Chapter 17: A Calm Respite

The sun is high, the Builder thinks.

It has been about a week since she awoke and met the two sisters. Such a pair, they leave a striking impression on anyone that they meet. So youthful and a bit immature, but at the same time, so full of vigor. So full of life and potential.

Were they merely just humans, like the people in their village? The Divine Hammer does not think they are mortals. But also, they were not androids like her and her sister.

Yet another problem to plague her already question-ridden mind. But this one was important to both them and herself. Whenever they get some free time, the blond-haired goddess will analyze their blood to try to figure out where they came from. The two of them deserve to know the truth of their origins, after going through so much. It was quite clear someone or something intentionally did not tell them. Their mother had abandoned them both about eighty years ago, so that was her first clear obvious suspect.

Something was afoot. Did this also relate to the Builder's own lack of her origin? There was no clear evidence of this suspicion.

She thought there was a correlation. This was not by accident; this was by design. Some people were intentionally withholding information from them. Further proved as the creator learned more about the Omni-Knight. The machine god that was summoned while unconscious.

Someone else was controlling her body. It sounded like herself, according to Tony, and especially with those video recordings she received, looking at the video logs of Anthony’s TecCommunicator. It looked like her, but it was quite strange. Those glowing gold eyes, that flowing golden hair.

Almost like it was a version of herself from the future. Effortlessly, that future being used techniques she had never thought of before. Easily piloted the Omni-Knight as if they had been together for years. More unsolved mysteries. The baffled machine groans in frustration, alerting her companions. Now, they were in the large city, Viana, she had mentioned. Divine Flash merely looks over, eating some fried chicken.

“Something bothering you, Ms. Builder?”

“You know, I told you that-. You know what, call me whatever you want, I am not going to keep malding over this, haha. I was just pondering our shared predicament. I want to know where you came from, why your mother abandoned you. It might have something to do with my origins. Something isn't adding up.” The android taps her foot, intrigued by this dilemma shared by the three of them. Divine Flash just shrugs. “It is what it is. We will learn when the time is right for us to know.”

“You accept your lack of knowledge so easily. Why?”

“Why not, my dear Lord of Creation? Even if we want to know, we can't always learn the things we want to know when we want to know them. At times, the answer will simply reveal itself. Other times, we may have to uncover the truth through hard work and investigation. I suspect that whatever we want to know or you want to know isn't the only thing being hidden from us. There is much more going on than we understand.” Divine Flash pauses for a moment.

“Like your dream with that woman you mentioned to us?”

“Yes. It was like she was a master of magic. A godly being devoted to a greater purpose, whose magic seemed almost foundational? Something beyond ancient? I can’t think of the proper word, honestly.”

“And that is destiny at work. You can’t think of the proper word? You, the Creation Hammer, one who builds worlds? Creates sentient beings? Is practically a wordsmith in your reports and logs? My lady, that someone is stopping you from thinking that word.” Then it dawns on the builder. The significance of that dream. And her friend's words.

“They. They aren't making this easy for us, are they?”

“No. Thus, like I said before, it is what it is. It is okay to ponder, but do not completely lose yourself in thought all the time. We aren't going to figure out whatever the hell they are putting us through or this ‘plan’ the Omni-Knight mentioned easily. Just have to go with the flow, ya know?” She walks forward, smiling as she finishes eating her chicken and moves onto dessert. Her favorite strawberry sundae. Truly the greatest ice cream flavor in the universe. The Architect of worlds herself walks behind her, eating a cheesesteak sandwich she had bought.

Or, more so, bought for all of them. These young ladies were apparently broke as hell, she sighs. How on earth did they manage in their backwater village? She feels sympathetic toward their plight. So, for now, she is buying small things for them. Eventually, they will pay her back when they are able to.

A fair trade for such noble beings.

Two who put their lives in danger to protect people they had only met mere minutes before. Despite their misgivings, the builder thinks highly of them. The two just need some refinement. That will come with time. She looks to her left. Nameless has just caught up with them. She was prowling around Viana, the city they were staying in on Exora, using some of those loaned credits to buy some information.

They wanted to find out more about this crystal tower that rose from the ground. As well as people's reactions towards the strange structure.

