บท 11: Athena VS Reino Barack 2

Erina and Amakasu spent a dozen minutes before they escaped from the pitch-black area. They were lucky enough to stop a taxi that hadn't noticed any abnormalities in the area and made it back to Nanao Shrine, Tostuki Culinary Academy. On the premises of this shrine is a simple one-story service building. Erina kept the Gorgoneion to be stored in this place. It was a room particularly prepared for Her, so she could use it freely.

She had Amakasu wait outside in the courtyard before entering the service building itself. When she returned with the Gorgoneion, Amakasu reported their current situation through his cell phone, to the person who was likely a member of the History Compilation Committee on the other side.

"So the artifact that's causing trouble is the Snake Representation; what a troublesome thing."

Amakasu said after hanging up the phone about three minutes later. The meeting with Reino Barack, the figure of his lover, and the arrival of the Goddess Athena—Amakasu had reported all of those events recently. Things had progressed so fast that Amakasu had revealed a lot of his 'doing things my way' attitude. But even though he was such a person, he was still an agent of the History Compilation Committee. understand witchcraft to a certain degree, trained in several martial arts, sense supernatural and destructive things past and present… perhaps due to the pressure of work no wonder he became that.

"I can't believe that an artifact like the Gorgoneion has been excavated from Africa. too strange considering its connection to the Greek goddess," Erina said hopelessly, hoping to receive some clues that could lead to an answer.

"Oh no, that's not strange at all. Plato once wrote in his dialogues that 'The Greek goddess Athena and the Libyan goddess Neith are the same gods'."

"Plato's dialogues?"

When she saw Amakasu answer her easily, Erina couldn't help but look at him in a new light. As expected of a member of the History Compilation Committee, his knowledge was far beyond her expectations.

"Correct, if I remember correctly it was in Timaeus. It was a famous story in ancient Greece. Even Herodotus once wrote something similar, that 'most Greek gods were adopted from foreign countries."

Erina felt admiration while listening to his explanation. As a Miko, Erina has received some Western cultural education. But even if she was much more knowledgeable than other girls her age, she still didn't know much about Ancient Greek culture.

"In Greek Pantheon, many gods gathered from different corners of the ancient world. Their places of origin included Egypt, Libya, Babylon, Syria, and many others. It was the result of incorporating many regional and ethnic gods into their other people within the temple sensed humans mythology."

"That's why... I have absolutely no idea."

"Don't worry, most Japanese people don't know this. Since we have always been a closed island nation, we are somewhat unaware of the cultural changes brought about by immigration. For example, Verethgana can be traced back to the Bible. Also, the god 'Garuda' who was defeated by Reino Barracks can be traced to its origins from many sides, such as Hindu mythology, Buddhism, Jainism mythology, Japanese mythology, and maybe Egypt mythology recorded about him.

"Eh!? Really?" The Persian god of war is said to have ten forms. How did a god from Central Asia appear in the world's most famous book? It might be called the ancestor of that god. I have mentioned that Verethgana has been equated with Heracles as gods of victory. But Heracles had become a god created by uniting several other gods, and his oldest source is Ba'al, the god of storms and the ruling god of Canaan.

"So are you saying that the African god Neite was later called Athena... ?"

Amakasu answered vaguely to her question. "Who knows? Regarding things like this, I don't think I should comment on it when I'm just a commoner. Honestly, this is the complicated part of Athena; the Goddess has a deep relationship with Neite but also Medusa."

"I remember the one who defeated Medusa was Perseus, the hero who received divine protection from Athena."

Erina thought of a famous story from Greek mythology. A beauty that has dozens of snakes as hair, and the ability to petrify people with her gaze. Medusa had met her death when Perseus cut off her head and offered it to Athena.

"The mythology introduces the relationship between Medusa and Athena. Did you know that Athena always kept Medusa's head with her after receiving it as a sacrifice? Since ancient times, Athena's shield always included a portrait of Medusa. Medusa had lived in this form beside Athena ever since. It would be inappropriate to call them a couple; more like a strong bond of fate had connected them.

"Incidentally, if you trace the origin of Medusa, you will find that she is an earth goddess from Africa. She isn't a monster."

Gods from other mythological were often introduced as evil monsters to suppress their status. Of course, they always lost in the end. Legends of defeating evil monsters can be seen everywhere in mythology. Like how Indian mythology says that Ashura is an evil creature who came from the west, it probably refers to the gods of Mesopotamia. On the other hand, the people of Mesopotamia refer to the gods from Indian mythology as Deo or demons who come from the east.

"Furthermore, Athena is also related to other goddesses besides Medusa. There are too many similar roles."

