Chapter Summaries

Samael guided Noah's Ark through the Chaos Sea toward another world bubble, while Marduk began the next stage of his apocalypse by appearing to a hunted young man and giving him ten commandments. The young man accepted the covenant as Marduk's plans advanced.

• Samael used a purple scale to summon a towering figure that enveloped and pulled Noah's Ark through the chaotic tides toward the Land of Nothingness.
• Marduk destroyed the remains of Marduk's Axe and resolved to continue his plan to recast the world and sail toward the Origin.
• Marduk summoned a Golden Holy Grail containing fragments of the Fate Tablet and sent his divine will across time and space.
• A hunted young man escaped into a cave, where a blazing figure promised to lead him and his people out of slavery if they followed ten commandments.
• Marduk caused clay fragments from the cave's blaze to form a tablet inscribed with the ten commandments before the young man.

Marduk empowered Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, while Pharaoh Ramesses II prepared to receive them with hostility. Marduk then outlined plans for future kings and worlds, ending with a vow to remake the world through his blood and faith.

• Marduk gave Moses a staff and commanded him to go to the foreign king and lead his people toward the Promised Land.
• An elderly god aboard a golden vessel was interrupted by the World-Destroying Underworld Serpent Apep and sent his divine will down to Egypt.
• Ramesses II ordered his court to admit visitors from Israel and announced that Moses and the Israelites would not leave without shedding blood.
• Marduk planned for Saul, David, and Solomon to rule Israel, and declared that Solomon would command the Seventy-Two Demon Pillars.
• Marduk contemplated sacrificing his blood to remake the world and make his faith the only one to flourish.

A veiled Titan goddess worried that Cronus’s attempt to escape Uranus’s curse would bring disaster to Mount Othrys, and she sensed a divine war approaching. In Chryseis Marsh, she followed two Nymphs who were seeking a supposedly fair and Wise Serpent.

• The goddess recalled how Cronus had swallowed all six of Rhea’s children to prevent Uranus’s curse from coming true, while neglecting Rhea and courting Nymphs.
• The goddess judged Cronus’s actions to be like Uranus’s mistreatment of his children and feared the curse would bring ruin to Mount Othrys.
• The goddess sensed an approaching divine war and recalled an omen of the sky splitting, the earth shaking, rivers running red, and Mount Othrys collapsing.
• Two Nymphs argued over ownership of an eaglet, then agreed to ask a fair and Wise Serpent in the marsh to settle the dispute.
• The goddess concealed herself, heard the Nymphs mention the Serpent, and silently followed them into the mist.

The Serpent of Wisdom settled a dispute between two Nymphs over a young eagle by exposing that the blue-haired Nymph had no real knowledge of it. He then urged her to investigate the eagle’s nest, suspecting its parent had suffered an accident.

• Two Nymphs brought a young eagle to the Serpent of Wisdom and argued over who had found it first.
• The Serpent of Wisdom took the eagle and asked the Nymphs which leg was injured, revealing that neither leg was hurt.
• The blonde Nymph received the young eagle after the blue-haired Nymph failed to identify its condition.
• The Serpent of Wisdom noticed the eagle was starving and suggested that the blue-haired Nymph search its nest for clues about the missing giant eagle.

Samael explained why he had kept Daphne from pursuing the eaglets and demonstrated that an arbiter’s judgment depended on power when the sides were unequal. The Serpent Mother Echidna watched from the bushes, while Daphne learned that the eaglet dispute might not be settled fairly.

• Samael told Daphne that the eaglets might already be dead or gone, and that distracting Krina could prevent further conflict with the blue-haired Nymph.
• Daphne accused Samael of manipulating Krina with a false clue, but he warned that the Serpent Mother Echidna could outmatch them both.
• Samael snapped branches to show that Echidna could make either answer about the eaglet correct by force.
• Samael told Daphne that reason only worked when both sides were equal and warned her to think before challenging stronger opponents.
• The Serpent Mother Echidna watched the exchange from behind the bushes and wondered at Samael’s use of laws and arbitration.

