Divine Emperor of Death

Ancestor Aries laughed as she trudged forwards with Ivy Aries's help. On the other hand, Ivy Aries didn't look amused. She was totally against this plan, but her ancestor just wouldn't listen. Feeling aggrieved, she couldn't help but voice out her frustrations.

"Emperor of Death. Why did you have to tell my ancestor something like that? After hearing it, she's so adamant."

Contained in her voice was a bit of blame, causing Davis to shake his head.

"A child like you wouldn't understand the pain of losing a loved one. Maybe I should've come later to rescue you, no? And then, you would've known what it felt like to lose someone close to you."

"…"

Ivy Aries became dumbfounded before regretting her words. Perhaps, she wasn't considerate of her ancestor's genuine feelings? But still, she just couldn't help but worry about this plan. After all, it was crazy and almost a hoax if it didn't come from the words of a person who seemed to have mastered Death Laws.

Davis could feel Ivy Aries's genuine concern, so he didn't keep his mouth shut.

"As I said before, to me, this is both an experiment and a wish to see people I know become happier. There are so many foes I could try this experiment with, even forcing them against their will if I want to, but not everyone, in my opinion, deserves a chance at reincarnation. I will only grant such a gift to those I deem worthy."

Ivy Aries slowly nodded her head, understanding Davis's perspective. She didn't even look at him like he was arrogant but considered it normal for his stature.

"I understand. My point is… would this really work? What if-"

"Your ancestor has only a year or two left to live."

Davis spoke plainly, causing Ivy Aries's eyes to widen in shock. She blinked thrice before turning to look at her ancestor Aries.

"Ancestor?"

"That's right, Little Ivy." Ancestor Aries nodded, "What I used was a sacrificial technique to increase my vitality as much as possible. Even if someone could heal my body and get rid of the poison, my soul is no longer capable of staying in this world. Once upon a time, I was also a Soul Queen, after all. I know what I'm talking about."

Ivy Aries became shocked before sorrow resides in her eyes. She knew that it would be the case, but she didn't want to believe that it would truly be the case somewhere in her heart. Her ancestor had miraculously survived for so long, so why just a year or two? Why couldn't she be alive for more time now that the accursed Shard Family was finally out of the picture?

Tears couldn't help but fall from her eyes as she silently sobbed.

"Don't worry. Even if I could not find Old Man Garvin's reincarnation, letting your ancestor reincarnate isn't a problem."

Davis spoke before he gestured behind, causing them to look at a viridian-robed woman,

"Meet Alia Silverwind. She'll be assisting granny. As for her expertise, using the same method, she reincarnated three times already."

Ivy Aries's mouth went agape while Alia Silverwind shot a shy smile and clasped her hands.

"Greetings. I'm Alia Silverwind and what the Emperor of Death is saying is true."

"That's right." Davis added, "I only came to know of the existence of this method because I accidentally witnessed them about to do it but gave them another option that saved them instead. However, later I learned three times is the limit for that method. Anymore, and this Alia Silverwind you see here would no longer exist in this world."

"Wha-?"

Alia Silverwind's mouth went agape but catching Davis's solemn expression, she couldn't help but gulp, feeling a tremor in her heart. She realized that he wasn't kidding at all, causing her to understand that if she had eaten the fruit that day, it would've been a complete poison instead.

"Then, I'll rely on you."

Ivy Aries clasped her hand back and deeply bowed, almost as though pleading. Alia Silverwind nodded before she held ancestor Aries's hands.

"Don't resist."

Her soul sense surged inside ancestor Aries's body, checking if her current condition was suitable.

After a few seconds, Alia Silverwind shook her head at Davis, "The chances for her to survive the etching process is way less than what I had on my deathbed as a same old lady. Her soul could be said to be near the verge of collapse. That won't do. It needs some healing."

"Sigh, I thought so." Ancestor Aries couldn't help but wryly smile, "I've already overdrafted my soul essence. There's no use-"

Abruptly, she felt a soothing feeling appear in her soul sea, causing her to tremble ever so lightly in shock.

"This… what is this…?"

Except for ancestor Aries who was blind, all others could see Davis touch ancestor Aries's forehead with his finger. They couldn't see what Davis was doing, but they could sense a divine and pure aura radiating from ancestor Aries's forehead as though she was emitting it.

