"Make no mistake, Hera. He is not your Heracles, but my Pegasus, Pegasus."
"Is that so? But this is my island of Samos." Hera revealed a dangerous smile.
Reminded, Seiya finally realized that this island, which emanated a peculiar atmosphere, was Samos from Greek mythology, Hera's birthplace. She was the daughter of the Titan gods Chronos and Rhea, and Zeus's older sister. From the moment she was born, fate had already declared that this ox-eyed goddess would become the mistress of all things.
And this island of Samos was also the place where Zeus and Hera secretly held their wedding and spent their wedding night. In mythology, this single night was equivalent to three hundred years in the mortal world, known as the longest honeymoon in history. This marriage was seen as the union of sunlight (Zeus of the sky) and rain (Hera, Queen of Heaven), symbolizing the fertility and bounty of the land, which perfectly matched the great authority Hera wielded.
She was Hera, the Goddess of the Golden Throne, the female personification of natural forces, the goddess of marriage and childbirth, the mistress of all things, and the Queen of Heaven who shared Zeus's great authority.
Similarly, on this island, the power Hera could exert was naturally beyond imagination. But facing the Queen of Heaven in her strongest form, Athena revealed a confident, dangerous smile and stepped forward.
"Then this is a trial. Defeating you would be the perfect way to prove that I, Athena, am the strongest god of war."
Hera tilted her head high, speaking elegantly in a strange, aria-like tone, "Oh, is that so! If you think you can do it, then come closer to me, just a little closer!"
Ahead was Hera, the Queen of Heaven, robed in gold and wearing a magnificent crown.
Behind was the bright-eyed Athena, clad in green robes and holding a tin scepter.
Seiya, the Saint from another world, was caught in the middle.
He watched as the two walked towards him with resolute steps, and when they were no more than three meters away, with him at the center, they made their move—!
The Authorities of the two goddesses at the apex of Greece collided at that moment. Scattered golden light and lightning streaked past Seiya's sides like meteors. The sky filled with a dazzling, multicolored light, each vying for supremacy. Even the dense dark clouds were split in two by this overwhelming blow, revealing a clear, sunny sky.
In the next instant, the olivewood staff and the golden tin scepter clashed, erupting with a horrifying power ten times stronger. Dark red lightning surged through the surrounding atmosphere, tearing open rifts in space.
"Don't you get it yet, bright-eyed Athena? As long as I can grasp that true great authority, I will do whatever it takes!"
"I am the war god Athena! To defend my glory, to display my divine might, you will now witness the goddess's song of savage destruction!"
At this moment, Stella, still not having freed herself from the golden net that trapped her, looked anxiously at Seiya. She didn't understand why Seiya remained motionless at a time like this. But soon, she understood. The sky plunged into a moment of darkness, followed by an endless light descending from above.
"To display such a state before my divine presence is not befitting of the Olympian Gods."
A voice like thunder descended from the sky. It was less a voice and more the roar of lightning.
In the next moment, everyone's consciousness froze... simply because all the light and heat in the sky had been usurped by the person before them.
It was a man, a man of ultimate magnificence.
The man wore white clothes similar to a toga and had a thick, curly beard and hair. Most importantly, a sacred aura enveloped his entire body. He emanated a solemn white radiance, overflowing with a majesty that could charm all creation!
There was no need to state his identity. With a single glance, both mortals and gods could clearly recognize what a noble existence this was.
Zeus, King of the Gods, the supreme deity ruling over all things in the world, the head of the Twelve Olympians. When he was in a good mood, the sky would be sunny and clear. When he was angry, the sky would be filled with dark clouds, lightning, and thunder.
If Seiya were to rank the handsome male gods he had met purely on looks, there would be three choices representing the少年, youth, and middle-to-old-age categories.
The most outstanding in the youth category was naturally the boy god Verethragna, described by the bunny girls at the Golden Ship casino as having a godly face comparable to Seiya's. The one with supreme looks among young adults was Tenma's dear friend, Hades Alone; this human vessel who suppressed Hades with his own will was born with a face that inspired pity. And in the middle-to-old-age category was the God King before him, Zeus.
