Chapter Summaries

Samael welcomed the reinforcements who had come to Hot Spring Pass and grew confident that the Greeks could hold the defenses. He found Tamamo no Mae making Nero handle the Roman camp’s paperwork and joined her in keeping the Emperor at work.

• Samael reunited with Cerberus, the Colchian Dragon, Hydra, and Ladon, who had emerged from the Arima Cave to support him.
• Samael recognized that the four divine monsters and several thousand Combat Nymphs gave the Greek army an advantage over the Persian forces.
• Samael advised Harpy to eat walnuts after discovering that she had miscounted the fruit in her pocket.
• Samael inspected Hot Spring Pass, then entered the Amazon camp and found Tamamo no Mae supervising Nero’s paperwork with a teaching whip.
• Samael praised Tamamo no Mae’s work and urged her to keep Nero busy, prompting Nero to vow inwardly that she would someday resist.

Samael reviewed the Roman advance and the Greeks’ prospects, then told Nero he planned to leave his kingship and join Tina and the others in the Inner Sea of Stars. He left the Pan-Hellenic Alliance’s future unresolved but predicted that glory would belong to Greece, conquest to Macedonia, and greatness to Rome.

• Samael gave Tamamo no Mae notes on cooking and hot springs, and resisted her attempts to seduce him.
• Nero reported that the Roman Legions had broken through Persia’s border defenses and were advancing toward the Persian Royal Capital, one day away.
• Samael assessed the weakened Persian forces, the arriving Greek reinforcements, and the three days remaining before Twilight of the Gods.
• Tamamo no Mae predicted Greece would dominate the Mediterranean, but Samael argued that Greece’s divisions and weak foundations would limit its power.
• Samael told Nero he intended to step down as King of Athens and join Tina and the others in the Inner Sea of Stars, inviting Nero and the others to follow once the situation stabilized.
• Samael declared that glory would belong to Greece, conquest to Macedonia, and greatness to Rome.

Skadi struggled through her accumulated work while worrying that she might no longer be needed by Samael. When Samael woke and returned to care for her, she discovered he had already finished the paperwork and made ice cream for her and the Valkyries.

• Skadi reflected on how Samael had handled burdens for her in the past and worried that she might lose him or no longer be needed.
• Samael entered the tent with ice cream and iced Honey Wine, massaged Skadi's aching shoulders, and took over her remaining paperwork.
• Skadi savored the ice cream while Samael left to continue his inspection.
• Brunhilde and three Valkyries told Skadi that Samael had finished the accumulated work before visiting her and had made ice cream for everyone.
• After Hildr revealed that Samael had made plenty of ice cream for the Valkyries, Skadi broke her spoon and devoured half of her ice-cream castle as the temperature in the tent plummeted.

Samael entered the Greek camp and observed its warriors training and relaxing while considering the strengths and weaknesses of their armies. He then encountered Achilles fleeing Hector after abducting Hector’s cousin, Briseis.

• Samael felt a chill and sneezed after leaving the Norse camp, then headed into the Greek camp at Hot Spring Pass.
• Greek heroes and soldiers competed and trained, while Q'uq'umatz defeated successive challengers using combat techniques.
• Samael watched Macedonian soldiers drill in formation as Alexander trained them.
• Achilles knocked aside a spear thrown by Hector and fled across the sea, nearly striking Samael with the weapon.
• Caesar explained that Hector was chasing Achilles because Achilles had abducted Briseis, Hector’s cousin.

Samael and Caesar drank together as Caesar recounted how the Trojan War grew from the struggle between the Olympian pantheon and the Mount of the God of War. He described the Greeks’ and Trojans’ battles and the gods’ intervention, ending with the Golden Apple dispute among Zeus’s goddesses.

• Samael gave Caesar a bottle of Honey Wine, and Caesar toasted him while recounting the Trojan War.
• Caesar explained that Olympus supported Troy as Greek faith shifted toward the Mount of the God of War, setting the pantheons against each other.
• The Greek city-states and Troy gathered armies and allies, while Achilles repeatedly defeated Hector.
• The Gods of Olympus descended to aid Troy, turning the battle in Troy’s favor before their advantage collapsed.
• A Golden Apple sparked a dispute among Zeus’s goddesses, and Hera and Aphrodite advanced as the final contenders.
• Samael thought of Athena and smiled wickedly.

