"What are you planning, Athena?"
Apollo, the god of light, frowned at Athena, his protective instincts kicking in as he spoke. "Are you seriously suggesting that Promise should fight Ares?"
Co to think about it, Apollo had always been protective of Promise, looking after the boy, acting almost like an older brother to him.
If only his protective gaze felt like a big brother's love instead of... whatever this is, maybe he would really be moved, instead of being afraid to move like he was now.
"I can't help it. After all, you all know what Ares is like. He doesn't understand wisdom or subtlety. He's too... pure."
She paused for emphasis, her lips twitching. "There's no way to resolve this without a fight. Let's not waste ti pretending otherwise."
Athena spread her hands helplessly, while Ares nodded furiously, oblivious to the fact that she had just insulted him.
As she continued, Athena glanced at Promise with approval.
As expected of my follower.
Even without realizing it, you always use wisdom to overco challenges. It's impossible for you to act thoughtlessly-you need after all!
Hera, however, cast a wary look at Athena.
When it ca to catching others in questionable behavior, no one was as experienced as she
was.
"Even so, how can Promise possibly fight Ares? Even if he's st... well, simple, he's still a major god! If there's to be a fight, let do it!"
Apollo stepped forward as he spoke, golden bow and arrow appearing in his hands.
Hers imdiately sidestepped a bit, his expression lighting up with barely contained glee. Yes, yes, fight! Let's get this started!
"Bring it on..."
Ares' eyes narrowed in challenge.
You think I'm afraid of you? You're not Athena, after all!
As he said this, he prepared to step forward to fight.
"What's the point of you fighting him? Only if Promise takes action can he truly earn Ares'... recognition...What do you think?"
As she spoke, Athena turned to look at Promise, who t her gaze.
For a brief mont, their eyes locked. Then, as though reaching a silent agreent, both smiled knowingly.
"I shall offer a glorious battle to the god who craves combat," Promise declared, stepping forward to face Ares.
Seeing this-
"Really? I still can't take him ho?"
The green-haired nymph looked at the moon goddess Artemis with tears in her eyes, fighting for the last glimr of hope for herself. "Just once! Please, just once!"
"Don't even think about it," Artemis waved her fist at her and said viciously. "If anyone gets first taste, it's !"
"But you're the virgin goddess!"
Promise, looked at Ares with determination and seriousness, automatically blocking out the terrible conversation that followed.
He couldn't help but feel that whatever was happening back there was infinitely more dangerous than facing Ares.
Ares, anwhile, bead with joy.
"Yes! Now this is soone worthy of my power. I accept you, Promise!"
But no sooner had he finished, his enthusiasm faltered.
Even Ares, simple-minded as he was, couldn't help but feel conflicted.
Looking at Promise-who seed like he could be blown straight to the Underworld with a re breath-Ares suddenly found himself at a loss.
Well...even though I said it, how am I supposed to fight him?
Just then, Athena, who had been crouching on the ground silently, stood up and clapped the dust from her hands.
Promise turned to see what she had been doing and found her drawing a magic circle on the ground.
The circle began to glow, and out of it flew a familiar swarm of Underworld butterflies. When a particular goddess erged from the light, Promise's face lit up with recognition.
'Well, well! Long ti no see, Goddess Hecate!'
Who am I? Where am I? And why am I here?
Hecate surveyed the scene with an unreadable expression, her gaze shifting from the situation at hand to Athena and finally to the glowing magic circle on the ground.
A long, silent pause followed.
Then Hecate understood everything.
And Hecate wanted to curse soone.
For soone with Athena's boundless wisdom, replicating one of Hecate's frequently used teleportation spells was no challenge...not to ntion, Promise had relentlessly pestered Hecate every once and then, squeezing every ounce of benefit he could from the goddess, Athena had often seen this magic in action.
"Revered Lady Hecate, may I ask a favor of you?" Athena asked with a pleasant smile.
The way she addressed Hecate wasn't wrong-after all, Hecate was far older than even Zeus,
the King of the Gods.
No. I refuse. Absolutely not.
"Please bless Promise, strengthen him, and, as you did back in Olympus, harmonize the
divine power within him,"
Athena didn't give Hecate any chance to refuse or speak, and finished her words quickly.
"Promise, you will erge victorious."
She then extended her blessing, transferring a portion of her divine power and authority to Promise.
Seeing this, Hecate instinctively acted, casting a strengthening spell on Promise without
hesitation.
Otherwise, how could soone with such a fragile fra endure even a fraction of a god's power without imdiate reinforcent?
Watching this unfold, Hers, the cleverest among the gods, instantly grasped Athena's plan as a grin spread across his face.
"Promise, I grant you absolute speed and the ability to traverse anywhere you desire."
With Hers' blessing, wings sprouted from Promise's shoes, resembling the fad talaria worn by the ssenger god himself.
"I see... so that's it..." Apollo murmured in realization before smiling as well. "Promise, light shall illuminate your path, dispelling darkness and healing all wounds."
The fading light of the setting sun bathed Promise in its glow.
