Akuto had no intention of getting involved in Erica and Liliana's little battle of wills. He moved straight on and began the ritual to summon a god.
First, Akuto threw Hera's Pillar into the nearest dragon-vein convergence point, using the dragon vein to fully activate it.
Then, he used Athena's Underworld Serpent—a divine dependent on par with the "Boar"—to strengthen Hera's Pillar's Earth-Mother attribute.
After that, Akuto summoned the Golden Sword.
However… not long after the Golden Sword appeared, Akuto controlled it—then had the Underworld Serpent swallow it whole.
The Steel War God might be the Earth Mother's, but after obtaining the Gorgon Stone, Akuto's Athena Authority had unlocked the ability of the "Serpent That Devours Steel," giving him the terrifying trait of devouring the Steel War God in reverse. (It partially drew on the anime's setting, though not the "Starfire Squad" version.)
Under the effect of the Serpent That Devours Steel, the moment the Golden Sword was swallowed, it rapidly dissolved into golden motes of light and scattered into the world.
This—was the god-summoning ritual Akuto had prepared.
Through deliberate staging, Akuto displayed two omens: "the Earth Mother appears," and "the War God is defeated."
And at this moment, the world was in desperate need of a stronger hero of steel.
So after "Verethragna's defeat," the most likely to appear was his lord—Mithra the chief god.
Or rather… the essence of Perseus.
In mythology, Mithra of the Persian pantheon and Perseus the Greek hero were two different beings. But the Godslayer world had a rule: "gods with the same origin are the same god."
So in the Godslayer world, those two were actually one and the same.
At least, before the mythic origins fully split them apart, the "Heretic God" bodies those two could manifest would be a single existence—just like Athena, Medusa, and Metis as a triune goddess.
The myths circulating in the mortal world of the Godslayer setting could influence gods—sometimes even altering their form and mode of existence. But that change wasn't immediate. Only by cutting it off at the root—only when the people of the world no longer held the belief that "these two gods share the same origin"—could they truly separate completely.
In a sense, Akuto rather pitied the gods of this world.
Because they couldn't even control their own lives. The moment the mortal world's perception shifted, their forms and way of being shifted with it.
They were "gods," yet at the deepest level they were birthed by mortal faith and thought-force.
It was almost too pathetic.
So… Akuto was more than happy to offer them a path to true release.
Boom—!!
Not long after the Serpent That Devours Steel swallowed the Golden Sword, a cyan pillar of light dropped from the distant sky. A powerful aura of a Heretic God instantly spread across the land.
"This is… the aura of a Heretic God!"
Every mage-society leader went numb.
They'd assumed Akuto was using Hera's Pillar as a weapon—or a tool to amplify himself—especially since he'd just had his Underworld Serpent swallow the Golden Sword.
But who could have imagined that from the very beginning, the king's goal was to summon a god?
A third god.
Italy was already chaotic enough, and now a third god had appeared. Was heaven trying to wipe Italy off the map?
Sure enough, they never should've placed too much hope in a Godslayer. Even if Akuto was a Godslayer who liked women, the tyrannical essence of pursuing battle hadn't changed.
…
Of course, at most the mage-society leaders dared to complain a sentence or two in their heads.
Akuto's idea—wanting to subdue three gods in a short span of time—was simply too insane.
As for offering "remonstrance"… most of them didn't have the guts.
After several seconds of silence, the first one to speak wasn't even Paolo.
"My king, if I'm not mistaken, this is a brand-new god. We understand Your Majesty's desire to subdue gods as thoroughly as possible, but… won't this leave you stretched too thin?" Paolo's phrasing was extremely tactful.
Akuto didn't blame him at all. He only smiled and spread his hands.
"Stretched too thin? What are you talking about? When did I ever say I'd handle this god myself?"
…Huh???!!!
The moment Akuto said that, the back of the crowd basically exploded.
Wait—what did he mean he wasn't going to personally deal with the god?
If a Godslayer doesn't act, then who does?
Were they supposed to act?
Watching the leaders' faces cycle between green and pale, Akuto laughed and clapped his hands.
"Hahaha. I know what you're thinking. Relax—I'm not making you fight, either."
"The location where this god descended is a bit off from what I expected, but don't worry. Ten minutes at most and the battle will be settled."
"At the end of the day, compared to fighting gods… I prefer sleeping with cute girls in my arms."
Akuto's smile never changed. One hand in his pocket, he stared indifferently into the distance.
Perseus's landing point really was different from what he'd predicted. He'd assumed Perseus would descend right here.
Instead, his stunt seemed to have brought no small amount of trouble to a loli wearing a blue knitted hat.
"…"
Another stretch of silence.
