GOLDEN CITY

When both of them reached the glimpse of light, their eyes were immensely shocked of the scenery,

"Wha-what's going on?!"

As the Goddess's eyes looked down, she witnessed that they were standing on an endless pond of a clear blue sky.

Genocide looked above and he pointed his hand,

"Hey Thamy? Is that?"

When Thelamia looked up her eyes turned wide,

"A FLOATING CITY?!"

Above them were inverted mystical structures made out of gold. The shining buildings spanned wide such as it was an otherworldly metropolis. A city that was made by the prime fruits of magic, culture and fantasical industrialization that was rich in milk and honey.

Both of them were just frozen in awe.

Genocide looked around, but nothing was there but the mist of the vague skies,

"I guess she trapped us Thamy."

Thelamia looked hesitant since it may seem they were cornered, but she took one step at the infinite pond. She didn't fall, instead her feet felt like she was just walking on top of a solid ground,

"Hey! I'm not falling! Let's go forward Geno!"

Genocide nodded,

"Well, if you say so Thamy, but we should still take precautions."

While they were walking slowly and carefully, they were looking above, as they were truly fascinated. More and more shimmering temples of mystery were seen through their eyes.

Genocide scratched the back of his head,

"I haven't seen these kind of buildings coated in gold ever in my life."

Thelamia touched her lips, while they were traversing the unknown plane,

"Mmmmhh, if I remember correctly. The divine council told me and Julie that Athlus wasn't a newly created world. But, a reformed world from an old world."

That sudden moment, both of them heard the echoing words of the terrifying Faraia throughout the area of infinity,

"That is correct my junior. What you see now is the replicated kingdom of Faragland, using the magic I've gained from the blind followers of your people."

Thelamia made a long face,

"They're blind followers to you huh."

Though, Genocide looked puzzled,

"Kingdom of Fara...Faragland..."

Suddenly, he remembered something and crossed his arms,

"Yeah, I had heard of those legends. A legendary kingdom that was prosperous than any existing kingdom. A place made out of pure gold and silver. I just wonder how it suddenly vanished."

Faraia sighed,

"Now that is confidential matters, traitor Genocide."

Thelamia waggled her finger close to his face,

"Yea Geno! There are some things we shouldn't tell to mortals. Even some things that deities can't know from the other deities."

Faraia agreed,

"Yes, just like the hidden history of Athlus written in riddles and legends."

Then, she made a long winding sigh,

"Yet, mortals have the tendency to twist the truth, just for their own benefit. Just like deities."

Genocide scratched his chin of intrigue,

"Divinities ain't that much different from us mortals then."

Faraia giggled,

"Yes, that much I agree. So why not join me again, my hero Genocide? Since, we have a common ground."

Genocide tipped his hat with a grin,

"Nahhh sorry. But, I'll still stick with Thamy."

His hand patted Thelamia's adorable head,

"Besides, I just can't let this innocent Goddess run free in a world tons of tricksters. She'll be easily caught in their trap."

When Thelamia heards those valiant words from her companion, she was filled with wishful desires,

"Geno..."

He grinned and pointed above as he was a silly rockstar,

"Because I'm a trickster myself! So I know if my Goddess is being tricked by a trickster!"

In an instant, Thelamia's expectations of him simmered down the drain, even inside her mind,

"Yea, Geno's a trickster, but atleast he's a nice trickster."

Yes and that's how you'll be easily tricked, you stupid Goddess.

Sadly, Faraia was just infuriated by Genocide's response,

"Uuuurgh! You're truly getting on my nerves."

After that, Thelamia and Genocide could no lnger sense the vocal presence of Faraia. Thereupon, the two companions, continued to traverse the place of unclear destination. As they continued deeper, Thelamia made a sorrowful face, as she noticed something unnerving,

"Geno, it really feels there's no life around here."

Suddenly, Thelamia bonked her head into something,

"Oww!"

Then, her butt fell on the ground.

Genocide was concerned and tried to get her up,

"What's wrong Thamy?"

He pushed his hand at the destination that Thelamia was heading at. Somehow, he felt that his hand was touching a wall that couldn't be seen by the naked eye.

Thereon, he was convinced,

"Tch! Magical barriers."

Soon, they heard the reverberating voice of the proud Faraia once more,

"How do you like my kingdom's inventions? I'm sure you'll be even more pleased my junior and my EX-lover Genocide. Ciao!"