Samael inspected the forces of Rome, the North, and Greece, then found Anna cooking with Circe and Medea at the temple. As the Great Altar’s barrier trapped the Persians at Hot Spring Pass, the Sea of Stars remained silent, and the commanders gathered for a feast before the coming war.

• Samael and Caesar traded stories about the Trojan War and the Romans’ ancestry before Samael went to the temple’s rear hall.
• Samael found Anna, Circe, and Medea cooking together, and helped Anna finish the dishes.
• Anna told Samael that the Great Altar’s barrier had trapped the Persians at Hot Spring Pass, while the Sea of Stars had still given no clear response.
• The leopard woman rushed into the kitchen for food, and the Feathered Serpent God joined the cooking after stopping her.
• The cooks prepared a feast in several styles, and the commanders and key decision-makers gathered at the temple as war approached.

Samael briefed the allied heroes on Persian forces and devised plans to contain India’s three divine beings. The meeting turned to the final seven enemy heroes, whose identities had yet to be discussed.

• Medea conjured three-dimensional images of the Persian heroes as Samael presented intelligence on their identities, abilities, and weaknesses.
• Samael described Karna’s defenses and proposed ways to counter him; the group assigned Achilles to lure Karna into the Chaos Sea and Nero to deal with Ganesh’s host.
• Samael identified Rama as an incarnation of Vishnu, and Quetzalcoatl agreed to intercept him again.
• Samael decided the allies should stall India’s three divine beings rather than force a decisive fight, then moved on to the final seven targets.

Samael revealed the identities and abilities of six of the seven heroes supporting the Persians, then connected their Jewish ties to the god Marduk. The heroes were left alarmed by the revelation that Marduk had also appeared in Greece as “God.”

• Samael identified Vritra, King David, Cain, the Queen of Sheba, Martha, and Flauros, outlining their powers and vulnerabilities.
• Samael deduced that the unknown Saber was Battleras, the immortal hero who wielded the divine sword Sepha, also called Dzusqara or “Black God.”
• The Jaguar Warrior protested that she had been assigned Vritra while the other Persian heroes were connected to the Jews and their god.
• Quetzalcoatl questioned why Cyrus the Great’s reinforcements had so many Jewish connections, and Samael claimed that the Jews had borrowed their god from Zoroastrian worship.
• Samael named that god as Marduk and said he had once appeared in Greece under the name “God,” shocking the gathered heroes.

Samael warned the allied leaders that Cyrus and Mithra were behind the Persian threat and that Ahura might already have descended, then urged them to prepare for war. In a secret meeting, he explained the planned Roman surprise attack on the Persian capital, while revelations about a mysterious summons raised new questions.

• Samael identified Cyrus and Mithra as the hidden leaders behind the Persian danger and warned that Ahura might have descended.
• Samael rallied the allies to destroy the Persians before the Apocalypse and Eternal Kingdom arrived in three days.
• Samael revealed that the Roman Legions would attack the Persian Royal Capital that night, despite the risk that Marduk might still be there.
• Samael said the three Indian gods would need to be dealt with because Rama and Karna could not be persuaded to switch sides in time.
• The Feathered Serpent God described how a mysterious guidance had brought his group across the Sea of Chaos, and Tamamo no Mae and Scathach revealed they had felt similar summons.

Samael realized the gods of many pantheons were converging at Hot Spring Pass and feared a worldwide Twilight of the Gods. Reassured by his companions, he learned that the Mother Goddess and others had prepared something for him in the Sea of Stars, then went to investigate Attila’s unusual visits to the mountain overlooking the sea.

• Samael connected the gods gathered at Hot Spring Pass to prophecies from many pantheons and suspected the Twilight of the Gods would threaten all of them.
• Quetzalcoatl said the Solar Calendar Stone had suggested the disaster was delayed rather than resolved.
• Scathach, Skadi, Leonidas, Quetzalcoatl, and the others encouraged Samael, while Anna comforted him and reminded him he was not alone.
• Anna recalled that the Mother Goddess and the others had entered the Sea of Stars to prepare something important for Samael, though her memories had been filtered.
• Samael learned from Nero that Attila had been spending her days watching the sea from the mountain, then left the hall to investigate.

