Echoes of Fire and Shadows

Chapter 86: Tears of a Valkyrie and The Virtue of Friendship (Part II).

—Karen’s POV—

I was on cloud nine. I was just so unbelievably happy that I thought I was going to burst from joy…

After all, my best friend had finally remembered me... He finally knew who I was! After fifteen years, the two of us were finally together again!

A part of me wanted to simply hug the boy I once considered to be my little brother and cry with him in my arms. 

Another part of me thought of this as a wonderful dream and it made me terrified that I would suddenly wake up and he would disappear from my life again… The mere idea that something like that could happen had me on the edge.

I had never felt so nervous before… But that nervousness was easily erased by the boy's smile. All of my fears were overpowered by the overwhelming joy I felt from having my best friend back in my life…

"And basically, that would be the gist of it." I said as I continued to hug the black haired boy sitting in my lap.

"I'm really sorry, Karen… I never thought that was the reason you never answered my calls… You really had it rough…" The boy held my hand and looked down with an expression of pain and sorrow.

I had told him the story of what happened to me after he left our home country.

Julius and I were both from a somewhat big country in the northern part of South America. 

Both of our parents worked as scientists in a private research institute, because of that and the fact that our families were part of the upper middle class, so we had very comfortable lives.

I was still a child at the time, but I remember things better than Julius does since he was younger than me.

The year Julius and I met, our country almost suffered a total economic collapse. Food and gasoline was starting to become scarce, we suffered power and water cuts for days on end and the government's security forces were unable to contain the rise in criminals across the country.

I know all that because I always saw my father watching the news, trying to deny the reality of the matter. He fervently believed that things would get better with time.

Unlike him, Julius's parents saw the writing on the wall and asked their research institute to transfer them to another facility in the United States.

That was when I lost my best friend…

I was crushed the day he left the country with his parents… After all, he was the little brother that would never stop following me around no matter what I did. But I couldn't let him know how sad I was… Julius was very small back then and didn't fully understand the situation, so I didn’t want to confuse him further with my feelings of hurt and sadness.

I just didn't want to make things harder for him and his parents even though I was also a child and barely understood that things were bad, so that's why they had to leave.

Julius's parents offered mine to help them come to the US once they were settled, but my father refused the idea. He was a stubborn patriot and he really thought that things would fix themselves in no time, so in his eyes, they were cowards for jumping ship at the first sign of trouble.

It was a sad day when Julius and his parents left, but we still had contact with each other. I would talk on the phone with him daily if there weren't any power cuts screwing us over.

I was always hearing Julius out about his struggles to adapt to the new country, the new language and all the new people he had met. Things were hard for him at first, but, as time went on, things began to get way better for him and I was happy for him.

Though, I never told him that while things were getting progressively better for him, it was the opposite for me. My father was completely wrong and he realized that too late…

My parents both continued to work in the same research institute after Julius and his family left, but due to the increasing inflation and food prices, their wages became insufficient to live.

My father had to pick a second job as a translator and my mother another as a private tutor.

As Julius's life improved as he and his parents moved from country to country, our lives just stagnated in our home country.

To make a very long story short, things had gotten so bad that a lot of people were getting killed just to have their shoes or phone stolen… It was a complete shit show.

Guess who was a victim of that kind of crime? Me, when I was twelve years old. 

It had been two years since Julius had left. I was getting out of school with a friend when we were suddenly surrounded by a gang of men. We had just turned around the corner when those men pointed several knives at us, a pair of schoolgirls.

They asked for all of our valuables including our phones and our shoes. One of them even suggested kidnapping us and asking our parents for a ransom. They even said that they would do unspeakable things to us and sell us to a brothel if our parents refused to pay.

That was when I realized that our lives were in great danger… Even though I had taken self-defense classes ever since I was a young child there was no way for me to go against a group of grown men.

I don't know what drove me to do it, but I attacked the men even though I was scared. I only knew that I had to save my friend. And despite the overwhelming difference in numbers and strength, I was successful in helping my friend escape. I remember that I told her to run and ask for help in our school, and she did… Leaving me behind to deal with the men.

I thought that my actions would be rewarded with my salvation. I genuinely thought that just like most movies, someone would come to my aid. Whether it was my friend with our teachers or someone else, I had faith someone would come.

But reality was different from fiction and I was about to discover that…

When I fought back against our attackers, I was able to buy enough time for my friend to run, but I startled them and in retaliation, they stabbed me multiple times.

Before I knew, I was lying on the floor bleeding out. My attackers were long gone by the time our teachers arrived to help me. By that time, it was already too late to save my life…

I was afraid. I was scared of dying… As I died, I had flashbacks of everything I had experienced in my life up until that tragic moment. 

In my last moments, I thought of my parents, my friends and the boy who I considered my little brother… As the pain started to fade and my body began to feel cold, I was scared.

I wanted to live but I knew it was the end... I wanted to leave the country to settle in Europe and see Julius once I graduated just like my parents had promised, but I knew that it would never happen… I just wanted to see my little brother again, yet the world denied me that at every opportunity…

The last person I thought of at the end of my life was the little boy who was always following me around. The one who always smiled at me the moment he noticed me. The one who was always happy to see me no matter what…

"Karen… You're crying again." Julius turned his head around and smiled softly at me. He cleared my tears with the same gentleness he had as a little boy.