It was mixed, to say the least.

“The broker gave me as much info as he could, based on your ‘hefty’ sum and status, Ms. Builder.” Nam says cheerfully. The youth has also procured the greatest form of dessert, strawberry ice cream. The builder has become aware of their, well, obsession with this flavor.

“Is there some reason you two love straw-” Their eyes seem to glow at the same time.

The goddess exhales, preparing her mind for their silliness. Two pairs of eyes shimmering with excitement, desperate to divulge their love.

“Oh boy. Alright, get it out. I can tell you two have something to say on the matter.”

“Cause Strawberry is number one!”

“It’s delicious! And nutritious! And tastes way better than every other flavor ever made!”

“Bold claim, but carry on.” A scoff can be heard.

“Hmph, you are simply a nonbeliever! You must believe in the power of Strawberry! It unites us all across the cosmos! The flavor is decadent and moist; you must consume it daily! It makes you stronger! Smarter! It is an essential need for young girls like us!” People around them start clamouring towards them, listening to their speech. It resonates with the city folk, and they start cheering. Some middle-aged woman walks behind the two, encouraging them.

“Go on, you tell em. Spread your love of the best flavor to our Lord, the Divine Hammer!” The crowd reaches about fifty people as the two continue shouting and professing their love to the strawberry gods. The Architect just slumps in defeat but continues listening, even though she does not agree with their taste.

“Truly, my new friend, Ms. Builder-lady, you must see it! The power of the Strawberry! Strawberry ice cream, donuts, souffle, strawberry milkshake! All things made of strawberry are the strongest form of food in the cosmos! Supreme Strawberry! Praise the Strawberry Goddess of treats!” Some kind of chant starts to form.

“Straw-berry! Straw-berry! Straw-berry! Is #1. Straw-berry! Straw-berry! Di-vine, de-lectable!”

This carries on for another hour.

The builder has had enough, forcing these strawberry madmen to disperse. As they leave, they all mysteriously give her coupons for the most famous strawberry ice cream restaurant in the Starverse. The Creame le Strawberry. The two sisters seemed overjoyed at their response.

“You see the power of strawberries. They will lead you to paradise.”

“Shut the hell up! I refuse to go-” The two simply drag the uncomfortable matriarch off, back towards the local sweets shop. Her consent was not required.

“Goddamnit, this is what you people worship? Strawberry ice cream! Of all things you could worship, this is the most meaningless one.”

“Strawberry is life, strawberry is love, strawberry is destiny! One day, we will make you convert, oh stubborn Architect.” Two sisters chuckle as they buy more large glasses of strawberry sundae, as well as strawberry and banana milkshakes, for the three of them. They forcibly make the Builder sit down at a nearby table and hand the obstinate nonbeliever a large spoon and straw.

The goddess of the heavenly realm merely consumes the milkshake slowly. Not that she hates the flavor, it is just not her favorite.

“Enjoying the universe's best flavor, my lady?”

“Totally!” The boldfaced lie only earned some plastic being thrown at her forehead.

“Dont need to lie to us! We know! We know you are not one with the strawberry god!”

“For fuck’s sakes, let me goooooooooooooo. I don't hate strawberries, I just don't wanna eat all this stuff.” An exasperated yell is ignored. That treat is only going in one place, that belly. No matter how much the god complains.

Once again, the Builder did not realize she had little choice in the matter. Such was the matter when dealing with these two; they were a bit strange at times. The woman ponders as she continues drinking her milkshake slowly, looking at the other two intently looking at her with glee as she chugs it down with slight disappointment in her eyes.

Not like she actually needs to eat; it's more of a preference. This also allows her to bond more easily with the mortals that live in her realm. The creator goddess looks at the two sisters, so close to each other. The two were inseparable.

For better or for worse. The two were holding hands together, almost as if they were lovers, cheering and making more glorious comments about their love of strawberry.

Divi was beginning to think their feelings extended past mere kinship. Though of this she had absolutely no proof. None at all. Just her intuition at work. And she would not dare tell them to their faces. But to her, it was obvious that these two were more than blood-related sisters. They might be doing something forbidden.

But honestly. This did not bother her in the slightest.

