Where am I?

  When Lucia awoke, a vortex of minuscule dim lights slowly orbited her, crowding her vision. At first, the sight was quite disorienting, but eventually, her shoulders rexed as she entered a slight daze. An endless expanse of water covered the world as far as the eye could see. This world, vast but empty, emanated beauty.

  The water formed elegant ripples as her nude figure took an uncertain step forward.

  Is this the afterlife?

  While she had been contempting, a woman manifested from thin air. She was in a simir state of undress and stared directly into the Purple Fairy’s irises for a moment before speaking.

  “Greetings, Lucia.”

  “...Greetings?”

  Upon examination, this dy had a strikingly simir visage. In fact, their entire body seemed identical to Lucia's, with the only difference being her snow white hair.

  “Who… Are you?”

  “I am you! Well, I guess more accurately, I am Hinata!”

  Hinata, that name sounds familiar… Maybe it's from an old JRPG or something? Wait, no... Hinata was the name of the Light Goddess.

  “Umm, you’re the Light Goddess?”

  “Sure am!”

  Tsk, why is she so carefree? Did she not see the fact that I just DIED? Also, conversing in the nude like this, it's a bit embarrassing…

  Lucia's mind wandered briefly before recentering herself on the situation at hand.

  This might be a bit scandalous, but I need to focus. If she's here, does that mean I'm a True Incarnate?

  "Calm down, Lucia, you're not dead, silly. Well, I guess you kinda are… but there is nothing to worry about because I saved us!"

  “Huh?”

  "Your guess about being a True Incarnate was, well… True! Using my powers, I am currently reuniting our beings that were once one; this will grant us a new surge of life. Although this was not the intended method for awakening a True Incarnation, so we might not have our full power immediately. But, again, don't worry about it!"

  I guess she can read my mind? I guess I’ll see what happens if I just think a question: Doesn't that mean you'll simply gain control of my body, though, won't I still die?

  "I don't really have any mind-reading powers; I can only converse with you like this because we share one mind. And you must be referencing what occurred between Marie and the Oracle, right? There is no need to worry, the awakening of a True Incarnate is much different than the awakening of the Oracle. You were always a part of me; the soul impnted in your body as a child was a fragment of me. The other candidates are simply decoys, while, except for Mizuki's Incarnate, of course."

  Suddenly, a wave of sadness washed over Hinata. Lucia failed to notice her look-alike's newfound sadness as her mind raced to make sense of the situation. For the moment, it seemed like she was still alive at least.

  “Hey Hinata, I have a question.”

  Aware of Hinata's soured mood, Lucia began posing her question reluctantly.

  “Where exactly are we right now?”

  It took a moment for the snow-haired goddess to respond.

  "Lex Aeterna. It is a metaphysical realm that belongs to us and only to us. Each goddess possesses one. Time acts differently here, as do the basic ws of physics. In short, we control everything in this world."

  Hinata paused for a few moments before continuing.

  "Lucia, I'd honestly prefer if we remained silent right now. I assure you that all of your questions will be answered once we reunite, so I'd just prefer to sit in silence."

  Lucia accepted the goddess's request and gazed up into the firmament of lights that dappled the world around her. While Lucia didn't consider herself to be intelligent by any stretch of the imagination, she knew she wasn't stupid either. Hinata was likely depressed because the conversation resurfaced memories of this "Mizuki." She wasn't sure of the retionship between the two goddesses, but her mood soured almost immediately after mentioning her.

  She had been separated from this person for over a thousand years. I couldn’t live without Alice for a few days. Way to make me feel pathetic.

  After this thought, Hinata abruptly chimed in.

  “You shouldn’t compare yourself to others, it isn't fair to yourself.”

  The goddess offered a weak smile while repeating the rather cliché line.

  As the two bonded in their own universe, a strange process began. Lucia could feel her body start to melt alongside her inner thoughts. It was as if she was being broken down into little pieces and mixed together with the matter around her. The Lex Aeterna was weaving her very being into its fabrics.

  At the same time, Hinata was experiencing something simir. She was being integrated into some sort of "new" being, a synthesis between both Lucia and Hinata. While Lucia had originally been cut from Hinata's cloth, she also brought her own memories and experiences.

  ???

  A bright light enveloped the surrounding area—the entirety of Staple Street and even Valeria itself had been consumed by the light. Where Lucia had once perished, stood a newly born Goddess. Her hair was the same length, but now its color was that of snow with a gradient of purple at the ends. The highlights created a striking image for both Sophie and her assaints, who had just been dazed by the blinding light.

  "Lucia?"

  Instead of responding, the being Sophie once knew as "Lucia" remained completely still. Adjusting to her new form had taken a toll on her as knowledge since the world's genesis entered her mind.

  Lucia, are you there?

  I think so, this is just so much information. I-I might need a minute.

  That’s alright with me! Let me take over for this battle then!

  With their internal debate settled, Hinata took over Lucia's body and gred at Mourning Raven. It seemed the light from Lucia's rebirth had stunned everyone in the nearby vicinity. Sophie had been stuck in the same position before Lucia's death, signifying the time dition between the worlds.

