Here You Go, Ruda!

Ether gathered frantically, and streaks of flying runes appeared in the air, tearing open the twisted rifts that glowed with purple light. Then, violent streams of magical energy surged and swept outwards.

In an instant, the Goddess of Winter, holding a magic wand made from the World Tree and with her pale purple dress fluttering in the wind, appeared amidst the shimmering, colorful halo.

"My dear husband, shouldn't you explain..."

Looking around, Skadi took in the desolate scenery of the empty hall, but then noticed that a crucial figure was missing. Her cold, accusatory voice abruptly stopped, and her face stiffened.

Where are they?!

"Like..."

"They ran away?"

Anna and Scathach turned to look at the empty throne, staring at each other in astonishment.

"Sa, Mai, Er!"

The icy roar soared into the Mount of Ares, like the breath of Eternal Frozen Blizzard, sweeping across half of Athens and bringing a bone-chilling cold.

Meanwhile, the person who was running wildly under the bright moonlight first felt a jolt in their heart and their body stiffen. Then, carefully concealing their presence, they darted through the mountain paths in the forest, leaping and bounding wildly as fast as they could to escape the scene of the crime.

Nonsense! If we don't run, are we waiting to have snake soup for dinner?!

Only when they were further and further away from the main temple of the Mount of Ares did Samael, who had been circling through the forest, dare to lie down in the bushes with trepidation, carefully checking his surroundings. After confirming the enemy situation, he gradually relaxed, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, leaned against a tree trunk, and let out a long sigh of relief.

Under the cold moonlight, Samael endured the mosquito bites and the mountain wind, reflecting on everything that had happened, speechless with emotion.

He finally understood why "Scathach" was being so affectionate and proactive with him this time—it turned out the two of them had switched identities sometime during the day! What was there to be afraid of with the real wife!

Etc!

In the evening, Nero was taken to a house, but Scathach happened to be away. Could it be that she was the woman who was supposed to pick him up?

That must be it!

On the way, the two, who were still enjoying their dress-up game, ended up switching identities again and even bumped into Anna, planning a surprise reunion for her. This led to a huge misunderstanding.

As a result, his relationship with Tamamo no Mae turned from nothing to something, and he even exposed his affair with Scathach...

But how come no one told him about something so important? This pockmark isn't a pockmark, it's a trap!

Samael, filled with grief and indignation, was unable to shed a tear and felt deeply wronged.

By the way, wasn't Skadi a Celtic tribe that helped defend against the Huns and Attila? Why is she looking for her husband at Mount of Ares?

Well, it seems that Attila was lured to Athens by him, and it's not impossible that Skadi, who has some free time now, would come to visit.

Attila...

The ancient snake recalled the state of the trapped infant, the ignorant brown-skinned girl, and its lips twitched, its face hardening.

Trash Fox! It was all your fault after all!

Tsk, who knows what kind of malicious troublemaker is talking about him behind his back.

Having shifted his target of hatred, Samael cursed inwardly for a moment, then looked around and, confirming that Mount of Ares had not launched a major operation to capture him, finally felt a little relieved.

Phew, I'm so lucky to be alive...

The ancient snake was overjoyed, but then the buzzing mosquitoes all around him annoyed him, and he couldn't help but frown slightly.

Forget it, this grove isn't suitable for staying long. We can't leave the main hall and the houses behind. Let's find a safe place to lay low for a while, and wait until Tianyi tomorrow so Skadi can calm down before we come back to think of a solution.

Samael made up his mind, got up and shook off the insects and flies around him. Not daring to reveal too much of his presence, he relied on his familiarity with the terrain to walk down the mountain path and quietly head towards a safe house with the highest stability coefficient.

At the same time, several rustling figures gathered in a dimly lit area, gazing resentfully at the side hall that was emitting a faint light.

"We've done what you told us to do, so why is that woman still not making a move!"

With an angry groan, the tall man, shrouded in a black robe, grabbed the elegant, slender figure beside him, pressed her against the stone wall, and coldly questioned her.

"She actually refused to be awakened? Indeed, as the Lord said, even the most powerful weapon possessing its own consciousness is a flaw. It seems the [Scourge of God] can no longer fulfill its intended purpose..."

Beneath the hood, in the deep, dark interior, came a soft murmur. An elegant figure casually brushed aside the arm that was holding him, showing no remorse for the man's offense.

"I don't want explanations! She's been protected by those bitches, and our people can't get close like before. The God of Mount of Ares might already be suspicious. What do we do now?!"

"Since we can't get to her, we'll have to change our target. There are two more wedges in this war that we can use to our advantage."

"Are you saying we should take this risk? Are you crazy?!"

The man suddenly realized what was happening, but his expression changed immediately, and his voice, which had been lowered, suddenly rose several octaves.

"At the end of the world, judgment will come. Sinners, if you want to be forgiven and enter the Kingdom of Heaven, you must make the necessary sacrifices. Or do you think that if you don't do these sacrifices and your past deeds are exposed, your returning holy King will let you off?"

"You're threatening me!"

"This is not a threat, but a response based on facts, offering the lost sheep a final salvation. So, are you willing to sink into this wicked land, or do you want to climb into the abyss?"

As those fair, jade-like fingers, shimmering with light, rested on the man's shoulder, the apocalyptic scene of burning earth, torn sky, and falling stars flashed through his mind once more, leaving behind unparalleled terror.

"I... we can't do it... there are too many Divine Blood Guards..."

The man's body trembled, his head drooped slightly, and his voice was dry and hoarse.

"It is alright. For serving this purpose for the light, our Lord will bestow grace upon you..."

With a graceful gesture, three luminous feathers landed in the man's palm.

The man curled his fingers inward, feeling the surging ether at his fingertips. He let out a long sigh of relief, then his eyes flickered as he tentatively inquired.

"If this matter succeeds..."

"The water and soil of Greece will be in your hands, and the nations will be reborn..."

An elegant figure stretched out his arms in contemplation, his eyes, like jewels, sparkling brilliantly in the darkness, reflecting a beautiful future in the man's heart.

"That's right! I'm doing this to save Athens, to fight for democracy and freedom in Greece!"

The man muttered to himself, his tone impassioned, a look of excitement on his flushed face.

"Yes, no force can defeat the free will of the people; we are the future!"

"Goddess, Athens should not be dragged into the abyss by the tyranny of a tyrant!"

"..."

The men around him echoed his sentiments, each filled with righteous indignation. Then, fueled by their fervor, the man led his companions into the shadows and headed down the mountain to a certain place.

"How filthy, how sinful..."

A slender, elegant figure turned and looked down at the group of people walking away, murmuring to herself.

A single, glistening tear falls to the earth, carried by the wind.

At this moment, inside the side hall, Brunhilde, who was gently patting the back of a brown-skinned baby girl and soothing her to sleep, seemed to sense something. She frowned, flapped her swan wings, and descended onto the mountain path with lightning speed.

However, the space before me was vast and quiet, with a gentle mountain breeze blowing.