Reincarnated as both God and The Devil

Chapter 223: The Cycle of War

"Try to follow the beat of my heart, Vi."

The bystanders and gossipers could not help but look around them as the whole town seemed to quake. But after a few seconds, they just quickly disappeared.

"Weird, earthquakes here don't usually last that long."

"Maybe the Earth Spirit is angry about the undead getting into our land?"

"...Must be it."

"But still that woman's husband."

"So pitiful How could someone even push a crippled man to the ground!?"

"Yeah! You should be ashamed of yourself!"

"Seeing him now, he might also be a soldier from the war!"

"How could you do that to someone so beautiful!?"

The scarred man, who was filled with arrogance earlier, could not help but gulp. It was only just a few seconds ago that they agreed with him. And now that they saw the crippled man's face completely, they quickly changed sides.

He was about to leave to avoid any more trouble with the guards, but before he could even take a single step, Ted's superior, Gabriel, grabbed his arms and tied up his hands.

"W what is the meaning of this!?"

"The town is already in distress with the war going on, any who cause trouble will immediately be placed under arrest."

"What!? Since when!?"

"Since now." Gabriel said as he pushed the scarred man and ordered for Ted to take him away.

"Alright, play's over. You can all go back to your homes now or gossip somewhere else."

The bystanders could not help but let out voices of complaints as Gabriel asked them to move along. They still wanted to see what was happening with Sofia's husband, but alas, it would seem their tittle-tattle would have to end here.

Or not, as the group of women still huddled up as they whispered to one another while walking away.

With most of the people gone, Sofia quickly summoned up a bubble to encase Viel, with half of the sphere burrowing into the ground.

"That's it, Vi. Calm your breaths. Don't think of anything else and just focus on my voice and the beating of my heart. No, no, no. Focus, Vi."

"W what"

The red cape that was wrapped around Viel's body moved erratically as he once again started to panic. The ground encased within the bubble started to tremble, and soon, it was as if it was water, boiling as it disintegrated into tiny millions of pieces.

"It's alright, Vi. I'm here."

Sofia slowly approached Viel and placed her hand on the bubble. "It's alright."

Even with the bubble fully confining him, Viel's breaths still whispered in Sofia's ears. Viel then slowly lifted up his arms, planting his hand parallel to Sofia's.

But as soon as his palm made contact with the bubble, it cracked. Sofia quickly waved her other hand, reinforcing the bubble and repairing it in the same instant they crackle.

Viel looked straight at Sofia's eyes.

"I'm here, Vi. I won't leave you."

And finally, after a few more seconds, the heavy breaths that besieged Viel once again started to calm down, never again to return at least until this day.

Sofia quickly canceled the bubble. She was going to fetch Viel's wheelchair, but it was already behind her.

"Here, let me help the young man up."

Gabriel didn't even wait for Sofia to respond as he gently lifted Viel up and placed him on the wheelchair. "You're way heavier than you look, blondie."

"Sofia has improved her cooking lately."

"Bahahaha!"

Sofia could not help but blink a couple of times as the two just suddenly started a conversation with each other. But nonetheless, it's good that Viel was able to recover easily this time.

Sofia then picked up the fruits and meat that fell on the ground when Viel was kicked by that scarred man. She quickly waved her hand as the dirt on the edibles quickly floated away, she then summoned a ball of water, completely washing it before dying it with wind magic and returning it to the bag.

"..."

Gabriel, who watched the whole process, could not help but furrow his eyebrows.

"The two of you who are you, really?" He muttered as he looked straight at Sofia's eyes.

"You just suddenly came out of nowhere 6 months ago saying you were travellers, and that you need to lay low for a while since the undead were already at our borders but seeing the way how you two look like, I could only assume you're from the Western Continent."

"..."

"And you couldn't have possibly gotten inside the border since the whole country is in lockdown."

In truth, Gabriel had been observing the two ever since they arrived in town. Even without the undead, a normal human would find it hard to travel these days because of the significant rise of the number of Portals. Much less a woman and a crippled man in a wheelchair?

