The night enveloped the city, with neither moonlight nor starlight piercing the thick clouds. This was the scenery Athena loved most.
She was the queen of the night, and only in darkness could her noble grace fully manifest.
Athena stood by the window, clad in a pure white lace gown, her white stockings resting on the luxurious carpet as she gazed at the deep night outside.
From this window, even on clear nights, one could only see the moon and stars—never any artificial lights.
The city lights of human civilization were what Athena despised most. To the Queen of the Night, those artificial glows were an usurpation of her authority. Thus, the location of this villa in Rome was carefully chosen—surrounded only by lush natural forests, devoid of any man-made intrusions.
Athena knew Roy had chosen this villa as his residence solely to meet her expectations, sparing her the sight of the artificial lights she loathed.
This small detail warmed Athena's heart. That man, the Demon King, though reckless in many ways, could still move a woman's heart with such thoughtful gestures.
Athena was a goddess, but she was also a woman.
Even if she admired towering heroes of great stature, women ultimately still longed for tender affection and devoted care.
Yet the vast majority of heroes and warriors lacked such sentimental inclinations. Though Athena might appreciate them in her heart, she harbored no other thoughts toward them.
But the man named Roy Crowley was different. He possessed earth-shaking power and the domineering spirit of a true hero, yet at the same time, he was also capable of tenderness and sweetness.
'What a truly extraordinary man. Moreover, he is a Campione—a cursed slayer of gods. Yet such a man seeks peaceful coexistence and even an alliance with a goddess. Should I call him audacious, or should I praise his extraordinary magnanimity?'
At this thought, the goddess Athena chuckled to herself, but soon she was startled—here she was, lost in contemplation, her thoughts drifting once again toward that man.
Athena was not a Heretic God born in the modern era. She had descended upon the earth at least two thousand years ago. Back then, she had been high-spirited and unruly, wreaking havoc upon the land and bringing endless calamity to mankind.
Wherever she went, the land was filled with the clash of arms. Even the virtue of 'wisdom,' under the distortion of the Heretic God's will, turned into suspicion and paranoia. The nations Athena wandered through became militaristic and their governments grew distrustful and fearful. Many countries met their merciless demise after her passing.
Until she encountered the Campione of that era. That Campione had slain numerous gods and possessed formidable strength. One like him should have been invincible, with only the Last King capable of ending his reign. Yet, under Athena's Sword of Wisdom, even the world's strongest Campione at the time was utterly defeated, losing his life in the process.
Before that Campione died, he used the authority he had usurped to steal Athena's Gorgon Stone and hid it away, causing Athena to lose her trinity form and fall into a deep slumber.
It was only recently, when the Gorgon Stone resurfaced, that Athena awoke once more. To be honest, Heretic Gods despise their own nature as Heretic Gods, for they lose the ability to choose their own path. Under the influence of their Heretic God will, they wander aimlessly—this loss of control over their actions is something proud deities find utterly detestable.
Having lost the Gorgon Stone, Athena's power diminished greatly, but she also shed the nature of a Heretic God. Logically, this should have been a cause for celebration, yet the pride of the Goddess of Wisdom and War refused to let her simply drift along. Thus, she spared no effort to reclaim the Gorgon Stone.
She knew that once she retrieved it, she would once again fall under the influence of a Heretic God, doomed to wander—either to be slain by a Campione one day or to bring apocalyptic calamity upon humanity. Yet even knowing this, she would not allow herself to remain incomplete. Athena's pride would never permit such a thing.
"But this time, I encountered a Campione unlike any other in a thousand years—no, one that has never existed since the birth of the Demon Kings. Not only does he lack the revolting stench of a Campione, capable of suppressing his instinctive disgust, but he even dared to bind the Goddess of Wisdom with a contract, seeking to claim everything from her..."
Athena murmured softly, her lips curling into an unconsciously sweet smile—until she caught sight of her own reflection in the floor-to-ceiling window. Only then did her expression gradually sober, turning solemn. "...Still, I must thank you. Because of you, I no longer wander. I no longer have to follow the pitiful fate of a Heretic God."
Indeed, a Heretic God stripped of its wandering nature could hardly be called a Heretic God at all. Rather, the Athena of now was the Athena of myth—she had become a true goddess once more.
In this world, only a Campione could strip a Heretic God of its Heretic nature. Yet Campiones and Heretic Gods were natural enemies, utterly incapable of cooperation. This paradox had finally been broken in this era, and Athena was the sole deity to reap the benefits of this shattered convention.
