The petite goddess stood motionless, her face expressionless.
"You stay here and don't move. I'll give you the Gorgon Stone when I return," That detestable kin had said.
No, that vile creature didn't deserve to be called kin!
The area, ravaged by prior battles, was cordoned off.
Due to her divine nature, ordinary humans couldn't perceive her even as she stood there.
Even passing mages, under her divine power's influence, overlooked her.
She had lingered for some time, yet her face showed no trace of impatience.
Like a serpent, an Earth Mother Goddess never lacked patience before acting.
Indeed!
Seething with resentment, the goddess extended her hand.
"Coo, coo, coo." A plump owl, flapping its small wings with effort, landed on her arm.
In the Vatican's St. Peter's Basilica, the heart of major Catholic ceremonies, Lucius lounged irreverently in the Pope's ornate chair, one foot propped on the armrest.
He idly toyed with a crown in his hand.
His brazen demeanor drew glares from those below, but they were powerless.
"What do you think of my proposal?" Lucius asked, tossing the crown aside with a clack, ignoring the outraged stares, and fixing his gaze on the Vatican's members.
At the forefront stood an elderly man—the Pope.
"My King, the Book of Enoch is indeed apocryphal," The Pope said, head bowed, showing deference to the Devil King occupying his seat. "This isn't defiance, but truth and falsehood must remain distinct."
"If Your Majesty is interested in our scriptures, we'd gladly offer all our sacred texts for your perusal."
His hair was white, his face etched with wrinkles. Despite his elaborate papal robes, an air of frailty clung to him, marking him as a man nearing his end.
Yet he was the highest authority in the Catholic Church.
Scripture, in Matthew's Gospel, underscored his role: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
He was God's earthly representative.
But before a Devil King, even he humbled himself.
He had no choice.
Against a Devil King wielding divine power, no one or organization dared resist.
The decline of divine authority and the rise of science owed partly to the Church's clashes with Devil Kings.
If possible, the Pope would avoid defying Lucius.
But Lucius's command was monumental for the Catholic Church.
No—for all Christianity, all Hebrew systems, it would cause unimaginable upheaval.
This King demanded the Catholic Church recognize the Book of Enoch and include it in the Bible.
Catholicism was Christianity's largest denomination.
Agreeing would make the Church a global laughingstock, and he, the Pope, Christianity's sinner.
It struck at Christianity's core.
Christianity rested on Jesus Christ's birth, ministry, death, and resurrection, centered on the Trinity—Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
But in the Book of Enoch, the angel Metatron held a status above Jesus Christ.
This would shake Christianity's foundational doctrine.
Unsure of the King's motives, the Pope couldn't comply.
Even if refusal risked the Devil King's wrath.
"Oh?" Lucius didn't bristle, maintaining a smile. "So, a refusal?"
His tone remained mild, betraying no anger.
His half-lidded eyes suggested boredom, as if the scene held no interest.
With a casual gesture, he summoned a book into his left hand.
"That's—?" The Pope's pupils contracted.
As Catholicism's head, he knew all religious texts.
Seeing the book, he understood Lucius's intent in demanding the Book of Enoch's inclusion.
An Authority!
This young Campione aimed to strengthen his Authority by altering myth!
Not, as the Pope had thought, a mere display of dominance spurred by manipulation.
This was calculated, purposeful.
If the King had a clear goal, refusal wasn't an option.
A Devil King, driven by self-interest, would show no mercy.
"I understand, my King," The Pope said, bowing submissively.
He had no room to refuse.
Another word, and all Christianity would face his wrath.
"I'll promptly convene our religious allies and persuade them to comply."
But—
Bitterness filled his heart.
I'll be forever branded on religion's pillar of shame.
Mortals couldn't defy Devil Kings, who usurped divine power to ravage the earth.
He sighed, head lowered.
Lucius chuckled, rising from the papal chair.
Even these faithful lacked the courage to resist?
A touch disappointing.
But no matter.
Visiting the Vatican, Christianity's stronghold, warranted a thorough tour.
Few could treat it as a mere tourist spot.
As Lucius prepared to leave, a faint but distinct threat prickled from behind.
Weak, yet undeniably dangerous.
"Roar!" The Devil King's eyes narrowed, a brilliant smile spreading as he turned.
His intrigued gaze fell on the elderly man in plain white robes.
"Isn't this the esteemed Pope? Here to bid me farewell, unwilling to let me go?"
***
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