The World's most Overpowered Side-Character
Chapter 324: The Meaning of Power.

"I want to ask her why she did it," Jenifer stared at Cecelia's confident posture as she held her peculiar hairclip at the ready, circulating mana through her body to add to the already large pool of power which she possessed. "I want to know why she would declare war on Dr'ul, but the answer is kind of self-explanatory the more I sit and think about it."

The woman was seated with her hand over her eyes, using the system to watch the fight without distractions. "Even if I do understand, I still think she is stupid for doing this," She admitted with Keele sitting next to her in total agreement as she too observed the two women facing each other.

"Am I missing the point then?" Zara asked, seeing what her sister did as okay and not replaceing the wrong in her actions.

"It is jealousy which drives her, Zara," Hudor huffed, staring at her with a conflicted expression she had not seen on him before.

"I know this emotion all too well, I was often overcome with the same feeling whenever our leader chose you over me, but I learned to keep it to myself and do whatever was in the best interest of the clan and our people, especially after I was left behind for a month to train and hone my abilities, everyone else mocked me."

"I grew annoyed and even lashed out at them once, and it was that moment which gave me perspective, I was not fit to lead our people, I never was, you had always been right but the thought of losing my place to someone I thought hadn't worked for it made me bitter, I see that same bitterness in Milady's eyes right now, she is not thinking clearly, that is why I believe that even if she conquers her opponent, she is ultimately the loser of this fight, she has been since she attacked the Arkadian gods's pride."

"My sister would never-"

"She has never needed to exert her authority, am I right?" Keele asked, cutting Zara's defence in half.

"I know a little about the commander who was always at Ikaris's side; Éloén Cecelia; the fearless and loyal, she is known far and wide for her betrayal because she was one of the last Vatui to surrender, she fought for her princess, putting everything on the line, her family, her clan, her happiness..."

"Now I imagine someone like that would feel even a little betrayal if the person they revered and served so loyally suddenlyy showed up with someone else as their most trusted, let alone several someone's taking her place and having more authority than her, she has been reduced to the base standard of being strong enough to accompany Her Highnesses side, like most of us have," Keele shook her head.

"I can't imagine it has been easy for her to adjust."

"Precisely, at the end of the day, we are just people, no matter how strong we are and no matter how many great feats we accomplish, we are simple people with simple emotions that sometimes get the best of us," Hudor added and Keele along with Jenifer nodded at his sentiment, agreeing wholely.

"Not Master, nor Ikaris, definitely not Dr'ul, they are not normal, for Cecelia to have made this personal by challemging the authority of a god, granted by her god," Alpha's smaller variant stood next to Jenifer shaking her head.

"She created split vision in their head, showing them the Arkadian pantheon, and what everyone saw was a terrifying host of powerful beings roaring in outrage and chanting the name of their Queen. "To challenge a god is to challenge the entire world and every existence they represent, not even master could escape the judgement of the gods."

***

[Dr'ul, Cecelia, the rules are simple, whatever counts, but for both your sakes I pray you not kill the other as that would undoubtedly incur the wrath of Milady] Alpha warned them as she stood between both parties, Cecelia with her hairclip in her grasp clutching tightly to it and Dr'ul opposing her with her hair blazing in accordance to her mana raging beneath the surface.

[This planet is a ghost, replicated to be twice as durable as the one Ikaris fought on earlier, the first one to concede will be the loser, there are no judges, you may begi-]

Before Alpha even finished speaking a great pillar of raging mana and Vatui energy rushed past her and crashed into Dr'ul's chest, blasting her off her feet and birthing a crater the size of a stadium when Cecelia acted out of rage and spite, firing preemptively, it was like a sucker punch the goddess had not expected, she already knew that this woman was not patient enough to get along with, but now she considered Cecelia dishonourable as well.

"I will take initiative," Cecelia walked past Alpha and stood at the edge of the crater she had expected to replace the goddess laying in, but instead she found Dr'ul standing at the base with her hands folded and a disapproving glare directed up at her. "You just need to lay down and accept that there is no way you can defeat me, I am stronger, I am faster, I am..." Her eyes lost track of Dr'ul while she was speaking and she found herself staring at the crater in disbelief while Dr'ul stood next to her staring down there with her.

"Save your words for someone who cares to hear them, Éloén Cecelia, you have dishonoured me twice, all that remains is my fist!" Dr'ul struck the woman in her jaw with the back of her folded fist when she attempted to distance herself, sending her crashing across the green plains resulting in several small craters in her wake.

"Just fight, I have no interest in you or any word your mouth utters, when you lose, my wish is that you humble yourself and nothing more." Dr'ul continued looking in the original crater with an expression of indifference and disappointment, what was supposed to be a fun fight for her had become a chore. "I will teach you to know your place."

"I didn't see her move."

"I don't think any of us did," Keele answered Jenifer.

"Know my place... how dare a mere copy say that to me?" Cecelia arose enraged, the strike itself held no power behind it but the way she had been humiliated had her reeling in her boots.

"How dare you try to take what was never yours!?" The woman raised her cannon once more pouring more power in it than the first shot and firing it, Dr'ul was slightly amazed by this, she saw the weapon as clumsy and extremely cumbersome to heft, but Cecelia treated like it weighed lees than the mass of a simple pen, and she was sure the size of it had just been modified as well to prevent another attack like the last, the large barrel was now short and made maneuvering much easier.

"I would say that I have known Ikaris for under a decade, and that I do not claim any such spot at the side of the Goddess of Balance, but this woman is too emotional to have a conversation with, I will have to knock her down a few egos before I can get through to her," Dr'ul shook her head, easily dodging a barricade of small oval shots as she slowly closed the gap between herself and Cecelia.

"I thought, finally, I would have someone who could understand me, strong in their own right with the responsibility of her people on her shoulders, walking in the footsteps of those two; seeking strength, seeking glory, seeking to one day stand at their sides and not be in their shadows forever, but instead I replace a child, she is twice my senior, but she is many times less mentally ready to be Ikaris's retainer, how can you claim to know someone and be so far away from their truth?" Dr'ul swat away one of the projectiles Cecelia shot at her with the back of her hand and recoiled with a stunned expression when a visible tear appeared on her forearm and she began bleeding heavily beneath her armour.

"What is the purpose of becoming strong if you only turn your blade to your allies and those who could become allies?" Dr'ul wondered. "That is not the meaning of strength, Sol taught me that power was meant to serve, even when he is so mighty he lowers himself to our level, he speaks to us as equals and never abuses his power unless he is provoked."

"Dina taught me that power is ever-changing, that even those with the worst starts and the worst mindsets can make better of themselves, Arla taught me that power can be love, and love can soften even the hardest surfaces, and Ikaris taught me the values of being a god are true only when you understand the path that the mortals you lord over walk."

Drul shook her head raising her mana several degrees higher, coating her arm in a thick membrane of flaming crimson mana and swatting away another ball that strayed too close to her in the endless spray of attacks, huffing when the projectile still nearly tore through her arm, showing no difference than the first one as she was pushed backwards again in recoil.

"Even Sara, that little maid is amazing, she has taught me that power alone cannot win over the heart of everyone, despite her being worlds weaker than everyone else, she is respected and highly favoured by them all, she is their sweetheart and dearest friend, claiming the title of sister to Sol Vestic himself; how can you be around all these amazing people and still lack the values they possess, you blind idiot?"

"I am ashamed to call you an ally, so I will take it upon myself to teach you a lesson in manners first, everything else can come afterwards."