Goddess's Yuri harem: Chosing the Empress is hard
Chapter 117: Almost done- Part 1

Chapter 117: 117: Almost done- Part 1

Lilith tightened her grip on her staff.

"We have to stop her now."

Lila finally acknowledged their presence. Slowly, she lifted her head, her expression twisting into something between amusement and exhaustion.

"Oh? You’ve come just in time. You should feel honored. You’re about to witness the rebirth of Goddess Minerva."

She said, her voice hoarse from chanting.

Clair took a step forward, her blade glinting in the firelight.

"Enough of this madness, Lila. Whatever you think you’re doing, it won’t work."

Lila let out a bitter laugh.

"You don’t understand, do you? This isn’t just my plan. Minerva herself wants this. She’s calling out to me. Begging me to free her from the prison she’s been locked in."

She pointed at the fire.

Lilith narrowed her eyes.

"And you think sacrificing innocent people is the way to do that?"

Lila’s gaze darkened.

"I don’t think, Priestess Lilith. I know. You may serve Auriel, but you know nothing of Minerva’s suffering."

Clair raised her sword.

"You’re outnumbered, Lila. Surrender now, or we’ll—"

Before she could finish, a deep rumbling shook the ground beneath them. The fire roared higher, and the symbols on the ground began to glow with an eerie purple light.

Lila smiled, her eyes gleaming with triumph.

"Too late."

Lilith’s heart pounded. The ritual was complete.

A powerful force exploded outward from the sacrificial circle, sending Lilith and the others stumbling back. The fire darkened, turning black as shadows twisted and coiled within it.

Then, a voice echoed through the village.

"Who calls me forth?"

The voice was deep, layered, and inhuman. It resonated in the air, vibrating through Lilith’s very bones.

Lila’s expression became one of pure devotion.

"It’s me, Goddess! It’s Lila! I’ve come to free you!"

The shadows within the fire began to take shape. A towering figure emerged, cloaked in darkness, its form shifting and flickering like smoke.

But something was wrong.

This... thing wasn’t Minerva.

______

In the celestial realm where the gods resided, peace was a constant presence, undisturbed by mortal concerns.

The halls of divinity shone with a soft golden light, the air humming with divine energy.

It was here, in the grand palace of the gods, that a minor god made his way toward Minerva’s chambers.

He was a lesser deity, one of many who served the higher gods, ensuring their well-being when they were weakened or at rest.

Today, his task was simple—check on Minerva, the goddess who had been unconscious for some time now.

He had been tending to her often, bringing her offerings of divine energy in the hopes that she would awaken.

As he approached the door to her chamber, he smiled to himself.

"Lady Minerva, it’s time for your daily blessings."

He said cheerfully, pushing the door open.

But the moment he did, an unnatural darkness lunged toward him.

His eyes widened in horror as the black mass surged forward, moving like a living thing, its tendrils twisting and writhing with malicious intent.

The air grew unbearably cold, and the once holy chamber now felt like a place of nightmares.

The god instinctively raised his hands, summoning his divine magic to ward off the creeping shadow.

Light flared in his palms, a brilliant gold that should have been enough to repel any impurity.

But this darkness... it was different.

The moment his magic met the shadow, it flickered and died.

"P-please, no—!"

A strangled scream tore from his throat as the darkness wrapped around him, pulling him forward like a predator dragging its prey into the abyss.

He struggled, thrashing against the force, but it was too powerful. He could feel it—this wasn’t just consuming his strength. It was eating him.

His vision blurred, and before he could cry out again, the void swallowed him whole.

The celestial realm trembled.

Far away in the main temple of the gods, the Chief Goddess sat upon her throne, her ever-watchful gaze observing the balance of divinity and the mortal world.

When the disturbance hit, her body tensed.

She felt it—a vile, unnatural energy tainting the sacred space of their domain.

The air thickened with unease, and the once harmonious resonance of the gods became disrupted, like a great, divine heart skipping a beat.

The Chief Goddess rose, her robes flowing like waves of starlight, and turned to her assembled divine council.

"Prepare yourselves. Something is happening."

She said, her voice carrying an undeniable weight.

The gods exchanged uneasy glances, but they did not question her. If their leader sensed something amiss, then it was only a matter of time before the truth revealed itself.

Meanwhile, far away in the mortal world, Auriel was racing toward the village, her steps urgent and her heart pounding.

She had left the temple with Mary after sneaking past her reluctant guards, but she knew they had wasted too much time already.

The moment the disturbance hit, she stopped mid-step, her breath catching in her throat.

A deep, unnatural wrongness seeped into her very core, a feeling so strong that it made her skin crawl. She had felt this sensation before—something ancient, something powerful had awakened.

Her hands clenched at her sides.

"No..."

She whispered.

Mary, who had been running just ahead, skidded to a stop and turned toward her

"What is it?"

Auriel swallowed hard, her expression grim.

"Something has happened in the divine realm."

Mary frowned.

"That’s bad, right?"

Auriel didn’t answer immediately. She reached out with her senses, trying to pinpoint the disturbance.

The divine realm was far beyond the reach of most mortals, but as a goddess, she could feel the shift in the balance of power.

And what she felt now terrified her.

Minerva...

She had been unconscious for so long. Was it possible that Lila’s ritual had done something?

Had Minerva been freed?

Or... had something else been unleashed?

Mary placed a hand on her hip, looking annoyed.

"We don’t have time to stand around. If something bad is happening, we need to move."

Auriel took a shaky breath before nodding. Mary was right. Whatever had happened in the divine realm, the battle in the village was still ongoing.

If they hesitated any longer, more innocent lives would be lost.

Without another word, the two of them picked up their pace, running as fast as they could toward the heart of the crisis.

But deep in her soul, Auriel feared the worst.

By the time they arrived, it might already be too late.