Shattered Sun Chapter 3

Edited by: Marethyu, Priapus

I don’t know what drove me to follow the bastard sun god and take his offer, but at this point, it doesn’t really matter that much, does it? I don’t know what he gains by giving me the weapon used to supposedly destroy him. But if he wants to die that badly, then who am I to argue? I’ll do us both and the world a favor by getting rid of him. One less monster to worry about.

And I don’t give a flying fuck that he is a god, as he proved by showing me God Slayer magic. As long as I’m breathing, I’ll do anything I can to put him down, no matter the possible consequences. He WILL die. Screaming and begging for mercy. And I won’t be satisfied with anything less.

The first step to achieving such a monumental goal would be actually tapping into this magic, which I’m having a lot of difficulty doing. Unlike with the clairvoyance magic I tried to learn, besides figuring out how to manipulate my Ethernano into the shape and energy I want, I have to assume the mindset of the God of the Sun, apparently. I have to think like him. Be him, in some way.

Magic in this world is all about feelings. Emotions. How one thinks and interacts with the world around them. It isn’t just a pool of MP one can draw from to do tricks— someone’s mindset can change how their magic works. It can get stronger or weaker depending on what someone believes.

This Sun God Slayer magic requires me to see myself as superior to others. To view those below me as insignificant as the worms burrowing in the earth. Just what kind of narcissistic mindset is this? Is this what it means to be a god? Are all of them like this? It’s awful. What a vile and twisted way to use something as wonderful as magic.

Just how can anyone think like that? God or not, I just don’t understand. I don’t get it. What makes you better than others? Power? Prestige? Wealth? Is it really that simple for some? How can someone be so goddamn superficial? And I wish they just left it at that. But no. They just have to go hurting others out of pure greed.

It fucking pisses me off. They really are the lowest scum on Earthland. Animals like Solaris really don’t deserve the gift of magic. All of them should just burn in the deepest parts of hell. Each and every single one of them. If I just had the power to punish them—

As that thought crosses my mind, the tiniest orb of Sun God Slaying magic flashes in my hand before quickly disappearing, making my eyes widen. I try to conjure it up again, but to no avail, making me grit my teeth in frustration and annoyance. Why? Just why isn’t it working?

I’ve been at this for hours— I spent nearly the entire night practicing, but I’ve made zero progress. Only these occasional sparks that are nothing more than that. I’ve not assumed this mindset for myself for stuff like this to happen, and I’m 100% sure it’s working out of rage.

“Damn it…” I curse under my breath, flinching at the phantom pain in my arm. “Shit…”

I huff in irritation, wiping the sweat off my brows. The mental focus this takes is absurd— I barely did anything, and I already feel tired. Or maybe that’s just because I barely had any rest despite my very severe injuries.

“Awake already, lad?” Solaris says, approaching me from behind. “Aren’t you an early bird?”

I say nothing in response, but I do glance back at him munching on a roasted leg of lamb. He notices me eyeing the piece of meat and shrugs.

“Well, if you care, there are a few pieces over the fire.” He says. “I won’t mind if you take a couple of bites.”

My stomach grumbles at that, begging me to eat something. But I refuse. I’d rather drink poison than taste anything he’s touched. And I’ve eaten a little bit after foraging for my own food an hour ago. Not much, but enough to survive.

He eventually takes my silence as a resounding ‘go fuck yourself’, making him snort in amusement.

“You know you can’t keep being so stubborn forever, lad.” He points out. “Mortals need to eat to survive, don’t they?”

Once again, I remain silent.

“Very well. It’s your decision.” He says, turning around and walking back to the campfire. “Get up. We will be back on the path in a few minutes.”

I begrudgingly listen to him, the world spinning a little as I stand on my two feet. I groan and rub my eyes, exhausted and starving after what feels like years. As much as I hate to admit it, I don’t think I’ll be able to walk for too long without having at least one meal. But once again, I refuse to eat anything his filthy hands have touched.

So I use these few minutes to forage the forest for more fruits, vegetables, and anything edible. Hunting anything is out of the question— I’m too weak, and my sense of balance is still screwed after losing my left eye. Unless something is right in front of me, I’d have a tough time hitting anything with a projectile.

Besides, there’s not a lot of time to cook something anyway.