Attila dreamed of the White Giant’s destruction of the world, her awakening among the Huns, and the centuries she spent leading them west. She awoke when the Sword of the God of War hummed, and Samael offered her hot wyvern meat.

• Attila remembered the White Giant’s arrival and the gods and humans who fought to stop it from destroying their world.
• A shaman found the amnesiac girl in a stone chamber, named her Attila, and brought her into the Hun tribe.
• Attila grew into a powerful warrior and became chief, while the people who had raised her aged and died.
• Attila led her tribe westward, driven by dreams of the sea and a mission to bring their prayers into the stars.
• The Sword of the God of War woke Attila, and Samael sat beside her and offered her a skewer of wyvern meat.

Samael spoke with Attila about finding meaning in life and urged her to name desires that were truly her own. Attila voiced her wish to travel, raise sheep, cook, and experience love and an ordinary life, as she and Samael drew closer beneath the night sky.

• Attila asked Samael whether they had known each other before, and he said they had, long ago.
• Samael explained that he did not hate Seferu, whom he saw as a weapon without a will, and said life gained meaning through the choices people made.
• Samael asked Attila what she herself desired, and she said she did not want the world to end before she knew more than the sword.
• Attila said she wanted to ride across the grasslands, raise sheep, and eat and cook delicious food.
• Attila told Samael she wanted to understand love and beauty, wear a bride's clothes, and live as an ordinary person; Samael teased that it might come true as they leaned closer.

Samael left Attila with Tamamo no Mae and Nero after urging her not to become someone defined only by strength. As Quetzalcoatl and Scathach discussed his hesitation, Samael sought comfort from Anna and reflected on abandoning a way to destroy the White Colossal Titan, hoping his blood of desire would awaken its own self.

• Tamamo no Mae and Nero caught Samael and Attila together, and Samael left Attila with them after reminding her not to lose to a version of herself who had nothing but strength.
• Attila watched Samael depart and found comfort in Tamamo no Mae and Nero arguing over who would sleep beside her.
• Quetzalcoatl and Scathach emerged from hiding, discussed Samael's conflicting nature and hesitation, and agreed to share a drink after Scathach conceded their wager.
• Anna embraced the troubled Samael, comforted him, and fled when he tried to persuade her to stay with him.
• Samael watched the Sea of Oceanus and regretted giving up a sure way to eliminate the White Colossal Titan, but hoped his blood of desire would grant the weapon a complete self.

Samael visited the God of Medicine, learned that his curse was healing but remained difficult to remove, and returned to his residence to speak with Martha. After giving her religious symbols, he challenged her claims about the Lord’s omnipotence and left her unable to answer.

• The God of Medicine told Samael that faith power had improved his recovery, but the curse’s deep-rooted resentment made it difficult to remove quickly.
• Samael learned that Martha had helped treat the wounded, and the God of Medicine gave him a vial of medicine after mistaking his intentions toward her.
• Samael found Martha praying, gave her a carved Star of David, and let her keep a cross she admired.
• Martha prayed for the dead and injured, then urged Samael to join her Lord and help build the Tower of Babel.
• Samael asked Martha whether an omnipotent Lord could create a stone he could not lift, then followed with the question of whether a colorful black could exist, leaving her speechless.

Samael challenged Martha’s faith by questioning God’s justice and power, but her angry punch disrupted his unstable Aether and nearly triggered a catastrophe. After Samael saved her from the backlash, he confronted her over Greece’s stolen land and her own violation of the Ten Commandments, leaving Martha unable to answer.

• Samael questioned Martha about Jewish history, suffering, and God’s power until she could not respond.
• Martha punched Samael in anger, and the impact destabilized his Aether, unleashing a dangerous surge.
• Samael abruptly cut off the Aether Light Flow and collapsed onto the bed, coughing as Martha recovered.
• Daphne and the Combat Nymphs rushed in, misread the scene, and were sent out by Samael.
• Martha thanked Samael reluctantly, then Samael rebuked her for attacking him and cited the Ten Commandments to challenge her faith and actions.

Samael challenged Martha’s religious doubts, then freed her and returned her dragon in exchange for a promise to urge Persia to surrender and spare ordinary people. Martha fled before dawn, still faithful and determined to fight him again, while Samael hinted that his plans were beginning.