"I'm glad to be together again, that's all." I smiled to reassure him. I tried to hold back my tears but they simply wouldn't stop.

“I’m happy about it too.” His smile beamed with joy, immediately blasting away the sadness I felt about my tragic past.

Nothing about our past matters now… What matters is that we are together again.

As for what happened next… Well, it is a very short story compared to the story of my death.

Basically, a Valkyrie witnessed my death and saw how I saved my friend from those men. Since she was moved by my bravery, she decided to give me another shot in life… A different life, as a Valkyrie of Asgard.

Thanks to that woman’s intervention, I was revived as an angelic by the All-Father and began to train under the same Valkyrie who took interest in me. Her name was Svidra. She was the one who gave me the name of Reginleif for me to use in battle to honor another legendary Valkyrie. In return, I had to abandon my previous name and was forbidden from seeing my loved ones until I became an official Valkyrie.

Only then, I would be allowed to see my parents again. Only then, I would be allowed to seek Julius again to meet him in person.

The rest is pretty much history. I spent most of my teenage years either training under Svidra with the other novice Valkyries, serving the gods of Asgard or watching over Julius in my spare time after I found him thanks to the powers of the gods.

As I continued to watch Julius over the years, I saw him grow little by little… I saw his tragedies, I saw him make lots of friends, I saw him become a cool big brother, I saw him grow into an even cooler young adult and also find love… He had long forgotten about me by that point. 

But as I continued to watch him, I simply began to fall for the kind and responsible young man he had become. He wasn’t stupidly handsome like a model or anything, but the way he was and his personality simply won me over the more I watched his life.

Sigh…

Time went on, and then, one fateful day during the ceremony in which my mentor would grant me the rank of Valkyrie, I was told by her that Julius had died.

If I have any regrets, it is not that I died or that I was alone when I died.

What I regret is the fact that I wasn't there to protect Julius. The fact that I wasn't watching over him that day… Even though I had gained power, I wasn't there to protect him against the evil god that decided to ruin and end Julius’s life on Earth…

I could have prevented his death and I failed to do so… I could’ve saved him… Yet, he died on the one day I wasn’t watching him… That is my biggest regret. 

But despite my regrets, that tragedy was what led us to be together again... There’s nothing I can do to revert what happened… I would if I could, but since I can’t I will just be grateful that I have my friend back, even if it isn’t in the most ideal circumstances.

"You know, I'm kinda disappointed… Fifteen years waiting to meet you again and you still look like a child barely older than I was when we first met… Here I thought I would have the opportunity to see you as a handsome young man. Perhaps we could have even given it a try to become a thing, you know?" I decided to tease Julius a little. 

Now that he remembered me, I had no reason to hold back.

I wouldn’t hold anything back against him. I had to tease him as much as I humanly could. After all, we had to get back all the time together we had lost.

I know he had a girlfriend before he died that he still loves even now, but I just couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if the two of us met earlier and Claire wasn’t in the picture.

I always imagined that scenario as a simple what-if while I watched over Julius. I would never have done anything to threaten their happiness since he is important to me. Also, I actually like Claire very much and I think that she and Julius made a really cute couple when he was alive on Earth. 

I low-key shipped them even though the idea of someone else having him hurt me a little…

“I can’t help it. That’s what happens when you get reincarnated, you have to do everything all over again. Puberty is probably going to suck a lot…” Julius smiled awkwardly after letting out a sigh. He didn’t seem too bothered by what I said.

“Says the guy who is pretty much surrounded by several gorgeous girls and a few beautiful literal goddesses. I think that you will have it way easier than you think, champ.” I smiled playfully at him. “Of course, I am also included in that group of beautiful girls, you know?” I decided to wink and tease him a little.

“That is precisely why I’m saying that puberty is going to suck… No matter where I look, there’s only temptation all around me…” Julius suddenly stared at the wall while shaking his head repeatedly. He seemed quite troubled by what I said. “And now, that temptation will be even greater, considering that you became a very beautiful woman… What happened to the rowdy tomboy I used to know?” Julius suddenly let out a sigh after giving me an honest compliment.

“Oh? So you actually think I’m beautiful, huh? Thank you very much, I appreciate your honesty!” I smiled from ear to ear after hearing his compliment. “Well, that tomboy phase suited me better when I was a kid. I’m a grown woman now, you know? And a beautiful one according to you, I can’t go around looking like a boy... Especially in front of you.” I said as I adjusted my dress a little... I decided to tease him a bit further.

“You were beautiful back then too…” Julius suddenly whispered to himself while averting his gaze from mine.

“Damn, really? Did you feel the same about me even when you thought that I was actually a boy back when we were little?” I asked him with a smirk. In reality, I was beaming with joy after hearing those words.

“You’re never gonna let me live that one down, are you? I was five when that happened…” Julius said with annoyance before letting out a sigh. “But if I’m honest, I do think that you were also very beautiful when you were a tomboy. Except for the time when your face got all swollen after you got into another fist fight with the older boys. Your face was so bruised and swollen that you looked like an eggplant." His lips curled up a little. He reminded me of a somewhat embarrassing memory.

"Hey! It was four against one and I still kicked their butts! One of them surprised me and punched me while I was distracted and they all ganged up on me, that's all!"  I got a little flustered.