Thankfully, despite how barren this forest is, I do find some food. A couple of apples, wild vegetables, edible fungi, and nuts. Barely enough to be considered a meal, even when put together, but it’ll probably last me for today. Here’s hoping we find a town or something soon.

Maybe the locals there can spare a few things for an injured kid like me. Hopefully.

…God, I miss my mom’s croissants.

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– Solaris –

It had been a few days since he’d wiped out that town, and to tell the truth, the Profound hadn’t known what to expect when he’d taken the Marigold boy with him. He’d had expectations, of course, but none were immediate, so to speak. He was supposed to train the lad, but even for a god that had lived for countless centuries, he didn’t know how to begin doing that. He’d had worshippers and servants before, but a student? That was new.

Solaris had simply told him the principles of God Slaying magic, hoping it would be enough, but that wasn’t the case, unfortunately. Not that the boy was an idiot— he clearly was a lot more intelligent than kids his age, but his injuries severely limited his magical capabilities. And it was inherently difficult for a mortal to understand divine principles. 

It didn’t stop him from trying, though.

“You know, lad.” Solaris started, turning his gaze over his shoulder and at the boy, who was quietly and futilely attempting to perform the simplest Sun God Slayer spell even on the road. “Perhaps you’d have better luck after having something to eat.”

The boy’s eye twitched, accidentally casting a small orb of light magic in his open fist. Cyrus did not respond, but his stomach did so in his place, growling and agreeing with the Sun God. It was an amusing sight, to say the least. Day in, day out, the boy would spend most of his time trying to tap into the Lost Magic, never once succeeding. Banging his head on an unbreakable wall, hoping it would eventually break before he did. Really, what was he hoping for after it didn’t work the seventh time?

He rarely talked to Solaris, only ever doing so whenever he had questions about God Slayer magic, hoping the Sun God’s answers would give him a hint. But, again, Solaris had no experience in training anyone. He kept it as simple as he could.

To rise above creation and wield the authority to judge as a deity would. To determine which beings are granted the gift of life and which are deemed unworthy of existence. To shine like a magnificent star amidst the vast cosmos, embodying both majesty and power. To observe the world below you, figuratively and literally.

That was what it meant to be the God of the Sun, what Cyrus needed to comprehend to tap into the power of the Sun God Slayer.

But even for him, that wasn’t so easy to understand. Who could blame him? He was a mortal. Born a mortal. To fully comprehend the mindset of a divinity was no easy task. Unfortunately, Cyrus did not make it any easier for himself.

He did not eat anything the Sun God touched, slept a distance away from him, despite the cold, and even refused to be helped with his bandages. He was hellbent on not accepting anything from Solaris besides his teachings, and Solaris admittedly did find it bothersome, but the boy’s hatred was still fresh. He needed time to be less stubborn.

It was a miracle that the child could still stand on his two feet, let alone walk. He was kept alive and conscious by sheer rage and the opportunity to kill Solaris with his own hands. That the Sun God found utterly hilarious. And promising. As long as he kept cultivating that fury, Cyrus would turn into a very formidable mage. Worthy of being his student.

Though Solaris wished that the boy would eat something. It wouldn’t take long for him to collapse at this rate, which would be very annoying to deal with. Even hunting was too much for him, considering the terrible state he was in. He was probably finding something to eat, perhaps a few fruits in some of the forests they walked through, but likely not much beyond that.

“…Suit yourself,” Solaris muttered with a shrug.

Cyrus didn’t listen or care about his own well-being as much as he should have. For a child this intelligent, he was very short-sighted, it seemed. So, for now, Solaris did what he did best: Travel the world until he found anything that was remotely interesting to entertain himself. If Cyrus were to collapse, then that would be his cue to take the child somewhere he could recover.

It’s not as if he could threaten the child. No doubt, after losing his family, he did not care much about staying alive. Really, if not for this golden opportunity for revenge, Cyrus probably would’ve preferred death over a hollow life like that. Ironically, Solaris would stand to lose much more if the Marigold were to die. He had to be kept alive until he had his own children.

Or, well, until he was old enough to take care of himself. If an older Cyrus were to die out there due to his own mistakes, then he was never worthy to be an apprentice. Losing the subject of his hate would be annoying, but Solaris could simply redirect that hate toward Earthland as a whole.

