The Unnecessary Soldier (1/2)
-An undetermined amount of time later-
Freyya doesn't know when or how it happened, but Das found out that she's making another Mantling Ritual.
As a response to her newest threat, Das began to blockade Freyya from visiting Haalfrin's world – all by eliminating war from that world.
For roughly 3,000 years, Freyya had to be content with being exiled from his world. She's not too worried about her plans being wasted, since her conversations with Yiirkavar has only assured her that her chance would come.
Whenever Das saw her acting calm, he'd always shake his head and say something like, "Don't keep your hopes up. I've divined the future 'till by eyes have bled, and I know you won't see Haalfrin again until he dies. Forget about visiting his world and doing your Mantling Ritual."
Freyya, however, never takes Das's words to heart. He may be the god of Death by time, but Yiirkavar is the literal God of Time, and the latter told her that her chance would come, so long as she's patient.
'If I had to pick who's future divination to trust more, I'd obviously choose the prophecy from the literal God of Time.'
So, she watched and waited quietly.
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Roughly 3,000 years passed by, and through some special means, Freyya finds out that Das's Death god powers are in serious decline now. 'Maybe I can defeat him now?' she wonders. 'If I'm stronger than him, then he can't stop me from visiting Haalfrin's world by force.'
'Hmm… I can't manifest my avatar in Haalfrin's world, since nobody is dying of war there. I'd have to manifest on the world nearest to him, then travel there physically, without using a World Gate.'
'But… I can't travel very far outside of Death Aura. Even if somebody gets killed in a nearby world, there's no way there'd be enough Aura for me to travel all the way to Haalfrin.'
'I'll just have to get a little creative…'
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Part of her "creative solution" was to raid the Death King's vault and take away several important items. She's a high ranking goddess, so gaining access to the vault was quite easy. Making her escape with these valuable items was also easy, since the only person in the Death King's palace that has enough balls to stop her is the King himself.
What IS it that Freyya stole from the Death King? Of course, it was all the Death Keys that the Death gods have confiscated from all the rogue necromancers that they've caught over the years.
Death Keys ARE illegal items, and necromancers often try to make them. Naturally, any Death Key found is kept securely in the King's own vaults.
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With these Death Keys secured, Freyya waits for a battle to happen in the world of her choice.
Once she manifests in the swath of Death Aura, she hardly even looks at the ruined battlefield around her.
Instead of doing her job and collecting these souls, she flies to the sky, exits the atmosphere, and leaves that world behind her completely.
Even to get this high up, she's had to use her fine mana control to stretch the Death Aura from the battlefield up this high.
Once Freyya gets so far away that she can't stretch the Death Aura out anymore, she pulls out a Death Key and smiles sinisterly. 'I know a lot of people had to die to make these things, but perhaps they'll be used for something ethical this time. How ironic.'
Without hesitation, Freyya activates the Death Key, and a giant, black portal opens up in the middle of space, and a torrent of Black Death Aura pours out of the gate.
Feeing invigorated again, Freyya spends a moment to recharge her power in the thick Aura before flying further on her journey.
'I've got nearly 20,000 Death Keys here… That should be more than enough to make the rest of the trip to Haalfrin. It'll just take a few hundreds years, though…'
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Freyya doesn't know when it happened, but Das seems to have been tipped off to what Freyya is doing.
Some allies who owe him favors start showing up and trying to destroy her avatar – mostly gods from the living Realm whom Das has given a longer life.
However, even a mere avatar from Freyya has more power than these gods. With her sharp spear, she personally reaps the souls of any gods stupid enough to try stopping her.
After that, some Death gods start finding the other ends of the Death Realm portals that Freyya is making, and they come through.
Just like the other gods, Freyya defeats them each in turn.
Things start to get complicated when Das shows up. Despite being greatly weakened, that man is still much more powerful than Freyya…
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When asked what it's like to float in space, right above a world's atmosphere, many gods say that the experience isn't as scary as they initially thought it was going to be. Being in a stable orbit, one doesn't have the sensation of falling, and looking at the colorful planet down below is quite soothing. The blue glow from the atmosphere gives the whole experience a magical feeling.
However, things start to enter the realm of horror when you lose sight of any moons, planets, or even nearby stars. The feeling the nearest celestial body being a galaxy makes one feel so hopelessly lost that it feels like death's fangs are already gripping your exposed neck.
It's in this special stretch of space that colossal flashes of light illuminate the black space – each explosion akin to a dying star.