• Martha questioned the Lord’s choices but slapped herself and reaffirmed her faith after Samael’s arguments.
• Samael led Martha into the night, where Cerberus brought Tarasque to her and her restraint ring shattered.
• Samael freed Martha, explaining that he wanted to repay her for treating wounded soldiers and warning that a routine inspection would expose her escape.
• Samael asked Martha to persuade Persia to surrender if defeat became inevitable, and she agreed to try to reduce needless deaths.
• Martha declared that she would show no mercy when they met on the battlefield, then escaped with Tarasque as Samael taunted her.
• Samael examined a bottle of pink Magic Potion and murmured that the game was about to begin.

Martha urged the Persian saint to reconcile with the Greeks, but he condemned her proposal and the dispute nearly became a fight among the heroic spirits. After learning that the foreign king was badly injured, the saint reaffirmed that Persia would not retreat.

• Martha reported the Persian army’s dire position and offered to return to Hot Spring Pass as an envoy to negotiate peace.
• The saint rebuked Martha and unleashed his divine power, prompting King David, Queen of Sheba, and Battleras to defend her.
• Vritra challenged the saint to fight, but he invoked the Seven Seals to suppress the gathered heroic spirits before ordering them to withdraw.
• The saint demanded that Martha reveal whether the foreign king was injured, and she confirmed that he was badly hurt.
• The saint forgave Martha’s proposal but declared that Persia would not retreat from its war against the Greeks.

King David and Queen of Sheba warned Martha that divine salvation came at a cost, while David predicted an imminent Greek attack. As the Saint strengthened the Tower of Babel with a vision of the Hall of God, a violent Aether Torrent shattered it and triggered a supernatural upheaval at Hot Spring Pass.

• King David and Queen of Sheba left the war council with Martha and cautioned her against trusting in an Eternal Kingdom that fulfilled every wish.
• King David explained that divine favor carried a heavy price, and Martha recounted a message from the foreign king at Hot Spring Pass.
• King David warned Martha and Queen of Sheba that the Greeks would soon attack, then slipped away.
• The Saint used an ancient parchment and divine patterns to strengthen the Cipher Tower's foundation and summon a vision of the Hall of God.
• A red-black Aether Torrent shattered the vision, caused the Saint to spit blood, and made him fear for the Persian Pantheon.
• Several pillars of light rose at Hot Spring Pass as its Magic Barriers broke and figures came galloping down from the heavens.

The Pan-Hellenic Alliance captured Susa and destroyed Persia’s defenses as its forces overwhelmed the Persian Army at Tanbei Gorge. Three golden-green lights then fled from the gorge toward Hot Spring Pass.

• The Amazon Divine Blood Warriors, Roman Legions, and winged spellcasters seized Susa, while magical forces destroyed its temples and the Sacred Flame.
• Boudica surveyed Persia’s fallen capital and vowed to await Your Majesty’s triumphant return.
• The shattered Magic Barrier exposed the Persian positions at Tanbei Gorge to a devastating bombardment and an assault by the Deep Sea Fleet’s annihilation units.
• Darius I tried to rally his troops as three Behemoth Beasts fought Talos and Odysseus’s Final Trojan Horse.
• The Pan-Hellenic Alliance attacked from land, sea, and sky, routing the Persian Army across Tanbei Gorge.
• Three golden-green ghostly lights shot out of Tanbei Gorge and sped toward Hot Spring Pass.

Samael and the Greek forces helped rout the Persian army at Tanbei Gorge, but Samael collapsed coughing blood just as a divine force sealed Hot Spring Pass. A crimson attacker then shot toward him inside the hall.

• Three Vimanas carrying Persian heroes broke through the Greek defenses, and Samael recognized the legendary flying chariots.
• Quetzalcoatl, the Panther Warrior, Rama, and Vritra led the Greek heroes into battle against their assigned opponents.
• Samael ordered the Greek heroes to join the fight, and they helped drive the Persian remnants into a mountain hollow at Tanbei Gorge.
• After the Persian line fell, Samael coughed blood in the hall at Hot Spring Pass.
• A sacred gate opened above Hot Spring Pass, and a halo fortress rose to seal it off.
• A crimson streak tore through the hall and charged toward Samael.