Good looks, truly good looks. Even though Seiya already held a prejudice against this God King, this single glance involuntarily gave him a favorable impression.
And this man, hailed as the most handsome middle-aged man in history, laughed heartily, putting a stop to the further escalation of the battle. "Hera, you are my honor, and Athena, you are my flesh and blood. It pains me greatly to see you two fight. Let us end this conflict now."
Though they were words of persuasion, coming from Zeus's mouth, they were an absolutely undeniable law of heaven and earth.
In terms of power, the Zeus before him was also the strongest deity in this universe cluster.
The deities of the God's Domain were different from Heretic Gods. Heretic Gods displayed their might through madness. The deities of the God's Domain, however, were ranked in strength by their fame and status. As a hegemon among the strongest of God Kings, Zeus himself held the great authority over heaven and earth in this world.
Then, the God King abruptly turned his gaze to the core cause of this conflict. "Since you are Pegasus, Stella's lover, then you are naturally a member of the Greek Gods. Tomorrow, we have a grand celebration on Olympus. Come and join us."
After saying this, the God King Zeus transformed into a goshawk and vanished into the sky.
A moment later, Seiya heard a rustling sound. Stella was stealthily approaching him, peeking in the direction Zeus had disappeared, and whispering in his ear, "Boss, that old guy has bad intentions."
"Hmph, we're the ones who have come with intentions."
With Zeus vanishing as a goshawk, Athena and Hera knew they could not continue. After a simple farewell, one boarded a chariot and the other transformed into a five-colored peacock, each disappearing into the sky.
—Cyprus Island, a residence surrounded by roses and myrtles.
This was Stella's temple. After several decades, the goddess of love returned to her temple.
Perhaps with a hint of showing off, Stella eagerly showed Seiya her attendants and the authority she manifested here. But the distracted Seiya waved his hand, declining Stella's good intentions, and went alone to a secluded corner of the island.
This place was more akin to the terrace of Athena's Temple in the Sanctuary. From here, one could overlook most of Cyprus Island. It housed one of the top three largest temple complexes in the God's Domain. Looking further, even late at night, the beach still twinkled with starlight. Devout men and women, as well as couples who had traveled thousands of miles for reasons they'd rather not mention, were on the beach, holding black conical sacred stones and bathing them with seawater.
"This is to pray to Stella for love and fertility, and for a happy and fulfilling marriage," an elegant voice sounded from behind Seiya.
Seiya turned around to see the goddess in the golden robe walking gracefully towards him in the night.
"In that case, doesn't Stella's authority partially overlap with yours?" Seiya raised an eyebrow.
"That's very common. Just as Athena, Ares, and I all hold the authority of war, there are still differences if you break it down. I am the guardian of marriage, and marriage inevitably involves love, which creates a natural intersection with Stella's domain." Hera leaned against the railing, her eyes glancing at the devotees in the distance bathing the sacred stones in prayer.
"But our perspectives are completely different. I uphold the sanctity of the institution of marriage, while Stella focuses on the carnal desire within marriage. There is a similar overlap in the authority over childbirth. As Queen of Heaven, I govern the birth of legitimate heirs, while Stella brings the possibility of birth through carnal desire. The division in the authority of war is similar. It would be too long-winded to explain in detail. The only one who can truly wield complete authority, the omniscient and omnipotent god, is Zeus—the God King Zeus."
Seiya's heart stirred slightly. The authority of cause and effect had guided him here, and at this moment, he knew the main event was about to begin. He heard Hera speak softly.
"Did you know, Pegasus? I noticed you back when you were still in the Astral Realm's Fairy Realm, throwing punches on the cliff of that shaman, Guinevere." Hera paused, giving Seiya time to think.
"Your future, your growth, your possibilities—I have long known them all. I had a premonition long ago that if we joined forces, we could overthrow the decadent Zeus and usher in a fourth generation of gods."
At that moment, a fierce wind blew against his face. The Queen of Heaven emanated a majestic aura like that of a God King, inspiring an involuntary sense of admiration.
The straight-man part of Seiya's soul flared up, and he couldn't help but purse his lips. "But aren't you the guardian of marriage? What's this about a fourth generation of gods...?"
