Our top priority was to regroup with the others so we could finally reunite the Titans with the Chosen Ones. I also had to convince everyone to escape immediately and formulate a new plan for dealing with this fresh threat. Right now, my every instinct was screaming, telling me to run away as far as we possibly could.

 

It didn’t take us long to exit the fortress since we already knew the route. Upon stepping outside, we saw everyone looking exhausted, but they had managed to defeat all the demons.

 

“E-everyone, we’re back!” Fae’s voice rang out, catching their attention. They heard her call and immediately started walking toward us.

 

The moment we regrouped, I wasted no time and handed the orb artifact containing the Titans to Komraad. He casually clenched his fist and shattered the crystal orb with his bare hands to free them. Upon their release, each of the Titans rushed to embrace their respective Chosen Ones. Gratitude and relief radiated from everyone as they welcomed their partners back.

 

Instead of looking happy and satisfied with the rescue, Erica’s eyes narrowed when she noticed my worry and clear panic. “What’s wrong, Ina? You look so pale. Did something terrible happen?” She asked, her concern instantly visible.

 

“I’ll explain later. We have to get out of here first!” I answered, my expression grave.

 

I wished we could leave right away, but an enormous, powerful barrier was preventing our escape. I poured my dark energy into repeated beams, blasting the barrier again and again, but the attacks only left faint scratches on its surface.

 

“Mom, you can leave the barrier to me. Go ahead and convince everyone to run while I dispel it,” Rein offered, immediately directing her full focus toward the massive shield.

 

Before I could agree, Komraad walked up to me. “Hey, what’s the big rush? We won, didn’t we?” He questioned, bewildered by my frantic behavior.

 

“He’s right. We should be celebrating our victory instead,” King Hervis chimed in, equally relaxed.

 

“Listen to me, we haven’t won yet. We saved the Titans, but we failed to stop their grand plan! Right now, there’s someone out there even worse than the Great Catastrophe and the Demon King combined, and there’s nothing we can do to stop her!” I insisted, desperation tightening my voice.

 

“You have nothing to worry about. This is the safest place anyone could be right now,” Queen Allura assured me, gesturing confidently toward the assembled Chosen Ones and Titans.

 

“All the Chosen Ones are present here. Trust in us, Ms. Ina. We won’t let anything bad happen to your family,” Zayke promised, planting his feet firmly.

 

“N-no, you don’t understand. I-”

 

Before I could finish my plea, we were all interrupted by an unexpected arrival. Goddess Astra floated ominously above us, radiating an overwhelming cosmic presence. Every head tilted up, and silence fell as all attention locked onto her. Everyone instantly recognized that she was a being who commanded absolute authority.

 

“N-no, we’re too late,” I whispered, my heart plummeting to my stomach.

 

Even in the face of such overwhelmingly powerful, the Chosen Ones didn’t falter or show any signs of fear. They became even more determined, acutely aware of the countless lives counting on them.

 

“Everyone, that right there is a Goddess, and we don’t stand a chance against her!” I relayed, my voice strained.

 

“So that’s a Goddess… Now that’s someone worth defeating!” King Hervis announced, his eyes gleaming with a reckless, excited intensity.

 

“We can’t defeat that thing! We have to leave right now and think of a new plan instead of fighting a battle we can’t win!” I urged, clutching Komraad’s arm tightly.

 

“I-I don’t think she’ll allow us to leave,” Iris responded worriedly, gripping Willow, her Titan.

 

“Sorry, but running just isn’t my style. Not when there are people counting on me,” Coney asserted, taking a defiant stance.

 

“We should consider negotiating first. Perhaps there’s a way for everyone to be happy,” Princess Cyrene suggested softly, ever the diplomat hoping for a peaceful resolution.

 

“I highly doubt that’s possible. By the look of her posture, she only views us as mere ants,” Queen Allura observed, noting Astra’s clear disdain.

 

Goddess Astra finally spoke, her voice laced with chilling demand. “It appears that seven of you are emitting the same presence as that wretched Witch of Creation. Why is that?” She asked, her cosmic eyes narrowing in suspicion.

 

Zayke stepped forward to respond, his Titan, Dawn, hovering at his side. “The witch you’re calling wretched is the sole reason for our very existence. Tarnishing her name is an unforgivable offense!”

 

“I see… then I’ll start my revenge by destroying everything she’d created!” Goddess Astra declared, raising a luminous hand.

