Athena remained silent, her expression unreadable.
There was no need for her to respond; Hermes had hit the nail on the head. Athena had consistently supported Khione’s proposal to summon Heroes from another world. She had voted in favor during the initial summoning, again the second time, and now for the third time as well.
Her reasoning was straightforward: she believed that humans from another world had the potential to bring immense benefits to their own world, especially to its inhabitants. If these summoned Heroes could indeed become strong rapidly and defend their world effectively, it would save the gods a tremendous amount of time and effort.
Although the first two summoning attempts had not yielded the expected results, there was something different this time. The Goddess Gaia had assured her of this with a confident smile.
Thus, Athena decided to support Khione once more and was pleased with the outcome. She had taken a particular liking to Sienna Parker, a Hero who had inherited the formidable Skill of the Sword Hero. Sienna was not only growing stronger at an impressive rate but also possessed a keen sense of righteousness that resonated with Athena. Consequently, Athena chose to closely monitor Sienna’s progress.
Despite her usual composure, Athena felt a twinge of worry this time. The beast Sienna was up against was exceptionally powerful. Although Athena, as a Goddess, rarely intervened directly, she resolved to step in if Sienna’s life was in imminent danger. For now, she would continue to observe.
“Aren’t you going to intervene, Athena? She is going to die at this point,” Hermes asked with a mix of curiosity and concern.
“Intervene for someone from another world? Since when has Athena done that?” Hera interjected with a laugh, her tone mocking.
Historically, the gods of Olympus seldom interfered with the affairs of the summoned Heroes, preferring to focus on their own world’s humans. Athena, in particular, had never descended to aid any Hero. However, this situation seemed different.
Athena’s grip tightened on her lance as she contemplated intervening. Just as she was about to make her move, something unexpected happened.
°°°°°
The battle between Sienna and the massive bear raged on with unrelenting ferocity.
Sienna faced the bear head-on, seemingly matching its strength blow for blow, but her power was only temporarily heightened by her formidable SS-Skill, Sword Hero. Courtney and the other companions provided support from a distance, though only Courtney’s attacks appeared to have any real effect on the beast.
Sienna’s own strikes were even more effective. She was drawing blood, each hit gradually tipping the scales in her favor. Her determination was palpable as she slowly gained the upper hand against the towering bear.
“Graaaha!”
The bear let out an enraged roar, its red fur glowing intensely as its body swelled with newfound power. Everyone watching could see that the creature had become even more formidable.
With fury etched across its face, the bear swung its massive claws at Sienna with blinding speed. She barely managed to raise her sword in time to block the blow, but the force of the attack sent her flying backward. She crashed into a tree with a painful thud.
Gritting her teeth, Sienna tried to get back on her feet quickly, but the bear was already charging at her like an unstoppable bulldozer. She rolled to the side in a desperate attempt to evade the attack, but she was a fraction too slow. The bear’s claws raked across her left arm, tearing through flesh and drawing a deep, bloody gash.
“Ughh!” Sienna cried out in pain, clutching her bleeding arm. The pain was excruciating, and she knew that without the resilience granted by her Hero awakening, she might have already succumbed to unconsciousness.
Perhaps due to the intense pain, Sienna’s concentration faltered, leading to a critical mistake. Her Skill, which should have lasted longer, began to dissipate prematurely. The agony was too overwhelming for her to maintain focus. The bear was leagues beyond any monster she had faced before, its power and ferocity utterly overwhelming.
Sensing an opportunity, the bear lunged at Sienna, aiming to finish her off. But just as it leapt, a powerful fireball struck its head, causing it to recoil. This fireball was stronger than the previous ones, burning fiercely.
“S… Sienna! Run!” Courtney shouted, hurling fireball after fireball at the beast.
At first, the bear tried to ignore the barrage, intent on reaching Sienna. However, as the fireballs continued to rain down, it snarled in frustration and turned its murderous gaze towards Courtney.
“Courtney!!” Sienna screamed, realizing the imminent danger her friend was in.
Understanding the peril she faced, Courtney began to retreat, summoning her magic for a more potent attack to fend off the bear. But she was too slow. The bear charged at her with terrifying speed, its claws poised to strike.
“Barrier!!”
At that crucial moment, a familiar voice rang out. A barrier of earth sprang up between Courtney and the bear, just in time. The bear collided with the sturdy barrier, its head smacking against the solid earth with a thud. The impact was strong enough to make the bear stagger back, momentarily dazed.
Courtney’s eyes widened in recognition and relief. “Teacher!!” she cried out joyfully.
Amelia, their teacher, stood, her presence bringing relief. The others also sighed in relief, their spirits lifted by her timely arrival.
“Everyone! Get back together!” Amelia commanded, her voice clear and authoritative. Without hesitation, the group rallied behind her, sprinting to safety.
Sienna, still clutching her sword, rose awkwardly to her feet. She gathered every ounce of her remaining mana, her eyes fixed on the bear’s unprotected back. This was her chance—while the bear was still disoriented.
Her sword began to glow with an intense blue light, nearly blinding those around her. The ground trembled beneath her as she took a firm stance, gripping her sword with both hands. She raised the blade high above her head before swinging it downward with all her might.
“Ha!”
A giant, sharp, blue energy blade sliced through the air, covering the distance to the bear in an instant.
“GRAAAAA!!!” The bear let out a scream as the blade tore open its back, blood spurting out in a gruesome display. Flesh and even bones were exposed, a horrifying sight.
Exhausted, Sienna collapsed to her knees as the energy left her sword. The bear, writhing in agony, turned its furious gaze towards her. Its eyes burned with rage as it opened its mouth, flames flickering inside. With a powerful roar, it unleashed a jet of fire directly at Sienna.
Through her blue eyes, Sienna saw the wall of fire rushing towards her, knowing she would not survive the attack. She tried to move, but her body refused to obey, too drained from the battle.
At that critical moment, a figure leapt towards her, tackling her to the ground just in time to dodge the fiery breath. Sienna’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked up to see who had saved her.
“Are you okay, Sienna?” Nathan asked, his voice filled with genuine concern. He positioned his body protectively over hers, shielding her from further harm.
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