Even though Apollo was swallowed by such great explosion──
The limbs of the handsome Apollo wasn't scattered into pieces, he was barely going strong. He became covered in soot and battered all over, even so his unrivalled handsome form was still properly in shape. None of his arms or legs was blown away.
As expected from the god of sun, he must have repressed even the force of that explosion to some degree.
But, as expected he couldn't do it fully. The damage from the heat and impact seemed to punish the inside and outside of his body terribly.
Apollo was limply lying down on the ground of the underworld.
He was being looked down by Rokuhara Ren right beside him while──.
「I have to concede that this is your victory, godslayer.」
「Despite that you look quite composed aren't you, Apollo-san.」
When Ren pointed that out, the soot covered sun god shrugged while looking upward.
「Unthinkable. I'm feeling truly regretful. I returned home to Hyperborea after much effort and intentionally took the challenge of 『the path to become hero』, those are also for the sake of becoming an even more powerful god of fire. Yes. I wish to become an existence that can possibly bring about──a flame that is sufficient to burn your world of the surface into ash.」
Apollo might be talking about his true feeling which was rare for him.
There wasn't any sign of him hiding something like usual. He was honestly feeling vexed.
「Good grief! Even though I wish to achieve the incineration of all land and scorching the sky without fail with the radiance and flame of the Apollo reborn. How truly vexing. I'm defeated before I could unleash the flame of certain destruction that I had finished after much trouble!」
Ren somehow listened to the complaint of the defeated Apollo.
He couldn't bring himself to feel triumphant or happy. Because he himself was also exhausted both in body and soul with no spare strength left. However the next moment he gasped.
Apollo spoke with a really frustrated look.
「Since it's come to this, I shall entrust everything along with my corpse to you. Just as planned beforehand.」
「Umu──. This Athena will succeed everything in the unlikely event that Apollo is defeated. Don't worry, o radiant onePhoebos. Your remains will also become nourishment of fire as 『sacrifice』.」
A short sword fell from the sky along with that voice.
It stabbed deeply into Apollo's heart. The assassination blade came so suddenly. However, the youthful god who was covered with ash was smiling in satisfaction and spoke.
「The world shall be destroyed with great flood and great fire. I'm counting on you, my sworn friend.」
*Bo-!* Apollo's body on the ground was enveloped in fire.
The muscular body of the handsome youth was immediately burned to nothing by blazing flame. And then, a small sphere of light came out form that flame and flew to behind Ren──.
Ren hurriedly turned around.
「So Athensan also came……eh?」
「What's the matter, Rokuhara Ren?」
Ren was taken aback. Goddess Athena asked coldly.
The appearance that only looked like a girl in her low teen. Green robe. There was no change to that. But unlike before where she had short hair, her hair now was really long.
Her silver hair was shining nobly like melted drop of moon.
Her hair reached until her waist. Within this long hair, there were 『living snakes』 mixed in.
The snakes were wriggling and baring their fangs. They hissed 'shhhh' and glared at Ren. The snakes that were fused with Goddess Athena's silver hair numbered more than ten.
Each time these snakes moved, Athena's hair was also wriggling like living snake──.
「That's a drastic makeover you've there……」
「Emulating my sworn friend Apollo, I too traveled in order to take back my past self in this Hyperborea. So to speak it was a 『path to become queen』.」
「Queen you say?」
In front of the surprised Ren, Athena's silver hair and snakes were meandering again.
It was a strange as well as eerie form. However at the same time it was sublime and gave the impression of a kind of beauty.
「Before I became the daughter of the sky god Zeus in ancient Greece, Athena had this kind of form. It was when I was a queen of the divine world as the supreme mother earth goddess. I was finally able to recover the divinity that became the key for that in this Hyperborea. In this place old belief and way of god is remaining pronouncedly. Thanks to that I finished without exerting much effort……」
The Athena who Ren knew was a goddess with a sharp gaze.
It hadn't changed even now. However, previously her gaze reminded him of owl. Right now her coldhearted gaze reminded him of other creature. Ren muttered.
「A snake huh……」
「That's right Ren. In the distant ancient times, Athena was also a goddess of snake.」
Stella came into being on Ren's left shoulder.
「Throughout this woman's lifetime, she was always followed around by the snake women of Gorgon clan. For example like Medusa that was carved on Athena's shield. In the first place that was because Athena and Gorgon was the same existence!」
「Indeed. It's just as the princess Aphrodite said.」
'Kukuku' Athena chuckled.
「I thought the lightheaded you have completely forget it, but to think that's not the case. Looks like there are things that even the goddess of wisdom Athena doesn't understand!」
Athena spoke sarcastically. Her hand was holding a sphere of light.
It was something that came from the remains of Apollo that was burning right now. This sphere was absorbed into Athena's palm.
「I inherited all the flame that Apollo raised! What's left is only to release it on the surface world!」
Athena declared heroically despite being a beautiful girl goddess.
「It will be a bit further from now for Athena of the shining eyes to make up for her loss against Rokuhara Ren. After I return to the surface world of yours──to the world of earth, we shall have a showdown!」
Athena who was transformed into a goddess with snake hair──that bizarre form vanished.
However, only the eyes that were like snake were still floating in the air. They were staring at Ren with a sharp glint. The finishing was a war declaration by Athena's voice.
「Before long I will begin the holy war of the surface world's annihilation. Until that time return to your birthplace and recover from your wound and fatigue. When Rokuhara Ren is in his perfect condition……that's when I will pulverize him without fail!」
The two eyes of the goddess also vanished.
2「Hou──. You want to return to your earth now?」
「Yes. I'm going to stop the world's destruction quickly.」
Riona pleaded while prostrating herself with a laudable expression.
