Athena held no trace of goodwill toward the fool who dared to underestimate her.
She loathed the male gods; it was they who had subverted matriarchal rule, usurped her throne as the King of Gods, and degraded her status from a sovereign ruler to a mere daughter of a King.
She hated "Steel" as well, for Steel was the very proof of the persecution of the dragons, the serpents, and the Earth Mother Goddesses.
While Kusanagi Godou was not a male god himself, it didn't stop her from venting her spite on him.
The fact that he possessed the authorities of a God of Steel only fueled her distaste.
Yet, what made her expression darken even more than all of that was the galling reality that she simply could not manage to kill this loathsome existence.
Athena was fighting with a suppressed fury, but Kusanagi Godou was even more frustrated than she was.
He felt like a man who knew his enemy was pulling off some world-shattering scheme behind his back, yet was unable to stop it for a myriad of reasons—he didn't even know what was actually happening.
"Damn it...!"
Parrying the scythe wrapped in dark purple flames, Kusanagi Godou took a heavy leap backward.
The opponent's strength, divine power, and even her authorities surpassed his own.
Ending this fight quickly was a pipe dream.
Although he had the [Skins of the Divine Beast] and didn't have to worry about being killed in the short term, his most lethal authority, [Hydra's Bane], had already been expended once.
He would have to wait at least a full day before he could call upon it again.
Currently, he was maintaining a stalemate by using the [War God's Belt] to boost his overall physical parameters, but actually clinching a victory was impossible.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but glance toward the sky. In the next instant, a suffocating sense of impending death wrapped around his body, forcing him to dodge instinctively.
"To dare lose focus while clashing with me—you certainly are relaxed, aren't you?" Retracting her scythe, the smile on Athena's face was thick with murderous intent.
"Relaxed? I've been forced to use every trick in my book, and I still can't see a path to victory." Despite his words, the fighting spirit on Godou's face did not fade.
"Hmph. Not bad, Fool. To maintain such high morale even when facing a certain death."
Athena offered a rare word of praise, only to suddenly reveal a playful, mocking glint in her eyes. "But... the reinforcements you long for will never arrive."
Godou wasn't particularly surprised that she had read his mind.
Even as someone who didn't care for mythology, he had heard of Athena's title as the Goddess of Wisdom.
"You think I'll be shaken by that kind of talk?" Godou reset his stance, his will to fight not flagging in the slightest.
"You think I am merely using words to interfere with your will? While I do employ such tactics, this time, I am simply stating a fact." Athena shook her head as if amused by Godou's self-assurance in "seeing through" her trick.
"..."
Hearing this, even though Godou knew it was likely a psychological ploy, his brows furrowed slightly.
It was indeed a tactic, but it was also the truth. The two were not mutually exclusive.
"Melusine will return before long. Although she is taking unusually long this time, it will not change the outcome," Athena continued.
"Have you not heard? How many Campione that child has slain, and how little time those feats required?"
Godou had heard the stories, of course, but they felt abstract. Compared to those ethereal legends, he placed more trust in his current opponent and his current ally.
"The one who wins in the end will definitely be the Sect Leader," he stated with conviction.
He had sparred with Luo Cuilian no less than five times in the past half-month.
Every single time, he had been beaten to the point of questioning his very existence. Having a profound understanding of her strength, he knew better than anyone how terrifying she truly was.
Athena shook her head, losing interest in wasting words on someone so ignorant of the vastness of heaven and earth.
She had intended to crush his spirit, but her words had backfired and achieved the opposite effect. Since it was useless, there was nothing left to do but keep fighting.
As time ticked by, even with Athena restricted from using her authority over the Night, her base stats as a Trinity God-King were enough to make Godou break into a cold sweat.
He gritted his teeth as he felt his divine power draining rapidly, strained by the burden of maintaining two authorities simultaneously for so long.
He still had to go find Sun Wukong after meeting up with Luo Cuilian.
How could he afford to waste so much energy here?
With that thought, he simply deactivated the protection of the [Skins of the Divine Beast], relying solely on the stat boosts from the [War God's Belt] to maneuver around Athena.
Athena realized instantly what Godou's move implied.
Already in a foul mood, her anger flared. Had it not been for the remnants of her Wisdom authority, she might have succumbed to divine madness and unleashed her full power.
Yet, even without her Night authority, the suddenly fragile Godou became a literal spinning top, chased and lashed about by Athena.
The [War God's Belt] did grant him an all-around boost, including defense, but there was still a gap compared to Athena's raw numbers.
Without the Divine Beast's skins, every collision sent a numbing shock through his arms. He was forced into a "hit and run" strategy, retreating with every exchange.
Facing this "spinning top" that retreated every time she struck it, Athena didn't look relieved at all. Instead, his slippery movements only made her more incensed.
"All that possesses life, cease your pulse! Kneel before me! What suits you best are cold stone monuments—for that is the grace bestowed by the Goddess!"
Her pitch-black pupils suddenly radiated a terrifying pressure.
Godou, who had been fighting and retreating, felt his body stiffen. Caught off guard, he was sent flying by a heavy blow from the scythe.
He scrambled to his feet and immediately locked eyes with his enemy, but that very act made it impossible to control his body properly again.
'There's something wrong with those eyes!'
Even Godou recognized the "Eyes of Medusa," an old friend that appeared in countless stories.
He instinctively tried to look away to avoid eye contact. While he would still be affected by petrification even without direct contact, it would at least be less severe.
But... in a life-and-death struggle, if you don't watch your opponent's eyes and movements, how is that different from seeking death?
Realizing this, Godou had no choice but to keep his gaze on her.
Feeling his body turn rigid and the very flow of his blood slowing down, he bit his tongue and was forced to reactivate the [Skins of the Divine Beast] to gain its resistance and massive defense.
Just as Athena was about to swing her scythe again, she caught a glimpse of Melusine returning to the vicinity in the sky.
Godou, who had been bracing for Athena's next strike, froze for a moment.
He followed her line of sight, and his pupils shrunk to pinpricks.
That's... that Heretic God? Why is she alone? Where is the Sect Leader?
Godou didn't even dare to contemplate the possibility, but the current situation was exactly as Athena had described...
That Heretic God won? In such a short amount of time? How is that possible... Isn't the Sect Leader the strongest Campione?
Seeing that Athena had noticed her, Melusine simply flew down in front of the two. "The Martial King has been dealt with. Do you need a hand?"
At her question, the hair on the back of Godou's neck stood on end. Athena, however, did not speak immediately.
Her silence caused the battlefield to fall into an eerie hush.
Godou's mind raced as he desperately thought about how to face two Heretic Gods at once, while Melusine looked on with a hint of confusion at the inexplicable silence.
Finally, in an atmosphere that made Godou feel like he was suffocating, Athena spoke.
"When did you change your clothes? And why did you not wait for me to help you?"
Godou & Melusine: ...Huh?
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T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.