Chapter 195: Heracles (20)
At last.
A handsome blond man clad in an orange tunic descended to the ground amid flames as brilliant as the sun.
“Ahh, my beautiful love, Teleos. I’ve missed you so much.”
“Hehe, the feeling is mutual, Lord Apollo.”
The very one Teleos had kept mentioning—the god Apollo—descended upon this land, adorned with radiant light and flames.
He was often packaged as a romantic who laughed and cried in love alongside Zeus, but in truth, he was simply mad for beautiful things regardless of gender, excessively prideful, and a complete pushover when it came to his lovers.
Of course, he was a powerful god who surpassed such derogatory labels. Though he couldn’t drive the sun chariot like Helios, he held partial sovereignty over the sun, and as Zeus’s son, he possessed formidable physical strength and divine power.
The problem was that all of that was more than enough to ignite Poseidon’s current fury.
“Damn brat with nothing but strength and no sense of responsibility. Save your pathetic homosexual lovemaking for later and deal with that pattern in the sky right now.”
Because of that, even though he appeared in the form of Njörd, no polite words could come out of Poseidon’s mouth.
He had maintained silence toward Teleos, but seeing Apollo made it impossible to hold back.
He was even prepared to abandon his plans for future amusement.
The goddess crawling out of hell right now was an existence so troublesome to deal with.
If things went according to his plan, it would be fine—but if the goddess noticed too early, things would become considerably more difficult.
So even though it was already late, he inwardly resolved to try soothing with kind words first and remove the goddess’s gaze…
But seeing that face made it utterly impossible to endure, so he spat out harsh words.
Well, from Apollo’s perspective—who knew nothing—he had simply witnessed the absurd sight of a mere human hurling abuse at him.
“You… mage. No matter how many goddesses favor you, do you think they’ll protect you? Don’t delude yourself. Even if I kill you right here and now, it would cause me no trouble whatsoever. You’re just a human.”
Apollo, who had been embracing Teleos and about to kiss him, felt both rage and satisfaction at the sudden outburst from the insolent mage before him.
He already disliked the fact that there was some dispute involving his beloved Teleos.
That bastard was popular among the goddesses. Moreover, even his own sister Artemis liked the damn guy—so he had no reason to show him any favor.
He had been waiting for any excuse to kill him, and now a human had conveniently provided one.
“Ahh, Lord Apollo. Do you know that this wicked man tried to kill me? If it weren’t for the flame you gave me, I would have died without a fight. And on top of that, he treated all the knowledge you taught me as nothing but lies.”
And to top it off, Teleos cleverly recounted the situation in a way that put himself at an advantage.
Apollo tightly embraced Teleos, who was trembling pitifully in his arms, and decided this was the perfect chance to vent the humiliation he had suffered from this human. He began to channel his divine power.
How dare a mere human lust after (?) his lover and tarnish his honor (?)! Truly, the guy deserved to die.
“Fine. I’ll end you right here and now. No goddess will protect you anymore.”
“…….”
Watching the scene, Poseidon felt genuine despair.
To think that one of the Olympian gods—who supposedly regulate and rule this world—was like this…
Moreover, the fact that this idiot was his nephew made it impossible not to lament.
Normally he only cursed Zeus without any sympathy, but today, he couldn’t help feeling pity for Zeus.
‘Having to run Olympus with idiots like that… Zeus, if this gets resolved well, I’ll come visit you with a good bottle of wine. For once, I feel a little sympathy for you.’
***
“Sigh… Fine. Before anything else, get rid of that pattern in the sky right now. You’re a god too—you must know who the owner of that pattern is. And its danger.”
“Ha! You really do know a lot, mage. But don’t be mistaken. That pattern has already been modified by me—I’ve blocked all the curses and authorities contained within it. The thing you’re worried about won’t happen.”
“…Sigh. You utter fool. If it were that easy, why would she be an existence that even the three great gods would regard with caution? Take action immediately. It’s already far too late. One of Nyx’s most vicious children is about to descend upon the earth.”
“Huh…? How would mere humans know such things?”
Poseidon gave up expecting anything from the damn fool who only gave bewildered replies no matter what he said.
It was already late, and judging by the guy’s behavior, he’d probably get taken out in an instant.
‘Tsk, if it were Apollo-level, he might still be able to stop her from coming up fully intact. At this point, I have no choice but to proceed according to plan.’
“Enough. I’ll do it. Idiots, just stay still…”
―Yes, staying still would be best. Just as this man I haven’t seen in a long time says.
But it was already too late.
If Apollo had taken action the moment he descended, it might not have been too late—but now that was meaningless.
Truly, one of Nyx’s children had ascended to this land. Fully intact.
A beautiful voice echoed as if resounding through space.
Along with it, violet liquid began to ooze sluggishly from underground up to the surface. Accompanied by a foul stench.
Among those engaged in battle, the weakest started collapsing in droves. As their numbers grew, the violet liquid increased exponentially, swallowing them.
“Uh… uh-oh! How can you descend? Weren’t you personally sealed by Goddess Nyx? At Father’s request!!!”
Apollo shouted in a bewildered voice. Something beyond his common sense was happening.
Though he had no personal experience, he had clearly been taught the story: after the Titanomachy, before the order of the gods was established, a goddess had appeared whose mere presence devoured gods and the races on earth, growing so overwhelmingly powerful that she challenged his father Zeus alone.
But as far as he knew, after losing to his father in battle, she had been unable to leave Nyx’s underworld ever again.
Of course, that goddess’s pattern was a forbidden item.
