— — — — — —
Inside the room, Athena studied Pandora—or more precisely, the faint violet membrane covering her body. Her eyes narrowed in disbelief.
"You actually managed to rip a part of the Netherworld... and without disturbing anything else."
She turned toward Ryo. "How in the world did you pull that off?"
At the moment, perched lazily on Ryo's shoulder was a blonde, blue-eyed twin-tailed girl. She yawned, looking like she could fall asleep any second.
It was none other than Tritos, the Serpentine Dragon of Mercury.
"Ryo, I'm tired. I'm heading back."
Without sticking around for long, Tritos mumbled and slipped straight back into Ryo's spirit.
Knowing his familiars were still digesting the Sun Authority legacy, Ryo simply soothed them a little, then turned to Athena.
"I've already explained the steps, haven't I? Wrap the Netherworld with Telekinesis, tear it open, then store it inside the pocket space carved out by that same energy."
"I understand the process," Athena sighed, "but it still feels impossible."
She had telekinesis too, of course. But her version could maybe carve out a lake if she blasted the ground with it.
Ryo, on the other hand, could tear through space, bridge reality, and embed chunks of the Netherworld into an artificial pocket dimension. That wasn't just beyond her—it was absurd.
It was enough to make even a goddess feel powerless.
"I'm seriously starting to think your telekinesis and mine aren't even the same species," Athena muttered.
"In a way... you're not wrong." Ryo shrugged, sounding helpless.
After all, his current Telekinesis was basically an extension of Cosmo. Calling it a different breed wasn't too far off.
"I don't get it. How can your telekinesis be this strong?" Athena shook her head in disbelief.
Ryo's expression grew oddly complicated. "Isn't this... just the basics?"
Basics?
Pandora's face stiffened.
The power to rip apart the border of reality, slice away a piece of the Netherworld, and shake the very stars themselves... and this man had the audacity to call it basic?
But Ryo really wasn't pretending.
The Aries Gold Saint's skill, the Stardust Revolution— an attack that summons stardust from stars and galaxies using telekinesis, then throws millions of blows instantly.
And there was the defensive Saint technique, Crystal Wall, forged with Telekinesis and Cosmo, capable of withstanding even galactic explosions.
As someone trying to replicate every Gold Saint technique, of course he had to master telekinesis.
"..."
"Fine. We'll call it the basics," Athena finally sighed. "I don't feel like chasing this any further."
Sometimes she tried not to measure Ryo against the standards of gods. But every time he unleashed some outrageous ability, she couldn't help comparing.
And every time she did, she ended up questioning herself—who was the real god here?
It was exhausting. Athena had given up trying.
"Anyway, next comes the most important part—the Circle of Usurpation."
Her snake-like eyes locked on Pandora.
The goddess's gaze made Pandora tremble like a rabbit caught in a predator's sights.
"I surrender! Don't eat me, Lady Athena! We're both gods, you can't do this to me!"
Athena's voice stayed calm. "I do appreciate that you created the Campiones to oppose the Steel Heroes. But it doesn't change the fact that they've caused me plenty of unnecessary trouble."
"They're the ones causing trouble, not me! Go after them, why drag me into this?" Pandora wailed.
"You're their foster mother. That makes you responsible," Athena replied flatly.
"I'm his foster mother too, aren't I?" Pandora pointed at Ryo with a hopeful little smile. "That makes us family!"
Athena and Ryo both fell silent.
Neither of them had expected her to play that card.
But she wasn't wrong. Pandora was the mother of all Campiones. And while the ritual hadn't fully completed, Ryo had slain a god, leaving his mark on the Circle of Usurpation. Technically speaking, that made him her foster son too.
Ryo shot Athena a glance. She caught it, gave the faintest nod, and turned back to Pandora.
"You're right. We are family."
Pandora froze, not expecting Athena to actually accept the excuse.
But the glimmer of hope made her blurt out eagerly, "Really? You won't hurt me then?"
"No," Athena said evenly.
Pandora's eyes lit up.
Until Athena added, very casually, "Since we're family... and you're the elder, it's only natural for us to inherit part of the family estate, don't you think?"
Pandora's smile turned to stone.
Well... when she put it like that... In human terms, wasn't inheritance exactly how families worked?
"But I'm not dead yet..." she started—only to feel Ryo's Telekinesis brush against her.
Gulp.
Pandora's throat bobbed. Cold sweat streamed down her face, and she didn't dare finish the sentence.
Right. She wasn't dead now. But if she was...
Her sweating intensified. "Of course, of course! An elder can pass down inheritance even while alive! Hahaha..."
The laugh cracked halfway through and turned into tears.
She wasn't even dead, and her savings were already being divvied up. How could she not cry?
But she couldn't afford to offend the two in front of her. Especially not Ryo, who had nearly become her foster son—and who had just demonstrated the ability to rip the Netherworld itself apart.
Even if Pandora could revive through myth, she had no doubt Athena would find ways to sabotage her. And if Ryo decided to tear her out of myth entirely... she might not even get that chance.
"Wh-what exactly do you want from me?" she asked cautiously.
"Hmm?"
"Huh?"
Both Ryo and Athena gave the same nonchalant response.
Pandora's face twisted into an ugly smile. She tried again. "So… are you after my past savings, everything in my pockets right now, or my future income?"
Ryo calmly extended his hand and clenched it into a fist. "I want them all."
"F-fine, sir. Thanks for being so kind to me… hope not to see you again."
Pandora forced a dignified smile—one that cracked apart into utter despair.
.
.
.