"What do you mean by a similar role?" Erina asked Amakasu, who was usually too lazy to explain.

The subject has completely deviated from the main topic. Even though she knew this, she still felt that the current topic was very important. Not out of curiosity, but because her Miko instincts were warning her.

"A goddess with a name similar to Athena also comes from Southern Europe, North Africa, and Eastern regions bordering the Mediterranean such as Turkey and Syria; the number of gods who have the same name as her is unnatural. There are Athena, Atana, Altona, Anata, Asherat, Asset, Ath-enna, and so other people within the temple sensed. Even Ba'al, whom I just mentioned, has a sister goddess of war named Anat, also has the same name."

"Sister... the goddess of war..." Erina's mind couldn't stop twisting. The sister, daughter, and wife of the ruler of the Pantheon. Goddess of War. Snake Goddess. Goddess of Life.

"All names that seem similar in pronunciation and linguistics can't be ignored either. Even though they were originally the same name, they continued to circulate among different cultures, getting richer all the time... that's how we should think about it." A bitter smile appeared on Amakasu's expression.

"Some say Athena is the manifestation of an owl; this pervasive darkness may have something to do with it. I just requested an investigative report from the scene when I called."

"The scene—you mean in the dark zone?"

"Yes. Athena is currently moving towards the central Tokyo highway through the Chiba region. Her goal is the Gorgoneion, spread its darkness throughout the region while moving and summoning a flock of owls...they will be in a hurricane."

Although this place is surrounded by forest, it is still in the heart of the city, and the skyscrapers surrounding the area are always a bright source of light. In addition to the street lights, there are also dazzling neon lights from the department stores. Normally, this place would be brightly lit even in the middle of the night. But right now, the darkness shrouding the area felt endless and extremely dark. Only half a moon was left in the sky to shine hazily on the ground.

"Ah, this place has already fallen under the influence of the goddess... since things have become like this, we can only pray for the Demon Lord to enter quickly, otherwise it will become impossible to deal with," Amakasu muttered to himself inside the shrine.

"This is the presence of the god of darkness... and the Gorgoneion with the serpent's trail is an artifact related to the earth. So that goddess rules over the earth and darkness..." Erina muttered.

Amakasu and Erina looked up at the sky from the shrine. The night was darker than a black pearl.

"Owls are messengers of Athena, they are birds of misfortune that only appear at night, and are considered to bring bad signs. But they are also sacred birds worshiped as symbols of wisdom and have represented holiness and doom since ancient times. Putting 'snakes' together with 'owl'—how do we interpret it?" Amakasu muttered sadly.

Although his figure could not be seen, his voice and breath were very close. Other people within the temple sensed the abnormality and fled to this place. It made them seem unreliable, but what could they do; There weren't many people in this country who could stand firm on a [Heretic God]. Even close people are at a loss for what to do. They couldn't help but tremble. Originally, humans were supposed to be afraid of the night, but since the advent of light, most humans have thrown away this fear, but it's still an instinct.

It was the same a while ago when they had to use a lot of effort to escape the darkness. Walking under the faint moonlight, guided only by holding onto the nearby walls and fences, even a completely normal walk would be troublesome. People huddled closer in the night regardless of where they came from.

"Look, we can still do something as long as there's some light." Suddenly, a warm orange light flashed. Amakasu had used his lighter, but the fire was extinguished immediately.

"To release light—that means the fire loses its power, doesn't it?"

"That's right, an extremely powerful dark trait... as expected of a [Heretic God]."

Regardless of the era and country, humans will always give names and mythology to gods. Powerful gods not only threaten humans but also humiliate humans. They were still nameless during prehistoric times. But mankind soon discovered the presence of the gods between heaven and earth, saw storms and floods as the wrath of the gods, and worshiped dangerous and vicious animals as their incarnations. As time went on, humans would name gods and incorporate all sorts of myths around them.

For example the creator of the earth El; the god of war Ogmios; the goddess of the wild Artemis. Or the god of battle and the blacksmith Ogoun; Tezcatlipoca god of rage and destruction. There is also the paradise traveler Susanoo; god of the twelve incarnations Vishnu. They are as many as stars. Everything comes from human hands.

It could be said that this was a ritual created by humans to ward off the power of the gods. The gods who received names and mythology couldn't stray too far. Whether it was the giving of favors or revenge, these gods should not exceed the scope of their authority. Thus, perhaps humans responded to the threats and blessings of the gods.

However, if the gods wanted to go beyond the names or meanings behind their mythology. If they return to their original form before they were bound by the limitations of mythology. Such a god would be named [Heretic God]. After turning their backs on the mythology given to them by humans, they will descend upon the world. Some circulated among the nations that gave them their names, while others drifted to distant lands. Whatever it is, the [Heretic God] will bring disaster to mankind.

