Multiverse's Holy Right

"Your coffee!"

Liliana gently placed a cup of steaming, foamy coffee on the table before Athena, then quickly retreated behind Roy, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Erica. Her hand returned to the hilt of her sword.

Even knowing her vigilance was meaningless against a Heretic God, it was a knight's duty. Had Roy ordered her to fight the goddess, she would have drawn her blade without hesitation.

Athena cradled the warm coffee cup in both hands, lifting it to her moist cherry lips for a delicate sip. A trace of white foam lingered at the corner of her mouth, which she licked away with a petite pink tongue. Her amber eyes narrowed slightly, revealing an adorable kitten-like expression.

"Allow me to introduce myself, Campione unlike any I've encountered before. I am the Heretic God bearing the name Athena. Before our duel commences, it is only proper we know each other's names."

Clasping the coffee cup, Athena declared in a solemn, elevated tone.

"My name is Roy Crowley. Remember it well, Goddess Athena! This may be a name you'll never forget in your lifetime!"

Roy likewise shed his smile, matching Athena's grave tone—like two generals exchanging formalities before battle. Yet soon Roy relaxed his posture with a faint smile: "...From your words, Goddess, it seems you've met other Campiones. Yet in recorded history spanning three centuries, no Campione has ever battled Athena."

Roy's tone carried peculiar discomfort as he spoke. The term 'Goddess' was typically reserved for sycophantic goblin worshippers. Uttering it himself twisted Roy's insides, yet he couldn't deny the girl before him was indeed a 'Goddess.'

Before Athena could respond, Roy closed his left eye—as if using it to peer into the past—and suddenly understood: "...So that's how it is. Goddess Athena isn't a newly descended Heretic God, but one who manifested millennia ago, merely slumbering until now."

Roy's words visibly displeased the dignified, wise Goddess. "...Which deity's authority did you steal to gain this?" Athena demanded. "I sense wisdom's spark—a truly loathsome ability. Peering into the past to violate others' privacy would unsettle even me."

After exhaling, Athena continued: "...As you've discerned, Roy Crowley, I descended upon this earth millennia past. I once battled a Campione, whom I slew—yet through one of his stolen authorities, he pilfered my Gorgon Stone, leaving me weakened and dormant until recently, when its scent roused me."

Knowing Roy could unveil the past, Athena withheld nothing, recounting events from millennia ago in exhaustive detail.

Human civilization then was far more primitive, lacking today's detailed records. Both Campiones and Heretic Gods were objects of fearful worship, leaving no accounts of Athena's battles.

"So I ask again—where is the Gorgon Stone?"

"Look—isn't it right here?"

As Athena spoke, Roy flicked his wrist, revealing an ancient stone emblem in his palm. The Goddess's amber pupils contracted sharply at the sight, flickering with joy before lifting to meet Roy's gaze—her lovely features now radiating lethal intent.

"The wisdom of Athena tells me that you are an extremely dangerous Campione, and with my current power, I am certainly no match for you. However, all I seek is the Gorgon Stone. Even knowing this is a trap, I must step forward with fearless courage!"

"...I am the goddess who governs war and wisdom. Forgive me! There are only two paths before us—either you fight me and I execute you to reclaim the Gorgon Stone, or you kill me and usurp my authority. There is no third option! Of course, if you were willing to submit to my commands, that would be the most joyous outcome. But given the nature of a Campione, that is an utterly impossible choice."

The sharp gaze of the goddess Athena pierced Roy, her amber pupils gradually transforming into cold, vertical serpentine slits, mirroring the eerie and mysterious duality of Roy's own double pupils.

Erica and Liliana were on high alert. Though they believed in Roy's power to defeat Athena in her weakened state, battles between Heretic Gods and Campiones were always unpredictable, and they could not afford to lower their guard.

"Let us fight, Roy Crowley, Son of the Fool. My warrior's heart already burns—this is the instinctive hostility of a Heretic God toward a Campione. Show me the color of the cursed blood that has slain our kin! This is our fate!"

Divine power surged around Athena. Though radiant, the light around her seemed to be absorbed into darkness, even dimming the flames of the fireplace in the villa's center.

"I despise the word 'fate'! It's as if no matter what I do, I can never escape its judgment, forever trapped in its suffocating bind."

Roy interrupted Athena, his own surging magical power far surpassing hers, suppressing her divine energy.

"Don't lie, Athena! Does your Heretic God form truly feel battle lust toward my existence?"

...

A Campione harbors an overwhelming, instinctive desire to fight Heretic Gods—a terrifying impulse like blood rushing to the head. Wherever a Heretic God exists, a Campione is the finest radar.

Conversely, Heretic Gods feel the same impulse toward Campiones, ensuring that any encounter between the two can only end with one's death.

But this predetermined fate displeased Roy. After obtaining the authority Face of God, he delved deep into its understanding and application. This authority could manifest as a curse-like power, altering others' perceptions of him—either sanctifying or distorting his image in their minds.

However, such outwardly directed curses easily provoked hostility from Heretic Gods. Thus, after deeper refinement of this authority, Roy used it to change himself rather than others' perceptions, minimizing the instinctive enmity between Campiones and Heretic Gods. Without this, he could never have stood so close to King Solomon, who had become a Heretic God, back in Jerusalem.

...

This was precisely the effect of The Face of God. He used this ability to maintain his rationality when facing a Heretic God, enabling him to engage in reasonable dialogue with them.

Sure enough, as Roy finished speaking, the divine power surrounding Athena withdrew. She nodded in puzzlement and said, "...You are indeed entirely different from the Campiones I have encountered. I cannot feel the hostility toward you that stems from fate. Even the aspect of battle I govern is wavering."

"...I can only act from my own will, unable to summon the enmity that arises from the roles of Campione and Heretic God."

Roy remained expressionless as he tossed the Stone of Gorgon onto the table. "...Your compatibility with me is poor. Killing you holds little benefit for me. This is the Stone of Gorgon—take it if you wish. However, you must fulfill a promise and enter into an agreement with me."

Roy raised a hand to silence Erica and Liliana's urgent protests, keeping his gaze fixed on Athena.

Athena's eyes fell upon the Stone of Gorgon on the table. After a brief pause, she murmured, "...Wisdom tells me this may be a favorable proposal. First, state the promise and agreement you desire. If they align with my interests, I shall accept. If not, we shall settle the matter here and now."

Roy glanced out the window, tapping his fingers against the tabletop. "...The blizzard today is too fierce—hardly suitable for battle. Thus, the promise I seek from you is this: let us not fight today. If we must, let it wait until tomorrow. And you, Athena of wisdom and war, shall stay with me here tonight."

***

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