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(Fate) Chapter 174: Take my love, my goddess
🕑 Added 2024-10-23 14:53:34 +0000 UTCThe Pegasus ran across the sky above the Olympus gods, carrying Promise and the goddess Hecate.
Below, what was once the grand realm of the gods had been swallowed by water.
Poseidon, the God of the Seas, wielded his trident with all his might, not only to combat Hades, the god of the underworld, but also to suppress Zeus, preventing the King of the Gods from breaking free of his bonds.
The sea had become Poseidon’s domain, where he held the upper hand.
Even though they were far away, thanks to the blessing Hecate had bestowed on him, Promise could clearly see the figure standing on the temple steps at the edge of the ocean.
A goddess in a pure white gown, holding a spear and shield.
Those beautiful golden eyes looked at everything in front of them without the slightest fluctuation.
Despite the battles raging between the Olympian gods, where old grudges were being settled and revenges were being taken, and despite Promise's plans being disrupted and taking a different direction all together, everything covered by the veil of night cast by Nyx to protect the mortal world from disaster— this flawless goddess still stood there, without any wavering, as if she still had everything under control.
Even when she sensed Promise’s gaze upon her, Athena looked up and offered him a serene, graceful smile, picturesque Athenian smile.
At that moment, Thetis, the wise sea goddess clad in a light blue gown, and Ares, the God of War in his armor, arrived in front of her.
“Goddess of Wisdom... I’m sorry. I was persuaded by that boy,” Thetis looked at Athena with a slightly complicated expression, but soon she became firm and said, “It’s too late now. Please step aside.”
"Why are you talking so much nonsense!"
Ares, the god of war, jumped out and looked at Athena with an impatient expression as he laughed and said, "Come on, Athena, I've been waiting for this opportunity for too long. I've long wanted to rub your face on the ground and listen to your melodious screams!"
"By that time, let's see if you can still keep this stinky face every day!
Upon hearing this, Thetis looked at Ares strangely,
Because she clearly remembered that in her memory, Athena had not done anything excessive to Ares.
So, for a moment she was a little confused about where his anger towards Athena came from.
The truth, however, was simple: Ares just didn’t like Athena.
Because every time he saw Athena, even if Athena herself didn't realize it, Ares still felt that this guy was looking at him as if he was a clown.
Furthermore, Athena’s birth had taken some of his dominion over war, which only fueled his resentment.
Despite Ares’ foul mouth and the presence of Thetis, the goddess
However, Athena still didn't care about Ares' foul mouth or Thetis, the goddess who had rescued the king of gods Zeus in the original myth.
She lifted her head, casting her gaze toward the boy on Pegasus, high above.
She smiled, her golden eyes filled with anticipation.
'Ah, my dear child,* what kind of surprise will you bring me this time?'
“Ugh… she really does have an infuriating air about her, doesn’t she?”
It was not Promise who said this, but Hecate who was sitting beside him.
As she looked at the goddess below who remained calm in the face of such a situation, Hecate couldn't help but nodded, speaking to Promiae: “I think I understand now why you wanted to slap her.”
Promise however, didn’t respond immediately .
His emerald eyes met Athena’s gaze for a long moment.... and then he smiled.
"She’s looking forward to this, even with things turning out like this.
If that's the case how could I ever disappoint a goddess I respect so much?"
The boy said this with a chuckle, but there was no smile in his eyes.
“Goddess Hecate, could you make the moonlight shine upon this place?”
Hecate glanced at Promise, who had actually used the word please for a moment but said nothing.
Instead, she lifted her head toward the sky and waved her hand.
In an instant, the night sky came alive with shimmering stars, and a full moon appeared, its radiant light bathing the landscape.
"Now, let the sun shine as well," Promise said again.
*You ask, I deliver,* Hecate was depressed in her heart, but her body was very obedient.
She pulled out her staff and performed magic seriously.
Soon, an artificial sun rose opposite the moon, illuminating the entire Olympus.
For the first time, the sun and moon hung together in the sky, casting their combined light over the divine realm.
Facing such a magnificent sight, even Hades and Poseidon, even Hades and Poseidon, who were fighting fiercely... and were probably the only ones fighting ruthlessly, stopped for a moment, gazing upward in confusion at Pegasus soaring below the sun and moon.
"Whoa... Hecate, you can really make a sun!"
Even though it was his idea, seeing it actually happen, Promise couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, .
After all, he had suggested it on a whim, because he suddenly thought of the temple of Hecate in the underworld, where there was always a small sun hanging.
Hecate shot him a blank look and turned her head away, not wanting to talk to him anymore.
Promise, however, wasn’t bothered at all.
He kept his smile as he locked eyes with the flawless goddess below, Athena.
And then...
"Apollo, the noble and radiant god of light, please listen to my prayers here. By the vow witnessed by the gods, which cannot be broken, grant me the bow formed from the power of light," Promise offered his prayer to Apollo, the god of light.
The vow he referred to was an unbreakable one—Apollo, due to the incident with the seven-stringed lyre, was bound to never refuse a request from Promise.
In the same way:
"Beautiful and noble Moon Goddess, Artemis, hear my prayer. By the vow witnessed by the gods, which cannot be broken, grant me the arrow formed from the power of the moon."
Similarly, Artemis, because of a prior gift she had received; the offering that had lit the night sky—was also bound to never refuse a request from Promise.