He hoped it would never come to that point, however. It wasn’t as if he despised this world.

Only his position in it.

As the pair spent the next several minutes of their traveling in silence, they had finally arrived at another village they spotted from a distance. It was much smaller than the Marigolds’ hometown, and likely far less wealthy as well, considering the poor condition of its buildings. It wasn’t as if it was on the verge of collapse, but unlike Tulip Town’s clean brick streets and tall stone walls, this village only had flimsy wooden fences as its only line of defense.

Solaris couldn’t even see any guards around. Except the one standing at the gate, but he was nothing special. Inferior to the typical Rune Knights. A guild mage of some sort, if the tattoo on his cheek was anything to go by. A red symbol of a bear head with a claw mark across it.

The guard got in front of them, but the words died in his throat the moment his eyes met Solaris’. He paled and remained quiet, fear overtaking him as he quickly stepped to the side and let them in.

Pathetic. Solaris thought, entering the village.

The villagers, miserable and afraid, made sure to avoid the two, intimidated by Solaris’ stature as he towered over them. Some showed concern for the heavily injured boy behind him, but none worked up the courage to approach and ask if he was okay. Not that he would care. Forbidding the boy from interacting with others would be pointless.

In fact, he wished that someone would be brave enough to check up on Cyrus. Perhaps then the boy wouldn’t have an excuse to decline food or new bandages. Alas, this was a village of cowards.

Solaris headed straight to the village’s tavern, bending down to enter through the front door. It was empty except for a woman behind the counter cleaning a mug, who flinched once she saw the God of the Sun. She said nothing, only nodding in acknowledgement before quickly averting her eyes in fear.

Solaris quietly took a seat. At his nod and grunt aimed at the boy, Cyrus frowned and took the one in front of him. A waitress quickly approached the two, trying her hardest to give a disarming smile despite the anxiety she felt.

“W-welcome, travelers.” She said, swallowing a lump in her throat. “What can I get for you?”

The Profound stared at the boy expectantly. Here’s an opportunity to eat without Solaris tainting his food. Would he take it, or did paying for it mean the same thing?

“…I’m not hungry.” He lied through his teeth.

Of course… Solaris snorted. It was his decision.

“Whatever’s your favorite, lass.” He told her. “And the strongest drink you have.”

“U-um, sorry, sir. But we only have beer.” She said.

“Oh?” He raised an eyebrow. “That poor, eh?”

The waitress remained still for a few moments, almost as if she were considering whether to speak, before slowly responding.

“W-well, no, not exactly…”

“Hm?”

“It’s nothing, sir.” The lady behind the counter quipped, overhearing their conversation. “We’re just… waiting for supplies. That’s all.”

Well, then. He didn’t expect them to resort to lies. Waiting for supplies, was it? Did they think he was gullible enough to believe that?

Though not like he cared.

“I’m sure.” He grunted. “Beer is fine, too. Three pints. And two rooms for the night.”

The waitress hesitated again before slowly nodding. Cyrus silently stared at them, seemingly catching on as well. He seemed far more curious than Solaris.

“What’s on your mind, lad?” He asked, not expecting an answer. “You stopped casting spells.”

“…She’s lying, isn’t she?”

Solaris blinked, then smirked. Oh? Was he preferable to silence at last?

“Sharp.” He praised. “She is. I don’t know what for, nor do I care.”

“Of course you don’t,” Cyrus responded blankly, looking at him. “You don’t care about anything but yourself.”

“As one should,” Solaris argued. “That’s what it means to be a God, lad. Why care about something so insignificant? I am above all.”

“See? A mindset no different than that of an animal.” The boy said with a venomous tone. “I almost pity you.”

That only made Solaris’ smirk widen. It seemed that he was being looked down on.

Good. The lad was halfway there already.

“H-here’s your food, sir.” The waitress said, putting down a tray. “And keys for your rooms. Rooms 101 and 102. Tell me if you need anything else.”

Cyrus took his key, left the table, and went up the stairs to his room, probably either to continue practising or to sleep. Solaris didn’t care as long as he didn’t starve himself to death.

He’d give it one more day. If Cyrus didn’t fold, Solaris would feed him by force.