It was practically impossible for them to survive. That's why he started observing the two of them. He already knew that they weren't normal.

But seeing the two of them just now, he was right to be wary. He was also a cultivator, and he can detect that Sofia's husband was at the earliest stages. But the trembling of the earth just now? That was something no low-level cultivator was capable of.

These two were hiding something.

"We are just normal citizens who want to spend our time in peace." Sofia muttered before placing the bag on Viel's lap and quickly pushing him away. "Thank you for your assistance."

Gabriel stroked his patch of beard as he looked at Sofia's back.

Peace perhaps that is what everyone wishes for.

***

A few days after, on the shores of the other side of the country, the cries of a child echoed.

"You're leaving, father!? Why!? I thought you would be staying here forever!?"

Noah was currently filling up a huge bag. Dried meats, flasks of water, and a bunch of clothes. Lyanna, the young girl that he has been taking care of for more than 4 years now, clung on his leg, letting out the loudest cry she could muster.

The other neighbors have also gathered outside, wondering why Lyanna was crying her heart out. And as soon as they saw Noah packing, they quickly let out sighs of sorrow.

Before Noah came, the only thing that Lyanna did was collect shells in the ocean, hoping one day that her parents would wake up and she could give it to them.

Suffice to say, Noah helped Lyanna to move on from the deaths of her parents. And as Lyanna now called him, he has truly become the girl's daughter. But him leaving was already expected by the other people in the settlement.

After all, a man like Noah, who just came out and appeared out of nowhere was sure to have secrets and was sure to leave this small place sooner or later. But seeing Lyanna get so attached to him, it broke their hearts to just see him leave like this.

"Noah, you know you can stay here, right?" One of the neighbors approached them.

"Yeah! We would miss you dearly if you've gone, dear!"

"What about Lyanna, would you just leave her behind!?"

"Who would walk out of the beach naked and let our eyes feast when you're gone!?"

"We would lose a drinking buddy, man!"

Hearing the humans' complaints, Noah could not help but let out a slight sigh. "I will come back once I have done what I need to do."

"But you're still going to leave me!"

Lyanna tightened her grip on Noah's leg as she once again let out a cry. "First my parents, and now you! Why do all of you want to leave me behind!?"

The neighbors could only shake their heads as Lyanna's piercing words screamed in their ears. 

"What are you talking about, little human? You're coming with me."

"No, please don't leave eh?"

"Considering the current capacity of your brain, you would probably die if I leave you behind to fend for yourself."

"Eh? I am coming with you?"

"Why do you think I am preparing all of these things?" Noah said as he lifted the huge bag that was bigger than Lyanna herself.

"That that isn't for you?"

"Why would I even need all of these? The earth itself is my sustenance. I can just hunt when my mortal body is hungry."

"So so I am coming with you!?"

"Yes, little human."

"Yay! Thank you, father!" Lyanna quickly pulled down the bag that Noah was holding and opened it up. She then quickly placed more of her things inside of it.

The other neighbors who saw the smile on Lyanna's face, could not help but let out a sigh of relief. They then said their goodbyes to Noah and Lyanna one by one before returning to their homes.

"Adventure, adventure! We're going on an adventure!" She hummed as she pulled her bed near to the bag.

"...What are you doing?"

"Putting my bed inside?"

"That won't fit there."

"Eh!? But how else would I be able to sleep!?"

"On the ground, as the earth intended it to be."

"What!? No!"

Seeing Lyanna's eyes wide open and her tone getting deeper, Noah let out a tiny chuckle. "I have already prepared a bedding for you inside the bag. You do not have to worry."

"Really!? Yay! Let's go! Let's go, quick!"

Lyanna pulled Noah out of their cottage, her smile almost reaching her ears as she let out a giggle every now and then.

"Where to first!?"

"There, beyond the mountains."

"Eh!? We're passing through the mountains!?"

"Hm remember that old friend I told you about?"

"Y yes?"

"We're going to pay him a visit."