"Lady Athena is the Mother Goddess of our Ancestral God, and her dignity and virtue are something a Godslayer like you couldn't possibly boast of!"
"Oh really? But didn't the goddess, who once prided herself on her purity, humble herself before me?" Kaido gently lifted Angela's beautiful chin, lewdly caressing her tender skin. "How about I subdue Athena and then stain both of you with my color?"
"Evil Godslayer! This dying body of mine may be yours to enjoy, but the wise Maiden of Heaven is not someone you can do whatever you want with!" Angela's small chest heaved violently, seemingly angered by Kaido's shameless words. It wasn't because of his low desires, but because he offended the dignity of the goddess.
"Say what you want, since the Gorgon Stone is in my hands, Athena will come sooner or later." Kaido put away the obsidian emblem. Returning to the sofa, he embraced Angela, playfully teasing her. He wasn't bothered by the goddess's firm yet indifferent gaze; instead, with great interest, he playfully tickled Angela on her sensitive spots.
"..." Feeling the tickle in her abdomen and armpit, Angela's eyes trembled endlessly. Her desire to laugh, yet not daring to, was truly irresistible to Kaido. It felt great to bully a goddess who couldn't resist.
---
Tokyo was unaffected by the earthquake that occurred on Mount Nikko a few days ago. In this increasingly fast-paced life, such news was merely after-dinner conversation for ordinary people. However, while white-collar workers grumbled as they worked in air-conditioned rooms, students pondered what to eat for lunch while classes were suspended, and laborers toiled in sweat, darkness descended.
The sunlight that had originally fallen upon the earth dimmed, a corner of the golden sun was missing, and the sky, which should have been cloudless, filled with ink-dark clouds. Darkness quickly enveloped the land, and the electric lights of the human world provided no illumination whatsoever. As the darkness spread, all artificial lights lost their brilliance. Cars wouldn't start, people lost their sense of direction in the gloom, and even objects a few meters away couldn't be seen clearly.
As people began to panic, the goddess who detested light and was born of night quietly passed through the nocturnal city.
"What this goddess seeks is the Gorgon Stone, the ancient serpent that was once etched on my shield and dwells in this place!"
"What this goddess seeks is the Gorgon Stone, which bestows ancient authority upon me, who no longer obeys!"
"What this goddess seeks is the Gorgon Stone. May you guide the journey of the disobedient queen, granting me anew the wisdom of darkness, earth, and sky!"
An ancient song rose from the girl's lips, beautiful and tender yet with a mature and noble voice that echoed through the sky.
And Kaido, who was reading in the villa, suddenly felt the Gorgon Stone in his embrace begin to warm, and a faint glow flickered on the black emblem.
"King!" Erica and Liliana, who were working, rushed into the room from outside, their faces tense, their swords tightly gripped. Although they knew Athena would come a few days ago, the fear pervading their hearts couldn't be extinguished. That unease and dread, as if carved into their souls and melted into their bones, filled them. Humans have an instinctive fear of Disobedient Gods. Even though both had encountered several Disobedient Gods, this innate physiological reaction couldn't be stopped. Although the two women had suppressed those emotions as much as possible.
"She arrived much faster than I expected," Kaido said softly. It had been less than four days since the battle at Nikko Toshogu Shrine, and the Gorgon Stone was exposed only a day ago. However, arriving early or late didn't matter. Since the Gorgon Stone was in his hands, no matter what, the disobedient Athena would come.
Darkness quickly enveloped the villa. Artificial light sources lost their illuminating effect, and only the firelight from the fireplace reflected the varied expressions on everyone's faces.
At some unknown moment, accompanied by a flash of silver light, the moon goddess, like a bright moon illuminating the night sky, opened the door. The little goddess, who had plunged Tokyo into darkness, looked at Kaido. To be precise, she was looking at the Gorgon Stone in his hand, which was emitting a faint glow.
"Long time no see, Godslayer. This goddess has come in search of the ancestral serpent, in response to fate's demands, to reclaim the divinity of the three-bodied Queen of the Night."
In the spacious room, soft, thick carpets lay beneath everyone's feet, and the lack of light concealed the luxurious and expensive decorations in the deep, dark abyss. However, the little goddess standing in the center of the room had a more striking presence than any luxury item in the world.
"Welcome, Lady Goddess, to my humble abode." Kaido closed his book, put it down, and smiled as he approached her.
Her attire was no different from their last encounter: short, silver hair with a faint shimmer like the bright moon, a blue velvet hat on her silver locks, a thin light beige sweater, and a miniskirt with white over-the-knee socks on her lower body. In the darkness, the goddess's skin was even more enchanting and dazzling, and her slightly youthful appearance was like that of a fairy from a fairy tale. And the noble aura emanating from her could not be matched even by gems carved by master hands.
"Heretic Athena." Erica and Liliana whispered softly, each girl gripping her beloved sword, Lion Heart and Silver Master. Although they knew their strength was absolutely insufficient to face a Heretic God, they would not hesitate to wield their swords against the goddess if Kaido commanded them to.
"Exciting and tense events always seem to happen around the King." Princess Alice hid in the back, her gaze fixed on the nearby scene. Although her face had paled from the goddess's power, as the most powerful witch in all of Europe, even as her body trembled, she witnessed everything that ordinary people could not see with their own eyes.
---
Before Kaido's lukewarm welcome, the little goddess slightly raised her head so she could clearly see his full appearance.