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– Cyrus –

Turning in my bed for the umpteenth time, I let out a sigh of frustration, trying to ignore the head-splitting migraine in an effort to sleep. After traveling for about six hours without rest, and in this state, god knows I need it. But I can’t. I’ve not been able to sleep properly ever since that happened. Even after nearly a week, that scene keeps replaying in my head.

My destroyed town, dead mother, father’s last words, and having to bury whatever remained of them. All of it. Over and over and over. Like it’s my personal hell. A punishment for a sin I might’ve committed in my past life. My little sister— poor Iris— she was completely and utterly vaporized. Nothing was left to bury. I wasn’t even given the courtesy of seeing her one last time. Why did she have to die? What did she do to deserve this?

Those questions refused to leave my head, no matter how long I spent dwelling on them. Yet, even as I’ve shed enough tears to fill a well, I just can’t knock myself out. Because on top of all of this, I can still feel the phantom pain in my arm and eye spiking every few minutes, and it’s starting to drive me insane.

I’ve ignored it most of the time, too focused on tapping into God Slayer magic, but with nothing to distract me from the pain, things haven’t been easy. Hungry, tired, and injured, I’ve not made any progress on that front yet. It’s frustrating, but I REFUSE to accept anything from that monster. No food, medical attention, water, or even a conversation. Even if it means I’ll die before having my revenge.

I will not give him even the slightest bit of satisfaction if I can help it.

I flinch as the phantom pain in my eye begins to act up, forcing me to sit on the edge of my bed and grimace in annoyance and discomfort. I put a hand over the bandage wrapped around my head, knowing that it has needed to be changed for days now. But this is the first village we’ve stumbled on during our travel. I’ve not had a chance to change it. I hope there’s a medical clinic somewhere around here. And I hope they’re kind enough to spare a few bandages for me.

And maybe some water. My throat is parched.

I look out of the window, seeing the moon above, before sighing. It’s too late to go around exploring the village. Maybe tomorrow morning, before Solaris wakes up. I can slip out of the tavern and see if there’s someone willing to help me out. I’d hate to ask the clearly poor people here, but I’m pretty much forced to.

Before I’m able to go back to bed, though, I hear a cry from downstairs, as well as the shattering of glass, followed by faint laughter of several individuals, making me pause. I almost ignore it, chalking it off as local patrons being annoying and loud, but then I hear another feminine cry, prompting me to frown.

I get off the bed, not acknowledging the trembling of my legs, and exit the room. I lean closer to Solaris’ room, confirming he’s there from his loud snoring, then go down the stairs. I spot several people in the tavern’s pub, men and women, very clearly bullying the poor waitress as one of them rests their legs on her back as she’s cleaning spilled beer on the floor.

One detail I quickly notice is that they all share the same tattoo of the guardsman, either on their chests, faces, shoulders, or hands. So there is a guild somewhere around this area. One I’ve not heard of before.

The humiliated waitress seems on the verge of tears, and the scene makes my fury flare.

“Clean up the mess you made, you dumb whore.” One of the women said with a wide, malicious smirk. “Seriously. What an idiot.”

“That’s so mean, Britney!” Another laughed. This one is a male. “You’re the one who tripped her!”

“No idea what you’re talking about.” The female bandit snickered. “It’s not my fault the hag behind me hired someone this clumsy. Isn’t that right, Krista?”

The waitress quietly sobs and nods.

“Y-yes. It’s my fault.”

“See?” The bandit shrugs, looking down at her. “Honestly, you should consider yourself lucky we’re letting this one slide. Wouldn’t wanna end up like that little sister of yours.”

I instinctively clench my fist, watching this unfold in silence. None of the bandits notice me, too focused on the waitress, as I don’t waste another second, my fury taking control and prompting me to raise my arm and release a beam of light that pierces the female bandit’s head, killing her in a violent fashion as her head explodes, spraying blood and gray matter everywhere.

Everyone takes a moment to process this, as do I, not having expected myself to kill someone so… easily like this. My body moved on its own, but the woman was very clearly a mage and much older than I. Shouldn’t she be stronger than that? A spell like that shouldn’t have killed her. Not when I’m handicapped by my injuries.

But more than that, what truly shocked me was how I don’t feel anything resembling guilt or remorse. Rather, this felt therapeutic to a ridiculous degree. That’s… not right. This shouldn’t be right. Yet it feels right. It feels good.

