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“Stop it!” Citrinas shouted, firing another spell at the barrier, **** to break through. He won. He won the fight. The barrier should come down now! She had to lower the barrier now! She had to treat everyone equally! How was it fair to smite a man who couldn't fight back!? Yet, for all her begging, for all the threats Fenri gave, they could do nothing to sway the Goddess of Equality to maintain her values.

“I’ll fucking kill you, you divine whore!” Fenri shouted, watching the flames make their way to his fingers. His thumb burned away, as did his pinky. His index, middle, and ring finger were all that was left of him. It was like watching a candle burn away before their eyes. How could they stop a goddess? How could they hope to impede a divine being? There was no counterplay, no contingency that they could do.

“Someone… Anyone… Please… Save him…” She begged, praying to every god for aid. Yet, none dared respond to her prayers. Everyone wanted him dead. Eren, her sister, even the gods. Why? Why couldn’t they see him as the hero he was? Just when she thought everyone had abandoned him, one deity responded to her pleas for help.

It was not one of the twenty major gods of light that acted nor was it the gods of the monsters. It was an older deity from an era long past. A god none of this world knew of. Power filled the air as the strange coat Verdi wore began to glow, the black rose inscribed on the back glowing with an ominous red color as his goddess acted, unwilling to let her hero die in such a manner.

Black vines crawled out of the coat, each one identical to the black vines Verdi conjured when he used his Blessing. The vines shot out, wrapping around the glove as though embracing him as a lover. Above them, the scales tipped ever further, the divine magic intensifying as the divine magic reached the very heavens. She squinted her eyes and grimaced to see that the vines protecting Verdi were burning away, the full power of the Goddess of Equality in a city blessed by her incomparable to a goddess acting through a sigil on a coat. The fact that she could resist the Goddess of Equality despite such limitations was a testament to his God's power.

She could feel the air grow thick as divine power surged forth, the unnamed Goddess unleashing more and more of her power. Rather than using the coat as an entrance into their world, She looked up to see Pelrin and the rest of his mercenaries throwing their clothes and weapons down in a panic, black vines emerging from them like weeds. In the distance, she could see identical vines rising upwards to the scales, crimson roses blooming on each of them like glowing eyes.

“The Company of Roses uses the same sigil as Verdi’s patron.” Citrinas thought, confused about just what was happening. Was Eren supposed to be on Verdi's side? Why was he trying to kill his own friend? She couldn't understand a single thing as she watched an endless sea of vines emerge from every inch of the city, hidden supply caches and uniforms serving as gates for the goddess’ power. It was by no means a fair fight, but if she could break the barrier and protect her, Citrinas could drag Verdi into her Domain.

The city grew dark as the skies were blotted out by the growing vines. Rays of light shot down from the scales, burning away the vines only to have 2 more vines grow in their place. Before long, they reached the Goddess of Equality’s scales, the countless tendrils latching onto one end of them. The thorns dug into the scales like stakes, each one like a leech as divine magic poured from each hole. The vines went taut as they began to slowly retract.

There was a low moan of grinding steel as they tugged, the vines forcibly pulling one end of the scales upwards. There was a click as the holy light raining down on Verdi diminished, the unbalanced scales slowly reaching equilibrium. Another low moan as the other end of the scales were **** downwards, the noise accompanied by a loud crack like breaking glass as the barrier collapsed, the scales now perfectly balanced as the flood of holy light slowed to a mere trickle.

“Verdi’s goddess is as powerful as the Goddess of Equality in her own city.” Citrinas thought in disbelief, unable to make sense of the sheer scope of power before her. The Goddess of Equality was nigh omnipotent in her own city and could release her full power without issue. Meanwhile, Verdi’s patron was restricted to a ratty coat, a few weapons inscribed with her sigil, and a handful of flags owned by the Company of Roses. It was like fighting an entire army with your hands tied behind your back. Just when she believed the two to be evenly matched, she heard a clicking of a scale as the vines tugged once more, continuing to pull one end of the scales downward.

Click.

The scales were tilted in Verdi’s favor now as the Goddess of Equality’s magic ceased entirely. Yet, it seemed his goddess was far from content, continuing to tip the scales. Every second, the scales inched lower and lower, Verdi’s goddess far exceeding the Goddess of Equality’s power. She could see rays of light shooting at the vines from the heavens, each one severing them only to have them reattach themselves to the scale with a renewed vigor. His goddess did not speak, she did not relay any message to Citrinas, and she had no facial expressions to read, yet even Citrinas could see she was enacting vengeance as the scales hit their limit. There was anger in these attacks. .

