226. Direct A/S for related parties.
The power of a Main God was not merely about raw strength.
The nature contained within that power. According to that nature, the dispositions of the believers beneath them also changed.
"Isn't that the case even just looking at Ares's believers right now?"
The God of War and Battle.
Every single believer who served Ares was dyed with that disposition.
For better or worse, the god they served influenced them, from minor personality and inclinations to, on a larger scale, the very convictions that spanned their entire lives.
"However, in ordinary cases, since the Twelve Olympians govern that 'power,' they can suppress the influence exerted upon their believers."
Thus, those who served a Main God did not take on 'madness.'
A Main God. Gods who loved humanity. Beings who knew just how weak and foolish humans were because they loved them.
"But──what about our Hero?"
""""..........""""
The power of Chrono. The divinity Chrono possessed.
It was originally a divinity that Cronus should have possessed.
"The power, divinity, and abilities that Cronus held... if all of it passed to Chrono, the apostle of Cronus."
Then the 'remnants' that Cronus's power and divinity possessed would also pass to Chrono.
Cronus's disposition.
Cronus's personality.
The very history that Cronus held was transferred to Chrono.
The result of that was...
"From minor personality to disposition."
The personality shown during Advent.
The cruelty and inhuman character displayed even now.
"To the very convictions he holds on a larger scale."
He might not cherish people and would not fear killing.
He might come to hold a gaze that did not see humans as valuable, but merely as roadside livestock.
"But that is only Hermes's opinion."
Above all else, hadn't Chrono already suffered damage countless times?
"One who forgives those who have harmed themselves and those dear to them does not appear easily. There is nothing strange about treating them with anger."
"──That's not what I want to argue, is it, Athena?"
"........."
"Just because I made a bit of a mess, does that mean the shit Athena took disappears?"
"I have never thought such a thing."
Never thought, my ass.
She was nursing a massive inferiority complex from being disregarded by the Hero.
Hermes smirked and continued speaking.
"The point is this. What was the human named Chrono like?!"
Let's return to the beginning. Let's return to the fundamentals.
The personality, the disposition of the human Chrono, down to the convictions beneath.
When one looked at all of that comprehensively.
"He is far from a hero."
He was a typical petit bourgeois, a 'human' that one could entirely imagine existing.
An exceedingly ordinary human.
Reluctant to fight, afraid of seeing blood.
"It's hard to say he's completely ordinary..."
Yet, someone who felt pain in his heart when a friend was hurt, and who could step forward before absolute power to protect everyone.
"...Nevertheless, isn't he 'human'?"
He was not a hero.
And that was precisely why he was the Hero.
The Main Gods unanimously called Chrono 'Hero.'
"But look at the Hero now."
Even at the time of Queen Siren, he was not like this.
He felt fear and compassion for the dying.
He was reluctant to harm anyone.
He was that 'human' Hero, who could step forward with courage for the sake of others.
"Is that appearance truly 'human'?"
But now? What was Chrono like now?
"Well. I am not quite sure."
The Guild Master of Ares Guild.
The endlessly cruel appearance shown when dealing with him.
Even though he felt compassion when dealing with Pegasus.
Look at the way he left not a single shred of leeway when dealing with Rhea.
"...It seems anyone would change like that if their lover was nearly stolen and, on top of that, they were backstabbed by someone called a subordinate."
"Aheh, really."
Ares.
Set aside the sound argument for a moment.
Isn't this a time for instigation and fabrication?
And I'm not even saying things that are completely untrue, right?
"He is being shaken that much, merely by the aftermath of Advent, merely by a fragment of Cronus's power. So what on earth will happen if he fully accepts Cronus's power?!"
Hermes spoke.
Chrono was not a god.
He was not even a demigod.
He was, bluntly speaking, a 'half-baked fool' himself, who happened to obtain divinity in a human body.
"That is precisely why──Rhea, why Cronus is necessary."
Cronus's lingering thoughts, history, and will would all go into Rhea's embrace.
So that Chrono could take all the power and divinity it possessed.
If that happened, it was certain that a 'Hero' possessing a human heart, more human than anyone yet transcendent, would be born.
"It is not certain, is it."
"........."
See, that's why I said it's hard to speak if you bring up the sound argument.
