Poison Cultist:The Past

‡Zenith's P.O.V‡

Millions of years ago...

In a vast palace on the planet named Cevia, I, a purple-skinned child, ran through the grand halls, playing with my companions.

"Ha... Got you," a younger Eloise exclaimed as she caught me by the neck, playfully.

"Why am I always the first one you catch?" I grumbled, feigning disappointment.

"Don't worry, help me find the others," Eloise said, her wings fluttering with excitement.

Mina, a young elven fairy, hid behind a table large enough to conceal her petite frame. I could hear her heartbeat quickening as she held her breath, activating the racial camouflage trait of the elven fairies to blend into her surroundings.

"Gotcha!" I exclaimed triumphantly, pointing to a part of the table.

"What? How?" Zion, a Great Camouflage Orc, emerged from the disguised section of the table, sighing in defeat.

"Because I'm cool," I grinned, enjoying my victory before asking, "Have you seen the others?"

"Mina is right over there," Zion replied, immediately giving away Mina's location.

"Hey, no fair!" Mina protested, emerging from her hiding spot and pouting at Zion.

"Well, life isn't fair," Zion retorted, attempting to imitate my earlier moment of victory.

"Found one," Eloise called out, dragging a young Graphorn with her. "Just one more to go."

"Lisa!" we exclaimed with mischievous grins, thinking of our final target.

We searched fruitlessly for a while, our desperation growing as we failed to find Lisa. Eventually, we gave up and called out with looks of frustration, the kind one has while playing hide and seek and struggling to find the last person.

"Good, I was getting bored," a Swooping Evil detached itself from Gu Bai, the Graphorn.

"Argh!" Gu Bai cried out in fear.

"Haha~haha~haha~haha~haha," we laughed uproariously, unable to contain our amusement.

"So, it's true that your enemies are closer than you think..."

In a part of the palace reserved for the Queen, my mother, and her guests—the rulers of various planets and parents of my playmates—discussion turned to matters of war.

"Layla, the last time I saw you, I felt drowned, but now I feel as if the heavens are calling to me," Elov, Eloise's father, complimented my mother.

"Oh, stop the flattery. I called you all here to request aid in the war against the Heavenly Slayer horde," my mother stated bluntly.

"I would give my entire life to aid you," Gu Yan declared with unwavering determination.

"What about the rest of you?" Mother inquired, turning to the other rulers present.

"I'm in," Elov responded, slightly pained that Gu Yan beat him to the offer.

"I shall slay slayers with fervor," Sir Rahnorak, a Nord, proclaimed with bloodlust in his eyes.

"I'll destroy hundreds," Dame Flora Night-Sha added, her expression fierce and determined.

"I'll put them into eternal slumber," Dreamlord Asta declared, his rage evident on his face.

"I'm in," Eli, a calm man in scholar robes, nodded.

"What's in it for me?" a succubus woman, exuding seductive charm, asked with a grin.

"You dirty slut," Mother retorted in disgust, refusing to even look at the succubus.

"Slut or not, I'm the most powerful figure here," the succubus countered confidently.

"You unruly succubus," Elov spat in disgust.

"Tell that to Yang Sexual Scriptures," the succubus retorted, rising from her throne as if ready to leave.

"Forty virgin men and women," she demanded with a smirk.

"Forty each," the succubus pushed, testing Mother's limits.

"Fine!" Mother roared in frustration, begrudgingly agreeing to the succubus's demands.

"Knew we could sort this out like adults," the succubus smiled at Mother.

"Disgusting," the rulers muttered under their breath, their disdain evident despite their need to cooperate.

Bam.

The door banged open, and the gods turned to see what was happening.

"Gods, there is an emergency," a guard bowed before the assembled leaders.

"Speak," Mother commanded, her gaze piercing.

"The young prince has been captured by Demon Gods," the guard announced, trembling in fear.

"What?!" Tianti Nengliang erupted from behind Mother, her eyes blazing with fury and her killing aura palpable, shaking the entire Sea-Colour Star System.

"Heads are going to roll," Mother declared, her voice filled with rage.