Under this radiant blessing, the boy felt as though no injury, no matter how severe, could
hinder him-it would heal instantly.
"! too!" Artemis exclaid.
Although she didn't fully understand what was happening, but she wasn't about to be left out.
With the moon not yet risen and the Goddess of Night Nyx delayed for unknown reasons,
Artemis considered her options before declaring:
"Promise, no prey you hunt shall escape you, no matter where it flees."
Just as she finished speaking, Promise glanced at Ares and saw a faint mark appear over him-
a divine target.
It was as if Ares had beco the arrow in Artemis' bow, forever locked in his sights.
Deter, the goddess of agriculture, chuckled as she followed Artemis' lead.
"Promise, you shall hear the voice of the world itself, and it will guide you, offering all the aid
you require."
The blessings continued to accumulate, leaving Promise standing amidst a cascade of divine favor, each one enhancing him in unimaginable ways.
Promise discovered that he could now hear the voices of the grass, trees, and streams around
him.
Their whispers turned into a constant stream of magical energy, surging into him and providing an unending source of power.
After everyone finished their turns, Queen Hera, was about to add her own blessing amidst the
stunned, bewildered gazes of the sleepless dragon and the green-haired nymph, when she
was suddenly interrupted.
"Stop! No more!"
Hecate, drenched in cold sweat, shouted in panic, "Enough! Seriously, it's already too much! I
can't hold it all together anymore!"
Hera froze mid-sentence, her words stuck in her throat.
She turned an irritated glare toward Hecate.
Seriously? Everyone else gets to, but I can't?
"Hah... ha-ha..."
Hecate let out a strained laugh, her expression one of soone on the verge of a breakdown.
"Fine, bring it on! What's the worst that could happen? Death? Sure, I'll die with this kid!"
Hearing this, even though she pouted in dissatisfaction, Hera had no choice but to remain
quiet.
Hecate, however, still shot a death glare at Promise, who could only look back at her with a face full of innocence.
To be honest, Goddess Hecate, I really didn't do anything this ti!
Despairing, Hecate turned her hollow gaze toward Athena, her voice trembling with
frustration.
"Why are you all torturing like this?"
Her eyes brimd with a mixture of tears and indignation as she cried out, "What exactly do
you see in ? Just tell , and I'll change it, I swear!"
"I am impressed by your abilities," Athena replied sincerely.
'And besides, had it not been for your help back then, would Promise's arrow have even hit
?'
'This is called revenge. I learned it from Promise.'
"I value you," Promise added, equally sincere.
After all, you are such a useful tool god, even better than Athena.
After saying this, he and Athena looked at each other and then smiled together.
At this mont, even Hera, who had witnessed almost everything, found herself at a loss for
words as she looked at the two of them.
Ha. Maybe it'd be better if the world just ended already.
Hecate clenched her fists, trembling with restrained fury.
She no longer wanted to lash out at anyone in particular.
What she truly wished was for the entire world to perish alongside her-then, at last, she
might find peace and quiet.
'And Clotho! You swore to the last ti was the final favor. You said there wouldn't be a
next ti!'
Well...Clotho clutched her crystal ball a bit guiltily, as if she could hear Hecate's furious inner
rant.
But Goddess Clotho had her reasons!
After all, she really didn't ant to deceive Hecate.
Clotho really didn't plan to look for Hecate to work for her anymore-it was just that she
could only vouch for her own actions.
How could she control what Promise and Athena did?
anwhile, Athena pulled out her golden spear and the Aegis shield, handing them to
Promise.
Well...this was supposed to be a stage where no gods could interfere, a trial in which Promise was to present an unyielding performance for the war god Ares, who craved battle.
Yet plans often fail to keep up with reality, and now, thanks to a series of escalating events,
Promise was to face, the god of war, Ares-empowered by the divine blessings of multiple
gods.
At this mont, Promise's erald eyes shone a dazzling gold, and his once jet-black hair, loosed by the snapped strand of silver, was streaked with silver highlights.
Ares, for his part, was elated-more excited than ever.
After all, what was the fun of rely observing a fight?
A god like him craved the heat of combat firsthand.
"Co, Promise!"
Ares roared with laughter and charged forward, his excitent boiling over.
Just as this climactic mont arrived, night finally descended.
The full moon and stars appeared in the sky.
Nyx, the Goddess of Night, finally finished her duties in the abyss and arrived just in ti to
watch the show, imdiately ushering Helios, the Sun God, to leave. "Move along, move along, it's my turn now!"
"Stop pushing! Stop pushing!" Helios, the sun god, protested, unwilling to give up his seat.
After all, this was the most exciting mont! "Fine, let's share!"
And so, for one day, night and day coexisted.
Far away, Chiron, the wise centaur and ntor of Promise, watched the scene with a strange
expression, looking as though he wanted to laugh but didn't quite dare to. Elsewhere, heroes who witnessed this rare celestial phenonon exchanged glances, quickly
reaching a consensus:
This is definitely Promise's doing!
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