The chains that suspended the scale’s plates began to bend and crack under the strain of the vines, two deities wrestling for control. Citrinas clutched her ears as a high pitched whine of steel filled the city, the sound akin to a woman’s screams of pain. She felt physical pain in her head as the screams intensified, the sounds like a hot nail to the brain. She could see everyone else in the area were also suffering from the psychic screams, the Goddess of Equality crying out under the strain. One of the chains snapped as Citrinas felt a jump in power, the city’s Blessing of Equality weakening as its patron goddess was injured.

“She’s going to kill the Goddess of Equality.” Citrinas thought, watching the chains snap one by one. It was like watching an adult fight a child. The battle was so one sided that it was almost comical. What kind of goddess did Verdi make a pact with? She felt a bout of dizziness as her vision grew faint, the blood loss finally getting to her. As her consciousness slowly faded, she saw a woman’s figure appear in the arena standing on top of the coat Verdi had worn. As Citrinas saw the woman, she held her breath while swallowing a lump in her throat.

She was breathtaking. She had long black hair that ran down to her waist in strands that seemed to be made of darkness itself. Her blue eyes were like the skies themselves, the mere sight of them causing Citrinas to lose herself in their beauty. She was clad in a homely dress of black that lacked the slightest decoration or jewelry. The only ornament she wore was the crimson rose she wore on her chest.

She looked down at Verdi, her eyes conflicted as she reached to the glove that held what remained of him. She looked ready to cry at the sight of him, reaching down as if to hold him only to have her fingers fizzle away the second she left the boundary of the coat. She pulled her hand back, looking at Verdi solemnly before looking to Citrinas. The two of them looked at each other as the goddess flashed a smile of pure gratitude. Citrinas’ consciousness finally failed her as the mysterious goddess mouthed two words to her before bowing at the waist, as though Citrinas was the goddess and she the mortal.

“Thank you.” Upon speaking those words, Citrinas felt her eye droop as she finally passed out, her body at its limits. The next few moments were a blur as she faded in and out of consciousness. She saw herself being carried on a stretcher through the city, and she saw Varrick carrying a glove as though it were made of solid gold. She couldn’t quite remember why the glove was so important. After what felt to be both an eternity and a millisecond, she opened her eye to find herself in a plush bed. She blinked and felt a jolt of pain in her missing eye, a gauze bandage placed over it as she felt a wave of pain from her feet.

“Ah. Lady Citrinas. It is good to see you are well.” Harvin’s voice said as she looked up to find the butler standing next to her, a tray of tea in his hand as she gingerly took the cup and sipped at it. It was the perfect temperature, just warm enough to calm herself yet not hot enough to scald her. She tasted the faintest hint of herbal tinctures within it, healing potions mixed into the drink as she felt her stump legs slowly regenerate.

“Harvin? What are you doing here?” She finally asked, realizing how odd it was to see the elderly butler.

“You had called upon myself, Matthias, and Isoldi for aid. We came as quickly as we could.” Harvin said, the aged man’s smile fading to a frown as he looked out the window with melancholy in his eyes. “Not quickly enough, it seems.” He said as Citrinas saw the line of destruction Eren had carved across the city. Even now, she could see rescue efforts being done to help whoever was unlucky enough to fall in his line of destruction.

“Where am I?” Citrina asked.

“One of the humble abodes I keep for entertaining local guests.” Harvin answered as Citrinas quietly looked around the room. It was lavishly furnished with the finest woods and draped with silks found only in the far east. She did not see gems or gold, but everything was made of the finest silvers and dyed with colors that were known only in the far east. A noble house would have trouble affording to furnish such a place, let alone a mere butler. She blinked and reached to her face, confused why her vision was so restricted, only to feel his gloved hands grasp her own. “I would advise you to keep your hands away from your face. We restored your blood but the missing body parts should be regrown with potions.” He said as Citrinas remembered what had transpired.

“Verdi, where is he? Is he alive?” She asked frantically, almost afraid to hear Harvin’s answer.

“He’s asleep in the next room over. Master Mathias is keeping watch over him.” Harvin said gently as Citrinas remained tense. In the past, hearing that someone was under Mathias’ personal protection was to state they were untouchable. Yet, now she realized that the strongest human of their world was no more dangerous than the strongest insect when compared to the Thing in the Gates.

“Take me to him. Please.” She asked desperately.

“Of course.” Harvin said as he stood up, his movements slow and graceful as he walked to the corner where a wheelchair was waiting as if expecting this question. She pulled the covers aside to see that her feet were still missing. With some effort, she got into the wheelchair, her broken body sending waves of pain with each move she made. As soon as she sat in the wheelchair, Harvin began pushing her across the room, the soft creak the only thing she heard as he moved her to the next room over. Pushing the door open, she could see Mathias sitting next to Verdi, clad in his armor and idly fingering his sword, bracing himself for attack at any moment. He looked up, his blue eyes evident through his helmet before calming himself as he released his sword.

