Chapter 55 - Athena, The Goddess! [4]

The dumbest thing you can do? Mess with a god! A hundred years earlier, Cassandra was being chased by Zeus. The girl was too beautiful for her own good, but she was also too rude and aggressive.

Zeus, the ruler of the heavens, desired her, but the girl's nature was rude and foolish enough to face him. She only survived because I took her as a disciple, I saw potential in her, and I tried to freeze her heart to fix that aggressiveness, but it was impossible, the girl was hard-headed.

The atmosphere in the royal area of the Colosseum was tense, a frightening silence hanging in the air. The telepathic clash between Aphrodite and Cassandra, the concern of Andromeda and Hera II, and the pleasure of Zeus—all in the same environment—created a palpable sense of unease.

Cassandra, veins bulging on her face, looked at Aphrodite with clenched fists. [Do you think I'm afraid of you?!] she asked.

"Eh? It would be smart of you to be afraid." Aphrodite purred telepathically, her voice a silken threat. "I thought you were smart. Weren't you a disciple of my sister? Such a disappointment. Anyway, I'm going to make you wish for death, servant!" She looked at Cassandra with a bright smile, her eyes gleaming with malice.

"D-Damn it! My mouth! Andromeda warned me to control my tongue..." I believe that's what Cassandra thought, her body shaking. Her bowed head hid pale skin and trembling eyes, she was terrified.

But the impact of the punches I threw at the child created noisy gusts of wind, drawing everyone's attention in the royal area.

…

I was already getting fed up with all those mortals and especially with that kid who wouldn't stop looking at me.

His eyes held a mix of arrogance and defiance, an annoying combination. He clearly wanted to see what would happen if he and I exchanged glances. Maybe the kid thought the order I gave was a joke? My mind wandered to the countless battles I had fought, the lives I had taken, and the weight of my divine responsibilities. I am the God of War, what was I doing in a fight against a mortal child?

I was seven hundred and nineteen years old, I was in the Eleventh Realm, the Immortal Realm, but still, Zeus had put me to fight against a child who wasn't even at the top of the third, Core Formation Realm. The child couldn't even keep up with my speed, and with each blow I landed, he came close to losing consciousness.

The arena already had cuts and craters on the ground because of my blows. I was so bored that every step I took created craters, and my aura erupted in white flames showing my divine fury. 

Lying on the ground, facing me, with blood gushing from his head, Arthur whispered. – This woman... – his face filled with migraines and pain.

The arena fell silent at that moment, the noise of the craters that my steps created closed everyone's mouths.

Walking towards the child, his frightened face fed me. – Don't feel bad about dying. Fate valued you so much that it put you to fight against a god. – I said, my voice echoed through the arena.

I could hear Andromeda and Cassandra's hearts racing and their irregular breaths.

Arthur got up and used the Substitution Technique. He should have done this a long time ago. He knew his Qi reserve wasn't large and full enough to protect him from me.

I advanced while using the first movement of the Solar Emperor Art, the art of the Treadway family.

Fiona's jaw dropped, and her face turned pale. – IT'S NOT POSSIBLE, THE PRINCESS IS USING THE EXCLUSIVE ART OF THE TREADWAYS! ONE OF THE MOST BRUTAL ART OF ALL TIME! – she screamed euphorically.

The audience was incredulous, it was silent. Jaws dropped, faces turned pale, and some even fainted.

With veins bulging on his face, Arthur screamed. – HOW DARE YOU USE THIS ART?! – His eyes were red, foreseeing his family's Art, dodged all the blows and grumbled. – You're going to pay for insulting my family!

Using the art, he blocked all my blows and landed a kick in my ribs. My eyes widened in amazement at the weakness of that kick. The impact was barely a whisper against my divine power. – ??? – I tilted my head slightly towards him. 

– IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT, BOY?! – an amazon taunted in the crowd, her voice dripping with disdain. The crowd held its breath, the tension was palpable due to her statement.

I did it on purpose. I used Pendragon's Art to provoke him and make Zeus a little agitated. I wanted to give them hope that the kid could win and then crush it.

Fiona smiled slightly, she was euphoric. – What was that? Arthur's first hit in the fight?! – asked, her eyes gleaming.

That kick said a lot, and one of them is that Fiona would make money from those who bet that the kid would not lay a single blow.

Arthur was concentrated. Sweat ran down his face as he stared at me. He removed his sword from its scabbard, grabbed the sword's hilt tightly, and attacked using the Amazon Bloody War Art.

I looked at him, he approached slowly, until I was demoralized by his speed. I tilted my head slightly. "Humans are interesting... You hit me once, now you're more hopeful? You should have held the sword a long time ago... Although I didn't give the kid space..." I thought, dodging his cuts. He was using an art that I know well—I created after all. – Slow! – I whispered, minimizing the movements of my mouth.

I crouched, dodging his cut directed to my neck. – Childish! – I yawned, looking at the kid's desperate face.

Predicting his movements, I dodged his blows, sighing at the child's desperate face. – Lazy!

– T... T-That speed, she's a goddess indeed... – some Amazons sighed with sweat coming down their faces. They were terrified of my precise moves.

I've trained for hundreds of years. I've been in seclusion training for a century, traveled the world, collected several names and titles, defeated warriors and armies who thought they were invincible, but they were impressed because I dodged the childish blows of a mortal?

…

In the royal area, Zeus slammed his hand on the arm of the armchair, veins pulsing with anxiety on his face, and screamed. – HIT HIM RIGHT NOW, ATHENA! STOP PLAYING WITH THE THING!!! – His voice echoed through the Colosseum and reached everyone's ears.