God, what the hell is wrong with me?

The corpse hits the floor next to the waitress, whose piercing scream of fear shocks everyone out of their stupor. All eyes land on me as each and every one of the wizards prepares their spells to attack me. All elementalists— Fire, lightning, wind, and Iron. I count four currently aiming to take my head.

“Who the fuck are you?!” One of them roars.

I don’t respond, creating a sword of light before charging forward at the one who spoke, swinging my blade. He barely evades the strike and responds with a kick, which I jump over and release a beam of light that hits him in the face. This time, however, it doesn’t quite kill him as he’s only sent crashing through the tavern wall and outside.

The question of whether this guy was stronger than the woman or if I just caught her off guard will have to wait, as another rushes me, landing a magic-infused punch on my face. I grunt in pain, the world around me spinning as I barely block a follow-up attack with a shield of light. However, the force of the attack makes me crash into the shelf of alcohol behind the counter, making me hiss.

Another uses the opportunity to cast a fireball at me, which I barely evade as the alcohol catches on fire and begins burning the building. My eyes widen as I notice the tavern owner is stuck near where the fireball hit, prompting me to jump in to help.

Thankfully, I manage to carry her outside the building just in time, using the hole I made to escape. I put her down and realize that the waitress is still inside, her back against the wall as she shakes uncontrollably.

“Run!” I tell the owner.

She doesn’t argue and leaves, running as fast as she can, thankfully, just before the wizard strikes me in the chest with a rod of iron and sends me inside the burning building. I recover as fast as I can, my adrenaline pumping like crazy as I stay close to the waitress.

“You dumbfuck!” One of the wizards shouts, chastising her fellow guildmate. “What are you thinking, using fire near alcohol?!”

“Who cares?! He fucking killed Britney!” The fire user replies with a shout. “Besides, it’s all beer! Literally nothing of value was lost!”

“I’m talking about the building, you dipshit!”

As panic spreads among the guildmates as fast as the fire does through the building, I take the opportunity to blast a hole behind the girl, giving her a quick exit.

“Go! Now—?!”

Another rod of iron strikes me in the face, throwing me outside and nearly knocking me unconscious. I groan in pain, forcing myself back on my feet as the mage comes out of the burning tavern with an angry scowl, blood pouring down from a wound on his forehead.

“Shut the hell up, you morons! Who gives a shit about this dingy-ass tavern?!” He shouts at them, keeping an eye on me. “We have an upstart here that needs to be taught a lesson.”

All of them obey, exiting the burning building one by one and surrounding me. I grimace, realizing that I’ve made a big, big mistake. Besides the iron mage in front of me, they’re nothing special, that much I can tell, but at the state I’m in? I might as well be fighting four Zerefs at the same time. The only way I can conceivably win this is if I somehow access God Slayer magic.

I’m utterly fucked otherwise.

“I don’t know what a cripplied brat like you thought would happen killing one of our own, but—” The iron mage said. “You better start praying to your god for mercy, because we’re showing none.”

What the hell am I supposed to do now?

“Maybe we’ll start with one of your legs first.” The fire mage says with a bloodthirsty smirk, fists engulfed in flames. “You know, to keep up with the whole ‘missing one of two’ theme you have going on. Then perhaps an ear.”

…The mindset of divinity, he told me. To stand above the world. To pass judgment as I see fit. To shine in cosmic skies like the brightest star in the universe. To look down on others as insignificant insects in my radiant magnificence.

What a disgustingly selfish and narcissistic mindset. No wonder that egomaniac calls himself a god.

“Barbaric~” Another says, a female mage whose hands are crackling with lightning magic. “But that’s what you get for messing with the Crimson Ursa. One of the greatest Dark Guilds in Fiore.”

But if that’s what it means to get out of this in one piece…

“Animals,” I scowl. “All of you are animals.”

“The hell did you say?” The iron mage narrows his eyes. “Don’t you realize the position you’re in, runt?”

To get my revenge on that monster…

“Who are you to bully those weaker than you for your self-satisfaction?” I spit out, almost surprised at my own hostility. “You think just because you can, you should? Just because you’re stronger, you’re superior? You think no one can stop you?”

