Chapter 24

(Celestia POV)

Laying back into Rhea’s comfortable embrace, I watch on as Caroline slowly gets herself back to her feet. What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall inside her mind right now. How viciously is she ripping me apart? How many times has she just killed me with vengeance? I’m sure she feels entitled to it.

 

“What you just felt is a body that has the blood of a goddess running through it. My power was also inherited by that same goddess, whose identity is that of my birth mother. I’m sure you’re smart enough to realize this much power isn’t normal for a human.” Looking at her disheveled appearance with a dumbfounded expression brings joy to my heart.

 

“So, what exactly are you expecting out of me? Should I beg for my life? Would you even let me live if I did lower myself to do something like that?” Caroline’s face contorts.

 

“Who knows? It certainly wouldn’t hurt. But why don’t you just move to the side for now and think about your current situation? while I deal with a dead man.” Looking over Caroline’s shoulder to where Viscount Caldworth landed earlier, I can now see some movement. He’s currently staring at me with a hateful glare.

 

“Onyx, can you get me that bloodied piece of human trash over there?” I point in the direction of the viscount.

 

‘You got it, big sister!’ Onyx zeros in on his target as he swipes with his giant meaty hand, gripping the man tightly, and with one quick motion, slams the viscount right in front of our amused faces.

 

Looking down on Viscount Caldworth, I have nothing but hate for this man. He’s led his cute daughter to her death in four past lives. This guy might as well be the devil in front of my eyes, given the contempt I feel for him. From what I can tell, he already has one foot in the afterlife, and it won’t take much force to send him all the way to hell. Teaching Caroline a lesson is something I plan to do, but the way this guy was just staring at me has brought him to the front of the line.

 

“Is this treatment really necessary?” The viscount roars. He’s acting as if he’s a completely innocent victim in all of this. His eyes met Rhea’s as he started mumbling some incoherent words.

 

“Do you know the saying that you should treat people the way you want to be treated?” I look at him with a tilted head as I wait for his response.

 

“What the hell? People are treated according to their status, not on some whim or how they feel.” He said it resolutely.

 

“Ah yes, status. It always comes to stupid titles when you talk to a noble. They can be the worst piece of garbage on the planet, but they still consider themselves noble. Viscount Caldworth, what is a noble?” I ask quizzically.

 

From what I understand about nobles, they can be the most vicious people. Treat everyone around them with a lower status as trash. Lie, cheat, and steal. Do everything under the sun that any normal person would consider evil. But, at the end of the day, they still consider themselves nobles. Just how in the world is that?

 

When I think of the word noble, the first thing that comes to mind is upright. At the same time, someone who holds high standards while looking out for people lower than them. Isn’t there a saying, “Noblesse oblige?” It’s their duty to look out for those less fortunate because of how well off they are. That's, of course, within reason, and nobles shouldn’t bail people out of their own mistakes. On the other hand, they can’t do terrible things and still claim to be noble.

 

“Why should I answer such a stupid question?” The viscount tilts his head to the side as he spits up some blood.

 

“So we’re not even worth giving a straight answer?” I was confused by his response because of how little he was in control of this situation. Why won't he try to cooperate with us to save himself?

 

“That’s right! Who are you to try to teach a noble right and wrong? Aren't you just a useless woman? I will admit that you have some power, but how could someone like you actually understand the real world?” With those words, the viscount did something dishonorable as a noble. He fired off some blood-stained spit in my direction.

 

Rhea jumps into action, placing a clear static barrier in between his disgusting vomit and our current location on the couch. Her second motion was jumping up and giving a swift kick to the face of her father. His head whipped around violently with a crack. I’m sure everyone heard that with the loud snap as his head became inverted. Her final action was to cover him with her holy fire, and within a few seconds, she healed his body right before light faded from his eyes.

 

This guy has already taken a near-fatal attack from both of us. He should be thanking his lucky stars that his daughter saved his life right now. Of course, he will still have the same ending, but at least he gets to enjoy more pain for a little while longer.

 

“I’m so sorry, Tia!” Rhea bows to me after her actions. “I almost took your prey because of my overreaction, but I couldn’t handle this bastard thinking he could treat you that way.” My hand extends out to her, and I pull her back onto the couch as I place her head against my bosom. I wrap my arms around her body and rub the back of her head.

 

“I completely understand Rhea, and I wouldn’t have cared if you killed him. But, at least now, we can give him a little more pain before his end. I still haven’t given this guy my full lecture.” This man has to understand what he did to my precious girl. Looking back at the viscount, who is checking his body over with his hands in utter disbelief, I’m sure he just expected to die with that powerful kick. “So, what do you think of your new and improved daughter, Viscount Caldworth?”

 

“What was that just now? My head just completely turned one hundred and eighty degrees. How am I still alive, and what was that fire?” The viscount sits up, looking at us with a stupid look.

 

“That would be your daughter's holy fire that she was granted after I turned her into one of my kind. You know your daughter will ascend into the heavens after this life, while you will probably go somewhere much hotter. Since my mother has the power over life and death in this world, I’m sure she won’t look well on anyone who has a problem with me or one of my people. Rhea is, of course, not any normal person to me, father-in-law.” I say with a smirk as I pull Rhea’s face to mine as we give each other a deep, wet kiss in front of the viscount.

 

I kept my eyes on the viscount the whole time we were making out in front of him, and his stupid look turned into a mortified one. Girl-only couples are looked down upon in this kind of society and will never be accepted.

 

“What the hell are you doing? You’re both women, and who is your father-in-law?” He quickly jumped up to his feet.

 

“Rhea is forever mine and always. She gave her everything to me, and of course I will also give all of myself to her. That’s the type of relationship we have.” Rhea and I both look at Viscount Caldworth as if this is completely normal.

