169. I'll kill you.
169. I'll kill you.
The impression of Chrono that Mars Mama had seen up until now was this.
'Weak.'
A weakling.
One who possessed weak power.
Even if he held a 'mighty divine authority' blessed by a god, the essence of the one bearing it was thoroughly closer to a 'weakling.'
His attitude toward people.
His way of speaking to people.
His gestures. His actions. Even the presence emanating from a single fingertip.
"Chrono is amusing in many ways, isn't he? Fufu..."
"........."
To Mars Mama, it was beyond comprehension.
Why would her daughter feel 'love' looking at such a man?
Why would her daughter look at such a 'weakling' and feel that he was 'strong'?
She couldn't understand.
Not understanding meant that he was 'hiding' something.
And the very act of 'hiding' was not a mindset that a 'strong being' would possess.
A lion did not hide that it was a lion.
It revealed its ferocious fangs and sharp claws without concealing them.
Because it had the confidence not to lose even if they were exposed.
It never flaunted them recklessly, but neither did it hide them.
A 'power' that simply 'existed' in that place as if it were only natural.
And the man standing before such 'power' was hiding it.
'Though it doesn't seem like he's completely hiding it either...'
He used it when needed.
Just to give immediate examples, when he tried to take Mars away, when he was tested, and even just coming to this place right now, he used his ability without any hesitation or restraint whatsoever.
A man who knew when to use it. In terms of such decisiveness, he clearly showed the image of a 'strong being'...
".....Fuu."
Was he a strong being?
Or was he a weakling?
She didn't know. She couldn't clearly divide him.
If so, there was only one thing left to say.
'Sure enough, 'that person' has to step in.'
Whether weakling or strong being, one inevitably revealed their true nature before an overwhelmingly powerful being.
As such, she kept waiting for 'that person' to come quickly—but he wasn't coming.
He wasn't coming.
Even if he wasn't coming, he was really not coming, wasn't he?
"............."
"...If you're that on guard, it hurts my feelings a little, you know?"
In the meantime, the only person present was already at FULL MAX wariness toward her.
Of course, she had arbitrarily even fed him a lie detector and played truth games, so she could understand why he was like that—but did he truly think this occasion was solely for interrogation?
Mars Mama lightly sipped the 'Red Dragon's Tears' placed beside her and continued speaking.
"Right now, I answered with 'sincerity,' you know?"
"......?"
"Is there nothing you'd like to ask me, Chrono?"
".....!"
At last, a look of realization in his eyes.
In truth, she had partly wanted to gauge whether he could read into things this far without any conditions, but it seemed he was rather weak in this kind of 'mental maneuvering.'
And though it might be only natural, as much as he was pushed back in 'psychology,' the 'experiences of being subjected to it' must have been countless.
Once she grasped that much, his wariness came to seem rather justified.
He had been subjected to it countless times, so he had no choice but to be endlessly on guard.
'As for that aspect... can our daughter fill it for him?'
Wouldn't it be a bit too much for her?
Our daughter, her personality took after her father so she was truly adorable, but when it came to mental maneuvering, she absolutely wasn't it.
No matter if she was her own daughter, a stretch was a stretch. In the first place, there was such a thing as personal taste in living life, and no matter how you looked at it, Mars took after her father, so...
'...If it really doesn't work out, living honestly is also a method.'
Living while taking a slight loss was also one of the ways of the strong.
For example, like a lion leaving behind a half-eaten gazelle.
Living while yielding little by little to the hyenas was also a good way to solidify one's throne.
There was a difference in whether one did it intentionally or unconsciously, but as she had said before, hyenas were bound to bow their heads before overwhelming martial force.
"Then, may I... ask just one thing, if that's alright?"
"Please don't ask too painfully?"
"Should I really ask..."
"Where would you be so ferocious as to ask?"
"Perhaps the ear or the cheek—nngh, kkuueek, kkuuueeeuuugh...!!"
"Your tastes are quite cute, aren't they?"
But aside from that, the human entertainment value was definitely certain.
There was a flavor to teasing him. A flavor to playing with him. If they were just ordinary friends, he was the kind of person so fun that she'd reach out both hands and applaud.
'But our daughter definitely said he's her lover, didn't she?'
And on top of that, they were already in a relationship where they'd done everything?
If so, she had to dig a little deeper into this.
She had to clearly know what kind of person the man who would be her daughter's future husband was, didn't she?