She wasn't in the small island that became the location of her abduction, confinement, and abuse. She had returned to the previous island inside the mansion of Byakuren Ou. She was sitting seiza on the wooden floor and bowed while pressing three fingers of each hand on floor toward the 『honorable master』. Her outfit was also her girl high school's blazer.
Luo Cuilian wearing an ancient Chinese outfit was sitting on a wooden chair.
The master who was overly strict spoke an answer just as expected at the end.
「However Riona. You're still in the middle of training. It's not admirable to abandon it.」
Putting more importance in the pursuit of the art rather than the danger to the world.
The owner of sense of values that was unbelievably too peculiar was standing in the way of Riona.
──Yesterday, Rokuhara Ren and his group returned to the island of Byakuren Ou with a surprise victory of bringing back Princess Cassandra safely.
Thanks to that Riona was also able to receive permission to return to the main island.
She still hadn't heard about the detail of the journey. But, the story about Goddess Athena inheriting the flame that Apollo created had been reported to her.
She had to return to earth in emergency. Riona spoke further.
「One day I will search for a chance to return back to honorable master, that's why, I'm begging you.」
「However──」
「Ah, then, although this might sound bad, what if there is a replacement for me. How about honorable master try giving guidance to my little sister while I'm gone?」
Aware that the situation didn't look good, Riona tried attacking from another direction.
「She has an interesting qualities as Tamayori Hime.」
「I noticed. Although, her talent isn't as outstanding as yours──」
「Actually there is an 『insider』 within that child! Shoutoku Taishi! The legendary sage who was also said to be the reincarnation of Guanyin!」
「If I'm not mistaken he was an eminent figure of Japan.」
Luo Cuilian finally got interested.
「I have heard about his rumor. Although he was a worldly person, he was said to be a deeply devout believer of Buddhism and left behind an annotated edition of sutras……」
「That's Hoke Gisho. A writing about the king of all sutras, Lotus Sutra.」
「……Actually when all of you came here, for some reason I suddenly recalled about Lotus Sutra. Because of that I tried using it for your training too but──I see. That kind of existence was hiding and stimulated my spiritual sense……」
It seemed that she had sensed Umayado no Ouji's presence vaguely. As expected.
A dry smile formed seeing the monstrous capability of her honorable master. However, seeing that it seemed she was holding interest to her little sister, Riona secretly went 「Yossha!」 and clenched her fist.
「Eh? Fumi-chan as sacrifice for Riona?」
「That sounds misleading. It's something like becoming disciple for her to get experience.」
At the wharf of Byakuren Ou's island.
Riona was currently piling up water and food together with Rokuhara Ren. It was in order to load them later into the magical yacht that was granted to them by her master Luo Cuilian.
「Besides look. We have to travel Hyperborea for a bit more to find a new space distortion. That child was also happy you know? She's able to remain in the island of Byakuren Ou where everything is available──」
「It's surprising that the gate we used to come here is gone.」
The goshujin-sama nodded to Riona's words.
Riona had sent shikigami in order to confirm the route to go back to earth. However, the space distortion that should be there had vanished.
「That's because it was a point that was opened forcefully by the magicians of Campiones association. Because of that it might be unstable. Or perhaps the mess before we entered──the battle between Julio's protector knight and the low class angel affected it……. Well, it's no use to think about something that's gone. Let's search for the next one.」
Riona muttered.
Also, she didn't tell Fumika that 『you might get trained by being confined in an isolated island』. She hid that in order to make her little sister consented to stay behind readily.
On the other hand, there was also the princess who was a victim of kidnapping until just a while ago.
「Rionsama. If it's alright with you, I'll try divining the direction where we should head to!」
Princess Cassandra proposed energetically.
「In the past, when I was serving as a priestess in the temple, I also learned divination!」
「Aah. That thing that is also familiar in Homer's poem huh.」
「We've no clue at all in this travel, so please do it. We're counting on you, Cassandra.」
「Yes. Ren-sama♪」
Rokuhara Ren and Princess Cassandra were talking to each other with bright smile.
Their distance was really close as though they were peering on each other's face. It looked like they were becoming far closer than even before the kidnapping.
It was understandable. Riona nodded.
(The princess was also going through many hardships after all. And then Rokuharsan saved her, so it's natural that they get friendlier with each other than before.)
When she was thinking such thing──
「Bird girl……」
「Eh? What's the matter, Stella?」
Various items were brought into the yacht that was bestowed to them by her master.
The small goddess Stella was sitting on a barrel of drinking water. She called Riona's name and Riona replied, but the goddess of love spoke in a whisper with an expression as though she was exasperated about something.
「No, it's nothing. Well, if you don't notice, then it doesn't really matter.」
「? What do you mean?」
「Nothiiing. ──Wait Ren, and also princess! Don't just waste time flirting, be properly mindful of me too!」
「My, my apologies, Stellsama!」
「Now now. I'll do this so spare us. Besides, we have to sail out soon. If the danger of earth's destruction is close, then we also cannot really take our time leisurely.」
Rokuhara Ren kneeled and worshipped the small goddess and changed the topic.
It was exactly like he said. They had the mission of going back home and faced the unprecedented crisis.
Riona switched her mood even while feeling something tugging on her mind.
「We will find a new space distortion as fast as possible and then come back to pick up Fumika. Then we will save earth. Let's go with that plan everyone!」
Although the mood was a bit lighthearted, she called out a new at her sense of duty.
Her goshujin-sama, and the princess and goddess of ancient Greece were also nodding with the same mood.
What was the hour and minute that the Doomsday Clock in the headquarter of Campiones association showed right now?
But, their present urgent business was to find a way home.