Alas, each of these explosions are too far away from any planet for anyone to witness this… - well, anyone except for the parties involved.
With each swing of her spear, white hot fire is swung out in a great, colorful arc that stretches across space. With each flap of her black feathered wings, torrents of black Death Aura exudes from her and is scattered into the black void.
"DAAAAAAAS!!!" Freyya screams to the silent, unanswering void, "STOP HIDING, YOU COWARD!! GET BACK HERE AND LET ME BEAT YOU UP!!"
'Enough, little Freyya,' Das's voice speaks into her mind, 'Our King wants his Death Key's back. In fact, he wants YOU in his office. Right now. Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you're in?'
"NO! You're not taking me back!" Freyya growls.
Knowing that she can't fight him, Freyya tries escaping.
Normally, she'd just go back and be content that this wasn't her chance to meet Haalfrin again. However, after learning what Das may have planned for Haalfrin – how much danger her husband is really in, she can't help but desperately try to reach him as soon as possible.
Indeed, her dear husband is in great danger – not the "DEATH" kind, but the "erased from existence" kind. 'I have to reach him now! I have to get him out of that stupid school that Das has gotten him teaching in!'
Unfortunately, just as she's starting to pick up speed, a pair of old, withered hands latches on tightly to one of her wings, and she's yanked back.
"Enough playing around," Das's voice whispers in her left ear, "You're coming with me. Oh, and the Death King says that you're grounded."
Freyya's face goes red with anger, and it looks like a vein is about to burst on her forehead. "$#%^#@#$#!!!!!!!!!!!"
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Many years pass, and Haalfrin cycles through many students. Most of the graduates go out and become successful members of society, though many stick around as permanent residents to the Valor Hall. They're given Brancotte armor, and they become members of his reserve army.
Needless to say, but any of his students that choose to remain behind will become High Humans after they die.
Probably among the most successful of his graduates is Yohan – that boy with the Grey Soul. Due to how often he's opening up his Soul Gates, he's perpetually stuck in the body of a child. It's been 300 years, and he's already at the 4th Gate.
It's the day after the latest graduation ceremony that Haalfrin is invited by the Ministry of Divinity to visit Das again. Apparently, the matter is urgent, so he's whisked away through the World Gate.
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The trip to Das's palace is the same as ever. Though the servants are all either older or dead by now, the gardens and palace remains unchanged.
Haalfrin is shown to Das's private room this time… which is rather odd. Das never takes visitors to his bedroom. For the most part, Das likes to meet in his study and neglect his throne room, due to how grandiose and stuffy that place is.
When the manservant opens Das's door, the smell of medicine assaults Haalfrin's nose. The curtains are drawn closed, Das himself lay on his bed – covered in many thick layers of blankets. On the stand beside the bed, there is a plate of untouched food.
Judging just by the old man's aura, Haalfrin can see that he's incredibly sick. Rather, his sickness has gotten worse.
Just as Haalfrin walks up to his bedside, Das turns away and coughs a handful of blood onto his bedsheet.
Feeling concerned, the manservant rushes off to grab some water for his master – leaving Haalfrin alone with the god of Decay, or rather, the god-king of Lareen.
"I see. You look like you're about to die," Haalfrin remarks casually. "I didn't know that gods could die of illness."
Das turns back to Haalfrin and nods drousily. "Don't mind… me… There's been some… complications. I had to fight a strong opponent with my Death god Divinity, and it took a lot out of me."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Haalfrin says without any sympathy in his voice. Das is probably one of the few people that he'll never truly feel sorry for.
Suddenly, Haalfrin inhales sharply and asks, "Why haven't I known about this? Rather, why does nobody know about your condition? Shouldn't you be getting help?"
"I can't do that," Das says softly. "I'm a god-king. I'm the reason why this world is still at peace. Knowing that I'm vigilant and healthy is what keeps the world's leaders from breaking my laws."
"Anyway, what did you call me for?" Haalfrin asks.
"I need you to act out sit on my throne for a while – at least until I get better," Das says. "Just put on my mantle. With your face and voice altered, nobody will know that I'm out of commission."
"Why me?"
"Who else in this world is strong enough to imitate my strength?" Das painfully croaks in laughter. "The only people besides me who can defeat you are Dakka and Fina. To everyone else, you're as powerful as a god already."
Haalfrin takes a deep breath. "… I'll think about it."
"Don't take too long…," Das croaks. "My throne can't remain empty for long without rivals acting out of line."