Chapter 26 - We are all one in the same

The ceiling crumbled, rubble and dust kicked around, causing everyone to cough violently.

“Huh?” In a moment of confusion, Layla could see golden threads, surveying the room and dancing with one another as if each one was alive. A thread brushed her face, she could feel a nostalgic warmth from it, one she could not recall ever feeling.

“What now!?” Conrad questioned, using the shield to protect everyone from debris.

“The Demon King is back!” Audrey observed. “Be ready men!”

The dust began to calm, settling as those in it were well hidden.

“Hmm. Demon King... Much more assertive than God.”

The voice of a familiar male had everyone concerned, even as the dust filled their lungs, they kept quiet.

With the golden threads that spanned the room retracting, the dancing dark flames kept their attention.

“W... What...” Audrey stuttered.

The dust had cleared. Standing before them was those left above. The siblings were hurt as they crawled over the rubble. Onizuka saved himself from a nasty fall with his chains, and the three in the middle of the chaos had the group dumbfounded.

“Toshiro! Are you working with the Demon king now!?” Layla shouted with her tears from earlier flying off her face.

Mallory stood by Toshiro's side, her expression was not of the authority she had wielded earlier, but of similar confusion to their own. Besides Toshiro’s darkened appearance, what was held his hands, cradled like a princess was an unfamiliar woman.

“Toshiro you bastard! You brought Narisha to this world!?” Onizuka cursed from his chained hammock, glaring down onto the shadowed body.

Toshiro’s white grin spanned his face. He stared over to the Goddess, Elvire could only met his gaze with pure terror and sadness.

“There you are... Goddess.” His words chilled those around to their core, his presence was on par with the Demon kings.

He took a step, wandering over to Elvire.

“Why.... Why did you bring her here...?” Elvire was speechless, Toshiro kept his stride, carrying an equally scared Narisha.

“Hm?” Toshiro kicked something at his feet, soft in nature. “Oh... It looks as though the sadist met her end.”

Narisha was confused by his words, reflexively, she looked down to meet his attention. The sight terrified her.

The dead woman on the ground was covered in blue and red, brushed and wide eyed. Narisha hid the world from sight by embracing Toshiro’s flames, not feeling warmth or coldness as they danced around her.

“Who is that...? What are you doing...?” Layla questioned, unable to make sense of the events.

“You!” Elvire walked forward, the warriors were too afraid to hold her back. “You! You!”

Elvire gritted her teeth, tears still poured down her face.

“I’m guessing you’re sad to see a soul experience true death.” Toshiro observed, glaring down at the corpse. “I guess you never change Elvire.”

“Huh...” The Goddess was taken aback but let her mind calm. "You would bring her here... You finally started to understand... You finally stared to live!”

Elvire continued to cry, facing Toshiro with both anger and pity.

“I guess I should thank you, Elvire...” Toshiro met her gaze. “For that, I’ll return the favor.”

Golden threads danced off his body, spiraling towards Discordia’s body.

“GASP!”

Discordia’s body flew up, she grasped at her own throat, coughing up blue and red blood.

“W... What...” The room sat in true silence, only Discordia’s revival made noise.

“You... You...” Elvire trembled.

“Now you no longer need to grieve.” Toshiro stated, Discordia looked around in confusion, then onto her savior.

“T- Toshiro...” She stuttered.

“Wait... Did she not experience true death...? Can my father-?”

“No.” Elvire cut off Audrey’s wishful thinking. “A soul can never come back...”

The group could not understand Elvire’s confident words, they stared at the evidence that sat before them.

“I’m... Alive...?” Discordia stood up, staring at her body. “I feel my mind is not my own. But I am unmistakably me...”

Discordia’s words threw everyone into a loop, Onizuka had the most concern.

“I gave you this body... One of my past lives...” Toshiro stated.

“Huh?” The room murmured, confused even more.

“Hm. I feel conflicted meeting myself. Reincarnation is so weird. ”Discordia stated, flexing her fingers as if they were new to her. “But I do have to say, it feels nice being out of the cumulation.”

