CHAPTER 3.5: THE CASE OF NATASHA BELLINGSEN

***Somewhere in the Holy Palatial Gardens, a few hours earlier…***

“I know why you came to me,” was the greeting of the Demon Saint, Natasha Bellingsen, to the demon king-president and Usarved princess, Noir, the moment the latter appeared at her door. “I already explained it to everyone before; I am Cassandra David, the hero of Chersea from eons ago. And if you wanted me to give you proof, I’d tell you…the first of the Usarveds, my faithful maid and your ancestor, Abigail, I’m pissed at her.”

The Usarved princess let herself in, and following the cue of the Demon Saint, she sat on one of the nearby chairs. While the statement of the Lady Natasha surprised her, Noir summoned her courage to keep asking, “May I know why, Your Holiness?”

“Ah, tangina, lagi na lang sya nakikialam sa akin,” (Ah, that bitch, she’s always fussing around me,) Natasha said in Filipino. Though she uttered those, there was a poignant smile on her face, rather than actually getting irritated. “Pero masaya pa rin kahit ganun…kahit sabihin na nating, nag-iisa lang ako bilang tao sa Cherflammen.” (But it’s fun though, even if I’m the only human in Cherflammen.)

“Mukhang magkaibigan talaga kayo ng kalola-lolahan ko…” (Looks like you and my great grandmother are really close friends…)

“Oh, damn right we are!” the Demon Saint reverted to Chersean, “We’d always exchange magazines of muscle men! In fact, it was Abigail who introduced me to those stuff!”

“M-My apologies for my ancestor tainting your holiness!”

“No, no! Don’t be so flustered about it,” Natasha laughed. “Look, even though I’m the saint, it’s not like I don’t have my own ‘dark’ desires. Abigail just helped me through it, and for that, I’m thankful.”

A moment of silence followed, as Noir kept on asking herself whether she should bring out the questions she had in mind. Natasha, on her part, was aware of the Usarved princess’ thoughts, as she had been looking into the former’s mind ever since she entered her room. The Demon Saint saw the issues she had to address, and determined that it was best for Noir to be the one to ask first.

Soon, the Usarved princess spoke, “Your Holiness, I’d been wanting to ask this ever since the Saint of the Flame revealed your identity. Uhm, why?”

“The human body is full of limitations,” Natasha replied. “While the gods made the humans extremely adaptable to their environment, they soon realized that with long lives, they pose a threat to the other races. So, they gave them limitations. And I, as I look for ways to return to my world, concluded that my human body can’t live for that long. My solution is to transfer my thoughts—no, my soul—into a demon body, which is comparable to the elves’ lengthy lives. This is how ‘Natasha Bellingsen’ was born.”

“You mean Natasha Bellingsen is another person? And you took over her body?”

The Demon Saint shook her head, “No, ‘Natasha Bellingsen’ is only an invented person, a fake name I created so I can fool everyone else that Cassandra David is already dead. You know, Gaius and Seirna were both scheming against me even after that god stepped down from his heavenly authority, so I have to change identity. However, they eventually learned the truth, anyway.”

“I’m surprised that they only moved against you now.”

“Well, while we’re engaged in a ‘silent war’, there came a complication.”

“Which is?”

“The current Human Saint, Madelaine Ann Rubinforth. Truth be told, Lady Madelaine is not meant to be a saint. However, Gaius’ wife—the Lady Arame, or the ‘Seductress’—schemed to grab the god-power herself, starting with the god-power of healing. So, she inserted her ‘child’, Maddie, in the timeline and the sainthood. And we know what happened next. Several years ago, she was to be ‘eliminated’ by the Timeline itself, by killing herself so the ‘real’ saint is elected in her place. However, it didn’t happen…”

“Because?”

“My teacher, Sir G, intervened.”

“Greg Santos? Sir Kuro?”

Natasha nodded, “Sir G—as I love to call him—was summoned by the Lady Madelaine before she committed the act. And you know him; there was a time when a former student and friend of his committed suicide, and it stuck to him ever since. He’d always tell us while he’s our teacher, he won’t allow anyone to kill themselves, even at the cost of his rest time. And you know what? He really did what he said!”

“I’ve only been his student for a short time, but I knew everything you say, Your Holiness,” Noir smiled. “The Lord Greg is someone who tries his best to do what he says, even if it inconveniences him.”

“Right, no?” then, suddenly, the Demon Saint fell silent.

Worried about her sudden pause, the Usarved princess asked, “Your Holiness…i-is there, uhm, something wrong?”

“No, I just remembered something,” Natasha replied. “You know, whenever me and my classmates are in trouble, Sir G would always be there to help us. As what you said, even if it disturbs him, he would still appear to back us up. Goodness, and to think me and my classmates took him for granted…”

“Yep, that’s typical Sir Greg.”

“Indeed. And that’s why back then, you know, when the god, Gaius, stepped down from his heavenly pedestal and surrendered his authority, the High King of the Gods offered his god-powers to me…”

“I didn’t know of that, Your Holiness!”

“You don’t have to, for I refused it.”

“Oh…”

“Yes,” Natasha let out another laugh. “Because, looking back at my decisions, I know I’m not fit to be a goddess. See, I nearly destroyed your people, relying on a one-sided account of events. I went through the genocidal whims of Gaius, simply because I trusted him for being a god. And I was fooled by his wife, Lady Arame—or the ‘Seductress’—because of my single-minded desire to avenge myself for my errors. Tell me, will you even trust the safety of your world to a person easily-swayed like me?”

To that, the Usarved princess had no answer.

“So, when I refused, I thought of someone more worthy of becoming god instead of that narcissist, Gaius…”

Noir’s eyes widened in surprise, “Your Holiness, you mean…”

“Yes, the reason Sir G came into this world is that I wanted and trusted him to be Chersea’s god,” the Demon Saint admitted. “However, he’s already dead, and we have even forgotten about his existence for six years…”

The demon-king president found herself speechless at the revelation. Then, just as Natasha was about to break the ice…

“!!!”

“Natasha!” it was Ruro, who teleported into her room. “Come quick! We can feel Maddie’s bloodlust oozing out!”