The Guardian gods-Chapter 448

These judges were not solitary. Each was connected by threads of luminous fate to those within the world.

One was bound to Nana. A divine arbiter, watching over the goddess of world herself.

And then—

One was bound to her.

A deep, intrinsic connection tethered Xerosis to a judge, a guardian of her justice, one that had always existed beyond her understanding.

Curiosity overwhelmed her. She reached out—not physically, but with her soul, drawn deeper into the fabric of judgment itself.

And then—

She saw it.

Something vast.

Something immeasurable.

A presence so immense it did not simply exist—it encompassed. It was not a god, nor a force. It was something older, greater, something that had always been.

The moment she glimpsed it, her soul was pulled toward it.

She could not resist.

Her very essence trembled as she was drawn toward this colossal existence, a force beyond divinity itself. It was not malevolent, nor was it kind. It simply was. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

The weight of its awareness threatened to unravel her.

Just as she teetered on the edge of something irreversible—

A firm grip seized her.

The judge bound to her had appeared.

With a decisive pull, it yanked her back, severing the connection before she could be consumed by whatever truth she had nearly witnessed.

Gasping, Xerosis snapped back into her body.

Her chest heaved as if she had just escaped drowning, the lingering remnants of that vast presence still pressing against her mind.

As she steadied herself, she turned her gaze toward Nana—who was smiling.

Not with amusement.

Not with superiority.

But with understanding.

And in that moment, Xerosis laughed.

The burden she had carried, the crushing weight of fear—the terror that she would forever stand alone against the gods, against the overwhelming might of the strong, against the ceaseless tide of injustice—it all dissolved, becoming meaningless in the face of a newfound clarity.

She understood now. She was not alone. There were already forces, unseen and powerful, that kept watch over the realms, balancing the scales of existence. Her role was not to judge the gods, to challenge the powerful for the sake of it.

Her true duty, her purpose, was to be justice for the forsaken, the voiceless, the forgotten. For those whom even fate itself had ignored, those who slipped through the cracks of existence, lost and abandoned. She was their advocate, their shield, their unwavering voice in the face of overwhelming indifference.

Her soul, once weighed down by the leaden chains of uncertainty, felt light, buoyant, as if a great weight had been lifted. The spectral armor, once a burden of sorrow, now felt like a mantle of purpose, a symbol of her commitment.

And as she fully embraced this truth, as she surrendered to the understanding that had bloomed within her spectral heart, the celestial pull of divinity took hold. It was a force that resonated with the very essence of her being, a symphony of cosmic energy that transformed her from a wraith of vengeance into something more, something greater.

Her spectral form began to shimmer, radiating an ethereal light that banished the shadows of the battlefield. The empty sockets where her eyes had been now glowed with an inner light, a reflection of the cosmic balance she now embodied.

Her voice, once a whisper of despair, now resonated with the power of a celestial decree. "I am Xerosis," she declared, her voice echoing through the ravaged landscape, "daughter of Keles, the goddess of death, and now, I am the Goddess of Justice, the Veiled Arbiter!"

Xerosis’ body dissolved into radiant light, her essence drawn into the heart of her new realm.

The realm of the Veiled Arbiter.

At first, there was nothing—only vast emptiness stretching infinitely. But from the depths of that void, a single sound resonated.

A solemn toll of a bell.

It rang, neither harsh nor gentle, but absolute—a declaration of law and order. And with its sound, reality began to weave itself around her.

At the heart of the realm, a grand structure manifested from nothingness.

A colossal courthouse-temple, suspended in the void, its foundation resting upon an endless, spiraling staircase of black stone. The stairs had no beginning, no end—an eternal path leading all who sought justice to her throne.

Towering pillars rose high into the abyss, each one engraved with the oaths of those who sought vengeance or justice in life. Their voices whispered in the wind, murmuring unresolved grievances, awaiting their reckoning.

At its center, an elevated throne stood beneath an open sky, where no stars shone—only an endless scale, suspended in the heavens.