"Seriously, with me you were such a kind and patient girl, yet with others you were pretty much a rabid little punk who got angry way too easily… You know that everyone called you a mad gorilla back then?" Julius shook his head with fake disappointment. I could tell by the overly exaggerated voice he made.

"A mad gorilla? Shit, why did no one tell me that sooner! That sounds so freaking cool!" I was a little shocked by what he told me, but I was also excited. I really thought that being called a gorilla was pretty cool in my eyes. At least a childish part of me thought so.

After all, if I was called a gorilla that must have meant that the older boys were afraid of me! Which is cool because I was always fighting them to keep them away from little Julius.

Sigh… This… This is what I always wanted… For the two of us to be able to mess up with each other like this… To be together in this way again.

"Hey…" I looked at Julius with curiosity. "Between the current me and the old me, who do you prefer? Which one is more beautiful for you?" I asked the boy with great interest.

I know that I have changed quite a lot since the days when Julius and I would play together as children. It could be said that I'm way more girly now than I was before. 

When I was little, I disliked dresses with a burning passion, and now I really enjoy wearing them, especially during the summer while flying high through the skies with my angelic wings. The cold winds crashing against your face while up there are simply the best!

"I have no preference over the current you or the past you. You were beautiful then and you are equally beautiful now. You're still the same Karen I knew and that's what matters to me." Julius gave me an honest response.

"Hehe, now I see why you have so many girls surrounding you in your new world! That was a good response." I couldn't deny the fact that I blushed due to his reply. I tried to hide that fact by smiling mischievously. "Truly… I didn't think someone as sweet as you would be able to have such a large harem. You're pretty shameless, aren't you?" I decided to tease him again.

"It is not like I intended to have one… Things just happened and I kept meeting girls that got drawn toward me thanks to the succubi charm I inherited from my grandmother. It was rough… I am glad that I learned to control it before things got too out of hand for me to deal with…" He said after letting out a huge sigh. "Even though I say that, I don't regret meeting any of those girls. They are very special to me, each and every single one of them." Julius smiled softly while thinking of the girls that loved him.

"Is that how you justify marrying your adoptive aunt? Blaming your poor grandmother’s race?" I just couldn't resist messing with him further.

"Shut up… That was the fault of a certain goddess." Julius said while looking at Catris.

The three goddesses weren't really paying attention to us. I mean, they actually were but they thought they were being sneaky about it. They were supposedly gossiping amongst themselves.

"Is that so? Then how about your adoptive sisters? Or Catris's apostles, in other words, your other adoptive aunts… Was that her fault too?" A smirk appeared on my face as I stared at Julius. Teasing him was as funny as I remembered.

"That's… Okay, that's certainly my fault…" Julius averted his gaze 

His adoptive sisters, his martial arts teacher, a rabbit girl who's really crazy about him, several noble maidens and even a few goddesses… It seems like I will have some fierce competition.

Ever since I arrived here, Lia has been providing me with information about Julius's life in this world… Okay, we gossiped quite a lot about him. I basically know everything there is to know about his life here and also about all the girls that like him.

Seriously… Who would have thought that the crybaby who used to follow me around saying that he would marry me when we became grown ups would end up getting an actual real harem… It is a little amusing, not gonna lie.

"Then? Do you have room for another girl in your heart? Or have you forgotten about what you used to tell me as a little kid? I'd get sad if you forgot about that too, because I definitely remember all the times that you said that you wanted to marry me." I was being half-joking and half-serious with Julius. I was actually a little nervous to hear his response.

I knew that it was stupid to make him stay true to something he said when he was very little, but I also wanted to stay with him no matter what, so…

"I remember…" Julius whispered while his gaze was focused on the ground below. He was blushing quite a lot, which was a cute sight.

"That's good then! I'm happy that you still remember!" I smiled happily. "Then? What do you think about giving me a little piece of your heart too? What's one more girl for the harem of the mighty future king of all demons? You could even have a thousand wives and it wouldn't be that big of a deal. Though, you will still be the same little crybaby to me no matter what you do." I decided to press the attack and make fun of him while I was at it.

"A thousand wives might be exaggerating a bit…" Julius looked at me with a deadpan expression. "But… There has always been a place in my heart for you, Karen. If you don’t mind, I would like to keep my word." He then smiled back.

Ehh? Did he just accept me? Just like that? Well, that was easy… I thought I would have to try harder to convince him… That's neat, I guess…

…

…

…

Fuck yeah! He actually accepted me!

"Oh? You still love me that much? Well, since you insist on keeping your word, then I suppose I could play along. I'm not someone who would crush the feelings of an innocent boy such as yourself." I decided to play it cool in front of Julius.

I tried my hardest to not show it on the outside, but I was overwhelmed with happiness inside. I was too embarrassed to show him that…

I wasn't the only one who was happy though, the goddesses who were still pretending to gossip amongst themselves, were looking quite joyful at this sudden development. Especially Lia, who was looking at Julius with pride.

“Me being innocent is a little debatable, but I’m glad that you want to be with me. It makes me really happy to have you in my life again!” Said Julius while he looked quite gleeful. “Though, I don't think it is necessary for me to say this, but I will say it regardless… You’d still need to wait for me to grow a little older if you want me to marry you. I presently have the body of a child as you can see, and also, we need to get reacquainted with each other considering how long it has been since the last time we saw each other.” Julius smiled awkwardly.

