Oh, they do; get the black hair dye and mascara.

The rest of the ship, standing nearby, quickly moved into the dining hall for a meeting; with Scott being carried along by Gabbie as she healed his injuries. Each of my party members had a stronger presence than before; as to why, I couldn't be sure. Of those who had visibly changed were Anaz, Cilla, Carrie, Eve, Kaki, Oro, Sammy, and Trixie; the ones with (or who were) Cores.

Anaz's skin, while still visibly stitched together, was all now a singular, more lively hue; matching the peachy pale of Zana. Cilla's claws and canines had grown a bit longer, with the collar of fur around her neck now having grown out to the point of being visible under her hood... it almost gave the illusion of visible breasts. Carrie's changes were, well, the fact she had seemingly aged a decade in a week; Gods above, at this rate, she'll be bringing boyfriends home by the end of the month. Eve's body had become more sleek, and glossy; even her screen was of a higher resolution that before.

Gods I hope that wasn't something we paid gold for while I was sleeping... my money...

Either way, Kaki's horns had grown around fifty percent longer, now bringing her up to a stagger four'four, with a fun new addition at her rear; a tail, one that ended with a pom of hair, shaped like a paint-brush. Oro's scales had a new sheen to them, as well as having yellow rings of scales interlaced with her usual reds; with her snake-body having increased in length quite a bit. Sammy now seemed even more indistinguishable from a human-being than before; she was even breathing and blinking regularly, which was something she would otherwise have just not bothered with. Finally, Trixie... had grown an inch taller. Quite the staggering change!

"Oh, thank the Gods. I thought I was going to have to do this week over again." A freshly healed Scott said, wiping off the dried blood from his face with a damp cloth. "So, Old Chap. What was that you said up there again?"

Oh. Everyone is looking at me. I don't even know what I look like right now.

...

(One lengthy run-down of what I had experienced during the questioning of Halicarnassus later)

...

"What... the... fuck."

Of all the people I had expected to say that, Ariel was certainly not the one that first came to mind. Everyone else was seeming just as stunned, with Eve even steaming a bit as she tried to process the raw data I had just plopped onto everyone's life.

"You're Ihsrom's bastard son, that he had while visiting another universe." Ariel said, breaking the silence. "You do know this sounds insane, right?"

"Correction; I'm part of Ihsrom's bastard son." I add, waving a finger at the God of Martyrs. "Damian Walker tapped into Ruyanei's magic when he was a little kid, and by accident, split himself in half with a Song; making me."

Scott finally chipped in, adjusting his glasses. "But what were those other things you said up there; like being a Guardian Spirit, or the God-Hunter of all things?"

"Damian made me to protect him from harshness of life; he called for a Guardian. Has there never been an Envoy before me?" I ask, looking around.

"Well, the Envoy of **** is usually just a cultural symbol, unique to each region, or people." Ashes says; looking at me with confused awe. "For the Mohun, it's the **** Mark Scorpion, for Dwarves, it a big ol'worm called Grymtid'n; and so on... but I don't think a **** has ever manifested the Envoy as a Guardian before."

"More importantly, I think-" Cilla says, grabbing my arm; seeming a bit worried. "What's this about you being the God-Hunter. I don't think I have to remind you that we've met the God-Hunter; and that there's supposed to be only one of them."

"Well, I guess we can throw rules out the window, can't we?" I say, patting the top of her head gently. "Even still; while I'm fine with my little sister having the title, it's still a part of me."

Ariel quickly pulls me aside. "So, speaking of which... I guess this means we're even?"

I blink a few times, before looking at him indignantly, whispering. "I thought you said you and Mortigan only ever kissed?!"

"Well, when has a little white lie ever hurt anyone!?" Ariel whispers back.

Halfway through deciding wether or not Ariel needed a slap, or a punch; the ship, and by extension the Domain, had begun to shake. It felt as if had been struck by something quite hefty indeed. I tell everyone to stay put, and rush out of the Domain; up to the top deck. There, I see a massive, amber scaled beast; it's claws dug deep into the wood of the ship.

The monstrous drake spots me. "You."

It lunges to bite down on me like a dog would a chew-toy; tearing chunks out of the deck as I calmly step back, just outside it's reach. I knew just how much stronger I was than this runt... and it was daring to attack my home. It lunges again, but it's jaws do not close this time; I hold it's maw wide open gripping a jagged, leg-sized tooth in each hand. I see light appear at the back of it's throats as it begins to call for it's flame, and I await it's feeble attempt to end me.