Since Akuto had already spoken, all they could do was watch.
During that time, Paolo kept throwing looks at Erica, hoping for some kind of response. Erica did notice—but she only gave him a single look that said, Relax, then placed all her attention on the boy in front of her.
As someone slated to become part of Akuto's harem, she naturally understood Akuto's plan.
She knew very well that Akuto's strength and perspective had long surpassed anything mundane. Slaying gods had never been his goal—it was simply the method he used to reach his real goals.
Now was the moment to prove Akuto's words true.
"Hm…"
Before long, amid billowing dark divinity, a silver-haired girl wearing a blue knitted hat and a Japanese school uniform abruptly appeared on the scene.
"Mm?"
Her sudden appearance—paired with that terrifying dark divinity—froze everyone in place except Akuto and Akuto's women.
The Queen of the Mediterranean. Not truly a child by nature. Mistress of the Underworld. Earth Mother. The previous king of gods overthrown by male gods… her name is…
Liliana's eyes went blank as she slipped straight into revelation mode.
Of course, even without Liliana, everyone present was seasoned enough to judge the goddess's identity instantly.
The god who had descended was—
Athena.
One more god wasn't the point. Italy already had three gods and one Godslayer; adding another wouldn't crush it.
But… this extra god was Athena?
That was different.
Wasn't Athena the very god King Akuto had slain?
So why was Athena here again?
Had Athena resurfaced from myth mere days after being slain… to take revenge?
…
On Akuto's side, seeing Athena appear, he smiled with amused interest and greeted her first.
"Yo, Athena. It's only been, what, a day or two? Looks like you're not doing too well."
Akuto could tell at a glance: the cap on Athena's divine power—reduced when he absorbed her—had recovered quite a bit, but her "mana bar" still wasn't full.
Meaning before she got here… Athena had already been in a fight.
Hearing the teasing tone in Akuto's voice, Athena's brow twitched, and she slowly parted her crimson lips.
"My contractor… dost thou know that because of thy actions, I have suffered a most unjust grievance?"
Yesterday, she'd happened to sense the aura of the Golden Sword. When she focused, she discovered Akuto's presence was layered right over it.
Then came Akuto's descending kick—even from over a hundred kilometers away, Akuto's gigantified divine stride had been plainly visible.
After thinking it through, Athena decided to observe more closely and lingered just outside Palermo.
And then she suffered calamity out of nowhere.
Akuto used Athena's Authority to devour the Golden Sword, triggering the miracle of a Heretic God descending.
Yet after descending, Perseus didn't lock onto Akuto.
Instead… he locked onto Athena first.
…
Athena wasn't wrong. She really had been struck by misfortune for no reason.
It could only be said that because Akuto wasn't a "standard" Godslayer in the strict sense—and because he hadn't completely seized Athena's Authority—this outcome was, in its own way, natural.
Bang!
Not long after Athena finished speaking, a blond young man came crashing down from afar—forcing himself through the impact so brutally it looked like he was wedging himself into the earth.
He was handsome and brimming with heroic divinity, exactly like the classic hero of myth.
But from the way his gaze looked down on the world, it was clear that even among heroes, he stood at the peak—an existence in myth capable of opposing gods.
"Athena… I never expected the Goddess-King of the Mediterranean to choose retreat in the face of battle. I confess I am disappointed."
"Oh?"
At first, Perseus's eyes were fixed entirely on Athena. But when he noticed Akuto, his expression shifted.
"Hahahaha! I was wondering why Athena bore no trace of the 'Serpent That Devours Steel'—so it was you who seized her Authority!"
"Interesting. Truly interesting!"
Perseus was intensely interested in Akuto.
Unfortunately for him, Akuto had no interest in men.
Ignoring Perseus's stare, Akuto turned back to Athena.
"Athena, I know you want to use my hand to deal with Perseus."
"But you should also understand—I have conditions. Otherwise, if I don't want to, no one can drag me into any battle."
"And thy condition is…?" Athena knit her brow slightly.
"Nothing much," Akuto said, his gaze dropping to Athena's soft, pink lips. "I just want to savor the taste of a goddess again."
"…"
After several seconds of silence, Athena shook her head and slowly moved toward him.
"I believe thou art a man who keeps his word. So I will not say things like 'Do not use this chance to seize my Authority.'"
"Thou speakest true. Since ancient times, beauty has ever been among the finest rewards for a warrior who goes to war."
"Since I intend to borrow thy blade, it is only fitting that I let thee feel my sincerity."
As she spoke, Athena moved close, wrapped her arms around the back of Akuto's neck, and offered him a kiss.
A deep one.
Tongue and all.
(End of Chapter)
[Get +30 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]
[Every 300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]