2.11
Rem POV
Tereda stood before me, his face etched with a mix of anger and concern, his eyes searching mine for answers.
"Rem," he began, his voice gentle yet firm, "tell me everything. What happened with Roswaal? How long has he been controlling you?"
I took a deep breath, the memories I had suppressed for so long flooding back with agonizing clarity. The pain, the betrayal, the guilt that had haunted me for years - it all came rushing to the surface, threatening to drown me in a sea of despair.
"It was twelve years ago," I began, my voice trembling as I spoke. "The Witch Cult attacked our village. Ram and I were just children, barely seven years old."
The images flashed before my eyes: the screams, the flames, the sickening stench of blood and death. The terror that had gripped my heart as I watched our home burn, our people slaughtered by the masked figures of the cult.
"Roswaal was there," I continued, my voice barely a whisper. "He arrived after the attack, not to help us, but to...to use us."
A sob escaped my lips as the full weight of his betrayal crashed down upon me. He had known about the attack, had anticipated it, and had used the chaos to his advantage.
"He was searching for the Oni Goddess," I explained, tears streaming down my face. "A legendary figure said to possess immense power. And Ram...Ram was considered the next Oni Goddess."
Roswaal's plan was simple yet devious. By taking us in, by offering us a home and a purpose, he had gained control over a potential Oni Goddess, a powerful weapon he could use to further his own ambitions.
"He gave us a choice," I said, my voice choking with emotion. "Serve him, or die."
"We refused, of course, we would rather die than be a servant to someone who killed our village, our friends, our family, and even the clan elders, horrible as they were, they were never as evil as Roswaal. So he changed our memories, made us believe he saved us and drove the witch cultist away."
I looked at my feet. "He trained us, honed our skills, and molded us into the perfect weapons," I continued, the bitterness of all these lies Roswaal had twisted my mind to believe could be felt in my words. "And all the while, he used his magic to control us, to ensure our loyalty, to suppress any thoughts of rebellion."
The memories of his manipulations were vivid and painful. The subtle suggestions planted in our minds, the false memories implanted to justify our actions, the guilt and self-doubt that gnawed at our souls.
"And then- the day came when Ram's powers began to awaken in full," I said, my voice trembling. "She was becoming the Oni Goddess, and Roswaal...he was ecstatic."
I grimaced, "He had delivered a villainous monologue, his eyes gleaming with madness as he spoke of his plans to use Ram's power to reshape the world to make someone named Echidona happy. Make a 'world of constant new wisdom. A world in which she would praise even him.'"
My grimace turned into a sardonic smile "Ram fought back," I said, my voice filled with pride. "She used all her strength, all her magic, to resist his control."
I shook my head "But it wasn't enough. Roswaal's magic was too strong, his will too powerful. And as Ram's mana reserves dwindled, I knew that we were doomed."
"I had to do something," I whispered, tears streaming down my face. "I couldn't let him control her, couldn't let him use her power for his own evil purposes."
With a heavy heart and a desperate resolve, I made a choice. A choice that would haunt me for the rest of my days.
"I broke her horn," I confessed, my voice barely a whisper. "I took away her power, her potential, her future."
"In that moment," I continued, "Roswaal's rage knew no bounds. He turned on me, his eyes blazing with fury, his magic lashing out like a whip. He altered my memories, twisting them, warping them until I believed that I had broken Ram's horn out of jealousy the day of the destruction of our village, out of a desire to be better than her. The guilt, the shame, the self-loathing - it consumed me, turning me into a shell of my former self."
"Rem," Tereda said softly, his arms enveloping me in a warm embrace. "It wasn't your fault. You did what you had to do to protect your sister, to stop Roswaal."
I stepped forward and embraced him. I clung to him, my tears soaking his shirt, my body trembling with the release of years of pent-up emotions.
"He will pay for what he's done," Tereda whispered, his voice filled with a cold fury. "I promise you, Rem. Roswaal will get his comeuppance."
I felt safe in his embrace.
"I'll be holding you for a while. Okay?" I asked, full of vulnerability.
"Of course." tereda said, stroking my back.
I fell asleep.
—
Tereda POV.
The sound of a horn blared, followed by the words. "Hyperbolic Enchanting Chamber of Time will open in two minutes. Please collect any projects."