I was aware of the implications of what he was trying to say… I obviously understood where he was coming from and was on board.

“I know… I am not that kind of evil pervert, you know? I am a proper and honorable Valkyrie to my core. One that happens to love you very much and will wait for you no matter how long. I have waited fifteen years to see you again, so what’s the matter if I have to wait another eight years just to act like a proper couple?” I quickly defended myself by showing how far I was willing to go for him. “Though, once again, age is just a burden in our relationship… If only we had been born in the same year… If only you hadn’t gotten reincarnated… The two of us could have a normal relationship...” I couldn’t help but let out a huge sigh of pure frustration.

I looked at Julius with disappointment, and he, in turn, gave me a look of reassurance while patting my back.

It wasn’t ideal, but I needed to wait to be romantically involved with the one I loved. At the very least I knew that he also wanted to be with me, but it was frustrating not to be able to show him my affection like a normal couple would.

Sigh… I wish I could be the same age as Julius right now… I wouldn’t mind going through the hell that is puberty once again if there was the possibility to have a beautiful teenage love story with the boy I always dreamed of.

If that was the case, Julius and I would be able to do things as a couple without feeling guilty about it…

Well, at the very least I will be able to be together with Julius in this new world of his after he convinces Odin to release me from his service.

“Oh, it appears that I might be of help then.” Someone from the group of the goddesses spoke while looking at me… It was the Goddess of Virtue, Yraura. She was smiling warmly at me.

“Help? With what?” Julius asked Yraura while tilting his head with confusion. I couldn’t help but find that the most adorable thing ever.

“With the age predicament she seems to be having. She wants to be the same age as you when she comes to our world. Putting aside convincing Odin and the Gods of Earth, I believe I can do something about the age problem for her.” Yraura looked at me again with a gentle expression on her face. Much to my embarrassment, it was clear to me that she had listened to my thoughts.

“Really? So you’re saying that you can turn me into a child like Julius? I would be ten years old again? I would be the same age as Julius?” Despite the embarrassment, I was suddenly filled with hope thanks to the words of the goddess.

“I mean, in theory both Lia and Catris could also do it, but given that Lia is a bit clumsy at manipulating time and space and that she’s presently using much of her power to safe-guard Julius’s homeland, that would leave only Catris and I as the better options. but unlike my friend over here, I’ve returned someone from old age to their youth at least once or twice before, so I humbly believe that I am the most suited for the task.” Yraura suddenly bowed her head to me.

“She’s not lying about it! I’ve seen it! Making Leif be the same age as Julius won’t be a problem for Yraura! She once made a very wrinkly old witch become an incredible beauty after returning her to her prime as a reward for her virtuous actions during her life.” Catris supported the Goddess of Virtue’s words.

“I hate to admit it, but when it comes to manipulating space and time, Yraura is way better than me. She’s definitely the best for the task.” Lia nodded in agreement.

I couldn’t lie… I was ecstatic that one of the stupid thoughts I just had was going to become a reality. On top of being together with Julius, I was going to be able to have that teenage romance I had always wanted!

If I’m honest, I could have gotten one in Asgard or in Olympus during my short time there, but since I was always either watching Julius or training. I didn’t have much of an interest in others, especially in the opposite gender considering that my feelings for Julius began to blossom as I watched him grow.

“But I have a simple condition, of course.” Yraura raised her head before smiling at Julius and I.

“What would that be?” I asked while hiding all the happiness I was feeling.

I really hope it is something that I can do, because I really want to experience my teenage years again, since this time around it will be with the one I love by my side instead of being killed and turned into a valkyrie… Alright, bring it on! I will even kill a hydra on my own if I have to!

“Let me guess, you want me to become your apostle too.” Julius said with a somewhat serious expression. He seemed confident that he had guessed what the goddess wanted.

“Indeed.” Yraura quickly confirmed Julius’s suspicions. 

Wait… That’s it? Hadn’t Lia, Catris and Yraura reached an agreement about that before Julius suddenly appeared here? That was too damn easy! What happened with my determination to kill a huge monster on my own, dammit?!

Oh well, I guess I will be able to be the same age as Julius, so whatever. I’ll get my chance to fight against the hydra in the future.

“After seeing your performance during the tournament and the way in which you helped my dear Myria, on top of all the wonderful things that Lia and Catris have said about you, I decided to rejoin my best friends and help you in your crusade against Agmos and his allies.” Yraura suddenly got up from her seat and began walking toward us.

“That’s it? That’s all you want?” Julius was perplexed. “I can understand since Catris asked for something similar when I met her, but is that really what you want? I mean, you have Myria, don’t you? I’m not particularly the most virtuous person either… I mean you saw what I almost did to Alberis and how my hubris got the better of me, right? Don’t misunderstand me, though. I’m happy to have you on board.” Julius seemed a little unsure of her request.

“Humility is the greatest of virtues, young prince. This is really all I will ask of you as it is all that I want of you.” Yraura replied. “You genuinely desire to protect those you care about, which includes now my dear apostle, Myria. You gave her your support and friendship at her lowest point and helped her to grow as a person. You gave her courage, and that is enough to consider you worthy of praise in my eyes and to receive my support as your ally. You have all of my respect, young man.” The goddess said once she reached us and stood right in front of us. She looked truly grateful toward Julius.

