After the breakdown—no, after the brain spasm—the entire Mecha God system suffered a severe blow. As the current leader, Zeus's control over the other Mecha Gods had weakened considerably. For those who had once been tightly bound to him, this loosening was almost liberating.
Even Hera now sought to compete for the position of flagship. After Zeus's mind fractured, more and more female slaves tried clinging to him for survival. He never refused them. That alone drove Hera to fury. After all, according to human legend, she was Zeus's wife—the Queen of the Greek gods!
Now the "red flag" was flying at home, while colorful banners flew outside. And worse: it wasn't only women seeking Zeus's bed. More than a few beautiful boys had also begun climbing under his sheets.
And Zeus never refused. Not once.
Yes, they were Mecha Gods, star-fleet entities, not bound by human definitions of gender. But even so, to see Zeus embrace anything and everything—it was unbearable. Hera could hardly believe it: her consort was a shameless devourer of both sexes.
But then again, wasn't Apollo the same? Perhaps it really did run in the family.
Hera's eyes flicked toward Apollo, lounging lazily on a throne, feeding a grape to the boy in his arms. Then she looked back to Zeus. At least Zeus retained some shred of dignity in public gatherings. But once the meetings ended, he would return to his palace and indulge himself without restraint.
The thought made Hera's nails dig into her seat. Her anger boiled. Couldn't she mimic whatever form he desired? Pure maiden, mature beauty, fragile boy, even a muscular man—she could become all of it. Human imagination itself shaped her appearance.
But if Zeus had heard her thoughts, he would have laughed. For to him, Hera was always Hera, no matter the guise. The one lying beside him would still be the same being, and for that very reason, his appetite vanished.
In short—he was tired of her.
"Ares, wipe that twitching smirk off your face!"
Athena's voice cut through the chamber like a blade. Ares sat across from her, wearing that insufferable half-smile, as though mocking her very existence. If not for the formal assembly, Athena would already have leapt across the hall to strike him.
Her fury only widened Ares's grin. "What could make the goddess of wisdom so rattled? You, who are faith itself for so many? Calm down, Athena. You're supposed to embody wisdom, aren't you?"
Aphrodite, meanwhile, admired her freshly polished nails, her voice smooth and unbothered. "She must have lost contact with one of her messengers. I've lost one too, but to me it's no real concern."
For the goddess of love, there was no need to worry. She could twist the hearts of her slaves with ease. Their devotion to her was absolute, and in combat that loyalty made them among the strongest of all divine servants. With such faith, her messengers stood above many others.
Each cycle, her followers captured more humans. With a population so vast, at least one or two with extraordinary talent always emerged. Such strength fed back into her power, creating a perfect cycle.
Athena, however, had been unlucky from the start. Targeted repeatedly by one persistent fool, she had lost a decisive contest early. Since then, her numbers dwindled, leaving her one of the weaker among them.
Zeus, meanwhile, ignored these quarrels. His grip over the other gods had slackened, but he let the Mecha Gods devour each other. Their conflict only strengthened his position.
Aphrodite's phoenix-like wings fluttered as she shifted, crossing one long leg over the other and propping her chin on her hand. "But two messengers vanishing in such quick succession… it seems there's a powerful puppy—or perhaps a wolf—lurking somewhere we haven't noticed."
The others glanced at her knowingly. Of course she meant to recruit this "wolf" herself. Any beast could be tamed, made docile beneath her will. She had done it before, again and again. The goddess of love had no doubt she could do it once more.
And she would not break the wolf entirely. No—she would leave enough wildness to make him fight, so that her victories would shine brighter.
Her words stirred the others. A human strong enough to slay a divine messenger was no ordinary wanderer. If captured, he could become a decisive weapon in the next contest. Even if they could not claim him, none dared allow their rivals to gain such a general.
Aphrodite rose gracefully, eyes sweeping the assembly. "If there is nothing else worth discussing, I'll take my leave. Rather than waste time with your chatter, I'd rather recruit our little stray before someone else does."
She lit a cigarette, exhaled, and left the hall without a backward glance.
Athena shot one last glare at Ares, then rose as well. She had no time to waste on this brute's mockery. If she continued losing, she would soon have no place among the gods at all.
-End Chapter-
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