Especially since our daughter, rather than resembling her, had taken after her father of all people—if she simply liked him because he was the man who defeated her, that would be just as much of a headache.
"Indeed, if one is strong, one must be strong even before the strong."
"Excuse me?"
"..........."
Was it because she drank alcohol for the first time in a while?
The words she had been thinking in her heart slipped right out.
Mars Mama gave a light fake cough, blurred over her words, and once again continued her questioning.
"So, is there nothing you'd like to ask me?"
".....What is it that you want from me?"
".........Fufut♬"
What did she want.
To this, Mars Mama answered with a smile.
"Wouldn't you yourself know that better?"
"...Haaaaaah."
Eyes that looked immensely tired.
Even if he had no skill in mental maneuvering, was it correct to say he had a quick eye for things?
'No, that can't be.'
A person weak in mental maneuvering also had no instinct for things in general.
Then, as expected—hmm, what to make of this?
"I've done something a little sorry."
"Pardon?"
"I just realized... that I ended up feeding something like a truth serum to a person who trusted I meant no harm and opened his heart, and played truth games with him. So I suppose it's only natural to be met with wariness."
".........."
"...Ah. Surely, did I say that out loud again?"
".......I'm not sure."
He was pretending not to know.
'He's kind.'
Still, how fortunate that she had met a man with a good personality.
"Kkuueuung..."
"...Surely, was this too..?"
".........."
I think it'd be better if you stopped drinking now.
Ultimately, the table setting concluded without a single proper question being asked.
At the occasion that ended neither this nor that but lukewarmly, Mars Mama even began to feel a little sorry.
'This wasn't what I started it for...'
If so, then indeed, wouldn't it be right to do at least this much for him?
Mars Mama approached Chrono, who was half-exhausted and breathing out deeply, and spoke.
"A person blessed by Ares receives a single 'Protection' from Ares."
"Excuse me?"
"The identity of that Protection is—turning one's own soul into a 'weapon.'"
".........."
Chrono had an intuition.
That Mars Mama was giving him an important hint right now.
"The majority of people don't reach the embodiment stage, but—in the case of my husband, he reached the 'embodiment' stage."
The meaning that 'Protection,' that 'Divine Armament,' held was none other than the significance contained within the soul.
And the meaning of the 'soul' that Mars Papa possessed,
"'Breaking Heaven (Pacheon)'—a sword that shatters the heavens, it's called."
"......Ah..."
On the surface, truly splendid words.
But genuinely knowing the meaning those words held, Mars Mama could only give a bitter smile.
'When was it back then...'
Right. It was definitely when she married her 'ex-husband.'
The youthful young man whose first love had crumbled, gritting his teeth, shouted at his elder brother.
That according to the ways of the Ares Guild, he would definitely make her his.
She wondered if he would really be able to do it while going against parents whose will was like heaven itself—but Ultimately, the man who fought for her to the point of shattering even heaven was none other than 'that person.'
"Avoiding rather than confronting is the standard strategy, so they say... but please, do clash against him with all your might!"
"....Are you telling me to die?"
"You won't die! It only hurts right up until the point just before you die!"
"............"
Chrono closed both his eyes.
Anyway, he felt he'd roughly gotten what he needed.
'In the end... it sounds like he can use a 'Unique Skill'.'
For instance, the mass-produced skills I frequently used now. Skills like [Point-Blank Shot] or the [Step] series were common skills that anyone could learn if they invested points and time.
However, in the case of a 'Unique Skill,' it literally meant a 'unique skill' that only that specific character could use—right. Indeed, it had to be so.
Even just looking at the Athena Guild's Guild Master, he ran wild with damage cut artifacts; there was no way the Ares Guild's Guild Master wouldn't use a unique skill.
'And from the sound of what she's saying, probably...'
...I got the feeling that this time, the Ares Guild's Guild Master would step forward to fight me as my opponent.
'I somewhat expected it, but'
Following the Athena Guild, the Ares Guild.
At this rate, later on—no, let's not say this out loud.
"If this really goes as I'm thinking..."
I wouldn't give any more foreshadowing or setups or anything.
The urgency right in front of me came first; the experience of blowing up all at once and drying up to death after thinking about things behind was enough just once!
—Tiriririk♬
"Mm. It's time."
The alarm rang right on cue.
Mars Mama soon said she would call over the 'match opponent' and advised him to warm up in the Underground Arena beforehand.
I followed those words just as they were, descended to the Underground Arena, and subtly looked around...