However, its undulations were obviously powerful, which meant that it was emitted by the Emperor of Death. Alia Silverwind wasn't astonished as she more or less had some clue, but Ivy Aries' mouth went wide agape. Her young mind didn't even know what this energy was, but she understood that he was somehow healing her.

After all, she never sensed energy as nobler and purer than the one he was releasing right now. However, how could a man who could radiate devilish energy emit just the opposite?

She couldn't understand one bit that her mind overloaded.

Soon, Davis took his hand away and looked at Alia Silverwind, "Is this okay?"

Alia Silverwind took charge and checked ancestor Aries again before she nodded her head, "Mhm, this will do. Her soul is quite stable."

"…"

The two Aries didn't know what to say. One was completely dumbfounded, while the other figured out that her husband's disciple could use both Death Laws and Life Laws. How could such a man be her husband's disciple? She was starting to doubt if they were really master and disciple.

'Oh, right… he had been saying that they were teacher and student… Now I understand why he said that he could heal me completely...'

Ancestor Aries couldn't help but wryly giggle. Perhaps, she was too fixated on looking at him as her husband's disciple.

Sometime later, they all arrived in an individual room and saw a viridian fruit prepared for them.

Alia Silverwind explained the things that they should be careful of during the process before presenting the viridian fruit to ancestor Aries.

Ancestor Aries only felt the texture of the fruit in her palms. It radiated an electrifying feeling that caused a bit of trepidation in her heart. However, she didn't immediately eat it, turning to look at her great-granddaughter instead.

"For now, farewell, my dear grandchild. With you always there for me, even if the Emperor of Death wasn't there, my wish would've been fulfilled. I have no regrets."

"Ancestor…"

Ivy Aries's tears flooded her eyes as she saw her ancestor take a bite out of the viridian fruit.

*Crunch!~*

Her old teeth sank and crushed the fruit, extracting its juices as she swallowed. In a few seconds, she completely swallowed the fruit, causing her to collapse and start to convulse.

"Ahhh!!!"

Ancestor Aries screamed with pain as she held her head, causing Ivy Aries to move.

"Ancestor…!"

However, she was held back by Davis, who grabbed her shoulder, "Don't interfere. Now's the time for the etching process to work."

Ivy Aries shuddered as she tried to reach out her hand in support. However, she could only watch as her ancestor screamed. She couldn't bear to watch, tears constantly spilling out of her eyes.

A whole minute later, the Ancestor's scream died, and her body fell lifeless.

Only then did Davis take off his hand from Ivy Aries, causing her to run before she bent and hugged her ancestor's lifeless body, weeping heavily.

Looking at this scene, Davis felt bad. However, he could sense ancestor Aries's soul essence leaving, staying for some time before fading away.

But, his eyes were wide because he saw her soul essence manifest into her image and slightly hug the crying Ivy Aries for a second before she disappeared. It was very subtle, and Ivy Aries didn't react to that hug, almost causing him to think if it was his delusion. However, he was sure that ancestor Aries's soul essence came alive, even if it was just for a second or two.

Nonetheless, he waited for Ivy Aries to calm down.

It took a while before she stood up and summoned a coffin. They did come ready for this, and even though this was the result, she couldn't help but still shed a tear again as she gently placed her ancestor's lifeless body inside the coffin, sealing it to preserve the body.

"Ancestor, please come back alive and anew as you wished… I'll take care of you..." She caressed the coffin, appearing hopeful.

"All is fine. You have my word that you'll see your ancestor, although, having died now, she'll be reborn as a baby a few minutes or months from now..."

Alia Silverwind smiled and handed over the Viridian Afterlife Path Tree's branch to Ivy Aries, causing the latter to force a smile.

"Mhm~"

She tightly held the branch of that fruit, knowing that she couldn't afford to lose it. The moment it started glowing, she was supposed to contact them and follow the trail together to find the reincarnated ancestor. Only when this branch makes contact with that baby's soul would the baby regain back its previous lives memories.

She looked toward Davis and bit her lips.

"I have no words to offer since I'm already indebted to you, but… thank you… again."

"You're welcome."

Davis chuckled before he turned around and left.