Chapter 6: Star of David

Arne always felt weird about them because of something.

He felt that it was weird how they could greet him when he concealed his magic power and even go as far as concealed himself from the vision of Hime-Miko and Witch with his power because he felt that someone was trying to pry him before.

They said that their leader was the one who told them that he was here. But…

How is that even possible?

That's why he went along with their plans and went to meet the leader of this Star of David.

- - - - -

Jerusalem, Star of David.

Arne and the people from the Star of David arrived at their headquarters located in the underground below Jerusalem.

When they arrived there, what came into Arne's sight was an old man about sixty years old sitting on the golden throne. His hair was already white and his back was a little hunched. He wore a white robe with golden outlines and he had the demeanor of a king. There were people from the Star of David below him doing their own research. Different from the people that "welcomed" Arne, they wore a white vestment with their Magic Association's logo on the back.

Arne was very confused right now when he saw them. He didn't know if it was only a different culture of a different country or there really was something wrong. Usually, a leader won't have that kind of king's demeanor and aura. The people under him won't show that kind of fanaticism and devotion if they only treat him like a leader. Although they try to conceal it, Arne still notices them from their faces and gestures. Usually, their subordinates will only show respect and admiration to their leader.

"Welcome, Ragnarok King to our humble headquarters! Star of David is really blessed by your presence! This humble one's name is Jedidiah."

The leader of the Star of David, Jedidiah stood from the throne and greeted Arne with humbleness and a kind smile.

'Holy shit. This guy might be as cunning and as deceitful as Loki. If I were other people, I might be fooled by this old codger.'

Arne couldn't help but curse this old man in his heart. This guy might be very talented if he really became a king. Sly, manipulative, deceitful, and cunning. This guy is really something. Any other people might be fooled by Jedidiah if they saw his smile. He wants to give an impression of a weak and kind old man to Arne.

Arne glanced at him and he didn't want to be fooled by this guy.

"If you really treat me as a king, you should step down from that place or you want me to help you to come down here?"

Arne frowned and glanced at Jedidiah while releasing his powers. He wanted to break this old man's mask. But, it seems like this old man was really something else.

"Ah… Please be merciful to this old man, oh King. This old man is already very weak right now and can't move that much. Ugh…"

Jedidiah still kept those smiles on his face while trying to resist the magic powers that Arne directed at him although he couldn't resist it for too long before dropping to the ground.

"P-President!"

The people from the Star of David wanted to help their leader but they didn't have the courage to step in. Who would be that foolish to resist a Campione's might? Might as well fight a Heretic God although their end, in the end, was death.

"Hmph."

Arne only glanced at Jedidiah and snorted before he stopped releasing his magic power.

"T-Thank you for your mercy, my King..."

Jedidiah said weakly to Arne while still keeping those fake smiles on his face and then he glanced at his subordinates and said.

"Bring me my wheelchair, will you? I want to greet King Arne correctly this time."

"Y-Yes, President!"

One of the subordinates answered and ran directly to get the wheelchair. Not long after, he came back and helped Jedidiah to sit on the wheelchair with the help of other people too.

Then, he pushed the wheelchair and made Jedidiah and Arne face each other.

"Sorry for my introduction before, King. Let me do it again. My name is Jedidiah and I am the current leader of Star of David. It really is a blessing for us to meet you here."

Jedidiah bowed to Arne a bit and introduced himself again. Arne only nodded and didn't mind it. After all, Jedidiah was still a leader of an organization and he still has his pride. Arne also didn't want to pick a fight on each of his moves. It wasn't really his style after all although he tried to be dominant.

"So, what do you want by inviting me here?"

Arne didn't want to beat around the bush and wanted to know what their real intentions were.

"Actually, we really needed my King's help for this country because we assumed that a Heretic God had appeared here."

Jedidiah answered directly while Arne frowned at his words.

"And how did you know that a Heretic God had appeared in this country?"