Everyone is flawed, even gods. The builder thinks back about herself and her sister, Star Breaker. Both of them had a lot of growing up to do, despite being tens of thousands of years older.

Age does not equate to maturity. There was deep, natural wisdom in these two, something that was well beyond their age. Perhaps something that was passed down from their mother, the android god thinks as she eats her ice cream finally. The two have also started on theirs, now wanting to strike up a different conversation.

“So, where to next, my lady? You’ve indulged us enough for now. Later, the Strawberry God will strike again.” The blonde elder chuckles, then her expression darkens. She grabs the tablet that was attached to the left side of her belt, throwing it onto the table. An image is pulled up. The image of the Crystal Tower.

“We are going to investigate this tower in a couple of days or perhaps a week from now. I want to make sure we are ready for whatever we might deal with there. Also, I sense my sister lurking around this city.” The two aren't shocked but more worried about this disclosure. Star Breaker was just casually hiding out here? In the middle of this not so populated planet? Suspicion seeps into their eyes.

“Look, I wouldn’t trust any of her possible reasons for being here, either, or how she even got here or found us in the first place. All I know is that she is up to something. I am going to find her tomorrow. That damned sister of mine has been evading us the whole time we have been here..” The builder finishes her ice cream, placing the spoon on the table. The mood has returned to a surly one, it seems.

“Well, thank you for letting us know? But why didn't you tell us sooner?”

“It is not that I did not want to. I just didn't want to alarm you. She is rather unpredictable. I don’t know how she will react.” As she says this, someone jumps on her back, her huge chest mountains slamming into her from behind. It nearly knocks the poor woman over. There was only one person who did that.

“Hello Diana. Did you miss me? Or are you trying to knock me out!” Diana laughs, that dainty maid outfit bustling up and down, as she bounces in place, missing her lord.

Her love.

“Of course of course of course! What do you mean ‘Did you miss me’? Of course I missed seeing my favorite person! Stupid.” Diana casually smacks her on the back of her chest. Then, the brown-haired woman jumps onto her lap, sitting in her rightful place. The Builder shrugs and continues speaking.

“At least introduce yourself to them properly. I’ll let you have this moment, I am feeling nice today.”

“Don’t sound so grumbly. You enjoy this, hmm? I am Diana, the first immortal android created by the Divine Hammer. My lord has been upgrading me modestly over the last twenty, thirty thousand years? I can’t keep track of time goes by so fast!” The servant continues shifting around, embracing her love. Though her lord seems slightly obtuse to her affection, her mind is deep in thought. The two sisters notice this and smirk.

“Nice meeting ya Lady Diana, I am Nameless.”

“And I am the Divine Flash. A pleasure to meet you, servant of our new friend. Did you arrive on your ship, perhaps?” Diana nods.

“Yep took us over a week to find ya’ll but we did! It's above the planet, I took a personal small dropship here!”

“Good job Diana getting here. Tell the crew to be on standby. We don't know what will happen whenever we enter that tower, so I may need some help from them. I would rather you stay in the ship but knowing you.” Diana just narrows her eyes, making the Builder dismiss the thought.

“I know, I know, you were going to come along anyway. You can be as stubborn as I can be, sometimes.”

“Exactly! You know me so well!” She makes a heart symbol with her hands. Her hands are smashed away, though this does not dissuade Diana at all.

“Awww feeling moopy? Down in the dumps? Hehe!”

“No! I am fine!” The other three don’t believe her in the slightest.

“You can keep telling yourself that, my lovely lord.” The android woman blushes saying nothing. Then catches her breath,

“Alright. The day has gone by.” The sun is beginning to set.

“We should head back to our lodgings in the inn, where we can talk about other matters. Oh and to give you two growing girls a proper meal. Can't only eat sweets all the time, it's not good for the body.” The two look slightly sour but understand. They think of the blonde goddess as an elder, despite her misgivings. Divine flash thinks she has leadership potential.

Though the Builder would never agree with this younger girl.

Stubborn woman. The blue-haired youth gets up from the table they were sitting at. She grabs their trash and dumps it into a nearby receptacle. The trash is instantly vaporized and reconstituted into the basic elements the trash was made out of, ready to be reused later. Another convenience made by Ms. Builder, she thinks happily. Everyone loves and appreciates their lord, the goddess who works so hard for her people. Divine flash grins as the three walk towards the inn they have been staying at for the last week. The older android notices and turns towards her.

