Apollo found himself pinned by the sheer strength of Ares and Poseidon, unable to move and forced to wait, clueless about what was happening.
This was also at the command of his father, Zeus, ordering them to subdue him. Following that order, the Twelve Olympians took it upon themselves to resolve the matter between Apollo and Iskios. If they hadn‘t gone this far, Apollo would have refused to do his duties—and if he shirked his tasks, even greater troubles could erupt across all of Greece.
Apollo wanted to dash forward even now and wrap his arms around Iskios, but with Ares and Poseidon locking arms around him on either side and watching over him, he couldn‘t. Knowing well what these two were capable of, Apollo had no choice but to quietly wait for Iskios.
“Oooh, Iskios! I‘ve been waiting—huh?”
Apollo could tell that this presence belonged to Iskios. However, Iskios was wearing a full-body cloak and a mask made of stone, completely concealing his body and face. The moment Apollo saw that, all color drained from his face.
By hiding his physique and face, Apollo felt so defeated that he sank to his knees at being unable to see that radiant beauty and body. Then tears began to pour from Apollo‘s eyes. He had finally thought he would see his face properly after two years, and in despair he cried out.
“This is too cruel! This is just too much! You‘ve sealed away that brilliant smile!!!”
“It‘s not cruelty, Apollo! If we didn‘t do at least this, you‘d pounce on him before a single word could be spoken!?”
Athena, who was escorting him beside Iskios, looked down at Apollo with an impassive expression and said that it would be pointless otherwise. Selene stood behind them, restless with worry for Iskios.
A game of hide-and-seek never before seen in Greek history. In that chase, Apollo fell in love with Iskios at first sight, proposed to him, and pursued him relentlessly, while Iskios fled, guarding his body, for two years.
To settle this issue, Zeus ordered the other Olympians to restrain Apollo and to arrange a setting where Apollo and Iskios could speak. Finally, as the setting was prepared and Apollo knelt, Iskios sat down slowly in front of him.
Athena glanced at the seated Iskios and couldn‘t help but murmur her admiration. Though he was sitting, Iskios was clearly ready at any moment to roll aside and evade. After being chased and tormented by Apollo for two years, it was no wonder, but Athena nonetheless had to give credit.
“Now, Apollo. Let us begin. The chapter of conversation that will end this damnable game of hide-and-seek…”
And thus Athena made her proclamation in that place. A forum to both check Apollo‘s rampage and decide Iskios‘s future…
-Remain vigilant to the end-
***
Because of the goddess Athena‘s guarantee, Apollo cannot assault me. Yes, for that I am thankful. But it doesn‘t rule out the possibility that other gods might still try to pounce.
In this end-of-the-world Greece, any sort of extreme, niche kink is tolerated among men, and male-male homosexuality is held as the most sublime debauchery. But there‘s an old saying: “Even if you‘re dragged into a tiger‘s den, if you keep your wits, you survive.”
Yes, for me the tiger‘s den right now is this place, this end-of-the-world Greece. Even if it‘s a crisis, I will surely overcome it.
“So… finally we‘re having a proper conversation, Apollo.”
“’Lord Apollo‘, huh? That‘s too formal! You can call me Apollo, my beloved Iskios~!”
…Ugh… Hearing that cloying line gave me goosebumps all over and I trembled. But this has been my everyday life for two years straight. No, it‘s fine…
At least, I owe my thanks to Hephaestus for giving me this mask and cloak. Thanks to them, my face is hidden, and with my face hidden, I‘ve been freed from the shame of being the center of attention… my notoriety has decreased.
I should, at the very least, offer some thanks later. But before that, I have to completely resolve this issue with Apollo. If I give a half-hearted answer, it might be seen as blasphemy against a god, and I could be punished. After all, this is end-of-the-world Greece.
“Then, Lord Apollo, I shall make one confession as well.”
“Mmm! Is this a confession of love towards me!?”
“No, I simply despise romantic attachment between men to the point I‘d rather die.”
Apollo literally froze in front of my eyes, as if he'd turned into a statue. It‘s not like he invoked “The World” or anything—I‘m sure he doesn‘t have that.
But this is my answer. This is why I reject his confession. No matter how relentlessly he chases after me, this is the conclusion I‘ve reached. If he still pursues me after this, then so be it. But this should suffice.
“Ever since I was young, I‘ve been propositioned by men my age, by older men, by younger men, and almost raped indiscriminately, so many times that hiding and running away under Chiron‘s tutelage wasn‘t a one-time thing. It was almost daily. Honestly, I now find such male-male romance downright nauseating.”
“Then… what exactly is it you want?”
Poseidon, the muscular god with the blue beard standing beside Apollo, asked me. My answer was simple and clear.
“—A normal life. A peaceful, quiet life without anyone interfering. I need nothing else beyond that.”
After I said that, silence fell around me. No one spoke. Some gods looked puzzled, as if wondering if I cared about anything else, but the gods wouldn‘t understand how important normalcy and peace were to me.
In end-of-the-world Greece, unwanted attention often becomes a death flag. But I want to live without that. No, I will live without that.
“For these two reasons, I cannot accept Apollo‘s confession.”
I bowed my head and quietly rejected his confession. For now, since the goddess Athena promised to protect me from Apollo, he wouldn‘t storm in on me here in a fit of rage, but I am by no means letting my guard down.
I stayed on guard, thinking Apollo might do something odd, but Apollo, with a look like he‘d just had a bright idea—his face lighting up as if a light bulb had appeared above his head—spoke to me.
“I see! As long as it‘s not a man, that‘s acceptable!?”
“Huh?”
I thought, What kind of absurd notion is that? but because it was Apollo speaking, I found myself accepting it. However, I realized the gravity of that statement only moments later.
No sooner had he uttered that ridiculous line than dazzling sunlight radiated from Apollo‘s body, illuminating our surroundings. The glare forced me to cross my arms quickly over my eyes. And as the light dimmed, I froze after Apollo did.
No… please, stop… I said I want a normal life…!? I finally thought I could sleep soundly… I never expected such a betrayal. Seeing Apollo‘s transformed appearance right in front of my eyes, I nearly lost my mind before barely pulling myself back.
“Hehehe, if it‘s a woman, then it‘s no problem!?”
“That‘s not the problem!”
“Now, there‘s no need to be shy! Run into my arms! I always welcome your warmth!”
“I refuse!!!”
…Though I was taken aback by Apollo‘s transformation into a woman, I haven‘t forgotten one thing: even if he changes his gender, Apollo is still Apollo. However, this day marked the point when I could hold my own in our game of hide-and-seek with Apollo without being caught.
The reason Apollo stopped chasing me further was that afterward… he agreed to start as friends, promising that within a set period he‘d seek me out in a female form. He even swore on the River Styx.