Chapter 206: Ambrosia of the Goddesses I
Throughout my time, I have discovered that my powers have different effects depending on people. When I was just a human, I could heal them with my touch, I never knew exactly how my body or the then Manus Septem Dierum, influenced those that I touched.
Now I know it is more than my touch, my presence is already enough to 'bless' most people. As a proof of that, there is Anna. No one has spent more time with me, aside from my mother, than Anna-chan. Yasaka, Rias and Akeno have been there, but I spent time with Anna daily.
As a result of that, just because she was close to me, she got cursed by the curse of the sarcophagus, essentially making her immortal, like me. From what I know even fluids such as my semen or my saliva and sweat, are already highly beneficial, as lewd as it may sound.
There are plenty of benefits, and that is not even considering my massages.
That is why they can relent to a certain extent, when it comes to me, even a prideful Goddess such as her has to give way.
"Shameless boy, so this is what you do when I am not around" Amaterasu hissed at me, she knew what was to come, she knew she would enjoy it, but that didn't stop the poison from flowing.
A situationship. My dearest wife came from another world, using unknown means, and she caught me snuggling and lovemaking with two other gorgeous foreign goddesses.
I somehow felt like a man who got caught cheating, there was only one real way to solve this situation in the most passive way possible.
...
In the imperial palace, in the royal bath, I had them all in the spot.
"Are we really doing this? All of us? Aren't you overstepping your boundaries, brat?" (Amaterasu)
"Stop complaining already! Goddess of Bureaucracy!" (Aqua)
"You little... hmph! A mediocre goddess, you can't even bless an apple" (Amaterasu)
"You–" (Aqua)
"Can we start? If they don't want it, I can have it all" (Ophis)
"M-My dear god, what are we going to do?" (Galadriel)
"Alright, stop you all, pay attention first".
I sighed, stared at the lineup in front of me and couldn't help but feel proud of myself and my endeavours as a therapist. In front of me, in the imperial bath of the Baharut Empire stood four proud naked goddesses, flawless and impeccable. Not only that, but one way or another... they were mine.
Aqua, the water goddess with her eager pervertness.
Ophis, the Ouroboros with her nonchalant power.
Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess with her proud grace.
Galadriel, the midnight elf with her pure innocence.
I had them all on the spot, ready for a massaging session that would surely evolve into something more steamy and pleasing, I was not the only one conscious of it. But something complex and great was fated to interrupt us; I noticed something flickering on my periphery.
"What is this?" They all asked almost simultaneously, I wasn't the only one who could see it.
[Qualifications for Sacrificial Altar Ritual have been met] I saw that notification in front of me, it wasn't Horus' voice.
*RUMBLE!*
The bodies of us all started to shine in a golden hue, I felt like I flickered my eyes and when they opened, we were in a completely different place from before. This was a golden world... like a sky imbued in flames with a shining platform beneath us. The atmosphere was warm.
If I had to describe it, I would say... like being within a star.
"Ray, where are we?" Aqua asked me, they all stared around and finally saw me. That's when I noticed my current position as well.
I was in front of them, sitting on a throne. But I couldn't move away from this throne that was on a higher level. It was like a mausoleum with nothing more than a big throne and an altar in the centre, between the girls and I.
"I... don't know... Horus where are we? I received a notification" I asked, absolutely confused and trying to move yet unable to, it was a horrible sensation.
[I don't know either... Lady Elysir never put such a function in the system!] Horus answered hectically.
"No way... there must be something we can do–"
"What do you mean you don't know–"
'The existence of deities precedes a necessity for order in the vast cosmos. To become a part of the order, present your sacrifice, deities'.
We heard a deep voice and a cluster of golden flames engulfed the alter that turned lively, like flowing with golden magma.
"Sacrifice?".
[It seems, from what I can see... this is the interior of the Septem Diebus and you are the nucleus, Ray. It has triggered a function that has existed even before this artefact landed in the hands of the biblical god and Lady Elysir] Horus concluded.
[You must remember this is a Multiversal Artefact that has existed perhaps for even longer than Lady Elysir herself, most of its capabilities are still unknown to us; this is merely one of them, it is safe to assume this artefact is a sentient being to some extent].
"It is telling me to sacrifice something?" Galadriel mumbled.
"Is this another one of your therapies?" Amaterasu frowned and crossed her arms, awkwardly covering her body and failing horribly to do so, as this current setting didn't seem to fit her arousing nakedness.
"I swear I don't know what is going on" I answered, trying to look around with Energy Records to see if I could find a way out, however... this whole place was made out of a type of energy that I couldn't even tell what it was. At the very least, it was not something derived from either void or infinity, which was by itself... something quite baffling.
The four goddesses walked to the altar in front of the throne, written in flaming words were words: "A fitting sacrifice carries weight, a lacklustre sacrifice befits shame. O deity, what do you value the most?".
"I think we are supposed to sacrifice something, although I do not know for what purpose" Galadriel looked at me with complex eyes.
[Mayhaps, Lady Elysir studied this capacity of the Septem Diebus and reproduced the booking system based on it. However, how could this have triggered?] Horus wondered, boy... if you don't know, how can I know?
"It is because of devotion" Galadriel said again, earning everyone's glance.
"Galadriel?".
"It is because all of us four are devoted to a single being. This is not an altar for mortals to turn into gods... this is an altar... for deities to go beyond" The elf looked at me and smiled, stepping forward.
She put her hand on her heart and touched the altar, setting her gaze on me, the god on the throne.
"From the moment I was born, all I have done is watch, my dearest. I was always proud of my eyes that could reach the vast firmaments" Her words accentuated the beauty of her clear eyes that looked like the endless skies, until now I never noticed how beautiful and peaceful they were.