“Did something good happen? Your mood is rather chipper again.”

“You happened, that was all.” A puzzled look can be seen then a shrug.

“I am just being myself, working to protect and grow this realm. The future rests on the backs of youths like you, not just me. But I appreciate the compliment.” The Builder smiles, turning back around. The three of them have arrived in their room. Sleep quickly falls upon them all.

The next day happens rather quickly, these women all rising with the light of the sun. Divine Flash and Nameless quickly devoured the breakfast provided to them by the owner of the inn, Ms. Anne. She was a middle-aged fox woman, sporting brilliant orange fur and was rather tall. Almost as tall as the creation goddess herself. Ms. Anne, at first, offered the room for free, wanting to indulge the living legend who graced their large city. Naturally, the stubborn old blonde denied this, insisting on paying properly for food and lodging. Thus, she relented.

Not before she gave them twice the amount of food, rather than the amount the Builder asked for. A groan can be heard, as the other two ignore her and continue eating.

“Why are you upset? The people want to reward you for being ‘you’.” Nam is chewing on an apple, the red-haired girl had already finished eating some scrambled eggs and bacon earlier. A jug of orange juice sits on the table in their room. The blue-haired sister is of the same mind. Food to fuel their long incoming day.

“I agree, Ms. Builder. You should just embrace their kindness. Or are you saying you can’t accept the gifts of your beloved realm goers?” Divine flash raises an eyebrow, waiting for the annoyed boss to respond.

“Look. I never ask for offerings for a reason! I want to live and understand how the mortals live, how they feel.”

“But you are not a mere mortal, are you?” The older teenager begins pouring herself a glass of orange juice. Diana just pushes down the distracted goddess, getting on top of her.

“Ohhhhh well! Everything in life doesn't always work your way, does it! Stop being a downy and get on with breakfast. Or I will start to teas-”

“You wouldn't dare.”

“Oh I will. Now chop chop.” Suddenly, the arguing woman straightens up quickly, sits down, and eats some of the food that was given to them, making murmuring noises underneath her breath. What on earth did Diana mean by teasing, the two sisters wonder. Their only conclusion was that Diana was the one in charge of their “not relationship”.

Despite being such a genius, despite being a relatively good advisor and despite being excellent at combat, her lord was dense as a brick when it came to romance. Something the two would gradually help her out with over time.

With the complaints finally finished, the food that was given to them was eaten quickly. Diana cheerfully brings the leftover plates and tableware back to the owner. Ms. Anne is delighted.

“Oh how wonderful. Did you enjoy my cooking?”

“It was delicious. You could be a great cook, you know? Open your own restruaaannt!” The middle-aged woman disagrees.

“Never. It is so much work managing a restaurant, let alone the people that work for you. I will leave that to more capable hands rather than my own. I wouldn't be able to do that well at all, haha. But it doesn't matter, I am more worried about you girls. I hope you, our lord, and her new friends have a great rest of your day. I will be patiently awaiting your return in the evening.” Ms Anne bows and quickly walks off with the dirty dishes.

Something gets flung in the air. Diana catches it.

Looks like some strawberry hard candy, for the two queens of the almighty flavor. Diana smirks.

“How nice of her.” She winks at Ms Anne, who had flung the satchel off the side of that small waist with an orange tail. Showing off her dexterity, it seemed.

If only Diana was not head over heels for her lord, she would have taken this fox in a heart beat. Diana looks at her wiggling tail for a minute, mildly distracted.

“Look, hun. If you want to dance with this vixen, feel free. You and our lord are always welcome…to…” Ms Anne does not finish the sentence.

“O-oh I would never!” Diana is obviously lying. The fox woman does not believe a word that came out of that pretty mouth. A massive blush rises on that pretty face, making the immortal machine look away in embarrassment.

“Oh surrrrrre, sure you wouldn’t. Anyway, the offer stands.” The mature lady turns back around, going back to her business. Diana quietly excuses herself. She runs back into the room, secretly handing off the satchel to Nam.