Golden flames that smell of soil rush around my body harmlessly, barely even registering as a threat as I tighten the grip my fingers have on the pair of teeth I held. I squeeze harder, cracking the enamel, then yanking both of them out by the root. The beast screeches in agony as it rears itself back, falling off the ship. The beat of wings drums through the air as it takes flight, now hovering just astride my new home.

"You killed him! My grandfather! Face me; Envoy. Face Un-Nami; Daughter of the Earth-Breaking Dark God!"

"A fellow Demi-God, then?" I say, holding up a hand; slowly cracking each knuckle as I make a fist. "Well, I suppose I could humor you; Little Mouse."

"****'s List."

A scroll, made up of swirling stars, unfurls before me, revealing that this was, indeed, the name of this doomed creature.

I hold up my hand, and feel my fingertips split open reality; a small doorway to my Domain, through which a pair of chains descend, falling into my hand. My Core tells me all I need to know of my new spells, and my new body; all I must do is put it into practice. My heart had reset back to it's original Flat-Five rhythm, rather than the Five-Seven-Five Madness had changed it to all those weeks ago. Simpler times... either way, I begin to speak my words into the Vibrations of Magic.

"Chained Hearts bleed my blade."

"Solely for this made."

"**** marches from dusk."

"To empty your husk."

"Little Mice shall writhe."

"Upon this ****'s Scythe."

The chains wrap around each other as serpents, imperfectly merging into a singular length of black and white Soul-Steel, standing taller than myself. Emerging from the end of this metal staff was a long, curved blade of sickly green energy; ****, made manifest. I could feel something was missing, some component; likely whatever the engravings speaking of that Three-Tailed-Queen were meant to direct me towards. Either way, this would serve for now.

"Well?" I say, noticing the hesitation of my enemy. "I'm waiting."

It seemed Un-Nami had begun to notice the difference in strength between us; not that it mattered. I had already decided that her trespass was worthy of ****. Letting loose a roar, she charges for, calling out a divine utterance as she did.

"Bull-Horn!"

Great spectral horns, larger than my entire body at their base, emerge from her head; just as she attempts to ram the ship. I step up and onto the railing just aside the Lamb-Chop, waiting for just the right time...

There is a whistle of something that lands straight into my back; an arrow, and one that's poisoned from the smell of it's fellows that pelted the deck around me. Ariel's Feather neutralizes the poison immediately, so I have plenty of time to look up; spotting a smaller gang of those humanoid drakes. It seems they had returned just in time to witness my practice bout with their new leader. Annoyed by the distraction, I'm pulled from the fight just enough to let one of the massive Demi-God's horns skewer me with it's tip. I felt no pain, no fear; not even a modicum of anger. I lift my scythe, and swing the blunt end across the spectral horns.

They shatter like eggshells, with a swing that truly felt like it was meant for a mere mouse.

Un-Nami staggers, folding over and flopping onto the ship; her body unfurling as she can no longer retain her oversized transformation. The gaping hole in my chest slowly closes as I step towards her humanoid form, scythe in hand. I lean over, looking her in the eye; seeing the fear that now swept away her thirst for ****.

"I-I yield!" She says, bowing her head as she sits on her hands and knees; her body dripping with sweat, and blood dripping from her mouth.

The gang of drakes up above continue to attack, their arrows harmlessly piercing my body; then being spat right back out. Annoyance had now grown to contempt...

"Die."

I swing the blade of my scythe, up towards the men; some twenty meters above and across from the ship.

A chunk is suddenly missing from the mountainside behind where the men once flew; cleaved cleanly, as if it were a cake being served up at a birthday party. The men themselves, each were a bloody mist; barely a footnote amongst the clouds that swept across the sky this high in the mountains. The Demi-God beneath me looked on, mind frozen in shock.

Since my evolution, a cold chill had settled over my heart; a calculating, unfeeling thing... I hated it. Where was my regret from killing those men of the Purity back at Tomo? My righteousness when ending the sirens that stole my senses. My despair at failing to protect my loved ones, time and time again. My relief when they were ok, just this once!? I should feel at least something after having killed these raiders...

Was I just desensitized to it? Have I finally snapped?

I look back towards where a cowering Demi-God should be; seeing instead just the deck of the ship. I could hear flapping, frantic as it was, heading as far as it could away from the Lamb-Chop. I could end this, right now... she had already returned once before. I look at the scythe in my hands, and begin to wonder...

Is this how Ihsrom felt when he abandoned us? Cold? Unfeeling?

Now, all I felt was disgust.