned their gaze toward .
Despite the sheer pressure of their presence, I recognized so familiar faces. There was Zarion, the God of Thunder, seated with arms crossed and a permanent scowl. Aqualia, the Goddess of Ice and Water, waved at cheerfully, a kind smile on her lips. Terra, the calm and grounded Goddess of Earth, nodded in silent greeting, while Gaia, the God of Nature, observed with sharp, analytical eyes.
And then there was Miranda, the Goddess of Protection, the first to ever bless . She gave a small wave, mouthing words only I could read: "We et again, Naoki. Looks like you tad Flareth. Good job." She winked, causing my nerves to spike even more.
But what truly caught my attention were the two new faces I hadn’t seen before.
The first was a striking woman with braided bright green hair and fairy-like wings that shimred behind her. Her eyes were a soft mint color, and a green halo floated above her head. Around her neck, the symbol of Wind Magic glowed faintly. This had to be Zephyra, the Goddess of Wind. She offered a soft, almost imperceptible smile.
The second figure was... indescribable.
A radiant woman with long, flowing white hair and skin that glistened like polished moonstone. Her eyes were pure white—no pupils, no irises—and a shining halo of pure light hovered above her crown. She had a magic emblem of light in the center of her chest, and she wore a crown of divine brilliance, and her presence felt like standing under the full gaze of the sun itself. She’s more than just heavenly—she’s dazzling.
Solis, the Goddess of Light.
Unlike the others, Solis didn’t smile. She didn’t greet . Instead, her eyes stared into mine with an icy intensity that made my skin crawl. Her gaze wasn’t just cold—it was judgntal, piercing, as if she was seeing not just , but my soul... and wasn’t impressed with what she saw.
I shivered slightly, instinctively looking away. For reasons I couldn’t yet understand, she seed to disapprove of . Perhaps it was my affinity with Dark Magic... or sothing even deeper.
As the gods and goddesses settled into silence, Flareth stepped forward to speak. However, before he could say a single word, Zarion suddenly roared, his voice booming across the chamber.
"Flareth, have you no sha?!" Zarion’s eyes burned with frustration as he pointed at the Fire God. "You were the first to rush him off to your Spire of the Fire God, claiming you would destroy him! And now, not only did you let him go, but you gave him your blessing? What the hell happened?!"
Flareth tensed, his face beginning to flush with irritation. Before he could retort, Aqualia crossed her arms and pouted. "Zarion’s right. You shouldn’t have acted so rashly, Flareth. If we had discussed it together from the beginning, we could have made a better decision. All of us were present back then, except Solis and Zephyra."
Terra, the ever-calm Goddess of Earth, shook her head with a sigh. "I never understand the logic of that hot-headed fla. He’s so inefficient."
Gaia, sensing the tension rising, raised a hand in a calming gesture. "Settle down, everyone. Let’s hear Flareth’s explanation first."
The attention of the divine council returned to the Fire God, who clenched his fists, his face now visibly red. He looked like he was about to explode but managed to contain himself.
"Damn it, I did all of that to test whether or not he was really the Child of Fate!" Flareth finally admitted. "But I won’t lie—I was also furious when I sensed the dark magic flowing through him. The very sa magic that belonged to that damned God of Darkness."
The mont those words left his mouth, the entire chamber fell into a deathly silence.
It was as if Flareth had uttered a forbidden word.
Zephyra sighed, shaking her head slightly. "Yare-yare... this is going to be interesting."
Then, a cold voice cut through the tension like a blade.
"Flareth... what do you an? Dark Magic?"
A blinding light radiated from Solis, the Goddess of Light, as she rose from her throne. Power crackled in the air, thick with divine energy, making the chamber itself tremble. The intensity of her presence was suffocating.
"Explain yourself!" she commanded, her voice laced with barely restrained fury.
Flareth took a deep breath and t Solis’s burning gaze. "Listen, Solis—I will explain everything. This boy, Naoki von Blackmore, is capable of wielding Dark Magic. And not just any Dark Magic..."