Jeez… Do I have another potential rival in front of me? Julius presently has a considerable track record of charming beautiful goddesses just like that…

“And as for what happened before… It was a truly concerning sight, yes, but I know that was not because of your own initiative. The blood of the demons is a heavy burden. Their powerful emotions even made Basalto, a god turned mortal, lose control of himself. That is why I do not judge you for what happened, on the contrary, I respect you even further. You were able to do what Basalto couldn’t, even if it wasn’t a full awakening of your blood.”

“Is that so? I just wanted to help out a friend to get up on her feet. You don’t need to praise me or anything. And it is not like I recovered from my madness on my own. My family helped me with that, so I am undeserving of that praise.” Julius replied modestly. “Though, is this fine with you Lia? I’m not particularly against becoming Yraura’s apostle, but I would like to hear your opinion on this considering that you didn’t want Catris to take me as her apostle at first.” Julius looked at Lia with a bit of worry.

“Actually, Catris and I were talking about this matter with Yraura while you were gone, Julius. The three of us agreed that it would be for the best for you to also become Yraura’s apostle if she was to join us in our battle against Agmos. She’s one of my best friends and she can really provide you with a lot of support while I'm busy with the barrier in Gliosis. That is enough for me to agree to her request.” Lia smiled in response as a way to reassure Julius.

Frankly, I was already aware that Lia was on board with the idea, but I was still very surprised to hear her agree after considering how jealous she got when Catris forcefully made Julius his apostle… After all, I still remember the explosions I heard that day.

“I’m a little pissed off that Lia agrees to let Julius become Yraura’s apostle just like that, but she got pissed off at me when I made him my apostle and made me get one of her famous beatings. It isn’t fair!” Catris crossed her arms and pouted.

“Do I have to remind you that we had agreed that you would only support him? I never gave you permission to make him your apostle in the first place. That is why you got a beating. Heck, it wasn't even a beating! It was just a bit of rough housing!” Lia replied with annoyance. Her voice was really terrifying for a second…

“Don’t fight you two. You shouldn’t be beating Catris, Lia. The two of you are friends, right?” Yraura suddenly scolded Lia.

“That’s right! You shouldn’t be beating me when I love you so much as my best friend! Even though I came to live with you and help you and Julius in whatever way I can!” Catris suddenly rose from her seat and looked at Lia with indignation. She was fired up thanks to Yraura’s support.

“Ugh… It is just that she pissed me off! She made it sound like she was marrying Julius when she made him her apostle! Even though I had told her he was mine!” Lia tried to defend herself.

“That is no excuse, Lia. Friends shouldn’t fight like that. Especially if it is someone the two of us love like a little sister.” Yraura pressed the attack.

“Hehehe! You’re getting scolded! That's what you get for bullying me!” Catris spoke childishly. She had a triumphant expression on her face.

"And you…" Yraura then looked at Catris with disapproval. "Didn't we talk about not doing things without permission? You simply cannot take someone else's apostle without having a proper discussion like the one we had earlier." She scolded her too.

"But she was hoarding Julius all for herself! That's simply not fair! You've seen how cute and wonderful he is! Hoarding him should be a crime! I just couldn't accept that!" Catris complained while pouting.

"That is still not an acceptable excuse." Yraura shook her head with disappointment. "I won't have my best friends squabbling like that, especially now that we are reunited. So, I want the two of you to apologize to each other and leave those incidents behind you. You two are best friends and it would be sad for you to fight over such petty things." She was firm with the two goddesses.

Both Catris and Lia looked awkwardly at Yraura before looking at each other. With a little bit of silent pressure on her part, the two goddesses felt guilty enough that they decided to apologize to each other.

"I'm sorry… I guess I really should have talked with you again about making Julius my apostle. I was too hasty and didn't speak properly with you… I should have nagged you a little more before doing something like." Catris was scratching her cheek awkwardly, but she still apologized.

"I apologize too… I guess I was way tougher toward you than I should've been…"Lia apologized immediately.

Both goddesses were lowering their heads towards each other while shaking their hands. The two of them looked a bit happier afterward which made Yraura quite pleased.

At that moment, Julius and I shared a look of amusement with each other. We had found the mother of their friend group.

"Now, please let us continue. I apologize for the interruption, Julius." Yraura said while turning to face the two of us.

"I don't particularly mind. I'm happy that Catris and Lia are getting along and apologize to each other. It wasn't like they were openly hostile or anything, but not having something that could sour their relationship in the long run is for the better. So, I thank you for that." Julius spoke with admiration.

"That is very wise and thoughtful of you, Julius." Yraura giggled with satisfaction. "I agree with you. If these two get together, they are bound to fight for the most stupid of things. I know that they don't hold it against each other and they would never feel hate toward one another, but I just dislike the whole idea of them fighting. Which is why I make them apologize." Yraura explained herself.

"You make it seem like we are fighting all the time…" Lia mumbled awkwardly.

"That's right! It is not like we are fighting like we used to back in the day. The two of us have matured quite a lot!" Catris said. "Ever since Julius came into our lives, we have been even better friends than before!" Catris smiled while looking at Lia.