It had been personally prohibited by his father Zeus and Queen Hera…
“Clearly, many gods secretly use it as a substitute for curses…”
Moreover, wasn’t he Apollo? The versatile god, the prince of the gods.
―Hehe, didn’t Zeus tell you? I’m a child who gets along well with him. And that there would be plenty of prey for me to devour, and I could use it continuously for a very long time. Kk kk kk. Above all, child—you were arrogant to think that a mere modification of yours could stop me.
Then, in response to Apollo’s bewilderment, an answer came from within his embrace.
No way…
Apollo looked down at Teleos in his arms with trembling eyes.
What he saw was…
―Got you! Son of Zeus.
The shell of Teleos, eyes hollow and leaking violet mana, now worn by the goddess.
Crunch!
And immediately, Apollo felt his consciousness sinking beneath the surface.
***
While Apollo was making a fool of himself like that, Poseidon hadn’t just been standing idle.
He prioritized protecting Aresia, Penthesilea, and Alcides first, and did his utmost to save those currently being swallowed by her aura.
Fortunately, only the goddess of ruin and delusion, Ate, had emerged—not her other aspect, the goddess of deceit and trickery, Apate, alongside her.
“Tsk. Nyx didn’t seal her child Ate in the underworld at the gods’ request for no reason.”
Indeed. Among the children Nyx bore herself, Ate—the one bearing the divine name of ruin and delusion—was the most grotesque among Nyx’s offspring.
To be blunt, many of Nyx’s children held divine names related to ruin, oblivion, falsehood, deception, and the like. But among them, the only one who devoured her own kin and all things in the world, leading everything to ruin, was Ate alone.
“Aresia. I told you, right? In a life-threatening crisis, do exactly as I said. Then your father will hear the call and appear.”
“Yes, Master. I don’t know who Father is, but… got it.”
After giving Aresia one final firm reminder, Poseidon glanced at Penthesilea and Alcides as well before moving.
He really hated it, but he couldn’t just let Zeus’s child get taken down so stupidly.
“Hey, sorry about this. But if even Zeus’s blood gets swallowed, it’ll be too much to handle.”
Whirr.
A blue light intervened in the violet energy trying to devour Apollo, pulling the sinking god free.
Thud.
Apollo was thrown to the ground, but thanks to Poseidon’s timely intervention, he was safe.
Because of that, the goddess Ate—wearing Teleos’s shell—began to fix her gaze on Poseidon. Still, this much was a bargain.
She had minimized the number of victims she devoured, and even saved that idiot blond.
“Huh? Who are you to know me so well? While I was focused on Apollo, you’ve already taken all the countermeasures? Strange. Surely no one left on the surface knows me well anymore? They’re all inside my belly.”
Ate looked at Poseidon with curious eyes. Of course, even she couldn’t recognize the current human guise of Poseidon.
But she could at least sense intuitively that this mage was special.
Strangely, this one rang alarm bells in her senses even more than Zeus’s son.
“Ugh, if only that idiot Apollo had come to his senses a little sooner. Then we wouldn’t have had to meet face-to-face like this.”
“Hmm, don’t groan so much. This time I was planning to eat just enough and go back. I don’t want to act as violently as before and get taken down by Zeus again.”
“Don’t lie. Who would believe you when you’re drooling at the mouth while saying that?”
Just as Poseidon said. The mouth of Teleos—now smoothly devoured by Ate—was overflowing with saliva like a flood.
As if she couldn’t hold back with so many delicious things surrounding her.
“Oh my! I really didn’t realize. Must be because it’s been so long since I smelled the sweet scent of the surface?”
Poseidon shook his head at the goddess’s nonchalant response.
He had already known full well that she would act this way.
More importantly—
“To deal with you, I’ll have to change the battlefield. Once the other gods notice, it’ll be too late.”
“Huh? Does that mean a mere human like you intends to face me?”
“Maybe.”
With those words, a space like shattered glass formed behind Poseidon and Ate.
It was a contingency measure he had prepared while evading the eyes that Ate—and Teleos—had been watching this place with all along.
And the goddess Ate immediately recognized what kind of place that space was. Just from the aura radiating from it, she knew it belonged to a woman she was very familiar with.
A familiar energy—the power of a woman who was on bad terms with her, a disciple taken in by her own mother, and who had created this mirror world by borrowing her mother’s strength.
“Ha! Mage, so that’s why you were so confident—you’re Hecate’s apostle! But if you thought I’d obediently follow you, you’re mistaken. For you to return to that damned space? That’s impossible!”
From the moment she felt Hecate’s aura, Teleos’s body began to swell.
The beautiful form that Apollo had fallen for inflated like a balloon being filled with air, growing increasingly grotesque.
And she tried to scatter her body to resist the pressure pulling her in.
Because as long as even the tiniest fragment of her body remained, she could move to it at any time.
But unfortunately for Ate—who had only recently adapted to Teleos’s body—she didn’t know.
Poseidon had already tampered with Teleos’s body long ago.
“Let’s just go in. Sorry, but from the moment you swallowed that guy’s body, there was no way out.”
“What?”
Along with Ate’s puzzled question, the swelling of her body came to a halt. Then it began to shrivel like a deflating balloon.
“Come on, let’s go quietly. You’re lucky—you didn’t notice until the very end. I was nervous the whole time wondering what I’d do if you scattered that body before swallowing Teleos.”
With Poseidon’s final words, both Ate and Poseidon were sucked side by side into Hecate’s mirror world.
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