“Shhh. Don't tell me lord we got more freebies. Her brain will explode from sheer frustration.”

“I would never, my fellow comrade.” The two whisper quietly. The Divine Hammer ignores them.

Up to no good, as expected. The Architect shrugs. No matter, the blonde-haired woman thinks. They have more important matters to tend to.

“Alright, our bellies are sated. Well, your bellies, I obviously don't need to eat. Now, for today’s agenda. I am going to have you two and Diana scout the outskirts of the Tower. Look for anything unusual that might be happening. And make sure to record it properly, my servant.” The three nod.

This woman really does make a good leader, doesn't she? They all think. They don't say this out loud, for her sake though.

One day.

One day, the Star of the Heavens will get it. Diana mentally sighs but externally nods happily. The bubbly servant grabs the hands of the sisters and they walk off merrily, doing a little gossip on the way out the door.

A little later, the goddess herself departs.

The builder rises into the air, searching. A head mounted visor activates. Today was the day.

Another day dealing with her sister. Oh, the blondie was not looking forward to their meeting.

“There you are, you piece of-” Star Breaker senses the Builder right before appearing in the front. Teleporting right into the view of the silver-eyed menace.

“Star Breakkkeeerrrrrr! You won’t get off easily this time!” Star breaker jumps backwards, barely dodging the reach of the rather pissed off android goddess.

“Ooops. You found me.”

“‘Oops?!’ Bitch, you dodged the meeting! Again! Where the hell have you been up to? And how the heck did you just magically find your way to this city? Oh, I have so many questions for your annoying ass.” Cracking her knuckles, she walks slowly towards that absent bitch. Star breaker attempts to fly away but a sharp impact from behind slams into her back, forcing the goddess to fall back on the ground. She then stomps on her back, preventing her from moving at all. Ongoers look mildly worried but then, after seeing who it was, decide there was not much to worry over. They resume walking past the quarrelling sisters. These two would never go all out around mortals, anyway. Despite their sibling rivalry and despite their different feelings about mortals, these two gods have enough sense not murder their own people while engaging in their scuffle. Doing something like that would make them no different from a cruel king who cares little for their subjects. The six stars of the starverse were of a higher caliber of being, much more civilized than rampaging animals that attacked their city.

Star Breaker, despite her rough exterior, was perhaps just as noble as the Builder. Though, the silver-haired machine would never admit this.

It was clear to the Builder that this great Star Lord was putting on a great act. But why? Why, oh why. The answer would not be simple, if there ever even was an answer.

“Now. Speak. And don't try to wiggle your way out of this, you actually need to explain yourself for once.” All that can be heard is groaning and frustrated noises that are coming from underneath that solid steel leg.

“Alright already! I was just in the nearby star system and followed your energy trail here. As for earlier, with that meeting. There was somewhere more important I had to be.“ Star Breaker responds casually. She can't tell this enraged sister, no, not any of the others yet.

About the seals. Some of the seals sealing the Ouroboros were beginning to unravel. Part of her purpose was reporting these aberrations to the Magician. Yes, the Magician of legend. The one told of in the children’s tales of the Demon Lord. Often told to scare kids into submission.

The Magician has been alive since then. Somehow. Star breaker couldn't really get a grasp on her the first time the two met. All she knows is the Magician needs help. And that enigmatic woman is not currently at full strength. For unknown reasons. Thus, an excuse was needed. It was far too early to reveal this to them, the other star warriors. Besides many of the other secrets that Star Breaker was hiding. The secretive goddess continues speaking, talking intently but clearly avoiding that which cannot be said.

For now.

“On the way, I found some more of those corrupted beasts. I slaughtered them. They were terrorizing villages on a nearby planet called Orexa. And I found something else.” Star Breaker slowly moves off the ground, Divi has slightly calmed down. Raising from the ground, a data record appears in her hand. And in the other, a piece of metal. A red and black piece of metal.

“Does this look familiar to you? Something about the energy that is coming off of it is. I can only describe it as ‘chaotic’.” Now, the blue-eyed goddess frowns. This was a reason for concern.