If the sun god descends, the world will become unbearably hot. If the sea god descends, the world will be swallowed up by the sea and drowned underwater. If the god of the underworld descends, a plague will spread throughout the world, bringing death to every city. If the god of judgment descends, humans will receive all kinds of punishments and rewards. ringing imbalance and change simply by traveling across worlds, these gods of calamity acted on their whims and sought to create their status—they were [Heretic Gods].

"But the darkness now not only extinguishes the light, it even stops the vehicle, how can that happen? Thankfully there is no disaster, but..."

Erina asked the previous question once again. A motor vehicle crossing the highway that suddenly loses all lighting is bound to cause an accident. If every district Athens went through became like this—just thinking about it was scary.

"Fortunate to be caught in this misfortune. Darkness swept away light and fire, so all that depended on both of them stopped working. Athena's power turned off not only lights, but also engines; some car accidents were still inevitable, but fortunately, they were not tragedies." Amakasu then listed all the items that could still release light or fire— apart from lighting, equipment that used gas or oil couldn't be used either.

However, cell phones, wireless equipment, and devices such as air conditioners can still function normally. The darkness had engulfed between a third and a half of the Edogawa, Koto, and Central Tokyo districts, and was now expanding into the port district. Under his influence, the metro city east of Tokyo has also been suspended.

"...Although this is to be expected, isn't this too much?"

"Since Athena isn't a hateful evil god, even if she brings trouble to us, no disaster should happen. With her power, deploying mass destruction won't be difficult at all… so it's only a matter of time how long this will continue."

Amakasu's concern was spot on. They need to get this over with quickly.

…

Erina's inner doubts were increasing. A few hours ago, Reino Barack had gone to see the goddess Athena, but he still hadn't returned. Instead, Athena had come to Tokyo. He not only revealed himself but also wreaked havoc. His actions were too reckless. What if there was a god slayer nearby? Shouldn't he be a little more careful?

"Unless Reino-sama already lost to Athena?"

Erina felt uneasy, worried that something like that might happen. Even though he had the power of a demon lord, he seemed completely unreliable—Reino only seemed like a student of his age, with nothing special about him. Before she met his true face, she felt restlessness, fear, and even the urge to run away. But after that, forget about worrying, she felt relieved, and finally lectured him, telling him to be more careful. Towards the opposite sex, no, even of the same gender, she never said such words.

When she was with Reino, her emotions relaxed, then became careless—maybe there was something similar between her and Reino. Thanks to her sixth sense, Erina could usually tell if she could get along with someone at their first meeting. As soon as she thought about that, she started shaking her head. He already had a lover, so she definitely couldn't get close to him. Yes, even if the world is turned upside down.

"Calm down Nakiri Erina, Reino-sama happened to run into them. As long as the birds and snakes are incarnated, they will be fine."

Erina relaxed a bit after hearing these words. Nodding, but in her heart, she was wondering what Amakasu meant about 'during the incarnation of birds and snakes'.

"You should contact Reino-sama to confirm their condition"

"—Fi-First we have to try to reach that person. Amakasu-san, can you lend me a cellphone?"

"Of course, please. If you can, can you ask him to help us defeat Athena?"

He didn't even wait for an answer before placing the square cell phone in Erina's hand. Not sure if it was Athena's influence, but the LCD screen looked bleaker than usual. But according to Amakasu, the calling function should work normally. When they parted, Reino had written down his cell phone number on a piece of paper and gave it to Erina. Since she had remembered it, she called him quickly... after a few rings came to an answer.

[Hallo~~?]

"It's me, Nakiri. Reino-sama Where are you !?" Erina called out after hearing a familiar voice.

[Eh... around the Kasai Arakawa area. All cars and metro stop. Oh yeah, something I need to report, Athena is moving towards the Gorgoneion, and any place she passes will render light and fire unusable, so be careful.]

"I already knew about it. What are you doing now? Is Athena already in the port district!?"

[...It's embarrassing, but Athena is getting better than me; I just came back from death's door.]

"Nearly Death!? Are you okay? If you can't move, I'll go—" Erina felt despair at the sudden and serious development. Erina's intuition told her that this wasn't a joke, Reino wasn't the type to make jokes at a time like this. She wasn't sure why, but that was what he believed.

[Ah, I'm fine, don't worry. Do you know? My body is very hard; there's no way I'd die that easily. Besides, I can use this to lie to people.]

"Lies—please stop saying stupid things. After receiving serious injuries once you were still on the loose; That's too reckless, even though Reino-sama's body is stronger than usual..." Erina couldn't help but worry, and finally took a look.

