BXBX NOVEL Chapter 63 - 63
Chapter 63:
"I don't understand, Grandpa," Noboru whispered between choked sobs, his voice quivering with innocence and confusion. "Why do they hate me so much? Why did they give everything to Meiyo and Kouki? I thought I was going to be the heir... the one to protect our clan."
Noboru's tear-filled eyes glistened as he recalled the pain of being beaten and scapegoated. He remembered running from a grown man who pushed him to the ground, saying, "You will pay, monster, for taking my parents," as he kicked Noboru in the stomach repeatedly while a crowd gathered, pointing and laughing. Some joined in, kicking and stomping on him. Sometimes, he would see his mother, who would give him a cruel smile, call him a weak, disgusting disgrace, and walk away.
"They say it was my fault, Grandpa. The two higher-dimensional beasts... that night I was born. They blame me for everything. The rumors... the lies... they spread them all. And everyone... everyone hates me."
With a tender smile, Haruki approached Noboru and gently wrapped his arms around the trembling child. "Noboru, my dear boy," he whispered, his voice filled with love and compassion. "You are not alone. You are not useless, nor are you to blame for the darkness that surrounds you. You are still the heir of our clan and the kingdom, the true heir in my eyes. Do not let their cruelty define your worth."
Noboru clung to his grandfather, finding comfort in the warmth of his embrace. In that moment, he felt a glimmer of hope amidst the despair, knowing that even in his darkest hours, he had the unwavering love of his grandfather to hold onto.
Flashback End
'And then he died helping me,' Noboru thought, filled with self-hate.
"You are a monster. The only one here who's a disgrace is you. You're a failure as a Water God, a human being, and a father. How could you treat your child like this?" Noboru said, his eyes turning blood red, his irises glowing bright with a golden ring surrounding the center.
"Yeah. Just because he was powerless! Do you not have any heart?" Layla said.
"I never want someone like you as a father," Yumeko added.
"You're right. Your son is powerless, but he's not a disgrace. The real disgrace is people like you, who should be ashamed of yourself for your actions. You may be the Water God, but you're a terrible father. I don't know if Mizuki is truly evil, but if he is, then you're the one to blame. You are the real monster, not him," Sky said.
"How dare you," Suijin roared, his aura surging with anger and indignation, only to find himself suddenly sent flying into the wall behind him.
"Here's what's going to happen. You are going to salvage this. You are going to make this right with your son because if you don't, I will wipe out your entire evil kingdom. I have seen the way your people act. You belittle and degrade others. I have seen how you treat those from lower realms and your own. If you can't fix this, then I will, because unlike you, I won't turn a blind eye and let people like me suffer and be blamed because of people like you thinking you can use and discard us. You're exactly like Hiroshi and Amaya. They also used me. So make your choice. Fix this and get an alliance or watch your kingdom fall. Make the right decision for once," Noboru said, his voice cold and filled with fury as everyone fell to their knees, feeling themselves start to fade away in fear.
"Noboru, stop! We are fading away," Sky yelled, his need to survive and avenge his mother allowing him to at least stop and beg. Noboru's eyes returned to normal, and the feeling of fear began to subside, replaced by relief.
"Fine, let's hear the response of the so-called Water God," Noboru said angrily.
Suijin stood up, trembling and shivering in fear. He couldn't believe that this man, by just making him feel fear could erase the existence of an entire kingdom and himself. He didn't know who this man was, but he was certain of one thing; he was not from this world. He was a true god, unlike him or the other elemental gods who held the title of god as a fancy way of saying king.
"I will talk to him, I will make it right," Suijin said with fear in his voice.
"Good, and if not, expect death and destruction," Noboru replied.
"We will have a peace talk, but we need to make it to the capital where the other Disciples of Darkness are," Suijin said.
"The others, they are fair game. They killed my mother. I will avenge them," Sky said, making Yumeko feel sad for what Sky went through.
"Yes, we will go back to the capital. I will talk to him and make things right," Suijin repeated, his voice still quavering in fear.
"Then let's go. Let's fix this before it gets worse. If we don't work together, the world will fall to darkness and chaos," Noboru said, as Suijin nodded.
Meanwhile, in the Capital City Water God's Palace
Mizuki sat on his father's throne when Issei and a Disciple of Darkness entered the room. "Your Majesty, your father has been located. We have sensed his energy near the Waterfall of Tranquility," the disciple said.
"Good, let's go and retrieve the Trident. With it, we will attack Aeritha and Ignarock and retrieve the other two relics the Blackstar Knight has kept us from, and then with three relics, we will attack Terravale and claim Gaia's Armour," Mizuki planned.
"Yes, and with that, Void Queen Yami-sama will be free," Issei said, sighing. "But the Trident is not the only relic that has been located. We can sense both the Wind God's Excalibur from Aeritha and the Fire God's Braveheart Shield located there. You know what that means, Your Majesty."
"It means the Blackstar Knight is also there. It seems fate has smiled upon us," Mizuki said with a smirk.
"Then should we go there and take care of the Blackstar Knight?" Issei asked, confused.
"No, we will leave him for now. Tell me, how close are the powerless to unlocking Void Energy?" Mizuki inquired.
"They are still trying, but it seems they are close," a disciple answered.
"Good, tell them to keep it up. With them, we can have an army, and the Navy Marines and this Blackstar Knight will fall, and I will be rewarded by Yami-sama for doing what the other fools couldn't: freeing her," Mizuki said, smirking.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I will ensure the Disciples of Darkness located here will train the powerless until our victory," a disciple said.
"Good, leave me. I wish to be alone," Mizuki said as everyone left him in the throne room.
"Yes, Yami-sama will be free," Mizuki said, his purple eyes glowing with hatred. "And Father will pay for taking my birthright and everything from me."