“Not directly but indirectly. It looks very similar to the armor worn by those machines coming from Lunace. What the hell is going on there? This shit is becoming worse and worse with each passing day. And of course, that goddess is nowhere to be found. Alright. I am not fully trusting your shifty self but come on. We need to find the others.” She forcefully looks at the silver haired android but this time, the Builder is surprised.

Full compliance. Wow, interesting. What made her so docile today, the android wonders.

The two walk together for once, not angry at each other. An impressive sight. Onlookers are shocked.

*

From above, unnoticed, these two are being watched. The Goddess of the Underrealm was suppressing her energy, blending in with the natives. To the two of them, nothing was seen amiss. The fake Demon Lord had sent her to observe them, to make sure they were heading towards that tower. The Chaos Knight had sent some of her drones over, killing some of the nearby wildlife surrounding it. That would be surely enough to pique their interest. The black-haired woman continues watching the two walk off in the distance, then out of sight.

“Soon. Soon they will awaken my lord. Then I’ll be able to prove myself. Prove my worth! Prove that I am one of the ‘chosen’! One that will lead the realms to victory against that ancient snake!” The Chaos warrior cackles, barely able to control herself, her inner untamed self was on full blast.

This woman was standing on an outward balcony, connected to a pub. The Goddess was on the second floor of this establishment, the place was called The Baronness. Owned by the drink baron of the city, it served alcoholic drinks, pub food and had some local entertainment like dancing, pool tournaments, and television monitors were all over this joint. Those ship races in the heavenly star realm always got these inferior mortals riled up, she thinks. Why get so attached to something so fleeting? Soon, there would not be time to waste on such things.

Soon, war would be thrusted upon all of them, a war they could not stop but one they will have to join in. The mortals could not sense her presence or that intense voice, really. The warrior seemed like a random drunkard to the rest of them.

“Puny mortals, we will lead you-” A cackling voice emerges behind her. Spinning around, she sees her. That damned woman. That bastard. Sitting in a chair nearby in the pub, only this dark-skinned woman with hazel-green eyes could hear it. This woman that could never be forgotten.

“Damn you! Magician! I could not even sense your presence and now you stand before me!”

“Darling, you mean I am sitting before you. Do I look like I am standing at the moment?” Briskly deflecting the anger directed towards her, the Magician, the white-haired woman sat in the chair smirking, with a large grin on her face. Almost as if the Chaos Knight was comedic.. The Magician laughs loudly and in a quite mocking manner, laughing hard and heartily. This sight nearly brought tears to her eyes.

“Stop laughing! Damn you piece of-! Nothing funny is happening at this moment! Damn damn damn stop cackling, daaaamnnn you! You heathen, you worm.” The expression shifted from one of rejoice to one of sheer livid anger. All in the matter of moments.

Clearly, this being was not to be trifled with. However, the chaotic android vastly underestimates the amount of danger she is being presented with. Not understanding the immense threat that was eyeballing her down. That ego prevented this.

“Hahahahaha! Why would I stop laughing? You, hahahaha, holy shit. Like, that was the dumbest thing I have heard in a long long time. And believe me, I am a little older than you, eh?” Magi was the epitome of beauty. Beautiful dark skin, long robes covered in strange magic symbols. That sparkling white hair that had red inner stripes, like a pure serene gradient. This lady was a true sight to behold. Yet, that expression on her face barely matched the pristine attire she wore. Not only was it one of bemusement it was also one of intensity. Almost like at this moment, she could barely hold her feelings back. The mysterious, enigmatic figure continues on, taunting the angry youth.

“I am so sorry, haha. I could barely hold back my laughter after listening to your petulant, delusional words. Thinking you can become one of the ‘Chosen’? With that attitude? With your demeanor? Thinking you can become a ‘hero’ all by yourself? A hero that tramples over everything in her path?” These words only further incite the chaos warrior, who can barely control her rage at the moment. The Knight of Chaos grips deeply onto the ledge of the balcony, crushing it slowly with her left, whiting knuckle.

“Get real! At this moment, look at yourself. Pathetic.”

“What do you know?! You don't understand how-” That sharp voice stops, no, commands her to stop.

“Oh I understand more than you even know, no, I understand everything about you! Where do you think you came from, oh great machine of Chaos? You don't even know your own origin, yet you claim to know more than I. One of the people that created you and those other machines.” She narrows her eyes but is not surprised.