Meanwhile, Hermes, who had been gleefully teaming up with Artemis to beat up Apollo, was caught off guard by the sudden prayers.
Before he could react, he was kicked aside by Apollo and Artemis, who were now focussed on Promise’s request.
The two deities looked at each other for a moment before stepping forward, each emerging from their respective domains of light and moonlight, and approaching Promise, who still sat atop Pegasus.
Apollo, smiling, handed his radiant golden bow to Promise.
Artemis, likewise, passed him the arrow formed from moonlight.
Seeing this scene, Hecate’s eyes twitched wildly.
In the end, with a resigned sigh, she clicked her tongue and helplessly mustered up her full strength, throwing every possible enhancement she could onto Promise, stacking spell after spell.
She even tossed a few onto Pegasus for good measure before hopping off and floating in the air. As a final touch, she gave the horse a swift kick.
Pegasus, understanding immediately, spread its majestic wings and under the watchful gaze of all the gods in Olympus, soared higher into the sky, carrying Promise with it.
They flew up and up, until they reached the point where the sun and the moon hung in parallel in the heavens.
At that moment, the moon and light, the authority and power of the two main gods, began to converge on the boy.
"Let's not fight for now."
Hades said, putting away his weapon.
Poseidon gave him a sideways glance but soon followed suit, putting away his trident.
"Wait a minute… you didn’t come here for Zeus at all, did you? You came for that kid, didn’t you?" Poseidon realized the reason, a bit belatedly.
Of course Poseidon knew Promise.
Whether it was from the incident with the temple of the skull or the time he helped hunt down Hermes, Poseidon still held a favorable opinion of the boy.
Hades, not bothering to hide anything, nodded.
After all, there was no need to pretend.
Zeus? Who even is that?
I'm not familiar with him at all!
"So… what’s that kid doing now?" Looking at the grand spectacle in front of him, Poseidon couldn't help but continue asking curiously.
"He..."
"He...he really was going to slap Athena."
Next to Queen Hera and God of Craftsmen Hephaestus, the goddess of beauty Aphrodite looked strange as she witnessed this scene.
"She deserves to be beaten!" Hera nodded.
"You deserve a beating." Hephaestus snorted.
.......Wait a minute, Hephaestus,
I remember that you and Athena have always had a good relationship.
You are a pair of good friends, right?
Hestia couldn’t help but glance at Hephaestus, in amusement.
She was actually fully siding with Promise in this situation.
In this case, how could Zeus, the king of gods who was imprisoned in the temple behind Athena, not see the magnificent scene happening outside, with only a wall between them?
Even Zeus, in his current predicament, lifted his head to look toward the young man, now at the center of attention, soaring through the skies of Olympus.
And then, Promise nocked the moonlit arrow, drawing back the bow of light and aiming it directly at the flawless goddess below.
"Goddess Athena, this is an arrow filled with all the love from someone who's long admired you," At this moment, Promise was still smiling.
As the bow was drawn tighter, the incompatible divine powers of Apollo and Artemis clashed violently within his body, so despite the blessings Hecate had poured into him, it felt like his body was being torn apart.
Yet, Promise paid no mind to the pain.
His laughter echoed across Olympus, reaching the ears of all the gods.
"So no cheating! No blocking it with that shield, beautiful Goddess Athena. You must take this... honestly and properly!"
With those words, Promise pulled the bowstring to its full draw in a breath.
In that moment, the collision and fusion of the two gods' powers caused the seas below—despite Poseidon's efforts to control them—to surge uncontrollably.
High above, the sun and moon trembled and flickered, on the verge of vanishing altogether.
Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Hecate also had no choice, as she frantically urged her divine power and authority, and used all the divine power accumulated over hundreds of years at this moment.
At her side, two manifestations of Hecate appeared.
One was a child, dressed in a black gown, and the other, a fully matured woman, also clad in dark robes.
Hecate, being one of the ancient Greek goddesses, embodied the "Triple Goddess" archetype—goddess of crossroads, magic, and the moon, with three forms representing different aspects of her power.
One form focused on maintaining the sun, the other on sustaining the moon, while Hecate herself worked tirelessly to balance the two divine forces within Promise, ensuring he didn’t explode under their weight.
Only then did the boy, who seemed to be about to disappear at any time due to the power of the two main gods, finally shot the arrow with great difficulty.
An arrow forged from the combined powers of Apollo, the God of Light, and Artemis, the Goddess of the Moon.
The moment it was released, the overwhelming divine force immediately dispersed the two manifestations of Hecate.
The sun and moon that had appeared in the divine realm shattered in an instant.
Only the night, cast by Nyx, remained.
Therefore, seeing this arrow, even Zeus, the king of gods who was imprisoned in the temple, was moved.
Athena, the flawless goddess with her golden eyes, finally showed a flash of surprise as she instinctively raised her shield, prepared to block the incoming attack.
Until the words of the boy echoed in her ears...
'This arrow carries all my heavy love for you, my goddess.'
Under the gaze of the gods, Athena slowly lowered her shield.
Not only did she let go of her shield, but she even discarded her spear.
She gazed at the boy high in the sky, shaking her head, a smile of resignation and affection crossing her face.
Then, without hesitation, she stood and walked toward the arrow that was heading straight for her.
And so, in full view of all the gods, this flawless goddess allowed herself to be consumed by the light of the arrow that the boy had shot.
