A Not So Evil God In Fate/Grand Order

Fear.

A feeling he hadn't felt in a long time resurfaced once again at the moment of meeting his current and — soon to be — future adversary. He had heard stories of the Great Serpent and how its might was so terrifying that other Gods were needed just to fend him off, let alone kill him.​​

Yet, it wasn't until he was face to face with him that Seth truly understood the disparity that existed between the two of them. The rational part of him screamed that they were doomed and were only delaying the inevitable, while the rebellious side of him wanted nothing more than to emerge victorious where others failed.

Unconsciously, though, he wondered who will be stronger; if his teacher or this being in front of him. The two were, coincidentally, the only 'people' that made him fear. Both of them had that aura of someone at the true top that couldn't be reached by just anyone. Mysteriously enough for him as well, he felt a strange sense of familiarity coming from his enemy, but he pushed it down in order to not get distracted in his fight.

If he had learned anything during most of his life in the wastelands it was that during combat, only your opponent deserved your whole attention, and the rest was unnecessary unless there were risks of ambushes.

His first experience fighting the beast could be summarized into the word 'embarrassment.' No matter what he did, it didn't seem to work. His blows were not enough to damage his foe, while the same couldn't be said about Apep. It was one thing to hear of its unfathomable strength, and another entirely to experiment it first hand.

Seth realized this was a fight that he had to take seriously. There was no other way about it. The only consolation was that his supposed companions were even in a more pathetic state.

Countless were the times that he had to kick them out of the way the moment they froze when the Great Serpent bothered to glare at them.

The times where he wanted to shove them into the titanic being's mouth just to prevent them from hindering anymore were astronomical.

If there was someone that Seth could consider that was actually doing something, then that would be his great-grandfather, Ra.

In spite of the numerous times that he had occasionally overheard from the Gods in the wastelands that he was nothing more than a dying, weak old man, the truth could not be further from that.

The Sun God was pretty much the one holding everything together and preventing Apep from gaining any type of advantage. The rest atop the boat were just decorations to fill some sort of imaginary quota. Maybe to distract their foe somehow, Seth didn't know.

Lastly, there was the matter of being 'close' with his alleged mother. They were fighting in her domain; her True Body was the Sky itself.

Safe to say, his hate against her burned brighter than the sun above. That was why he took a sick p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e in tainting her with dark, thunderstorm clouds and only leaving enough space for the sun to shine through and not weaken their greater force.

Even so, his mother got revenge by swallowing their boat after they finished their exhausting battle; sending them to the underworld, and gifting the world above with the cover of darkness.

He fought in the world below, protecting the sun bark from the demons inhabiting there. New faces joined his defense, while others returned to the world of the living, knowing their task was over.

Among those new faces, his brother was there, but not even once he directed a word at him. Seth didn't hate him, but he understood that they simply belonged to different worlds and that the esteem they once had when they were little was something that could no longer be brought back.

Osiris must have understood that too, as, after the first try, he quickly gave up. Not without showing a bitter face, though.

Awkward hours passed, but they perdured nonetheless. The demons were certainly far weaker than a universe-ending threat, so they did not have to exert much effort.

The bark that kept moving even without someone to steer it on was finally ready to exit the underworld and return to the skies above.

At the moment of ascension, Seth saw the Sun's rebirth—the World's rebirth. It was then that he knew his job was over, and that he could retire until he was called again.

Unceremoniously, he immediately left to return to his exile. He knew that after his performance, as lacking as it was in his own opinion, would get him the attention of the old man. He would probably ask him to come back to their land, something he didn't want to do at all.

The stigma of being exiled was not a thing that particularly bothered him. In fact, he preferred being away from all of them. It was true that he did not have any fancy things like a giant castle or control over the populace, but he was happy with what little he had.

The only concern he had was that he couldn't bring his caretaker to the demonic wastelands with him. Nothing good would come of that. At least oldy was kind enough to get messages to and fro. How was he able to do that, he didn't know, but what mattered was that he could.

Speaking of the man, when he returned to their usual place, he was received with the smuggest look that could possibly exist. He didn't know the reason why, but he sure felt it was annoying.

Not as annoying as what was coming next, though.

It turned out that just because he now had a 'daily job' it did not mean that he could relax from training, or in literal events, getting beaten up without a chance of retaliation.