Then I need to view these animals as the animals they truly are. As absolute wastes of oxygen that must be put down like one would a rabid dog. No, even less than that. These savages need to be judged. Proper punishment must be given. They have to be slaughtered.

And if passing judgment makes me as self-centered as a god ought to be, then so be it.

“You lot are nothing more than subhuman filth. Lower than the dirt beneath my boots.” I growl with a tone filled with fury, a faint aura of sunlight glimmering around me as a blackened sphere of Sun God Slayer magic forms in my fist. “None of you deserves to live.”

“That’s enough out of you, you self-righteous little shit.” The lightning mage scoffs, attacking first by throwing a spear. “Die!”

Fueled by rage, adrenaline, and the newfound power to kill a god, I flex my magic, nullifying her spell with my aura of sunlight before tearing her in half from the waist down with my own spear, killing her instantly. Before any of the other mages can react, I rush toward the fire user and effortlessly slice his head off with a solar blade, throwing at the third mage and piercing his heart.

“What the hell!?” The iron mage flinches, casting several soaring knives. “How did you— what kind of power is this?!”

I evade all of them, moving faster than this worm can even react to and grab his hand, clenching my own and crushing all his fingers instantly. He screams in pain and steps back, falling on his rear in shock at the abruptness, but he doesn’t make it more than a few centimeters away before I shatter his arm with a kick.

He uselessly tries to defend himself, but I destroy the incoming iron battering ram by releasing a ray of sunlight through my eye, slicing it and his head in half. The mage falls to the ground, dead, after having his brain cut and fried by my spell.

Afterwards, pure silence. For once in what feels like years, my head feels clear. No migraine, no painful ringing. Nothing but the lashing flames engulfing the tavern and the calm wind of the night.

“Well, I’ll be,” Solaris said, appearing out of nowhere, naturally unharmed by the fires consuming the tavern. “Little less than a week, and you already got the hang of it. You’re turning out to be a real prize, laddie.”

I ignore the vile god behind me and stare at the corpses as the aura of sunlight begins to fade away, once again feeling nothing but satisfaction at my work. Pride of my victory over these insects. Happiness and pleasure at the deaths of my enemies. Not a hint of shame for what I did. Something a human like me shouldn’t be feeling.

I then stare at the blazing building caused by my own short-sightedness. My own impulsiveness and lack of control. Idiocy. Childishness. Whatever else.

And I feel… guilt. Remorse. Anger. Grief. All of this happened because of me. It’s all my fault. I don’t even know if the waitress made it out of there or not. Yet, despite all of that, I can’t help but chuckle to myself, not out of madness or delirium.

But out of pure relief.

“Hm?” Solaris grunts in confusion as he sees me smiling. “What’s gotten you so pleased, lad? Enjoying the lightshow, are you?”

I look at him, feeling a strange sense of victory as my vision slowly darkens. In seconds, I feel the power of the Godslayer Magic taking its toll, but right before I pass out from exhaustion, I manage to utter a response with the biggest smirk I could muster.

“I’m still human.”

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– Solaris –

Staring at Cyrus’ unconscious form, he couldn’t help but click his tongue in annoyance. This brat really knew how to get on his nerves, didn’t he? What was he so proud of, claiming to be a mere ‘human’? At this rate, he would never master the power of the sun. 

At the same time, though, Solaris did feel amused. He truly despised everything that made a god, didn’t he? Good. If he couldn’t assume the mindset of a god, then this unyielding hatred would do well in its place.

He squatted down next to the lad, noticing he was burning up after Solaris put the back of his hand on his forehead. So he hadn’t just collapsed, but he’d gotten ill. That was inconvenient, but expected. Not only was he hungry and injured, but he was also exhausted physically and mentally. Accessing the overwhelming power of God Slayer Magic in that state was surely dangerous.

He supposed they could stay in this village for one more day for him to rest, eat, and change his bandages, but not any longer than that. He doubted these incredibly impoverished people could even afford proper medicine, and this illness was likely something magical in nature. Solaris needed to find an expert. Thankfully, he knew one who lived close by.

“I-is it over…?”

Solaris looked up, seeing the waitress cautiously approaching them. She was in a terrible state— burn marks across her right arm and face. Her outfit was nearly destroyed, and she looked like she was on the verge of passing out if not for her obvious concern for the boy. Behind her were the village people, holding buckets of water to put out the fire consuming the tavern.