She was the Goddess of Wisdom and War, Athena—not the Heretic Athena. A mere difference in title, yet it signified Athena's true freedom.
"Though to make the Virgin Goddess feel desire... that is a grave sin, Roy..."
Athena's expression grew distant, her tone complex, torn between joy at having gained genuine emotions and fear of these feelings that should never have been hers.
Her pure, night-like eyes brimmed with vexing agitation and melancholy.
"I hate wishy-washy goddesses like you."
A mocking voice suddenly came from behind Athena. Aphrodite had appeared at some point, clad in a loosely draped nightgown, her jade-like skin glowing faintly in the dark night.
She stood behind Athena, her tone laced with mockery, "...Though I dislike the temperament forcibly imposed on me by the shifts in mythology, compared to a hypocritical god like you—hesitant and unwilling to face your own heart—I suddenly find myself quite pleased with my own nature. Standing beside you, I feel superior."
"...You clearly harbor emotions in your heart and have even acknowledged them, yet here you are, feigning restraint and wallowing in melancholy. Is your maidenhood truly so precious? You're merely a virgin goddess, not someone whose barrier can never be breached."
Aphrodite's voice dripped with derision, her golden pupils gleaming with disdain.
"Heretic Gods do not possess emotions, but you, Athena, have become a true deity... I must admit, I envy you somewhat. You've reclaimed your true self without needing to fall."
There was a faint trace of envy in Aphrodite's words. This world had never seen descendants of Heretic Gods, for they were beings devoid of emotion—less like gods and more like mechanisms of the world itself.
But when a Heretic God falls—like the Earth Mother Goddesses who became Divine Ancestors—they regain their true selves, embracing humanity instead of adhering to the fate of Heretic Gods. This is how witches came to be, all born from the union of Divine Ancestors and humans.
This was also why Athena developed feelings for Roy after forming a contract with him. Had she remained the Heretic Goddess Athena, she would never have felt anything for anyone, even in death.
Nor could she have experienced this tumultuous mix of budding emotions and restless uncertainty.
"Our greatest enemy as Earth Mother Goddesses, the Last Steel, is about to awaken. And the one person capable of severing steel is exhausting himself in pursuit of what he lacks—wisdom and knowledge. As the Goddess of Wisdom, isn't this the perfect time for you to offer your intellect?"
Aphrodite goaded, finally finding her chance for revenge after enduring Athena's bullying for so long. As the Goddess of Love and Beauty, she recognized the emotion in Athena's heart at a glance—the fruit called love. Though faint and far from deep passion, the mere fact that Athena could feel it was astonishing.
Athena was an ascetic, yet her heart demanded indulgence. This inner conflict must be tormenting her. The more Aphrodite prodded, the more Athena would suffer.
The thought filled Aphrodite with smug satisfaction. 'This is what you get for always bullying me, for always acting so high and mighty as a goddess. Now you see the benefits of having no taboos. Suffer in the entanglement of your true nature and desires—the more you agonize, the happier I'll be!'
Just as Aphrodite anticipated, Athena's brow furrowed deeply, her expression shifting unpredictably—one moment brimming with impulse, the next tangled in frustration.
Suddenly, Athena's tightly furrowed brows smoothed out. She turned around with a radiant smile, gazing at Aphrodite with eyes like the night sky tinged with the warmth of spring, as if she had arrived on a soothing spring evening. Her noble tone remained unchanged as she spoke, "...Still, I must thank you for your consolation, Stella. I have made a decision. As the Goddess of Wisdom, I must act decisively when the time comes. Lingering here in hesitation would only invite ridicule."
Lifting her proud and graceful head high, she strode past Aphrodite, murmuring softly, "...You were right. Now is the best time to defeat our greatest enemy, the Last Steel. Though I know this is merely my own excuse, as long as I have one, my courage will guide me to do what is right—to charge forward without hesitation!"
Watching Athena's retreating figure disappear toward Roy's room, Aphrodite stood frozen in place, her lips slightly parted.
I—I didn't console you at all! I was mocking you, reveling in your distress! How did you suddenly find the courage to move forward like this?
Aphrodite felt a bitter ache in her heart. If Athena truly went through with offering herself, wouldn't her greatest advantage be lost?
Aphrodite's nature was the polar opposite of Athena's, and she had always relied on her body as a means to ensnare men. But if even the chaste goddess resorted to such methods, wouldn't she lose her greatest edge? Wouldn't she end up suffering even worse under Athena's dominance afterward?
"Ugh…"
The goddess who had tried to outsmart others only to outsmart herself let out a mournful whimper.
***
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