"I suppose you're right about that… It is not like we have the time to fight all the time worrying over Julius and his shenanigans." Lia said as she smiled back at Catris.

Julius looked a little offended that they were talking about him as if he was a huge troublemaker, but he couldn't really deny their words.

"That's good then. As long as the two of you don't fight, I'll be happy. Of course, I will also be here to make sure that you two don't fight." Yraura nodded in agreement. She was very pleased by the words of her friends. "Of course, that is only if Julius wishes to become my apostle as well." She stared at Julius with expectation.

Julius decided to close his eyes and take a deep breath. He fell deep into thought for a few moments before opening his eyes and speaking up.

"As long as Lia and Catris are alright with it, I'm okay with the idea of becoming your apostle. I know that I have gotten stronger, but we'll need as many allies as we can get if we want to defeat Agmos for good. So, please help Karen with her predicament as I would really like to bring her back with me." Julius spoke with a serious expression before bowing his head to Yraura.

I was a little surprised to hear him mentioning me at first, but then I got quite happy. I was very happy that he was thinking about me, because of that I also decided something.

"Lady Yraura, once we convince Odin and the other gods to let me go to Unitya, can you take me as your apostle as well? I would like to ask the same of Lady Lia and Lady Catris." I made a request toward the goddesses while lowering my head, just like Julius.

I definitely wanted to be on the same standing as Julius. If everything went well, I would be living in a brand new world with him. So having the guidance of three powerful goddesses on top of Julius's would be very helpful.

"I know that I am not a member of your faith and I don't particularly know much about your teachings, but even then I would like to become your apostle just the same."

"It is not like I am the most pious or devout follower of the gods either, you know? Yet, I became the apostle of two powerful and beautiful goddesses.” Said Julius while looking at Lia and Catris. He had suddenly complimented them.

I was a little jealous that he would compliment them but not me, but I decided to let it slide given that we were talking about a serious topic, something that could affect me in my life in the new world.

“I don’t really mind that you’re not a follower of mine. And not knowing my teachings is not a requirement either. What us gods normally look for in our apostles are other things entirely.” Yraura explained while grasping my right hand and Julius’s left. “In Lia’s case… Well, she never had an apostle before, but since I know her quite well, I imagine that she would look for someone she could confide things with and make her forget about her responsibilities for a bit. That person should also have an insatiable thirst for knowledge and be in touch with their emotional side... There’s not a lot of people like that out there, you know?” Yraura suddenly giggled while looking at Lia and then back at Julius.

“You’re not exactly wrong about that… Julius is my apostle because he is one of the most important people in my life.” Lia averted her gaze with some embarrassment after saying something cheesy. “But he does fit all the criteria you mentioned. You know me well, Yraura.” She nodded while smiling softly.

“I know. I’m your best friend, after all.” Yraura smiled back. Her smile was gentle and filled with kindness. “As for what Catris looks for in an apostle… I would definitely be someone who knows how to love someone properly and someone who treats her well. Though, between the three of us, she also likes to be teased just as much as she teases.” Yraura suddenly leaned and whispered to the two of us. She seemed a little amused while looking back at her friend.

“Hey! What are you whispering about?! I mean, you’re not wrong about that criteria but I chose Julius because he promised I wouldn’t be alone again! I love him deeply because of that, so he is the only one for me!” Catris was extremely annoyed at Yraura. She pouted and expressed her feelings for Julius.

“I can’t help but feel like that was the fault of my charm… Does it even affect deities?” Julius seemed preoccupied about his own special ability.

“More or less. Your charm doesn’t affect us in the same way it affected those girls back in the tournament arena. To me, it just makes me want to hug you tightly, but that’s about it.” Lia explained. “So you can rest assured that whatever we might feel about you, it is not because of your charm.” Lia smiled to reassure Julius.

“She’s right about that! I will definitely take you on your word on staying with me forever! You said that I would never be alone again, so I expect you to fulfill that promise, young man!” Catris looked at Julius with a loving expression.

“Things sure are lively for you, aren’t they, Julius?” Yraura giggled in response. “Please make sure to always fulfill your promises and be good to my friends.” She said to him.

“I’ll do my best.” Julius nodded. He looked resolute.

“That’s good.” Yraura was pleased. “Then… Back on the topic. The two of you are already suitable to become apostles of mine. Given that your hearts are full of virtue and that your actions are always motivated by goodness, there’s no one better to become apostles in my eyes.” She smiled at the two of us.

“Really? Then you will accept me too?” I asked her with a bit of nervousness.

“Of course. I can’t make you an official one just yet considering that we still need to convince Odin and the other Gods of Earth, but if everything goes well then you will be my apostle.” Yraura explained.

“We’ll take good care of you, Karen.” Lia smiled at me. It seemed that she also intended to make me her apostle too.

“The more the merrier! I would have liked to keep Julius as my only apostle but since this is for his sake and the sake of someone who loves him as much as I do, I don’t mind giving her that position.” Catris spoke with excitement.

Good… So that means I will become the apostle of these three goddesses and I will count with their guidance in the new world… I know what Julius plans to do and who his enemies are, so I have to do my best to help and support him in all I can!

The only problem would be who would take care of my original task of responding to the messages of Claire, Julius’s sisters and his friends and other family members… I suppose we can figure out something on the fly as long as we keep the special phone Odin gave me.