Toshiro smirked.

“What is happening!? What are you up to Toshiro?” Audrey pointed her blade at the shadow figure, not knowing of the situation but confident Toshiro was not on their side.

“Hm? Oh, you all don’t really understand reincarnation, do you?”

“Huh?” Audrey snapped, feeling Toshiro’s ego in his words.

“You all choose to defeat the demon king, come to new lands with special powers gifted to you. Never once did you understand what it was you were up against.” Toshiro stated.

“We are here to fulfil the Goddess’s wish! And we intent to commit to that!” Wilfred joined the front, letting his angry gaze stare down Mallory who stood back confused and cautious by her father's nature.

“Then... Goddess.” Toshiro faced Elvire. “Who is this in my arms?”

Narisha let her head peek up, turning to the group and looking to them.

“That... That’s me...” Elvire bit her lip, confusing everyone even further.

“And how are you able to be multiple people at once?” Toshiro let his question infest the minds of those around, itching their minds.

“I... I...” Elvire gritted her teeth.

“You are all of us. Every soul directly comes back to you.” Toshiro stated.

“Huh?” All attention diverted onto Elvire, Mallory let her expression furrow.

“The cycle of reincarnation has to start from somewhere. A soul can’t be made from nothing. So... You split yourself, engraving a part of yourself into ever new person that is born. Watching them grow and develop beyond what you could ever be.”

“That’s not true!” Elvire pleaded.

“You trap us in this cycle because you’re alone. You’ve always been alone.”

“STOP!” Elvire gripped at herself, her arms shook as those around watched.

“You don’t know yourself. You a question that you could never answer without help. Not because you’re incapable, but because you’re scared.”

“Please! Please just stop!” Elvire dropped to her knees, tears hit the floor as Toshiro wandered over.

Narisha stared, watching the red-haired beauty lose control of her emotions, feeling a sense of familiarity, remembering a pristine crib in a dirty apartment. Pushing herself away from Toshiro, she was let go softly, catching herself on the rubble and walking towards the sad girl.

Toshiro merely stared. “All this time I’ve been bored. Stuck with nothing to hold my attention, nothing to distract myself with.”

The warriors stood still as Narisha walked calmly past them, unsure of what to do.

“Turns out, what I really wanted was answers. What did it mean to be alive, how did it feel. You helped guide me. You joined me in a new life just for me to use you to escape it. I didn’t take a moment to notice how much I burdened you.”

Elvire trembled, her small body was tense from all the emotions swirling inside her. She felt a warm hand on her back, one with compassion she had never felt before.

“I’m sorry I took your love for granted. I’m sorry I made you feel the need to escape into the arms of another man.” Toshiro’s flame flickered, the person occupying Discordia’s body looked down in shame.

Onizuka felt his mind spin to Toshiro’s words, staring to Narisha and the Goddess.

“I understand why we are here. I understand now what it means to be alive.” Toshiro turned to Mallory, her expression was stiff and furrowed, a deep emotion lingered.

“When two soul's merge they take the lessons of their experiences and cram them together. Conflicting on what the truth is in a never-ending recursion.” Toshiro spoke, Mallory’s golden eyes flared fierce in response. “But the truth is we are far from getting where we want to be. We are only here because this is where our story needed to come to.”

“Toshiro... What... What are you saying...?” Layla froze. His words scared her for reasons she didn’t know yet she did.

“What he’s saying is we’re close.” Narisha lifted Elvire’s head up, meeting her tear-filled face with a genuine smile. “We’re close to finishing this long journey.”

The woman's words felt natural and comforting, everyone felt a sense of belonging behind them.

“Mom... Dad...” Audrey uttered, unsure as to why now her tears were strong, ones she never felt even in their deaths.

“Elvire... You are not the Goddess of reincarnation...” The room perked up to Toshiro’s words, Elvire looked from Narisha’s kind smile to Toshiro’s flickering body. “You... Are the Goddess of birth.”