"My brothers and I loved to witness the good deeds of the myriad races of this world from our comfortable spot within the giant mountains. It was our task to oversee and enjoy ourselves with the ingenuity and creativity of this world. Nevertheless, ever since I was held captive by Avarice, all I have witnessed is nothing but human wickedness, greed, and evil" Her expression showed remorse and even trauma associated with the time of her captivity
"..." All I could do was listen to her and marvel as every single word and mannerism that left Galadriel's lips was just so beautiful.
"My beloved eyes, once a source of pride as a midnight elf, had been sullied to the point I wished I could gouge them out and stop suffering, he made me watch how he corrupted this world while causing me endless pain" Her beautiful clear eyes shed a tear.
"Yet now I can use them once more to witness the deeds of the one I hold dear as you clean this world step by step. You have fred me, and you probably have no idea how much your recent actions meant to me. My dear god, o my dearest sun god... for you, I shall sacrifice my most valuable asset as a midnight elf, my eyes".
"Galadriel..." I didn't know what to say, I was just captivated... and then my nightmare started.
"AHHHHHH!!!!"
My heart nearly stopped, Galadriel fell on her knees and started screaming.
"Galadriel!! Stop it, don't hurt her!" My veins popped up, of all people who could suffer, I didn't want her to suffer the most, not after everything she's been through.
Her eyes burned in golden flames. I couldn't move, once I saw her shriek in pain, it was like something inside me broke loose but it didn't matter what I did or how much force I put in, I couldn't stand up from this wicked throne.
Eventually, Galadriel stopped moving, but her eyes never ceased to burn, I feared the worst.
It was not a comforting sight for the other three, but a certain nonchalant dragoness didn't care, she stepped forward.
"Ophis, stop!".
"It seems... the only way out of here is to sacrifice something" Ophis said, stepping onto the altar where Galadriel's body collapsed.
"Ophis! Let me try to decipher this out–"
"There is nothing to decipher, Galadriel is not wrong. I do hold devotion towards you. You are more than just my home and my mate. I respect you, Baka Ray" She said with a gentle gaze, I bit my lips and sighed.
"Don't say you respect me while calling me baka".
The dragoness giggled, "This is a complicated one... aside from silence, which I don't believe I can sacrifice, the most valuable thing for me is you".
I didn't expect her to be so cheeky in these circumstances, I was worried but couldn't help but flare up and blush.
"But after you, I guess... the most valuable thing I have as a dragon is my scales. So for you, I shall sacrifice my scales" Ophis touched the altar and I braced and almost closed my eyes in fright at what would happen to her.
She suddenly began to morph into her draconic form, against her will, becoming a gigantic western dragon nearly as big as the whole mausoleum. Her whole body then began burning in golden flames, her beautiful pitch-black scales.
She never screamed in pain or shrieked, merely took it like a champ and stared at me dead in the eyes with a passion that captivated me and made my heart skip a beat. I would do anything for her, she would do anything for me.
"I believe you, my mate".
Ophis passed out with her body scorching. I held onto the handle of the throne so hard, if it was any normal throne, it would have shattered already. I know it was painful for her... but she didn't want to scream and worry me... that's how considerate and powerful my ouroboros dragon is.
"You're just a shameless brat with some good hands. If not for Yasaka's sake, I would have never married you".
"... thank you?" I frowned, I don't know what Amaterasu thinks she's doing by saying all that all of a sudden, making me feel even worse.
She stepped up to the altar glaring at me with a stare that periodically softened.
"Even if all that were true, I do not regret marrying you, boy... I respect your power, your hands, your objectives and convictions... and as your wife, I shall support them. So far you have not disappointed me, you have achieved way more than I ever thought you would, so I will believe in you once again, as your wife".
She extended her hand forward.
"There is only one thing in my life which I consider valuable".
I gasped, with energy records I could see what it was that she was holding.
"Are you insane, Amaterasu?!"
"Once I arrived, I believed there wasn't even a decent competition... but so far those women have shown me their dedication, as your official wife, I must not be any worse... and so, I offer to sacrifice my soul".
That was not only her soul, it also held her authority over the leylines, her divinity and everything that she was as a goddess.
I paled, it even took a while for the Septem Diebus to act.
"What a magnificent conviction, even you feel touched, don't you?" I heard that voice, this time in my mind.
"Don't dare!"
But he or she dared... there was no burning, no nothing. Amaterasu's eyes simply lost their colour... and she fell on the floor next to Galadriel, motionless.
I didn't know what to do or say, the last one standing was Aqua, she was shivering and obviously scared. Aqua is not a proud fearless goddess like the rest, I absolutely didn't want her to go through anything that was remotely painful.
"Aqua, don't do anything–" I said.
"Ray, I am scared... w-what should I do?".
Seeing her that vulnerable broke me, but not having any words or solutions broke me even more. There was nothing I could do, I couldn't even move.
"Sacrifice something simple and small!" That's the only thing I could think of, perhaps she could sacrifice something that wouldn't cause her any pain and we could get this over with.
"B-But what if it is not satisfactory?" She questioned.
"It doesn't matter!"
"Then a finger, s-should I sacrifice a finger!?" She stuttered.
Aqua was scared to do even that much, I knew even with that she would still feel pain, but compared to what the rest of the girls did, I thought that was better and nodded.
Aqua stepped onto the altar fidgeting with her fingers, holding her thumb in place, but for a while, she didn't do anything. Only stared around, most particularly at Amaterasu.
"Aqua?".
"H-Hehehe... hehehe" She started laughing a little maniacally, not a good sign.
"... what's wrong with you? Quickly get it over with or it will be worse".
She looked up with shivering lips and a silly smile on her face brimming with fear, but... with what I believed to be was thrill and conviction, spiting words that made me pale even more.
"I-I can sacrifice my soul too!".