"My King, there was a big disturbance that happened in this world a week ago. The magic power in this world suddenly increased somehow and with the help of our Hime-Miko's vision, there was a tear in the dimension that connected the Realm of Gods and the mortal world. Based on this, we assumed that the manifestation of Heretic Gods will increase all over the world and our Hime-Miko saw a Heretic God has appeared in this country."

This time, Arne only nodded because he knew that this guy wasn't lying at all. There really was a Heretic God manifested in this country. Arne finally knew that the feeling he got when he was in Dubai was the feeling that a Heretic God will appear here with the help of one of his original authorities, «Divine Detector». The power to detect and sense anything with divine power coming from them.

But, something really bothered him. Because based on his instinct and prediction before, it was not only one Heretic God that appeared. It was more than one although not as many as the Heretic Gods that manifested in the boundary space before.

"Do you know which Heretic God appeared here?"

"Yes, King. Based on our Hime-Miko's vision, he was an angel. An angel that radiated light as bright as a star. But then, the angel transformed into something evil and wicked."

"Lucifer, wasn't it?"

Arne knew which Heretic God appeared even from his description only. After all, when he received Odin's «Divine Wisdom», he also received Odin's knowledge of the supernatural world. To be exact, about magic and Heretic Gods. Of course, he, as the God King of Norse Mythology, knew other Heretic Gods from other Pantheons, even the least famous one. He knew them but didn't mean he knew their past and real origin. It was like when you have a friend, you know him but you didn't know about their past from their birth till present unless they told you about it. So Arne still has to read books about myths and legends to know more about Heretic Gods.

"Yes, as expected of my King, you are very wise."

Arne didn't feel happy and even felt a little disgusted by this old man when he flattered him. But, Arne didn't show the disgust on his face with the help of one of his authorities that he got from Loki. Loki was known as a good liar. Almost everyone fell for his lie every time he lied and got into his trick and trap. This authority was called «Pure Deception». This authority was a passive one that granted Arne the power to deceive someone perfectly and concealed his expression when he wanted to.

"So? Where is he?"

"I'm sorry, my King. But we are still trying to find him. If my King could wait for a few days, we will definitely find him."

"... Why do you think I will help you?"

"..."

Arne was tempted to fight Lucifer. After all, if he successfully killed Lucifer, he would get his authorities. It means that he got more power. Arne wasn't the type of person that didn't want powers if they were weak. Even if the powers or abilities were weak, he still received them with open arms. Even if the increase of power was not 1 + 1 = 2, it was still an increase after all and that means more varieties of abilities. Who knows, maybe they could be upgraded or there will be a perfect situation to use them.

But, he didn't want the old codger to feel that he would do what he wanted easily and without benefits. He didn't want to make Jedidiah feel proud and happy even for a little bit.

Arne could see the veins on Jedidiah's forehead bulge a little and his smile turned weird. But, he still tried to keep that fake smile perfectly.

"Of course, my King, we will give you the best items that we have."

Jedidiah said to Arne with a slightly annoyed tone while Arne only glanced at him amusingly. He wants to see what this old man's real intentions are. He can directly force him to tell the truth but this old man was somehow different from the other members of Star of David.

This guy might have something that could protect him from illusion and hypnotism. Arne didn't want to scare him and he felt that he would gain the highest benefits if he waited and went with the flow till the end. This could also hone his experience and mind to set up strategies against unexpected things. Arne has powers. Many of them at that. What he lacked was experiences both in mind war and battle.

They said that the one who moves first will win. That might be true if it was in a battle or war. But, in mind war, the one who moves first was the impatient one and it might lead to failure and defeat. It was like a gamble.

"Bring me our heirloom."

Jedidiah glanced at one of his subordinates and said.

"B-But, President!"

His subordinate hesitated a bit.

"Are you questioning my decision?"

Jedidiah glanced at his subordinate coldly and said with a cold tone.

"N-No! I will get it immediately."

