"Oh—found it!"

Remi eyed the figure ahead, nerves tight as a drawn bow.

"Who are you?"

"Me? They all call me—the God-King."

Thunder cracked across the sky, drums in cloud, like a protagonist heralded by storm.

"You... killed your own god like that. Are you going to be fine?"

Warned by Remi, the God-King noticed the gold blood at his feet, sunlight pooled on stone.

He scratched his head, sheepish as wind scattering leaves. "It’s fine... probably. It hurts, but they’ll respawn at the temple. Don’t worry."

The golden blood steamed away like morning mist, vanishing as if it had never been.

"See? Told you. Anyway, I’m here on business. Hand over that memory in your head, okay?"

Remi slipped back, wariness clouding her brow like storm shadow.

—How does this guy know?

When she shattered that stone coffin, no world-ending power surged. Instead, memories flooded her skull, a river of inked research.

She couldn’t read them, but she knew, cold as moonlight, no one could see them—especially gods.

Seeing the little girl pull away, disappointment washed the God-King’s face like ebbing tide; lolis kept their distance, and he lamented.

After a beat of loss, he lifted his head and met Remi’s eyes, frost to flame. "Child, that’s not yours. Return it."

"No way!"

Her refusal had barely left her lips when his fist arrived, thunder under skin.

It slammed her belly; pain folded her to the ground like grass in a gale.

—What happened?! I can’t track his speed. Is this the God-King’s power?

"Child, understand, I don’t like bullying lolis."

"Demon-Sealing Spear!"

A black spear coalesced midair, a shard of night, then shot like a starfall.

It looked razor-sharp, yet couldn’t pierce his skin; it struck and shattered, glass on ironwood.

The God-King stared, surprised at Remi’s cast. "Oh? That’s a skill from our divine race."

"Could it be... you’re Alpha’s successful test subjects? But Alpha told me it only passes mana, strength, and knowledge. How’re you firing a racial talent?"

He scratched his hair, thoughts tangling like vines, then sighed, giving up the knot.

"Eh... whatever. If you’re Alpha’s experiments, you’re materials for Avengers. I can’t yank your memory by force."

"Forget it. It’s all the same. I’ll add a little restriction."

Hearing he’d lay hands on her, tension snapped tight in Remi, a bowstring by winter river.

"Jerk, what’re you doing to us?"

The God-King pondered with feigned focus, then wrote letters in the air, ink of sun.

Golden glyphs spun a few circles, then burst, a firework turned into a streak diving into Remi.

"Divine Suppression!"

"Ah—!" Pain hammered her skull, a mountain clamp closing, ready to crack stone.

"Let go of Sis!"

Flan rushed in to shield Remi, wings of will spread like a sparrow before storm.

The God-King eyed the lively Flan, a brow rising like a blade. "Oh? Another one who can move?"

"Are you just another messy test piece? Whatever. You’re close to that one over there, right? Perfect insurance."

He reached into the void and pulled a golden potion, sun caught in glass.

Before anyone could blink, he dashed in, pried open Flan’s small mouth, and poured it down like molten light.

"Cough, cough!" Flan braced on the ground, eyes blazing like foxfire. "What did you make me drink?"

Remi had shaken off the worst of it, one hand clamped to her head, a bruise of thought lingering.

Seeing both gazes on him, the God-King nodded, teacher calm and butcher cold.

"Mm-hmm, listen up. Blue-haired girl—I've placed our divine binding on you. Yellow-haired girl—you drank our cursed potion."

He said it with a smile, spring on his lips and winter in his eyes, which made Remi’s skin crawl.

"Why do this?"

"Why? Because you must serve as Avengers. Our divine race always has humans to kill."

"Like today—humans who once feuded with us. Your job is to cut them down."

Hearing he’d kill humans, Remi sprang up, rage flaring like oil to flame. "Why should we obey you?"

"If you don’t, you’ll feel that pain again, and the yellow-haired girl will die to the curse, no rebirth."

What?! Remi stared at Flan, shock freezing her breath; he even used her as a knife.

"Well~ I’m gentle, really. If you die in battle or otherwise, I’ll take you to our temple."

"There, we’ll extract your memories. Yours are important—especially the blue-haired girl’s."

Remi’s voice stuck, like a leaf under ice; she didn’t know why fate struck like this.

"How is that gentle?!"

The God-King ignored her despair, stretched lazily, cat after rain. "I think it’s gentle."

"Enough talk. I’m heading back. Cute lolis are waiting at home."

Whoosh—the God-King vanished, wind folding the space he left.

Remi knelt, tears slipping from her eyes, rain on a dust road, darkening the earth.

—What is this? What does this count as? No vengeance, and I’m forced as a henchman. For what?

Flan pressed against her, a small warmth by a cold river; it was all she could do.

————————————

Back in the temple, a maiden stepped forward, voice like a blade in silk. "Hey! Why not use Suppression to force that blue-haired girl’s memory?"

The God-King sneered, frost edging the smile. "If not for that damned defense mechanism, I would."

"Really? Time’s running out."

"Then we make those two die faster."

Cruelty rose on his face like a blood moon; the playful mask fell away.

————————————

"After that, we traveled to many places, wind on our faces and dust at our heels, and fought many battles."

"Sometimes we barely scraped a win, a leaf clinging in storm; but most fights we crushed like tide."

"In the end we met you, Miss Alicia, and we were freed."

Remi spoke while stroking Flan’s hair, fingers combing sunlight through wheat.

Alicia looked up at the stars, thoughts drifting like lanterns on a lake, then returned to Remi.

"Sorry for making you recall all that."

"It’s fine. Flan and I let the past go, like ash on wind. We’ll live with Miss Alicia from now on."

"Is that so? Thank you. I’ll take good care of you. I’ll give your childhood back."

"Thank you, but as maids, we should be the ones caring for Miss Alicia."

Alicia leaned in for a big hug, hearth in her arms, then noticed the little one asleep.

She smiled, helpless and soft, moonlight on water. "Alright, I’ll take Ling back to sleep. Good night."

She left, went to Ling’s room, set Lian on her bed like a feather, and turned off the light.

The room held only Lian again; her eyes snapped open, night-water still, and she whispered to the dark.

"This is part of your plan too, Aer?"