Brand New Life Online: Rise Of The Goddess Of Harvest

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"What is the meaning of this, Elbedo?!"

Mercedes panicked as she saw the stone walls close behind her, fully reinforced with many runic inscriptions on them. Although they closed quickly, she was able to see Planta and her entire party getting attacked by the two "Divine Beasts" that were protecting the ruins.

"The meaning of what? At this point, you should have simply accepted your fate." Elbedo spoke. "I am sorry, Mercedes. I do appreciate the time we spent together, but this must be stopped now. You and your little party have come too far."

"Y-You're…! You're part of the cult too?!" Mercedes couldn't believe it. The friend she had for almost a hundred years was now revealing his true face. "All our memories…! Everything! Did that mean nothing to you?!

How could you…! Traitor!"

"…" Elbedo remained in silence, looking at the floor with a slight sense of sorrow. "I'm sorry. But it must be done. To bring this world to a better future. To free us from the Gods claws, we must fight back. Mercedes, you are too loyal to the Gods.

We would have never been able to convince you to join us."

"We?!" Asked Mercedes, suddenly realizing that the silence of Hermes and Cecilia was becoming too dreadful, too suspicious. And indeed, both walked towards Elbedo, standing by his left and right side.

Mercedes and Brisingra's eyes only widened more in shock as they saw the scene occur in front of their eyes. Even Brisingra felt shocked, as these characters have been hanging out with them since the beginning.

They seemed so normal, so simple! Yet… At the end, they had such bad intentions behind their innocent personalities, behind their friendly banter. And behind that inconspicuous friendship.

"Hermes? C-Cecilia? What's… What's the meaning of this?! You… What are you doing?" Mercedes was still trying to understand, to process what her eyes were showing to her.

"I am sorry, Mercedes…" Cecilia sighed, looking guilty. "But we had to do this, you… You'll only get in the way at the end."

"What?!" Mercedes screamed. "What are you…?! Cecilia! We've been together since we were kids! W-What are you doing?! Your brother was a victim too!

What… WHAT IS HAPPENING?!" Mercedes began to lose her sanity at this revelation.

"My brother… I had to use him, I was the one that stabbed him with the Demon Knife, it injected a Lesser Demon inside of him." Said Cecilia. "We'll have to do the same to you."

"Sorry." Hermes sighed, clicking his tongue. "You were a good pal since we meet a couple of years ago, Mercedes. But… Things came to this; we can't back down now. The Demon King is someone we must save. He'll bring this world to a better future than the Gods have ever done."

"N-No… This can't be true…!" Mercedes started crying, falling to her knees. "This can't be true… My friends, you were… you were everything to me… Why? I didn't want to even think that one of you would be a traitor… but a-all of you?! Why… Just WHY?!"

"I-If you want to join us, there might be still time!" Cecilia tried to convince the other two. "Right guys?!"

"Sorry, but that's impossible now. The decision has been made; Mercedes cannot be spared." Elbedo said with a stern tone of voice.

"Stop playing around and take this seriously." Hermes said, his often-friendly face changing into one full of bloodthirst. "She will become the vessel of a Lesser Demon and we will use her to break open the defenses of the city before the ritual inside of the Demon King Continent ends, so we can open the way for his manifestation to reach Cloudia."

"Y-You're going to use me?!" Mercedes screamed. "Y-You fucking monsters…! And I thought you were my friends! You would choose a bunch of lunatics instead of me?! Instead of your families and friends?! Elbedo, what about your children and your wife?!"

"They have already evacuated to a safe place." Elbedo sighed. "I appreciate you worrying about them, Mercedes. And I am sorry for this, but it must be done. Cecilia, do it."

"…Don't worry Mercedes, once you become a demon, you will be able to enjoy eternity at the side of our lord." Cecilia smiled gently, with the same gentle smile Mercedes always saw in her friend.

The elf slowly walked towards her friend, with a black knife imbued with a red jewel, pointing it at the weak-willed Mercedes, that couldn't even move due to how shocked she felt.

The knife slowly moved towards her.

"C-Cecilia…" She looked at her friends in the eyes. "I always… I loved you…"

"…!" Cecilia hesitated for a moment, her eyes widening, as tears flowed from her eyes. "I… I loved you too."

Her knife moved at lightning speed, soon to pierce Mercedes heart.

"But it is too late now… friend."

Mercedes had no strength left to fight, letting the knife approach her heart. Whatever were to happen to her, she didn't seem to care. Everything that she cared for had now betrayed her.

Did she even have another thing left, at all?

Yet…

CRASH!

"What?!" Cecilia gasped, as she saw a rainbow barrier blocking the knife.

The barrier kept absorbing Brisingra's Mana, growing thicker as more layers were assembled, quickly forming a bubble protecting her and her mother.

"Don't you dare touch my mom; you bitch!" Brisingra roared. "You fucking traitors! You meant everything to her, and you betrayed her like that?! You should feel ashamed of yourselves, even if you're part of the cult or whatever, even if that "nice future" is somehow real, do you even deserve it after doing this?!"

"Brisingra…" Mercedes muttered, her eyes widening. "You said I am your mom again? Why do you keep saying such nonsense?"

"It's not nonsense! You're really my mom!" Brisingra kept crying. "I come from the future, and this… it might not even be real right now, but a recreation of a dungeon! But I don't care! I will protect you no matter what, mom! I don't care what happens…!"

"A dungeon? T-the future?" Mercedes eyes widened, as she suddenly felt a surge of pain in her head. "Ugh…! W-What is this?! T-This fluctuation of thoughts… What is happening?!"

Suddenly, Mercedes body overflowed with gray light, the essence of time itself, the powerful shockwave sent Cecilia flying away.

FLAAASH!

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