My Fate System

Chapter 163 – Divine Descent

There was a darkness inside all of us, Nikolai thought. The scene unfolded in front of him like a play, and all involved were actors, except for the princess.

"I present you with the Divine Grail," said the priest as he gave the cup to the princess. "This wine is the one given to Vyxas every year, and by presenting it yourself, we are to make peace."

Saint Maria received the cup with her slim hands, and she looked at her reflection in the red liquid. Then, she raised her hand with a smile and lifted the wine toward the priest.

"For peace," she said, and the crowd cheered. The priest bowed down and gestured toward the pond. Nikolai watched as the princess descended into the waters, her dress trailing after her, soaked.

"Did you find anything?" asked Lucas, who appeared beside Nikolai. After glancing at his miserable state, Nikolai nodded.

"The grail was enchanted with a cruse that harms whoever holds it," reported Nikolai. "However, I took care of it. There is no danger on the princess from that side."

"There are other sides?" frowned Lucas.

"Vyxas is a greedy god," said Nikolai as he silenced the nobleman. "We need to avoid being seen together. The next part of the plan is underway."

Lucas nodded before walking away, limping because of his attack. Nikolai felt sorry, but it was a crucial distraction to use his darkness without anyone noticing.

The pond was glittering in the sunlight, which came through the round hole in the ceiling. This place was full of divinity because it was where Vyxas ascended to Celestia. As the princess was waist-deep into the water, a hymn appeared out of nowhere. The sunlight began to twist and turn into a spiral as the otherworldly song mesmerized everyone.

Nikolai retreated to the back because this was not the time to intervene. The divinity in this place made him feel suffocated, but it was a different matter for Lilith, whose grin could not be hidden.

***

A divine descent.

Lilith could not believe this was happening. The divinity in the ritual ground was enough that even a mortal could feel it. Her head snapped to look for the person who gave her this intel, but he was nowhere to be seen.

'I will find him later, and I will make him mine,' she vowed in her heart. However, now was not the time for such thoughts. Vyxas was about to descend to receive his offering, and it was by no means the Divine Grail.

Her eyes rested on the young woman holding the grail, raising it toward the sky. Lilith had to admit that even she found her beautiful and holy. This offering was one that Vyxas could never refuse.

Her plan was simple, to attack Vyxas as he is about to descend. A fragment of divinity should be easy to obtain if Lilith managed to summon enough power.

'I found another fragment of divinity.'

This would speed up her plans and head off against other candidates. The man who told her about this descent, which no one has foreseen, deserves to be one of her followers when she ascends Celestia.

"I am Maria Ver Rosia," said the princess as she raised the Divine Grail. "I present you with this offering, hoping for peace between our people."

The divinity in the surrounding intensified, and the hymn grew louder. Clouds swirled above the ritual grounds into a vortex in the sky.

"It is… happening…" the priest's body shook, and Lilith realized that this ritual was just a lucky coincidence. "The offering has been accepted!"

His words raised a commotion in the crowd, and the surprise in his voice made Saint Maria hesitate. Lilith almost killed the priest on the spot, but it was still necessary to offer the sacrifice.

"Oh, we see," a voice appeared from the sky, singing as the music threatened to crush their soul. "A land and sea," the voice sang as the world began to shake. "And an offering for me!"

The voice made the world shake and almost break into pieces. The clouds swirled faster as the wind made the maiden's dress dance, her hair flying backward.

'They are here,' inwardly muttered Lilith. 'Gates of Celestia are here!' her eyes could see the golden gate start to form above the ritual ground.

"Our Lord!" shouted the priest as he took a few steps forward while spreading his arms open. "This is our offering for you! This is the purest royal blood, untainted by the words!"

His words confused the crowd, and the ploy was finally revealed. The noblemen from the Rosia kingdom realized with horror, albeit too late.

"What is the meaning of this?" shouted the captain tasked with protecting the princess as he drew his sword. "Are you monsters trying to sacrifice her highness?"

"Our Lord," the priest shouted again as he ignored the captain. "Please open your gates for us if you accept this offering!"

Boom!

The world shook as something banged on the Gates of Celestia from inside. The chains around the gate ensured that only the worthy could transpire the two worlds. However, another attack from the other side made the chains crack.

"You bastards!" mana exploded in unison from the nobles of Rosia, along with Captain of the Knights. "Protect her highness!" he shouted while pointing his sword.

Lilith almost sneered. This captain acted all righteous, but he has yet to rush forward to get the princess out of here. It seems the politics of the kingdom was playing a role here.

"Protect the ritual!" shouted the one-eyed general as warriors clad in armor appeared out of nowhere. They were each three meters tall, and their appearance was of ogres.

Boom!

Another attack shook the world as the Gates of Celestia was being forced open. Saint Maria tried to flee, but a barrier entrapped her inside.

"Why are you doing this?" she shouted toward the priest. "This will cause war between our kingdoms! Please, everyone, reconsider!"

However, the priest only stared at the sky, his lips muttering prayers to summon his god. Then, another attack arrived, and the gates were thrown open.

A divine presence descended, freezing every noble to their feet. The terror of meeting a god sank into their minds, and no one could move a muscle.

"Our lord is here!" shouted the priest with ecstasy. "Please, accept our offering!" As the priest clapped his hands, lights appeared from his body before traveling toward the grail.

"Throw it away!" shouted one of the nobles, who was none other than a duke of the Rosia kingdom.

Maria threw away the grail, and it flew a few meters before being suspended midair. The light gathered around the cup before it exploded, blinding everyone from what happened inside the barrier.

"My offering…" a voice appeared from the sky, which made Lilith's heart shake. A giant arm appeared from with the gates, descending toward the pool. "I want… blood…" the arm inched toward the pond.

"What is happening?" shouted the priest as the light disappeared. Maria was within the barrier, unharmed. Then, however, the barrier began to break down because of the explosion. "The curse! Why are you unharmed?!"

'Their plan failed?' Lilith realized as a figure bolted forward. It was none other than the one-eyed general who had chosen to finish the job himself.

"A useless priest," he shouted as he struck forward toward the princess. But, before his attack could reach her, a wall of wind appeared in front of her.

"Not so fast, idiot," Lucas appeared, his wings stretching a few meters in each direction. "Let us have a real fight this time, shall we?"

"Die, human!" the general punched again, and the wall of wind was destroyed. Then, as the wind blew in every direction, it began gathering around Lucas, whose body started glowing green.

"Let me show you that the technique I learned from my old man," Lucas grinned as the wind gathered around him, forming layers upon layers, compressing themselves without end. "I did not want to use this because it is what made him the world's strongest man."

"This boy knows fortification!" shouted the priest with horror. "Do not underestimate him!" 

"I will not lose to a peasant!" roared the general with fury as his body began growing in size. "I will show you that…"

Boom!

The general was sent flying by a punch from Lucas, who disappeared from his earlier spot. The general smashed into a pillar right next to the destroyed one.

"This is payback for earlier," Lucas wore a battle-crazed grin.

"I want… blood… divine… blood…"

The voice descended again, and it was wrathful for being deceived. Celestia's law was that the gods could not attack a living human unless used another. However, a dead offering can further strengthen a god, depending on who was sacrificed.

"Kill her!" shouted the priest, and the warriors rushed forward.. The place was thrown into mayhem, and this was the chance that Lilith wanted.