I Will Set Foot on the Road Home

At that time, Ares's arrival was only what Vichy for, but not for the people of Athens.

If it were merely a war between mortals, then the war between Athens and Sparta would have already ended, and Athens' victory would have been a foregone conclusion.

However, if Ares gets involved, Athena would certainly not be able to stand idly by.

This war will also evolve from a war between people into a 'war of gods' between gods.

The outcome of the battle will be uncertain and will take an unpredictable turn.

At that very moment, Rovi's voice rang out. "So you're Ares, the Ares, God of War? You're quite arrogant."

"Are you afraid? You mere mortals who only know how to scheme and plot?" Ares asked haughtily.

"I am indeed a little afraid." Rovi stroked his chin and smiled. "Ai Ai has been beaten by Titans, hung up by Vulcan, and defeated by Athena countless times. It's terrifying that she can still have this mentality in every sense of the word."

"..."

With each word Rovi spoke, Ares's expression grew increasingly grim.

He slowly peeled back the skin of his wound.

This is the essence of killing someone by destroying their spirit.

"On another note, Ares, have you ever won a fight?"

"What? More losses than wins?"

"Then what were you bragging about!?"

The Three Goddesses: "..."

Athena: "..."

This kind of provocation in the face of God is... absolutely amazing in every sense of the word.

Click—

The God of War's hand, gripping the spear, produced a crisp sound.

"How dare a mere mortal defy me, the god of war?" In the next instant, Ares's rage erupted.

Although both are gods of war, Ares and Athena are different. Athena is the Goddess of War and Wisdom, and victory is also her Subordinate God. She is the goddess of art, as well as the goddess of navigation, agriculture, medicine, courts, and order. Although from the perspective of later humans, the goddess's moral qualities are not perfect, she is undoubtedly on the side of order and good.

Ares, on the other hand, is the god of slaughter, a god of the chaotic side who symbolizes death, battlefield, bloodshed, and destruction, fighting only for the sake of fighting.

His existence was solely for war, for the purpose of slaughter in war.

So at this moment, the wrath of the god of slaughter spread out, and the power of Ares completely dyed the corner of the sky where he stood crimson, and even the wind carried a strong smell of blood.

The terrifying aura emanating from the god standing atop a chariot pulled by four horses caused everyone's hearts to sink.

The power of God is beyond the reach of ordinary people.

"You won't come if you don't wait for Athena to come—" Ares grinned, still angry but not losing his composure, but his arrogant face revealed an equally arrogant smile, "The goddess of war and victory will never set foot on the ground of defeat."

"Hahaha..."

Athena's face darkened in the distance. She would not set foot on the battlefield, but not because of what Ares said, but because this was the very content of the war.

Athena was tired of the long-standing conflict with Ares.

She used her refusal to intervene as a pretext to get Ares to agree that for a century after this battle, the power of war would be in the hands of the victor.

Otherwise, Athena wouldn't have asked Rovi to come and help her.

Whether it was Heracles as originally predicted or Rovi as he is now, both should be 'heroes' who are comparable to gods.

"Hopefully it can hold them off..." Athena thought to herself.

You don't need to defeat Ares; just holding him off for a while will suffice.

The sage who once plotted to expel a pantheon should have no problem doing this.

Even so, Athena still felt somewhat uncertain.

Even the goddess of victory cannot ensure that victory will always be on your side.

"Ares!" Rovi spoke again, instantly attracting the attention of three parties— the Three Goddesses, Athena, and Ares in the sky.

"They didn't run away—"

"Arrogant human, do you want to beg for mercy before you die? Rest assured, I will arrange the best ending for you—this spear will pierce you to death!"

Ares spoke with a bloodthirsty glint in his eyes, brandishing his spear and stirring up gusts of chilling wind.

Rovi wanted to say something, but the footsteps behind him stopped him from speaking.

