Apostle of the Goddess of War

Chapter 166

Ch.166 Apostle of the Goddess of War

"Waaah."

Arwen shed tears of emotion. She hugged the Goddess of Madness and Rage, who had become the world's prettiest children, and had no intention of letting go.

"Kyaaah! So, so pretty!"

"Insane. Let go right now."

In the end, Kaia took the child-like Evil God from Arwen. The Goddess, regressed halfway into infancy, was held in Kaia's hand without knowing what was going on.

'My Lady… is this, really okay?'

Sion asked while scratching his cheek.

Achille also frowned and scratched her head. Even the Goddess of War didn't understand, so she asked Menesia.

[Menesia. Is this right?]

[Hmm. Well. I suppose we should ask Tartania?]

[Does the Goddess of Wisdom not know something?]

Menesia, whose pride was slightly scratched, glared at Achille once before examining the child's condition.

"Waaah."

[……Madness and Rage were originally Peace and Silence. They are close to returning to their original form.]

Achille raised an objection.

[It wouldn't have been a child's form like that in the old days?]

[It would have been hard to return them completely with human power.]

'Haha.'

Sion laughed awkwardly. Somehow, he had turned the Evil Gods swept up in madness and rage into babies.

The existence that had almost dropped him off the cliff of death just now was now the world's cutest child.

'I can't believe it.'

Emotions swelled up. Sion rubbed his stinging nose tip.

'To think they wanted to find peace and rest more than anyone else.'

Sion mentioned his own interpretation.

"Perhaps didn't these lords turn into children because of the desire to become peaceful?"

At Sion's careless words, Achille and Menesia were surprised and looked at each other.

[……Human perspectives are often surprising.]

[My apostle. Sion, you have the qualities of a poet too.]

'Huh?'

Menesia stopped her snickering laugh and took care of the child.

[I will take this one and my apostle and return to Elim. I have no strength to fight more.]

Achille nodded. She had consumed considerable Divine Power to suppress Madness.

Not all Goddesses gain power from war like Achille. They tire and become powerless quickly. Achille was the only Goddess who liked fighting.

Her recovery speed after battle was exceptional. The fatigue accumulated in Sion's body also regenerated quickly.

[I leave it to you. Menesia.]

[You too, be careful. Agnia… You must be careful of Serine.]

[Yes.]

Menesia disappeared, taking the unconscious Arwen and the Goddess of Peace who had become a child. They safely passed a major crisis.

"Now it is time to settle things with the Fire Cult."

[Hmm.]

Sion and Achille gazed into the distance. A still intense presence remained in one place.

Agnia would have noticed the result of their fight here. Even so, not running away and enduring seemed to express some sort of confidence.

[Sion. Perhaps the Goddess of Fire has changed a lot.]

'Is that so?'

[She swallowed the Holy Grail Fragment. I can feel Eru's energy too.]

'How strong will she be?'

Achille spoke silently.

[Simply being strong is not the problem. I can suppress that level with my power.]

Achille showed confidence to the point of arrogance.

War was already breaking out all over the world.

Everyone was aiming for the Church of War, and amidst that, divided factions started large and small wars to occupy the fragments.

The Imperial Army was also moving on an unprecedented scale.

Naturally, the Goddess of War's name value was rising, and her power was also rising proportionally.

Catching up with Achille's omnipotence, the only way to suppress her was to occupy the fragments.

However, at the same time, the Goddess of War also grew stronger, so it was a paradox and a difficult problem. This fight was, simply put, a race against time to see who could gather all the fragments faster.

"Then, what is the problem?"

[Unpredictable variables.]

'Huh?'

[To be precise, it is the plan Serine is plotting.]

Sion started walking slowly and asked something he had been curious about for a while.

'What kind of existence is the Goddess of Water exactly that you are so wary?'

Achille slowly looked back on the past and explained.

[In the world, the sea is larger than the land, and rivers and springs flow on the land. Rain also falls from the sky.]

'That is true.'

[Life cannot exist without water, and anyway, she is a Goddess with a large scope of governance in many ways.]

Sion nodded readily. She seemed like a Goddess in charge of a concept as important as light.

[So she went mad.]

'……Huh?'

[She took on too big a burden without possessing power equal to Eru. She was a delicate and kind child.]

'Something….'

[Eru noticed Serine's change late and separated the Goddess of Life separately.]

Sion swallowed dry saliva. It seemed like something scary was following. Achille's pupils were empty like glass beads.

[But Serine, who had already gone mad and whose self was contaminated, touched the Goddess of Life, Gaiana.]

'What did she do?'

[She injected a sane mind into Gaiana and took all the negative, twisted thoughts, emotions, and walls.]

'Huh?'

It was a really strange story. Even while listening, Sion couldn't gauge what this meant. He decided to listen straightforwardly for now.

[It was dangerous for Eru to touch her too. She was remodeled so that she could not be handled with her enlarged power.]

'Then….'

[The best option was for Eru to suppress her. The Goddess of Life did her job, and Serine was kept by her side to watch so she couldn't do anything foolish.]

But Eru disappeared, and Serine began to reveal her true colors.

[Even Menesia cannot know what schemes the unshackled Serine is planning and executing. Even if she absorbs all the fragments and becomes the chief deity, there will be blind spots in Serine's thoughts that cannot be predicted.]

Sion observed Achille's reaction carefully.

'It seems you consider her a more dangerous existence than Magoth.'

[From a certain perspective, yes.]

'What should we do?'

[First, avoiding combat seems to be the best strategy. We will watch how she comes out and respond. Sion, do not move until I give my command.]

Achille warned seriously anew. It was the first time the Goddess of War, who did not even fear Magoth, was nervous.