This woman has this aura about them, this strange feeling. The energy flowing from the brown-eyed woman feels similar to her own, in some strange, ancient way. The female warrior could not deny this. The enigmatic woman carries on.

“Also, didn't I erase your memory? You recognized me the moment you saw me. Impressive warrior of Chaos! You somehow slightly resisted my magic, though, barely.”

“So it was true. I wasn’t losing my damn mind. All of this time for the last eight years, I felt like there was a memory gap! It was you, it was you! This must mean that you did the same thing to Nameless. Didn’t you?” Her response is a nod.

“Clever, Clever girl. Not clever enough though. You still think you are part of that myth, that you are one of the ‘five chosen’, don’t you? Impossible.” The Magician stands up, stretching those long, perfectly sculpted arms. The smirk fades, replaced by a serious, darker expression.

The true self of this awful woman.

At this moment, the irritated god knew that the Magician does not mince her words.

“You. Brimming with potential, like the others. But hardly any different from the monsters you slay. You, who is jealous of a young girl, who defeated you at the tender age of 8. You, who has such an obvious and remarkably embarrassing inferiority complex, being so desperate to become a hero cause you have nothing else! You have nothing else but your desire to rule over others. You barely even consider your friends allies; the machine of Chaos is nothing more than a tool to enact your feeble and twisted ideals. The Proctor unit is a sister in battle for you, here only to guide you towards victory. You, my dear, are weak not of body but of mind and spirit.”

Merely to prove the ancient sage’s assessment correct, the Chaos Knight draws her sword immediately and lunges straight at the Magician.

Not even waiting for her to respond.

Not even wanting to communicate.

Not even wanting to think, the Goddess of the Underrealm moves like an enraged beast.

How disappointing. The old woman thinks idly, as she easily moves out of the way. Then, stepping forward at a speed the younger goddess can’t see, the Magician thrusts her palm into that left elbow, with a magic seal in hand. Not only does it send the giant hunk of steel flying away, it forces the enraged warrior to their knees.

“W-what? How am I?” The black-haired enraged woman was temporarily crippled. That one strike somehow disrupted her motor functions and spirit energy, making her unable to move. The chaos warrior gasps out in pain, screaming loudly. The pain of a thousand knives is flowing all through her body at once, the sheer agony makes tears roll down that pitiful, pathetic face.

Sadly for her, no else can hear the knight. Nor would there be an ounce of pity in the older woman's eyes.

“Be lucky I didn’t hit you harder. I still need your delusional self for the plan, ugh.” The Magician groans, exhaling air outwards.

“Do you even know the full tale of that legend, passed down? How did you come across it, anyway?” This was somewhat troubling news. This master of magic had intentionally not revealed much of the plan except to the original ten machine angels. And the god machines. So, how on earth did this one figure this out. The elder woman had a suspicion but first needed to get some answers out of this angry child. Barely even acts her age, the Magician internally remarks.

“Why should I even tell you? What do you have to gain from this? You bastard.”

“I can always hurt you more, I do have quite the love for destruction. I am still holding back, holding back so much. Perhaps you want to be in more pain, hmm?”

“You are cruel. Crueler than me, I can’t even believe I am saying this, I have met someone more dangerous than me. Damn. Since you insist, the information was passed down from tribe to tribe in the under realm. I merely investigated. Those village elders told me bits and pieces. I suspect it is not the entire truth, as all legends tend to be a bit fragmentary in nature.” The Chaos warrior calms down, not because she wants to but because more pain is not the goal at this moment.

“Ohoho. Do tell more. The more you tell, the more likely I ‘might’ heal you.”

“Is this how you are going to treat the Star Warriors?” A chuckle creeps out of that horrifying face, then the oppressive being kneels down, staring at one of her creations.

“No, this is how you deserve to be treated, at this moment. You act like a beast, I will treat and bind you down like one. Your punishment was borne of your own actions and behavior.. No wonder why he thinks you are petulant.” Wisely, the petrified knight chooses not to ask who the powerful lady was speaking about. Instead, the terrified being continues talking. Finally, the pain is starting to ease, slowly. The Chaos Knight stays kneeling, not daring to piss off this being again.

