Chapter 466 [Dystopian Elven War] [42]
'...'
He was none other than the [Villainess Maker] of Fall of Akasha, Core Two.
The Heir of Uzume Family—Zavien Kurai Uzume.
'He looks annoying for fuck's sake.'
Even though I have never met him till now, I can confidently say he is nothing but a brat.
He was holding two wooden swords in both his hands.
I frowned and so did my younger self.
Arianell slowly got up as she saw her brother approaching them.
"Why are you here, brother?" she asked, while 'I' was busy removing the clingy Zenith.
"And why are you playing with these bumpkins." He spat at her as Zenith turned to look at him.
"Who are you calling bumpkins?" she asked, glaring at him. "Just because you live in Akasha doesn't mean you are better."
Zenith's glare didn't waver, her tiny hands balled into fists.
Zavien only smirked, folding his arms as if he had already won the argument.
"Better? I am better," Zavien said smugly. "Everyone knows the Uzume are stronger than any of you."
Zenith stomped her foot, still clinging to my younger self with one hand.
"Shut up! My mama says strength isn't everything and I am stronger than you!"
My younger self chimed in. "You still eat crayons though."
Zenith's face flushed bright red. "I don't eat crayons anymore!"
"You do." 'I' replied calmly.
"I don't!" Zenith yelled, grabbing my face.
Zavien's gaze fell on me as I saw the superiority complex in his eyes.
"And who are you supposed to be?" he asked, glaring at me.
My younger self tilted his head. "Why should I tell you?"
Oh, that hit a nerve as his glare intensified. "You—!"
Arianell's small voice broke in. "Stop it, Zavien. You're embarrassing yourself."
Her brother shot her an angry look. "You're supposed to be on my side."
"I don't want to be if you act like this," she replied, clutching her drawing close to her chest.
My younger self sighed and finally pried Zenith off his face.
"Can't you two just play nice?" he muttered. "It's just drawings. Why do you care so much?"
Zenith crossed her arms, still glaring at Zavien. "Because he's mean!"
Zavien's gaze immediately turned even more furious as he threw a sword towards Zenith.
"Pick it up." He sneered. "I will show you who is stronger."
Zenith was about to pick it up when I grabbed it instead.
"Don't do it," 'I' said, "you will hurt yourself."
She began to try to snatch it away from me. "Give me!" she yelled. "I will beat him up!"
"Heh, like you can." Zavien sneered. "Hey you stupid boy, come at me."
'I' looked confused as I glanced at the sword in my hand.
My younger self shrugged as he walked forward. "Okay."
---
'...'
The event ended in a disaster… not for me though.
My younger self beat him in swordsmanship even though I was two years younger than Zavien.
The adults had to come and stop us but Zavien's confidence was completely shattered.
His eyes were hollow as he was leaving with the others.
'…..I might have broken the kid.'
Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he turned out like what he was in the game because of me.
'….Not that it matters.'
Zavien can be a thousand times stronger now but he still won't be able to touch me.
The difference in skill and strength is like heaven and earth.
What really surprised me was my own swordsmanship.
Sometimes it feels like everything in this world was made to suppress me.
To not let me be strong… like the world is against it.
'...'
Months passed since my encounter with Zavien.
Most of my childhood had been circling around four females.
I slept, ate, and even bathed with them.
All four of them were equally close to me when I was young.
Especially Zenith and Nymeria.
But as time passed Nymeria began to cut herself off from the others.
It was mostly because of her OCD.
She still played with me but she didn't allow others to be around.
Basically, I was the only one who never triggered her OCD so she wanted to monopolize me.
Zenith wasn't happy about this but my younger self balanced his life surprisingly well.
I have been two-timing since I was a fucking child.
'....'
To keep myself sane I decided to stop thinking about it.
Anyway, after a few months Nerissa gave birth to her son… Liam.
It's been three months since then and right now my younger self was with her.
Nerissa slept on the left side with her son in the middle and my younger self on his other side.
She gently patted her son as her eyes remained on me.
The baby shifted slightly, making a soft sound before settling again.
"Why did you name him Liam?" 'I' asked, looking at her.
"Well, I wanted to name him Himmel." she replied. "But Ragnar was against it."
'Hmm?'
When she talked about him, I briefly noticed hatred in her eyes.
'…Well, she does hate Ragnar that's for sure.'
"Why Himmel?" 'I' asked. "And what does it mean?"
"It means heaven." she replied gently. "But in ancient Elven language it also means 'Protector of World.'"
My younger self nodded as he quieted down.
Time stretched between them.
"You're quiet tonight," she said softly.
My younger self blinked up at her. "…I don't know what to say."
She smiled faintly, though her eyes looked tired. "You've grown so quickly, Azariah. Sometimes I forget you're still just a child."
The little me frowned. "I don't feel like one."
Her hand paused for a second, then continued patting Liam. "That's what worries me."
The silence stretched again, broken only by Liam's light breathing.
My younger self shifted closer, his tiny hand brushing against the baby's arm. "He's so small," he whispered.
Nerissa's smile softened. "He is. Smaller than you were."
"…Will he be strong?" my child self asked, tilting his head as if the answer truly mattered.
"He will." she said with a proud smile. "He is an Avatar of Adon for a reason."
But her smile quickly died down. "Strength is not always a blessing, Azariah."
The younger me stayed quiet.
He didn't understand her tone back then, but I do now.
She leaned back against the pillows, her voice quiet, almost to herself.
"Sometimes strength only brings suffering."
Liam stirred, letting out a faint cry, and Nerissa hushed him immediately, her hand soothing him with practiced care.
My younger self watched them both, his small face looking at them curiously.
"…I'll protect him," he said suddenly.
Nerissa blinked at him, surprised, before her expression softened warmly.
She reached out, brushing her fingers gently against his cheek.
"…You are too kind, Azariah." she murmured. "Too grown for your own good."
The little me just looked back at her, unflinching. "…I mean it."
Nerissa remained silent as she kept on staring at me.
"You need strength to protect him." she said gently. "Do you want strength?"
My younger self nodded his head in response. "But I can't use mana."
"There are other energies out there, Azariah." she replied with a smile. "I will teach you if you want to learn."
My younger self nodded firmly, determination clear in his eyes. "Please, teach me."
Nerissa smiled brightly. "Alright." she said. "I will teach you how to use Ruah."
---
Nerissa's behaviour took a swift turn after that day.
She became much more strict with me than before.
In the morning she would teach me everything I could learn and in the evening she would take a test.
It kept on going for three months straight.
During this time perhaps because of strictness I became wary of her.
…No, it was like I became afraid.
She was genuinely acting like my mother who was strict as hell.
In times like this my solace became Yennefer.
She treated me gently with too much love.
One pushed me harder than I thought I could handle, the other pulled me back before I collapsed completely.
It made me wonder if they were doing this intentionally.
Playing Good mother and Bad mother.
Nerissa's lessons were harsh, but they worked.
She never allowed me to slack even once.
If I failed a task, she would make me repeat it until I got it right, no matter how late into the night it was.
The routine continued, day after day.
I learned how to use and even master Ruah in the span of a few months.
My talent for Ruah was terrifying to say the least.
It was enough to threaten the king of elves, Narcos.
Frankly speaking, he was just jealous of a child better than him.
Nerissa even made the child me propose to his wife just to make him even more jealous.
It was funny to say the least.
Anyway, it was just another afternoon in my childhood when news began to spread around.
Nerissa and Yennefer were standing in front of us as they were discussing it.
….The attack of Dark Trinity and Vampires.
"..."
The accursed day is coming soon.