Hera showed an elegant and generous smile, without any shyness. "What do you think the method of ushering it in is? I am the defender of orthodox marriage, the guardian of love, but that doesn't mean I can't be a usurper. I will forever fulfill my duties as a wife to Zeus, but I will also wield that great authority as the God King of the Fourth Generation. And you—Pegasus—you will become my successor, ranked among the Twelve Olympians, with the status of a vice-regent."
Seiya got it. This Queen of Heaven had sought him out for a late-night rendezvous not to discuss how to get rid of Wu Dalang, but because she wanted to be like Whitebeard.
"Then why wouldn't I just go find Athena?" Seiya said.
"What if I told you that in the future I have foreseen, it is Athena who will destroy the earth and humanity?" Hera smiled.
"Pegasus, be my son!" As expected, Hera still said that line.
In the end, the Queen of Heaven left, telling Seiya to rest well for the night. Before departing, she was confident that Seiya would agree to her proposal, because the future she foresaw was something that Seiya, as a Saint, could never tolerate.
Seiya stood on the terrace, enjoying the cool breeze and pondering the information Hera had revealed. She said that the future she foresaw was something he could never accept, and that it was Athena who would destroy the earth.
Seiya wasn't very familiar with the Godslayer world, but he vaguely remembered that the early boss of the second part's God's Domain arc was Athena, who held Pandora's Box and wanted to destroy humanity to reshape the world.
Then, the familiar palpitation returned. Seiya suddenly stopped, his long eyebrows twitching slightly. Not long after, the moonlight solidified like a curtain, forming the figure of a majestic goddess in green robes.
—The God of War, bright-eyed Athena.
Seiya looked at the familiar figure before him and suddenly thought of the Heretic Athena from his original world. Including this War God Athena, there were now three age stages.
If the initial cat-ear knit hat belonged to the six-year-old loli Athena, then the white-robed Athena who had reclaimed the Gorgon's Stone and become a trinity was the sixteen-year-old sacred goddess.
And the one standing before him now, the green-robed War God Athena, was in between the two, appearing to be twelve years old.
"Pegasus, I have seen your figure in my dreams for a long time..."
—Wow, the Astral Realm again, Seiya grimaced.
"You are the Pegasus who is deeply connected to me, right?" Athena asked with uncertainty.
Seiya wasn't very clear on the basic settings of the deities here in the God's Domain, not even knowing if they still possessed the characteristic of being a composite of the same mythological source.
"Yes. You could say that Athena and Pegasus can never be disentangled, no matter what," Seiya shrugged.
"Yes. And in the prophetic dreams I've seen, I saw memories that do not belong to me." Athena said softly, "Sanctuary, Athena, Holy War, protecting the peace of humanity and the earth... I have been thinking for a long time whether this defiled earth, where the pure-hearted people of the Golden Age no longer exist, is still worth preserving. Perhaps it would be better to destroy the current world and reshape it into the ideal Golden World."
"But what is your choice?"
"But watching the image of you throwing your fists, which was transmitted into my mind at the same time, convinced me that even if there is only one person, this world is still worth saving. I want to establish a Sanctuary to guard the earth, select warriors from among humanity who fear no hardship or obstacle, and wage war against the evil gods. Come and help me, Pegasus!"
Athena also left, and she too told Seiya to rest well.
On a summer night, a giant moon hung in the sky. A squirrel spiraled up a tall red pine, reaching the top of the canopy to gaze at the vast, ravine-scarred canyon.
Seiya looked at the goshawk that had landed on a marble pillar, a hint of disbelief in his eyes, and he couldn't help but facepalm.
And before Seiya's very eyes, the goshawk manifested into the form of a majestic man.
Zeus, King of the Gods. He had a completely different temperament from the daytime. His awe-inspiring majesty was completely retracted, and there was even a rose tucked into his chest. The moment he was about to speak, Seiya sensed something was wrong.
"Are you surprised? That it's me. O youth favored by the God King, in truth, I saw you long ago...!"
Zeus's words were never fully spoken, because in a blur, the youth's figure vanished. All that remained was an empty terrace, with the high-hanging moon quietly keeping him company.
_____
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