Although he did not understand why, as the goddess of war, she feared the god-slaying spear more than the other goddesses, once Ye Ting understood the reason, he knew how to comfort her.
So he covered the distance in a few quick strides, reaching her before the goddess could flee. While she hesitated, he firmly seized her hand and placed it on the spear shaft.
His somewhat rough action made the goddess tense.
"Don't refuse."
The moment Athena opened her mouth, Ye Ting cut her off.
"Don't be afraid. Calm your mind and feel Longinus."
In a gentle tone, feeling the faint tremble of the little hand he held, Ye Ting comforted her:
"Think about it. The soul within this spear—she is your close friend, your former subordinate, the Goddess of Victory, Nike. She is inside this spear."
The instant he finished speaking, Ye Ting felt the little hand in his palm abruptly stop trembling, then soften from its former rigidity.
Though she was still somewhat afraid, Athena gathered her courage and tentatively grasped the spear.
At the same time, a familiar voice reached her ears.
"Mm, is that Lady Athena? So, did I surprise you just now?"
Eh? So even Nike, who usually looked so calm and aloof, became like a child showing off when she encountered Athena?
Still, Nike's presence did indeed comfort Athena. Her fear of gods being utterly destroyed before the god-slaying spear had lessened considerably.
"Y-yes," the war goddess, once fearless of heaven and earth, still spoke somewhat haltingly, "today's Nike truly gave me quite a fright. The god-slaying spear truly lives up to its name."
"Right? Right! My choice really was correct. That power capable of completely annihilating even gods... if we possess such power, perhaps Lady Athena's ideal—our ideal—might truly be realized."
Though