His Devious Harbinger: How To Tame A Wicked God?

Chapter 212: I am not Qeshaya

"How did you turn into this person?"

Chaos smiles coldly at Ari when she hears that question. "Wasn't I always like this?"

"I believe you are reasonable." Ari tells her with a straight voice, "You wouldn't be rash after realizing who you are." 

"You are wrong about me." Chaos chuckles, cocking her head slightly. "Abyss, I have always been like this. I am Chaos."

It must be because of the things that happened to Kresi. Ari's heart is soft toward this woman. Despite knowing their history, she wants to give another chance to this woman. But Chaos doesn't want to change. 

"I will let you go." Ari takes a step away from Chaos. "Even though you took away my child and raised her to be what she's today, I can see that you didn't harm her in other ways. This is the last chance that I can offer you. Just because you are Chaos, you don't have to act like this."

Having heard that, Chaos guffaws, hiccuping as she covers her mouth. "You are the same, Abyss. I thought that being a forsaken creature would change you."

"It has changed me." Ari replies calmly, "But I don't want to be controlled by the evil inside me. Because I understand you, I still want to give you a chance. Why can't you take a path that doesn't hurt you or me? We don't have to fight, Chaos. If Noras and Adira can be friends, why can't you and I be at peace?"

Idiot. Chaos snorts at her. This woman is such an idiot. "Some things are impossible."

"Chaos." Ari sighs. "Kresi."

"Unlike you, I have abandoned my old names." Chaos shakes her head. "Being a shaper of name, you know the importance of the names. Why do you still cling to your old names?"

"A child said that I should keep the name because there are still people in the world who know me by that name." Ari takes a deep breath, wondering what to do with Chaos. She has a lot of questions. She can't let Chaos roam freely. Chaos might seek Misaki again. Maybe taking her to Haven is best for both of them. 

While Ari is thinking, she doesn't notice Chaos' fingers. The spell begins to weaken. The corner of Chaos' lips rises as her eyes gleam. "So, you want to say that I should pretend to be Kresi because there are people who still know me as Kresi." 

"Is it bad?" Ari stares hard at her. "Kresi still has people who care about her. Mirai, Pebby, Ai, and Aren. Have you forgotten about them?" 

"Unlike you, I don't pretend to be an angel." Chaos looks at her scornfully. "Those mortals will die. Even your children will die. You, Adira, and I will outlive all of them. Then, there will be a time when there would be no mortal who would call you Ari. Gods should behave like gods. Mingling with mortals won't do you any good, especially after what you have become."

Ari inhales the cold air. There's no lie in those words. She and Adira will outlive the mortals including their daughters. "I can always turn them into forsaken creatures."

"Then, they won't be your children." Chaos shakes her head and laughs. "The forsaken are abandoned by the past or the future, gods, darkness and light, and whatnot. Sure. They belong to you now. But you don't belong to any place other than Haven which is nothing but Oblivion. In the end, you brought them into the prison that you created. You made them believe that it's a world. How strange! Oblivion will become Abyss. Everything will be a mirage. Over time, they will get bored. Then, they will realize what's wrong. Nothing would change. The world is nothing but a bittersweet illusion."

Ari curls her fingers into fists. "I can control the laws of Haven."

"Yeah." The spell is broken. Chaos takes a step toward Ari. She's amazed to see that Abyss doesn't show any surprise in her eyes. Instead, Abyss is watching her solemnly. Chaos questions her then, "Are you letting me go?"

"I am giving you a chance," Ari answers her. 

"You are a fool." Chaos rolls her eyes. "Some people are bound to live their lives in unhappiness. Misaki and I are the same. Even if you don't believe me, it won't change. I am going to find Misaki after she becomes an adult. I will train her to become a goddess, a face of mine. I am sure that you won't have any problems after she makes her decisions as an adult."

"People who don't change are usually the ones who don't want to change." Ari closes her eyes, tilting her head. She cracks her fingers and then, she stretches her arms. "You always say that you can't find happiness. Even when you were Kresi, you kept blaming others. Chaos, do you know that life is pretty long? Even if we are gods, who say that we have no right to have happiness? Why do the forsaken creatures have no right to exist? I will keep asking questions and I will continue to help the ones who need my help. As for you, I don't think that you don't deserve happiness. I believe you just don't want to be happy."

What the hell is she saying? Chaos blinks her eyes, surprised. "Don't say complicated words to me."

"Right. I have been wasting my breaths." 

The air around Ari starts to vibrate with energy. There's a smile on Ari's face and a look of sorrow in her eyes. Sensing that Ari is going to do something to her, Chaos tries to dematerialize in order to leave the world.

"What?" Chaos looks down on her feet. There dripping dark purple liquid beneath her feet. Dripping dark arms rise from the purple puddle, grabbing her feet. No matter what she does, she can't free herself. Her mana is useless on the begrimed hands. "Did you"

The words are never finished.

The ground melts beneath her feet. Chaos takes long breaths. Her eyes widen in panic. She glances at Ari. "What are you doing to me?" 

"Killing you." Ari meets her gaze. There's no pity in her eyes. "I have given you a chance, but you didn't appreciate it. I know that you are stubborn. You will seek Misaki again. I can't let that happen. You are powerful enough to escape Adira or other gods, and I can't stay in any world for a long time."

"But you will also" Chaos croaks as she feels her legs melting into the purple liquid. She falls on the floor, crawling away as the teeth on the hands sink into her skin. Her energy begins to get drained. She clenches her teeth to stop herself from screaming. Chaos looks up at Ari whose skin is also turning purple. 

"When it comes to my family, I can't compromise anymore." Ari bends down on her knees in front of Chaos. "You have been corrupted, Chaos. The long years of pain have turned you blind. You can't see the path. I have tried to help you many times, but you don't even want to see it anymore. I thought that it was okay before. Someone would help you change. But you kept rejecting everyone. Now, you want my daughter to become like you. I will never let that happen. That's why I am killing your consciousness now."

Half of the Chaos' body is covered with the purple liquid, becoming one with it. Her eyes become wet with pain. She has never felt this tremendous pain before. It's searing pain, breaking down her from the core. Even her powers are useless. She's under this woman command. Everyone remembers Ari as a true-name shaper, but they have forgotten that she can also break the true names. She's probably the only god-killer present in the world. "How did you find out my true name?"

"Kresi." Ari places her hand on Chaos' head. "Mayaeira gave you the name Kresira but you changed it to Kresi. In the language older than this universe, the meaning of [Kre] is different."

"Ha!" Chaos snickers, ignoring the pain. "I must have done it unconsciously. Aren't I an idiot?"

"I am not Qeshaya. I am erasing your name and sending you back to the universe. But you will be reborn again." Ari tells her, "Not as Kresi or the person you are now. You won't forget your life like Cina or Adira. When you come back into existence, I will be here." 

"My faces will die with me." With her gone, all the faces of Chaos will be gone except for those who are born mortals. They won't be faces of chaos anymore. Chaos trails off, "Are you happy after killing so many consciousnesses who were born from me?"

"I am sorry." A tear rolls out of Ari's eye. The last of Chaos transforms into a purple vapour that disappears into the air in the next instant. "I have to do it for my daughter."