Then, it was time to say goodbye.
My friend, Jason…
Samael drained the last of the wine, stepped forward, and vanished into a spatial rift. Deprived of support, the Interstellar Mountainous City collapsed with a thunderous roar, crashing down onto the continent of Atlantis and forming a towering, solemn tomb.
Above the Oceanus, the ancient serpent gazed at the steadily disintegrating Interstellar Mountainous City and the vast land of Atlantis. His expression was calm and deep, yet the corner of his mouth lifted ever so slightly.
That's right. This was only a temporary farewell, not a final parting.
Because perhaps soon, they would meet again.
Not only Jason, but all the Argonaut heroes who had fallen on this journey…
And the answer to gathering the souls of the dead and allowing them to regain flesh and be reborn was, of course—the Divine Seal.
In fact, even before the Argo set sail, during the three hours when Samael took over the forward defenses and Zeus urgently withdrew to Athens, his true purpose had been to secretly engrave Divine Seals upon the departing Argonaut heroes, protecting their souls from extinction.
Once they died, the consciousness of an Argonaut would automatically return to the Pure Land of Bliss, awaiting the reunion of their souls and rebirth in flesh.
The reason none of this was told to the Argonauts was simple. To create a miracle, to seize that one chance in ten thousand, mere fearlessness in the face of death was not enough.
They had to struggle desperately to survive in extreme danger, to cling to life until the very end, before a miraculous reversal could even be possible.
And the outcome proved it.
He had won the gamble.
What came next was simply waiting for those old friends to awaken in the Pure Land of Bliss as Heroic Spirits. When that day arrived, he would personally celebrate the victory of the Argonaut heroes.
Of course, the Divine Seal was not all-powerful. Each hero's return would take a different amount of time, and gathering everyone who once stood aboard the Argo would require patience.
Fortunately, time was something he did not lack.
Naturally, to guard against Zeus using those old friends against him, Samael had prepared safeguards as well.
Not only had Hecate, mistress of the Spindle of Fate, already taken his side, but Medea, the future mistress of the Pure Land of Bliss, was another layer of insurance.
As for whether that night—risking total collapse across the entire front to gamble on the Argonauts' survival—had been worth it, Samael had long since reached his answer.
Those who carry firewood for others must not be allowed to freeze to death in the snow.
Those who blaze a path for the world must not be left trapped among thorns.
Those who die for hope must not be abandoned to despair.
If he did nothing for this, that would have been his true regret.
Suddenly, Samael sensed something. He turned his head and looked into the distance. His dark, slit-pupiled eyes met Zeus's lightning-filled gaze across the void.
Bare, undisguised scrutiny and wariness collided in the air, sparking violently as a heavy, stifling tension spread.
The external threat was gone. So next came…
Crack!
Just as the atmosphere between the two God Kings grew increasingly delicate, the nearly transparent sky shattered like broken glass.
Humm!
From within the expanding black void, an arm stretching for tens of thousands of miles descended slowly. It was formed entirely of milky-white light patterns. Slightly curled fingers plunged into the Oceanus, fishing out the wreckage of a starship from the sunken ruins of Atlantis.
"Aaaa!"
At the same moment, the Goddess of Beginning Tiamat's expression changed drastically. Her cross-shaped star pupils contracted sharply as she fired dazzling, multicolored divine radiance toward the rotating giant hand of light.
Yet in just a few breaths, the holes pierced through the massive palm healed completely. Immediately after, the Goddess of Beginning released a piercing sacred chant, overflowing with rage and agitation.
The only being capable of throwing Tina into such a state was—
Samael's gaze hardened, his face darkening as he forced the words out through clenched teeth.
King of Kings—Marduk!
Or perhaps… he should be called—
God Jehovah!
Boom!
At that moment, as the giant hand's index finger and thumb tightened ever so slightly, the metallic shell shattered into particles. A tiny crystal shaped like a teardrop gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight, within it faintly visible an endless expanse of stars.
"He's trying to seize Sefar's shattered core!"
Marduk's sudden appearance made Samael's skin crawl. His expression changed instantly as he roared a warning to Zeus beside him.
The Alien vanguard's growth potential was absurd. And worse, it clearly had some kind of connection to the Tear Star, Velber.
Even in fragments, Sefar's core was still a disaster waiting to happen if it was left behind.
Thou art the Thunder that Rips Stars!
Hymn of Divine Grace!
In the same instant, Zeus and Samael moved in perfect sync. Azure-white lightning and crimson-black inverted crosses slammed into the claw reaching out from the void.
Boom!
But amid the violent detonation, the arm of light rapidly healed and hastened its retreat. In the blink of an eye, its fingers had already pulled back into the massive rift in the void.
"The core!"
Samael's brows knitted as he bellowed. He rose into the air, arching his body back into an exaggerated curve. The cross spear, flooded with Authority, erupted in fierce crimson-black flame, drawn taut like a siege crossbow ready to fire.
Zeus immediately caught on. A lightning-shaped spear of light condensed in his hand.
Shh! Shh!
Twin arcs of light tore through the air, striking the golden-blue star core clenched in the giant palm. The impacts hit from both sides at once, and the surging Ether tide detonated with a thunderous roar.
The star core, struck dead center, broke apart on the spot, collapsing into shards. Crystalline fragments of all sizes scattered outward into the void.
The blazing white palm reformed at once and reached out to scoop up the drifting shards.
In your dreams. Spatial interference!
At that moment, the figure with wings of light gliding through the air curled his lips into a cold smile. His slit pupils opened and closed as he casually hooked his fingers from afar.
The cross spear that had been thrown near the giant hand immediately hummed and shuddered, twisting into a pitch-black scythe that slashed again and again through the void.
As the authority of space destruction activated, silver-gray fissures split open all around. They swallowed the fragments of Sefar before the giant hand could claim them, flinging them off to destinations unknown.
"My whip! My blade! Damn serpent—so it's you again!"
A furious roar thundered from the void, the voice grinding with hatred.
Whip… star-core fragments…
A single word yanked loose a sealed memory, and Samael's face changed sharply.
Once Sefar's star core shattered, her main body would drift into other World Eggs and be reborn as a swordswoman named Altera. She would lead the Huns, trample Rome, and build a vast empire.
And the name the world would give her was—
Scourge of God.
"So you're the one who lured the Alien vanguard here!"
The moment the pieces clicked together, Samael understood why Marduk had appeared with such perfect timing. He glared coldly, rage rising, as a fierce sense of danger tightened around his heart.
If this had all been a scheme, then the next moment would be when the dagger finally showed itself.
At the same time, a boundless golden projection broke through the fractured World Wall and cast itself over the Greek World, looking down with a chilling, predatory gaze.
"A pack of fools. You finally understand, but far too late! You ants will become the steps by which this king ascends beyond the gods!"