"You are—Athena?"
Jason stared blankly at her.
Though she appeared to be a young girl, she was practically a cute little loli.
Her silver-white hair and pitch-black eyes made her seem somewhat delicate.
But!
The terrifying aura she radiated without restraint made him realize her identity.
She was none other than the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena, descending into the mortal world through a human vessel!
The girl's expression was utterly emotionless. "A calamity approaches. We gods will descend one after another to assist Nameless in overcoming it."
"A calamity? Weren't you all living in the Reverse Side of the World, completely separated from humanity?" Jason grew even more astonished.
"We were once defeated by the Alien God's vanguard, Attila. The twelve discarded remnants of our divine bodies were obtained by the United States, giving birth to the cold malice of mechanical lifeforms."
Athena explained with utmost seriousness. "If they complete their fusion, it will mean the emergence of a Lostbelt for humanity!"
Just as the Demon King Goetia sought to incinerate human history.
Had they, the former machine gods, chosen to merge when facing the Alien God's vanguard, they could have defeated it.
However, defeating the vanguard would also have meant the opening of a Lostbelt!
In that Lostbelt, disease, war, famine, and death would all be absent from humanity.
Everyone could live forever in happiness and health.
But such an existence would sever human history, reducing all to domesticated animals!
The world would lose all change, truly marching toward destruction!
Fortunately, none of that had come to pass.
After abandoning their mechanical bodies and integrating into Greece as gods, they were worshipped by countless humans.
From this faith, they felt a joy they could never have known as machine gods.
Thus, they resolved to protect humanity, no longer seeking to reshape Earth into their homeworld.
Athena continued, "That is why we must now find Nameless and bestow upon him the blessings of the Twelve Olympians once more, granting him the power to resolve this crisis."
"...Nameless again!"
Jason felt like he'd eaten an entire tree's worth of lemons.
So bitter!!!
The problem was, he only enjoyed riding the wave of success—he'd never dare confront those United States Machine Gods himself!
Whatever, I'll just keep lying low. You go fight your battles.
Jason decisively declared, "Nameless should be in Fuyuki City, but I don't know the exact location!"
"Oh, Fuyuki City?"
Athena nodded and decided to make a trip there.
But before that, there was one more thing she needed to do.
Buzz!
Her figure vanished in an instant.
When she reappeared, she was already standing on an island in the Mediterranean.
Shrouded in mist and storms, this island didn't appear on any map and remained hidden from the world. It was the home of the Gorgon Sisters!
Stheno and Euryale shielded their younger sister behind them, their gazes calm yet wary as they stared at her. "Athena, what brings you here?"
After all, it was Athena who had cursed their youngest sister into becoming the monstrous Medusa. They had every reason to be cautious.
"The Age of Calamity is about to begin. We may need to join forces once more."
Athena raised her shield.
Long ago, after Perseus slew the Gorgon, her head had been embedded into this shield, granting it the terrifying power of petrification.
Crack—
The shield shattered abruptly.
Athena gathered the remnants of the Gorgon's essence into her palm. "As an apology for the past, I've condensed a portion of divine essence to grant Medusa immortality."
"Hmph, you gods are as capricious as ever!"
The elder sisters scoffed but still reached out to accept it.
Among the three sisters, only little Medusa lacked immortality—which was why she had been vulnerable to being slain by heroes.
Athena clearly knew this, hence her offering of divinity as recompense.
Little Ana, hiding behind her sisters, couldn't help but peek out and ask, "So… where is Nameless?"
Since their parting in the Age of Gods, she had never seen him again.
"I don't know the exact location, but he's in Fuyuki City," Athena answered truthfully.
If they truly faced enemies on the level of the Velber, they would need the Gorgon Sisters' assistance.
The Olympian gods were, after all, outsiders—suppressed by the world's will, unable to act at full strength.
"Fuyuki City…?"
Ana gazed toward the distant East, a faint joy stirring in her heart.
Would Nameless look forward to their reunion?
Meanwhile, in the very Fuyuki City everyone was talking about—
Souma was sprawled lazily on the sofa, casually browsing the web.
After the release of the "Olympian Gods" video two days ago, countless people had tagged the United States, demanding an explanation for their true relationship with the Greek pantheon.
Zhuge Liang, the Prime Minister of China, had even openly mocked them during a press conference—
[Thieves from the West, you should explain the massacre you committed in Greece and return the stolen remains of the Olympian gods!]