She had a feeling that something might happen if he left this person alone. However, Reino's next comment had eased Erina's worries. [Fine, it should be fine since I'm not an ordinary human, so you don't have to worry. I also met another of Kuroka's comrades, so there's something I need from you. It's fine if you want to refuse, but please listen to me first.]

"...What is it? Is it something I can do?"

[Yeah, more like I can only rely on you for this. But this is very dangerous, so I must ask for your answer—but if you can, please wait and confront Athena.]

"Block!?" The strong [Heretic God] block —Athens.

It's just suicide. What does Reino Barack want from her? [If Athena approaches your place, just call my name. This way, I should fly right away to where you are—I guess.]

"Flying? ...Is that another Reino-sama's power?"

[Yes, it should be. If someone who knows my face and needs me calls out to me, then I can fly to that person's side—I guess that's how the power works.]

"...you keep saying uncertain words like 'should' or 'I guess', did I hear wrong?" Since Erina felt strange about it, she asked Kusanagi.

[Eh, actually I'm not sure, because the condition still needs to be verified, and might not even run every time. But it seems we need to get to know each other's appearances, realize that the other has fallen into danger, and both of them got hit by the wind… I guess satisfying this condition should allow me to use it.]

"Are You sure?"

[I think so… I don't know how much danger the other party will have to face, but I think meeting a god should qualify.]

"Why would anyone agree to such a dangerous and uncertain thing!"

[Yeah, I think so too. Sorry for making such an unreasonable request. Looks like we can't catch up with Athena, so I've been trying to find another way... are you in danger? Forget the Gorgoneion, get out of there and leave Athena to me.]

Reino gave a direct answer as Erina became anxious again. Reino-sama doesn't want to do this either. But if they didn't use such a method, it would be very difficult for her to catch up with Athena, Erina just realized. If it was something that had to be done, and it was something only he could do—

Then doesn't that mean she has to do it? "I see, I will wait here with the Gorgoneion until Athena comes... I will call your name; you must come; I don't want to die in a place like this." Death, that's not an exaggeration at all.

Meeting a powerful [Heretic God], who knows what could happen. Erina would lose her sanity just by meeting her eyes. Such is the difference between humans and gods.

[...Really? Erina, even if I ask for this, please don't make hasty decisions.]

"There's no other way, right? If there was, you wouldn't make such a request. Even though you're an annoying person, you're not the type to play this kind of cruel joke."

[Eh, I'm glad to be able to say that, but we just met today. Can you trust me like this?]

"I'm a Hime-Miko from Musashino. I know things like this—I'm only going to help you this once, so you'd better come here soon." Erina hung up without waiting for an answer.

If she heard any more arguments from him, the firm decision she had come to might start to waver. Will Reino Kusanagi keep his promise? Erina's intuition had no answer. Erina suddenly raised her head. She only that Amakasu and everyone in the shrine had gathered around her.

"...Erina-san, when did you become so close to Reino Barack?"

"Amakasu-san, please don't joke like that. Just as we sounded 'close' during that conversation. Anyway, I have to take the Gorgoneion outside the shrine." Facing the surprised Amakasu, Erina swiftly retorted.

"Reino-sama has the power to come back here, but I have to be his guide. However, we can't lure Athena here; we have to pull her somewhere with few people—so everyone, please take care of something afterward" Erina ordered with all the dignity of a Hime-Miko.

Even though she said it respectfully, it was still an order. There is no room for rejection.

"Too risky, let me lure Athena." Amakasu's suggestion. Under Erina's strong gaze, everyone was silent, except for this person.

"No, Amakasu-san won't be able to summon Reino-sama here. Only I can fulfill this condition, that's why I have to go alone."

Since the opponent was Athena, there was no point in bringing more people; going alone could at least avoid unnecessary casualties. Erina smiled faintly as she tried to convince Amakasu.

"Everything will be fine, Reino-sama promised to come. That person will only keep his promise in a situation like this, that's what my intuition tells me." Erina rushed down the street covered in darkness. She could only rely on the moonlight, the starlight, and her eyes, which had finally gotten used to the darkness. Usually, it will be bright even at night.

Along the shopping street, there will always be light pouring from the windows of high-rise buildings, as well as many street lamps illuminating the path. But now, there are no man-made lamps. Darkness implies the whole region. Looking down at his watch, it was already 11 pm. There wasn't a single person around.

Without night shift workers, the number of people roaming the shopping street late at night would be far less than those around during the day. But there were also residents living nearby, and there might also be some people who were still on their way home from overtime work. It should be no people and quiet. Everyone stays in their homes or workplaces, waiting for the morning to come.