“You can see the corpses around us, can’t you?” Solaris snorted.

She swallowed nervously.

“Th-the kid… Is he—”

“He’s alive. Barely.” Solaris answered, standing up. “But not for long. He needs your help, lass.”

Maybe he wouldn’t vehemently refuse medical attention and food if someone other than Solaris offered.

“Goodness…” She gasped, fearlessly approaching the Profound before picking the boy up. “Alright. I’ll take care of him. Please, mister. Help us by putting out the fire before it spreads to the other buildings.”

Solaris raised an eyebrow. She was very clearly intimidated by his stature, but she was clearly braver than most. Approaching him so casually and asking for his help…

On a whim, he raised an arm, clenched his fist, and instantly snuffed out the flames spreading through the building. The villagers flinched at the suddenness, as had the waitress, who then nodded in acknowledgment.

“The boy hadn’t eaten in days,” Solaris told her. “When he wakes up, feed him. By force if you have to.”

“O-okay…” She said. She then visibly hesitated before speaking again. “T-to tell you the truth, mister, this isn’t all of them.”

“Hm?”

“T-the Crimson Ursa. Their base is in an abandoned outpost west of here.” She explained. “The iron mage was their ace, so they’ll send a search party after not getting back from him soon.”

“So?”

“P-please help us. Please.” She begged, tears streaming down her face. “These people have been terrorizing our village for months, killing some of us when we don’t meet their unrealistic demands. M-my sister was one of those victims.”

“And why should I care about your sister or your village?” Solaris asked coldly, making her flinch. “This is your mess. You clean it up.”

“What can we do? We’re just villagers! We’re not mages or knights!” She argued. 

“Figure it out.” He snorted, starting to walk away.

“Please, sir! We’ll do anything!” She sobbed. “I-if they realize that their best team died, they’ll wipe us out!”

“That’s too bad.” Solaris shrugged. “But if you’re so pathetic and desperate as to ask a stranger to solve your problems for you, then perhaps you deserve to be wiped out.”

He was tired of giving mortals handouts, especially when most of them don’t deserve to be helped.

“W-what? B-but—” She struggled to argue before pointing something out. “I-if you don’t take care of it now, they’ll start hunting you and the kid down!”

He paused. That was a good point. Almost. If they tried hunting Solaris down, then he’d just eradicate them in an instant. Realistically, it was no different than taking them out now

“You’re rather persistent, aren’t you, lass?” He glanced at her. Then, he thought to himself. “Then again…”

If he had helped them out, it would be something to tell the boy about, which was worth considering, seeing that perhaps it would help the image he had of Solaris. Not enough to lessen the overwhelming hatred he had for the God of the Sun, but maybe enough to make him less stubborn.

Solaris would rather not travel with someone who would refuse to even speak to him properly. And from a Marigold, it would get annoying very quickly.

“…Very well,” Solaris said, floating above the ground. “I'd better see the lad being treated like a god when I come back.”

“Y-yes, of course! Whatever you want!” The waitress smiled in relief. “We’ll make sure to take care of him.”

Solaris didn’t respond to that and disappeared from her sight, rapidly soaring west of the village and quickly spotting the supposed outpost. He soared down and stomped on one of the mages standing guard, crushing him and turning him into a pile of flesh, immediately drawing attention to himself from the other mages.

“W-what the fuck?!” One of them cried out, falling on his rear as fear overtook him.

His stomp was loud enough to alert the rest of the guild as they arrived at the scene, surrounding the Profound as his magical presence shook them to their cores. Solaris grabbed the fallen mage by the throat and lifted him up.

“Apologies, lads.” Solaris grinned maliciously as the pathetic mage choked and clawed at his hands. “But you should be proud of yourselves.”

Solaris twisted his hand and tore the mage’s head off by the neck, and the blood came pouring out, dyeing the god’s face and torso a deep crimson color. He let go of the head and addressed the rest of the guild, who shook in terror at the nightmare before them.

“Unlike the lives you’ve led until now, your deaths will serve a cause greater than you can comprehend.”

Far enough away from civilization, nobody heard them scream as Solaris the Profound delivered a most fitting sentence.