Guilt.

  For Konrad to use that precise word showed he was well-aware of the truth behind Rati and Kama’s union. To outsiders, the God and Goddess of Love, as they were referred to throughout Heaven, undoubtedly were a perfect match. As the third son of the Great Primal Ancestor, though several millions of years younger, Kama also was an ancient deity born before the times of the proxy battlefields. In his youth, following in his father’s footsteps, he fancied himself the God of Love and created many God-Arts at this effect.

  An infamous rake, Kama left an abundance of broken hearts in his wake, and also held the nasty habit of sparking relationships between complete strangers……all at a complete whim.

  But all this stopped the day he laid eyes on the Celestial Realm’s number one beauty: Rati. It was as if his world stopped spinning, as if his eyes died for her, and his very life changed ownership. Kama no longer had other ambitions besides pursuing Rati, and it wouldn’t be long before all mistresses were cast aside so he could devote himself to chasing her.

  Alas, if for him she was unique, as far as Rati was concerned, Kama was one among many relentless suitors. Nothing he did could make her waver. But the more she rejected him, the more ardent Kama became in his pursuit. And where others gave up, he kept pressing onward.

  All to no avail……or so it should have been. But during one fateful Realm War, Rati ended up ambushed by Asmodeus. Before the Southern Queen of Hell, all her talent and tricks served no purpose. Asmodeus effortlessly suppressed her and resolved to turn the devi into her new plaything. Alarmed by the news, many prominent Deva Gods rushed to her aid, including Divine Lords such as Agni, a Cardinal Lord such as Chandra, and of course, Daksha.

  In a cruel twist, Asmodeus raised a Desire Immolating Pyre and pledged that if any non-relative dared cross the pyre, she would release her. None had the gals. The Desire Immolating Pyre was an Innate Skill unique to Lust Embodiment Succubi and Incubi. It didn’t harm the flesh but crippled all instances of lust and sensual pleasure needs within the victim.

  Whoever endured those flames became, for all intent and purposes, asexual. Though they could still feel love and attraction, it would never be realized in a sexual way. As immortals, the one thing Gods feared the most was……boredom. With eternity ahead of them, even their tens of thousands of years of secluded cultivation wasn’t enough to make up for the loneliness that threatened to settle in.

  To maintain a level mind, only two paths lay ahead. Either they embraced their emotions and desires, or they severed them. Most chose the former option. How could they abandon all sensual pleasures and become eunuchs for the sake of a woman that snubbed them?

  When Asmodeus made her announcement, Chandra was the first to turn heels and bolt! Many Gods soon followed him. Having never expected any of them to step forward, Rati remained undisturbed. But little did anyone expect that at that critical juncture, Kama would step forward and roar the three words:

  "I AM WILLING!"

  Those starling words put demons and devas in awe, leaving all deities stumped, and causing even Asmodeus to blink in disbelief. To back his words, Kama dived into the Desire Immolating Pyre, enduring its soul-scalding flames as it burned all sexual desires and sensual pleasures from his body. Henceforth, Kama was a man in name only.

  But through that one move, he ensured Rati’s eternal devotion. Asmodeus held her end of the bargain, allowing Kama to take Rati back to Daksha’s grasp, and so he did. Afterward, the Dream Lord had no other choice but to officiate the wedding. But where Devas and Demons alike saw a soul-stirring show of devotion, Daksha saw a madness-fueled ploy. He inferred Kama made a desperate but calculated move to force Rati into his arms.

  Since all else failed, he gambled on self-sacrifice to obtain his craved prize, and it worked. Kama’s father, the Great Primal Ancestor’s many veiled words also validated the hypothesis. For those reasons, when dealing with Kama, Daksha always remained on his guard. The man was stark-raving-mad. Once things didn’t go his way, who knew what he could do?

  Alas, it was as if the otherwise clever Rati stood blind to the ploy. Or perhaps she realized it but didn’t wish to expose the truth for what it was. Just like Konrad said, guilt riddled her heart. But more than that, the many years by Kama’s side had long since bred other, just as troublesome feelings.

  Responsibility.

  Kama was her responsibility. Regardless of what occurred and of what he did, she would care for him. Even if she had to go against Heaven’s Will, she wouldn’t relent.

  Rati’s eyes hardened and rose to meet Konrad’s sauntering form.

  "You don’t know me."

  Rati declared, and if Konrad could feel the indignation lacing her tone, he showed none of it.

  "You don’t know yourself. A woman who clings on the closest image of purpose she can grab, that is who you are. Be it in service to your father, or to your husband, you live for others with no sense of genuine gratification.

  Your hollow, empty heart meshes contradictory emotions and sensations for the sake of finding a sliver of delight. You excel at faking smiles, at deceiving others and yourself with that carefully constructed facade of distance and aloofness when in truth……you are merely lost."

  Konrad countered in a leisurely tone, and as he spoke, Rati found herself lifted by an irresistible force and teleported right beside him. Still guided by that force hiding a level of Truth Laws she couldn’t even begin to understand, Rati walked beside Konrad, again alarmed by his might and how effortlessly he saw through her.

  Laid bare, she floundered, feeling as though she stood naked in a crushing pool of darkness where the breath of that nefarious existence became her sole hope for salvation. Now, Rati realized that her best estimations still fell short. Perhaps that man’s strength had already surpassed the likes of the Primogens. Perhaps even the Warden couldn’t handle him.

  And when her thought reached that stage, enlightenment flashed within her mind, and her eyes widened in disbelief.

  "The Chthonian Realm……where……where do you rank in the Chthonian Primogen’s court?"

  Rati stammered in fright, unable to believe her guess. And before that inquiry, Konrad’s lips curved into a devilish grin.

  "At the summit, of course."