“The details of the legend are as follows. Well, as far as I know, I have told the same to the Machine of Chaos. The five warriors of legend, five chosen by the gods. These five will band together, lead the universe to victory against the snake that has existed before time itself. The five stars consist of the Builder of the stars, the Divine Guardian, one who defends the innocent. The Divine star of speed, one who moves so fast, a flash appears after her every movement. The Divine Breaker, the star that aids them all from behind. And finally. The Divine Blade. A swordsman who knows no equal. A person that protects the innocent, one who believes in the spirit and mind of all, the warrior who inspires others to become sharper. All of those chosen will unite us all together, forming an unbreakable bond. One that can topple the mighty Ouroboros.” The woman sighs, relaxing as the frightened younger god has finally finished talking about the legend passed down for millions of years.

She is now completely sure.

It was not her nor the demon lord that spread this information around. No. It was the universe itself. Its will had been imparted on the living beings, to relay some of the truth to them. The great woman of magic was not completely shocked by this development but shrugged.

Even if they wanted to, it seemed she and her ancient allies could not hide every detail from the star warriors. The universe itself wanted help in its own, little way.

Too bad this one completely misinterpreted the legend. Nor does it say everything planned in their scheme.

“I see. Well, it is what it is. Some things just happen, like a branch falling from a tree. Despite our heavy planning, we cannot control everything. Such is life. And this, my dear Chaos Knight, is what I want you to remember. Just because you heard some legend doesn't mean all of it was true. Don’t misplace your faith in things. Things that don't pertain to you, anyway.” The woman who wore black and white royal robes has finally relaxed. The pain has finally ended, it was merely temporary.. But lasted long enough to make an impression. A strong one.

This woman. At first, the person may seem serene, peaceful even. But danger oozes out of her with ease, as if the destruction was merely being held back. Being controlled. The Living Sage speaks of creating things and schemes, but what of this overwhelming feeling of destruction? Intimidating wasn't the right word, terrifying was the proper one, the now somewhat scared woman thinks. The Magician notices and shrugs.

“Oh now now, don't get too scared. If I really wanted to kill you, I would have done that already.”

“I won't say. So, that means there is some truth to this ‘legend’, isn’t there?”

“Of course. There is truth in all things. But you have to find the truth yourself, otherwise, it's not as meaningful, hmm? You are not suitable to become one of the five ‘chosen’. But you are quite suitable for something else. Something else they will need, cause they lack that essence.”

“Essence? Hmm. I do not know what you mean, Magician.” In the only act of kindness she can muster, the Magician places her hand on the goddess' right shoulder, giving her a small genuine smile.

“That is for you to figure out on your own. Wouldn't mean anything if I told you! Now, now. As much fun as it was talking with you, I have places to be. We will meet again soon enough, Warrior of Chaos.” The giant sword that was sent flying has now been teleported in front of the Chaos Knight. A magic seal disappears shortly after it has been returned.

The elder sage stands, walking towards a door in the pub. The knight seems puzzled but suddenly. A strange crystal door appears, in place of the standard door on the other side of the room. The door opens, allowing the android goddess to see something bizarre.

A path made of strange, shimmering crystals. They seemed alive, humming and noisy. Boisterous with energy, formed from an unknown material. It looked very similar to that crystal tower she had seen off in the distance. Perhaps a pathway into it, the dark-skinned woman wonders. The Magician turns around one last time, waving, then quickly walks through the gateway. The door shuts behind her, dissolving into the ether. Only the view of the pub remains, no one had noticed anything different, other than the goddess. Clearly, the magic of this being far surpassed her own, easily being able to conjure such things or avoid detection. The Chaos Knight sighs.

“Welp, not like that woman was going to tell me anything else, anyway. But damn. How is she so strong, with so little effort? Such strength in such a small, lithe body. How deceptive. Well, I do not think I want to fight her again, any time soon.” The white-robed figure grabs the human sized piece of steel, placing it on their back. With little effort, the warrior stands once again. A red portal of energy appears in front of her.

“Back to Lunace, for now. I will await my older chaos sister there, as we planned earlier. I eagerly await her awakening.” The Goddess of the Underrealm vanishes the next moment, no one else the wiser.