Deviant: No Longer Human

Aura let out a low, resonant growl, its breath misting in the chilled air, acknowledging Aurora\'s approval without needing words.

The path it had left, a deliberate trail leading to the portal.

Aurora turned her attention back to the portal, wondering its eerie suspension in the air like a dimensional fracture.

"Even if we wanted to hide it, the truth is, such a thing refuses to be hidden," she whispered aloud. "It\'s not just a crack in our world but in all understanding. People will come seeking it, no matter the dangers."

She paused, her eyes narrowing slightly. "And yet, now that the nation has become this wasteland, perhaps it will deter the casual seeker. This desolation... it serves as a guardian in its own right."

Aura shifted its massive form, the ice beneath its claws creaking slightly.

The dragon\'s intelligent eyes seemed to follow her train of thought, adding a silent agreement to her observations.

"Project Transcendence is another matter," Aurora continued, a hint of disdain coloring her tone. "Its interruption may well be a blessing. To think they aimed to weave the fabric of the gods into human affairs was a sin."

The dragon snorted, sending a small whirl of snow spiraling up into the air.

"Indeed, it\'s ended, and let\'s hope, never to be resumed," she declared firmly, her voice echoing slightly against the vast, icy expanses. "The arrogance of thinking we could control such power... it\'s as if they never understood the essence of transcendence at all."

"And you understood it...?"

The sudden, ethereal voice made Aurora\'s expression tighten, her brows knitting together in mild annoyance.

"Why do you have to always interrupt my main character arc?" she grumbled under her breath, her voice a blend of irritation and resignation.

"I should ask the same of you," the voice retorted, clear and unforgiving. "Why did you need to do all of this? Destroy a whole nation, interfere in human affairs so unnaturally, cause mass conflicts, aid one side in a war that wasn\'t yours to influence, and ultimately cause the death of more than a billion people, all within the span of thirty days?"

From the mist, the sound of wooden sandals cracking against the ice punctuated each accusation.

Slender, white legs appeared first, slicing through the fog like a ghost emerging from another world.

Then, Yuriko revealed herself fully, her presence as commanding as the icy winds around them.

Aurora turned to face her, her expression composed yet cold. "Yuriko, you of all should understand the necessity of what was done. The portal, the Aether—these are not mere myth. They are powers that could redefine existence."

Yuriko stepped closer, her gaze sharp and searching. "Redefine, or ruin? There\'s a fine line, Aurora."

Aurora met her gaze unflinchingly. "Sometimes, to safeguard the future, one must reshape the present, even if it means wielding powers that are almost beyond our comprehension."

Yuriko\'s eyes narrowed slightly, assessing. "And what of the aftermath? The lives lost, the chaos sown?"

"The world is no stranger to chaos," Aurora replied, her voice steady. "But it is also resilient, adaptive. It will heal, and in time, it will even grow stronger from what it has endured."

Yuriko sighed, the sound mingling with the soft whisper of the icy wind. "Perhaps. Or perhaps we\'ve only hastened our own end."

Aurora\'s expression shifted subtly as she listened to Yuriko\'s accusations, her lips forming a nonchalant pout. "We are not escaping this prison if we adhere slavishly to these rules. You may choose to rot here, but I refuse. I aim to confront those who cast us into this forsaken place and see the paradise they\'ve crafted for themselves," she declared, her voice imbued with a fierce determination.

"Being prisoners doesn\'t mean we must resign ourselves to perpetual captivity," she continued, her tone impassioned. "They\'ve drained our entire dimension, Yuriko. There\'s nothing left for them back here. They won\'t return to check on the remnants they left behind."

"We were doomed to isolation—until today."

Yuriko\'s expression darkened, her silence heavy as she pondered Aurora\'s words. After a moment, she asked, "What proof do you have of this?"

Aurora hesitated, her lips pressed tightly together as she searched for an answer.

Seeing Aurora\'s silence, Yuriko\'s voice grew stern. "On a mere whim, you\'ve upturned the entire world, encroached upon territories that were not yours to meddle with, and caused more destruction than Naomi ever did in her lifetime."

She stepped closer, her voice rising with emotion. "And yet here you stand, without a shred of guilt, shamelessly justifying your actions. Do you not think before you act? I thought you were wiser than this!"

If anything, Yuriko was more troubled by her struggle to understand her own kin than by her efforts to comprehend the wider world.

Aurora\'s lips parted hesitantly. She wanted to dismiss Yuriko\'s concerns with a, \'People die and people are born, no difference,\' but she sensed such a remark might only bruise the little woman\'s ego further.

Instead, she held back, a mischievous smile playing subtly at the corners of her mouth.

As for acting on a whim, she could merely shrug in response.

If Yuriko thought her actions were impulsive, she clearly hadn\'t met individuals like Wang Xiao, whose decisions were the epitome of spontaneity.

Noticing Aurora\'s self-satisfied grin, Yuriko frowned, irritation lining her features. "What are you thinking about now?"

Aurora shook her head, feigning annoyance, "Just waiting for my husband to come and rescue me, maybe knock out a few of your white teeth in the process."

"Hm?" Yuriko\'s eyebrows knitted together in confusion as she scanned their surroundings, finding no one else present.

Aurora sighed, her voice laced with a mix of sarcasm and sincerity. "Forget it, you wouldn\'t be able to see him."

"Why not?" Yuriko\'s frown deepened.

Glancing downward, Aurora sighed again and gave a slight kick into the air, as if trying to disperse her frustrations. "Because he exists only in my delusion."

Yuriko\'s eye narrowed, her eyelid twitching as she regarded Aurora with a bewildered and somewhat judgmental stare.

"Enough of your fantasies, come with me now." Yuriko\'s voice carried an undeniable command, resonating with a strange power that seemed to ripple through the air.

"Ugh..." Aurora recoiled slightly, a look of distaste crossing her face. "Don\'t use that weird ability of yours on me... I don\'t like how your voice feels."

Yuriko\'s eyes narrowed, her surprise evident at Aurora\'s unexpected compliance today, showing through her typically impassive demeanor.

As she turned to leave, Yuriko threw a glance over her shoulder, her voice sharp, "Athene, you too have things to answer for."

In the next moment, the ethereal surroundings seemed to respond to her call.

Thousands of swords materialized from the hazy mist, each blade gleaming with an otherworldly light.

Whooooosh!

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

The swords launched in a formidable wall, hurtling towards Yuriko with deadly intent.

Aurora, caught in the middle, felt a surge of twitch in her eyes. \'I am here, too idiot!\' she thought frantically, wanting to remind Athene of her presence in the line of fire.

"Θαλίρ," Yuriko whispered calmly, the strange word flowing from her lips with a serenity that contrasted sharply with the chaos around them.

Swoosh!

At her command, the swords halted mid-air, their forms beginning to disintegrate as if they were mere constructs of dust.

Within seconds, they crumbled completely, disappearing into the air like particles carried away by the wind.