Chapter 68
Chapter 68: The Goddess’ Declaration
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In any case, we escaped the predicament . I made the portal to the God’s realm appear straightaway because I knew that the Great Goddess Isister wanted to meet with Seiya as soon as we got back . However, Seiya silently used his Earth Magic with the power of the art of change to create a Bunogeos doll . He placed the doll on a bed inside the room and covered it with a blanket . Apparently, he used that disguise to buy us time while we went to the God’s realm .
「Listen . Before we go, don’t you think it’s better to tell everyone of the Light of Hope that you defeated Bunogeos?」
Yet, Seiya ignored me and went straight to the portal .
「Wait…Wait a moment, Seiya!! Did you hear what I just said!? 」
「…The Grand Lion will exterminate everyone if he finds out about the Light of Hope . It’s safer if they don’t know about it for now . So, it’s better if they continue to live underground . 」
He spit out those words without even looking at my face .
We returned to the God’s realm with the worst possible atmosphere .
—
The portal was connected with the corridor in front of the Great Goddess Isister’s room . Seiya opened the door widely without even knocking .
「Hey, old hag . Was that data really given to us by the gods of the innermost world?」
He didn’t even greet the Great Goddess . It was so abrupt and rude . Instead, he just asked her a question about only his interests…
「Yes . That was definitely the data given by Her Ladyship Chronoa, the Goddess of Time . 」
The Great Goddess Isister confirmed that fact for Seiya . After that, she nodded while listening to what Seiya had to say . Both the explanations and complains . When she realized that the ability value of the Grand Lion surpassed the status of the Demon King Artemaeus, the Great Goddess Isister’s face became afflicted .
「If that’s correct, then… you should avoid a direct battle against the Grand Lion . His attack power exceeds the 850,000 points…That ability value is similar to the strength of Adenela, the Goddess of War once her divine power is completely unleashed after receiving the Order . I’ll say it clearly . It is impossible for humans to defeat the Grand Lion . 」
I was stunned and speechless . I became frightened by the fact that the highest-ranking deity in the God’s realm, Isister, claimed that it was “impossible” to defeat that enemy .
「Then…Then, what should we do…!? 」
「There is a way . The outstanding strength of the Grand Lion must’ve come from the immense protection of the evil god . If you overthrow the source of the Grand Lion’s power, then his ability value will weaken . 」
Then, the Great Goddess Isister turned her eyes at Seiya .
「Originally, I intended to tell you this for the ultimate battle…But, I can’t delay it any longer . Ryuguuin Seiya . From this moment, I’ll tell you about the “Secret of the Evil Six-Hexagram” . I already obtained the permission from the innermost gods . 」
I was so perplexed that I shouted aloud .
「The Secret of the Evil Six-Hexagram…!! 」
On that instant, both Seiya and the Great Goddess Isister looked fixedly at my face .
「Oh my . Listarte . Did you know about this? 」
「No!! I don’t know anything about it!! What’s that!? 」
…An awkward silence dominated the surrounded area .
A few seconds later, Seiya finally spoke but with a serious expression .
「Lista . You’re a nuisance . Get out from here within five seconds . 」
「O…Okay…I understand . 」
I got out immediately . After closing the door, I silently pressed my teeth .
…What’s wrong with him!! C’mon!! It wasn’t my fault for not knowing anything about it!!
—
「…The Secret of the Evil Six-Hexagram . I don’t know much about the details, but I heard that it’s the secret on how the gods used to defeat the mighty enemies of the evil god class . 」
I was in the room of the senior goddess Aria . After listening to the story, I exhaled a big and depressive sigh . Aria looked at me anxiously .
「Are you okay? Lista? 」
「Well…It’s been so hard lately… 」
「I know it’s been tough . Many things have happened to you . But, drink this and cheer up . 」
I tried to drink the warm tea with gentleness . However, I couldn’t contain the frustration swelling inside my heart and I started to complain without stopping .
「I have been doing my best, you know!? Even though I’m a goddess, I ate Death Earthworms!! I even became a fish-man and had to speak “glu glu”!! And yet, trampling was the only treatment I’ve received so far!!」
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「But…But, your life could’ve been in danger if the Grand Lion found out about your identity, am I right? That’s why Seiya is more angry than usual… 」
「Is that really so!? I…I don’t understand any of this anymore!! Was I really that important to him in our previous lives!?」
Contrary to my frustration, Aria took a sip from her cup of tea with tranquilly . Then, she looked at me with a somber expression .
