Chapter 106
Unlike usual, the man did not respond to the Captain's outstretched hand this time.
"Where exactly did I go wrong?"
Despite many minor setbacks, Jason felt he had reacted appropriately at that moment.
Contrary to his expectations, he recalled the Avenger's seemingly unmoved attitude earlier and couldn't help but feel annoyed.
However, the Captain's eyes were drawn to the Avenger whose face was covered, staring into the darkness, captivated by this side of the hero he knew nothing about.
He suddenly became curious: Had Heracles, the one he relied on and trusted most, been any different before he Future at the Argo?
Is there any fundamental difference between the world he sees and the one he remembers?
"Heracles, when I first heard this news, I just couldn't understand it no matter what I did..."
Filled with bewilderment, Jason removed the 'cloth' from the Avenger's face, gazing at the familiar-looking features, and murmured to himself...
"But seeing you like this now, I realize how hard you've really been working."
At that moment, for the two of them, this place was the distant, boundless sea.
The nostalgic feel of the ship, the gentle breeze brushing past my ears, the playful leaps of many friends.
Now it's all gone; those distant memories of the past weren't taken away, but rather experienced.
"I want to tell you, who, though forced to accept this hatred, is still willing to seek Revenge— "
Jason smiled.
"Haven't you persevered until now? You've been working little by little, but you've truly been striving for yourself. That's definitely Heracles!"
"... Perhaps."
The Avenger shook his head and replied with utmost seriousness, "Goodbye, my friend."
He turned around and walked towards the Queen of Heaven at the top of the mountain.
He didn't look back, he just kept walking, his steps unsteady, but his back was straight.
You did nothing wrong.
So please don't hate the world.
Please don't hate your own bloodline.
"You're very capable, so you can definitely do it."
"--But I can't do it."
He just kept walking forward, moving forward with mechanical steps, his mind constantly repeating the words of his beloved when she chose death.
The Avenger looked at his hands.
A body consumed by hatred, fear, and slander, driven by a thirst for Revenge.
"Megara, I love you."
Each time he cried out, blood would fall into his mouth, and even his breath tasted fishy—a taste of pain shattered by the instigator.
The man's mind was filled with memories of the past.
Long ago, so long ago that this body can no longer recall, it was a distant past, a time of warm and loving days spent with my loved ones and children, a time that can never be relived.
But everything was manipulated by that steel remnant, leading to the destruction of their family and the death of their loved ones.
"... As expected, you were the last one to stop me."
Before the final Great Gate, a radiant figure suddenly appeared before Alcides.
"Yes, me."
It was a body completely different from the Avenger'; its form transcended the limits of human appearance, its appearance resembling a statue sculpted by a god.
He was over two and a half meters tall, with hair almost touching the Ceiling. Although he was a burly man with bulging muscles, every muscle fiber and every drop of blood flowing in his veins was filled with pure internal Od that could be called Divine Aura.
Before the Avenger Alcides was forcibly twisted, his true form upon being born belonged to the noble and great hero of the Archer Class, Heracles.
"You are Avenger. Because you are Avenger, you are completely certain of yourself, constantly killing, and you have no doubts about yourself as you move forward with your long-cherished wish. You identify with yourself and accept yourself."
But I am different. I cannot believe, like you, that it is right to target children. I cannot, like you as Avenger, focus solely on Revenge. Even if someone is saved because of my battle and stands before me ecstatic, I cannot help but look at the corpses of the victims who have fallen around me.
But that's all I can do; I've chosen this path and will move forward.
Even so, I absolutely do not approve of the path you have taken; I do not believe it is the right one.
"You saved me during the battle with the King of Heroes, and I have repaid you by not killing that child."
"Yes, I know."
As soon as the words were spoken, the two instantly engaged in battle.
Even when entangled by hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of 'Mud Hands,' even when everything except the Avenger is tainted with black and red Od.
However, to Heracles, he was like a human form of radiance that still existed in this world.
The incoming 'Mud Hands' can be torn apart with just your bare hands.
A silent Wrath filled the space, and the Revenge hero reached out to the glorious hero.
The dark red mud transformed into hundreds of sharp thorns, poised menacingly to pierce through Heracles.
Scrutiny, tearing apart, tearing apart—an overwhelming torrent of Od is stirring within—
Nevertheless, it did not cause any significant harm to the noble hero.
Then, the moment the Avenger soared into the sky, a mighty voice echoed across the heavens and resounded throughout the world.
"I am Hera."
The world seemed to stand still, Olympus returned to its original state of peace and glory.
In an instant, the fury of Revenge swept away all obstacles.
This caused the Avenger's eyes to turn crimson instantly, and pure power unleashed with a swing of his hands.
"My flesh and blood, my soul, are but the shadow of a fool who has fallen to the status of a god! You gods who wish to deny, trample, and slander, you steel-like remains, I hereby return to this pitiful life—"
With that declaration of hatred, the Avenger drew his bow and aimed it at the solemn domain where the Deity resided.
"--Today, I will exact my revenge!"
This is an unstoppable determination, a burning light of the soul that even the Deity cannot extinguish.
In that instant, Alcides revealed a genuine smile.