Even though they were outside, only endless darkness awaited them. In a state where even the flashlight didn't work, the only person who dared to wander outside was only Erina herself. This street should be familiar. Normally, it would be impossible to get lost here, but tonight was different. Erina kept her hands on the structure and railings to ascertain the situation in front of her, advancing in a state where she wasn't even sure what was just a few meters in front of her.

Under these circumstances, her sense of direction was completely useless. It was no longer possible to understand where she was. Erina continued to walk like a blind insect. A destination is a place with fewer people from the commercial street –Tokyo Bay. In the bag in her hand, she carried the Gorgoneion.

Merely carrying it had made it impossible to escape the pitch-black city, which had already fallen into Athena's grasp. But Erina wanted to take the fight between Reino Barack and the goddess to a sparse area before they started. She focused all her thoughts on this, and that was the only thing that allowed him to traverse this dark street alone. Since Erina was still wearing her Miko outfit, many curious people would focus their eyes on her on any normal night. But right now, there wasn't a pair of curious eyes.

Erina suddenly felt an inexplicable feeling of loneliness, just as she was about to cross the street. The situation caused everyone to abandon their cars and run away, so there was no need for traffic rules. However, someone called out to Erina to stop from behind.

"—You Miko who serve unknown gods, hand over the [Snake] relic."

Quiet night.

The night was surrounded by an unnatural silence and silence. The voice was like the night wind, leaving the silent night undisturbed.

"Athena is my name. The daughter of Zeus, a wanderer from the side, has come to take the [Serpent] in your hands. Out of respect for foreign gods, one must apologize now."

Filled with an aura of divinity, an overwhelming presence was covered in a single step in an instant. She looked around. A glance was all he needed to realize that the girl who was slowly approaching was Athena. Soaked in the moonlight, the goddess looked thin and slender, yet exuded an extraordinarily strong power. Her hair swayed in the breeze, pouring out a sense of unease. The strands of shimmering silver hair looked like countless snakes in Erina's eyes.

"The ancient [Serpent] — finally found; with this, one can return to the old Athena, the true Athena. Miko, bring one's story about three goddesses into one and pass it on to the ears of future generations." Athena simply stretched her tiny palm forward.

With that, the bag in Erina's hand opened, the Gorgoneion flew into Athena's hand. "Such is the ancient [Serpent], which has finally succeeded in bringing back one's past."

Athena smiled faintly. Despite the darkness, Erina could feel the joy. Then, the goddess sang towards the sky:

---------------------------------

One sings, hums the trinity goddess. Connecting heaven, earth with darkness, reincarnation with wisdom~

One sings, the melody of the discarded goddess. Born as a queen who was seen as a forbidden snake, made the queen complain. ~

One sings, the ballad of a traumatized goddess. Being humiliated by a respectable father fell into the humiliation of being a mother. ~

One named Athena, daughter of Zeus, protector of Athena, maiden of immortality. ~

The past is mother earth the preserver of all things! ~

The past is the mistress of the underworld darkness! ~

The past is the spread of heavenly wisdom of the enlightening goddess! ~

I promise Athena will return to true Athena soon! ~

---------------------------------

Songs of the gods were sung from Athena's mouth. Like hymns, like prayers, like praise. With the continuation of the chant, Athena's figure began to change. Her height increased, her limbs lengthened, and the look of a little girl disappeared into a woman of divine excellence. The immaturity vanished from his face. From her appearance, she looked like seventeen or eighteen years old, her modern attire had changed into an antique white robe.

"True… Athens—!

Seeing Athena at such a close distance, Erina's instincts recognized Athena's nature. These are the descendants of mother earth. This is the leader of death and gloom. This is the pitiful goddess of heaven, earth, and darkness. Even so, she still had to be fought, because this road was not owned by the gods, but was built by the people, as a city for mankind.

"Athena! Please stop joking. You still have opponents here!"

Erina ignored her trembling body, frightened by the prospect of challenging a god, finding another person who was also screaming with all her might.

"O Miko, your words comfort me greatly. Say His name, for one may think the same."

"The god-slayer, known as the king of mages—Reino Barack! Until you defeat him, please stop abusing your power and causing trouble as you please!" Facing Athena who was delighted, Erina suppressed her fear of answering.

Erina had received special education from a Hime-Miko since childhood, so she understood gods better than anyone. Despite that, he continued without holding back:

-No.

The shaking wasn't caused by fear. Erina noticed that her body temperature had dropped because she was standing near Athena who now possessed the Gorgonian. Affected by the chill of the underworld that spread from the goddess, Erina's body was on the verge of death.