 

“That will never happen! Rhea still has her role, and she must perform it. That’s all women are worth. Stay at home and wait for their husbands. Also performing nightly duties to continue the bloodline of the family. Men will always be above women, and two women in a relationship is about as low as two people could go. That’s just disgusting!" The look of contempt and the words of this fucking guy have pretty much brought me to the limit of my patience.

 

I stand up and form a scythe with destruction magic as the viscount's expression turns fearful, taking a few steps back.

 

“Get away from me! Don’t come any closer!” The viscount shouts.

 

“I’m only a woman, right? What do you have to fear? Come on, strong man, teach me a lesson!” With those words and the extended arms of the viscount, I make two lightning-quick slashes in an up-and-down motion. Both of his hands light up, with magic being his last resort to try to save himself. But it was much too slow to be of any use, as two thuds were heard.

 

“AH!!! YOUUUUU…..” He was currently running around like a crazy person, with a thick red mist covering our surroundings.

 

"Rhea, be a sweetheart and stop the bleeding so he doesn’t die.” Turning to Rhea, I give her a big smile.

 

“My pleasure, Tia." Rhea’s magic engulfs the viscount's body as both arms turn into stumps.

 

Viscount Caldworth comes to a complete stop when his small stumps are healed as he keeps looking from his left to his right side. I'm sure he's trying to come to terms with the current situation without arms.

 

“You fucking bitch, how dare you do this to me!” His words went on deaf ears, as no one cared about his opinion.

 

I give the man a swift kick to the chest as he once again goes flying, slamming hard into the ground without the ability to stop his fall, now armless. Walking over to his body, I look down on the bastard.

 

“Just lay there and shut your mouth. I have a few things I want to say.” I stared down at the man for a solid ten seconds. All he did was glare at me. “Do you have no remorse for your lovely daughter over there?” I point to Rhea. “Do you have any fucking idea just how much despair she went through because of the horrible family she has? That poor girl is in her fifth lifetime.” My words came out laced with pain and hate at the thought of my most precious person in such a situation.

 

“What are you saying? Multiple lives?” The viscount looks at me as if I just said something stupid.

 

“That’s correct; for Rhea, this is currently her fifth time living this life. Her past four lifetimes have been destroyed by you!” I give the viscount a swift kick where the sun doesn’t shine and probably just sent his dingle berries into his stomach. Without the use of his arms, he’s just screamed bloody murder as he rolls around like a psycho.

 

I look back at Rhea to get her consent for what I was about to do. She nods her head, followed by a kiss of her hand, and blows it my way. Well, that’s it, then. I look at the bastard still rolling around. Walking up to his body with my enormous scythe, I bring it down on his neck. With that, Rhea’s biggest dark spot in her past has been extinguished. My destruction magic finishes the job as I disintegrate his body completely.

 

My eyes look over to where Caroline is currently standing, close enough to watch our little show. She had the fear of God on her face, as if she were just visited by some great deity. Her following actions were something I could never have imagined as she completely prostrated herself in front of me. Her hands spread as far forward as possible, her head slamming into the ground.

 

“I’m so sorry, Celestia. Can you please forgive me? I swear I will be a better person and will never look down on anyone again. Please, please, please, don’t kill me.” Tears started to fall from her eyes as she could barely get out her words without bawling. My face was dumbfounded. “I will do anything you want; just please spare my life.”

 

I studied Caroline’s condition as she completely gave her everything to try to survive in this situation. My eyes glance over at the soldiers of Caldworth, Voltaire, and the royal family, who have yet to take any kind of action. The creations of my mother are truly scary and intimidating to deal with. They would have to be out of their minds to attack, even though they probably outnumber us by twenty to one.

 

The big power display I put on earlier is probably also a major deterrent to any kind of hostile action taken against us. What in the world should I do with all these men who are only here because of terrible leadership? On the other hand, I’m sure there is a lot of trash to take out among them as well.

 

Leaving Caroline’s current dogeza, I make my way back to Rhea. “What do you want to do, Rhea?” I whispered in her ear as soon as I was close enough. “I really don’t mind her surviving this, but at the same time, I want her to feel pain.” Caroline was a horrible bitch my whole life, but for some reason I don’t feel much contempt for her. Is it possible I actually feel sorry for her? Maybe because she’s a girl, or I want to see if she can actually truly reform herself.

 

“She has to pay for what she’s put you through, Tia. After I feel like she’s had enough, I will heal her.” Rhea replies. “But she might die from that; my healing power isn’t omnipotent.” A small smirk escapes her lips.

 

“Why do I feel like you’re just going to kill her anyway?” I chuckle. “Do whatever you wish, Rhea; I won’t be mad at you, whatever the result. We should find out how much Caroline truly wants to save herself.

 

I grab Rhea’s hand as I pull her over to Caroline’s current location. She was still bowing down, completely unmoving, as if waiting to be commanded.

 

"Alright, Caroline, I will give you a chance to live.” I look at her with upturned curves on my lips as I see her face glance at both of us.

 

“Are you serious?” Caroline jumped up with joy written all over her face.

 

It has to be asked just how serious her words are; she spoke earlier. There’s no doubt she has some reservations about being completely obedient to me. But with someone strong, the weak usually fall in line. Her personality is definitely weak to the strong and strong to the weak.

 

“All you have to do is survive Rhea here; she wants to take out some of her frustrations on you.” I put my hand around Rhea’s lower body and pulled her close. “If you can prove your worth and survive it, you will live.” I glance over at Rhea, both of us locking our eyes as pink stars start exploding inside her pupils. 

 

Looking back over at Caroline with her shoulders now drooping, she once again had fear in her eyes.