Reincarnated as a failed hero?! Watch me Defy Fate! - Chapter 161

Chapter 161: Story of Betrayal
With a soft glow surrounding her and a shadow of sorrow on her face, Solis stepped forward. Her voice was gentle but carried the weight of centuries. As she began to speak, her divine light formed shimmering images in the air—illusions made of pure magic, playing out scenes from a long-forgotten past.

“In the beginning,” Solis began, “before the rise of empires and the tales of heroes, there was only one—the Almighty One. From Their will, the realm of Cosmoria was born. A sanctuary of divine power, and the origin of all life.”

She explained how the Almighty One then created the gods and goddesses—hundreds of divine beings, as well as legions of angels—to bring order and beauty to existence. Among these deities, ten rose to prominence, each embodying a core element of creation. These were the High Deities, and Solis was one of them.

In those early days, harmony ruled. The gods worked together to shape Aetheria, the mortal world. They poured their magic into its foundations, forming landscapes, climates, and life itself.

Flareth, the God of Flame, forged fire into the world—forming magma, heat, and the heart of volcanoes.

Aqualia, the Goddess of Water, sculpted oceans, snow, and the cycle of rain.

Zarion, the God of Thunder, shaped storms and lightning—sometimes destructive, sometimes a gift of energy.

Zephyra, the Wind Goddess, breathed air into the world, giving oxygen to all life.

Terra, the Goddess of Earth, molded the planet’s core, the soil, and fertile lands.

Gaia, God of Nature, created forests and the intricate web of ecosystems.

Miranda, the Goddess of Protection, built natural barriers, blessings, and spiritual shields to keep Aetheria safe.

Solis, radiant and divine, brought light, guided souls, and safeguarded the gates of Heaven.

But among these radiant beings was one who dwelled in the shadows—the God of Darkness.

Solis paused as her expression darkened. “He was my brother,” she said softly. “My other half.”

The illusions shifted, revealing a god cloaked in twilight. The God of Darkness was once a noble deity, the bringer of night, the guardian of the underworld. He oversaw the balance between punishment and redemption, ensuring the wicked faced justice.

“He wasn’t evil,” Solis continued, her voice nearly trembling. “We were inseparable, like the sun and moon. He brought night so that light could shine again each morning. But everything changed…”

The scene changed again—this time depicting an unimaginable event. A shattering of the divine shield that protected Aetheria.

Out of the cosmic void emerged a terrifying entity—an Outer God, referred to only as God (???). This being did not belong to Cosmoria or Aetheria. Its arrival was sudden, cataclysmic, and brought with it a corruption so potent that even Miranda’s powerful divine barriers crumbled.

This god of chaos sowed darkness across the realms, birthing monstrous races and establishing a legion of demonic forces. Among its creations were the Unique Monsters, including titanic beings like Vaelgorath and Canis—creatures of nightmarish power.

To face this threat, the gods rallied. At their head was not Solis nor her brother—but a divine being revered above all others: the Forgotten Goddess. Her leadership united the gods, angels, and even divine beasts in a battle to defend both Cosmoria and Aetheria.

The war was catastrophic. The Unique Monsters rivaled the gods in power, and countless deities and angels perished. The battlefield was soaked in celestial blood. Still, the High Deities fought with everything they had, slowly turning the tide.

Just when victory seemed within reach, a horrifying betrayal shattered everything.

The God of Darkness turned on his kin.

Without warning, he struck down fellow gods with his forbidden Dark Magic. His attacks were precise, brutal, and filled with resentment. The very powers meant to protect were now wielded to destroy.

Solis’ voice cracked. “I… I didn’t believe it at first. My own brother… my other half… slaughtering those we once fought beside.”

Flareth’s flame was stolen—his sacred Divine Flame corrupted into the now-infamous Black Flame. One by one, the God of Darkness drained powers from his former allies, using them to empower himself and aid the enemy.

The Outer God laughed as the betrayal unfolded, delighted by the collapse of divine unity. Even the strongest among the gods were shocked and devastated. Flareth, Terra, Gaia, Zarion—all stood frozen in disbelief.