Heracles reached out and gripped the blow above his head tightly, but how could he possibly grasp a strike that combined all Godslaying power of the Avenger's Revenge so easily?
"Even now, they're still making a futile struggle..."
The Avenger couldn't help but want to laugh, but felt a little confused.
That's why Hera didn't take any defensive measures.
Then, brilliant flashes of lightning fell from the dissipating clouds, accompanied by a final roar of thunder.
But at the same time, Alcides' smile froze as he watched the woman fall from the sky.
"... How could you do this? You two didn't have to go this far. After all, children born on the Europe Europa my descendants. Good children, you are all good children."
"Europa!!!" Alcides demanded Wrath, "Where is Hera?!"
The blonde woman was not Hera, the goddess of the gods, as the Avengers perceived her, but rather the Mother of Europe.
"Because I am Lady Hera now. Before I came here, I secretly took Lady Hera's core and installed it on myself. To you, everyone is steel, not a god or a human. So, as long as this core is destroyed, anyone can do it, right?"
The blonde woman falling from the sky reached out with difficulty, trying to touch the Avenger's face, and gently told him:
"Ah, but I actually know that Lady Hera kept saying the other day, 'Go apologize, go apologize to that person,' and she was referring to you, Alcides. Therefore, I can't let cute little Alcides have an irreparable battle with lovely Lady Hera."
Think about it, the child born on the land bearing my name, I, as the 'mother,' failed to take good care of, and I bear a considerable responsibility for that.
"Then, I will take Hera's place. Even if the gods and the world will never respond to your relentless pursuit of Revenge, I will. I'm so sorry for making you endure so many painful memories..."
Europa's arm had already been burned to ashes by the blow of his Revenge fury.
An uncontrollable breakdown spread from her innermost core. After exhausting all her efforts, she finally stood before the 'child,' but she could no longer even manage the most basic touch.
But unexpectedly, the Avenger took her hand and pulled off the 'cloth' covering his face.
He was just a little confused, unsure of what to do next.
"Mingming has always been a good child, come here, good child, good child. Good children deserve a pat on the head, don't they? My child..."
She closed her eyes.
"--You've completed your Revenge now, haven't you?"
In that instant, Europa vanished without a trace.
The Avenger stood frozen, staring blankly at the last rays of light in his hand. His thin, pale face held a mixture of mockery and Sorrow, as if he couldn't believe it.
In a daze, Alcides seemed to see Novia again, whom he had only met once before.
From the surging, illusory light, the man reappeared.
"Then, Avenger, as one who once gained your power, I have a duty to help you."
He left behind a voice full of love, and countless stars streaked across his back.
Suddenly, a shooting star flashed by, dazzling the Avenger beyond compare. In that instant, he knew that it was indeed the 'shooting star' Heracles had once been.
"You are guilty, but not incomprehensibly so. There is no egg that refuses to hatch, nor a flower that does not want to bloom. This is not a matter of will."
It's as if to say that whether in endless curses or in the Divinity world, 'Heracles' is still 'Heracles'.
The Avenger's mind was filled with endless thoughts, a sense of despondency that seemed to vanish like scattered grains of sand.
Everything---
It all felt ethereal and unreal.
"So, Rome, Hercules, you now belong to good, not evil; you have no desire to fall. Therefore, go forth!"
After a few seconds, Alcides stood up and said to Heracles:
"... This is the end."
The remaining blood fell onto Alcides' face, illuminating his dim eyes.
"It's clearly the same person, yet at this moment, he's split into two concepts: Greece and Rome... This is truly a strange feeling."
Heracles then solemnly declared:
"But then come on, Rome, for your enemy is Greece."
The collision between the two, who were essentially one entity, happened in an instant, producing no Deafening Crash, only a soft, shaky sound like a bubble bursting.
The forces and countless concepts of both sides are in a state of equal confrontation, almost like fighting against one's own shadow, which naturally leads to a stalemate.
And in the end, after who knows how much time has passed, what is finally etched on this reappearing sacred mountain are the exterior and the interior that have vanished together.
190: The Holy Spirit in * the City of God * (4k)
Two full days have passed since the news broke that Novia Present World in the Holy Grail War.
Its mere existence sent shockwaves through the entire Holy Church.
Its mere appearance was enough to instill a sense of awe and majesty in all those who knew Magecraft.
The one who achieves unparalleled feats on earth after the end of the Age of Gods.
At this moment, the area outside Snowfield City was filled with people from the Holy Church.
Given the Church's tough stance, the Clock Tower and the United States could not easily intervene; at most, they could only send in some spies.
However, just as the United States side, which had originally planned the Holy Grail War in the snowfield, had detected, the city that the visitors were now seeing was completely deserted.
In this situation, the voice of a blond boy muttering to himself echoed in the makeshift room of the Church.
"... That's truly a terrifying ability, but it's understandable, considering it's Lady Novia."
Mario Giallo Bestino, acting priest of the Holy Church, is officially the grandson and adopted son of Cardinal Lord Laurentius.
As he confirmed the contents of the report submitted by his subordinates—"Although they cannot see people, they exude Od and can conduct normal technological exchanges"—he frowned and muttered to himself.