Eldritch

 

"Leave this world, Oroi! By my name, Aureas, you have no place here!" (Aureas?)

 

Do you know that feeling when the god your accidentally created population somehow prayed into existence now tries to vanquish you in your own world because you cosplayed once as a demon?

 

No?
Well, let me tell you that it's a very complicated one with multiple layers of irritation one experiences at the same time.
Though, I guess even if it's very complex most of it could be summarized under,

 

"What the fuck!" (I)

"You're not welcome! Leave!" (Au)

 

Currently, I can't pin down where the voice is coming from since it's kinda disembodied, and even with my eye abilities there is nothing to focus on around me.
What I can say is that it sounds male and while it's hard to tell with this weird energy echo I'd say it's not old since it speaks fluently and not with this slow gravity old people do.
Which might be a given considering that he's one day old.
Yet I don't know how the time forming before the actual materialization plays into that.

Abruptly, I perceive how energy gathers above me.
I am no expert, but I'd say that it might in some way gather from another dimension that is still within my dream, but not physically in the one I’m currently standing in.
At least this is what I interpret the surge of energy to be that I feel.
And this interpretation is based on my instincts.
And those are usually correct since they're provided by my subconscious, which if I think about my other self, is far more familiar with my nature.
So yes, the energy comes from a side dimension within my dream.
And this on the other hand supports the assumption that the godly source is as well there.

I just didn't notice it because I don't maintain awareness of every part of my dream all the time.
I mean, it's kinda endless and just because it's inside me doesn't mean I have to take notice of it.
The same as you don't notice a mosquito on your skin.
Or the stinging places.
They're simply not perceived until you look at them.
The same goes for this god and his pocket dimension.

Until now that is.
Now I perfectly know where he is.
Since he gathers an awful amount of energy, which weirdly feels like a mix of many different life forces, the first thing I do is shield myself.
Before the torrent comes down, I grow many gigantic tentacles in a circle around the field and close them to the center, directly below the energy.
Just in time, because it plummets down with extreme power.
I can tell because of my deep connection to the tentacles I summoned, this very place, and even in some way the attack itself.
And while my tentacle ceiling was dozens of meters thick, the attack almost blew through.

I guess it's time to deal with this problem.
I regenerate the damaged tentacles, make them grow to the portal, and pull it open.
Then I gather force in my legs and jump.
Midway, I also extend an extremely scary pair of thick fleshy wings adorned with many, many eyes, which aren't the slightest bit aerodynamic but apparently don't care for this minor detail, to lift me further upward.
So a moment later I'm at the edge of the portal and simply slip through.
The moment I enter I hear a voice.

 

"How can this be? You can't just enter my realm! This shouldn't be possible!" (Aureas)

 

Something about his voice sounds weird.
There's still this echo but apart from this, it's somehow odd.
Yet I can't think much further about this since lightning consisting of this weird energy flies in my direction.
I want to dodge, but it blasts off a good chunk of one of my oversized wings.
Just good that I don't feel this kind of thing as pain which would serve no purpose since it already regenerated.

 

"Well, now I'm here. I'd like to keep this civil so can you please not shoot at me?" (I)

"Civil? I know what you are, primordial demon Oroi!" (Au)

 

There!
Before the next blast can come I grow tentacles to fix him in place and cross the distance till I'm standing right in front of him.
Which is when I realize what was so odd for me about his voice.
Because I'm looking at a boy of around seven to eight years of age.
That came unexpectedly.
Fine, seems like I have to switch from a reasonable discussion with a young god to babysitting.
And this boy certainly needs a mature person because he already tries to gather another blast to throw at my face.

 

"People, grant me strength!" (Au)

 

Just now I notice the connection.
It seems like somehow there's lifeforce coming from the settlement and this boy transforms it into a weapon.
Not in a way that I think it would be dangerous for me, especially not here, but this doesn't mean I like it and have to endure what he's literally throwing at me.
So I again use tentacles to yank his arm away.

 

"You won't win! Even if I die here, I will recover and fight you for eternity if I have to in order to get rid of your presence and save my People, demon Oroi!" (Au)

 

Damn, good luck getting rid of "my presence" in this world.
I have to say, the way he talks he sounds a bit more mature than I gave this child credit for, even if its conclusions are completely off.
So I have to clear this up.

 

"Look, you misunderstood something. I'm not evil and my name isn't even 'Oroi' but 'Iori'." (I)

"As if I'd believe you, deceitful demon! I'll do whatever it takes to protect this world!" (Au)

 

As soon as he says this I feel how he gathers every bit of energy he has left inside his body.
But while it's still such a weird mix, this time it also feels uncontrolled, wild.
As if he's not even trying to direct it into an attack.
Oh my god, he's about to blow up!

 

"Okay that's enough! You're getting a time-out!" (I)

 

I don't know how I got this idea.
Probably again this know-it-all instinct, but I am aware of the right course of action.
With this, I establish a bubble around us to cut him off from his energy supply and use tentacles to restrict his movements and absorb the excess of energy directly out of his body.

 

"What? How did you do this?!" (Au)

 

It's seriously hard to get through to him.
Are all gods like this? In any case, I can't allow this state of affairs.
The People are fine if they don't believe in me, but if now some god wants to banish me out of my very own dream then this is not only completely ridiculous but also something that annoys me on a most basic level.

 

"Then like this! I'm not a demon but an outer god. I have my own dream where I wield absolute power and can do whatever my wretched mind can come up with. However, I lost track of it a bit so it developed partly independently. And this includes a certain religion. What I want to say with this is the following: Sorry to break it to you, but you are here in my world!" (I)

 

While saying the latter something goes through with me, probably my suppressed annoyance at getting replaced by another god in my own dream.
Whatever it is, the whole subspace here turns into tentacle hell.
They break out from me, from the ground, what I perceive as the borders of this place, and even poke from other dimensions through portals straight into the air.
Really, not a single speck is free and this goes on for an eternally wide space.

At least the boy is now properly terrified.
Not exactly my intention but a step in the right direction to prove my identity to him.

 

"I am Iori Nomia. Outer god and dreamer of this whole realm. You're free to exist here, but I want you to be aware of who owns the place." (I)

 

At this point, I don't even need confirmation that I'm in complete demon mode and scary as hell.
But if your tenants don't even recognize the fact that they borrowed a place that's an issue.
On the other side, I feel kinda responsible for him since I caused his existence.
In so many ways.
Does that make me his mother?

 

"I don't understand! How can you be so powerful? And what is an outer god? And a dream? Your madness won't affect me demon! I'm this place's god and have to protect my People!" (Au)

 

Now it feels like he stubbornly refuses to deal with the confusing state of the world.
Sigh, and with my amount of experience that consists of two weeks and weird instincts, I'm not too much of a help.

This and the fact that he thinks I'm an evil demon who lies with every word it speaks aren't too great to help me convince him.
And the miasma around me is a bit of an indicator.

Damn, gods are really hard to deal with.
If I would just know of a better way to teach him everything so he behaves appropriately. Like not trying to blow me up anymore.
Which might translate into a stomach ache.

 

Wait a moment!
Gods!

I know a way to teach him!
Or rather someone!

I look intently at this little god.

 

"Wh-what are you planning?" (Au)

"You're coming with me now." (I)