Because Akuto had already exchanged for the succubus bloodline, Athena's favorability toward him rose again from that kiss just now.
After all, Akuto really had given her an unusually deep—and comfortable—experience.
Women always pay special attention to the man who takes their first time, whether it's a first kiss or a first night.
Athena might be a goddess—one of the so-called virgin goddesses, no less—but in that regard, she wasn't all that different from any other woman.
Akuto noticed the way she was looking at him and licked his lips in response.
"Asura King, this one knows you're savoring the goddess's kiss. But it is enough for you to spend the rest of your life reminiscing over it—do not harbor any unrealistic expectations toward this one," Athena said, licking her own lips.
Akuto had been going all-out a moment ago. So not only could he feel the shifts in Athena's mood and emotions—Athena could feel his, too.
That rough, overwhelming surge of possessiveness and lust had slammed into her hard enough to leave her dizzy.
Being seized so forcefully and battered by that emotional impact left Athena displeased. But what truly annoyed her was this: mixed in with Akuto's possessiveness and lust, there was also unmistakable affection—real liking, real love.
And it wasn't the kind of "love" a mortal offered to a goddess. Nor the kind aimed at a Heretic God.
She could feel it clearly—inside Akuto's heart, she was simply a woman he liked.
That—
That was what irritated Athena the most.
In her eyes, Akuto knew exactly what his abilities did. Yet he still used them so brutally during the kiss, forcing them both to feel each other's inner state.
Fine. They'd felt it.
So now what?
Why did he look so calm afterward, like nothing had happened?
After pouring that kind of violent fondness into her, shouldn't he have followed it up with something—an actual confession, for example?
Instead, Akuto did nothing at all.
It was infuriating in a different way: he didn't even give her a chance to reject him and regain her footing.
Put simply, Athena was already emotionally cornered into "confessing," yet Akuto still hadn't truly confessed to her—and that made her extremely dissatisfied.
If he didn't confess, how was she supposed to refuse him and save face?
…
Akuto could see Athena's displeasure, and he also caught the subtext in her words.
Spend the rest of your life reminiscing over the taste of a goddess's kiss…
Was that her way of saying she wouldn't kill him?
Not long ago, Athena had still looked ready to keep her promise and then fight to the death to finish him off. But now, after only their second kiss, her attitude had already shifted to "Go on, reminisce alone for the rest of your life~"—the effect was obvious.
So Akuto decided to press the advantage.
"Vmmm—"
He lifted a hand slightly and tossed a cluster of data toward Athena—a stream of information.
"Hm? This is…" Athena raised an eyebrow at the shimmering flow between them. Was he trying to flirt again?
"Nothing. Just some things I want you to know."
Akuto didn't bother explaining further. He knew that with Athena's personality—and with how awkward their relationship was right now—she would read it no matter what.
"Oh? Fine, then." Athena's lips curved faintly. "Let this one see whether you can show something that would even surprise the Goddess of Wisdom."
As she spoke, she extended her small hand and slipped it straight into the stream.
In an instant, a flood of information poured into Athena's mind, and her deep violet eyes—dark as midnight—widened dramatically.
"Th… this is…"
A dozen seconds later, after she finished receiving it, Athena looked at Akuto as if reality itself had become questionable.
"It's what was originally 'destined' to happen," Akuto replied calmly. "If I weren't here, the world would probably develop along those lines."
What Akuto had thrown at her was intelligence about other worlds—and about the original trajectory of this Godslayer world.
He knew that against proud, high-and-mighty types like Erica and Athena, this move was devastating.
They couldn't stand it.
…
And things unfolded exactly as he'd expected.
After reading the information in Akuto's stream, Athena's gaze changed instantly.
She'd already braced herself for what might be inside—after all, she'd known from the beginning that Akuto came from another world. If anything, she'd been looking forward to what he would show her.
As the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena could simultaneously parse the "blind spots" in her own knowledge about other worlds from what Akuto provided.
But she hadn't expected this.
She could accept that other worlds existed. She could accept that other worlds had pantheons similar to the one she belonged to. She could even accept that Akuto was the heir of an alternate-world God of the Bible.
But—
What in the world was a book called Campione! (Godslayer)?
"Athena, I know what you're thinking," Akuto said, repeating what he'd once told her before. "And I can tell you clearly: your guess is right. If I weren't here, your world would most likely develop exactly like that."
