Chapter 401 The Sun and the Moon
But on that day, as she looked down upon the mortal world, something changed.
Amidst golden fields and mountains shrouded in mist, a man caught her attention.
He was no ordinary man, nor even human.
His presence called to her in a way she could not explain. He seemed to resonate with her very existence, like the darkness of her night. He maintained a humanoid form, yet... his hair was as red as the flames of a Dragon.
The goddess, whom mortals had named Tsukoyomi, could feel the Dragon within him. He was a mortal who had transcended the limitations of the flesh and become something more, a being who had unlocked beyond his potential, reaching an existence that was barely comparable to any mortal she had ever observed.
She was simply fascinated by him. She decided that she would follow the life of this mortal until his death, and so, her journey of observation began. She watched him through the mortal lands as he followed his path of cultivation, killing other cultivators and growing stronger. Sometimes, he seemed like a hero, at other times, a villain, and at other moments, just an ordinary man.
But what Tsukoyomi did not know was that she was not the only one watching him.
Her elder sister, Amaterasu, had also noticed the man. With her fiery gaze and passionate heart, the Goddess of the Sun became enchanted by the man\'s fascinating life and the way he acted and lived.
"This Dragon... He is worthy of the shine of my light," she said aloud in her golden abode, her heart inflamed by a desire she could not explain.
But it wasn\'t only Amaterasu—there was the third sister, Suzano\'o, the personification of the storm, younger than both. Always bold and impetuous, Suzano\'o saw in the Dragon a force that rivaled her own. "A man who defies both heaven and earth," she said, a fierce smile on her lips. "He would be a worthy companion for me."
The conflict soon emerged. It wasn\'t a war of blood or destruction, but a clash of wills. The three goddesses each desired to know the man, each for their own reasons.
"He is strong and worthy of my warmth," Amaterasu claimed with her solar confidence.
"He understands the power of the night and the silence of the moon," Tsukoyomi argued with serenity.
"He possesses the wild heart of a storm, just like me!" Suzano\'o exclaimed, as impetuous as ever.
With no resolution in sight, Tsukoyomi decided to take the initiative.
So, one day... one night under the full moon, when the sky seemed a silver veil covering the world,
Tsukoyomi dressed herself in a kimono as white as snow, adorned with silver patterns that glimmered like stars. Her long, dark hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her eyes reflected the moonlight. She descended into the human world in silence, like a shadow in the night.
The man was alone, sitting by the edge of a lake, illuminated by the silver light. She already knew that this man was involved with several talented women, just as capable as he was.
However, on that day, he appeared lost in thought, his gaze fixed on the reflection of the moon in the water. Tsukoyomi approached, her divine heart beating faster than ever.
"You contemplate the moon with great concentration, Dragon," she said softly, her voice as delicate as the touch of moonlight.
The man looked up, surprised to see her, but... "Watching me for so long, you finally came to speak with me?" he asked, his voice teasing, his smile warm.
"I am Tsukoyomi, the Goddess of the Moon," she replied, tilting her head slightly. "And I came to meet you."
The man smiled, though there was a shadow of sadness in his gaze. "A goddess, huh? And why would a deity descend into the mortal world to meet someone like me?"
"I am intrigued by you," Tsukoyomi said, her eyes glowing with an unexpected warmth. "I have watched you enough; everything about you captures my attention."
He fell silent for a moment, but then simply smiled. "Azi Dahaka is my name," he said, making room as if offering her a seat.
Tsukoyomi sat next to him, feeling the weight of the pain in his words. "Tell me, what happened that caused you to abandon your humanity?"
He told his story.
Tsukoyomi listened in silence, her compassion growing with each word. She realized that, while he was powerful, there was so much more to him than just that...
He looked at her, his golden eyes reflecting the moonlight. "And you, Tsukoyomi? Why would you, a goddess, spend your eternity watching the mortal world?"
"Because mortals fascinate me," she admitted, a small smile touching her lips. "You live such short lives, yet every moment is filled with emotion and meaning. I... admire that."
They spent hours talking, their souls connecting in ways words could never describe.
But their peace was interrupted when a golden light cut across the sky, and Amaterasu appeared before them. Her brilliance was so intense that it seemed to turn the night into day.