Samael reflected on the dangers of the Greek World and began preparing for the divine upheaval he expected, while Daphne returned home to meet a mysterious goddess in a black veil. The goddess introduced herself as Astraea and asked Daphne to help her settle in.

• Samael lectured Daphne about becoming stronger, then dismissed her request to see his ship and told her to care for her exhausted fledgling eagle.
• After Daphne left, Samael suspected someone was nearby, but decided he had only imagined it and returned to his burrow.
• Samael considered his recent rise to the Deity-class and the coming conflict over divine rule, then sealed his burrow and went underground.
• A hidden attacker lunged from the cavern shadows and sent Samael flying.
• Daphne returned home and found Peneus with a veiled goddess, who introduced herself as Astraea and asked Daphne to show her around.

Samael settled in Chryseis Marsh with the newly created divine vessel for Mother Goddess Tiamat, whom he called Tina. He reflected on arriving in the dangerous age of the Titan Gods and resolved to continue working toward Tiamat’s rescue.

• Tina accidentally slammed Samael into a cavern wall, and he warned her to give him notice before charging at him again.
• Samael recalled how he had used divine blood, the Temple of Blood ritual, and faith-filled god statues to create Tina’s body and bring her safely to the Greek World.
• Samael considered the danger of arriving during Cronus’s reign and relied on the Fate Tablet to conceal himself and Tina by inscribing their names into the Greek World.
• Samael concluded that Marduk would become a powerful future opponent and that Tiamat had only a forty-percent chance of defeating him without the Fate Tablet.
• Samael stroked Tina’s head and reaffirmed his determination to rescue Mother Goddess Tiamat.

Samael cared for Tina, the infant-minded human form of Tiamat, and planned to strengthen her divinity so she could overcome her beastliness and regain her memories. He weighed how to exploit the coming Greek divine war without drawing the attention of the world’s deeper powers, and left the question of whether to support Zeus’s faction unresolved.

• Tina asked Samael for a rabbit, and he gave her one to play with while warning her not to crush it.
• Samael reflected that Tina held only a spark of Tiamat’s divinity and that restoring her reason would be extremely difficult because her beastly body was growing too.
• Samael wrote that his immediate plan was to raise Tiamat’s divinity by stealing divine authority and using the Greek World’s resources.
• Samael considered the coming war between Cronus and Zeus, but crossed out supporting Cronus because opposing fate and attracting attention were too dangerous.
• Samael considered joining Zeus’s Olympians to seek godhood and divine authority, but had not decided what to do.

Samael weighed the dangers of the Greek gods and decided to avoid their divine war for now, focusing instead on growing stronger and restoring Tiamat. After writing down his plans and sharing dinner with Tina, he went to bed, where Tina quietly curled up beside him.

• Samael dismissed the idea of confronting Zeus and the Olympians, deciding to stay out of the divine war while he built up his strength.
• Samael imagined bringing Gilgamesh, Ishtar, Ereshkigal, and Enkidu to Greece, then chose not to risk dragging them into danger.
• Samael wrote down plans to hunt magical beasts, contact Echidna, and exploit the coming war to grow stronger.
• Samael cooked dinner, made Tina wash before eating, and tucked her into bed with a clay tablet storybook.
• Tina followed Samael's scent to his bedroom and curled up in a corner of his bed.

Samael set boundaries with Tina, whose lost rationality left her unable to understand love, and spent the morning caring for her. When Daphne arrived to claim a promised favor, Samael left Tina behind and canceled their hunting trip.

• Samael woke to find Tina sleeping in his arms, then hurried to restrain her and cover her when she stirred.
• After Tina tried to hug him, Samael reminded her not to climb into his bed at night and resolved to wait until she regained her reason before pursuing his feelings.
• Samael caught fish, and he and Tina cooked and ate together before he planned to take her hunting.
• Daphne appeared at the cave entrance, prompting Samael to leave Tina behind and attend to the request he had promised to fulfill.