“Good. Now that we have settled the matter… Are you ready for the ceremony, Julius?” Yraura asked the black haired boy.

“I am.” He said as he left my lap and got up on his feet. I felt a little lonely that he had left.

Julius then moved in front of the Goddess and looked her straight in the eyes. She was still holding his left hand, but after letting go of my right, she quickly grabbed Julius’s other hand.

“Then let us begin, Julius.” Yraura took a good look at Julius before closing her eyes. “Close your eyes too.” She ordered.

“Very well.” Julius did what he was told.

Soon, a pale and weak green light enveloped the two of them. A soft gust of wind suddenly began to travel around the room making Yraura’s veil and her hair flutter. It was a very mesmerizing sight.

“As the Goddess of Virtue, I promise to safeguard your heart so all the virtues that men hold will always remain with you. I shall be by your side, so you’ll never lose hope. I shall speak comforting words to you whenever you feel disheartened. I shall illuminate your path so you shall never lose your way… This is my vow as a Goddess." Yraura's voice was filled with dignity and hope. "Now, I shall bless you with my crest so you might rise as a warrior of virtue… A defender of all that is sacred in this world. Stand proudly, Julius Navar, my warrior. From today onwards, you and I are connected until the end of our days." Yraura finished the ceremony by kissing Julius's in the forehead.

Right after that, the same green light that was illuminating both was concentrated in Julius's forehead. The figure of a stone pillar was engraved there… That was the crest of the Goddess of Virtue.

"The ceremony is done. You're officially my apostle, Julius. I hope that my powers will be of help to you in the future. I shall do my best to guide your path." Yraura smiled warmly at the boy. She was still holding both of his hands white tightly.

Huh… So this is how they chose their apostles… Kinda neat actually. 

"Thank you, Yraura. I have to say that your heartbeat is really comforting. It makes me feel calm and my mind focused. I'm happy to have you on board with us." Julius smiled back at the goddess.

"No, I should be the one saying that. I wasn't expecting a mortal's heart to have such a wonderful tune and such a calming effect on me. This is certainly better than what Catris and Lia described." The goddess said while averting her gaze a little.

The atmosphere in Lia's divine realm was quite good and warm. Everyone was happy due to the ceremony and the fact that I was reunited with Julius.

Unfortunately my happiness was quickly turned into shock by what Yraura said next…

"I might be a little inexperienced, but I am looking forward to our future marriage, Julius. I've never been in a partnership with anyone before, so I expect you to teach me about the things that couples do." The Goddess suddenly said something that neither Julius nor I were expecting. She was lowering her head while smiling innocently.

"Huh?" Both Julius and I reacted at the same time. The two of us were clearly dumbfounded.

"Did I say something weird? I was under the impression that you were marrying Lia and Catris, so I asked for their blessing for me to take you as my husband as well… Since they agreed, I decided to ask after making you my apostle. Truth be told, all of my apostles have been women, so since you were going to be my first male apostle, I thought that we could make things more special that way…" Yraura looked at Julius with flushed cheeks.

Oi! Did he seriously charm another goddess?! What the fuck! And he does it right after we are reunited and decides to give me a piece of his heart! I know I said he could have a thousand wives, but his harem is starting to get ridiculous!

"Hmm… Yraura… Are you serious about this? I don't think I'm that special for you to marry me. We barely know each other." Julius said with a bit of disbelief.

"You're very special to me now that we are connected. I love hearing the sound of your heart beating fastly." The goddess admitted with a little shakiness in her voice. "Also, Catris and Lia spoke nothing but wondered about you and there's the fact that you helped my precious Myria… In a way, you could say that you mesmerized me with your actions. How could I not be serious about this?" Yraura spoke with full honesty to Julius.

"Ahh… I see… That's great, but still quite shocking… I totally didn't expect a goddess to ask me for marriage again so soon…" Julius spoke with moderate confusion before looking at Lia and Catris.

"Are you against it? Perhaps I was too hasty… If this is troublesome for you, we can forget about the marriage part… If that is the case, let's put this behind us and act like it never happened." Yraura tried to sound understanding but it was clear that she was dejected.

That alone made me get pissed off at Julius.

Don't make the goddess cry you idiot! I know I was joking before, but accept her already!

"Isn't it fine? You're connected to us until we draw our last breath. In essence, it is no different than marriage. Also, you promised not to leave alone so that is a marriage proposal in my eyes, Julius." Catris spoke cheerfully while looking at Yraura and Catris.

"Julius, something like this was pretty much inevitable. If It wasn't Yraura, it would have been another girl on the material plane. As much as we would like to hoard you for ourselves, Catris and I would prefer you to make our friend happy just like you do with us." Lia explained. "There's that, but there's also the fact that your demonic blood was awakened. It is imperative for you to have a considerable amount of partners if you want to be able to leave some heirs behind. You could even say that is one of your duties as the Prince of Gliosis. The most important one to be precise." Lia used some weird mental gymnastics to reassure Julius.

Damn… These goddesses and the people of Unitya are way too casual about polygamy, aren't they?

"Also, I'm certain that you won't regret marrying Yraura. As her friend, I can assure that the two of you will be quite happy together!" Lia puffed her chest and spoke with pride about Yraura.

