— — — — — —
Once the ritual was completed, Ryo sent Pandora back to the sealed Netherworld, then walked over to the tea table.
"Whiskey?"
"Half a glass," Athena said without looking up, her eyes still on the tutorial book she was scrolling through on her phone.
Ryo poured half a glass, handed it to her, then took a sip from his own before speaking.
"Just as planned, Verethragna is still linked to his mythology even while sealed inside the Circle of Usurpation."
"I used the ritual to stabilize that connection, and through the Circle, I've already begun siphoning divine authority from the myths."
"Of course, I can't say when the next authority will be seized. That's hard to predict."
Athena didn't answer right away. Instead, she flipped a page. The plain white manual shimmered with a burst of black light, strange symbols scrolling across it in neat lines.
This wasn't an ordinary tutorial. It was where she'd recorded the Circle of Usurpation's connection to the mythos.
"If my calculations are correct, the Circle will absorb Mithra's authority by tonight."
"That feels a little slow," Ryo muttered, finishing his drink with a slight frown.
"This is only the first trial. Once you increase the energy flowing into the Circle, the pace will quicken," Athena replied, closing the book.
Ryo's expression softened with satisfaction. He nodded.
"Athena, are you sure the Circle only targets gods from Persian mythology? Verethragna is Persian, yes, but he's also linked to Indra in Hindu myth. Couldn't the Indian pantheon become a target too?"
"Highly unlikely."
Athena sighed softly and shook her head.
"You wouldn't know this, Ryo. You're not a god—you've never slept within the myths. The structure isn't as simple as it seems."
"The planet's mythologies all rest within the collective unconscious of living beings, but they don't form a single shared space. If I had to describe it… imagine a skyscraper without staircases. Each floor exists, but none are connected to the others. Each floor is its own mythology."
"Ah, I see." Ryo leaned back, realization dawning.
"So because Verethragna's divine seat belongs to Persian myth, that's the only 'floor' I can reach. Even if he also has an identity in Hindu myth, the Circle can't touch it—it's not the same divine authority."
"Exactly." Athena nodded, putting away her notes.
Ryo frowned thoughtfully. "Then to target every mythology, I'd have to defeat at least one god from each of them?"
"No need to do it yourself." Athena allowed herself a small smile. "Take Greek mythology, for instance. You hold my divine authority. That alone lets you plunder it freely."
"And as for the rest, don't forget those fools."
Ryo blinked. "You mean… the Campiones?"
"They'll do nicely. Remember, they're half-human, half-divine beings created by the Circle. In a sense, they're its children."
Ryo swirled his empty glass, murmuring, "If I inscribe the same ritual formula onto them that I carved into Pandora, then the Circle should reflect the same effect. They'd become my secondary conduits."
His eyes narrowed as he poured himself another drink.
"That means the mythological reservoir gains six more outlets. No—wait. Not exactly six. If Marquis Voban has killed like eleven gods, then each god he absorbed might count as its own platform…"
He chuckled at his own metaphor. To him, stealing divine power was like draining water from a swimming pool. The Circle of Usurpation, paired with his ritual, simply carved more drains into its bottom.
When the pool finally ran dry, the gods' authorities would all belong to him.
At that point, he would wield Athena's Wisdom and command every stolen power—making him omnipotent in the world of Campiones. And as his contract partner, Athena would share in it all once she reclaimed her wisdom.
Together, they might even catch the attention of the Little Garden's core observer—and test whether this path could truly lead to omnipotence.
It was a win-win for both of them.
Athena ran some quick mental math, then smiled faintly.
"If each Campione gives you three kills, then within twenty days, the Circle should have filtered every myth once."
"Ryo, didn't you say you could only stay here twenty-eight days?"
"Correct." Ryo grinned as he downed another sip. "Looks like we have more than enough time."
"Assuming, of course, that you manage to inscribe the ritual onto every Campione and they each slay at least three gods."
Athena gave him a look tinged with exasperation. "And I hope you won't take as long with them as you did with Pandora."
Her tone carried an unmistakable complaint about how he'd dragged things out.
"Don't worry. I can hit their bodies with the ritual faster than a flash of light." Ryo's smile was annoyingly confident.
"I promise, it won't take longer than a second."
Athena's expression twitched. "Then what about the three hours you spent just now…?"
If he could do it in one second, why had Pandora taken three whole hours?
Ryo straightened, feigning seriousness. "The first time is always different. No experience. You need to slow down, take your time, savor the process, and build up some practice."
"…Explain that to Pandora yourself," Athena sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
Athena realized that: Ryo was nothing more than a shameless pervert.
"I'm sure she'll understand," Ryo chuckled. "Especially when her life is on the line."
Athena's face went flat.
"I'm just glad I bound myself to you before she did."
Ryo's grin widened. "And I couldn't be happier to hear that."
He set his glass aside, his tone shifting back to business.
"All right. Time to bring Erica and Liliana here. Melqart on this island has been waiting long enough."
"The God King of the Mediterranean…" Athena murmured, her expression turning oddly sympathetic.
Hopefully, Melqart wouldn't end up crying.
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