Who is Hecate?
She is the three-faced goddess, the goddess of magic, the queen of spirits, and the goddess of the underworld. She symbolizes the night, spirits, the underworld, magic, witchcraft, and sorcery.
She is the renowned and irresistible goddess of death, an invincible and unparalleled queen, the founder or ruler of the underworld, and also the goddess of witchcraft, witches, curses, and sorcery. She once helped Zeus defeat the Cyclopes and possessed immense strength, so much so that even Zeus held her in reverence.
Moreover, she holds another, even more important identity: she is Medea's teacher, the one who trained one of the greatest magus in human history. The staff that Medea wields was also a gift from Hecate.
Medea, known for her obsessive and extreme nature, could kill even her closest allies over a minor disagreement. Yet, there were two individuals, or rather, two beings, whom she revered. One of them was the unfathomable Hecate, and the other was Circe, her senior disciple, and aunt, also a pupil of Hecate.
According to the knowledge granted by the Holy Grail, Hecate had left the mortal world over two thousand years ago. Even if she hadn't disappeared, summoning this goddess, who had no interest in worldly matters, would be an almost impossible task.
So how exactly did Shinji manage it?
Due to Medea's exclamation, the ball of light began to change, outlining the shape of a woman.
"Ah, Medea, I never thought we would meet again."
"Great Goddess, how are you here?"
Medea asked cautiously, lowering her head respectfully.
"Because that little one forcefully connected to the Seat of the Gods."
"Huh?"
"Heh, still as slow as ever. Haven't you noticed yet? I am... merely one among the countless gods."
"!!!"
It was only at this moment that Medea realized that Hecate wasn't the only divine presence around her. She could feel the familiar divinity of other gods.
The Sky God Zeus, the Sea God Poseidon, the Underworld King Hades, the Queen of the Gods Hera, the Smithing God Hephaestus, the Sun God Apollo, the Moon Goddess Artemis...
And these familiar gods were only a small portion. There were many more whose names she didn't know, beings she had never encountered in life, but they exuded just as much power.
Indeed, this sea of light was entirely composed of gods. Each glowing sphere was a deity, and the Hecate she revered was just one of them.
If someone told her that every god born on the planet was present here, Medea wouldn't doubt it for a second.
She gazed blankly at this miraculous sea, muttering dreamlike words.
"Is this the Third Magic?"
"No, this is merely the prelude."
As though responding to Solomon's assessment, Shinji made a new move, slowly raising the Sword of the War God.
"Thank you, Altera. If not for the Sword of the War God you left behind, which is even older than the Excalibur, I wouldn't have been able to break the limits and summon so many gods."
The claim that it was older than the Excalibur was no exaggeration. Altera's sword was not the weapon of the Roman War God Mars, as she often claimed, but the weapon of an even more ancient deity—the original War God, the source of all war gods, battle gods, and gods of conflict.
At that time, gods had not yet been differentiated, and they had no names. Each concept had only one god, and the most powerful among them was this original War God.
Fourteen thousand years ago, the colossal god Sefar descended from beyond the stars and wrought havoc on the planet. The original War God stood up, wielding the Sword of the War God, and fought valiantly against the giant. Although ultimately defeated, Altera was deeply impressed by the War God's struggle. The Sword of the War God became her most cherished prize, and she has used it ever since.
Through this sword, Altera could connect with the War God Mars, Nero could connect with the goddess Venus, and Shinji had gone even further. By using the Sword of the War God to connect with the concept of divinity itself, he employed the Third Magic to manifest every god ever born on the planet.
This was a subversion of the laws of the modern world, a subversion of human order, an undeniable miracle impossible for any mortal to achieve.
"Fourteen thousand years ago, you defeated all the gods of this planet, making every living creature wail at your feet. Can you do it again now?"
In response to Shinji, a massive hand came crashing down. At this point, the giant Sefar had been completely consumed by the urge for destruction. There were no friends or mercy in her eyes, only an insatiable desire for annihilation.
Seeing this, Shinji sighed deeply. The Sword of the War God extended like a whip, sweeping away the giant's hand as he gestured with his other hand.
"Go."
In the next moment, an infinite light surged upward.
Though the gods had fragmented and diversified due to belief, there were some memories they had not forgotten.
The shame of fourteen thousand years ago, and the helplessness of fourteen thousand years ago, all were etched deep into their divine souls, reawakening with the reappearance of the giant.
The gods—strong or weak, natural or belief-based—launched an attack on the giant.
For revenge, for protection, just like their predecessors, the original gods, they did not retreat.
Such a scene had never been witnessed before, not in all of history.
Such a magnificent spectacle could only be described as divine grace as vast as the sea and divine might as terrifying as a prison.
Although they had lost their physical forms and had degenerated into mere spirits, although the waning of mystery had weakened their powers, the giant was not in her prime either.
Moreover, during the time Altera slumbered, both the planet and humanity had not been idle. They had emerged from the brink of extinction and revived, creating a splendor far greater than that of fourteen thousand years ago.
With this power shift, even though Altera was a battle-hardened vanguard created by a wandering star and held a world-destroying advantage, in the face of this unprecedented miracle, she could only suffer defeat, being gravely wounded.
At this moment, Shinji had also completed his final preparations and began his chant.
"A god is the deity of heaven and the spirit of earth, but can also become a spirit."
He held the sword in his right hand while extending his left, divine power automatically gathering before his palm. It outlined mountains, rivers, the sun, the moon, and the stars, which then formed a massive magic circle.
"It's a pity—you, dominated by the will of a wandering star, who tore the sky, ravaged the earth and destroyed all things—are not worthy of being called a god!"
As the magic circle was completed, Shinji grasped the sword in both hands and swung it downward, shattering the magic circle before him.
"I will purify you!"
The shattered fragments of the magic circle did not dissipate but instead transformed into pure white wings. They resembled countless birds, or perhaps angels, surrounding the boy as they all flew toward Sefar.
"Sefar, prepare yourself!"
The Sword of the War God was imbued with the limitless power of the gods, and the flock of birds descended simultaneously, unleashing an even more dazzling light that completely engulfed the giant.