"Ah...so sorry, even if one gains ancient power, complete control cannot be regained yet." Athena's voice comforted Erina. Compared to before, the spiritual power held in her words was immeasurably stronger.

"However, this baptism by the breath of death, you are not alone. Reino Barack experienced it once. If he can escape from the abyss and stand before one, one may grant your wish—"

"If that's the case, then there's no problem. That person is still alive. For my sake—to protect me, he will come soon! Just watch!"

Her legs were shaking so badly that it was difficult to stand up. Yet Erina continued to stand with all her strength. She had no response from Reino yet; He just told her to hurry here before hanging up. Plus, he didn't know if his powers could be used. If he could, Reino would fly here. Otherwise, he would die here. That is it? Should she believe it? Should she not believe it? While throwing away all the confusion, Erina shouted with all her strength:

"Reino-sama! Reino Barack! Come! Athena and I are here! Hurry up—your strength is needed now. Hurry!"

The wind started to blow. A light breeze quickly blew away a gentle breeze, then grew into a strong warm wind. Athena was stunned. Within the wind stood the figure whose name was called Erina.

—Reino Barack

Reino Barack had arrived with the wind. His vision was connected to his sharp eyes. When Erina saw the Demon Lord who was her age, she fell to the ground as her knees lay beneath her. The most surprising thing was, Erina wasn't nervous at all. No matter how immature he was, no matter how troublesome he was, he would achieve what he had to do. Protect those weaker than him, save his companions from harm—without such a will, there was no way a normal person would receive the title of Campione. Reino will come.

That was his intuition, and he calmly nodded at Reino with confidence. Before this, Reino had been at the West Kasai station. Athena was looking for the Gorgoneion, so she had to move to Nanao Shrine, so she boarded Le Fay's car one more time, hoping to get back to Tokyo in a hurry all the time. But… The Kasai region had already fallen under Athena's influence.

"I slept for a while and this happened, what a troublesome goddess."

---------------------------------

Reino complained. Inside this district is engulfed by darkness, lighting equipment, and cars cannot be used. When they reached the edge of Kasai, Le Fay stopped her fast car sharply. Even though he was lucky to be alive, he still had to carry on. Vehicles lined up around them, each deformed; They are no different from steel boxes with wheels.

"Eh, about the relationship between owls and Athena... because they are birds of wisdom, so they become messengers of the goddess of wisdom... right?"

A small shadow flew past as Reino looked out the window. Because he had excellent night vision, he knew it was an owl. Most Japanese people only saw the birds with illustrations or on TV, so these were probably summoned by the silver-haired goddess. Athena seems to have the alias 'Goddess of Brilliance'. It means 'one whose eyes sparkle with light'. But Reino finally realized that this alias ant 'one who has owl eyes.

"That's not all. Night owls were seen by ancient people as embodiments of the gods of death, who traveled from the underworld to the real world. So of course they would also become servants of Athena, who was once the god of the underworld. "

Kuroka responded smoothly.

...So that's how it is. Reino felt like an examinee who only knew half the answers.

"You can't beat Athena if you don't even know this kind of stuff. We're in such a hurry that I can't teach you this whole time."

"N-no, it's fine, the current situation is too dangerous."

Reino hastily separated himself from the disgruntled Kuroka. Thanks to his partner, Reino at least learned a little knowledge about Athena. The information conveyed into his mind through [Donations] would eventually disappear, but it would last for at least one day, so there were no immediate problems. The problem is, the information is not complete.

It might be enough to summon the [Soldier] form, but not completely, and it's impossible to bring the [Sword] to its full potential. Since the car was shaking violently, there was no way he could concentrate on studying.

"Anyway, Le Fay-san, I'll be leaving here, thank you very much."

Reino thanked him as he opened the back door and went out. He was going to Nanao Shrine even though he had to walk there; It's better than here.

"Well, I wish you good luck. Reino-san, please return safely. If you do, I will make delicious food for you again!"

"I can't wait, I have to trouble you again." Le Fay said goodbye to Reino with a smile. She was a woman who served knights. Even at a time like this, there were no tears in her eyes, only a warm smile as he made a promise for the next time.

"...I'll say this now if you want to eat the food that Le Fay personally cooked, you have to do it yourself; I won't be participating," Kuroka said after following Reino out of the car and moving to stand beside him, with an expression that claimed that his response was to be expected.

His serious tone made Reino's feelings waver.

"Is that so, you once said that he can't boil vegetables, is it that bad?"

"No, Le Fay's cooking is very good, but if you let her make pot stew then it will be dangerous, guaranteed to give you an unprecedented feeling of danger. Since it will be a meal to celebrate your victory, of course, it will be a hot pot stew."

