Sol was amused. It was always him making choices in the past. Always being tested, evaluated, analyzed, and put in difficult situations for the amusement of people more powerful than him.
Now though — He was the one setting the pace and establishing the rules. Even when facing someone as dangerous as Echidna. Though she was nothing but a shadow of her past self.
“Like I said you have two choices.”
His voice intonated quietly.
"First one is to die peacefully. This is my way of showing respect to someone once renowned. Obviously, there is no need to try and threaten me with Nuwa. Not only would it make me lose the little respect I have for you, but I can also assure you, I have a way to end you at any moment."
Echidna's narrowed slightly. She had to admit she did want to do what he said. After all, she was in Nuwa’s body. Logically speaking, there was no way for Sol to actually hurt her directly without hurting Nuwa.
But if there was one thing Echidna knew as a Blessed, it was that words such as ‘Logic’ and ‘Possibility’ lost all meanings when addressed to Blessed. They had the uncanny ability to always reject such things at the worst moments.
‘He might also be bluffing.’
There was no way to know this and everything depended on her if she wished to try betting.
"What about the second choice?"
Her pride hurt slightly when she saw the smirk on his face at her answer. It was the kind of smile people made when everything was working as they intended. A very irksome smile.
‘This reminds me of the goddesses.’
She sighed and could only grit her teeth as she listened to her condition.
"Become Nuwa's slave and servant. An inner voice guiding a young fighter while sharing knowledge. This is somehow very nostalgic. So I will give you this chance. Think carefully."
He grinned as a throne made out of ice appeared behind him for him to sit on.
"Life or servitude. This is not much of a choice is it."
"This is still more choices than you ever made in your mad quest for power and evolution don’t you think so? I could have simply forced you to accept any outcome I wished for. But I gave you a choice. How magnanimous of me, don't you think so?"
Sol leaned back on the chair, his chin on his hand as he observed with an amused twinkle in the eyes.
The outcome of the choices seemingly did not matter to him. All he wished was to see what decisions Echidna would take. After all, whatever choices she made, his was already made.
"You are very different from your father."
The man she remembered was a very upright man who had lofty goals and clear ideals.
"Once again, I have heard this sentence so much, it's quite boring. Though now, I take being different from my father more as a compliment than anything else."
Chains of ice appeared out of nowhere and imprisoned her. Blocking her hands and feet and lifting her in the air.
"Now amuse me and share your choice. I have a war to finish."
Echidna looked at her stretched form and her underwear showing up with her legs spread apart and grinned,
“It seems like the prince is really a pervert.”
Sol was unperturbed, “A prince of Lustburg being lustful is hardly something strange and if I do anything to this body, it will be when Nuwa is in command.”
He sighed, “You are stalling for time, trying to find a solution to something you have no hope of escaping from. I guess it’s time for me to show you that I am not bluffing.”
She was brought forward toward him until there was basically no distance between them. Then, nonchalantly, he pressed a finger against her stomach.
“Wha– !!!!”
She asked but soon, a scream nearly burst out of her.
Her eyes bulged out and became bloodshot as she trashed but was unable to move.
Echidna was used to pain. In her long existence, she had to face pain many times and used herself as an experiment subject many times as well.
Pain was her friend and constant companion.
But what she was feeling now was something like nothing before.
This wasn't just a mere pain that could be felt at the physical level but something more Insidious and devastating, making her feel like her entire existence was being partially erased.
It was only after Sol took away his finger that peace came back to her mind.
She breathed in and out, her face covered in sweat as she looked at Sol with defiance.
"Do you think Torture can make you kneel?"
She hissed with vehemence but his answer was unperturbed.
"No I do not."
Echidna felt like she was missing a beat with how easily he accepted.
"I have met Ambrosia and Anubis. I believe that for people like you, even the worst torture would not make you kneel. But my goal isn't so. I only wanted to make you understand the reality of your situation."
His finger approached her again, causing her to flinch slightly but even as he touched her, no pain came to her.
“I can make you feel pain like nothing before without impacting Nuwa in the slightest. I can erase you with a snap of my finger, literally at any moment.”
"You …"
Sol ignored as he stood up from his throne and the chain binding her vanished.
"Well, I believe I have played enough with you."
She looked bewildered as his form started to fade.
"I stopped time temporarily in my dimension to play around with you. Which is quite tiring I have to admit. Still too much for my current self."
By then, there was nothing but a faint image remaining of him.
"I will let you go back to your fight. Whatever you do, I will not intervene. But remember this Echidna. I can come anytime, anywhere. This is a warning. Take a step beyond the line and you will die immediately with no hope of even reincarnating."
His blurry voice vanished in the wind as the dimensions.
Now alone — Looking at the Zone of Bai Hu, Echidna was feeling like everything that happened prior was just a dream.
But, bringing her hands towards her stomach, remembering the flash of pain that seemed like it would destroy her soul, Echidna sighed and laughed helplessly.
'What a monster.'
Truly, she felt like she had faced a monster of the age.
She had never felt so helpless in her entire life.
Sol Dragona Luxuria.
At first, she thought that he was nothing but a child imprisoned in a Golden cage who still had much to learn.
She didn't know what kind of adventure he may have had in the Astral realm but clearly, the boy of yesteryear was no more.
'Seems like I will have to change my plans.'
She closed her eyes as she felt around her stomach and her smile became even more bitter when she found what she was searching for in her soul.
In the first place did he even try to hide it?
"A bomb."
— More precisely the equivalent of a bomb.
Truly, one thought from him would be all that was needed to end her.
It seemed like this was checkmate for her.
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