That only got worse when he retold the events that transpired amidst a flurry of supersonic punches. There was a strange light in his mentor's eyes... eyes that looked conflicted for a second, something he managed to pick up.

But even with all his observation capabilities, he did not understand why. If there was something Seth could say with certainty, it was that the figure in front of him always did things with assurance. He never once felt that what he did was in any way possible a mistake. However, that was the feeling the young God was getting now.

Unfortunately, he knew he wouldn't get an answer even if he asked directly. He had spent enough time around the person he considered a paternal figure to know that he would keep silent no matter the way he went about the subject.

In the end, he resigned himself. Instead, he made up his mind to improve even further. He knew things were going to get really harsh for him without needing any kind of warning. If there was one thing he was sure of, it was that the time for taking things easy and with nonchalance was over.

Although not voicing it out loud, Apep approved of his mindset. Despite letting him go and defend Ra, he still didn't forget their original promise. After all, their true enemies were the Gods themselves.

He only acceded because it was time for Seth to take a qualitative leap in his strength. Fighting against foreign Gods would surely achieve that, but not as much as he wanted.

It was better to let his successor fight alongside his kin to learn of their strengths and weaknesses. That way, nothing would take him by surprise when the time for his rebellion came.

Apep could honestly say that it had a different meaning to see the results after fighting 'seriously' against him. Seeing him go from a smug kid filled with fear yet still standing up to him, to a relatively normal youth with a big enough courage to overcome his fear and fight him... It was pleasant.

It was thanks to that emotion that he once again saw his resolve shine bright.

From that moment on, he began to train him not physically, but spiritually and conceptually. His natural strength would keep growing as he got older, so that was nothing of concern at that current moment.

The next step would be to truly dive into Authorities and how they affected what surrounded them. If his successor wanted to have a chance against overwhelming odds, he had to learn to evolve.

In order for him to achieve that, Apep made sure to engrave the theoretical knowledge during the early day, and then put that said knowledge to test during their confrontations.

It was slow at first. Even with his adaptability, comprehending the absurd was an arduous task. However, progress was still made. The more they fought against each other as "enemies", the more Seth began to put the knowledge he imparted to use.

Nevertheless, that seemed to have been a double-edged sword.

As the battles raged on, Apep noticed instances where his successor would just blank out for a few moments when he glanced at Ra. His face would then contort and twitch as if he were suffering from some invisible pain.

That behavior puzzled the Great Serpent greatly. He didn't show any signs of being afflicted by any kind of backlash when he was explaining it. The problem only manifested in battle.

When asked for more details, Seth told him that he was seeing strange images that when put together seemed to narrate a story about something he couldn't quite understand. The young God did his best to not think about it as not only it hindered him when battling, but it also gave him a splitting headache, which in turn, put him in a terrible mood for some reason.

Apep could guess the why, and he had no one other to blame than himself. He should have known that teaching him knowledge about concepts could prove fatal considering his condition.

Seeing the new World stagnate, decay, burn, and die only to be born again in its previous image and flourish once more was not something that could be easy to digest.

Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do to prevent his discomfort other than teaching him further. Stopping halfway would only be detrimental for his successor, causing even more harm. It was only through understanding that he would be able to overcome his struggles.

It... helped, somehow. The pain was certainly lessened, but the visions did not stop. They intensified instead.

That made Apep take the decision of accelerating his plan. His aggressiveness stemming from the poor state of his sanity was becoming more and more of a concern with each passing year.

As the one signifying balance, having both Good and Evil in equal measures within him was not helping Seth in any way to stay sane. The Great Serpent thought he had more time before the erosion of his mind became a problem, but that was not the case anymore.

"Seth. I know of a way to solve your misfortunes. Nevertheless, that would require you to go all out against Apep in your next battle. You will have to go with the intent to kill and not defend." That was the first lie he ever told the youth, and it would also be the last one.

The young God listened with rapt attention, albeit a bit groggily from his position. He had many spears made out of mana stabbed on his body at his own request. He didn't trust himself to do something rash considering his internal turmoil, so he had asked the white-haired man to restrain him.

Seth didn't know how fighting Apep was going to resolve his problems when he had been doing that for years and nothing seemed to change. In fact, it only grew worse.

Even so, he decided to look at it from another perspective. All his issues had begun the moment he had started fighting it, so maybe if he killed it they would go away.

