When I laid eyes on Elif, I first wanted to grab him by the neck and violently strangle him, even if I knew it was merely a piece of his soul and not the real deal; seeing him struggle would slightly ease my anger. However, I held myself back as whatever happened to my lover's soul, he had something to do with it, and if I destroyed this soul, It would take a very long time to figure out how to reverse the effects.
"It's been roughly four years, give or take a few months, since the day you managed to escape from my grasp. I'm honestly shocked someone as talentless as you managed to become a Divine, though when I think about it, it's not surprising; you have that System artifact, after all." Remarked Elif with a carefree demeanor as he stood up from his ethereal throne, which vanished, and approached Comet.
"Tch. Because of our battle, my system was forced into hibernation and was inaccessible, so I was forced to become a Divine through my own efforts." Stated Comet angrily as he folded his arms while eyeing the approaching Elif.
"Wow, now that's something to be shocked about; to think you survived the Heavenly Tribulation all on your own; you've actually managed to impress me." Replied Elif while circling Comet in an amused tone.
Seeing how carefree he was acting even after everything he did made it hard for me to keep my calm, and in a fit of rage, I blasted him with a dense wave of my Qi, which forced him to collide with the wall of the cave, causing the entire area to tremble before he eventually managed to exit from the small hole his frame made, yet even so I couldn't stop myself from clicking my tongue.
'This is just a piece of his soul, yet he is still this powerful?' Thought Comet while frowning as he had used a good chunk of his Qi, yet Elif appeared mostly unharmed when he landed on the ground.
"Well, would you look at that? It seems like you've improved your cultivation and strength, though it doesn't look like you've matured much since the last time I've seen you." Stated Elif calmly as he dusted off his ethereal clothes and once again approached Comet, though he just stood before him this time.
"I've had enough of this nonsense, Elif; tell what you did with my women, or I'll destroy this soul!" Declared Comet angrily as he violently slammed his foot on the ground and looked down at the eight-year-old Elif, who was not the least bit intimidated.
"Not only has your strength grown, but it also seems your arrogance has as well; what makes you think a Prince, such as I, would ever listen to your measly words? Besides, this is just a small piece of my soul; destroying it would amount to nothing except giving me a painful headache for a few days." Said Elif with a prideful expression as he fearlessly stared at Comet, much to his anger.
"However, you don't need to worry; the whole reason why I even left my soul here was so I could inform you of what I did." Added Elif with a smirk as he summoned an ethereal quạt tay and fanned himself while his expression returned to normal.
"Tell me, what did you do to them!? Why don't they remember me!? What did you do to Kala's memories!?" Exclaimed Comet in anger and slight sadness while looking at Elif, who smiled in response.
"Oh, if that's what you want to know, I can tell you. You see, what I did was quite simple; I replicated their memories and stored their true memories in a fragile blank space that I created in their soul; nothing crazy, but it was very time-consuming especially the blank space." Replied Elif with an annoyed sigh.
"Next, with the help of an artifact I stole from one of the sects in this realm, along with a talisman I happened to have lying in my dimension ring, I manipulated their true memories, such as changing your appearance with a random young man. Essentially, making you a complete stranger to them." Added Elif with a nod.
"Tell me, how do I fix them?" Asked Comet calmly, yet the feral expression would say otherwise.
"Hmm, why should I tell you that? This is what you get for escaping from my grasp." Remarked Elif with a mischievous smirk while glancing at Comet, who was trying his best to contain his rage.
"I thought you were too prideful to do something as cowardly as that; it seems like I was wrong about you, Elif! You're no different from every other Prince and Young Master I've encountered! Each of you thinks that just because you were born into a powerful organization, everyone else is beneath you, and they are nothing but insects to use as you please!" Exclaimed Comet in righteous anger as he pointed at Elif while killing intent laced his every word.
"First off, Comet, don't ever put me in the same category as anyone else; I'm nothing like those pathetic beings. I don't think that just because I was born into an Immortal Hegemony, everyone is inferior to me; everyone is inferior to me simply because I'm Elif August. Do not make that mistake again." Replied Elif with hostility while a frown adorned his face.
"Tch, whatever, all I want to know is how do I fix what you've done to my women!" Said Comet angrily.