The subordinate panicked and immediately ran to get the item that Jedidiah wanted. Not long after, he came back with a small black box with a gold outline and gave it to Jedidiah.

Jedidiah's eyes turned warm again like a kind old man while still keeping those smiles.

"This is our heirloom that was passed down by our first leader, King Solomon."

Jedidiah opened the black box and what came into Arne's vision was a gold necklace with a golden David's Star pendant on it. Arne knew that this necklace, from its chain to its pendant was created from pure gold. But, what attracted Arne was the magic and divine power it emitted.

"This necklace has the same name as our organization, the Star of David. It was the heirloom of our organization that was given to our King Solomon by his father, King David to protect him. This necklace has the power to keep away malevolent beings and purify them if they were near the wielder except the wielder allowed them."

Arne didn't say anything and took the necklace out of its box.

'Great Sage, do you know what this is?'

『Yes. From the divine power it emitted, this thing can be categorized and included as Divine Artifacts.』

Arne knew what Divine Artifact was. Divine Artifacts were special items that contained the divine powers of a Heretic God. Some of them might be the items that a Heretic God used when they were alive before they died and became an embodiment of myth and appeared in the Realm of Immortality. This Star of David can be categorized as that because it was used and contained by the now Heretic God David when he was alive.

'I see.'

"Well, I will give you three days. If you can't find him, the transaction will be annulled."

Arne accepted their requests and wore the Star of David directly. But, he still gave them a condition for them because he didn't want them to feel comfortable and convenient.

"T-Then… if we failed and the transaction was annulled, will we get the Star of David?"

Jedidiah sweated a little and tried to bargain even if he knew the answer.

"Huh?"

Arne glanced at him coldly. What has been given to him can't be taken back. That's the new motto that he created just now.

"W-We will search for him instantly!"

Jedidiah immediately said when he already knew Arne's answer just from his eyes.

"Please, stay in the room that we have organized."

This time, Jedidiah didn't want to take a shot again and said with humbleness.

"No need. I will stay in the King David Hotel and I will come to you in three days. Don't bother me during my vacation."

After saying that, Arne turned his back and flew directly to the King David Hotel.

- - - - -

After Arne disappeared from the room, the smile on Jedidiah's face turned cold and his eyes turned sharp. Jedidiah has made sure that Arne has already left their headquarters and even if Arne used an illusion, Jedidiah could still detect his presence. He immediately used his power to create a sound barrier around the room.

He directly stood perfectly on his feet and his back had no sign of hunches at all. The members of the Star of David immediately kneeled to the ground facing Jedidiah.

"This damn brat is really mature for his age. I can't deceive or use him at all. As expected of a God Slayer."

"My King, this lowly one wondered why did my King give the Star of David to him?"

One of the subordinates asked Jedidiah directly.

"You've done a good job on your acting. For your good acting, this one will answer you. I gave him the Star of David because I knew that he didn't want to do something without getting anything. We also want to get his trust and the best thing to do was to give him our best item."

"I see, as expected of my King!"

The subordinate nodded his head rapidly with a hint of fanaticism on his face.

"How about the preparation?"

Jedidiah glanced at Aharon and asked. Aharon was one of the main leaders that he trusted.

"King, we have gathered the Witches and Hime-Mikos for the ritual. We can start immediately after three days."

"Good. Find that bastard Lucifer immediately. He will only be a hindrance to our purpose. Plus, we are the sons of God, we must purge those evil fiends."

"Yes, King. We will search for Lucifer immediately."

Aharon answered as the representative of the people in the room while the others nodded in agreement and then left the room.

Jedidiah smiled wickedly and then sat on the throne again while crossing his legs and supporting his left hands on his cheek.

"Hahaha! It won't be that long till I rule the world!"

Jedidiah laughed crazily.

- - - - -

What's the real identity of Jedidiah?!

Tell you the truth, it was an easy one.

(A/N: If you like my story, comment, vote, review, and add it to your library 😁. You can also give me some story ideas that weren't in canon.)