Then, Faraia's voice vanished into the fray.

Genocide had stumbled in his thoughts, analyzing the sitaution they were in.

Thelamia felt her head and looked up. There, she saw that just right above them was a vacant street that was stretching in a figure of a snake,

"A serpent trail?"

Genocide scratched the back of his head,

"What do you mean Thamy?"

When he looked above, his mind's gears ran like clockwork. He traversed the same route as the serpent's trail above them without any problems whatsoever.

Thelamia was surprised,

"How come you didn't bump into anything Geno?"

Genocide tipped his hat,

"Thamy, I think we can solve this puzzle game. Maybe?"

Later on, they witnessed that a swarm of floating cubes with metal wings of annihilation descended from the city of mythical proportions.

Those strange creations aimed their glowing red eyes at Thelamia and Genocide as they were targets.

Thelamia brought out her prized dagger that was attached to a chain,

"Geno? I think those scary cubes aren't here to welcome us."

The monsters made out of otherworldly steel burst out their laser beams at Thelamia. In a snap, her skin was saved, as Genocide came to her rescue unscathed.

Afterwards, Genocide nodded and unsheathed his blade of breathing chaotic flames,

"Yeah. These must be the monsters that Faraia had, in her world."

Not much soon, Genocide and Thelamia let loose a lot of strikes and smites at the cubes of hostility. Thelamia was brandishing her weapon as a whip. As for Genocide he was slicing and dicing those tiny automatons such as he was just cutting down meat. More so, he was letting his weapon breathed out its flames as it was a flamethrower. Thereon, the enemies were also barbecued into perfection. Flames, blades, laser shots spread out and went wild around the odd battleground of the skies.

Soon, Faraia's voice with a haughty grin echoed once again,

"Those things are not exactly monsters, but weapons of war that my people created to crush their own selves."

Thelamia was suddenly enraged,

"WHY WOULD YOUR PEOPLE CREATED THESE JUST TO DESTROY THEMSELVES!"

Faraia made a sigh of silence,

"You still know nothing, my inexperienced junior."

Then, Thelamia and Genocide continued to dodge the intense beams of their foes, while crushing them down into smithereens.

As for Faraia, she just flapped her mouth non-stop,

"Well, I'm sure you already noticed that, during the CRYSALIS WAR and rebellion of those lords."

Thelamia impaled another threatful cube to her right,

"Just for power and domination? People had to destroy themselves just for that?!"

Faraia hummed,

"Ask that to the king Zero himself."

Sooner or later, Thelamia and Genocide felt that the reinforcements had stopped coming and the air of battle ceased. Both of witnessed that the metal sheets of the destroyed cube-like contraptions were around their wake.

Genocide sheathed his weapon,

"Let's go Thamy."

Then, he made a thumbs up,

"Oh and I think, I figured this place's strange layout."

Thelamia tilted her head, as she was a dumbstruck girl

"What do you mean Geno?"

Genocide crossed his arms,

"While the place we see is upside-down, it's actually a false mirror."

Thelamia's eyes turned wide,

"Meaning, we're inside the city this whole time?!"

He tipped his hat in response,

"Most likely."

Later on, Genocide and Thelamia continued to traverse the illusionary city as Genocide suggested. Both of them moved along the sky beneath them, while they were following the diverging paths of the illusionary city above.

When there was a winding pathway above them, they took the same route the same as above. As Genocide expected, they went through the place smooth-sailing. They they weren't obstructed by the invisible barriers. Thereon, both of them were able to move forward without any problems.

Not much soon, Thelamia was filled with jumping glee,

"Yup! You're right Geno! We didn't bump into any strange walls!"

Then, they heard an echoing slow clap of Faraia along the pillars of the city,

"Bravo! Bravo! Bravo. Now that's what I would expect from a hero who uses his wits instead of his brawns. You're truly lucky to have him by your side, my inexperienced junior. But..."

Faraia hummed,

"Your luck might've ran out."

In front of their eyes, a gargantuan hunk of steel fell in front of them and blocked their path. The seismic shock was too strong and made Genocide to lose his feet's grip. Sadly, Thelamia fell out of balance.

She trembled in utter fear as she saw the shade of a huge monster,

"I-is that a huge r-robot?!"

Faraia agreed,

"Yes. Say hello to a perfect pet I've created from scratch, using the papers left by my deceased people."