(Image: Erica)
…
After delivering her final threat, Athena's figure gradually faded away.
After losing that much face, she had no desire to remain anywhere near Akuto. The moment she saw him, she would be reminded of that humiliating "cleverness backfiring" incident—failing to control him, and instead losing authorities herself.
Seeing that Athena was about to leave, Akuto had no intention of stopping her. He simply smiled faintly.
"Don't worry, Athena. Even if your 'Kotodama of Contract' is useless, I'll still honor my promise. After all, I've always been the kind of man who keeps his word."
"Hmph. Then I'll see when you finally兑现 your promise," Athena said, the tightness in her brow easing slightly.
At the very least, Akuto did not seem inclined to take advantage and then renege.
Letting out a long breath, Athena subconsciously tasted the lingering trace of Akuto's scent in her mouth.
To her own surprise, she did not hate it. On the contrary… she wanted to continue touching him, to continue being close—perhaps even to go further.
"Akuto. You once said you wished to sleep within my eyelids."
"Once I have fully recovered, I will personally reclaim today's humiliation."
"If I win, I will make you my retainer, and you will serve me for the rest of your life as I roam the earth."
"If you win… if you win, then this Heretic God body will be at your disposal."
"Let me see whether you can pass my final trial, then~"
With those words, Athena's small, adorable figure vanished completely.
Akuto stood in place, idly toying with the knitted cap in his hand—still carrying the goddess's lingering aura—while a pleased smile curled at his lips.
In the end, he lifted the cap to the tip of his nose and inhaled deeply, savoring the cool fragrance Athena had left behind, tasting the spoils of victory that now belonged to him.
In any case, conquering a goddess was always a process. From the very beginning, Akuto had never expected to "finish it in a single blow."
Still, now that he had exchanged for a gold-tier "Succubus Bloodline," Akuto believed his speed in capturing the hearts of the women who appeared in these story events would increase by a great deal.
…
As Akuto was still relishing Athena's fragrance and the aftertaste of their encounter, a clear, forceful girl's voice suddenly rang out from behind him.
"Stop. Don't move!"
"Hold your position. Turn around, slowly—exactly like that!"
With Akuto's observational ability, he had already sensed her presence long before she arrived.
"…"
Without speaking, Akuto turned around at an unhurried pace.
A few seconds later, a girl in a red formal dress came into view.
She was Erica Blandelli—the one who had rushed over the moment she sensed the divine power fluctuations.
Akuto carefully appraised Erica's face and attire, an openly aggressive appreciation filling his dark eyes.
The blonde girl named Erica wore a long crimson gown, like a noble young lady stepping out of a classical oil painting—every detail proclaiming beauty pushed to its limit, and an air of aristocratic refinement.
Her "golden crown" of hair cascaded like a waterfall, glowing with a sunlit brilliance. The skirt fell in a graceful A-line, and the sheer fabric lent it a lightness that seemed to move with the air.
The gown's tailored fit emphasized her waistline to an extreme degree. A matching belt cinched at her middle, drawing the eye to a figure that could be described as slender enough to fit in one hand.
Looking further down, the hourglass balance of waist and hips became even more striking. The fullness of the silhouette and the generous drape of the skirt created a sharp contrast, shaping a feminine line that felt almost unreal.
The strong contrast between her golden hair and the deep red dress not only highlighted her fair, crystalline skin, but also gave her entire look a kind of theatrical, extravagant tension.
The most eye-catching detail, however, was the bold backless design. The gown's back plunged into a deep V, extending nearly to her waist and revealing a flawless expanse of smooth skin.
Gold hair against milk-white skin made the line of her spine look clear and elegant. Her shoulder blades rose and fell subtly with her movement, like a butterfly's wings—silent, and undeniably captivating.
The sleeveless cut also revealed her delicate arms, the smooth contours of her shoulders, and the natural grace of her posture—an effortless sensuality hidden inside that noble elegance.
She looked mature beyond her years, yet she was unmistakably a young woman—already fully grown, yet still carrying the freshness of youth.
…
Perhaps Akuto's gaze was too direct. Erica could not help furrowing her brows.
From her perspective, the scene in front of her was simply too strange.
She had only arrived moments ago, but she had still caught the tail end of what happened: Akuto and Athena kissing, then separating.
Judging from the summoned serpent, and the divine power that white-haired girl had erupted with, there was no doubt—she was a Heretic God.
So why had a Heretic God forced a kiss on a passerby… and then simply left?
Had Erica fallen behind the times? Why would a goddess seize a random person and kiss him?
Or was the situation not what she thought?