…

As the shimmering illusion of divine history faded into sparks, silence fell upon the chamber. I glanced at Solis, and for the first time, I saw not just a goddess—but a sister. A sibling whose heart had once been whole, now cracked and heavy with grief.

Her voice shook as she continued. “When he betrayed us… when the God of Darkness raised his hand against our kin, I could no longer watch in silence.”

She raised her hand, and a new vision flared to life—a battlefield carved in light and shadow. I saw her, Solis, ablaze with divine radiance, clashing against her own brother. The impact of their strikes split the skies and scorched the earth. It was like watching the sun itself go to war.

But her light, as brilliant as it was, failed to overcome him.

“He had gained the power to consume light,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “A gift from the Outer God.”

The images twisted again. I saw despair—gods falling, the divine overwhelmed. Aetheria trembled, Cosmoria bled, and hope flickered… until she arrived.

The room tensed as Solis spoke the name that shook the very air. “The Forgotten Goddess.”

Her voice carried reverence, awe, and pain all at once. “She was our final hope. The strongest among us. Chosen by the Almighty One himself.”

The illusion shifted again. This time, the figure was unlike anything I’d seen. Clad in radiant golden-white, her presence alone seemed to drive back the darkness. Pure Divine Magic swirled around her, untouched by corruption—a force beyond even the highest of the divine.

“She alone wielded magic that no darkness could taint,” Solis explained. “A direct fragment of the Almighty’s essence.”

The battle that followed was awe-inspiring. The Forgotten Goddess tore through the Unique Monsters—Vaelgorath, Canis, and others—without hesitation. With grace and fury, she drove the God of Darkness to his knees, his army shattered.

“She turned the tide,” Solis said. “She saved us all. And for a moment… we thought we had won.”

But victory was an illusion.

The Outer God, in his wrath, did not strike her down.

“He couldn’t kill her,” Solis continued, “so he cursed her instead.”

Her voice was ice now. “He cast a supreme curse—an erasure from existence itself.”

I felt a chill crawl down my spine.

“She wasn’t just forgotten by mortals,” Solis said bitterly. “Even we, the gods who fought beside her, lost her name, her voice, her image. Our memories of her shattered like glass.”

She clenched her fists. “She was sealed away—not just from the world, but from remembrance.”

The silence that followed was heavier than before. Even the gods seated around me looked unsure, as if trying to grasp something that constantly slipped through their fingers.

And in that moment… I felt something.

Not fear.

Recognition.

A warmth flickered in my chest. A familiar sensation. A memory of a soft smile, a kind voice… a goddess who once placed her hand on my shoulder and gave me a second chance.

The Goddess of Benevolence.

She was the one who had reincarnated me. Who had brought me from Earth to Aetheria. She had never said her name. But her energy, her light, her presence—they matched everything Solis had just described.

Could it be?

Was the Goddess of Benevolence the Forgotten Goddess?

I felt my breath catch. I opened my mouth, about to speak… when a sudden jolt of energy struck my mind.

[!!!WARNING!!!]

[You are not permitted to reveal information regarding the Goddess of Benevolence. Violation may trigger an unknown divine reaction.]

I froze.

It wasn’t just a warning. It was a divine law—an absolute prohibition. My thoughts spun.

Even here… in the Hall of the Gods… this rule still applies?

I looked at Solis, at Miranda, Flareth, and the others. They couldn’t remember her. Not really. Even now, her identity slipped like mist from their thoughts. And I—I—was the only one who knew.

I clenched my fists.

If I broke the rule, would she vanish again? Would I lose what little connection I had left?

So I kept quiet.

“I almost said something,” I thought to myself. “But maybe… I’m not meant to. Not yet.”

Solis looked at me then. Her golden eyes narrowed, not with suspicion, but with curiosity—as if she sensed something she couldn’t quite grasp.

“There is more to you, Child of Fate,” she said slowly. “Perhaps more than even we can comprehend.”

I nodded once, the weight of it all settling on my shoulders.

If the Forgotten Goddess had entrusted me with this second life—if she was truly still out there, erased but not gone—then I had a duty to her.

One day, I’d uncover the truth.

One day… I would make the world remember.