Samael was brought to Daphne’s home to meet her relative Astraea, who wanted him to teach her the rules of chess. Daphne then slipped away, leaving Samael to accompany Astraea.

• Daphne pushed Samael into her cottage and introduced him to her elder sister, Astraea.
• Astraea told Samael that she wanted to learn the rules of the chess game he had made.
• Samael arranged the pieces and questioned Daphne about why she had summoned him.
• Daphne admitted that Astraea kept asking about the rules after beating her, then escaped to help Clina find food for the children.
• Samael remained alone with Astraea and prepared to play chess with her.

Samael played chess with Astraea, whose skill improved until their matches became more balanced, and warned her that Daphne should avoid drawing trouble. After the games, Astraea invited him to tell her more about the disputes he had arbitrated, while she wondered whether Samael had sensed an approaching crisis.

• Samael defeated Astraea in chess as she learned to counter his strategies and steadily improved.
• Astraea praised Samael's arbitration, and he warned her to persuade Daphne to keep a lower profile and avoid trouble.
• Samael and Astraea played several more games, ending with one win, one draw, and eight losses for Astraea.
• Astraea asked Samael to continue telling her about the disputes he had handled, and he asked whether she offered tea and meals.
• After Samael departed, Astraea wondered why his reaction to her name had seemed strange and whether he had sensed a major event approaching.

Samael realized that the mysterious Astraea was Themis, the first-generation Goddess of Justice, and considered forming an alliance with her. Meanwhile, Zeus came of age on Crete, ready to begin fulfilling his mission against Cronus.

• While resting in Tina’s lap, Samael connected Astraea’s identity to Themis and recalled her interest in his arbitration strategy.
• Samael decided that Themis might become a useful ally and asked Tina if she wanted to go out with him the next day.
• Tina joyfully charged at Samael and sent him crashing into the cave wall with her horns.
• On Crete, the two earth-born warriors who had guarded and trained Zeus returned to the earth after delivering his identity and mission.
• As lightning crossed the sky above Crete, fate began to turn around Zeus.

Zeus followed Amalthea’s advice to seek Metis and considered using his charm to win her over, while Amalthea regretted not urging him to offer a sincere heart. At Daphne’s home, Samael and Themis bonded over legal cases and debated governance as Tina led the little Nymphs in play.

• Amalthea warned that Zeus would face the Twelve Titans if he challenged Cronus, then suggested he seek advice from Metis, Goddess of Wisdom.
• Zeus decided to approach Metis and use his specialty of winning women’s hearts, while Amalthea wished she had advised him to be sincere.
• At Daphne’s home in the Cilician Marshes, Themis told Samael she felt restless and asked him to recount cases he had arbitrated.
• Samael shared cases and ideas about law and governance, and he and Themis became engrossed in discussion and debate.
• Tina led Clina and Daphne in chasing rabbits and fledgling eagles around the courtyard.

Themis and Samael debated the case of Orestes, who killed his mother to avenge his father, and Themis explained why she would choose exile over execution. Samael praised her sound legal reasoning, leaving Themis blushing and uncertain about his reaction.

• Themis rejected acquitting Orestes, arguing that his mother had acted to avenge her murdered daughter and that matricide could not be justified as righteous revenge.
• Themis considered the parents' roles and cited Gaia creating Uranus, while Samael privately noted the argument's usefulness against Apollo.
• Themis ruled that Orestes should be exiled and lose his right to inherit the throne because his delayed revenge exceeded self-defense, though the Furies' torment reduced his punishment.
• Samael praised Themis's judgment and compared it to a modern legal verdict, while Themis blushed and asked whether she had ruled incorrectly.

Samael and Themis spent months debating law and justice, but their discussion exposed how little the Titans could be trusted to enforce laws fairly. After Samael teased Themis and flustered her, Tina interrupted the awkward moment, and he led Tina into the woods.