「Listen, Lista . A reborn human won’t be able to remember the past . The same happens to a human that was reincarnated as a deity . Do you know the reason why?」
「Eh…That is… 」
When I couldn’t give a proper answer, Aria responded with a firm tone .
「”To forget everything and live the next life” . Forgetting is the best way to keep living earnestly without getting too lost within the memories of the past . 」
「I…I see . 」
…I thought that Aria’s statement was correct . Yet, my heart said, “no matter what happened, Seiya was still someone very special to me”…I couldn’t deny those feelings completely .
—
After leaving Aria’s room, I headed in direction of the Great Goddess Isister’s room . Of course, I just went in order to check on Seiya .
「Excuse me… 」
After I said that and opened the door…Seiya was no longer inside the room .
「Wha…What!? Don’t tell me that Seiya already learnt about everything!? 」
The Great Goddess Isister smiled .
「He is originally a fast-learner child . It wasn’t hard for him to remember everything about the secret . Even so, he learnt about the difficulty of the Evil Six-Hexagram . 」
「So, where is Seiya? 」
「He is a very prudent child . He felt uneasy about only learning the secret . He said, “I want to acquire new skills”, and went to meet with Valkyrie on the rooftop . 」
I had a very bad feeling about it for some reason . I gave my thanks to the Great Goddess Isister and rushed immediately to the rooftop .
—
When I opened the door of the top floor of the temple, I noticed a crescent moon and a full moon on the sky…The two moons shined brightly close to each other as if they embraced warmly . And…
Under the shining light of the moonlights from the God’s realm, stood Seiya and Valkyrie! They were hugging each other passionately!
「Heyyyy!? Why the hell are you both doing that again!? 」
My ominous premonition was spot on! I screamed when I saw that déjà vu-scenario! But, they didn’t notice my presence because they were fully absorbed on their own world of a fervently enamored hug!
「Seiya . I knew that you’d come back here one more time . 」
「Valkyrie . Geabrande was saved thanks to your destruction technique . 」
Moreover, their faces were so close that their breaths touched one another!
…Wh…Why!? Previously, Seiya and Valkyrie embraced each other naked for the sake of transferring the destruction technique’s aura!! So, I thought that they didn’t have a deep and romantic relationship at all!!
「By the way, I forgot about the skills I’ve learnt from the other gods . But, somehow, I remembered one of your skills, the Shattered Break . Why did that happen?」
「Remembering the Destruction Operation Method is a sign of your commitment to me . You’re not supposed to completely forget about it . You’ll remember all of my skills in due time . 」
「I see…Also, Valkyrie . I’m looking for a way to go beyond the limits of my status . When I looked at your status before, I saw a special skill called “Status Limit Breakthrough” . Therefore, I wanted to ask you if you know something that could help me?」
「It’s a shame, but I was already born with that skill because I’m a Goddess of Destruction . I don’t know how to teach others about it . 」
「Is that so… 」
After Valkyrie saw how dim-looking Seiya became after hearing her answer, she spoke hesitantly about a possible method of a limit breakthrough .
「There is a way to go beyond the limits of your status within the depths of the God’s realm . Isister mustn’t know about this . I can’t even bring myself to say it clearly from my mouth . 」
She…She wasn’t able to tell clearly about the existence of that option!? In other words, didn’t that means that it was a pretty dangerous way!?
「Listen carefully, Seiya . It’s in the Heavenly Green Forest . You’ll find a hint in there . 」
…I was almost out of breath for standing quietly at the door . I rushed immediately on their direction to interrupt their conversation . I shouted aloud to show them my presence .
「Se…Seiya!! The Great Goddess Isister taught you the secret, didn’t she? That means you have a countermeasure to go up against the Grand Lion!! Why do you need to do such dangerous training now!?」
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Seiya looked at me with hateful eyes .
「It’s too late now for me to say “I should’ve done this before” . I can’t be on my best shape if I remain like this . Therefore, practice is the only way to get serious about the next fight . 」
Valkyrie folded her arms and nodded in response .
「Exactly . I know that very well . 」
And then, she touched Seiya’s cheek with her thin finger .
