Buzz!
At the very brink of collapse, divine might trembled. At the upper reaches of the Interstellar Mountainous City, the fractured ring of the Kronos Crown structure was forcibly compressed and fused back together. A figure bearing wings of light drifted down, a warm halo spilling into the great altar and breathing fresh vitality into it.
"Cough… you made it… buddy…"
Jason coughed violently and opened his eyes, looking toward the figure standing in the breach in the wall, backlit by sunlight. He tugged at the corner of his mouth, forcing out a faint smile.
"We won, right?"
"Yeah. Sefar disintegrated. The Tear Star never finished descending. Those mechanical constructs are shutting down and breaking apart one by one, and the gods are cleaning up the remaining aberrations…"
Samael picked a more comfortable position and slumped down beside Jason against the wall, answering in a low voice.
"Big Sister, Medea, Circe… they're all still alive."
"I know. They're at the Broken Gods Alliance base, along with some of the others. Don't worry, they've already been moved to safety… and also… thanks."
"Haha, I kept my word this time. So, tell me… got any wine?"
Jason looked rather pleased with himself. As he spoke, he licked his dry lips and asked with a sly grin.
Samael raised a hand and opened a spatial rift, pulling out a jar of aged wine from the Arima Caverns and handing it to his old friend.
Good wine.
Jason took a deep breath of the aroma, his face filling with bliss and his eyes lighting up. He only savored the scent, though, making no move to drink.
Samael turned to him with a slight smile, curiosity surfacing.
"So, how did you make it all the way here? Why don't you tell me your story? I want to hear it…"
Jason immediately perked up. He propped an elbow on Samael's shoulder in an easy, familiar gesture, his face contorting into exaggerated expressions as he animatedly recounted the Argo's journey after entering the Eye of the Tidal Sea, embellishing every twist and turn.
When he reached the final moment atop the great altar, the blond captain paused. He inhaled the wine's fragrance, then lifted the crimson liquor and poured it toward the cracked trident embedded in the altar floor, its surface riddled with fractures.
"Honestly, in that situation, I'd already given up. Never thought the son of a sea god we barely knew would end up being the trump card that turned everything around."
"He beat the Machine God Zeus?"
"Of course not. He got absolutely crushed. That monster had his life in its grip!"
"Then…"
"He detonated all eight Machine God cores inside himself and melted that thing at point-blank range. Lost an arm? Just went ahead and fitted a mechanical one. Thinking up something like that… yeah, that really was his style…"
Jason shook his head, awe and respect filling his eyes.
It was Triton's self-sacrificial strike that created the opening for him to shut down the starship's core.
Without that decisive chip on the table, even betting everything the Broken Gods Alliance base had would have ended in total defeat.
Warm sunlight streamed in through the cracks in the wall, spilling across the room and over the two of them, bringing a gentle warmth that made drowsiness creep in.
Jason forced his eyes open and looked down through the breach at the wreckage of the ship before the Atlantis Sea Temple. Regret and pain surfaced on his face.
"The Argo was the finest ship I've ever seen. What a waste…"
"And you're the finest captain I've ever seen."
"Alright, enough buttering me up. Getting this far was only possible because I had the best crew there is. Without you all, someone like me wouldn't amount to anyth—cough, cough…"
The blond captain rolled his eyes and snorted, but before he could finish, a violent coughing fit seized him. A trace of purplish-red blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
Samael's eyes tightened as he lifted his right hand, only for Jason to press down on his wrist.
"Buddy… being able to see you again and say a few more words is already enough. Don't waste your strength…"
Jason's gaze was clear. He gently shook his head, his voice fading.
As the angle shifted, the growing sunlight chased away the shadows, revealing a spread of congealed purple-black stains beneath him.
Blood…
Its source was obvious. His abdomen was torn open, the wound already paling, with faintly writhing organs visible inside. His chest had been pierced by shattered metal, the blood clinging to it long since dried into crusted clumps.
That was why he didn't need to drink the wine. Just its scent was enough.
The truly fatal wound lay elsewhere.
His Spirit Core had already collapsed and shattered.
Even Samael, a God King, could not repair that.
Eight Machine God cores detonating at close range, combined with the destruction of the Machine God Zeus… even being caught only on the edge of it sealed his fate. That he had lasted this long was already a miracle.
Facing the Machine God Zeus, searching for the faintest chance of survival in utter desperation meant wagering not only Triton's life, but Jason's as well.
This was the price.
Samael fell silent for a moment. His withdrawn fingers lowered as he picked up the wine jar from the ground and took a few long gulps.
"Honestly, being around you guys was never easy for me…
Your cleverness, Peleus's bearing, Heracles's strength, the captain's archery… every one of you was favored by fate, a hero born that way.
Back when we were at the Academy of Athens, I really did try.
But someone ordinary like me, with no real talent to speak of, could spend an entire lifetime and still never catch up to what you had by nature. Sometimes, it honestly made me both envious and jealous.
So all that talk about honor, achievements, promises… to me, it never felt as real as a handful of gold coins or the throne waiting back home.
Last time, I could leave you behind in Atlantis without much hesitation, because I'd already accepted that I was just an ordinary man who lived to indulge himself…"
Jason raised a hand to block the harsh sunlight streaming through the gap as he spoke his heart out. Then his tone shifted, and a proud smile curled at his lips.
"But this time, I did something even you couldn't. I created a miracle no one's ever seen before!"
At that moment, the ordinary man standing among heroes turned to look at Samael. Despite his face being smeared with blood, it shone with a strange brilliance.
"So… do I look like a hero now?"
"No. You always have been."
Samael placed a hand on Jason's shoulder, his expression more serious than it had ever been.
A hero is judged by deeds, not by strength. Power is never the most important thing. What matters is action.
The Calydonian hunt, when you helped your friend Meleager save his people.
The royal banquet, where you untied the knot in your idol Heracles's heart.
Lowering yourself to help Hera, disguised as an old woman, cross the river and complete a divine trial.
The journey for the Golden Fleece, where you balanced wisdom and courage to bring your crew safely home.
A true hero is someone who understands his own flaws and still overcomes his worst instincts.
The Argonaut expedition crossed the forbidden sea and seized that one chance in ten thousand at the cost of life itself.
You were never perfect, but you never fell short of the name of hero.
Hearing this, Jason froze for a moment. Then he laughed freely, as though a crushing weight had finally lifted from his shoulders. He tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and murmured softly.
"Haha… now even if I run into them again… I'll finally have a new hero's story to brag about."
Thud…
The pale hand resting on his knee slipped down and fell to the ground. The sound faded into silence. The face of that ordinary man who had created something extraordinary bore a satisfied smile, his lips gently upturned. Even in eternal sleep, it seemed as though he was vividly recounting his tale.
This was a voyage of adventure and honor…
This was a journey of death and hope…
This was a human myth created by those who gathered on a single ship, who did not rely on the gods, the people known as the Argonauts…
This was a hero's story…
A story that belonged to Jason.