章節 73: 73 The Queen wants me to be a Monster part 4
The goddess waved her hand, and a throne of water erupted from the brittle grass, the struggling blades turned yellow and crumbled to ash. The air felt hotter, dryer, as if the vitality of the earth itself had been snuffed out. Ériu gestured again, and another throne formed beside hers, water twisting unnaturally in place.
"Take a seat," she said smoothly, her tone almost playful. "The first step is to see what he will do when faced with an unbeatable opponent. Oh and we mustn't forget that the Valkyrie will awaken as well. It just takes longer for them to do so."
Ériu lowered herself onto her throne as if it were dry stone. Saoirse hesitated, brushing her hand against the watery seat. Her fingers passed through the liquid, her hand left damp and cold. She frowned, irritated by the goddess's games, and touched it again. The throne froze instantly, crackling with ice. Saoirse sat down, the chill biting into her skin through her clothes, but she didn't mind. The ice had come from within her.
"Very well!" Ériu said amused, it seems like you are the brains in this marriage. As am I. My husband is a bit….excitable."
"My husband is smarter than you think." Saoirse snapped. "I don't know what you are doing, but if you hurt him I will defend him."
"Ah! There it is, the problem." Eriu said.
She gestured to the battlefield, where Sirius was locked in combat. His movements were slowing, his strikes growing less precise as Nanna clawed and kicked at him relentlessly. Though Sirius had managed to wound her, blood streaming down her head and impairing her coordination, she landed more blows than she missed. Saoirse's temples throbbed as she worked to heal his wounds, sweat beading on her forehead as the strain gnawed at her.
"Your husband is too weak," Ériu said, her voice cutting. "Look at him. Struggling against a mere enlightened being. Elevated from mortality, not born into power. She is nothing compared to what he will face. Even Mani could demote her, and she would crumble like any other. Notice the ones without golden bones? They won't rise again; they've been demoted. Just as he will fall if he doesn't grow stronger."
Saoirse took a shaky sip of blood, trying to soothe the pounding in her head. Ériu's words slithered into her mind like poison, but she pushed them away.
"Let yourself be angry at him for his weakness," Ériu said, her tone almost coaxing. "With his education, his lineage—he should be a god by now. Not… this." She waved a hand dismissively at Sirius, her disdain palpable.
"Don't talk about him that way!" Saoirse said, standing up and balling her fists. Her fangs sprouted as did her ears and tail.
Ériu smiled. "I want him to be a monster." She said, don't you?"
Saoirse stood her ground, her fists trembling as her claws dug into her palms. "I don't want him to be a monster. He's strong—not because of his power, but because he chooses to stay in control. He's holding himself back because he wants to be a good king someday. A king who doesn't rule by fear or destruction."
Ériu's smile sharpened. "A noble sentiment, but look at him." She gestured toward Sirius, whose exhaustion was evident as he fought off Nanna's relentless strikes. "He's losing to a lesser opponent. One who shouldn't even be able to touch him if he truly understood his own strength."
"He's still fighting!" Saoirse shot back. "That takes more strength than you give him credit for."
Ériu's gaze turned cold, her voice cutting through the tension like ice. "I trapped him in there, or he would have run away by now. And he can't control his beast. Tell me, Saoirse, what happens when his restraint fails him? What happens when he loses control, does his beast obey?"
Saoirse's tail swished, her fangs bared, but she said nothing, her heart pounding in her chest.
Ériu continued, leaning forward slightly. "He needs to learn strength that goes beyond holding back. He must learn to harness his power—not bury it. Because if he cannot fight like the vampire king he is destined to be, he will never protect what he loves. He will never be able to fight in a way that ensures you are never hurt."
Saoirse's throat tightened as her eyes flicked to Sirius, watching him block another attack. Nanna had gotten ahold of Odin's sword and sliced through Sirius' forearm, his movements were slower than before. Blood trickled down Saoirse's sleeve. Ériu's words stung more, and the guilt gnawed at her.
"I wanted him to be this way. I told him it was necessary or he would view the world the way his father does. He's acting this way for me, so I can't be mad now."
"He fights for you," Ériu pressed, her tone softening. "But he's not yet fighting in a way that will keep you safe. If you truly believe in him, you must help him embrace what he is. Not tame it, but master it."
Saoirse felt her wolf nuzzle her.
"I have removed from him his beast for now." Ériu revealed.
Saoirse looked at her in shock.
"He will train without the temptation to cheat and in time he will earn him back. Imagine it, some gods can kill a familiar. What would he do then? We must train for every possibility."
Saoirse sat back down.
Then Ériu she waved her hand and a ball of water floated in mid air, "Would you mind?" She asked Saoirse. "Making a glass to cool my beverage?"
Saoirse froze the water, forming a glass of ice. Eriu offered Saoirse a second one and dropped a few lemons into them that she had apparently been keeping somewhere. Then she clanked the one Saoirse held in her hand together with hers and exclaimed with a dark form of glee and gestured Saoirse's attention back to the fight. "The grand finale has begun; the Valkyrie awaken!"
每周推薦票狀態
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榜單 
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