In the celestial realm of Amaterasu, the atmosphere was charged with a mixture of shock, excitement, and simmering anger. The divine space, usually serene and composed, buzzed with energy as the gods watched the recording of Nathan’s fight, his every move replayed in vivid detail.
“I can’t believe it…” Hermes murmured, his eyes wide with astonishment as he observed the battle unfold. Nathan’s prowess far exceeded what he had anticipated. ‘I knew he was strong, but this? Aphrodite, you’ve kept quite a few secrets from me!’ Inside, Hermes was practically vibrating with excitement.
He had always had an eye for potential, and now he was thrilled to have made a connection with such a figure. The future with Nathan promised to be anything but dull.
“He’s amazing, isn’t he?!” Ishtar’s pink eyes sparkled with admiration as she watched Nathan systematically dismantle the Heroes of Kastoria. Her infatuation with him had grown rapidly, her curiosity about him deepening with each passing second. It was frustrating that she couldn’t see his face!
As gods, they could witness much, but even their powers had limits. If not for these restrictions, Ishtar would have already delved into every aspect of Nathan’s life, uncovering all there was to know about him.
“His name is Samael, right? The name sounds a bit weird, but I can’t help wondering what he looks like!” Ishtar’s voice was filled with eagerness, almost trembling with excitement. If it weren’t for the ongoing conflict, she would have descended from her realm to seek him out, to speak with him—maybe even more.
“I want him,” she purred, licking her lips sensually as she fixated on the one feature of Nathan she could see: his left demonic, golden eye. The allure of the unknown only fueled her desire.
“Are you seriously getting aroused by a man you don’t even know?” Hera asked, her voice laced with disdain as she regarded Ishtar with disgust.
“I don’t need to know more than I already do! He’s incredible, and you know it!” Ishtar dismissed Hera’s judgment, her infatuation undeterred by her lack of knowledge.
“He’s dangerous,” Hera countered, her golden eyes narrowing as she scrutinized the recording of Samael. A deep unease stirred within her. ‘That ice… it reminds me too much of Khione.’
Hera’s senses were finely tuned to such things, to the threads of truth woven into the fabric of the cosmos. And something about this man—something about Samael—struck her as intimately connected to Khione, the goddess of snow and ice, who had mysteriously vanished.
A plan began to take shape in Hera’s mind. ‘Poseidon will be eager to deal with this nuisance,’ she thought. All she needed to do was suggest that this man, Samael, had ties to Khione—the one Poseidon was desperately seeking.
If Poseidon believed there was even a chance of uncovering Khione’s whereabouts, he would not hesitate to unleash his wrath upon Nathan, extracting the truth through any means necessary.
While Hera’s thoughts turned dark and calculated, another goddess was grappling with her own emotions.
Amaterasu’s fury was a storm barely contained within her, her divine presence crackling with barely restrained anger. One of her heroes had been killed, and she could not ignore it. Worse still, the death was at the hands of a single hero summoned by that despicable Demon King!
It took every ounce of her self-control to resist descending to the mortal plane and violating the divine laws to annihilate the arrogant human herself. The consequences of such an action would be catastrophic, even for her.
But Amaterasu had no intention of letting this affront go unpunished, nor would she order her remaining heroes to retreat. To flee would be to admit defeat, and her heroes had no intention of running. Rena Yanagi had been kidnapped, and Rena was one of her strongest. Abandoning her was not an option.
Her resolve hardened, and Amaterasu made a decision. She had no choice but to play her trump card. With a thought, she sent a message to Kaguya, her trusted envoy.
‘Now the Hero of Darkness will die.’
If she had harbored any doubts before, they were gone now. She was certain of it—Kaguya would end Samael.
°°°°°°
“Lord Kratos is rallying the troops once more, and Megara has recovered sufficiently to lead her forces,” Semiramis reported, her voice steady as she tossed another piece of wood onto the fire burning in the cave. I nodded, barely acknowledging her words as I watched the flames dance, my thoughts elsewhere.
“And what of Kastoria? Has anything significant happened, or has someone new arrived?” I asked, my tone calm but with an edge of impatience.
“No, nothing we’ve noticed so far,” she replied. But despite this, they were still camped out at the border, refusing to retreat. It didn’t make sense—they had to know they couldn’t defeat me with mere determination or camaraderie. They had to be waiting for reinforcements. Otherwise, they would have fled by now.
I had already killed one of them, and threatened the rest, yet they remained stubbornly in place.
I clenched my fists, frustration gnawing at me. I didn’t have time to waste on these fools. Pulling back my sleeve slightly, I glanced down at my skin. The darkness had spread further, creeping over me like a curse. My time was running out—two months at best to find a solution.
To survive being nearly killed by them only to die in such a pitiful way, from a curse of my own creation, would be a truly miserable end.
“Are you even listening?” Rena’s voice broke through my thoughts, pulling me back to the present. She was glaring at me, her eyes wet with unshed tears, a mix of anger and frustration etched into her features.
It had been hours, and the weariness of the day was catching up with us. It was time to rest, but Rena had been complaining incessantly about her discomfort, refusing to sleep on the hard, bare ground. She was clearly accustomed to a life of luxury, far removed from the harsh realities of war and survival.
“If you’re so desperate for a bed, I’ll gladly offer mine,” I said coldly as I let the implication hang in the air, “but you’ll have to keep it warm.”
Rena’s face flushed a deep crimson, her anger and embarrassment rendering her silent as she clenched her jaw, refusing to give me the satisfaction of a response.
“Lord Commander…” Semiramis’s voice called out again, hesitant this time.
“What is it?” I asked, tossing another log onto the fire, the flames crackling and sending sparks into the air.
She hesitated, clearly conflicted. “Shouldn’t we consider releasing this girl? We could use her as leverage to negotiate something with Kastoria.”
I almost laughed at the absurdity of the suggestion. Had Ryuuki’s naive talk of peace and cooperation gotten to her?
“Are you questioning my decision?” I asked, standing up slowly, my voice low and dangerous.
“N-No, never, Lord Commander,” Semiramis quickly shook her head, her eyes wide with fear.
I took slow, deliberate steps toward her, closing the distance between us. “Then what? Have you lost faith in me?”
“No,” she whispered, shaking her head again, her voice trembling slightly.
When I was mere inches from her, I looked down, towering over her. I was a bit taller, enough to make her feel the weight of my presence. “I just thought…hmnn~” she began, but her words trailed off into a soft moan as I leaned in, pressing a kiss to her neck.