"For a divine child of Epimetheus to welcome us, heretic gods, your existence is truly beyond all specification."
"It's my honor to be praised by the goddess of wisdom. Erica, a seat please." Kaido snapped his fingers.
Erica, who had been singled out by his gaze, was stunned for a few seconds, not immediately comprehending what was happening. The script never mentioned this! Don't Godslayers and Heretic Gods usually start fighting or badmouthing each other upon meeting?
Though puzzled, Erica finally reacted, responding anxiously before quickly moving a sofa from behind. With her arm strength enhanced by magic, doing so was quite simple. The sound of the sofa moving was somewhat intense, but as it was placed behind Athena, it seemed unusually soft. Erica observed the small figure in front of her, clearly perceiving the immense magical power she contained.
"Miss Athena, please... please sit." Although her aristocratic upbringing had taught her perfect etiquette, this was Erica's first time hosting a Heretic God, which made her stammer.
"Please." Kaido gestured with one hand forward, a gentle smile on his face.
Athena hesitated for a moment, then parted her pink lips and said, "Eastern Godslayer, though I do not know your intention, even if this sofa conceals imperceptible traps for this goddess, I will never refuse your invitation." The goddess's tone was filled with arrogance and confidence.
Although to others, Athena coming alone to the Godslayer's stronghold seemed foolish, if she were to hesitate and be suspicious due to fear, she would not be Athena. She is the goddess of wisdom and a warrior military goddess. Even if it were an enemy invitation, even if it were a known Hongmen banquet, Athena would proudly stride forward. After speaking, the goddess sat down opposite Kaido. And due to her height, she adjusted her angle after sitting to a suitable position.
It was soft, and suddenly no magical barrier appeared. The cute silver-haired girl showed a perplexed expression.
"I wouldn't do anything that would harm my reputation. It's just a normal invitation." Kaido shrugged, feeling a mix of amusement and exasperation at Athena's obvious suspicion. However, this might also be because he had tricked her last time. As the goddess of wisdom, she had become foolish due to her impatience, greatly damaging her dignity as a goddess.
"This goddess does not believe that a Godslayer harbors good will toward a Heretic God. Even if you adorn it with flowery words, this goddess will maintain the utmost suspicion." The silver-haired goddess shook her head.
"Eastern Godslayer, state your name first. This goddess is the goddess who bears the divine name Athena. From now on, you must remember it well." When she uttered that name, the silver-haired goddess's expression became even more arrogant. Because this name symbolized too many things. Wisdom, war, darkness, military... and so on. It would not be an exaggeration to praise the three-bodied Queen Athena as the supreme goddess of the entire Western pantheon.
"Kaido. You should know that this name will accompany you forever from now on." Kaido sharply noticed the twitch of her eyebrow, seemingly a subtle reaction to his last statement.
"You should also know the purpose of this goddess's visit today. Those mages took the Gorgon Stone from the ancient imperial capital. This goddess, awakening from her slumber, has been traveling the world to reclaim her three-bodied qualification. Therefore, whoever takes the serpent from this goddess will be her enemy." When these words fell, an invisible aura of killing intent immediately surged in the room.
"But you're no match for me now," Kaido smiled.
"This goddess knows that. Right now, this goddess is just a broken body, with only a small fragment of wisdom remaining: the wisdom to defy heaven and the sun. But even so, this goddess will still bravely move forward." The silver-haired goddess did not commit to Kaido's statement, but her sole purpose was the Gorgon Stone and to regain her three-bodied power.
"Lady Athena, please calm down for a moment. How about you first listen to the Demon King's statement?" At that moment, a beautiful woman spoke with a clear voice, as enchanting as a spring swallow. The solemn atmosphere immediately dissipated. Athena turned to look at the beautifully dressed woman and said, "You have an aura that is familiar to this goddess."
"This goddess's name is Sita, and I presume Lady Athena has heard this name before." Sita bowed to the little goddess.
"So even you have fallen to become an Ancestral God." Athena sighed softly, her tone holding a hint of anger and sadness. "Since it is you who speaks, this goddess will listen for now."
Kaido looked at Sita, not expecting her to have such influence. The latter simply chuckled softly, shaking her head silently.
"This Gorgon Stone is useless to me. Since you want it, I'll give it to you."
"Really?" Athena leaned forward, her breathing becoming slightly hurried. Kaido's calm words seemed to possess a special magic. The Gorgon Stone was Athena's most desired object since she awoke from her slumber. To obtain this stone, she traveled the world in search of it, and upon hearing the news deliberately released by Kaido, she unhesitatingly confronted three Godslayers in the Adriatic Sea, and now arrived directly at Kaido's stronghold.
Because the Gorgon Stone symbolized not only Athena's power. It was also a symbol of the Earth Mother Goddess's majesty, the goddess's dignity, and the celestial fire of wisdom, and even a form of resistance against the goddess's current tragic situation. The only thing remaining in Athena's memory were the mother's sighs, the queen's humiliation, and the elder's wisdom.
"That's right, even if you've lost your past divinity, you know this stone has no practical value to a Godslayer." Kaido casually twirled the obsidian emblem in his hand. When he moved the Gorgon Stone to the left, the silver-haired goddess's gaze moved to the left; when he moved it to the right, it also moved to the right. The aura of the ancient serpent resonated with the goddess's body, and the color of her eyes gradually changed.