Munch, munch!
As soon as he woke up, Akumo began devouring bowls of food just like Bell, rapidly recovering his physical strength.
Crack!
"Whew...."
Crr-ack!
His body, which should have been exhausted and in no condition to fight, was transforming.
Gurgle!
The more food he consumed and the more stamina he recovered, the stronger his body became through that process alone.
"Just what on earth is that guy...?"
"An existence of the unknown.... That's the only way I can describe him."
Aphrodite watched the scene in shock while Artemis explained things to her step by step.
"That guy...? You're saying a human created that moon?"
"It's true. Freya and I can vouch for it."
"That's impossible... Even for the unknown, there are limits..."
'How could a human handle Arcanum...'
Having heard about the events at Elsos, Aphrodite was once again stunned that Akumo had forged a divine weapon himself to change destiny.
"....."
"Well? Is this enough to meet your expectations?"
"W-What!?"
Artemis smiled as she asked for Aphrodite's true feelings.
"What are you talking about..!? I never..."
"But I'm happy."
"!!"
The fact that they survived, and that an unavoidable sacrifice was ultimately averted.
It was joyful, happy news that brought a smile to one's face.
"I'm so happy... that Artemis is alive, and that that child achieved a miracle."
Freya's subsequent words pierced through Aphrodite's facade.
"I felt the same way. At first, I only looked at them as children."
-"Everyone, pull yourselves together!!!!!!"
"Because I thought they were just children of the lower world."
She had assumed they were beings who could do nothing but accept or be swept away when faced with the power or problems of the Gods.
Slash!
The Goddess of Beauty had seen it.
-"[Lævateinn]."
The brilliant green hero who appeared in Orario that day.
"I've decided to place my expectations on them and cheer for their story."
The Goddess of the Moon had seen it.
-"[Divine Weapon]: [Artemis's Dagger]."
The incomparably clear and beautiful crescent moon drawn before her that day.
"How about this? Is that enough of an answer?"
"Our greatest [Tsundere] of the heavens."
"Ugh...!! That Hermes fellow is talking nonsense again...!!"
However, Aphrodite could not easily make a decision...
"It's not a matter of whether it's an answer or not... I heard about the situation in Orario from Hermes before coming here to Olympia."
Slide
"Those children are undoubtedly [Hero Candidates]. Since the [Machia] is the priority, there's no need to take risks in a place like this..."
"Is that your true feeling regarding the child's breaking soul?"
"!!"
Aphrodite's sincerity was fully understandable.
The stories of the lower world should not be defiled by the mistakes or affairs of the Gods.
"You guys know too, don't you!? This matter is..."
"No, Aphrodite. Not at all."
".....What?"
Artemis began to speak to Aphrodite, borrowing the words of the children who had saved her.
"A story for the Gods alone? Those words are already meaningless."
From the moment they bestowed powerful blessings, from the moment they decided to interact with the children.
Whether it be a tragedy, a comedy, or a heroic epic.
"Whether it's a tale of failure or success, everyone is already a character within the story."
"Just as one child realized something while looking at the power of the Gods."
"Just as one girl was saved by seeing the strength shown by a hero."
Eventually, the voices of the Goddess of Beauty and the Goddess of the Moon overlapped as they delivered the final answer to Aphrodite.
""It's a story for all of us.""
Whoosh!
"Hey, rookie! Anything unusual around the island?"
Meanwhile, on the beach of the island where the Aphrodite Familia's base was located.
Aphrodite's followers were keeping watch and patrolling the coastline together.
"No, nothing unusual! Long live Lady Aphrodite~!!"
"Using Charm to turn enemies into sentries... that's so like Lady Aphrodite...."
-"Since I saved them, I might as well put them to good use!"
"Well, it's Lady Aphrodite after all. She's a damnably arrogant, moody tyrant."
The group even included the Olympia soldiers who had been charmed previously. Her original followers shuddered at Aphrodite's capriciousness as they watched them.
""But we love that about her!!""
Of than, they loved even that aspect of her...
"Anyway... is there even any point in keeping watch? We anchored the ship far from the city just in case."
Sshhh
"It doesn't seem like those [Cult] bastards have found us yet, and it doesn't look like any flying [Flame Beasts] are headed this way."
The followers moved around the beach under the peaceful, clear sky.
One of them seemed to have lowered their guard, immersed in the tranquil scenery.
"It's just for safety. To fulfill Lady Aphrodite's wishes, we should quietly keep wat...?"
As another follower agreed and looked out at the usually empty coastline.
"Fog...?"
"What are you talking about? There's no way fog would spread only in a specific spot like tha..."
"".....""
Then what exactly was the sight before their eyes?
Slash!
"If you noticed it, you should have dodged, shouldn't you?"
An ominous blade.
It instantly tore through the followers' bodies, signaling the start of the raid.
-Uwoooooooo!!!!!!!!!!