"Hmph, reverting what I've done is relatively easy, at least for you; no one in this tiny realm would be capable of doing it. All you must do is destroy this soul, and everything I did will be reverted to normal." Said Elif as he folded his arms and eyed Comet.
When I heard what he said, I didn't bother waiting for him to continue speaking; with a swift motion, I tightly grabbed him by the neck and lifted him in the air, and was about to destroy him, yet, when I looked at his face, I saw him smiling. It was a smile that both angered and worried me; after those four hundred years of being fooled many times, I've become quite proficient in detecting lies, and that expression reeked of falsehood.
"You! What aren't you telling me!?" Questioned Comet through gritted teeth while squeezing Elif's neck.
"I don't mind informing you, but it's somewhat difficult to speak with when you're squeezing my neck." Said Elif with difficulty, all while smiling at Comet.
I reluctantly released Elif with an angry grunt, causing him to land on the ground while rubbing his neck before he looked at me.
"Like I was saying before, I was rudely interrupted; in order to revert the changes to your women, all you must do is destroy me. However, you're too late; the changes are now permanent, and it's all your fault, Comet." Remarked Elif with a slight smirk.
What he said caused a foreboding feeling to arise within me; I didn't want to believe what he said was true. However, deep within myself, some of me trusted his words, but I still hoped I was wrong. Clutching my rapidly beating heart, I looked at him with a hardened gaze while doing my best to keep calm, something very difficult to do while looking at his smirking face.
"W-What do you mean the changes are permanent!?" Exclaimed Comet hesitantly while looking at Elif.
"Their true memories have been destroyed, and the fake ones have become their true memories; it's all because you stepped into that blank area in their soul. That area wasn't made fragile for no reason; the moment something too powerful entered it, like your soul, for example, it would cause the area, along with what's hidden in there, to collapse the instant you exited the blank area. So essentially, if you had never entered that blank area, you'd still be able to retrieve their true memories; however, it's impossible now; they've been destroyed for quite some time." Declared Elif calmly with a smile while watching Comet's expression worsen with each passing second.
"N-No! You're lying! Y-You've got to be lying! I thought you were too prideful to do something like that! Besides, I had already scanned every inch of that blank area and found absolutely nothing." Said Comet while trying his best to suppress the despair that was slowly creeping into his heart.
"Haha, you're right about that; I would never do such a thing as pathetic as that, but from my perspective, I merely extended their life. Having already scanned their souls, I know they would be willing to do anything for you, even go against me and my Empire, yet while that is admirable, it is also foolish as it'll result in a quick death. So by manipulating their memories, I have effectively extended their life, so if anything, you should be thanking me." Said Elif with a large smile while standing mere inches away from Comet.
Hearing his words, I felt like my world was about to collapse; besides my desire for revenge, the only thing that kept me afloat was the wish to see my lovers.
"Well, I suppose I wasn't able to extend that Phoenix's life; however, she should be fine; she is a Phoenix, after all." Added Elif with a slight frown, though his words managed to save Comet from almost mentally collapsing.
'T-That's right! Spica left this realm shortly after me!' Thought Comet as he regained his fading will.
Looking Elif in the eyes, I stopped holding back and stabbed both of my hands directly inside his stomach before violently ripping him in half, which did manage to ease my frustration greatly.
"Hehe; this isn't over Comet; just know, the moment you step into the OverRealm, you're in my territory." Said Elif with a smirk as the two pieces of his soul began fading until they dissipated into thin air.
"It doesn't matter whose territory I am in; I'll find Spica and get my revenge by killing you! I swear on my Dao Heart!" Stated Comet with determined eyes, causing a slumbering intent within himself, which awakened during his four-hundred-year journey, to tremble.
___Created a discord server, so if anyone wishes to join, [https://discord.gg/TGc9yymDJP]______Elven Legacy (Chapter 237: The Elf That Puts Incubi To Shame) || Hero of Harmony (Chapter 119: Mimosa Restaurant) || One Piece: Chaos Kong (Chapter 203: Freyja, Winner Of The Most Beautiful Woman In The World Beauty Pageant!)|| Marvel's Black Steel (Chapter 152: Help Arrives; Carol Danvers) at [patreon.com/Ozonelayer691]