Sion also hammered caution into his head.

'Even Goddess Achille is being careful.'

He abandoned the loose and simple thought of solving it with a fight. A different solution than before seemed necessary.

[I will withdraw my body immediately if needed. Do not be surprised if Bashu pops out. My apostle.]

'Understood.'

***

Sion walked along the seaside.

Passing the temple in the jungle mountains, he reached the edge of the Fire Cult's territory. Agnia's presence was felt at the end of the sandy beach.

Swoosh— Swoosh—

The sea breeze blew Sion's hair. Sion narrowed his eyes and stared at Agnia sitting on the beach.

"Hm?"

[Oh my.]

However, the Goddess waiting for Sion and Achille was not the Goddess of Fire.

It was another Goddess whose presence seemed one with the sea, no, the sea itself, rippling from the soul.

Achille stopped Sion.

[It is Serine.]

"How did—"

Swoosh—

The wave wet Sion's ankles. Sion lifted his foot slightly.

[I will talk. Watch for a moment.]

"Understood."

Sion slowly followed behind the Goddess. No footprints remained on the path Achille walked. Only black Divine Power scattering like smoke was visible.

Swoosh—

Serine spoke while gazing at the sea.

[You came.]

[……Serine. It has been a while.]

[It has been a while for you too, Achille. How have you been?]

Serine asked while playing with the wet sand with her fingertips.

[As you can see.]

It was a meaningless conversation. Achille immediately brought out the main point. The longer the conversation, the more likely it was to be dragged along by Serine's intentions.

[Where is Agnia.]

[Inside me.]

[?]

Achille asked again at the too natural and peaceful answer.

[I have no intention of playing with words. Serine. Answer the question properly.]

[Pfft.]

Serine laughed loudly once. She held her stomach and buried her face in her knees.

Aha-ha…!

[……?]

[I told you. Inside me. Agnia and I have become one.]

[!]

Screeech.

Dark light coiled around Achille's grip. Somehow, the War Sword was in Achille's hand.

[You, what are you doing now.]

[Why. Achille, you killing other sisters arbitrarily, corrupting them arbitrarily, and using them as belongings is fine, but I can't?]

[Serine—!]

Swoooosh!

A large wave crashed. It passed through Achille's body, but it was enough to drown out Achille's shout.

[It is burdensome to swallow the fragments as is. So after Agnia ate them, I absorbed Agnia.]

[You are insane.]

[Agnia and I are in a relationship of love. Isn't it natural for us to wish to become one when we love?]

[I knew you were insane, but to this extent? Serine.]

Serine glared at Achille with terrifyingly pretty eyes. The light of opal spread strangely.

[The one who is insane is not me, but Eru.]

[…….]

[Achille. If you become the master of the heavens and the human realm like this, you will repeat a terrible history.]

[You cannot conclude that.]

[No, I see it. I knew from the beginning, and now that I have swallowed the Holy Grail, I am sure. Achille, you will drive the world into an endless battlefield.]

Screeech!

Pwah!

Achille extended her sword. Sword wind flew behind Serine and scratched the sandy beach largely.

Serine stared at the War Sword without even blinking.

[You will gain Eru's power, become increasingly arrogant, and drunk on power. You will feel the peaceful world is boring, and at first, you will start enjoying leisure as fun play.]

[Nonsense.]

[You will kill all minions like Menesia or Emily, and make the Goddesses fight each other again, won't you?]

Aah— Hahahahaha!

Serine began to laugh unpleasantly. It was a loud laughter that waves could not bury.

Achille waited with a dry face until the laughter of the mad sister stopped.

[Serine.]

[Achille. I know what you want to say. You will think I have dangerous thoughts. You are still arrogant and foolish.]

[You are the one—]

[Who do you think drugged your wine cup? Who do you think plotted for you to be drunk on madness? I was too curious during that time.]

Poo— wah!

The sea parted. It was the result of Achille opening her eyes wide and swinging her arm. Fierce killing intent spewed from the War Sword.

[You. Now….]

[Yes, it was me.]

Achille's patience began to exceed its limit.

Sion's heart, who was listening, also beat steeply. Should he intervene? Our Goddess is weak in verbal battles.

All sorts of thoughts came to mind.

However, Sion decided to wait. The Goddess he serves is not a fool.

[I mixed Gederne's blood into the wine. The sight of you going mad and massacring our flesh and blood was really fun. Don't you think so too?]

[I knew you were mad, but you truly crossed the line. Serine.]

[I couldn't endure without going mad. Ruling all things in the world.]

[That does not become an indulgence for your atrocities.]

Tap, tap

Serine stood up, shaking her butt. Though sand didn't actually fall, it was a familiar action.

[I don't think I committed a sin. Uselessly stiff heavenly regulations, guidelines set by Eru… Boring.]

[Yes. Then you must die. I too believe in my justice and will swing my sword.]

Snicker

Serine laughed.

[Not today, not here.]

[……?]

[If you kill me now, your cute apostle will die.]

[What do you mean?]

Sion instantly felt his heart grow hot and grabbed his chest.

"Ugh?"

Serine spoke coldly.

[You ate the daffodils made from my body, didn't you? That energy is still flowing inside that child's body.]

[No way.]

[Yes. I also put in quite a lot of effort to kill you. Releasing the Priest of Death into the swamp to lure your apostle was all my plan too.]

Sion sweated coldly and realized Serine's fearfulness. He felt a chilliness on a different level from Goddesses or Evil Gods who simply used violence.

[If you let me go, I will remove my power inside your apostle's body. I pledge by the Goddesses.]

Achille sheathed the War Sword.

It meant permission.