Yanagi Rena could scarcely believe what she was seeing. Her life had been filled with incredible, nearly impossible events—the most shocking being her sudden summoning to another world. Yet, standing before her was a man who nearly surpassed even that in sheer disbelief.
His presence was utterly captivating, unsettlingly so. His dark, curly hair was slicked back, revealing a face so unnervingly handsome that it seemed almost unreal. Only one of his eyes was visible, glowing like molten gold, while the other was concealed beneath a mysterious eye patch.
His appearance was the very embodiment of both fear and fascination, a paradoxical blend of the terrifying and the magnificent.
Rena struggled to accept that this man could be from Earth, just like her. The idea seemed absurd, yet there was no denying the truth. She first suspected it when she overheard him muttering in Japanese. The second confirmation came when she picked up something said by Akane, thanks to her Yokes. The word that escaped Akane’s lips was one laden with meaning: “Onii-sama.”
That was how Akane addressed him—Samael. The Arima Twins, as far as Rena knew, had no brothers. However, she had heard rumors that they had once been adopted, and she deduced that this “Samael” must be their stepbrother. But that only deepened the mystery rather than solved it.
Why was their stepbrother so overwhelmingly powerful? And so terrifying?
Samael had defeated all of them, including Ryuuki, whom Rena had believed to be the strongest among them. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, he had also bested Kaguya, a feat that seemed impossible.
And now, as if reality itself was mocking her understanding, a Goddess knelt before him.
Not just any deity, but Amaterasu, the legendary Sun Goddess from Rena’s homeland, was bowing in submission to this man. The sight was nothing short of surreal—unfathomable. He had managed to bring a Goddess to her knees.
What was most disturbing, though, was the ease with which he did it. There was no visible strain, no sign of effort in subduing both Kaguya and Amaterasu. It was as if he had done something as simple as breathing.
Didn’t he feel even the slightest bit of fear? Rena wondered. And where was his sense of shame?
He moved with a confidence that bordered on arrogance, engaging in actions that left her stunned and bewildered. The things he did with the first woman, who seemed to be his subordinate, and then with Kaguya—Rena had only heard whispers of such things, but now she had seen them with her own eyes.
The image of his bare, flawless body was now seared into her memory, a sight so vivid that she doubted it would ever fade.
°°°°°°
“You better get used to it now, Amaterasu,” I said, my voice low and cold as I glanced toward Kaguya. “I have a lot planned for you and your dear daughter.”
Kaguya could refuse me if she wanted, but I knew her well enough already thanks to Aphrodite. She would never abandon her beloved Goddess, not when Amaterasu was at my mercy.
It was all part of the plan.
Amaterasu still had her head bowed, her pride crushed beneath the weight of her current situation.
“I won’t kill you, nor will I harm Kaguya,” I continued, my tone deceptively calm. “But you will do everything I ask of you. As long as you obey me, you have nothing to fear.”
“H…How is this possible…? You… how…?” Her voice trembled, the words slipping from her lips in disbelief.
She was still grappling with the reality of her position, struggling to comprehend how she—a Goddess who had existed for millennia—had been brought so low. It was a sight that would have been unthinkable to anyone who had ever worshipped her.
I frowned, growing impatient with her disbelief. “I don’t have time to waste. If you’re going to be useless to me, I might as well kill Kaguya right now,” I threatened, an icy sword materializing in my hand, its tip hovering menacingly above Kaguya’s frozen form.
Amaterasu’s head snapped up at the mention of Kaguya, her eyes wide with panic. “No!” she cried out, her voice tinged with desperation.
“Then obey me,” I repeated, my voice as cold as the blade I held. “I’m going ahead to deal with your pathetic heroes. Take your time to process your new situation, but know this—the longer you take, the more of your precious Heroes will die. I’ve already shown mercy by killing only one of them.”
They could thank Ayaka and Akane for being their classmates. If it weren’t for them, I would have wiped out every last one of them without hesitation.
“But this time, there will be no mercy. You will order Kaguya to intervene, to create peace,” I continued, my voice a sharp edge. “I will release Rena, and in return, we will make an exchange. You will withdraw your armies and swear never to attack Tenebria again in exchange for Rena’s release.”
Of course, the promise was nothing more than a façade, a meaningless gesture when I had their Goddess under my control. The true power was already mine, and I intended to wield it to my advantage.
I could see Rena behind me, her eyes widening in shock as she heard my words, realizing for the first time that I intended to release her. From the beginning, she had been nothing more than a pawn in this larger game, a tool to achieve my goals.
I didn’t have time to waste on Kastoria or its leaders, not when my own time was running out. With only two months left to live, Kastoria, Kaguya, and even Amaterasu were merely obstacles, distractions that needed to be dealt with swiftly and efficiently.
Now, I could finally turn my attention to the Trojan War.
I wasn’t naive—I knew what was coming. Aphrodite had been helping me all along, and I suspected her motives weren’t entirely selfless. It was clear she was going to ask me to take her side in the war, to fight alongside the Trojans against the Greeks. After everything she had done for me, it was only a matter of time before she called in the favor.
I wasn’t against the idea. In fact, I was prepared to repay her. But there was more to it than mere repayment. Aphrodite had hinted at something that had piqued my interest—a way to escape the fate that was looming over me. A way to cheat death.
That alone was enough to make me consider her request.
But there was a problem. The Trojan War wasn’t just another battle; it was a clash of titans, a stage where all the Greek gods would be present. Among them were Poseidon and Hera, both of whom Khione had warned me about.