Hikari: Rise Of The Weapons Master

Zack placed his hands on the door and slowly pushed on them. The doors creaked open and a blinding flash of light hit Zack in the face.

Due to his special eyes, he was easily able to see everything despite the bright flash of light that would've blinded other humans.

Lance didn't face any problems as well since he was a Phoenix. His eyes automatically adjusted to the bright light.

The duo moved into the room on the other side of the doors. Zack, having visited the place twice, kept his eyes straight ahead.

'Keep looking forward. If you look anywhere else, you will experience a dizzy sensation as though you just traveled the entire world while spinning around.' Zack warned.

Lance took his words seriously and the two of them continued to walk forward. After a few minutes, Zack stopped in front another locked door.

This time, he slashed his right thumb a bit and smeared his blood on the door. This activated his curse, making the door open on its own.

"What are you doing here, Zack?" A sweet voice came from the other side of the room.

Zack felt a sudden warmth spreading around his body, making him relax. This was the effect that Hemera had on others.

She would make them feel warmth and comfort. Zack couldn't help but wonder how his father had managed to avoid her charm.

"Hello, step-mother." Zack replied with a forced smile.

[ Step-mother? ] Lance asked in a confused voice. [ how can she be your step mother? ]

'We both settled on this since I can't call her by her real name. Since she is still my brother's mother, I can call her step-mother. Don't question the logic behind this.' Zack replied.

He walked past the door and took a deep breath. His body was urging him to lie down, close his eyes and enter the dream world.

'No, I should not do that. This place is so comfortable that once I fall asleep, I don't think I will be able to wake up again.'

"Step-mother, can you please skip the drama part and just summon me to your place. Even though I am not affected by this, I don't want to keep staring at blinding nights for the next hour." Zack grumbled.

"You young ones don't have any patience or respect towards goddesses. Back in my day, men and women would beg me to  plant my feet on their face." Hemera replied with a sigh.

"Wasn't it you who asked me to talk to you casually?" Zack asked while raising his eyebrows.

Fake coughing sounds echoed around the room. Zack shook his head helplessly as Hemera teleported him out of the blinding room.

"I have a bad memory when it comes to the affairs of the mortal realms or my relationships. Though in my defense, its hard to remember things when you are this old and have no idea what the rest of the world is doing." Hemera countered.

"I am not blaming you." Zack pointed out before looking at the goddess of day.

Hemera literally looked like the day. Her hair were the brightest shade of blond possible while her eyes shone brightly like the sun.

Her skin was slightly tanned while she wore a golden white dress. Her face was set into a small pout which will make you wonder whether she was really a goddess or not.

At least that was the way Zack would describe Hemera.

"Why did you come here?" Hemera asked while raising her eyebrows. She was seated on  throne made from golden glass, which could also be called a miniature sun due to the brightness it was radiating.

"I am here because Alrecia wanted me to visit you. I am undergoing a quest known as the 'Tale of day and night'. I am not sure what I have to do now to complete the second part of the quest."

"Tale of day and night…" Hemera looked a bit stunned after hearing the name of the quest. "So its you who will fulfill the prophecy…"

Hemera sighed once before she stood up from her throne. The goddess of day walked up to Zack and stared directly into his eyes.

Due to her being a goddess, Hemera could change her appearance to anything she wanted.

"Zack, can I ask you to promise me one thing?" Hemera questioned.

"Depends on the promise…" Zack replied after careful consideration.

"If you kill Mordred, make sure you do it with the sword. Don't use any other weapon except the sword to kill him. As for Apep, you can use anything against that bastard." Hemera replied with burning eyes.

"I swear an oath on your name that I will fulfill that promise."

Zack didn't even hesitate while undertaking the oath. He could tell that Hemera was preventing her powers from going on a rampage.

If she went on a rampage, the entire world would burn due to her representing day. Zack wasn't sure whether Kai could even manage to send him to another timeline if he got burned by Hemera's powers.

"Thank you…" Hemera suddenly moved forward and planted a kiss on Zack's forehead.

A warm protective glow surrounding Zack as he felt something inside him change.

"I removed the curse completely. Though this will put me to sleep for some years, it was necessary to do this. Also, I gave your blessing an increase." Hemera winked.

The goddess moved back to her throne and slumped down on it. The glow of her eyes was slowly decreasing, indicating the drain of her powers.

"Thank you." Zack replied sincerely and bowed to Hemera. A playful smile appeared on her lips as she waved her hand in his direction.

"Good luck, Zack. Make your step mother proud. Also, I am afraid Lance will have to stay here to meet with Maia. Alrecia told me about your next task and he can't accompany you there." Hemera added.

Zack frowned when he heard that Lance couldn't accompany him for his next quest. This made him wonder where the next quest would be taking place.

[ Who is Maia? ] Lance questioned.

'Maia is the eagle which lives at the top of the world tree. She is Hemera's only companion here.' Zack replied. 'You met her the first time we came here.'

"Where do I have to go next?" Zack asked aloud.

"You will have to travel to the bottom of the world tree," Hemera replied with a smile. "You are going to meet your mother to complete the final part of your quest."