Since they were destined to be enemies anyway, why hold back?
"Gotta admit, saying that felt good!" Souma smirked faintly.
He wanted to point at those thieves and curse them outright.
A bunch of shameless thieves, yet they had the audacity to claim legitimacy—just like that certain neighboring country.
If it were that country, they'd probably say—
"After thorough research, we've confirmed that the Greek gods originated from our glorious Korea and share our noble bloodline!"
The application for UNESCO heritage status is already underway, seumnida!
While casually browsing, Wei Gong was surprised to find a new song on the pink app.
Its title was—
"Dala Bengba"
It turned out to be a quirky adaptation by a talented individual, inspired by the dragon Dala Bengba that Nameless had slain in the previous "Olympian Gods" video.
Completed overnight and uploaded a day later, the song rode the wave of popularity from the earlier [Alaya] video.
Within just half a day, it skyrocketed to millions of views, becoming a certified hit.
"Let's give it a listen."
Souma casually clicked on "Dala Bengba."
The clip-clop of horse hooves rang out as the virtual idol began singing—
[Long, long ago, a dragon suddenly appeared]
[Bringing disaster, it kidnapped the princess and vanished without a trace]
[The kingdom was in peril, who was the bravest in the world? A hero came forth]
...
[He said, 'Your Majesty, my name is Dala Bengba Bandebeibudubobirong']
...
"Wow, so the dragon's name became the hero's?"
Souma paused, then realized it actually made sense.
After all, those who slay dragons often become dragons themselves.
The Greek heroes who looted wealth and women were the perfect example.
Among the entire ship of heroes, only Heracles had a shred of decency and didn't take any women.
Then again, he didn't need to.
With his overwhelmingly powerful physique, he could stand there and effortlessly attract hordes of women—and even more men!
Well, mostly men!
Proof that moderate fitness attracts women, but extreme fitness attracts men!
Just then, the phone rang.
Souma casually answered, "What's up, Illya?"
"Can I bring someone over later?"
The little loli's voice was full of hesitation.
"Bringing a friend? Sure, no problem."
Souma agreed without a second thought.
His exaggerated culinary skills ensured that anyone who tasted his cooking could never forget it.
Even the legendary Celtic hero Cú Chulainn shamelessly dropped by for meals repeatedly.
Not to mention the bona fide glutton Artoria, who ate enough in one sitting to last him several meals.
This had made Roya extremely hostile, fearing they'd be eaten into poverty.
Even the landlord's pantry was running low!
Souma made a quick trip to the market, picking up a fish and some vegetables.
Since there'd be an extra guest, he might as well cook a bit more.
Cú Chulainn deftly cleaned the fish and packed it up. "Can I come over for dinner tonight?"
"There's another guest this time—next time, definitely!"
Souma replied irritably.
This guy's shamelessness had reached new heights lately.
Before, he'd at least help with the dishes or bring some wine or fruit as a gift.
Now? Empty-handed every time!
The scourge of freeloaders!
"Tch, every time you say 'next time,' it just means you don't want me there." Cú Chulainn rolled his eyes.
What, did I eat all your rice—
Oh, right, I did.
So what if I ate a little extra? No need to be so stingy!
"The landlord's pantry is empty—we're broke!" Souma shamelessly played the poverty card.
His savings were nearly wiped out.
All these world-famous heroic spirits, yet not a single one brought gifts.
The only one who did, Qin Shi Huang, had brought Tamamo-no-Mae's tail as a scarf.
Did they all think I was made of money?
As Souma prepared dinner...
On the other side.
Illya put down the phone and said with some unease, "Isn't this too presumptuous?"
Standing beside her was an absolute behemoth.
Nearly two meters tall.
His bulging muscles strained against the black suit, exuding an overwhelming sense of power.
The sunglasses only added to his imposing aura.
Simply standing before you, he radiated crushing pressure to the extreme.
A true image of a suited enforcer!
This was none other than Heracles, descended into the mortal world!
After the previous video exposure, he had successfully manifested in the human realm through the servant contract with Illya.
Heracles grinned slightly and said, "It's nothing. If he's Nameless, then he's my brother. Just giving him a little surprise."
He knew full well how many people adored Nameless—the man who'd stolen countless girls' hearts.
Little Illya had long been like a daughter to him, and he wouldn't allow anyone to harm her.
Since his daughter fancied a man, how could a devoted father not take interest?
He absolutely had to pay a visit and give the guy the surprise of his life!
***
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