Reincarnated as both God and The Devil

"Xanthus… is it really you?"

"...Hm?"

Viel felt a certain weight in his chest as soon as the silver-haired woman landed from the skies and in front of him. He already felt this earlier before when Noah mentioned that Xanthus had a child of his own, but it was only a single beat.

Now, his heart was drumming uncontrollably, as if it wanted to burst from his chest.

"K...kh!"

Viel once again found himself kneeling on the ground, with his breaths stuttering, almost thumping at the same time as his heart.

"Vi! W… what's happening to you!?"

Sofia gently grabbed Viel's shoulders as she controlled the lump of earth beneath them. It wriggled until it formed the shape of a chair in which Sofia quickly lay down Viel.

She then looked towards the woman that suddenly appeared in front of them. She has been repeating the same words over and over again, her steps growing closer to them as she whispered so.

Xanthus… Could this woman be related to…

...Wait. Silver hair.

"!!!"

The only one that Sofia could think of that fit this description was none other than the new Demon God herself, Cortana. Add that to the fact that the first thing that came out of her mouth was Demon God Xanthus' name.

Did she detect Xanthus inside of Viel? Then if so… was she here to finish the job and kill him again!?

Sofia gathered her mana, but once again, was unable to use it. Not because she was stopped or blocked by someone.

She stopped simply because…

...How can she even try to point her mana towards a woman that was showing the kind of expression that Cortana was showing right now?

Her stuttered breaths, her trembling jaw, her eyes that seemed to now know where to focus… and of course, her voice that longed for nothing else but the warmth of love.

If it was before, Sofia could not have possibly known what her emotions entailed. But now, she could see it clearly. She thought that Cortana was here to finish the job and kill Xanthus… But now she knows that their relationship is completely different from that of the history that this world tells.

Cortana wasn't here to harm Viel. And so, slowly, Sofia dispersed and released the mana from her hand as she checked Viel's condition.

"Vi, are you alright?"

"...Xanthus, Xanthus has woken up."

"!!!"

Sofia once again turned her head towards Cortana. There can be no denying it. The only reason for Xanthus' sudden awakening could be none other than Cortana.

"X… Xanthus?"

Once again, Xanthus' name echoed from Cortana's trembling lips as her feet brought her closer and closer to Viel. Although Sofia had already dispersed her mana, she still summoned a bubble shielding her and Viel.

She then stood in front of Viel, blocking him from Cortana's sight. Cortana, however, did not even seem to mind all of Sofia's actions as she just slowly raised her hand and gently placed it on Sofia's bubble.

"Xanthus… is that you?" She once again.

"The Demon God… what are you doing here?"

Noah, who was previously repairing the damages he and Viel had done to the surroundings, flew towards Viel and the group as soon as he sensed a familiar presence. And once again, he could not help but be shocked with the sudden appearance of the biggest piece of his Prophecy.

"You… should not be here, Cortana."

Noah's words were full of authority, however, it seemed to have fallen on deaf ears as their recipient did not even spare him as much as a glance. The only response he got was from Lyanna, who was curious as to who the silver-haired woman was.

Cortana remained in front of Sofia's bubble. And even with Sofia blocking Viel from her sights, her eyes still looked in his direction. Her face, not even containing a hint of the Demon God that started the second war that devastated the Western Continent once again.

There was only a woman.

"Sofi… It's alright."

Viel gently grabbed Sofia's shoulder and slightly pushed her to the side.

"Vi… Are you sure?"

"Hm…" Viel nodded, "Even if I am not, mister Xanthus is screaming in my head. I need to calm him down."

"...Okay. I'll be right behind you, okay?"

"Hm." Viel once again nodded as he stepped forward towards Cortana.

"X… Xanthus?"

"Sorry, but I'm not Xanthus," Viel shook his head.

"...N… No?" Cortana stuttered as a tear quickly fell from her eyes, instantly washing off the trail of blood that still lingered on her face. "...But I could hear him… I swear… I swear I heard him."

Cortana's eyes wandered everywhere, trying to find something that wasn't there.

"You did."

"!!!"

Viel placed his hand in front of Cortana, their hands separated only by the bubble that Sofia summoned.

"Mister Xanthus is right here."

[Form of the Beast]

As soon as Viel said that, his golden hair quickly turned darker. His shoulders started to bulge with the 2 horns protruding from each shoulder. The nails on his hand, which was right in front of Cortana's, became sharper and sharper.

"Mister Xanthus is right here," Viel once again repeated as he opened his eyes. And although his eyes still could not see, they were looking directly into Cortana's eyes.

"Xanth--"

"...Hello, my love."

Hearing Viel's words, Cortana could not help but let out a loud gasp.

"Xanthus!"

"!!!"

Sofia's eyes widened in surprise as the bubble she summoned broke into pieces, and the next thing she knew, Cortana was already hugging Viel.

Sofia wanted to pull them apart, but seeing Cortana's expression once again, she was not able to do so.

"Why!? Why did you leave me!?"

"I was so lonely!"

"Where were you!? I needed you!"

Cortana bawled her eyes out as her voice cracked in the air. Her embrace tightening by the second, not wanting to let go of Viel… of Xanthus even for a single second.

"We… we had a child, Xanthus. I… I held her in my arms."

"..."

"And… I lost her."