"…"
After turning around, Akuto still did not speak. He simply met Erica's eyes head-on.
They stared at each other. It was not long—only a dozen seconds or so.
In that short time, Erica noticed the silver longsword known as "Lion's Heart."
Because just moments earlier, she had already used a detection formula on Akuto—and detected nothing abnormal at all.
Compared to that goddess, whose entire body had been wreathed in divinity, the boy before her was far too "normal," so normal he looked like an ordinary person.
Which meant… he really was a victim of a goddess's forceful kiss?
After confirming Akuto's "victim" status, Erica, as a knight, naturally could not draw her blade on a civilian. She therefore lowered Lion's Heart.
And only after Akuto turned fully toward her did Erica finally understand why the goddess had kissed him.
If it was purely about appearance, then this boy's looks were nothing short of peerless—surpassing every man Erica had ever known.
His features were too perfect, his aura too extraordinary—already beyond the bounds of the human category. No wonder a goddess would act on impulse.
Erica did not find "a goddess kissing a mortal" strange.
On one hand, myths were full of such goddesses.
On the other, even if myths lacked them, reality could still produce them.
Because any god who descended upon the earth became a "Heretic God." A Heretic God might chase parts of their legend, and yet betray other parts of it.
A savior god in myth became an apocalyptic god once turned Heretic. A goddess who once blessed humanity could, as a Heretic God, become… far more willful in how she treated people.
…
Pulled in by Akuto's face and presence, Erica blanked for a few seconds before remembering what she should do next.
"Hello. Are you a tourist visiting Italy? Could you tell me, in detail, what exactly happened between you and that white-haired girl just now?"
Erica noted Akuto's hair and eye color, and also the travel bag set aside nearby. She immediately classified him as a "victim of a Heretic God incident."
Ordinarily, Erica should have recognized Akuto.
Although she had never met him in person, Akuto was one of the rare "Holy Knight-class" existences, and his photographs were circulated among many forces in the hidden world.
But Erica truly did not recognize him.
First, because the hidden world's photos were refreshed only once every three years. Three years had passed, and Akuto was still in a growth phase—his appearance had changed significantly.
Second, because Akuto had just exchanged for the gold-tier "Succubus Bloodline." If that bloodline could produce a noticeable effect even on a goddess like Athena, then it was even more powerful against Erica, who still belonged firmly to the mortal realm.
With both image and aura having shifted so dramatically, it was normal that Erica could not match him to an old photograph.
"I am here for tourism," Akuto replied in English. "I just didn't expect Italy's local customs to be this… intense."
For a genius like Erica, even English was effortless to understand.
Still, upon hearing "Italy's local customs are intense," Erica's cheeks reddened.
She desperately wanted to say: that goddess merely appeared in Italy—she is not necessarily an Italian goddess—please don't form the wrong impression of Italy!
But given Italy's international reputation, Erica could not quite force those words out.
After all, the joke went: "If you don't steal, you're not Italian. If you don't rob, you're not French. If you steal and rob, you're English." And while it was crude, there was a reason people said it—Italian tourist sites really did have plenty of pickpockets. "Intense customs" was, unfortunately, not entirely inaccurate.
"Ahem… in any case, could you tell me what you experienced? I might be able to help you," Erica said, using a tactical cough as she walked toward Akuto.
The closer she came, the more she understood why the goddess had kissed him.
Before today, she had only ever heard women described as "beauties who bring calamity."
Today, she was finally seeing a boy who could be called exactly that.
However, before she could sink any deeper into the pull of his charm, the boy said something that froze Erica in place.
"Oh? You can help me? So… you'll help me catch her and make her marry me?"
"Ha?"
Erica's mind short-circuited.
So he was not unwilling.
He was simply unhappy that the goddess had kissed him and then refused to take responsibility?
Erica admitted that many goddesses were overwhelmingly charming, but the white-haired goddess from earlier had been… rather small, hadn't she?
Wanting to marry someone that petite—did that mean…
The boy in front of her was actually a lolicon?!
…
Before Erica could ask her next question, the anomaly erupted.
"Boom!!"
"GRAAAAAOOOHHH!!!"
Several kilometers away, a colossal brownish mass—dozens of meters tall—suddenly appeared, turning the surrounding buildings into rubble!
Looking closely, it was a gigantic wild boar—overflowing with both divinity and madness.
Standing amid the ruins, a violent storm of divine power burst outward with the boar at its center, tearing apart everything around it.
Debris blasted into the air. Dust and smoke swallowed the streets. The boar's oppressive presence roared without restraint, declaring itself to the world.
(End of Chapter)
[Get +30 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]
[Every 300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]