Kuroka, who was not afraid of neither gods nor demons, was very careful about Le Fay's food. Must be very serious. But, instead of worrying about food later, they should worry about the current situation. Kuroka and Reino continued walking, neither of them disturbed by the darkness.

"...Anyway, looks like Athena has already started doing whatever she wants."

"Maybe it's because she had won once, so she no longer feels the need to guard himself against you." They walked down the pitch-black street one step at a time; it will be a boring journey.

-Or not.

As Kuroka approached Reino, he changed his mind. With this person, it is impossible to be bored. "To stop Athena's brutality, we have to make more preparations for the [Warriors]. So let's get back to what we're doing."

"No need! This is enough. You know, I'm not going to fight, I'm just going to negotiate for him to leave, so I just need to make him wary of me."

"You are too naive. You think Athena would care about a weapon that can't kill her?"

"If you believe it, tell me more about Athena."

"No, it's too annoying. Reino, why don't you just say that you want my lips; do it with passion, let my heart flutter. Come on, hurry~~"

"There's no way I could say something so embarrassing! If our enemy wants to bring trouble to these streets, we can use the [White Horse], we can do things in a good way!" Previously, Reino could faintly sense the direction towards [East].

It was an instinctive feeling, like a migratory bird. This makes it possible to use the third incarnation of Garuda. But even if it could, it wasn't a power he wanted to use, because it was a very powerful technique. Because of that Reino could calmly resist Kuroka's teasing jokes. Although it was better to have more weaponry, it couldn't be helped. That method of preparation was too exhilarating in Reino Barack's opinion, and could only be used with considerable emotional readiness.

—The two continued to talk as they walked.

When they arrived at West Kasai station, they realized that the place was more noisy than usual. There are more people than anywhere else here. Because the metro stopped, many people were stuck and couldn't calm down. Since no one knew how the power outage, East-West roads, and Sobu roads were temporarily suspended, while station and security workers tried to explain the situation using their microphones. People on the way home gathered, anxiously listening to the explanation.

"Power outage; the excuse was issued."

"Forget it, at least the radios and telephones still work, but how can they explain this if this is happening in Italy or Europe?" Kuroka and Reino chatted as they looked at the crowd.

Gods descending and revealing themselves always bring about strange phenomena. For normal people who don't know magic, this is nothing but disaster.

"They can claim that this is a tornado, earthquake, or virus outbreak, and warn everyone to stay inside. But regardless of the explanation, they will always sense something is not normal, even after they calm down."

"Feel?"

"Europe—especially Southern Europe, Eastern Europe, and England, is a place where magic is widespread and can be considered the homeland of demon lords. If a [Heretic God] or god slayer appears, it will be known quickly, because there will be a lot of unusual things."

Even in Europe, mages did not dare to reveal such incidents openly.

But most cities have secret organizations similar to the Japanese historical complication, and most people who are connected with magic have the organizations they live in. Many people in the cities know how to get in touch with these organizations.

Kuroka said that they would spread their knowledge of how to recognize other mages, as well as their fear of gods and god-slayers, through the cities as rumors and folklore.

"But won't Tokyo be like Europe later? After all, Reino is here, and now the [Heretic God] has come."

"I don't want the citizens of Tokyo to be aware of such things."

Reino answered nonchalantly as he wondered if there was a shortcut to Nanao Shrine. With no other means of mobility, he could only rely on Garuda's strength.

"...Of course the best method is to use the power of [Wind], but I still don't really understand it, so I'd rather not use it."

Garuda is one of the gods of victory, heroism, also the dominating god, the king of all winged creatures. He has many names and each one describes his abilities. Rasayana, 'which moves swiftly as silver'. To steal the amerta guarded by the gods, ruffling the heavens, and moving quickly, only Indra, the god of rain and weather, can keep up with his speed. It is said that the reason Garuda did this was that he is determined to free his mother from being enslaved. Also driven by his hatred for the dragons. No, he didn't hate dragons. After all, they are still his brothers. What he 'Garuda' hates is their nature. Their envy, their unwholesome pride, and cunning.

"Can someone summon you using the power of the Rasayana?"

"I guess only Nakiri-san can, though I don't want to give her any trouble. What should I do...!?"

Just as he answered Kuroka, Reino's cell phone started ringing

"Eh?"

[It's me, Nakiri. Reino-sama? Where are you now!?]

Just as he was talking about Nakiri, the real person called out to him.

After reporting his status, he wanted to see if he could get Nakiri's help, however, he unexpectedly agreed.

Even though he relied on Nakiri, he could only accept success from himself at this time. Failure is unacceptable, and the responsibility is heavy.

"Is that a call from that woman?"

