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Chapter 300: 300
Mahu stood, her voice losing its mocking edge. "The world is falling apart, Björn. We need answers, and you might have them. So let me be very clear: I will break you if I have to, but I will not let you die here. Not yet."
The cold light of her moon intensified, wrapping around Björn like chains, binding him to the ground. Björn, in his madness, roared as his muscles bulged and his height grew. The chains vibrated, struggling to hold him in place.
Mahu watched the struggle but knew she had to act Immediately. Extending her hand, she placed it on Björn’s head, invoking her divinity of motherhood.
Björn’s body stilled under Mahu’s touch, his raging divinity momentarily subdued by the ancient, comforting feeling that radiated from her. The cold light of her moon, once harsh and punishing, shifted into a maternal warmth. For Björn, who had known only chaos and war since his ascension, this feeling was alien, but in this moment, it felt undeniably right.
His muscles, which had been bulging and growing with unrelenting fury, began to relax. His eyes, which had burned with the fire of insanity, softened. The roar that had been echoing in his realm faded into a quiet, almost childlike whimper. Mahu, with her hand still resting on his head, exuded the essence of motherhood, an echo of the abyss that Björn had been severed from.
Mahu’s expression hardened even as her power soothed him. She wasn’t here to grant peace or respite, and Björn’s weakness wouldn’t last long.
"You’ve lost something, haven’t you?" Mahu whispered, her voice laced with both understanding and cruelty. "Something essential. You’ve become a shadow of what you once were."
Björn’s mouth opened slightly, but no words came out. His body remained bound by the cold chains of moonlight, yet his mind wandered into the abyss that Mahu now mirrored. For a moment, he was no longer the warlord consumed by madness but a demon longing for the only comfort he had ever known.
But Mahu had no intention of letting him stay in this state for long.
The shift was subtle at first. Her hand, which had gently cupped his head, began to tighten. The warmth that had been soothing and calming started to chill once more. Her divinity of motherhood twisted, taking on a harsher tone, as though the embrace of a loving mother had turned cold and distant.
Björn’s body tensed, his muscles contracting as he felt the change. The warmth was fading, replaced by the bitter cold of isolation. His red eyes showed panic at the loss, but that was exactly what Mahu wanted, so she kept pulling back slowly.
"No, no, no!" could be heard from Björn, though he was previously incapable of speech, screaming desperately for the motherly presence not to leave him.
Mahu decisively pulled away from Björn, and his eyes snapped back into focus. He looked around in confusion, then down at his chained body, with Mahu standing before him.
"What are you doing in my realm?" he asked, but Mahu shook her head in disappointment as the moon phantom behind her disappeared.
"You invited me in, don’t you remember?" Mahu replied. Björn looked momentarily lost before taking a deep look at Mahu and saying, "Thank you."
He stood up, the chains holding him dispersing. Björn remembered someone knocking at the door of his realm. He had been in a bad state at the time, and when he noticed it was one of the gods, he purposely let them in, hoping that whichever god it was could help him with his current situation.
Thinking of his predicament made Björn frown. Even at this moment, he could still feel his sanity being overwhelmed. He had known that dealing with Murmur would come with a price, but he had underestimated how far it would go.
When Yuki began reforming his people’s ways and religion, he already knew something was wrong. Her reformation was dismantling parts of himself that were left in his people, molding them into something more suitable for Murmur.
Each day that passed, Björn became more of an ornament and object of worship. His followers called his name, but they followed the ways of Murmur and his daughter.
The vast supply of faith was good for his personal strength and standing among the gods, but if it came at the cost of losing his mind and sense of self, that was something Björn did not want.
His eyes glowed red as he gazed down at the mortal world where his kingdom lay. A frown creased Björn’s face as he felt repulsed by the sight—it appeared far too orderly for his liking.
A werehuman had caught his attention back when he didn’t have much faith energy. It was the deputy of Finn, the were-lion. This deputy intrigued him because he understood Björn’s ways and followed well in the path of his teachings.
Björn had wanted to take things slowly, but Murmur wasn’t giving him that option. He would have to act fast and get this deputy on his side before losing all his people.
"Quite rude of you to ignore your visitor," a voice cut through Björn’s thoughts.
Björn turned to Mahu and flashed her a smile. His armor was immediately replaced by a red robe depicting his religion’s mark. "What can I offer you?" he asked as he glanced around his realm, searching for something to entertain a guest, but he found nothing—only a realm filled with blood and war.
Mahu’s lips curved into a sly smile as she watched Björn shift back to his calculated self. His sudden shift from madness to measured control intrigued her, but she wasn’t fooled. Beneath that crimson robe, she could still sense the fractures in his mind. Murmur’s influence was deeply rooted, and Björn was teetering on the edge of losing everything.
She took a slow step forward, her eyes scanning the barren, war-torn realm that surrounded them. Blood-streaked battlefields stretched endlessly in all directions, punctuated only by the lingering cries of fallen warriors. It was a kingdom built on chaos, destruction, and unchecked power—an empire that reflected Björn himself.
"Your hospitality leaves much to be desired," Mahu quipped, her tone light but her gaze sharp. "But I didn’t come here for comfort."
Björn chuckled, though there was no warmth in it. He waved a hand dismissively at the carnage around them. "My realm is as it has always been. War, bloodshed—this is where I thrive. But if you seek something more... soothing, you’ll find no such luxury here." His eyes flickered for a moment before continuing, "I gave that up the moment I embraced my divinity."
Mahu crossed her arms, her gaze narrowing as she fixed her attention on Björn’s red eyes. "That’s precisely the problem, isn’t it? You’ve let yourself become a mere reflection of what your followers think you should be. And now, with Murmur twisting your people’s faith, you’re losing whatever remained of your true self."
Björn’s expression darkened, the bitterness now fully etched into his features. He knew Mahu was right—he was spiraling toward a fate he couldn’t control.
But the power he’d gained through Murmur’s influence was intoxicating, and tearing away from it would mean relinquishing the strength that had defined him for so long.
"I didn’t invite you here to lecture me," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "I invited you because I needed help."
Mahu’s eyes gleamed with amusement as she took another step closer, her presence and height looming over him despite his formidable stature. "Your current state shows that I have helped enough."
Björn smacked his lips as he walked to his throne. "Indeed you did, so what do you want in return?"
"Don’t you hear the whispers?" Mahu asked, looking at Björn.
Björn closed his eyes for a moment as a smirk appeared at the edge of his lips. "Ah, the problem that comes with Origin gods. I seem to have forgotten that."
Mahu, unfazed by his smirk, said, "I believe their goal clashes with yours, and if they succeed, you will lose sight of your own."
That wiped the smirk off Björn’s face. "What makes you think I still hold onto my original goal and haven’t yet accepted this new world and position?"
Now it was Mahu’s turn to smirk. "Need I remind you what happened a few moments ago? You still long for the embrace of the abyss, so your goal is clear. Even if your goal has changed, it won’t change the fact that you’ll have to protect this world as it holds your interest and share in it."
"I don’t like you," Björn said bluntly. Mahu laughed. "Oh Björn, you have no idea how much it would please me to wring your neck."
The air grew heavy following Mahu’s words but was broken by Björn’s sigh. "What exactly do you think I can help with?"
"Your extensive knowledge—what can you tell us about the Upside Down and how to stop the hole from expanding?" Mahu asked as a huge wine barrel appeared in her hand, which she threw at Björn. He caught it effortlessly.
