Chapter 57. Truly Ugly
---
Cyd considered himself someone who didn't judge people by their appearance but rather looked into their hearts. However, when he saw Phryne—that... lump—he began to question his beliefs. His grand entrance came to an awkward halt.
She was genuinely ugly, and she was even drooling at him.
"Gwa-gwa-gwa, have you fallen for my beauty?" Phryne licked her lips and flirted with Cyd, while her large hand made a gesture as if lifting her skirt.
No, no, no, no, no!
Cyd covered his forehead and leaned against the wall.
Hephaestus's true face hidden under the eyepatch could indeed be described as frightening, but for some reason, when he looked at her face and saw that sorrowful expression, he simply wanted to hold her. No matter how terrifying she looked, he was willing to embrace her.
She had always lamented her appearance. The time she had spent in sorrow was so long that it evoked pity. Therefore, Cyd couldn't ignore her. But...
This lump in front of him was just too hideous, emitting a stench of rot from inside out.
For the first time, Cyd had the thought, "She's beyond saving. Reconstructing her would be faster."
Better to act like I didn't see her!
"I heard you were looking for me," Cyd turned to Ishtar, who was slowly descending the stairs.
"Yes, I want you to become part of my Familia," Ishtar raised her chin. "I heard you rejected Freya's invitation. That's good. That wench has no right to have you. Only a true goddess of beauty—me—is qualified."
Cyd squinted his eyes. "So? Do you think I'd be willing to join your Familia?"
"It's not about willingness. You must join," Ishtar took out a new pipe. "They failed to secure you because they had no compelling reason to do so, but I do!"
"Interesting. Seems we can't have a proper conversation then," Cyd twisted his neck. "Sorry, I have no interest in your reason."
Ishtar remained unperturbed despite Cyd's overt hostility. She leisurely took a puff from her pipe and exhaled slowly.
"Aren't you curious why I'm confident you'll join my Familia?"
Cyd stared at Ishtar expressionlessly, as blood-red lines slowly appeared on his face.
"So you've figured it out," Ishtar laughed nonchalantly. "If you were alone, I really wouldn't have a way. As the hero who brings hope to everyone, you stand too far away. People can only watch your back from a distance. You should continue being that pure, untarnished hero, shouldn't you? You shouldn't show the desires a human should have, as that would be your weakness."
Cyd's fists slowly clenched.
"You become angry for that child. He's become your shackle. And the chain that can bind that child," Ishtar covered her forehead as the corners of her mouth curled upward.
Nothing could stop her now. Unlike those idiots, she had had enough of being looked down upon. She wouldn't care what kind of person the Pure White Hero would become. As long as she could drag Freya down!
Even if it meant destroying him!
"It's that child, Lili," Ishtar laughed heartily. "That child is still part of Soma's Familia. As long as she remains there, she'll never escape her fate. The same goes for you and your student. It's such a simple truth, and Freya couldn't even think of it? That's why I'm the one suited to sit in that position!"
How truly ugly...
"I see. By trading with the Soma Familia, you aim to control Lili, to shackle Bell, and eventually bind me," Cyd released his fists, letting his arms hang weakly by his sides.
"I'm different from Freya. I'm better than her. I'll use you to prove it," Ishtar's new pipe broke in her hand. "Take off your clothes. I'm going to mark you as mine right now!"
Phryne licked her lips and ogled Cyd excitedly.
Crack—
Something shattered, but everyone's focus was on Cyd and Ishtar, so no one noticed the small sound.
"I recall that even if gods suffer a fatal wound, they won't die but instead get sent back to the divine realm," Cyd remarked casually, his gaze growing sharper as he sized up Ishtar, seemingly searching for a place to strike.
Ishtar's expression froze. "Y-you... don't tell me you plan to attack a god! That's a grave crime!"
"Hmm, gods... aren't human, right?" Cyd's mouth curled into a slight smile as he took a step forward. "Gods... I've killed more than one."
"Stop... Stop him!" Ishtar panicked and took a step back, forgetting she was on the stairs, causing her to trip and sit down awkwardly.
Cyd was serious. His tone held no hint of deceit!
Blessed by thirteen gods, he had the qualifications and the power to kill a deity. Even if he couldn't kill them, he could seriously wound them and send them back to the divine realm. Was there anyone in the world who could stop him?
Knowing this, Freya, realizing Ottar was no match for Cyd, decisively abandoned coercion. Watching that light from afar was better than being despised and sent back to the divine realm. As long as she stayed in the lower world, there would always be an opportunity. After all, time was something gods had in abundance.
But Ishtar, drunk on power, had stepped into a real minefield and was repeatedly crossing it.
Humans wouldn't resist gods, but that didn't mean everyone feared them.
She had forgotten. So focused on using Cyd to pull Freya down, she'd forgotten the last part of Apollo's tale—the reason the Pure White Hero had chosen his irreversible path.
Sensing something was amiss, the battle prostitutes in the palace hesitated to move forward.
"What are you waiting for?! If this succeeds, he'll be yours!" Ishtar screamed desperately.
She couldn't return now! She hadn't yet claimed the throne that was rightfully hers!
"I've been waiting for that. The Pure White Hero will belong to me alone!" Phryne laughed maniacally as she leaped at Cyd.
The other battle prostitutes hesitated for a moment but then charged at Cyd.
Following their instincts was who they were. Even without Ishtar's order, they would either take Cyd or be taken by him. But right now, Ishtar... was indeed ugly.
Ding—
A melodic chime rang behind Cyd. A giant ring slowly unfolded, with one long and one short hand overlapping at the 12 o'clock position.
"Time stops here," Cyd snapped his fingers.
A world belonging solely to Cyd was awakened.