「Things would be different if I were your goddess . 」
「Yeah . You’re right . It would be easier to save Exfolia with Valkyrie instead . 」
「Wha…Wha…Wha…What…!? 」
I was trembling furiously from the ongoing humiliation . On that moment, Valkyrie approached Seiya and bounced her body next to his .
「Seiya . Don’t use the Celestial Prison-Gate again . I will miss you greatly if you’re gone…」
「You’re right . I’ll try to avoid it as much as possible . 」
The two of them had their faces extremely close to each other . It was as if they were about to kiss…
「Whoaaaa!! Stop it!! 」
I couldn’t bear to witness that anymore . I stood in between those two and pulled them apart with my force .
「Wha…What’s wrong with you!! Listarte!! 」
At the same time, tears fell from my face .
「Ahhhh!! If this was supposed to happen, then I wished he remained shattered into pieces after the battle against Geabrande’s Demon King!!」
「Do…Don’t you dare say those outrageous words! You’re the goddess in charge! 」
「Ugh! Because…Because…ugh! *sobs* 」
「Listarte… 」
For a brief moment, Valkyrie looked at me with a serious expression…However, soon after…
「*laughs aloud* that’s quite a dirty way of crying!! Even though you’re a goddess!! 」
I got extremely angry when I heard her laugh .
「What did you say!!!!!!! 」
I was crying and shouting extremely high . I even struck Valkyrie, but as the Goddess of Destruction, meaning that she was the strongest deity in the God’s realm, she thought it wasn’t necessary to avoid my pathetic punch . She showed a disgusted expression then .
「Seriously . C’mon, Listarte . Pull yourself together . You’re not human anymore… 」
—
I followed Seiya to the Heavenly Green Forest as I continued to cry endlessly .
There was a considerable distance to the forest from the rooftop of the temple .
The sadness turned into pain after I started to walk the long distance . And then…
…Ah . What did I do up there? I made a fool of myself…
My sadness and pain transformed into frustration and anger over time .
That’s right…! Valkyrie was absolutely correct! Aria also said the same think about Seiya and me! I was no longer Princess Tiana, who was in love with Seiya! I am a goddess now and Seiya is a human! From now on, we shall only engage in a strict professional relationship…!
The entrance of the Heavenly Green Forest was illuminated by the moonlights .
I wiped my tears on the sleeves of my dress and I shouted towards the hero’s back .
「Ryuguuin Seiya!! 」
The hero looked back at me with a bored expression .
「What? 」
「I am a goddess!! And you are the hero I’ve summoned here!! There isn’t more nor less than that!!」
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「What’s up with you . That’s obvious . 」
「You’re right!! But, I had to say this in order to remember what I am once again!! 」
I declared the following with a pressing heart .
「Save Exfolia, Ryuguuin Seiya!! You’re the talented one in a hundred million people!! Please, lend me your power!!」
After staring at me as if he was looking at an idiot, Seiya snorted a small sigh, shook his nose and began to walk again .
I followed him like always . But, I felt better with myself and the mood was clearer than before .
—
「…By the way, Mithis . Do you know a way to break the limit of my ability value? 」
「Yes . There is certainly a way . 」
The bewitching Mithis, the Goddess of Bow, promptly answered Seiya’s question .
「Then, tell me . 」
「*grins* I can tell you, but before that, I must ask you about the only thing that I’m worried about . 」
After saying that, Mithis took a deep breath .
「…Why am I suddenly tied up to this large tree? 」
As soon as we found Mithis, Seiya approached her from behind and seized her with his sword . (EN: This is not a pun, he didn’t use his “sword”, he used his real sword) After that, he wrapped her around a large tree by using a rope .
「You are a pervert who suddenly becomes naked and attacks . So, I took care of that first . 」
「Is that so? 」
There were no objections . Mithis seemed to be convinced . She spoke with a serious voice while being tied up to the tree .
「In the depths of this forest…there is an abyss where the power of the Great Goddess Isister can’t reach…Seiya, you’ll probably find a way of breaking through the limit of your power in there . 」
「Oh . The depths of this forest, you say . 」
After listening to that story, Seiya turned around and walked away, leaving Mithis behind . I was surprised that he didn’t untie her up .
「Eh…Aren’t you going to take the rope off? Even though you learned how to do it before…?」
When I looked back at Mithis, I saw that her face was boiling red and she trembled incessantly .
「AH!! To leave me tied up like this then!! I’m getting extremely thrilled by this outcome!! 」
…Yeah . It was better to leave her like that . It’s not as if she’ll die anyways .