"....Crazy. Aren't those teeth?"
The floor was generally covered in sand.
In the center, spears, swords, daggers, axes, and various weapons were densely driven in, and all sorts of things were mixed into the sand around them.
Among them, a perfect fist-sized rock could be seen, and above all, something long and white and what looked like tooth fragments.
'Come to think of it, she said 'arena,' didn't she?'
On top of that, she even used the word 'match' for what was normally called a 'sparring match.'
"......No way."
A kind of uneasiness. Anxiety.
A feeling of what-if.
I half-wanted to believe it wasn't so, but...
—Pat!
[Sorry to have kept you waiting so long, Chrono.]
"........."
The opposite entrance lit up.
The slowly opening door. Beyond it, a giant of a man carrying a greatsword appeared.
[I told you the final test's contents earlier, didn't I?]
"........Fuuuu..."
I grasped Agape and Squite in my hands.
Power gathered in my eyes as I focused. I sharpened and honed every nerve in my entire body.
"So you're called Chrono."
".......Gulp."
The man slowly revealed himself.
The Guild Master of the Ares Guild. Monstrous strength allowing him to wield a greatsword as large as his own body with one hand.
The aura wafting from him overall. Amidst even a sense that the surrounding space seemed to distort from his presence alone.
"I will kill you."
"....Huh?"
Déjà vu.
Have you ever felt it?
As a side note,
—KWAAAAAAAANG!!!
A thunderous roar as if a cannon fired.
An arena dust flying beyond the screen.
Soon, as the dust cloud gradually settled, what lay beyond it was—
"...Blocked it, did he?"
—Chrono, having stopped the greatsword with a single dagger.
—Thud! Kugugung... Kwang! Kwadeudeudeuk!!
[Bastard... relying on trick techniques, are you!]
[....Fuuuuuu...]
".............."
Even though the match had started in earnest, it was still an ability she couldn't grasp.
She had thought he was the Apostle of Zeus, but seeing this scene, indeed, that wasn't it either.
Because no matter how much power of light he possessed, if you asked whether it could completely cancel out the impact of a greatsword, the only answer was 'no.'
'Then what on earth...'
What kind of power did that man possess?
Just as Mars Mama marveled at the depth that showed no end no matter how much you dug,
"......Fuck."
Kkadeudeuk, Mars grinding her teeth.
'Oh dear.'
Mars Mama only then realized that Mars was watching beside her.
When they called her ex-husband earlier, she had brought Mars separately to the CCTV room, but to forget this no matter how astonishing the scene before her?
'Has the time already come for me to be complaining about age...?'
Still, her body was yet in active duty.
She could bear Mars a younger sibling right away.
...Cutting out the idle talk, Mars Mama approached the anxious Mars to comfort her.
"Mars, don't worry too much, my dear. At least he won't die or anything—"
"—He hasn't even fought me yet, so why is Papa fighting him first!"
".........."
"Cutting in line, even if it's Papa, I can't forgive that, fuck! Where'd your merchant's morality go, merchant's morality!"
"....Mmm♬"
Right.
This household had always been this way.
But just in case, Mars Mama asked Mars.
"Are you not worried, daughter?"
"Worried? About that bastard?"
"You know too, don't you, daughter? Papa is extremely strong?"
"Well, that's true."
He was strong.
That, she did not deny.
But—nevertheless, Mars spoke.
"But Mama, you know what? The guy who wins and the guy who's strong are completely different meanings?"
"Mars?"
"That loser bastard. That loser moron bastard. Looking at what he does, it's true he pisses me off so much he looks like a dog loser bastard."
However, despite all that, the Chrono that Mars had seen was...
"He's gonna win. That bastard is."
"Even if it means shoving a sword hilt up Papa's asshole, wouldn't he still win?"
"....Mars."
The gaze of a woman looking at a man.
The gaze of her immature young daughter becoming a 'woman.'
Even if whether that gaze was truly real came second...
"Mars."
"? Why're you calling me?"
Mars Mama smiled gently and placed her hand atop Mars's head.
"What did Mama say before?"
".........Ah."
Flinch, Mars's body trembled.
Toward such a Mars, Mars Mama tightened her grip and spoke.
"Proper words. Kind words. Beautiful woooooords!!!"
"Kki....EEEEEEK!!!!"
Our daughter.
When will those rough words ever leave her mouth?
With each passing year, the way she talked grew thicker and thicker; did she know that it was making this Mama's heart grow emaciated, she wondered.