Chapter Text
Years of torment at the hands of Hilda began to slowly destroy the mind of the poor Thunder Mage... yet she had to live on for the sake of Tine... but her body is slowly reaching its limits, and she doesn't know when the pain will end...
Manfroy gave the demonic witch Azelle's stone body, which she used as blackmail for Tailtiu's abuse, if she didn't listen, a part of his body will be taken away, which just made the Thunder mage feel worse and worse, sometimes not even being able to form a smile for little Tine.
Ishtar winced at the sight of the madness and torture that befell Tailtiu, she hated the abuse and wanted to find a way for her mother to stop, but she knew that she personally couldn't do anything... her mother wasn't the listening type.
But she had one final last resort in mind... a way for her to both stop her mother's abuse, and also prevent Tailtiu from revolting against the empire... Julius.
Ishtar then went to her fancy room and brought out a feather and paper, she dipped the feather in Ink and began to write a request for Julius.
Meanwhile, in the Dark Emperor's Palace.
Julius was sitting atop of his castle, staring into the night sky, an activity he enjoyed doing a lot, even before the book started to slowly change him.
The last of his tears have finally faded, but the pain of killing his mother remained in the dark child's heart.
He'll never be able to forget her smile.
"Mother..." he quietly said to himself, his voice shaking.
He looked around, trying to divert his attention and thoughts away from his mother.
That is until he noticed a messenger bird holding a stamped message wrapped in a fancy envelope.
Julius took the envelope from the bird and opened it, his eyes widened when he noticed the signature.
"It’s from Ishtar!" he thought to himself.
Julius began to read the message Ishtar sent him, and by the time he was done, he began to clasp his head in pain, as if 2 sides of his mind were fighting against each other.
"YOU IMBECILE! THAT FREAKING THUNDER MAGE IS LOCKED TIGHT IN THE BUNKER, AND IS BEING TORTURED AS WE SPEAK, HOW IN THE HELL COULD SHE EVEN HAVE A CHANCE OF REVOLTING?!" Loptous yelled.
"But how could she have endured the torture for so long?! It’s better if we be safe and listen to Ishtar, and besides, the stone bodies can be used as blackmail." Julius countered back.
"MANFROY LITERALLY GAVE HILDA THE STONE BODY OF HER HUSBAND SO THAT SHE DOESN'T GET ANY FUNNY IDEAS! I HIGHLY DOUBT THAT SHE'LL BE ANYTHING OF CONCERN!"
"But... should Uncle really be treated in such a way?! And recent studies have shown that more of them may have survived the battle of belhalla, we cannot afford to take any risks!"
"OF COURSE YOUR UNCLE SHOULD BE TREATED THAT WAY YOU HALFWIT! YOU'RE A VESSEL FOR ME, I GET TO CONTROL YOUR BODY AND MAKE THE CHOICES WHILE YOU JUST SIT AROUND AND BE A GOOD LITTLE PUPPET, UNDERSTOOD?!"
"... I'm sorry, Loptous... but for once... I'm not gonna listen to you..."
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOU- WAIT... WHY IS MY VOICE GETTING QUIETER?!"
"It may be temporary... and I may risk weakening my own mind... but I'm gonna silence you... in any way I can... I'm still a part of you just as you're a part of me... My love for Ishtar overrules your control over me."
"YO-YOU IDIOT, I DIDN'T SPEND YEARS LOCKED UP AND DEFEATED FOR... THIS!!! I WILL CONTROL YOU, I WILL NOT LET YOU CONTROL ME AS YOU PLEASE, JUUUULLLIIUUUUuuuusss...."
Even if it may be for a few hours, or maybe a few minutes, Julius's headache stopped affecting him, he knew what he had to do and had to do them quickly or else Loptous would be unsilenced.
"I'm coming, Ishtar." Julius said with a rare smile. He then used his dark magic to warp to Ishtar's palace.
In Bloom's Palace.
"Wha?! What do you mean you want to take Tailtiu for yourself?!" Hilda yelled, her voice containing a dark venom.
Julius was unfazed. "You heard my word, bring me Tailtiu at once."
Hilda looked at the dark emperor with discontent. "B-but she's my slave! My husband found her roaming about and she was the perfect catch! I even have her daughter and every-"
Julius started to radiate dark energy. "I said, bring me Tailtiu at once, or else you may never see the day your precious daughter gets married to me."
Hilda froze up in fear. "V-very well then... I'll bring you to her dungeon."
Hilda and Julius walked to the Dungeon that contained Tailtiu and Tine.
Hilda unlocked the dungeon and greeted Tailtiu with an evil smirk.
Tailtiu looked at her in resentment and hid Tine somewhere safe. "What do you want..." she said, her voice being weak.
"Hmhmhm... usually this would be another night of a Bolganone torture session... but a special guest has came to see you instead." Hilda said, her smirk growing.
Julius, covered in a dark cloak, concealing his identity, came into the dungeon and looked at Tailtiu.
The Thunder Mage gained a surge of chills upon looking at the Dark Emperor. Tine looked on from her hiding place in utter fear.
"Tailtiu, one of the few survivors of the battle of Balhalla, I am the Dark Emperor, Julius!" Julius said, his voice layering thanks to his dark magic.
"I have come here to stop you from having the chance of roaming this world, alongside the other survivors of Balhalla, one after another! All will be turned into stone."
Tailtiu started to grow afraid. "Wait... you don't mean...!"
Julius glared at the Thunder Mage. "Yes... you will be joining your husband in the state of eternal petrification, now come join HIM!"
"W-WAIT, PLEASE DON'T! I AM STILL WORRIED ABOUT TI-" Tailtiu screamed, but by that point, her body already began to petrify.
Tine looked on, the sight traumatizing her, with Hilda's laugh echoing in her head.
Julius used his dark magic to hold the petrified bodies of Azelle and Tailtiu with psychokinesis and left the dungeon, he then teleported back to his palace, leaving behind a smirking, yet disappointed Hilda, a very happy Ishtar, and a very traumatized Tine.
Julius then went to the dungeon of his castle and placed the petrified bodies of Azelle and Tailtiu in the center of the dungeon, he couldn’t help but smile at a job well done.
Julius then left the dungeon, leaving the eternally petrified bodies of Azelle and Tailtiu in the Balhalla dungeon for a long time...