The face hidden beneath Ziusudra's cloak darkened slightly.
Smack!
Just as the atmosphere grew heavy, a fair hand landed on the Old Man's shoulder.
"Don't be so pessimistic. Without death, there can be no life. Only through death can life be born. Crisis often gives rise to opportunity. This may not necessarily be a bad thing."
Samael smiled calmly and raised his eyes toward the world beyond the World Tree, a deep and distant meaning lingering in his gaze.
...
At the same time, beyond the World Tree, on the Hun Grasslands.
As streams of meteor-fire rained down, the once-living green shade turned into scorched earth. Craters like those on the surface of the moon covered the land.
"Baa..."
"Moo!"
Countless cattle and sheep fled for their lives, using everything they had to dodge, but beneath this vast disaster from the heavens, weakness itself was the original sin.
Before long, those lives were caught by the wildly burning heavenly flames. The fire burned through hide and bone, melted flesh and blood, and in the blink of an eye, amid screams and wails, reduced them to handfuls of ash scattered by the wind.
At the same time, forests burned, mountains split apart, and the earth collapsed. A pale tide of nothingness gushed out from abysses leading straight into the depths of the ground, wantonly corroding the surface.
In just half an hour, the vast, boundless grassland had shrunk rapidly. Now it was like a lonely island in the waves, in danger of being overturned at any moment.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Before the Golden Horde's royal court, the wavering light screen flickered bright and dim beneath repeated falls of heavenly fire.
One giant blue wolf after another bristled, baring their teeth as they growled low at the radiant humanoid figures in the sky, each raising a flaming sword high.
The Huns who had barely escaped the judgment of the end and gathered here numbered fewer than a thousand.
Crack!
As the exhausted Magecraft barrier shattered, the old shaman looked up at the chaotic sky with aged eyes. His throat worked, and he spat out a thick mouthful of phlegm, his face savage.
"Wolf cubs of the grassland, look closely at your enemy and remember your hatred. Even if you die, tear a bite of flesh from these bastards!"
They had lost the grassland where they had grown up, lost the livestock they depended on to survive, and lost the family and friends who had lived beside them day and night. The Huns lingering here were like cornered beasts driven to the brink. Their gazes turned dark as they mounted their giant wolves and raised their longbows, blades, and swords together.
Bang!
The Magecraft barrier shattered like crystal. The last shelter on the grassland was thrown wide open, and the army of angels swarmed down.
"May the Eternal Sky bless us and grant us victory in ten thousand battles! Kill!"
The Hun wolf riders charged out from the Golden Tent royal court. Like a pack of desperate wolf cubs, they bared their claws and fangs at the gods from beyond the heavens and launched their final charge.
Beneath the vast tide of nothingness, a black countercurrent raised an insignificant splash.
...
In Greece, amid the drifting mist, that "blindfold of justice" covered Athena's bright eyes.
With her senses blocked, the Goddess of Wisdom walked forward with Samael's support, one step deep and one step shallow. Halfway through, she could not help asking in confusion.
"Father, where are you taking me? There's still a lot to prepare at the Areopagus."
"Don't worry. I've already entrusted it to Prometheus and Chiron. They'll handle it. Wait, we're here!"
The Ancient Serpent stopped and solemnly removed the blindfold from the Goddess of Wisdom.
After her eyes adjusted to the change in light, Athena looked at the familiar scene and the tools from her memories. The answer immediately surfaced in her mind.
This was... the Arima Cavern... where they used to live?
Then the Goddess of Wisdom looked into the hall. When her bright eyes touched the sumptuous dishes on the stone table, and the cake placed in the center, she froze.
"Athena, happy birthday!"
The Ancient Serpent placed both hands on his adopted daughter's shoulders. The corners of his lips lifted in joy as he spoke slowly, his eyes full of pride and blessing.
Her birthday? Even she had forgotten, yet Father still remembered.
The sudden surprise felt so unreal that Athena could not help falling into a daze. Only when Samael guided her to sit at the table did the Goddess of Wisdom gradually recover.
"Athena is here. Can we begin?"
Themis walked gracefully out of the kitchen, carrying a basin of fish soup. She asked with a smile, her unveiled face radiant.
"Yes..."
"Wait. Where's Medusa? I remember we have the same birthday. Why didn't she come?"
Just as Samael was about to nod, the Goddess of Wisdom instinctively spoke up, frowning as she reminded him.
Themis set down the soup basin. Her star-bright eyes quietly studied her adopted daughter, and a gratified smile appeared on her face.
Divine Spirits were always lonely. From another perspective, a being worthy of being called a rival was also a companion who had earned one's recognition.
Though Athena refused to admit it, there was no doubt that the Serpent Goddess who had grown up playing with her held an immeasurable place in this child's heart.
If anyone were missing, there would surely be loneliness and regret.
Unfortunately, Medusa was destined not to make it to this birthday banquet.
Thinking of that, the Goddess of Justice cast her majestic eyes toward a certain culprit beside her, carrying a trace of reproach.
"Ahem. I already celebrated Medusa's birthday with her at the Arima Cavern."
Samael explained with a dry cough, his eyes drifting away.
After the night in Uruk, he and Ana had returned from the Mesopotamian Age of Gods to the Arima Cavern.
Long before Athena set out, the Ancient Serpent and the gathered children of Typhon had already carefully arranged a birthday banquet for Medusa.
What Samael did not mention was that the way they celebrated had been rather special. The kind that left her unable to get out of bed.
Right now, that Serpent Goddess was probably lying in her nest, hugging her two sisters as they slept while clutching their sore backsides and whimpering.
So this was a dinner that belonged only to me?
The Goddess of Wisdom looked at the two people in the candlelight, and a satisfied smile curved her lips.
"You make me proud, Athena. You've worked hard all these years..."
Samael raised his cup and spoke solemnly, his eyes filled with both tenderness and admiration.
The fact that the Three Goddesses of the Areopagus could rule Greece and leave behind so many preparations was largely thanks to Athena's contributions. The hardships she had endured along the way needed no explanation.
Athena lifted her wine cup and shook her head helplessly, using a slightly teasing complaint to soften the solemnity.
"What else could I do? I boarded your pirate ship, after all. I promised to take good care of Tina, Aunt Themis, Medusa, and the others..."
Samael suddenly remembered that when they parted during the Titan War, he did seem to have given Athena such instructions.
Father and daughter looked at each other and smiled, then raised their cups together and drank in silent understanding.
Themis savored the warmth before her. On her inviolable face, the ice and snow melted, and a faint, joyful smile appeared.
Perhaps this was the warmth that the Titans of Othrys and the gods of Olympus had never given her.
Bang!
Just as the three raised their cups and shared this rare moment, the crash of a heavy object hitting the ground came from outside the cavern. A towering figure stepped into the hall, his silver hair flying in all directions like raging dragons beneath arcs of lightning.
The one who came was Zeus.
"I had Hephaestus reforge and repair your damaged Aegis Shield..."
As the Aegis Shield was placed on the table, those silver-white eyes flashing with electric arcs gazed at Athena, and that deep voice somehow softened.
"And, Athena, my daughter, happy birthday..."