"So, you descended first, traitor," she said, her fiery eyes settling on Tsukoyomi. "But I want to meet him too."
Shortly after, a gust of fierce wind heralded the arrival of Suzano\'o, who landed with the force of a storm. "I knew you two couldn\'t wait!" she exclaimed, laughing.
"Let me guess... more goddesses?"
The sisters exchanged glances, and then Tsukoyomi stepped forward. "My family is also interested in you. It seems I\'m not the only one who recognizes your strength."
That night, while the goddesses bantered with provocations and laughter, the man felt something shift within him. For the first time in a long while, he felt like he truly belonged somewhere, as though several pieces had finally fallen into place. From that moment, he had made a decision... He had the attention of the goddesses, but more importantly, he had a purpose again.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Then, far off, or rather... in another era... two women watched that scene with somewhat gentle and warm looks... while a man stood between them...
"At that time, I was still on my journey, and someone I loved very much died. That\'s when I isolated myself from everyone, and that\'s when I met you," Dante said, smiling as he watched his past selves laughing and talking about trivial things.
Morgana squeezed his hand and then let out a smile. "You should have done this earlier, you fool... and to think... I had my memories all along and still gave them to you without knowing..." Morgana spoke nervously to herself, and Dante released her hand and gently stroked her head.
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"No one could have imagined, right?" he commented.
"At least now I understand why we always hated each other and fought without ever losing our friendship and camaraderie. We were sisters," Valentina said, looking at her past self, Amaterasu.
The woman was identical to her, except for the eyes, which seemed to be suns. The same was true for Morgana, except her eyes were different from Tsukoyomi\'s.
Valentina watched them for a moment, her eyes softening. "I understand what you meant, Dante," she said, while wrapping her arm around his... "Tomorrow, will we be able to continue that peace?" she asked, thinking for a moment.
"Who knows? Fate hasn\'t been very kind to us, has it?" he questioned before looking at his past self from thousands of years ago... "I think it\'s time for you two to face your own trials." He said, noticing that the figures from their memories had stopped in time...
"Well, it was about time, wasn\'t it? To retrieve our memories," Morgana said... "Legacy: Tsukoyomi," she said, and the figure of the woman disappeared and reappeared in front of her, staring at her... "It\'s good to know I survived long enough to find him again." She smiled at Morgana, who returned the smile.
"Legacy: Amaterasu," Valentina said next, and the same thing happened—the red-haired woman appeared before her, smiling as she analyzed her body.
"A warrior in... it seems that in every life, I will always be Darling\'s sword." Amaterasu smiled at her, and the two exchanged fierce glances...
"Well... I suppose I\'ll be going then. See you both later." In the next moment, Dante was gone, his body dissipating like mist, returning to the real world.
"You really did that..." Voralith murmured as he looked at Dante, who appeared before him, smiling. "Well, I guess we have to move again, don\'t we? If my theory is correct... due to the absence of gods... I think we now have two goddesses determined to help us," he joked.
"Now it\'s your turn." Dante said quickly, a mischievous grin spreading across his face as he effortlessly picked Voralith up, as if the weight of the dragon was nothing to him.
"I\'m going to drink a lot of blood from my favorite dragon," Dante continued, his voice laced with humor and a hint of malice as he looked at Voralith, feeling the powerful energy emanating from the dragon.
Voralith, surprised by Dante\'s actions, raised an eyebrow. "Are you really serious about this?" he asked, trying to hide the smile that wanted to escape his lips. But the truth was, he knew Dante never spoke in vain.
Dante laughed softly, his eyes glowing with a mix of amusement and power. "You know I am," he responded, a hint of challenge in his voice. "I don\'t waste good opportunities."
Without waiting long, Dante started to get closer, his aura of power growing around him, his hand sliding over Voralith\'s body as if it were a game, feeling the dragon\'s heat and essence.
"It\'ll be a pleasure, don\'t worry," Dante murmured with a wicked smile. "Now, relax and enjoy."
"You know... I\'ve waited many years for this, did you? To have you all to myself... for real..." he whispered, making Voralith\'s body tremble.