Simply stopping would not work, at best only delay the inevitable, so he had to take his chances. The thing was, even if he decided to forgo his defense, it was not like he could suddenly kill something so outside of his scope.

His worries were reassured by the person he trusted the most. He said he would make sure to give him an opportunity to succeed. And if there was one person that he trusted the most, it was him. The youth knew first-hand how terrifying he could be as, to this day, he had never managed to wound him even when he was going all out during their spars.

That day, before he went to battle, and for the first time since he met him, Seth didn't train in any sort of way. The two spent the day enjoying the calmness, remembering memories, exchanging ideas, and just talking in general.

The Egyptian God could safely say that it was one of the best days in his life.

However, there was a growing anxiety inside him that refused to subside. While he, without a doubt, would like for days like these to repeat themselves, he couldn't help but feel something was amiss. It almost looked like a—

"Do not get distracted, young one!" The boat's owner's words managed to bring him out of thoughts just in time to avoid the poisonous spit from the Great Serpent. While he had managed to build up an immunity after being struck by it so many times, it didn't mean it was not unpleasant for it to happen again. The pain was still pretty much there.

Shaking his head slightly, Seth went on the offensive, focusing all his rage on his foe. As told, he gave his all in attacking, not minding if the runts that accompanied him suffered any kind of danger.

The skies trembled and the sound of thunder boomed like never before. Even when the light of the Sun was dimming down to give way to the Moon, his Fire burned bright to prevent the darkness from taking over.

Ra did not know the reason why the one meant to make his reign stronger was fighting with unprecedented fierceness, or why it seemed to be working, but he knew he had to take advantage of this.

He first delayed his passage to the underworld as much as he could as that would mean the weakening of his powers before also jumping to the front to face the beast directly.

This alarmed the other Gods greatly, as they were supposed to protect him, but here he was going to the most dangerous place in the boat. Nonetheless, same as Seth, he did not bother with them.

With his support, both the God of the Sun and the God of Storms were able to push Apep back even more.

Now that he was up close, Ra realized a crucial fact. The one in front of them was not a mere avatar, but the real one. While the Great Serpent couldn't enter the new world with his real body, he could inhabit one of his avatars, yet if that said avatar died, the original would die as well.

The Bird God found himself not knowing the why of such a foolish decision. However, whatever the reason, he would not waste the opportunity to get rid of one, if not THE biggest problem he had.

Ra abandoned his restraints and fought like never before, uncaring for the rest of the Gods with him. They were unimportant, only there to work as meat shields in case either him or the young Seth needed them.

Speaking of him, Ra opted to fight beside the youth, albeit with some distance between them. He was being like a raging beast, focusing on destroying Apep and not caring for anything else. Both individuals were just going to hinder each other if they got too close, after all.

As the battle continued on for days, the world seemed to suffer more and more, yet no individual stopped. The only ones left fighting were Ra, Seth, and Apep, with the others having been killed a long time ago by them with no concern whatsoever.

The only thing that prevented the land from becoming a mess was the somewhat perfect harmony between Seth's storms and Ra's suns, but even so, just their fight alone was tearing the earth asunder.

However, no one dared to intervene. Even if their domains were being destroyed, every God stayed away from the battlefield in fear of dying from a stray attack. That was how terrifying the sky spectacle had become.

But... everything has an end, and this battle was not any different.

Age was not something Ra could ignore, and while Seth could fight infinitely through his ability to absorb negativity to replenish his wasted energy, mental fatigue was not something he could ignore.

So, in a desperate attempt to achieve once and for all, Seth launched himself from the Solar Barque into Apep's open mouth. His spear blazed with his own fire and that of the sun he had managed to collect during the fight.

The Great Serpent, not one to back out, opened his mouth with a roar that shook the world itself and raised to the challenge.

Seth's weapon was quick to impact with one of Apep's fangs, creating a resounding boom that dispersed the storm clouds in a circular motion, revealing the clear blue sky to the three combatants.

Both Evil Gods didn't pay attention to that, though. Their whole focus was on one another. Neither of the two could overpower the other, even after seemingly putting all of their strength in doing so.

However, Seth knew he could not fail now. He wanted to have more of 'those days' with that secretly caring figure. Defeat was not something he was able to afford. So, with a shout of self-encouragement, the youth used every ounce of energy he had left for one final push.

The unexpected happened at that moment, though. His spear cracked prior to splitting into two, with the upper part flying through the air, yet not before managing to rip the fang out of his opponent's jaw.