  Lucia sauntered over to Mourning Raven in a manner that was somehow more menacing than if she had rushed. Horrifyingly, the members of Mourning Raven could only watch her approach in paralysis. Not even a sliver of hope was afforded to them as the status effect had an infinite duration.

  The members of Mourning Raven were executed one by one by the tip of the goddess's rapier. Eventually, it became Sirius's turn. His eyes fluttered in terror, his pupils attempted to escape, and then he closed his eyes, accepting what would come next. In a simple thrust, Sirius broke into countless crystals and drifted away into the air.

  After the five had been executed, Lucia checked in with Sophie. She dispelled the paralysis status effect from the surrounding area and offered her hand.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, Lucia… I’m so gd you’re safe.”

  Sophie's face was riddled with tears, but she questioned the hand reaching out to her.

  “Are you really Lucia?”

  "Of course I am. Well, I guess I'm a mixture of the person you know as Lucia and myself, the goddess Hinata."

  “The Light Goddess? Did you take over her body or something? Give her back!”

  Ahh, right. It seems Lucia expined the concept of a True Incarnate to her when they reunited in this world.

  “Have no worry, I am Lucia, and Lucia is me! You could say that we are essentially the same person!”

  Sophie's eyes analyzed her suspiciously, but eventually accepted the girl's hand.

  “I’ll believe you for now, but don’t believe for a second that we aren’t going to talk when this is all over.”

  While the two continued towards the Valerian Royal Pace, the fragment of Lucia known by Sophie awakened from her slumber. She regained control over her body and made a simple remark towards Sophie.

  “I’m gd you’re alive.”

  Sophie’s face reddened at her sudden sincerity.

  “We’ll talk more after we finish this, but I’m gd you’re alive too.”

  The two had arrived at the towering pace, which housed Louis, the mortal enemy of Gabriel. While they had been cut off from communications after the defection of Alfnor, the entirety of Gabriel's force was amassing outside the pace. Both Fairies and Ferefolk watched the regal building with malice until a man with a gray-streaked beard walked to one of the balconies. His eyes were hazel brown and his teeth a shiny white. If he weren't adorned with fancy attire, he would look like a kindly middle-aged man; instead, he was the king of Valeria, Louis.

  Surprisingly, the man greeted his enemies quite nonchantly.

  “Greetings, followers of Gabriel. You have been lied to. Turn back now, there is no need to shed blood on this day.”

  This address was for decoration only, as it was unlikely the riled mob would turn away without Louis' head—and turn they did not, as a massive battle ensued between those loyal to Louis and those who wished to see change.

  Fairies and Ferefolk alike battled in the shadow of the pace. Though the Fairies were the real difference makers in the battle, their use of magic allowed them to overpower many of the Ferefolk. However, the two who contributed the most to the fight were Sophie and Lucia. The two of them, Lucia especially, had reached a level of might far beyond almost all beings residing in Valeria.

  The conflict had come to a head when Gabriel’s forces had finally breached the control room.

  “These are them, the mana wires.”

  Sophie’s face hardened as the remainder of Gabriel’s forces guarded the entrance to the expansive room.

  From the shadows, a man revealed himself.

  “Well, it looks like you won.”

  It seemed that Louis had thrown in the towel.

  “I already heard from Alfnor, you pn to betray Gabriel and take the throne for yourself, correct?”

  "Yes, my goal is to pce Lucia on the throne… But I have changed the scope of my goal. I would like to usher in a new era of peace, free from this "Aluber." Where Lucia and I can truly live in peace. Otherwise, Aluber will simply continue to sow evil and create danger for the both of us."

  Sophie revealed yet another aspect of her thought process that had y dormant: After Lucia revealed the truth about the candidates and Aluber to her, she realized that it would not be enough to simply carve out a pce for them to live. They were essentially being forced into this conflict against Aluber, especially after Lucia's awakening as a goddess. There was no chance she would escape Aluber's crosshairs as that powerful of a being.

  “Fine then, kill me and get it over with.”

  "Hey, hold your horses, while Gabriel might have a bone to pick with you, we are not him. All you need to do is relinquish control of Valeria's mana to us and support our coup. If we pn to betray Gabriel, we will need those who are loyal to us, after all. Afterwards, I am willing to hear your side of the story, and I would like to verify what he accuses you of. If what he says is true, we will consider a punishment for you at a ter date."

  Sophie offered the middle-aged man mercy, though it was more likely she had another use for him in mind. With the anticlimactic battle against Louis settled, the duo turned their eyes to Gabriel and his forces.

  "So, how do we break the news of our betrayal to good old Gabriel?"

  Sophie childishly yawned while proposing the question to Lucia.

  “It looks like we won’t have to.”

  Lucia responded abruptly while pointing towards the entrance to the control room.

  At the entrance stood a blonde-haired man with elegant facial markings. Despite his retively calm demeanor, his face created an eerie aura. Lucia could not pce her finger on it, but something about his face simply exuded pure anger.

  "It looks like my army is full of double-crossers. I'll give you time to expin yourself, so go ahead. Just remember, my bde is ready to cut you down if you refuse to repent."