CHAPTER 39: THE TRUTH ABOUT NOCTIFELIS (2)

There were no questions asked, no trial—only slaughter. Her subjects were cut down without mercy.

Necrosia fought back, of course, but how could a single goddess hope to stand against the combined might of so many others? In the end, it was a massacre.

Countless lives were lost. Not a single worshiper of Necrosia was spared.

And Necrosia herself... though she survived, she was gravely wounded. In her final, desperate struggle, her most loyal divine servants bought her enough time to flee—into the dark and hostile land of Abyssia.

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And now, that left the Noctifelis.

One thousand and one of them, trembling and helpless before the divine legions of Heaven, who raised their blades to strike them down. The cats had done nothing, and yet they were to face execution simply for being hers!

However, watching from the sideline, Fauveline couldn’t stay silent no more.

She couldn’t protect Necrosia, but at least she must protect the little cats!

Thus, she threw herself between them and the other gods, standing before their swords, spears, and daggers. With tears in her eyes, she begged the other gods to spare the innocent creatures.

At first, the heavens refused.

But given how powerful and influential Fauveline was, in the end, the other gods relented. The Noctifelis would be spared.

However... mercy came with a price.

To ensure that such creatures would never become a threat, six gods joined their powers and cast a binding punishment upon them. Six terrible curses, woven together into a single brand, etched deep into their very souls. A curse that could never be broken, one they and their descendants would carry for all generations to come.

And that... was how the Noctifelis came to bear the Sixfold Sacred Suppression.

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"Mother has always blamed herself for not being able to help her best friend," Siamelumis said softly. "At the very least, she wished she could have talked some sense into her... prevented her from falling into the dark." Her voice trembled with sorrow as she spoke.

"But... no matter how many times she replayed it in her mind, she could never change the past. That helplessness has haunted her ever since."

And with that, the story came to an end.

Mimi had remained silent the entire time, listening closely. But now her body trembled—not from fear, but from rage. A storm of anger burned in her chest, roaring like fire at the injustice the gods had inflicted upon the poor Noctifelis.

At last, everything began to make sense.

The truth was undeniable: those cats were nothing more than innocent creatures, caught in the crossfire of a heavenly conflict far beyond their control.

The world... truly had been cruel to them.

Her shoulders slumped as she lowered her gaze and let out a heavy sigh.

"But... did Necrosia really do it? Did she betray Arventia?" Mimi finally asked.

"Well, we actually don’t know," Siamelumis replied. "One thing is certain: even when the other gods claimed there was overwhelming evidence, Mother never believed it. And neither do I. Lord Necrosia was one of the kindest, most gentle-hearted gods I have ever met. I cannot imagine her capable of such treachery."

"So it was just... a wrongful conviction?" Mimi pressed.

"That... honestly, I don’t know," Siamelumis admitted. "The records of that trial have long been sealed away, kept so secret that even I have no access to them. Mother tried searching for evidence herself, hoping to uncover the truth, but... she found nothing."

Her voice grew quieter as she hesitated.

"Unless..."

"Unless?"

"Unless we can find Lord Necrosia herself,"

A moment of silence passed...

Then realization dawned.

"Wait..." Mimi’s eyes widened. "Is that... why you needed my help?"

"Yes." Siamelumis gave a solemn nod. "You are, quite literally, our last hope. We thought... if we cannot find her ourselves, then maybe—just maybe—a Noctifelis can. After all, the bond between the cats and Lord Necrosia is unlike any other. It is carved into your very being."

"I-I see..." Mimi whispered faintly.

So that was it...

That was the reason they needed her.

Because they wanted to find the goddess!

But there was a problem. A normal Noctifelis could never do it. Weakened under the weight of that damned Sixfold Suppression Curse, they were among the frailest of beasts. There was no way an ordinary Noctifelis could even step foot into Abyssia.

No, what they needed was something different.

A special Noctifelis.

A strong one.

One capable of walking into that cursed land!

"Damn... this is tough..." Mimi muttered under her breath. A cold shiver crept up her spine, her tail fluffing in unease.

On one hand, her heart ached with the urge to help. She wanted to, she really did.

But on the other hand... this was madness. This was dangerous!

One wrong move, and she could die a terrible, agonizing death!

And to make things worse... the weight of it all pressed down on her tiny shoulders.

Such heavy responsibility—so much depending on someone as small as her.

It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair at all!

"Claire, I know this is too much to ask of you." Siamelumis said gently, cutting in. "For someone so small... so fragile... to stand with us in such a dangerous mission—it feels cruel of me to even speak of it. Please understand this: if you agree, we will do everything in our power to support you. We will not let you stand alone."

She paused, her tone softening even further, almost like a whisper.

"But if you wish to turn away, we will understand. We will not force you. Even then, we will still help you grow stronger—so that you may live a full and wonderful life. Consider it our way of atoning for dragging you into this world through reincarnation..."

Mimi lowered her gaze. Her ears drooped, frowned. She wanted to respond, yet her thoughts tangled into a storm. She still couldn’t give a solid answer.

Just then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Marshmallow. The little angelic cat was staring at her, her round eyes shimmering with worry.

"Master..." Marshmallow murmured.

"You want to help her?" Mimi asked quietly.

"Nn..." Marshmallow nodded, ears drooping. "But... I’m worried. If something bad happens to Master and I’m not there..."

Mimi’s heart ached. She reached her paws out and stroked Marshmallow’s fur gently

"Yeah... I know. Let’s think this through carefully, okay? We can’t rush something like this."

"Well, "You don’t need to answer us right away," Siamelumis reassured. "Please, take your time. When you have grown strong enough, you may choose—to accept, or to refuse. That choice will always be yours."

"Oh..." Mimi exhaled, feeling a small wave of relief wash over her.

But as she thought about it, she realized that either way—whether she accepted or not—one thing remained the same: she needed to become stronger. Stronger, so she could protect and support her beloved Master Emilia.

And along that path, she would have time—time to truly weigh the goddess’s request.

"Then... may I give you my answer later?" she asked at last.

"Of course." Siamelumis nodded with a gentle smile, her gaze warm and reassuring. "For now, let us focus on your growth first."