• Samael and Themis debated legal principles and developed ideas for arbitration, drawing on laws from Greece, Rome, and Mesopotamia.
• Themis suggested that the gods should punish private revenge, but Samael questioned whether the Titans were fit to judge others.
• Samael advised Themis to hear cases only when someone brought a complaint, since laws could not restrain the nature of the age.
• Themis suggested that Samael become an attendant to the Goddess of Justice, and he joked that he was better suited to be an outlaw who exploited loopholes.
• Themis blushed at Samael's teasing, but Tina interrupted and Samael took her by the hand toward the woods.

Samael realized that Zeus had freed Cronus’s swallowed children and that the divine war would begin soon. On Mount Othrys, Cronus blamed a poisoned-wine plot for the escape, while the Titans prepared for the coming conflict.

• Samael warned Daphne and the Nymphs not to eat brightly colored mushrooms, but several Nymphs were poisoned and needed treatment.
• A violent storm struck the marsh, and Themis left after receiving news of an urgent matter.
• Samael inferred that Zeus had rescued his five siblings from Cronus and warned Tina that the divine war was near.
• Cronus told the Titan Gods that a serving Nymph had poisoned him and accused six rebels of fleeing to Mount Olympus.
• The Titan Gods pretended to agree to hunt the rebels, though they knew the escape had been arranged to free Cronus’s children.
• Themis arranged for the dead Nymph attendants to be buried and went to speak with Cronus.

Zeus and his siblings planned their war against Cronus, with Metis guiding their strategy and advising them to seek support from dissenting Titans. As Metis asked Zeus to promise their child a great inheritance, Zeus eyed his three sisters, revealing his own ambitions.

• Metis helped establish Zeus as king of the New Gods, while Hades and Poseidon resented his position and considered pursuing their sisters.
• Zeus outlined plans to declare war on Mount Othrys, recruit young Titans opposed to Cronus, and seek Gaia's support once their position stabilized.
• Metis advised the gods to contact Rhea and Oceanus and try to keep them neutral in the coming war.
• After the gods celebrated their escape, Metis asked Zeus to promise their child the best of everything, and he agreed.
• As Metis fell asleep, Zeus looked darkly toward Hestia, Demeter, and Hera, while Hades and Poseidon had hoped to pursue them themselves.

During the war between Mount Olympus and Mount Othrys, an ancient serpent and Tiamat ambushed divine monsters scavenging corpses and devoured them. By dawn, the battlefield had been stripped clean, and the war was about to resume.

• The New Gods of Mount Olympus and the old gods of Mount Othrys withdrew to their bases after a day of fighting, while scavengers gathered at night to feed on the battlefield’s corpses.
• An ancient serpent and Tiamat confronted a group of lower- and middle-ranking divine monsters in a deep valley after draining the remains there.
• The ancient serpent told Tiamat that dinner was ready, and she transformed into a huge Dragon Beast and sealed the valley.
• Tiamat attacked with Magic Beams and her claws, killing the monsters as they tried and failed to escape.
• At dawn, the battlefield was clean of corpses as the war between Mount Olympus and Mount Othrys prepared to begin again.

Samael and Tina grew stronger by scavenging divinity and spirit cores from the war in Chryseis Marsh, but Daphne dragged Samael to her home after claiming Astraea and Metis were about to fight. He discovered the goddesses peacefully playing chess and tried to leave when he realized who Metis was, but she invited him to stay.

• Samael fed Tina figs, then reflected on how they had grown from lower gods to middle gods by scavenging battlefield corpses and killing gods for their divinity and spirit cores.
• Daphne found Samael and Tina and pleaded with Samael to stop Astraea and Metis from fighting.
• Samael followed Daphne to her home, where he found Astraea and Metis peacefully drinking tea and playing animal chess.
• Daphne introduced Samael to Metis, then fled with the other Nymphs, leaving him alone at the doorway.
• Samael recognized Metis as the Goddess of Wisdom and tried to sneak away, but Metis invited him to sit and teach her the chess game.