 

“As if we’d just let you do that!” Komraad roared, surging forward. 

 

All the other Chosen Ones voiced their agreement, their resolve palpable.

 

Knowing the enemy they faced was on a completely different level, they didn’t hesitate to get serious. Without further ado, they all transformed into their awakened state in perfect unison.

 

After transforming, they charged the Goddess together. Komraad was the fastest, and he was about to land a devastating punch infused with Aura, but Goddess Astra effortlessly halted him by finally unleashing her magic. It was the most unique type of magic yet. She formed the shape of a star constellation in the thin air, waving her hands as though conducting a grand orchestra.

 

[Constellation Magic: Crux]

 

Using the four cardinal points of the Southern Cross, she created a stasis field of pure darkness, immobilizing Komraad mid-air. His punch failed to reach its target. She then sent the immobile Komraad flying far away with a casual flick of her finger.

 

Queen Allura immediately followed up, conjuring an enormous iceberg the size of an island and unleashing it directly above Goddess Astra.

 

The Goddess stopped the massive attack by casting another spell.

 

[Constellation Magic: Cancer]

 

Using the constellation of the crab, she instantly cut the iceberg into millions of tiny pieces, turning each fragment as small as a grain of sand, which harmlessly dispersed in the air.

 

The next attack was an unexpected team-up. Coney, Zayke, and Erica attacked in sync, with Iris boosting their power, Cyrene augmenting their defense, and Raya supporting them with her ultimate magic. It was a perfect display of synergy, and each of their coordinated strikes was powerful enough to one-shot any demon general, but Goddess Astra remained far out of their league.

 

[Constellation Magic: Leo]

 

Before their combined attacks could even land, Goddess Astra released a soundless roar. The ensuing sonic wave sent the trio reeling backward, nearly causing them to pass out from the pressure alone. She then followed up with another spell.

 

[Constellation Magic: Aquarius]

 

She encased Iris, Raya, and Cyrene in an enormous sphere of dark, muddy water, instantly dispelling their support magic and beginning to drown them in the process.

 

King Hervis was the last to attack. He coated his trusty ‘Sky Piercer’ with storm magic. the same attack that had previously one-shotted a demon general, and hurled it directly at Goddess Astra.

 

Unfortunately, she watched the attack approach without blinking.

 

[Constellation Magic: Taurus]

 

She hardened her body like a diamond, boosting her defensive capabilities to a cosmic scale, and caught the ‘Sky Piercer’ with her bare hands, even though it approached her at the speed of sound. She then threw the spear back at King Hervis, infused with a power a thousand times greater. King Hervis managed to catch it, but the force almost tore both his arms from their sockets, sending him crashing backward in a cloud of dust.

 

Even in their most powerful state, not one of them managed to land a single effective attack on the Goddess. Each was defeated with just one spell, making their vaunted position as Chosen Ones seem negligible.

 

Before they could recover and initiate another attack, Goddess Astra decided to put an end to their insolence. “Enough of these charades!” She declared, her voice booming.

 

[Constellation Magic: Libra]

 

Using the scales of justice, she sapped the powers of the Chosen Ones, forcing them to de-transform out of their awakened state. In moments, everyone was either unconscious or on the verge of losing consciousness.

 

The Goddess was simply beyond anyone’s reach. If the Chosen Ones, revered as the strongest mortals in the world, didn’t stand a chance against her, then who possibly could?

 

All I could do was watch our allies fall one by one. I knew from the start that fighting was impossible and escaping was the only option, but none of them had listened to my warning, and now we were paying the price.

 

I knew my actions wouldn’t make a difference to her power, but if I didn’t intervene now, every single one of us would perish at her hand, including my daughters. So, without a second thought, I finally decided to step in to save everyone, even if it meant sacrificing myself.

 

Before putting my plan into motion, I turned to my daughters.

 

“Girls, I’ll stay here and face the Goddess alone so I can buy all of you enough time to escape. Once I’ve got her full attention, I want you to take everyone with you and get away from here as fast as you can. Am I clear?” I instructed, my voice unwavering but grave.

 

“N-no, Mom! There’s no way we’ll leave you here! We’re going to escape together!” Fae disagreed immediately, tears already welling up in her eyes.

 

“She’s right, Mom. We just got you back. We’re not losing you again!” Astrid added, shaking her head vehemently.

 

“There’s no time, girls. I know it’s a selfish request, but I need you to cooperate with me,” I insisted, placing my hands on their shoulders.