We left Mithis behind our backs, and we proceeded to enter the deepest part of the Heavenly Green Forest .
—
As I walked silently, I noticed that the trees around me turned into a weird shape . The dense woods blocked the moonlights and made the visibility gradually worse . It felt as if I walked through the forest of the devil instead of the divine forest of the God’s realm .
I became scared and tried to grab Seiya’s arm . But, I kept telling myself over and over again that “I was a goddess! Seiya was a human!” . Therefore, I just walked silently with my fists tight .
Seiya stopped walking unexpectedly .
「Hmm . That is… 」
After passing through the creepy trees, we saw an old well in the middle of the grassland .
「Why is there a well in a place like this…wait a second!! Don’t tell me that this was “that thing” that I’ve heard before!!」
…It happened when I reincarnated as a goddess . Aria told me the following words when I was young and mischievous .
『Lista . You’ll be in the well of no return if you don’t listen to what I say . 』
Then, I became scared and started to cry .
『If you don’t want that to happen to you, then you should listen to what I have to say from now on . 』
And, Aria gently stroked my head .
…The “well of no return”…! I thought it was a horror story that Aria created in order to discipline me…So, it really existed…!
I touched Seiya’s shoulder .
「Se…Seiya! This isn’t a good place! We have to leave! Aria told me before that my head would go crazy if I approached this well!」
「If that’s true, then you don’t have a reason to be worried . 」
「Eh…? Wa…Wait…What does that mean, you bastard!! 」
Seiya went to the well without hesitating . He didn’t have any sense of cautiousness when it came to practice .
「I would like to save Exfolia . But, in order to do that, I have to make some reckless decisions if I really want to break through my limits . 」
「That might be true, but not with this!! 」
The well had a rope ladder . When Seiya touched it to confirm his safety, he started to descend the ladder . I was apprehensive . Nevertheless, I followed Seiya .
After we went down the ladder, we arrived in a dark, opened-space .
「Is this the inside of this well? It’s wider than I thought it would be… 」
I could see a cave that spread ahead of us . It looked like a modern tunnel made of concrete .
「Wa…Wait for me, Seiya… 」
Seiya walked further inside the tunnel . I chased immediately after him .
「Lay your body to the ground!! 」
Suddenly, I heard a loud sound! Something that jumped out of the tunnel had hit me!
*yells*
I fell to the ground because of the shock!
「Wha…Wha…What happened!? 」
When I looked at my back, I noticed that someone with dirty camouflage clothes clashed into my body! I felt two soft objects on my back…Was that a woman…? But…But, living inside a well like this…?
*weird screams*
A woman with a messy hair screamed madly behind my back . She shook herself away from me and rolled down on ground by herself . Somehow, she reminded me of Adenela .
「The magic blast of the enemy has exploded! In order to avoid damage, it has to expand to the left and to the right!」
She looked ahead while screaming crazily . But, there wasn’t anything beyond the line of sight .
「The Armagezedah is still going on! 」
「Armage…What on earth is this person talking about!? 」
The moment I spoke, the weird woman in camouflage clothes opened her eyes and jumped at me!
「Ehhhh!? 」
「Don’t you know the Armagezedah!? Are you a new goddess!? 」
「I…I don’t know anything about it!! Sorry!! I apologize for being a new goddess!! 」
Then, the woman with camouflage clothes slammed her fist on the ground .
「In the Armagezedah First . Valkyrie, the Goddess of Destruction, was with Isister when the squad of violence led by the god Merseys, cornered them to the edge!! Merseys defeated Valkyrie’s destruction technique!! And, on that moment, stood Adenela, the Goddess of War, with the continuous gunshot sword…Oh gosh!」
She unleashed her anger for a brief moment . Soon after, she let it loose suddenly .
「However! I shall say it again “However”! If we bring the “State Berserk Phase 3rd”, which has been improved through repeated takes, no enemy will oppose us, even Adenela, the Goddess of War!」
Somehow, I opened my mouth inadvertently after witnessing the mad scenario that this creepy woman created in front of us . She looked crazily at us with a grin and started to laugh insanely high .
「What…What the heck…are you!? 」
「Ah…I didn’t introduce myself . How rude of me… 」
And then, the woman turned to me with frenzy and far-distant eyes .
「I am the Goddess of War, Zeth . 」