Night had fallen.
The ruins of Rhodes Island whispered in the wind.
As if they were still recording this war, unknown to future generations.
Amid the shattered walls and rubble, the air was thick with the scent of dust and blood. In the distance, atop a towering spire, an earth-shaking battle was raging.
And Zeus had been observing it all from the shadows.
The air suddenly twisted and shattered like a broken mirror. A black figure stepped out of the void, black dragonhide boots landing atop the shadowed ruins where Zeus had been standing.
Ian made not a sound.
He approached Zeus.
"Long time no see, Zeus. Looks like you enjoy turning into birds too. Did my Animagus form influence you?" Ian's voice suddenly sounded beside Zeus.
Only then did the King of the Gods react. Turning his head, he saw the figure he least wanted to see—the being that had left the gods with severe psychological trauma back before they had become gods.
Raven.
In the form of a little boy.
Although beings like them had been able to find the path to godhood thanks to the example demonstrated by this terrifying fellow, allowing the gods to discover a way to control laws.
However.
The gods were not grateful to Ian. After all, their Castle in the Sky had been destroyed by his hand, forcing them afterward to find the tallest mountain peak they could and live there.
Those living conditions were far inferior to Castle in the Sky. Even now, Zeus still missed its splendor, and there were many, many others like him.
"Why?"
Seeing Ian greet him, the giant eagle Zeus had become abruptly turned its head. Its golden pupils contracted to pinpoints. Rather than answer Ian's question, he looked utterly shocked.
"You—"
The voice squeezed from