Lying next to him was Verdi, his long hair neatly brushed and lying underneath his head as he slept peacefully. He had no visible injuries, yet Citrinas couldn’t help but feel unnerved at his state. Harvin wheeled her to his side as she grasped his hand, his body ice cold while his heartbeat was undetectable. He didn’t even breathe. She almost thought him to be a corpse. Lying next to him was the strange uniform he was wearing from the Gates, the emblem of the rose pointed to the window as if it were a ward against evil.

“Has the Goddess of Equality acted up?” She asked, clutching his hand tightly.

“She has not. The city’s enchantment has also weakened. Whatever happened has crippled her.” Harvin answered.

“What happened?” Mathas asked as Citrinas began telling him what happened. She saw Mathias wince when he heard of Varrick’s betrayal and could see that as much as he wanted to be angry at his friend, he could not criticize him for his actions. It was only when she spoke of the Thing in the Gates that the two of them tensed up. She told them about how merely looking at it drove everyone to commit suicide, how it caused Verdi’s body to visibly age when he tried to attack it, and that strange spell it cast that empowered Eren. It didn’t use formulas or math, it merely uttered a single word. It wasn’t a Blessing, it was some other type of power she had never seen before. As she finished telling them everything, Harvin let out a sigh.

“I was quite hoping Master Belsach, Master Varrick, and all the others were hallucinating.” He said, displeased by her answer.

“Harvin, what was that thing?” Citrinas asked as the butler swallowed.

“I’m not quite sure. Everything you’ve told me is news to me.” He conceded, his ignorance of this evil serving to worsen her fears. Just what was that thing? And why did it hate Verdi so much?

“What happened to everyone else?” Citrinas asked.

“They’re recovering in the next room over. We’ve elected to leave the more severe injuries alone until you woke up and could distribute potions.” Harvin explained as Citrinas nodded. Healing magic was complex, and healing structures like nerves, spines, or other complex structures usually left permanent flaws. Potions lacked such drawbacks, but were restricted by cost. She opened her Domain before blinking. In the next moment, the room was filled with barrels, each one packed with low grade potions. Harvin left the room, the barrels disappearing with him as she clutched Verdi’s hand, hoping it would wake him up.

“Where’s Eren?”

“Your sister seized his body and the core. They’re currently in the safe room downstairs.” “She said that Thing in the Gates was controlling him through that monster core. She said she could replace the core and fix him.”

“What happens if he wakes up, and decides to finish Verdi off?” Citrinas asked.

“I will kill him.” Mathias answered without hesitation.

“Could you really do that?” Citrinas asked cautiously.

“Do you doubt my ability?” Mathias asked.

“I doubt your will.” Citrinas said bluntly, still remembering Varrick’s betrayal. He had redeemed himself at the end, but that did not mean she trusted anyone close to Eren. Matthias looked at her, his eyes unreadable before he looked out the window.

“... I love Eren like a father. He raised me to be a true man who strikes down evil and never compromises.” He admitted, refusing to hide his affection for the hero. “I would rather kill the man he’s become than disappoint the man he was.” He said, his voice filled with conviction as Citrinas felt her apprehension dissolve. She remained by Verdi’s side, clutching his hand as she waited for him to wake up. Day turned to night, yet she remained by his side, waiting for him to awaken. She had no appetite, merely sipping the tea on the nightstand next to Verdi. She didn’t see Harvin, but somehow the teacup never seemed to empty. She felt her eye socket itch as a new eye grew in, yet she lacked the courage to remove the bandage over her eye and check.

Mathias remained by Verdi’s side, leaving only for short moments to eat and clean himself, leaving Harvin in charge of guarding him during those brief moments. She knew those two were some of the most reliable people to have around, yet that did nothing to alleviate her fears. She soon found herself slumped over his bed, falling asleep sometime during the night. She looked up to see Verdi was still ****, his body still cold and heart stopped.

“Lady Citrinas, your sister has stated that Master Eren will be awakening soon. I think it would be best if everyone was there in case of the worst happening.” Harvin’s voice said abruptly, jolting her out of the wheelchair as she suddenly noticed a new pair of feet had grown in. She glanced over to see the butler standing in the corner of the room. Matthias shifted in place, his sense of duty fighting with his desire to see his father.

“And Verdi?” Citrinas asked, clutching his hand tightly.

“I shall guard him with my life.” Harvin said, making a soft curtsy as Citrinas weighed out her options. Verdi was still comatose, and Eren was the greatest threat in the city. If he was still hostile, they had to kill him as soon as possible.