With nothing to stop his descent anymore, Seth fell into the mouth of Apep together with the broken fang.

Amidst the situation unfolding, Ra saw the opportunity of victory and took it. Shapeshifting himself into Miuty—a decently sized yellow cat, he nimbly jumped and caught the still spinning broken spear of Seth with his barely-shaped humanoid hands.

Still possessing the power of the young God, Ra enhanced it even further with his own Sun Authority and came crashing down at the pained form of his everlasting enemy.

The spear, now resembling a knife more than anything, cut through the sides of the Great Serpent with relative ease, enough to puzzle Ra slightly, but he just attributed it to the combination of both Good and Evil in the spear, something that did nothing more than to reaffirm his goals.

Apep looked at Ra menacingly after releasing a roar of pure hatred. The Sun God was prepared to resume his attacks when a new development occurred.

Something drilled its way partway through its head, slowly pushing itself farther. Ra soon identified it as the fang that Seth had broke before. The corrosion springing forth from the tip did not harm the Chaos God, but it facilitated the extraction.

From inside Apep's mouth, Seth gave one last might push, finally exiting from his temporary prison.

His body was almost unrecognizable. Parts of flesh were falling off, and even bones were suffering the same fate. However, nothing of that mattered to him. He was also able to completely burn Apep's body from within before exiting its stomach through the front.

The young God looked at the tooth he used to escape. He would have to use it to create a new spear seeing as his previous one broke. It didn't matter, though. Seth was sure 'he' would be able to come up with ways of utilizing it. For now...

He had won. Through incredibly lucky coincidences, but he had won. The only thing keeping him floating was sheer will, and the d.e.s.i.r.e to see his opponent off, who, despite being seconds away from dying, looked peaceful.

He would witness his end before—

"It seems my time has come. For an eternal lifespan, this sure felt short." Seth froze at Apep's words. Not even the first time he fought him caused such a reaction on him. That was because he not only felt himself freezing but his whole world instead.

Ra's frown was visible even through his cat face. Apep not even once uttered a single word to him, so much so that he thought his foe was incapable of speech or even intelligent thought.

Ignoring his reaction, however, Apep continued. "You are a parasite, Ra. I bet even Amun died cursing you in my stomach. Unfortunately for you, my legacy will carry on. You will not get rid of me that easily."

This certainly alarmed him. Was there another being that could prove to be a threat to his reign?

As if understanding his thoughts, Apep laughed in ridicule. "I have nurtured the one that will kill you and make you grovel beneath their feet. My greatest pride and the one I regard as my flesh and blood."

The Great Serpent then turned to Seth. His gaze turned sad for the briefest of moments. Seeing him in a state of shock was not particularly easy; even more so when he himself would miss spending time with the youth. "As for you... You fought well, young God. Remember what has brought you here, and you will succeed in whatever you want to accomplish. My remains are yours to use; consider it a gift for slaying me."

As the Great Serpent was closing his eyes for the last time, the image they engraved was that of the one he spent the most meaningful moments of his dull existence.

'You have come a long way... Honestly, why do I start having regrets now?' Those were the last thoughts of Apep, the Great Serpent that brought terror to the Egyptian Gods for millions of years, and the one that planted the seed for a new era.

His enormous body fell from the heavens to the earth below. The crash created numerous earthquakes, but the two survivors didn't pay attention to that.

Ra was trying to understand his foe's last words with the intent of finding some hidden meaning that could let him prepare for whatever threat was approaching. He knew that it was not something that he could solve at the moment, requiring a better state of mind.

The important thing was that they finally won, they finally triumphed over Evil. However, Ra would not be where he was if he lacked the foresight to understand the implications. The main one being a separation of the Gods under his rule due to the absence of a common enemy.

Fortunately, he had planned for this beforehand in case a situation like this one arose, as unlikely as it was. He had a candidate in mind, one that he was sure would not refuse.

Turning to the said candidate, Ra was met with a puzzling sight. Seth was... trembling? The Sun God thought he was tired after the long fight, something he could understand as he himself was in a similar state.

"You can rest now, young one. The threat is no longer—"

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"Aahh... aaaahhh... aaAAAHHH... AAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!"

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On that day, God defeated the one he considered his father.

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On that day, God's mind shattered.

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On that day, God consumed his progenitor.

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‎And on that day... God became a Demon.