Chapter 129 - Found You

Gou took Zell out of the valley. As they reached the top of the cliff Zell was greeted by a view that would stun even the sternest of hearts. Lush plants filled the horizon and a beautiful ocean that matched the hue of the sky could be seen in the distance. Zell took a moment to take it all in, he had not seen a sight such as this.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Gou asked. "I was lucky to have been born here."

"It really is." Zell said.

"Come, your human female is this way." Gou said, motioning Zell to follow him once more.

They walked across the rolling fields and took in the wonderful smell of the ocean as they progressed. As they continued to move forward the plant life seemed to be losing its life force, becoming more withered and lifeless. Until all around them were dead plants and broken ground. Even the fresh smell of the ocean was replaced with the smell of death and rot.

"What manner of magic is this?" Gou asked Zell. "This is the most horrific thing I have ever seen in my home. Did that female do this?"

"Yes." Zell said. "That is why I was in such a hurry to find her. She spreads death and despair wherever she travels. She uses a type of soul magic that drains the life force of everything around her and gives it to herself. She is dangerous, not just to this world but to the entire multiverse."

"I see." Gou said. "Then I forgive you for your rudeness earlier. I had no idea of the stakes involved or that you were trying to save my home. I apologize as well, for delaying you."

Zell knelt down and rubbed his hand across the dead landscape. It was brittle and fell to dust upon his touch. "She really took it all from these poor plants." Zell said with a sigh. He could see small zombified animals moving through the tall dead grass around him. "The animals as well."

Zell stood back up and spread his power through the land. He healed the plants and the small animals and brought them back to their former glory that they once had. Gou looked on in amazement.

"Did you just heal the lands?" Gou asked. "Just what are you the god of?"

"I am not the god of anything." Zell said. "I was once a human. Then I became a dragon, and then a god. I have powers granted to me by the creators of the gods themselves, but I am not assigned any one thing."

"So, a mortal has transcended the gods." Gou said. "I had always hoped that one day a mortal would ascend. I have cared for them a natured their growth here, hoping that one day they could join me, and I would no longer be alone."

"So, you are the only lesser god here?" Zell asked.

"I am not." Gou said. "But the others do not wish to have anything to do with me. They do not share my care of concern for the mortals and think of them as just tools to gain more power. It is after all through their prayers that we gain our strength. It is far easier to spawn prayers from fear than out of love. I have but one friend among the gods, Pou, god of the sea."

"Must be rough." Zell said. "I am sorry you have to deal with all of that, but right now it is more important that we find Rose."

"Right, she is this way." Gou said as he continued to lead Zell along the way. They came close to the ocean and found a dead body along the shore. He was dressed in fine silken attire. It was a long black jacket with black shirt and pants. All the life had been drained from his body, but he did not become a reanimated dead as the other people affected by Rose's power.

"No!" Gou said running over to the corpse. He picked it up in his hands and yelled out. "No!"

"Someone you knew?" Zell asked.

"This was Pou, he was my only friend among the gods!" Gou explained. "Of all the gods to have died, why did it have to be him? He was the only one who showed me any kindness."

"I am sorry for your loss." Zell said.

"Can you heal him?!" Gou asked.

"I am sorry but no." Zell said. "I cannot bring back the dead, their soul would have returned to the cycle."

"I will kill that bitch myself!" Gou yelled out.

"She has that effect on people." Zell said. "Still, she cannot be killed so easily. She has a skill placed on her from another god, one of the chief gods. When she dies, she is reborn the previous morning. At least that is how we think it works."

"Can't you just use your power and will it away?!" Gou asked.

"Maybe." Zell said. "I am still new to all of my god powers, I have not tried to add or remove skills from anyone, but I may have the power to do that."

"I pray that you can so that when my spear pierces her heart it will be her final death." Gou said. "She deserves the highest of pains that any life can experience for robbing me of my only friend. Come!" Gou started to run towards Rose's location as fast as he could, and they reached her atop of another cliff overlooking the ocean.

Her hair was pure white, and her skin was sunken and gray. The whites of her eyes were black, and her pupils were yellow. "Oh, dear brother you have come to kill me yet again, have you?!"

"Rose, let us end this." Zell said.

Gou charged directly at her with all that he had; the tip of his spear aimed at her heart.

Rose exhaled an ebon smoke that decayed all it touched towards the oncoming Gou. As his spear touched the smoke it became gray and started to rot and become ash. Gou leaped back before the smoke touched him.

"What's this big bro?" Rose asked. "You should keep your pets on a tighter leash. Unless you want to feed my power. Do you see how strong I have become after eating that god?! The power is incredible! I devoured him, soul and all! The taste of a god is, how should I put this? Divine!"

"You monster!" Gou yelled. "Pou was my friend!"

Zell reached his hand out to grab Rose in a barrier to trap her and successfully did, however as he encapsulated her in the barrier she vanished and reappeared a few feet away. "No, no, big brother! You aren't going to do that to me again! I refuse to let you rip me limb from limb! I still feel that pain!"

Zell did not want to outright kill her as she would just reincarnate once more, as far as he knew. He did not know her skill was limited to a once per twenty-four-hour use. "Rose, you need to stop this!" He yelled out, trying to capture her again with his barrier, but again she vanished and appeared.

"You know brother as fun as it is to play with you." Rose said. "I cannot linger for too long, as you will eventually figure out a way to kill me and I do not wish to experience that again. Aside from that now that I have eaten a god I must find more! I will devour all the gods in the multiverse! They shall all become my power!"

She raised her hands and the sky above her began to crack open. "Behold my power as I rip the multiverse asunder! I shall destroy it all! That will force the gods to come to me! To feed me!"

"She has lost all reason!" Gou yelled. "How is she even able to wield this kind of power?!"

On one of Rose's hands Zell could see a mark glowing similar to his. "No, that is not a good thing!" Zell said as he saw it. He then started to power up himself in an attempt to close the tear in the multiverse that Rose was creating.

Two cosmic forces were bearing down on the multiverse, one trying to rip it apart and the other trying to mend it.

"That fox bitch was telling the truth!" Rose said. "This power is the real deal brother!"

Satisfied with her tear in the multiverse that Zell was struggling to contain, she disappeared from where she was standing and reappeared directly behind Gou. She thrust her arm through his chest and instantly drained all of his life and energy from him. Zell was helpless to watch as he was holding the multiverse together and struggling.

As Gou's corpse fell to the ground Rose blew Zell a kiss. "Until we meet again big brother.. I have more gods to dine upon!" She then started to laugh as she vanished from sight teleporting away, leaving Zell alone struggling to hold the entire multiverse from ripping itself apart.