One side of the scale gleamed with celestial gold, shimmering with the weight of righteous intent. The other side drenched in abyssal blackness, holding the grievances of the forsaken.

It never balanced.

It was never meant to.

Justice was never equal—it was a force that tipped only where it must.

Beyond the courthouse, a grand river of silver mist stretched into the horizon. It was not water, but memory. The lingering essence of those who sought justice in death.

The spirits of the wronged wandered its banks, awaiting judgment.

They did not wail, They did not beg, They simply waited.

And when their grievances were answered, their forms would dissolve, returning to the cycle of existence—at peace.

But those who had committed great sins, those who had defiled the very nature of justice—their souls would not leave.

Beneath the courthouse, within the labyrinthine halls of her domain, Juggernaut and the other cursed spirits under him stirred.

They were no longer mere cursed spirits—they were her executioners, the embodiment of judgment given form.

Juggernaut stood taller than before, his monstrous physique refined into something primal, unbreakable, but disciplined. His once rampant destruction was now channeled, his immense hands no longer meant for chaos, but for enforcement and his chains to ensnare them.

With her realm fully formed, Xerosis took her place upon her throne.

The veil over her face remained, her expression forever hidden from those who sought her gaze. But behind that veil, her vision was limitless.

Sadly she still was unable to see those golden figures anymore. It seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gaze at the wonders of the world, a fleeting glimpse into a reality beyond her grasp. The memory, however, remained, a shimmering, ethereal echo in the quiet corners of her mind.

Xerosis’ ascension was short-lived, as she soon received an invitation from one of the god thrones surrounding her, and this one was from Ursula. If before, Xerosis was scared to face them, now she was quite eager to see them. A strange sense of belonging, a curiosity sparked by her recent, brief transcendence, propelled her forward. She took a step out of her realm, and was welcomed to the vast emptiness of space. Down below was their planet.

Following the induction, she went to the small star where Ursula’s realm resided. Without struggle, she was easily let into the realm, the star’s corona parting like a welcoming curtain.

Xerosis’ first look at Ursula’s realm was met with a wave of awe. She noticed there were other gods available in the realm, their forms flickering like embers in the ambient light. She was led by a flame spirit, its movements fluid and graceful, a silent, welcoming guide.

Walking on this realm of soothing fire, Xerosis felt a gentle warmth permeate her being. The air hummed with a low, resonant energy, a symphony of crackling flames and whispered promises. She was soon led to a palace, its architecture a blend of swirling fire and solidified starlight. The inside was empty except for the large flame hearth at the center, its flames dancing in a mesmerizing ballet.

Surrounding this hearth were her cousins: Ikem, his form flickering with internal light; Maul, his presence a solid, grounding force; Tide, his movements fluid and unpredictable; and Flowua, her energy a gentle, rippling current. They all had smiles on their faces as they looked towards her, a collective warmth that radiated from their forms.

Xerosis soon felt warm hands wrap around her from behind, a familiar, comforting embrace. She heard Ursula’s voice speak to her, a low, melodic tone that resonated with the hearth’s flames. "Took you long enough, you got us worried," Ursula whispered, her voice laced with affection and a hint of gentle rebuke. "We thought you were going to stay lost in your own little world forever."

"Lost?" Xerosis echoed, a flicker of confusion crossing her features. The memory of the golden figures resurfaced, a sharp contrast to the warmth of Ursula’s embrace. "I saw... something."

"Something?" Ikem interjected, his eyes glowing with curiosity. "Something wonderful?"

"Yes," Xerosis replied, her voice barely a whisper. "Something... beyond."

"Beyond what?" Maul asked, his voice a deep rumble.

"Beyond... everything I knew," Xerosis said, turning slightly in Ursula’s embrace. "It was like seeing the threads of the universe, the patterns of creation, all woven together in a single, breathtaking moment."

A silence fell over the hearth, broken only by the crackling flames. The other gods exchanged glances, a mixture of curiosity and concern etched on their faces.