"I see…" Athena's lips parted, and she let out a soft, mocking laugh. "So this is what they call destiny, hm~"
Athena knew fate existed. She knew the Fates existed, too. But in her understanding, their influence was limited. Even if fate could affect gods, it was nowhere near as powerful as the influence that human belief exerted upon divinities.
But…
If what Akuto showed her was truly accurate…
"Are you showing this one the truth of the world… to pull this one into your camp?" As the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena quickly guessed his intent.
"You could put it that way," Akuto nodded.
"If I like you, then you'll become my partner sooner or later. And if you're my partner, you're obviously someone on my side."
Athena stared.
"…Hah?"
Athena had always considered herself extremely confident—borderline narcissistic, even.
But she hadn't expected Akuto's confidence to surpass her own.
He hadn't even confessed to her yet, and he was already "defaulting" her into being his partner?
Wasn't that a little too self-assured—too full of himself?
Akuto enjoyed watching the usually composed Athena show genuine surprise. Smiling, he replied, "Athena, I think you've misunderstood. I'm not so confident that I can casually win over a goddess."
"Fuh…" Hearing that, Athena let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
But Akuto's next words nearly made her laugh from sheer disbelief.
"The reason I've already defaulted you into being my partner is because I've decided that even if you refuse, I'll take you anyway. Everything else, I can talk about after I've taken you."
Athena fell silent.
She had to admit it—Akuto really had given her a good experience. And with his identity from another world, he was more than worthy of the title "king of gods" that she carried.
But Athena had been a virgin goddess since ancient times. She did not lightly fulfill vows of that sort.
She could accept becoming Akuto's traveling companion.
But a "partner"? No—let's not.
"O holy son from another world," Athena said slowly, voice sharpening, "do you know what it means to say something like that to a virgin goddess? It is the greatest provocation you can offer that goddess."
After a few seconds of thought, she gave him her clear refusal.
"Virgin goddess?" Akuto laughed. "Athena, you're still clinging to that boring setting?"
"Athena, you should know what gods are in this world. At your root, you're earth spirits born from the world itself. If we're being technical, then every goddess in myth is a 'virgin goddess,' isn't she?"
Athena went quiet.
Indeed, as Akuto said, the relationships between goddesses and male gods in the human world were largely inventions of mortals. The relationships among the gods in the divine realm resembled the myths, but they also differed in subtle ways.
For example, the real shift in the human world had been this: patriarchal clans overthrew matriarchal clans, and patriarchal gods became the new chief gods. The changes in myth were an outgrowth of that.
But the divine realm's reflection of that shift was this: patriarchal gods and the heroes of steel joined forces to overthrow the Earth Mother goddesses and drag them down from the throne of god-king.
The divine realm's reality—compared to what mortals believed—was worlds apart.
And yes, the goddesses of the divine realm did not truly have the "partner" relationships described in myth.
"So what exactly are you trying to tell this one?" Athena asked, unable to hold it back.
"Athena, before I answer that, I need to ask you a few questions."
"The first: do you hate the current state of the divine realm, where the Earth Mother goddesses are suppressed by patriarchal gods?"
Athena didn't answer, but Akuto already had his conclusion from her expression.
"Second: do you hate being influenced by fate—by the aura of a Heretic God—until you lose a part of your true will?"
Athena still didn't answer, but the irritation in her violet eyes thickened.
"Third: do you want to change this situation where you can be shaped by mortals' belief… and become a truly independent god, no longer bound by the divine realm?"
Athena remained silent again, but the displeasure in her eyes had reached its peak.
After those questions, she finally understood what Akuto meant.
"Then if you want it," Akuto said, "come with me—and let's turn this world completely upside down."
As he spoke, he smiled and held out his hand to Athena.
Athena stared at that hand, and the doubt in her gaze slowly hardened into resolve.
She suspected Akuto might be saying all this simply because he wanted an excuse to travel with her—so it would be easier to get what he wanted from her.
But…
Compared to Akuto, she hated this boring world even more.
So, faced with his invitation, the goddess Athena slowly reached out her pale, delicate hand.
"This one will travel with you."
"As for your confession to this one…" Athena's lips curved faintly. "This one will give it a definitive end soon."
And just like that, the goddess Athena accepted Akuto's invitation. One man, one woman—one large hand and one small hand—interlaced.
A handhold was nowhere near as intimate as a kiss.
And yet… Athena felt that her heart and Akuto's had never fit together so perfectly.
(End of Chapter)
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