"That's right! She's really caring and very very sweet! She's super good at cooking too and she makes some insanely superb tea! She also likes to read, bakery and crafts, so I can guarantee that the two of you will have no shortage of topics for conversation!" Catris spoke about Yraura's many good qualities to entice Julius.

Due to all this, the previously dejected Goddess looked quite embarrassed, but she didn't tell them to stop. On the contrary, she was looking at Julius quite intently, almost as if waiting for his answer. She also seemed a little awkward.

On the other hand, the objective of all of this, Julius, was looking at Yraura with a conflicted expression. He was smiling awkwardly thanks to this situation.

Ah, it seems it falls up to me to land the finishing blow… Jeez! what would Julius do without his older sister around?

Without giving him time to react, I quickly stood up and pushed Julius against Yraura.

"...?" Julius looked back at me with confusion.

"What are you waiting for? Accept the poor goddess already. She's a girl too and girls don't like to wait." I gave him a wink. "Though, if you're marrying her you will have to marry me first. Just saying." I couldn't resist the urge to giggle like an idiot…

"I mean that was the plan from the beginning… I do remember that I told you not so long ago that no one would take you away from me again." Julius nodded after hearing my words. He then looked at Yraura with a serious expression.

My heart started to beat wildly as soon as I heard those words… I was once again smitten by the man who had owned my heart for the longest time.

"Just so you know, I am not against the idea of marrying you, Yraura. Like I said, I was just caught off guard that you suddenly asked something like that… It is not like you needed to convince me either." Julius said.

"You don't need to feel pressured to agree. It is true that I was very hasty with this… Perhaps we should have taken some time to get to know each other, though Lia has already told me several things about you, but still…" Yraura seemed a little ashamed and guilty.

"I would love to get to know you better, Yraura. But don't worry, my choices are my own. You're pretty beautiful and so far, I really like you a lot, so… If you will have someone like me as a husband, then I would like to accept your proposal. I can't promise that I will be the most faithful husband considering the fact that I got several fiancées in a single day… But if you'll have someone like me, I can only promise to do my utmost to make you as happy as I can." Julius spoke resolutely. He was being one hundred percent serious with her as he wore his heart upon his sleeve.

Hmm… I would like him to tell me something as beautiful as that too, but it is a very bad moment to interrupt…

"While the faithfulness part is very regretful, I don't mind. I already knew what I was getting into when I asked Lia and Catris for permission." Yraura seemed pleased with Julius's words. "And also… I've always been curious about what a romantic relationship entailed, so when Lia and Catris began to brag, I got a little envious of them… So if you'll have me, I… Well… I will also promise to make you happy, Julius…" The goddess was awkwardly twiddling with her thumbs while averting her gaze from Julius's.

That was the look of a maiden in love alright... I had seen it plenty of times while looking at myself in the mirror.

"It is settled then. We'll get married and we'll make each other as happy as we can." Julius smiled and nodded with satisfaction. "Though, please remember that you'll have to wait until I am an adult again." Julius gave her the same warning he gave me.

"Of course! Even if you’re more or less an adult on the inside, young boys like you should only focus on growing up healthy and happy!” Yraura looked quite relieved and ecstatic by Julius’s decision. She began to pat his head with a lot of enthusiasm.

“In any case, I will be counting on you from here on out.” Julius said while accepting her affection. “Though, I’m slightly miffed. What do you mean by more or less an adult? If we count both my lives, I’m thirty years old! At least mentally.” Julius protested.

“Given how childish you have been in my absence, I can barely consider you an adult, Julius. And if we also take how small you presently are into account… Yeah, I can’t even consider you an adult. Should I take you to the swings?” I decided to start teasing him again now that he was done pledging his love toward Yraura. I had a huge playful grin on my face.

“What was that? It seems someone wants me to tickle her until she can no longer breathe.” Julius seemed rather annoyed by my words. “Prepare yourself, you shall know the pain of a thousand tickles!” Without any warning, Julius abandoned Yraura and leaped at me.

As the two of us continued to play, our little celebration continued. We had gained several more reasons to party, so we decided to continue having fun until the Gods of Earth finally arrived.

I was nervous about how Julius was going to convince them to let him take me to his new world, but with Julius by my side, those worries quickly faded away. 

It is good to have my best friend back.

Chapter 86: Tears of a Valkyrie and The Virtue of Friendship (Part II).

END

GodlyKamui

Heya! Author here back with a new chapter! How are y'all doing? I've been doing well lately, but tired as hell. Going to work, to the gym, meeting with friends, going to the doctor's, giving another shot at my hopeless romantic life... You know, stuff. I'm tired as hell because of all that so I'll be extremely brief today...

Turns out that Julius must important duty as a prince is to good old nasty business. Who would have thought?

Oh, I should also mention that my entry for the Honeyfeed x YOASOBI contest is finished. You can give it a read over here: https://www.honeyfeed.fm/chapters/80862#page-1

Truth be told, I don't know how good my story will be for the contest or what the judges will think of it, but I will just say that I did my best writing it. It would be nice to win, but I wouldn't complain if I lose. After all, you learn more from your failures rather than success, no?

Anyway, that's it for today! Hope that you enjoyed the chapter!

Also, as usual, please don't forget to comment and leave some hearts since that motivates me to continue writing the story! Also, don't forget to join the discord: https://discord.gg/uH6APbzrFR