Preparations

“Guys…I’m really sorry about this.” Everyone gulped, staring at Nona with their breaths held. And then, Nona looked at Adish with an apologetic grimace. “Wild draw four. Uno!”

“COME ON, AGAIN?! Shit, it’s not fair. I was about to win!”

“BWAHAHA! Serves you right for your previous dirty cheating, four-eyes.”

“For the hundredth time, former playboy god: I don’t know how you used to play Up There, but on Earth you can stack draw-two-cards WITHOUT being considered cheating!”

“This time I must agree with the mage. We elves have always played this way too.”

“Uhm…I’m sorry, guys, but I have just checked in my bestiary the description of the Uno Monster and according to its stats, it never does two consecutive draw-two-cards attacks. So I believe Thorny is right this time.”

“H-Hah?! Vesper, which side are you on?!”

“OK, first of all: HAHA, take that you cheaters! And second: an Uno Monster? Where the heck did you fight something like that?” As soon as Nona and Vesper opened their mouths to answer, Thorny snorted, sulking. “Nevermind. Of course it had to be in the South Continent.”

Nona smiled at Thorny apologetically. “Don’t worry, Thorny. When we finish here, we’ll go there together.”

“Tsk, with ‘finish here’ you mean this game?” Adish murmured, reluctantly drawing four new cards. “Because at this rate it’s never going to end.”

A couple of knocks sounded on the trapdoor leading to the attic before it opened.

“Hey mom!” Nona smiled while showing her only card. “I’m winning again.”

Her mother chuckled and shook her head. Her curls - which were as Nona’s, but with abundant gray tones - followed the motion. "That's why your siblings never want to play: you always win at the very last second.” She kept smiling, but her eyes showed anticipation. “Satan just arrived.”

Nona’s heart skipped a bit. She looked at her group, who nodded.

“It seems like it’s finally time to kick that Goddess’ ass.” Thorny smirked widely. “I’m gonna check real quick that your pops didn’t forget to pack his famous chicken wings!”

Lorian sighed when Thorny disappeared through the trapdoor. “He is way more dangerous now that he is free to go wherever he wants.”

It took them almost another half-an-hour to leave the house though, because all Nona’s siblings had been staying there for the past few days, and also her numerous nephews and nieces, so it took her a while to say goodbye to everyone.

Once they were all outside the house, she looked at them with affection. They all had done their best to make sure she was ready for the upcoming battle:

Aliana and Octo had prepared bandages and healing ointments for everyone.

Maurice had created special boxes that allowed them to store even more objects per empty space in their magic backpacks.

Bonnie and Helga had created a special outfit for Nona that was as sturdy as possible without sacrificing agility.

Quincus had combed Nona’s hair in a beautiful ponytail - he was a hairdresser.

Sexta and her mother had put their blacksmith abilities to use in order to create a replica of the short sword Nona had to offer for Thorny’s ritual - to the latter’s dismay, they had even kept the rusty design, something Nona absolutely loved.

Septimus had been in charge of drawing sigils that would allow Nona to summon without having to actually create the magic circle every time.

And finally, her father had prepared a heap of take-away food for everyone to recover energy during combat - including a dozen of chicken-wings for Thorny.

“Thank you, everyone.” Nona felt a small lump forming in her throat while looking at her family. “I’m so lucky to have you all. I promise I will win.”

“Instead of that, promise you will come back in one piece,” Nona’s father said, his mustache trembling slightly with emotion.

Nona laughed and hugged him again.

“Don't worry, dad. I promise I’ll come back just in time to blow out the candles on the super tasty cake you have made me.”

Establishing conditions for the Ultimate Battle that were satisfying for both parts had been quite a struggle. But eventually, they convinced the Goddess to accept giving them as much time as they needed to finish any pending business, such as recruiting allies for their cause, or visiting their respective families.

As a result, an entire month had passed since Nona challenged the Goddess.

And fate wanted that the day of the battle was going to be held the day Nona turned eighteen.

“That’s what I call celebrating your adulthood in style,” Thorny joked as they finally left Nona’s home.

They had to actually convince Satan that he had to come back with them, because the dog was having a blast playing with Nona’s nephews and nieces.

Thanks to Orelgald’s extensive knowledge - and later on, also thanks to Red - they had managed to establish several portals across the Continents, which allowed them to connect the places they had visited.

The portal waiting for them right outside Nona’s home was one of them, and it led them directly to the meeting point, sited in that other dimension where The Dawn Rift took them - Nona secretly called the place Monster Land even if the others thought it was a too childish name.

The area they arrived at was different from where they landed the first time they were in Monster Land: a wide beach area that directly led to an open ocean, over which increasingly high, floating platforms were spread until getting lost in the distance.

Nona took a deep breath, looking at the area that soon was going to become their battleground. An area where a motley crowd was waiting for them.

“You’ve gathered quite a bunch of crazy followers, leader,” Thorny patted her head playfully, but admiration was present in his next serious words. “You should be proud.”

“Are you nervous, now the moment has come?” Vesper asked softly.

“A little bit. But I know that we’re going to win. And I’ll make sure that all of us will come from this alive.” She rapidly raised her hand when she saw Adish and Lorian opening their mouths. “And yes, I know that it’s a bit too optimistic, considering the battle waiting ahead. And also that all our allies are ready to give their lives for the cause. But I don’t care. I’m not letting anyone die. Period.”

Adish exhaled an impressed laugh at the last definitive word. “Okay, okay, I get it. Today I will completely drop my usual pessimistic attitude.”

“I reckon that if there is someone capable of doing impossible things, that is certainly you.” Lorian smirked with amusement. “And considering that you have managed to make elves and humans collaborate despite their old rivalry, I am certain there is nothing you cannot achieve.”

Nona smiled, looked at every member of her group, and nodded with determination before finally joining the crowd.

* * *

“Alright, before proceeding, I am going to review the established rules one last time–”

“Argh, again?! Enutrof, we’ve reviewed them a thousand times already! I don’t want to hear them anymore! I just want to get over this as fast as possible!”

“Ooof, Enut is this close to losing his patience with The Goddess,” Thorny snickered from the first line where Nona and her main group were waiting. “A little push and maybe he joins our side.”

“Well, I am sure that our good druid could convince him if she tries,” Lorian said, smirking. “They seemed to get quite along during the meetings we had to establish the rules after all.”

“Damn, now I almost regret not having been present,” Adish said with disappointment.

“What? Really?!” Nona stared in disbelief at a blushing Vesper, regretting not having been present during those meetings either - basically because the minor gods didn’t trust the Goddess to keep her word of not trying to hurt her before the battle started. “But you didn’t tell me anything! That’s unfair, Vesper, I gave you all the details about how I fell in love with Aecor!”

“Please, bestiary girl, please, you have to seduce Enutrof. If he also falls for a human I’m going to be pestering him about it for the rest of his immortal life, hehehe.”

“I-I’m not going to seduce him for your satisfaction, Thorny! And Nona, I swear I didn’t tell you because there’s nothing to tell yet!”

“Yet?” Adish grinned when the slip put a mortified expression in Vesper’s face. “Poor Aunaf and Arolf: your faith switched sides just because Enutrof is hotter–”

Adish was forced to rapidly crouch behind Nona to avoid a hit from the blushing druid.

By then Enutrof had finished enumerating the battle rules, so Nona and her group gained focus again, the air now thick with anticipation.

“Alright, in that case, good luck to the challengers,” Enutrof continued, raising his hand. “The Ultimate Battle between Nona and the Goddess starts…now!”