Chapter 106: A Concrete Start

"...What do you think of this?" Azalea asks Yomo. Several of the apostles have been gathered in the room to "watch." Ever since they carried out Nio’s request, everyone realized that Nio was doing something big. Even apostles who did nothing and were oblivious to current events came too. Only one of the apostles is absent.

And with the help of Moros, who is excellent at espionage, they are watching through magic as Nio sits on the ground on a mountain. The magic’s perspective is high up and somewhat distant, so the "image" isn’t very clear, but everyone knows intuitively that she’s going to fight — from the power radiating off her and from her current "armor."

Just like her posture, Nio’s entire body screams that she’s about to go through an important battle to anyone who sees her.

And despite everyone’s disagreements, despite the hatred some of them have for each other, they are all still gathered in silence to watch the person who commands them fight — a deep respect for a monster greater than themselves.

"I think it’ll be a true spectacle. Nio never disappoints when it comes to being strong," Yomo murmurs to Azalea. He and Azalea are the only ones bold enough to talk. The rest remain in complete silence, staring at everything in total focus.

They’ve already been watching Nio standing still for two days — two days without fights even with everyone in the same room, which shows how much they treat this as something important.

"..."

"She’s here." A deep voice speaks, making Azalea and Yomo look at Moros’s magic. The apostle who said it also falls quiet, watching whoever appears in the image.

Moros even reinforces his magic so they can keep watching. Yomo looks at Haruna and they both give a knowing nod as they watch Typhon’s arrival. They have no way to hear anything, yet the silence in the room is unsettling.

"..." Already before Nio, things are quite different. The atmosphere around Nio is funereal — heavy and dense, charged with a sensation of [Death]. The power emanating from her is so high that the nearby rocks have cracked terribly, intensely, and every animal on the mountain has fled.

"...Typhon," Nio murmurs, rising to her feet with her tail moving side to side in focus, her wings spreading open to make herself look bigger as she watches Typhon before her. No longer a "nightmare" where nothing would happen, no escape route, no timer to pull her away from Typhon’s vicinity.

"Nio..." The two stare at each other in silence for a moment. As soon as Typhon felt Nio’s "invitation," she cheerfully flew to this place — quickly, though calmly. She knew it was a "trap" but didn’t mind falling into it if it was for her wife.

"I must say I’m happy you made so much preparation for me, especially... deciding to use such a specific set of items against me," Typhon says, genuinely excited, polite, and pleased.

"Yes, I truly put in the effort to kill you." Nio’s tone is cold, cutting, and icy, as if she had no emotions — a psychological defense to handle the pressure of a fight that will define her future forever.

"...As expected... Before we kill each other, how about one last kiss? It might be the last day of life for one of us here, so could you honor me with this small gift?" Typhon’s politeness is contagious, her posture completely open, making it clear she isn’t even ready to attack or defend.

Nio could attack her, and even then Typhon wouldn’t be able to properly defend against that first strike. It’s a perfect opportunity, but Nio’s player spirit acts faster than her will to use this opportunity as a trick.

"Come." Nio’s player "moral code" of respecting such an important PvP is truly strong. She knows she could use the opportunity better, but something about showing respect inflates her ego, as if she were superior to someone who uses mere dirty tricks in something important.

"..." Nio is cold and brief as Typhon approaches her. Typhon kneels, taking Nio’s hand and placing a soft, loving kiss on the back of it. She looks up into Nio’s eyes. Her touch is gentle, as if she were touching the most fragile thing in existence instead of the warrior who will try to kill her.

"Thank you for being so understanding, wife. I hope you manage to win, if that would make you happy." Typhon speaks with honesty, rising and distancing herself a little from Nio, respecting Nio just as much as Nio just respected her wish.

"We are two evil monsters, Typhon, but I can say that your death would give me unparalleled relief. So I truly hope you die and that I become the only monster on this planet, because I don’t see the need for two monsters." Nio speaks honestly about what she feels, which makes Typhon smile at her, her serpentine tail giving a slight flick at the tip.

"That’s perfect, and if that’s what you believe, I’ll support you in it." Typhon doesn’t feel offended, because Nio’s view is entirely acceptable to Typhon, even if Typhon doesn’t agree.

"You’re not even going to try to say anything or negotiate?" Nio questions, preparing to activate the magic she prepared so much for — even requiring the magic of the Raid monsters and all the people killed by those monsters.

"Hmm... there’s nothing I could say that would change your mind right now, and I respect you — truly, deeply, more respect than Nioh ever showed you."

"If you believe my death is what’s best for your life, then I can only accept it. But unfortunately I can’t accept you killing me, so I’ll fight for my life too."

"I, Typhon Apsu J?rmungandr Ouroboros, gladly accept my wife’s challenge. Come, Níeh?ggr Tiamat, but please don’t hold back at any moment in this little ’PvP’ that you’re probably treating like a mere game."

"It would be the most despicable action possible to hold back against me. You came prepared to kill me, and I’m also prepared to kill you. So may death end one of our lives today, and if both of us survive, it would just be fate showing that we still have much story to tell."

"...I agree. So die, Typhon — turn to ash, return to dust, fall into torment and descend to the lowest level of existence only to fall again even deeper, and may you never be seen again in any form of existence, between the strongest god and the lowest demon." Nio recites and activates the magic she spent so long drawing on the ground.