His fiery eyes locked onto mine before he made his next revelation.
"He can use [Black Fla]—the magic that was stolen from by that traitorous bastard, the God of Darkness!"
A collective gasp rippled through the hall. Even the usually composed gods and goddesses displayed shock.
But before I could even process what had just been revealed, a flash of white light burst beside .
Solis had teleported to my side.
She moved faster than my mind could comprehend, her divine speed beyond mortal understanding.
100 blades of pure light hovered around , poised to strike.
I barely had ti to react.
"What?!—" My eyes widened in terror. Even with my [Future Sight], I couldn’t see her attack coming. It was instantaneous, unavoidable. My body tensed, knowing there was no escape.
Then—
BAM!
The sound of impact echoed through the chamber.
But I felt... nothing.
I should have been skewered by Solis’s attack. I had already gripped my katana, Kagegiri, channeling my Dark Magic in a desperate attempt to defend myself, but—
I hadn’t even needed to block.
Sothing—or soone—had stopped the attack for .
A shimring golden barrier surrounded , crackling with divine energy. Solis’s blades of light, once ready to pierce , disintegrated upon contact with the shield.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Miranda, the Goddess of Protection, standing firm with her hand raised. Her usually warm deanor had been replaced by a fierce determination.
"Solis," Miranda spoke, her voice sharp and unwavering. "I understand your hatred for the God of Darkness, but you need to wake up. This boy—this child—is a descendant of the Blackmore family. He is one of the few in history who can use Dark Magic naturally. Aside from the legendary hero Hiro von Blackmore, no one else has ever been able to do that!"
She took a step forward, her protective aura flaring as she locked eyes with Solis. "I will not allow you to harm him."
Solis’s expression was unreadable, but her energy still radiated hostility. Her presence remained overwhelming, as though she was still considering whether to attack again.
Then—Flareth stepped beside her and placed a firm hand on her shoulder.
"Solis... Miranda’s right." His tone was uncharacteristically serious. "This boy isn’t the God of Darkness. And more than that... he might actually be the Child of Fate we’ve been waiting for."
Solis’s gaze flickered between Flareth, Miranda, and . Then, in an instant, she slapped Flareth’s hand away, refusing to be touched.
"What proof do you have?" she demanded, her silver eyes burning with suspicion.
Flareth sighed, shaking his head. "The proof is simple."
He turned to . "Naoki—show them."
Understanding what he ant, I hesitated for only a mont before pulling at my shirt. I lifted the fabric to expose my chest, revealing the unmistakable symbols of divine blessing:
The mark of Flareth, the God of Fire.The mark of Miranda, the Goddess of Protection.
Both blessings shone faintly, side by side, etched into my very being.
The gods and goddesses—all of them—reacted with shock.
Even Solis took a step back, her cold composure montarily breaking.
"This is... impossible," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Then, after a mont of stunned silence, she finally spoke words I never expected to hear.
"This confirms it... he truly is the Child of Fate."
The weight of her words settled upon the chamber. Even those who had doubted before now had no choice but to acknowledge the truth.
"The prophecy left behind by the Forgotten Goddess... it is coming to pass," Solis murmured, her eyes filled with sothing I couldn’t quite decipher.
Slowly, she approached again—but this ti, there was no hostility. She reached out gently, her hand cradling my face. The warmth of her divine energy tingled against my skin.
"Forgive , Child of Fate," she said softly. "For my harsh actions."
I hesitated, then shook my head. "It’s fine. I understand why you reacted that way... But now that we know the truth, can you finally tell ?"
I t her gaze with determination.
"What exactly is the Child of Fate? And what really happened with the betrayal of the God of Darkness? What should i do?"
The room grew still as Solis considered my words. Then, with a solemn nod, she answered.
"This is a tale of tragedy," she whispered.
And with that, the long-buried truth was about to be revealed.
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