“I’ll hold you to that.” Citrinas said quietly as she left the room with Mathias by her side. Descending a set of stairs, they reached a solid steel door laden with enchantments and adorned with dozens of high grade monster cores. Outside the city even Citrinas would have trouble breaking through it. Inside the city, even with the Blessing weakened, she couldn’t hope to breach it. Reaching to his waist, Mathias removed a key from his pocket and unlocked the door.

As soon as the door opened, Citrinas let out a sigh of relief to see Fenri waiting inside, idly cleaning her fingernails with a knife. It seemed the healing potions fixed her spine. Next to her, she could see Varrick, Belsach, Daria, Bell, and Evangeline, all of them guarding the door to keep invaders out and their prisoner in.

“Bout time you showed up Princess.” Fenri said as Citrinas looked forward, the hallway behind the door just as lavishly decorated as the upper floor. At the end of the hallway she could see a wooden door. At first glance it appeared to be standard wood, yet she could see it was elven wood, the material even tougher than the steel outside.

“Has he woken up yet?” Citrinas asked.

“Not yet.” Varrick answered succinctly.

“Fox-bitch says he’ll be up in a few minutes. She’s just doing the last touches.” She said while toying with her knife as they all made their way to the wooden door. Mathias took point, preparing to take a blow as everyone else retreated outside of the hall, preparing for an ambush. Turning the doorknob, Mathias opened the door and beckoned to them, having them join him. As soon as they entered the room, Citrinas’ eyes went wide in disbelief as she saw what lay behind it.

It was a simple room with a bed in the center. She could see Eren lying in the bed, his body still coated in the strange steel armor while his chest was pried open, his organs a mass of mechanical parts that seemed too alien for her to comprehend. Lying next to him was a table filled with sharp instruments that looked to be meant for a torturer rather than for surgical use. Her sister stood on the opposite end of the bed, her hands wrenched deep within Eren’s body as she seemingly tried to press something into his body. Pelrin stood in the corner of the room, the leader of the Roses leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, watching Tristiana work in silence.

“Inventory.” She said as a blinding white light illuminated the room. Citrinas felt the air grow thick as she felt her heart race, her instincts screaming that whatever her sister had was not natural. Squinting her eyes, Citrinas could see her sister was holding a monster core of unfathomable power in her left hand. In her right hand was a pitch black rose, the flower identical to Verdi’s goddess’ sigil. Raising both her hands, she slammed them both down, the rose piercing where Eren’s heart was as the monster core was placed next to it.

As soon as the rose entered Eren’s body, it dissolved and seemed to melt into him while the monster core bound itself to his body. Suddenly, the metal coating Eren’s body receded while his strange metallic organs began to shift and twitch, the hard steel shifting to soft flesh as his skin turned deathly pale. His arms shifted, stone claws growing over his hands while a mask seemed to form over his face of a skull. Bones shot from his back as a pair of wings emerged from him, the new appendages somehow elegant rather than grotesque like Evangeline’s wings. As he changed, Tristiana reached to the table, taking his old monster core and pressing it against his lips, forcing him to swallow the gem. As the gem entered his throat, Eren’s eyes shot open as consciousness returned to him, a faint blue light emanating from them as Citrina felt her heart stop.

He was stronger. Stronger than when that Thing empowered him. Just looking at him caused her to feel fear. His mere presence was oppressive. The closest comparison she could make was to the Thing in the Gates. There was no way they could even come close to even harming him. He sat up, looking around the room, the skull mask and stone claws receding back into his body as he shifted to his human form, the only proof of his monstrous blood being his now blue eyes. He had the power of a god, yet, he seemed to cower at the sight of them, the sight of Varrick and Daria inciting fear in him.

“Oh god… Varrick… Daria… Everyone… I’m so sorry. I-” He stumbled out, the hero uncharacteristically scared as everyone advanced on him. He could have killed them with a thought. A simple flick of the wrist and he could have wiped them out. Yet, he did no such thing.

“Welcome home dad. We missed you.” Varrick said, as everyone embraced Eren, tears streaming down his helm. Eren looked taken aback, expecting them to strike him or hate him for what he had done. For once, the hero looked scared, as if he couldn’t believe their response. He slowly raised his hand, as if hesitant before returning the embrace.

“I’m *hic* home.” He said, unable to stifle his sobs as he began to weep. He had awakened expecting to be met with scorn, hostility, and hatred. Yet, his expectations were proven wrong as everyone was glad only to see him alive. Yet, for all the joy they felt from being reunited with their father, Citrinas and Fenri remained standing in the corner, unwilling to blindly accept Eren as rehabilitated. Regardless, the only thing they could do was wait and see what Eren would say.

They had a lot of questions they needed answered.