 

“B-but if you stay, you’ll lose your life. I don’t think we can go through that again,” Fae pleaded, her voice cracking with sorrow.

 

“I don’t want to either, but this is the only way I can save all of you,” I answered, keeping my gaze steady.

 

“W-what if you don’t come back this time? What if this is already your last life?” Astrid asked, voicing the fear that gripped us all.

 

“I don’t know how this body of mine works, either. My only proof right now is my instinct and gut feeling, but I need you girls to put your trust in me. Even if it’s impossible and heaven itself forbids it, I’ll do whatever it takes to come back to your side no matter what,” I promised, my eyes shining with absolute determination and hope.

 

Rein, who was rapidly dismantling the barrier, paused her work long enough to respond. “Mom, do what you must. I trust you completely. Don’t take too long to come back, okay?”

 

“I won’t. I promise.”

 

After a moment of solemn contemplation, Fae and Astrid finally agreed to my difficult demand. We said our temporary goodbyes in a tight, desperate group hug.

 

“I’ll see you girls later,” I said for the final time before turning and flying toward the enemy.

 

I noticed the Goddess was about to finish everyone off with one last spell, so I flew toward her as fast as I could to interrupt her concentration.

 

[Constellation Magic: Sagittarius]

 

She conjured millions of arrows made of searing cosmic light and directed them toward our allies, who were unable to fight back or defend themselves.

 

Thankfully, I arrived just in time, creating millions of small dark energy beams to counter her attack. My counter-spell was a success, but the effort nearly drained all my mana, while the Goddess seemed barely affected by her fight with the Chosen Ones.

 

“Tsk, why do insects keep getting in my way? Who is it this time?” Goddess Astra spat out, irritation lacing her voice.

 

“We’ve already met, but I guess I was too small for you to notice. I’ll make sure you never forget about me after this,” I announced confidently.

 

“A nobody like you will never amount to anything,” Goddess Astra sneered. She started waving her hand in the air, forming the shape of constellations to prepare a new spell to attack me with, but her hands suddenly froze due to a cramp. “Wait, what?” She asked in confusion, flexing her fingers.

 

“Pfft, who knew a Goddess could get cramps,” I laughed sarcastically, seizing the moment.

 

“W-what is happening?” She demanded.

 

“Let’s just say… you’re the biggest threat I have ever encountered so far. Expect the biggest strokes of bad luck to come your way,” I hinted.

 

While she was distracted and baffled by her sudden ailment, I used the opportunity to finally land a hit on her for the first time.

 

I had developed a new and powerful spell during my stay with Zayke over the past couple of months, combining my human and cat form. The idea sparked when I first witnessed the awakened state of a Chosen One, specifically Komraad, and I used it as inspiration to create my own original spell.

 

[Cat Magic: Fur-midable Feline Cat-tastrophic Transformation]

 

I’m still workshopping the name, so don’t judge me.

 

After chanting the name of my spell, cat features made of dark energy sprouted from my body: dark cat ears, a flowing tail, razor-sharp paws, and my eyes glowed, transforming into the fierce slits of a predator. This transformation boosted my strength, agility, and heightened my senses to an absurd degree. I had been saving this spell for an emergency just like this, and it was finally time to put it to the test.

 

Goddess Astra finally recovered from her cramps, but before she could cast a spell, I interrupted her by landing a fast and powerful punch filled with my magic. It was a success. I had managed to do what the Chosen Ones could not: land an attack on the Goddess. I followed up with a volley of punches and kicks, each strike carrying the power to disintegrate an entire mountain in seconds. I even used the cat tail I conjured to wrap it around her waist and slammed her repeatedly against the ground and air.

 

My power of bad luck was also proving helpful. A random, heavily favorable event seemed to occur every time she was close to finishing a spell, like her arm getting caught on random tree branches, her dress snagging on debris, slipping on pebbles, things randomly falling at her, or thunder and random flying creatures attacking her out of nowhere.

 

I kept pushing her back, giving her no space to counter-attack.

 

The Goddess couldn't keep up with my speed, and every single one of my attacks landed, thanks to my passive powers of bad luck. However, even without casting a defensive spell, she was simply too durable for me to deal any significant damage.

 

I knew I would eventually run out of mana before I could inflict any noticeable harm. At this point, my objective was purely to buy enough time for everyone to escape.