"R-Raid!!!!! It's a raid!!!!!"
Flare!
"Kyaaaaaaa!?"
Boom!
Dozens of [Flame Men].
They attacked the island's village, turning the base into a scene of carnage in an instant.
Hearing the commotion, Berclin, Sandro, Akumo, Bell, and Ilia immediately rushed over to assess the situation.
"A raid...!? That's impossible...!!"
"Those are.... a horde of Flame Men!? How...!!"
"How did we not notice such a large force approaching!? How did they even get here!?"
Berclin, Sandro, and Bell were flustered that dozens of Flame Men had crossed over to the island without being detected by anyone.
"....They walked across the seabed. Because their bodies made of flame emitted a massive amount of steam, we failed to notice the anomaly..."
However, Ilia immediately figured out how the Flame Men had found their way here.
Slash!
"Even so, such a planned raid is impossible! It's definitely that guy!!"
Akumo, who had instantly cut down the Flame Men attacking the people, immediately braced himself for combat, wary of the existence that had caused this situation.
K-Boom!
"What!?"
"As I thought... it was you."
Before they could even take their stances, a man stepped forward through a massive conflagration.
"A bridge of fire leading to the sea...? What is that monster...!!"
"Is that really a human....?"
Eton walked leisurely across the bridge of fire spanning the sea.
"Followers of the Goddess Aphrodite.... I see, you used a remote island as your base. No wonder the Cult couldn't find you."
Whoosh!
"Well, I shall forgive you. Since you went through the trouble of capturing Vesta's followers for me."
Clang!
"And... the dregs that failed to burn away completely as well."
Akumo swung his sword at him with all his might.
But it was easily blocked by the ominous sword held in the man's hand.
"[Caucasus]."
"...!!"
'He's holding his ground!'
"No... maybe this would be better..."
A single word escaped his lips.
"[Kaua]."
Cra-ack!
The ominous black light reached the other group beyond the island.
"That light just now...!?"
"Smoke... no, flames are erupting from the open sea!"
Mikoto and Haruhime immediately sensed the ominous aftermath and alerted the group.
"That level of power... and this feeling..."
"It's not just... the [Sky Flame]."
"Someone is at sea... no, is it a remote island? At any rate, power has been unleashed."
"Is it Aphrodite's base... this is bad."
Hermes felt the situation was dire, sensing the aura of the [Sky Flame] within that power, along with an incomparable sense of destruction.
"Is the Aphrodite Familia being raided by the Cult...?"
"Probably. And the bigger problem is.... Akumo and Bell Cranel should be there."
""""!!!""""
"Master Bell is there...?"
"Sir Akumo as well...."
Hephaestus felt a strong conviction that Akumo and Bell were there, synthesizing the reasons for such a sudden eruption of power in an area Asfi hadn't searched yet.
"Either way, we can't just leave Aphrodite and the others like that. Can you do it, Asfi?"
"It's impossible! I know we have no choice but to fly, but we lost air superiority a long time ago!?"
Slide
"Flying all the way there is too much, and even if I do, I can't do it alone...!"
Of course, Hermes had already thought of a plan for such a time.
"I knew you'd say that! That's why I had Welf and the others build a gondola by today!"
Sparkle!
"With this, several people can ride, and Asfi can transport it!"
It was a gondola built quickly with the help of the townspeople.
"So I'm a replacement for a hot air balloon..."
"That's right!!!!"
"What do you think your followers are!!!!?"
Hermes's cheerful yet infuriating smile was enough to make Asfi's fists tremble.
"Save the nagging for later, Andromeda! We're wasting time! I'm going too."
'Akumo...! Bell....!'
"I.... I guess I can't this time. My magic requires solid ground to use. I'll just be a burden."
'I hope they're both safe.'
They had to head straight to the battlefield where Akumo and Bell were presumed to be fighting.
"Let's go too, Hyakinthos."
"Yes! Lord Apollo."
Since every extra hand helped, the support from the Apollo Familia was good news.
However....
"I understand your followers going, but is there a need for you to go as well?"
"How can you say that!! Bell might be there! And...."
Apollo explained his reasoning with his usual light tone.
"I owe him a debt. He saved my brother's life."
"You..."
"So, even if it costs me this life, I will repay that debt."
The sincerity within those words was stronger and more unwavering than anyone else's there.
"T-Then! Lili will go too..."
"I'm sorry, but considering the movement speed, we're already at the limit. Besides... with you as you are now..."
"...!!"
Asfi didn't finish her sentence, but everyone immediately understood what she meant.
'With us as we are now....'
Clench!
'Will we only be in the way...'
Lili and Haruhime could not contain their sense of patheticness and shame at their own helplessness. They could only leave everything to others.
"No, we're going too."
"!! What are you saying, Welf Crozzo!"
"Sir Asfi, please...."
"Even you...!!"
That was exactly why they had to go there.
Boom!