Kuroka asked the gloomy-looking Reino.

"Don't say 'that woman', her name is Nakiri Erina, pronounce her name properly."

"I know I know... her name should be bait. I never thought that girl would have so much courage."

"You say it's courage, but I think it's more like a sense of responsibility... I regret it now. I shouldn't have said anything. If he died in vain like this, I'll have to carry the cross on my back for the rest of my life."

I could imagine Nakiri Erina sighing deeply as she took it upon herself when no one else could play such a potentially disastrous role.

It was because she was a very serious girl with a strong sense of responsibility.

Even though he had only met for a short time, he had a very clear understanding of this fact.

"Hey, Reino, I guess I should take this opportunity to tell you something. Regardless of how I look, I'm a very generous and open-minded girl."

"What? I don't have time for small talk right now."

"I'm only offering my generosity. Even though I'm your lover, I can still turn a blind eye if I want a second lover. You're still young, so it's not surprising that you're attracted to other girls."

Kuroka said these strange words.

What is she talking about?

"Wait a minute. I don't even have a wife... can you speak the truth?"

"Then I'll be blunt, you should try to make that Nakiri your second boyfriend. He has a rare talent, has a personality compatible with you, not to mention a lot of courage. You should take the time to develop him, you know?"

"...What?"

Reino froze as he looked at Kuroka.

The blonde demon advised him with a very serious face.

"It's rare to find such a great spiritual seer… later, if we have to fight a god we don't know about, that girl's spiritual shadow can read the various divine attributes of a god. She is a talented individual who will make your [Sword] even more powerful. effective, so make sure you don't lose him."

"Don't joke! How could I ask Nakiri to do such a thing!"

"I'm serious, otherwise who would make a stale joke like this? Ah, I'll state, he can only be your second girlfriend at most. No matter when or who, your number one boyfriend should always be me—Kuroka, remember? If you forget it, I won't forgive you."

Kuroka grumbled while holding Reino's hand.

I don't know why, but I feel like I've just been caught by a pair of handcuffs.

"If you forget... I think I'll kill you, so don't ever forget that. I may be generous, but I can't wait."

Kuroka said with a gentle smile.

Unlike his usual devilish grin, his smile was completely innocent.

Reino found this cute smile very scary; It was so innocent that it only made him feel really in mortal danger.

"Eh, wait. Haven't you attacked me before!"

"It was just a game. If I hated you, I would seize the opportune moment to kill you. There would be no escape, followed by a one-off attack. Simple, right?"

Kuroka moved closer as he continued to speak.

Reino hastily pushed Kuroka aside, an intangible act as his fear overcame his conscience.

"D-Don't say stupid things and leave me, I will use the power of [Rasāyana] now. Since I am still not used to this incarnation, I need to concentrate."

Reino sat on the nearby railing.

He closed his eyes and focused his thoughts.

He had to make his ears more sensitive than before, not to miss a single sound in the distance.

A middle-aged man complained angrily that the metro had stopped.

A little child is crying.

The people near him comforted him.

Someone complained to the police about a completely unrelated matter.

—Reino ignored these voices. What he needed to hear were not these voices, but the voices from far away, the voice of someone he had to protect.

How do I let such a serious and kind person die? I have to save her, I have to hear the sound of her calling.

What I need most is concentration. The greatest concentration, leaving not a single sound to be heard.

I have to succeed

He had not lost to a single person since he started playing basketball.

Many are much better at hitting, and just as many are better at scoring home runs; But he is usually the 4th one, who will win the game.

Step onto the plate when time hits.

To make the impossible possible, to focus all concentration forward even when facing insurmountable difficulties...

"Reino-sama! Reino Barack! Come! Athena and I are here! Hurry up—your strength is needed now. Hurry!"

Reino finally caught his voice as it flew across.

The scream came from far away.

He stood up from the ground. All conditions have been cleared.

Garuda's first incarnation, [Rasāyana].

"Let's go, Kuroka! Hold on tightly!"

Reino called out to his partner as he transformed into the embodiment of [Wind]

Tornado-like wind coiled beneath his feet.

Catching Kuroka's hand as she jumped closer, the two of them floated into the air.

…

"—You are still alive, no, you have finally awakened, Reino Barack, with the true power to behold! Now worthy of being an opponent that one hates! With the unspeakable title of a demon lord!"

He could hear Athena's prayer-like voice again, only a few hours since the last time he had done so.

As the wind cleared, Reino and Kuroka found themselves standing on an unfamiliar path.

In front of them was a very thin Erina and a silver-haired girl.

[Heretic God] Athena

Reino knew that the one who faced him was Athena who had found the Gorgoneion