"Well, they are, after all, people invited by Lady Athena —since even Lord Ares has made a move, we can't just stand by and watch, can we?" A clear, childlike voice rang out, and three petite figures with long purple hair appeared simultaneously on either side of Rovi, in front of and behind him.

Stheno, Euryale, and...

Medusa.

The Three Goddesses who served Athena.

"It's you guys—" Rovi was already stunned after just looking at Medusa.

"Don't mind it, mortal." The one who spoke just now was Stheno on the left, and now, looking at Rovi, was Euryale standing on his right. "The power of the gods is not something you can withstand. Although I don't know why Lady Athena specifically invited you here, considering how much that little girl cares about you, we won't stand by and watch you be bullied."

"Um... no, no..." Medusa, who was standing quietly behind Rovi and trying to hide her presence as much as possible, lowered her head even further.

"If you keep speaking so softly, we'll punish you when we get back!" Euryale deliberately put on a fierce look, which made Medusa tremble even more violently.

"Are you really so arrogant, just three of Athena's Subordinate God?" Ares finally spoke up, saying, "You four think you can stand against me, against the controller of war? Ares, my lord?!"

The war god standing atop the bronze chariot, disdainful, his divine radiance emanating from a crimson glow, appeared as intense as the setting sun.

Athena's group was already unsteady on their feet, swaying precariously, and had no strength left to speak.

Stheno and Euryale exchanged a glance, both seeing the hesitation in each other's eyes. However, when they met Medusa's serious gaze, they couldn't help but freeze at the same time.

"Sister, sister, it seems that girl is serious?"

"So eager to save someone—this man seems rather interesting."

They were talking in hushed tones, but in reality, they weren't trying to hide it at all.

Medusa's face turned red again.

The little girl's mind was pure, just as her two older sisters saw; she genuinely wanted to 'save' Rovi.

Not for any other complicated reason, but because...

He had smiled at her before.

It was a smile that no one, except Athena, Stheno, Euryale, had ever shown her without any malice.

"I'm telling you, I'm an adult after all." Rovi looked at the two little girls on either side of him, then at the girl behind him, and was somewhat amused and exasperated.

So he leaned down slightly and looked at them—

"Do you want to express your gratitude? There's no need for that. The gratitude of mortals is nothing to us," Euryale said rather haughtily.

"Yes, no, because we are only acting according to our own will," Stheno said.

Medusa did not respond, but her beautiful eyes conveyed her meaning.

But Rovi simply shook his head. "You've misunderstood. I didn't mean to thank you."

"What I want to say is that I alone am enough to fight this battle."

"You're not kidding, are you?" Euryale exclaimed, her eyes widening slightly.

"God is not someone you can defeat..."

"I never thought of defeating God," even though he had done so and succeeded.

Rovi pointed to the Sparta warriors still lying on the ground, then looked at the trembling Athenian soldiers, and said, "But they still need your protection, don't they?"

"Isn't this precisely the duty of a priest?"

"Therefore, I will fight this battle all by myself."

Rovi Wei patted the heads of the three of them.

He then stood up.

Alone, facing the God of War in the heavens.

"Hahaha, though you are but a mortal, your courage has earned the admiration of even the great Ares, God of War!" Ares, brandishing his spear. "I will make you die by my spear as a sign of respect!"

Stheno, Euryale, Medusa were still in a daze.

They... were patted on the head.

They were treated like children.

"Protecting what? What an overconfident fool!" Euryale shouted.

"Isn't he afraid of death?" Stheno expressed his doubts.

Medusa simply blushed.

Death, which even the gods fear, is undoubtedly a great terror to others.

But for Rovi, it wasn't like that.

"So this war, I alone are enough."

Rovi shook his hand and stepped forward.

The wind whispers gently, as if carrying the melodious strains of Hermes' lyre, playing a tune that guides one on the way home.

Rovi also longed to embark on the journey home.

"Ares, God of War." He smiled. "Come on!"