Chapter 59. The War Begins
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He is the child of all of us.
Under our watchful eyes, he has grown constantly. To ensure that he becomes the happiest person, we naturally want to give him everything good.
We witnessed the birth of the Pure White Hero.
It was not because of our blessings that such a person was born; rather, it is because of who he is that we wish to bless him.
He is the hope of the people, and he is our hope too.
"You have committed an unforgivable sin!"
Apollo, who usually appeared gentle with an occasional bitter smile, was now roaring in rage. His followers showed no surprise at his outburst.
This was normal. The hero they praised, the one who tenderly saved those in misfortune, had their faith defiled by an ugly desire. This was blasphemy! This was a declaration of war!
"Ishtar, it's time for you to disappear," Freya said coldly, staring at Ishtar. There were still stains of red wine on the hem of her skirt and between her fingers.
When she saw the scene in the recording, she had crushed the wine glass in her hand, overturned the table, and summoned the entire fighting force of the Freya Familia.
Ottar silently drew his greatsword. If it was Freya's wish, he would not hesitate to challenge even a god.
"Ishtar, you're even more greedy and disgusting than I imagined," Loki said, opening her eyes. "It's time for you to pay the price."
When she discovered that the Ishtar Familia had dealings with the Soma Familia, she had already guessed Ishtar's intentions.
For Cyd, this was a minor issue, but if it succeeded, it would disgust him. That's why Loki went to inform Cyd, although she mixed in a bit of her own amusement. However, she was in no mood for that now.
He should not belong to anyone. The reason the Pure White Hero was admired by everyone was that he could bring hope to those in front of him who were suffering.
They just needed to wait. Although he couldn't bring happiness, the Pure White Hero would surely give them a warm ending.
Because of this, because he was such a gentle person, the gods who sought amusement were unwilling to drag him into the arena. Just watching from the side was satisfying enough.
This was an unspoken agreement among them.
But among them, a traitor had appeared. She did not seek hope for its own sake but instead wanted to use it to fulfill her ugly desires, regardless of whether it twisted everyone's hopes.
"Are you… trying to start a war?" Ishtar was stunned. It was the first time she had seen such solemn expressions on the gods' faces outside of the divine realm.
"Yes, the Loki Familia hereby declares a War Game against the Ishtar Familia," Loki raised her fist high.
"The Freya Familia declares a War Game against the Ishtar Familia," Freya elegantly raised her hand.
"The Apollo Familia declares a War Game against the Ishtar Familia."
"The Hermes Familia declares a War Game against the Ishtar Familia."
…
…
…
"The Hephaestus Familia…" Hephaestus slowly raised her fist, "declares a War Game against the Ishtar Familia."
At that moment, more than half of Orario's familias declared war on Ishtar.
Ishtar stood in a daze, staring at the gathered gods. Many of the male gods present were frequent visitors to her domain. She had taken away countless resources from them, which gave her the confidence to act recklessly. But now, they unanimously abandoned her and stood against her.
You… should have obeyed your own desires!
All for this so-called hope, for something you can't see or touch!
"Have you all lost your minds? As gods, you are letting a mere mortal lead you by the nose!" Ishtar stood up and screamed hysterically. "He's just a human! We are gods! We, the almighty gods!"
"Then go back to the divine realm and be a god," Loki raised her middle finger. "Today, the Ishtar Familia is disbanded!"
Ishtar's legs gave out, and she tumbled down the steps.
"How utterly pathetic," Freya said as she walked slowly to Ishtar's side.
"Freya…" Ishtar struggled to raise her head, but all she could see were Freya's legs.
"Do you know why you can only stay here?" Freya sneered. "Because this is where you belong. But it's also good this way, as there is now only one beautiful goddess left here."
Ishtar's vision went black, and she fainted.
"Wow, you're quite something," Loki scratched her head. "I thought I'd be the one to make her faint."
"I just stated some facts," Freya elegantly flicked her hair.
"By the way, what do we do with this territory that used to belong to Ishtar?" Loki glanced around the palace, now open to the elements.
"Give it to Hestia. Her Familia's child almost became a victim. Consider this as compensation," Freya said with a light laugh.
"What???" Hestia's mouth dropped open.
Usually, getting a house for free would make her ecstatic, but this was Ishtar's territory! The red-light district! She was a virgin goddess! If she accidentally found something indecent, where would she put her face?
And the most luxurious palace had already been reduced to a hazardous building by the other familias. How much would it cost to repair?
"Alright~ I'm also curious how the little runt will manage this place," Loki said with a mischievous grin. "Hestia-sama, you wouldn't throw out children who've lost their Familia, right~?"
"You wretched person!" Hestia turned red and pounced on Loki.
"How are you feeling?" Hephaestus quietly approached Cyd and asked softly.
"How am I feeling?" Cyd rubbed his neck, a slight smile forming at the corner of his mouth. "I feel unbelievably good."
Despite stopping time for so long, both his mind and body not only hadn't worn out, but were filled with energy. He even felt invincible.
"In my eyes, you're not doing well at all," Hephaestus squinted her eyes, raising her hand to press on the [Reforged Pandora]. "The thing sealed inside is becoming yours."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Cyd spread his hands. The thing sealed inside [Reforged Pandora] was none other than the complete authority of time, and it was all becoming his…
Cyd's expression began to freeze.
He would become the new god of time.
"She loves you hopelessly. Even if it means giving everything, she wants to give you hope. This magic box forged by hopeless love and hysterical prayers will seal all despair inside, becoming your power," Hephaestus said softly. "The more you use the godly authority, the closer you will be to becoming a god. When that time comes, you, as a human, will be no different from being dead."
"Well, that sure is troubling," Cyd scratched his face.
If things were really as Hephaestus said, he would never be able to return to his starting point.
"Come to my workshop tomorrow," Hephaestus said, lifting her hand to pat Cyd's forehead. "Your debt just got extended."