Becoming A God In Another World With My Crush
Chapter 35: This Means War

Chapter 35: This Means War

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Jinx sat in silence, her knees drawn to her chest, her cloak wrapped tightly around her shoulders like a second skin. The fire crackled in front of her, but she didn’t seem to notice the heat. Her eyes were wide, glassy, locked on the flames like they were whispering secrets only she could hear.

"The Kaelhi is back..." she whispered. Her voice was hoarse, barely audible as she bit her nails.

"The Kaelhi is back... the Kaelhi is back..."

The remaining minotaurs stood nearby, not moving, but even it seemed unsettled, probably because it’s second was dead... Its nostrils flared, and it shifted its weight from one hoof to the other, snorting softly.

Jinx didn’t blink as she was trembling.

Her fingers twitched against her knees, her breath was shallow and uneven.

"I saw him," she whispered again. "I saw his eyes. That light... that sword..."

She pressed her palms to her temples, squeezing her eyes shut.."He wasn’t supposed to be real...He was supposed to be a stupid legend!"

The fire popped, sending a spray of sparks into the air, and she flinched at the sound. "He wasn’t supposed to be real," she said again, louder this time. "He wasn’t supposed to be real!"

She rocked forward slightly, her voice rising with each word. "I had it under control! I had everything under control! "

Her voice cracked and she laughed suddenly, sharp and broken. "He’ll wipe us out–!"

"If he collects all of the Veylith Crystals..." Her eyes flicked toward the minotaur, and for a moment, her voice dropped to a whisper again. "He’ll kill us all!"

She stared back into the fire, her voice barely a breath. "The Kaelhi is back..."

Dragan stepped into the tent, his presence swallowing the space like a stormcloud. The flap snapped shut behind him, and the firelight flickered against the sharp lines of his armor.

Jinx didn’t even look up, her mind gone to places far from the army general tent. She was still kneeling by the fire, her cloak wrapped tightly around her, her voice a broken whisper. "The Kaelhi is back... the Kaelhi is back..."

Dragan’s eyes narrowed, what in the abyss was this crazy woman up to now?

"Where is the Aurex Blade I sent you to retrieve?" he asked, his voice low and cold.

She didn’t answer, still chanting..." The Kaelhi has...returned..."

"Jinx." Dragan said.

No response.

"Jinx!"

He crossed the tent in two strides and grabbed her by the collar, yanking her to her feet with one hand.

"I said—where is it?!"

Jinx gasped, her fingers clawing at his wrist. Her serpentine eyes were wide, wild and pretty much unfocused.

"I saw him," she whispered. "H–he has it. The Kaelhi... he’s... returned!"

Dragan’s grip tightened. "Do not waste my time with your useless tricks."

"I’m not!" she said, her voice shaking. "I saw him with my own eyes. The blade changed in his hands. It wasn’t gold anymore—it turned black and blue. He killed one of my minotaurs with it. Like it was nothing!"

Dragan shoved her back, his face twisted in disbelief.

"You expect me to believe that? That some old myth just rose from the dirt to challenge the Beast King?"

"I’m telling the truth!" she snapped, her voice cracking. "It was him, Scar face. The Kaelhi is real! And he already has the sword!"

Dragan stared at her for a long moment, his jaw clenched. Then he let her go with a shove.

"If you’re lying," he said, voice menacing yet quiet, "I’ll kill every single one of your precious beasts. I’ll leave you powerless."

Jinx stumbled back, catching herself on the edge of the firepit. Her lips curled into a shaky smile.

"At least I managed to kill one of the Priestesses," she said, brushing ash from her sleeve. "That counts for something, doesn’t it?"

Dragan didn’t answer, he just turned away, his cloak snapping behind him like a blade. The tent flap shifted again.

Cas stepped inside, quiet as snowfall.

His white hair was tied back loosely, a few strands falling over his sharp cheekbones. His cloak was dark and lined with silver fur, the edges still dusted with frost from the outside air. His eyes a icy blue color swept across the room like a hawk.

He didn’t speak right away, he looked at Jinx, still crouched by the fire, then at Dragan, who stood rigid with his back to him.

"What happened here?" Cas asked, his voice smooth and cold, like water running beneath ice.

Dragan didn’t turn. "Send a raven to the Beast King’s castle," he said. "Tell him the Kaelhi has returned."

Cas raised a brow, but his expression didn’t change.

"And you’re sure about something so absurd?"

Dragan’s jaw tightened. "She said she saw him. And she’s not the type to scare easy."

Cas’s gaze flicked to Jinx. She was still trembling, her eyes locked on the flames, her lips moving in a whisper only she could hear.

He took a slow breath, then crossed his arms. "What of it was one of her hallucinations, she’s..." Cas glanced at Jinx once more. "Not quite right in the head, brother. I’m sure you’ve noticed by now."

"I know, Cas. I’m not stupid." Dragan responded with a tired sigh. "The Beast said he felt a surge of energy coming from Iasora, it could have been the Kaelhi reawakening his sword."

Cas stared at Jinx for a few seconds more before he said, " Alright I’ll send it now."

He turned to leave, but paused at the flap. The wind outside tugged at the edge of the tent, carrying the scent of ash and pine.

"I hope you know, Dragan. If the Kaelhi really has returned..." he said, his voice barely above a whisper, "then this means war. But if not, the Beast King will have our heads on a spike for sending him fake news."

Then he was gone, Jinx didn’t move from her spot, rather she giggled through her tears. "He’s so handsome, isn’t he...? What happened to you, Scarface."

Dragan stared into the fire, his fists clenched at his sides not even listening to her. Outside, the wind howled through the army camp.

"I can’t let the Kaelhi let our hard work and plans go to waste." He said, "I’ll kill him."

And somewhere far away, a raven took flight to the north.