"Ugh~~~~~!? ....What idiot is unleashing such stupid power on this island...!?"
A massive explosion, followed by the raid of the Flame Men.
The island was thrown into a crucible of chaos and successive shocks.
While Aphrodite was flustered and assessing the situation.
Patter!
"Lady Aphrodite! The Flame Men's attacks won't stop! At this rate, the people will....!"
"...!! Is the ship safe!?"
"Yes! The mages are barely holding on...."
At the follower's briefing, Aphrodite immediately made a decision.
"Then get all the people on board! Hurry! We're escaping this island!"
"Understood!"
A decision to save everyone.
"This power.... this plan.... is it the leader...!!"
'So you're really doing this...!?'
Dash!
Aphrodite was enraged by the Cult's actions, which were far more violent and threatening than she had expected, and she headed straight for the battlefield.
Flare!
"Berclin! Sandro! Report the situation immediately—"
Passing through the village that had become a sea of fire, Aphrodite headed toward the concentration of power.
And she saw it.
Clang!
"Ugh...!!"
Screech!
A battle where one arm was burned, and despite his strengthened body, he had to fear the cursed sword swung by his opponent.
"I adjusted my strength so that Vesta's follower wouldn't die... and yet you still resist! You foolish insect!!!"
In that fight, Akumo and Eton wore contrasting expressions.
"You should have accepted it as mercy that I was going to end your life in a single stroke!!"
"You can take that mercy for yourself."
K-Boom!
"!! His strength...!?"
Whoosh!
It was a battle with a disadvantageous matchup.
The cursed sword Eton swung granted him overwhelming attack power and speed.
Slash!
Compared to him, Akumo's physical growth was significantly lacking.
"Gah...!?"
"I shall ask you this now."
Despite that, it was Eton who was cut.
"No... way...!!"
"What is it you want?"
"Urgh..!"
Clang!
"I'm asking what on earth you're trying to do!!"
Akumo showed no sign of surprise at that fact, questioning him to find out what Eton truly desired.
"Burning the island, harming the people... is all of this for the sake of the world!?"
Bell also shouted a question filled with sincerity, asking why he was doing this.
"Yes.... Of course."
""Then...!!""
"To ensure the world's destruction."
""!!""
His answer, his true feelings, finally began to pour out.
"I will burn this lower world with the hellfire that has become as polluted as it can be."
Flare!
"With this flame, it's entirely possible...!! Even that hideous flame within the candlestick... all of it!!!"
"The candlestick...!?"
"You must have seen it too!? Follower of Vesta!!"
The primordial flame, stained by the impurities of the lower world and dyed an ominous jet black.
"That is the lower world! That is the essence of this world!"
"Trivial jealousy, irrational sorrow and anger, hatred! From malice to murderous intent..!!"
Glare!
"The impure emotions teeming in the lower world have polluted the [Primordial Fire] that has drifted far from the heavens!"
He would eliminate the problematic root, the culprit behind all of this.
"The lower world is what polluted it! The [Sky Flame] that possesses great power! Therefore, this lower world is a polluted thing...!!"
The proof was that the flame had not been purified once in thousands of years.
It had only repeated the cycle of stagnating and becoming murky.
Clench!
"The proof is this sword!!"
Filled with conviction, Eton spoke harshly to them, holding up the ominous sword in his hand.
"Even for such an ugly, inferior, and impure power! You people simply worship and go wild for it..!!"
Grit!
"Simply because it was victorious!!"
'So... that is why...!!'
The divine sword that had soared into the sky.
It was an incomparably beautiful and holy light.
"This world is not worth saving!!!!!"
It was disgusting to see them cheering and going wild even though such power had been defeated by the loathsome black flames.
No matter how holy the power one possessed, no matter how much light one bestowed...
"This disgusting world simply calls it a failure if it's defeated!!"
Boom!
"Stop talking bullshit!!"
"You...!!"
Akumo, unable to listen to those words any longer, brought his sword down upon him.
"That's just your perspective! It's by no means the right answer!!"
Clang!
"For whom that flame burns! How it is used!"
Clash!
"You, who have seen none of that, have no right to decide!!"
Akumo's fierce attack flew sharply toward Eton, but.
Slash!
"No, I do."
Eton's sword instantly cut through Akumo's, blocking the attack.
"The Gods who only watched from the heavens might not, but I, who saved humanity for three thousand years, have that right!"
Within that attack was the legendary swordsmanship accumulated over vast ages.
"My name is Epimetheus!"
Flare!
"The ancient hero cursed by the flame!!"
The protagonist of a failed story. A man of despair who withered under the mercy of the Gods.
In the end, a clown forgotten like a shadow.
"You too!!!"
Thwack!
"Gah...!?"
"Have no qualification!! You clown!!"
Epimetheus's foot kicked Akumo's abdomen violently.
His attack contained massive hatred and massive rage.
========================
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