 

It started great, but my attacks steadily grew weaker as my mana depleted with every passing second I fought.

 

I had done everything I could, but it didn’t take long before the Goddess finally adjusted to my speed and power. Even my powers of bad luck weren't tipping the scales anymore. She finally recovered from my flurry of attacks and cast a spell, turning the tides of the fight decisively in her favor.

 

“You came out of nowhere, but you were the only one who managed to push me this far. I admit, I am surprised, but this insolence ends here! I won’t allow a nobody like you to ruin my long-overdue revenge!” She declared, her fury reigniting with cosmic intensity.

 

This time, I was the one being pushed back, and all I could do was desperately dodge her overwhelmingly powerful attacks. If even one of her spells hit me, it would be instantly over.

 

It hadn't been five minutes since we started fighting, but I was already nearing my limit. I could feel my transformation weakening, threatening to revert me back to my puny little cat form any moment, but I struggled to hold on.

 

Fortunately, just before I ran out of mana, Rein managed to dispel the enormous barrier that had trapped them, and Astrid gathered all our allies into one spot.

 

With everyone together, Rein quickly cast a spell, encasing them all in an enormous bubble that floated swiftly away. Seeing them finally escaping brought a profound sense of peace. It made me happy knowing they were safe, but that joy was instantly replaced by terror when I saw the Goddess notice their retreat.

 

“Who gave any of you permission to leave?!? You shall perish here at once!” She shrieked in mounting fury.

 

[Constellation Magic: Ursa Major]

 

She released an enormous, blindingly powerful beam of cosmic energy directed toward the escaping bubble with the sole purpose of annihilation.

 

Without hesitation, I flew directly in front of everyone to block the Goddess’s spell. The girls noticed my sudden presence and screamed in worry. “Mom!”

 

“Don’t worry, girls. As long as I’m standing, no harm shall fall before you,” I promised with a final, reassuring smile, bracing myself against the cosmic beam.

 

I gathered all my remaining mana and countered her attack with my single most powerful spell.

 

[Ultimate Magic: Crashing A-Paw-Calypse]

 

Using the last of my power, I conjured an enormous cat paw made of dark energy and used it to shield everyone from the devastating cosmic energy beam the Goddess had released. Unfortunately, even my strongest spell wasn't enough to completely stop the attack.

 

I was trying my absolute best to hold on, but I was already past my limit, and my ultimate magic threatened to shatter at any second. “N-no, this… this can’t be the end!” I cried out.

 

Everyone important to me was about to perish, including myself, when something I never could have imagined happened.

 

[Forbidden Cursed Technique: Sorrowful Departure]

 

In less than a second, everyone behind me was suddenly engulfed in a dark mist and vanished without a trace.

 

I immediately knew who was behind it. The scene was a memory deeply etched in my mind. It was the same ability Saro had used years ago to separate me from my family.

 

Of course, I was utterly confused as to why she would do this. She was our enemy, after all. But I noticed there wasn't any ominous or malicious intent behind her action.

 

I instantly spotted her presence nearby, and when I looked, I saw her body slowly disintegrating into ashes. She had sacrificed herself, using all her remaining life force to save everyone by teleporting them to a safe place.

 

Our eyes met, but this time, not as enemies

 

“Without the Demon King, I don’t have any purpose left. I know you hate me for everything I did to your family, so let’s just say this is my atonement for that. Now we’re even,” she stated, her voice quiet, before she completely dissolved into ash.

 

Just like that, the demon I hated the most was gone forever. I used to blame and despise her, but after witnessing how she and all her demon companions were betrayed by their own boss, Claudia, all I could feel toward them in the end was pity.

 

All my hatred toward her finally vanished, replaced only by gratitude for what she had done. Now that everyone important to me had escaped to a safer place, I finally accepted my fate at the hands of the Goddess.

 

My ultimate magic shattered after completely depleting all my mana, and the beam of cosmic energy disintegrated my entire body until nothing was left.

 

It was a catastrophic farewell, and the enemy ended up winning this particular war, but the fight was far from over yet.

 

Goddess Astra believed she had completely annihilated all of us, but unbeknownst to her, I was the only one who had perished. Everyone else survived due to Saro’s intervention. Moments after ending my life, she decided to return inside the obsidian fortress to replenish her strength. Even with the status of a Goddess, fighting us back-to-back had clearly taken a toll.

