Bro, I'm not an Undead!

Skullius wasn't sure what Elita planned to do after 'collecting' Uyuniya. As that had been her real purpose for going to the Purity, the Hybrid Warmoth had realized that he didn't know a lot about her grander goal. Sure, Elita had sworn to help protect Aigas, but if she had agendas of her own, perhaps she wanted to conduct her part for the defence of this world differently to how Skullius planned to do his own.

After agonizing over it, Skullius could only repent of his fury towards her. Elita was her own person, and as she had said, she really hadn't caused any damage with her 'betrayal' at all. She had actually helped Aigas.

Skullius couldn't help but think that Suzamete had foreseen this. This explained why she hadn't commented on it when Elita mentioned her reason for coming here back when they had been invited into the sky domain earlier. He released his tension in a drawn-out breath.

"After settling things on Aigas, Uyuniya and I were going to head on over to her world," Elita explained.

"Her world?" Skullius raised a brow.

"Yes. My world," Uyuniya said. "I've been gone for a while now and I need to see my people. They will be happy to see that I have ascended without any problems."

"I see…" Skullius said. His curiosity only grew, and he didn't hesitate to try and satiate it, even with a question that was a little rude. Oddly enough, the awkward barrier between him and Elita from before was gone. Their familiarity with each other could now allow them to be extremely frank with each other. He looked at her. "Is there a particular reason why you neglected becoming a Divine yourself? Why did you prioritize Uyuniya's ascension to Divinity over yours?"

Elita was a little taken aback by the question. She stalled to answer. Skullius frowned.

"Don't tell me that was just you being nice," he said.

"No. I—"

"You could look at it that way," Uyuniya cut Elita off. She was bolder in her speech. "There's a pragmatic side to it, I suppose. I had already reached the peak of my mortal strength, and in terms of skill and knowledge, I am superior to Elita. It only made sense for me to ascend first." Her words were blunt, but they were strangely devoid of any pride.

Elita wore a strange face. Uyuniya smiled at her.

"There's a sentimental side to it though, and that gave Elita the last push she needed to convince me to draw Divinity before her," she said and turned to Skullius. "But that's a long story. If you wish to know if we have any other goals beside heading for home, we don't."

"Hm. Good then," Skullius said.
Experience tales with empire

"I don't have anywhere better to be either," Aurolio suddenly said, unprompted.

Everyone turned to him with strange expressions. He didn't look at all abashed by the collective attention.

"What?" he said. "Am I not valuable enough for you all to care what I intend to do after this?"

Kenno patted Aurolio's shoulder, almost consolingly.

For the most part, Aurolio's confidence went ignored. Elita addressed Skullius.

"Now that you know our next step, how do we factor into how you intend to move? What kind of allies are you trying to secure?" she asked. "Is there any way we can help?"

Skullius considered for a moment.

"In a way," he said. He hesitated only momentarily before sharing. "I have a sealed Corrupted Deity in my possession. Courtesy of him." He pointed at Aurolio who gave an, "Ah, right."

Skullius briefly explained the ancient page Aurolio had given him way back, at the Bryne Estate. It was apparently a gift from Void.

When assuming Voided Death, bearers were congratulated by Void herself through gifts – Treasures she took from her expansive body. They were quite random, but they were all especially powerful. That was how Elita got Broodweiler and how Aurolio got the ancient page with a mechanism that allowed its user to try and tame the Corrupted Deity it bound.

Aurolio had given it away for two reasons that probably didn't make sense for anyone but Aurolio himself.

For one, he knew he wouldn't have the capability to fight a Deity for a long time, thus he didn't see it worth keeping.

Additionally, Aurolio hated cultivating strength that didn't directly relate to his own body; he loathed using weapons, essentially. None of his interpretations of the great void while applying his aspect with the Mastered Void Gate had anything to do weaponry, even though he could easily broaden his aspect to cover that too.

Aurolio had exchanged the ancient page for immediately increases to his strength instead. He achieved this with the Tie of Exchange he made with Skullius back then.

"Before the chaos with Fulgardt, I intended to immediately try to subjugate this Deity and bolster my strength, but now I realise that my greatest lacks are in knowledge and experience rather than power. I saw it in Fulgardt. He knows things that can put me at a disadvantage on a dime, even if I have great power. I doubt a single Corrupted Deity would turn the tides in our clash. Thus, I need an ally with great knowledge and experience," Skullius said.

Uyuniya gave a nod. She approved of the manner of thinking Skullius was adopting. Strength wasn't everything in the wider reality.

That was how AKHASHA designed the path for growth. Deities could be killed by lesser Divines and with no more than wit and trickery. But wit and trickery called for knowledge. Immense stores of knowledge.

"Do you have anyone in mind? If not taming the Deity, what or who will you look for now?" Elita asked him.

Skullius scratched his forehead and gave Kintar a glance.

The Unlimited Star gave a creepy smile.

"You're changing your itinerary?" she asked.

"Yes."

"How?" she asked.

Skullius folded all four of his arms.

"Opungale," he said. He could scarcely believe it himself, but it was time for him to finally make good on a promise he had made to a certain Deity.

Strangely enough, fulfilling that promise could actually help him get the better of Fulgardt, even though it had been designed by Fulgardt, or rather, his WILLS in Festos.

Indeed, as Festos had said to Replicus in their fight, there were things he had set into motion that couldn't be reversed, but on the flipside, not all of them were bad for the Hybrid Warmoth.

"Opungale?" Elita asked him, confused. "What's there?"

"I…uh…" Skullius hesitated. "I owe a Deity named Luserus something. I am supposed to breed him an entire generation of 'Luminants' with Darwel, a princess in Opungale. I'm hoping I can make a proper alliance with Luserus afterwards. He might agree if he learns I'm actually up against the real Fulgardt."