Rem jolted awake against my chest.
With a flick of my wrist, I activated the expanded storage function of my armor, now vastly improved thanks to our enchanting skills. It might very well be the most versatile and powerful armor on the entire Waterfall World, Holding an entire armory within its hidden and spatially expanded compartments.
With our treasures safely stored away, we stepped out of the enchanting chamber and returned to the main hall of Kasimir's bazaar. The flamboyant merchant materialized before us, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"Ah, my dear friends," he greeted us with a flourish. "I trust your time in the enchanting chamber was…productive?"
"Indeed," I replied, a satisfied smile spreading across my face. "We have much to show you."
"Ah, yes, Come, come! Show the great bazaar what wonderful creations you have made!"
We proceeded to the desk.
Quickly we unveil our creations, a dazzling array of enchanted objects that elicited gasps of admiration and surprise from Kasimir.
He examined each item with a discerning eye, his fingers tracing the intricate runes and marveling at the ingenuity of our designs.
"Remarkable!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with genuine awe. "You have both surpassed my expectations. These enchantments are truly exceptional."
He offered to purchase the items we no longer needed, his prices fair and generous.
As the transactions were completed, I found myself in possession of a staggering amount of wealth: 11 mid-quality spirit stones, 900 low-quality spirit stones, 99,000 large enchanted platinum coins, 99,000 Holy Dragon coins, and over a million of every denomination below it.
The sheer volume of wealth was almost overwhelming, but a sense of urgency quickly replaced my initial surprise.
We had no time to dwell on our newfound riches.
The girl-thing with the danger-doggos was still out there, Roswaal still had full control of Ram, and we needed to prepare for the inevitable confrontation with him as well as help Ram.
"Thank you, Kasimir," I said, Smiling in gratitude. "Your assistance has been invaluable."
"The pleasure was all mine, my dear friends," he replied with a warm smile. "May your journey be filled with success and may your enchantments bring light to the darkness."
With a final farewell, we stepped out of the bazaar and back into the familiar surroundings of the Roswaal manor.
The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the village. It was time to find Ram and share the news of Roswaal's betrayal- or lack of alliance to begin with.
We spotted her near a small cottage, speaking with an elderly woman who was carefully tending to a rosebush ravaged by the recent chaos.
Rem approached cautiously, a small box clutched tightly in her hand.
"Ram," she began, her voice soft yet firm, "I have something for you."
Ram turned, her brow furrowed in confusion. "A gift?" she inquired, taking the box from Rem's outstretched hand. "For me?"
"Yes," Rem replied, her gaze unwavering. "It's important. Please put it on."
Ram opened the box and examined its contents- a simple yet elegant adamantine ring, its surface etched with intricate runes.
A flicker of curiosity crossed her face as she slipped the ring onto her finger. "Strange," she muttered, more to herself than anyone else. "I don't recognize the material, despite its beautiful shade of green."
In that instant, her eyes widened, and her body froze, as if struck by lightning. A tense silence descended upon the village, broken only by the chirping of crickets and the distant rustling of leaves.
Rem and I exchanged worried glances, unsure of what was happening.
Had something gone wrong with the ring?
Was Ram in danger?
Then, a bloodcurdling scream erupted from Ram's lips, shattering the stillness of the evening.
Raw, uncontrolled magical energy surged around her, She clutched her head as she continued to scream and jerk her body in different directions, eyes wide and unseeing.
Magic twisted around and contorted the very air.
The ground beneath her feet cracked and split, forming deep fissures that snaked outwards like veins of molten lava.
Just as that thought hit me, the cracks turned super-heated, and melted the ground.
A massive whirlwind erupted around Ram, whipping up dust and debris into a swirling vortex.
Roof tiles were ripped from nearby houses, trees bent and swayed as if bowing before an angry god, and the air crackled with an otherworldly energy that could be felt for miles around.
The whirlwind reached a crescendo, then abruptly stopped, leaving an eerie silence in its wake.
All the magical energy that had been swirling around Ram seemed to coalesce into a single point, a blinding sphere of light that pulsed with unimaginable power, clearly bending space in every direction around her.
In a flash, Ram vanished, leaving behind only the echo of her scream and a lingering feeling of 'What the fuck just happened?' in everyone's minds.