 

She was about to go inside when she suddenly felt a familiar presence. She stopped dead and spun around to check, but no one else was around. Weird… I just felt the presence of the Witch of Creation for a moment. It must have been my imagination, she thought, dismissing the feeling.

 

She continued toward the fortress. Upon arriving, she was greeted by Claudia, who had been waiting for her arrival at the island all this time. “Welcome back, Goddess Astra. I have prepared a room for you to rest. Please follow me,” Claudia said respectfully, now in her youngest, most vibrant clone body.

 

The Goddess was smart enough to realize that Claudia had an ulterior motive for all this assistance. “What is it that you want from me, human?” She demanded.

 

Claudia didn’t even hesitate to answer. “Well, since you’ve asked. As someone who had freed you from your thousand years of imprisonment, do I not get any compensation? Like perhaps, a wish?” She asked, her tone sweet but carrying a demanding edge.

 

“Tsk, you greedy humans never change, do you? As much as I want your annoying presence gone, I cannot grant you a wish… not yet, at least,” Goddess Astra hinted.

 

“Why not? You’re a Goddess, a cosmic being of pure power. How could you not grant a single, measly wish?” Claudia snapped, annoyed.

 

“Silence!” With a swift wave of her hand, Goddess Astra forcefully made Claudia kneel in front of her, using an unseen cosmic force. Claudia couldn’t move a single muscle.

 

“Listen to me, insect. Granting a wish means rewriting reality itself. It is something your tiny brain couldn’t even begin to comprehend. If you want your wish granted, then prove yourself useful to me. Go and collect me a huge amount of energy all over the world, for I will be needing it soon enough. While you do that, I will stay holed up inside this fortress to replenish my strength, and I will focus on finding the whereabouts of that wretched Witch of Creation. I need to extract a very crucial information out of her before I exact my revenge. After all, she’s the only one who knows the exact location of my long-lost beloved sister.”

 

“W-Witch of Creation? Wouldn’t she be dead by now?” Claudia asked curiously, intrigued by the mention of the ancient figure.

 

“That witch couldn’t die even if she wanted to. I made sure of it,” Goddess Astra claimed with absolute confidence.

 

With no other choice left, Claudia agreed to the Goddess’s demands, even though it was against her will, just to achieve the wish she’d been longing for her whole life. “Fine then. Until I get my wish, I am at your command.”

 

Without any more delay, the two proceeded with their plan.

 

While that was happening, I finally regained consciousness. Unlike when I first died in the Vermine Kingdom, where I had no recollection prior to my death, I immediately remembered everything that happened before my life was extinguished by the Goddess this time.

 

When I first came to this world, I had no memory of who I was before. I only regained the memory of my past life after I was killed by the demon possessing Prince Zion. That time, I found myself living a false life with the memory of my daughter, Ella, but I managed to snap out of it after I remembered my adventures with Komraad and the girls. That's when I learned that I'm capable of getting back to life by entering a mysterious numbered door.

 

This time, there was no mysterious door in sight. Instead of a memory of my human life back on Earth, I found myself in the middle of a surreal, unfamiliar landscape. I was confused because I didn’t recall encountering such scenery before. I then realized that this might not be my memory at all, but someone else's.

 

“W-where am I? What is this place?” I wondered aloud.

 

My confusion was immediately answered when, suddenly, a sleek black cat materialized in front of me and responded to my question. “You are currently seeing a certain memory of mine,” the black cat said in a soft, feminine voice.

 

I was startled to see another cat beside me, and even more surprised when it spoke. “Y-your memory? Wait, who are you?” I stammered, wide-eyed.

 

“My name is Enyma, and I am the Witch of Creation,” she responded, her voice ancient and calm.

 

“Wi-Wi-Witchhhh of Creationnn???” I said, the shock rendering me speechless.

 

“Yes, and I’m about to show you the entire truth of what happened one thousand years ago.”

 

“E-Eeeeehhhhhh???”

 

Everything was happening so fast and so suddenly that I didn’t have time to process it, but one thing was certain: my instinct was telling me she was telling the truth.

 

I was still confused, but I knew this was a very rare opportunity that I couldn't pass up. As I was now, I wouldn’t stand any chance against the Goddess, even if I came back to life once again. Learning the past might hold the key to defeating her. As long as she exists, she will keep threatening the future of my family and friends, and as long as I’m here, I will never allow that to happen.

 

Just like that, I found myself in yet another unexpected adventure.

 

I’m sorry, girls, but Mama will be away for a while.