"If the intention was good but reality did not follow, it would be your duty to make reality align with the intention."
"....Yes."
Hermes' fantastical ass-kissing show.
At its end, Hera spoke.
"If this is a matter you stirred up, you will take responsibility and finish it."
"Yeessss...."
Somehow, it would work out, he thought.
He could just ask my 'child' right away to prevent Rhea's death, and somehow steer it in a good direction──
"Hermes, you will descend to the mortal realm personally and."
"──Pardon?"
Just now, what did she say...?
"Ares."
"Serves you right for throwing your weight around so much."
"Wait...Hera! Just a moment! I will descend personally──"
Bwoong.
A feeling of something floating upwards.
"Hermes."
"Hera?"
The end of Icarus, who defied gravity and soared into the sky.
"Return only after everything is finished."
"Hera-niiiiiiiiim!!!"
It was the merciless love of Gaia (gravity).
'.............'
It was dark.
And it was chilly.
Since when had she been staying in this place?
A day?
Ten days?
A year?
Or more than that?
'................'
A sensation of the mind slowly being gnawed away.
Like sand. The being called herself was gradually weathering away.
Thoughts. Cognition. Emotions were dulling.
Death in a mental sense.
Around the time when even thinking itself slowly began to cease.
"Oh my."
'......?'
Before her eyes, a single, tiny light appeared.
"No matter what, to tell me to descend and handle it personally... To be blunt, do I have the time for that?!"
'....??'
A single light flickered before her eyes.
A green light. It repeatedly grew larger and smaller.
"Damn it. Is there no choice, things having come to this?"
'.............'
The green light approached her.
The light was still just light. It simply maintained the form of light, with nothing visible inside.
"Chrono... No, that's not it. Hum hum!"
Hello Rhea!
I am Rhea's guardian angel, Heh... Heuh...
'....?'
"Heuh-eung! Call me Shif!"
'Shif?'
"Yeah! Shif! It's a good name, right?"
The light flashed and blinked.
The green light slowly circled around Rhea, drawing circles.
"Rhea is probably curious about me. Why I came. Why I've come to Rhea's side!"
'...............'
Not really.
She was not curious.
"Though I'll tell you even if you're not curious!"
'.......Ah.'
Somehow irritating.
She wanted to grab it with her hand and pop it right then.
'If only... I had the power...'
Absolute yet relative power.
If only that had been in her hands, she would have long since escaped this wretched place and expelled that insolent human bast─
"─Rhea!"
'.....?'
"Those kinds of scary thoughts are no good, Rhea!"
'...........'
The green light diligently explained itself to Rhea.
"Shif wants to help Rhea!"
"But if Rhea keeps being like this, Shif can't do anything for you...."
"Then I can't go up to the sky either, and Rhea might be trapped here forever too!"
'....That.'
Being trapped in this place forever.
"How about it? Are you okay with that?"
'....I hate it.'
It was difficult to say anything.
But thinking of being alone in this place forever, she hated it.
"Then you'll listen to what Shif says?"
'Why should I.'
"...Indeed. So this is the stubbornness of an ancient god."
Was it stubbornness? Or obstinacy? Or perhaps an unerasable pride?
Shif spouted a string of strange words, then blinked its light as if it understood.
"I am Rhea's guardian angel. I want to help Rhea."
'If that is so, then help me. So that I can leave this place.'
"But I don't have power either, you know?"
'You are incompetent.'
"That hurts!"
Huek! Heuk! Heueuk...!
A voice on the verge of tears.
Yet it felt utterly foul.
The strange, dirty feeling, as if a man were forcibly imitating a woman and making a girlish crying voice...
"Anyway, for me to muster strength, I need Rhea's help!"
'Go away.'
"All you have to do is shout 'Chrono, I love you!' with all your might!"
'Go away.'
"Aw, just think of it as being tricked!"
'............'
...There was nothing she could do anyway.
And there wouldn't be any real loss just from saying such a line.
Rhea hesitated briefly but diligently rolled through her brain circuits and self-rationalization as she muttered.
'Chrono'
"And?"
'Go──'
"Gooo?"
'─to ruin.'
"........."
Hmm.
'An emotion called love, I have never possessed nor felt it.'
"Then Shif can't help Rhea either!"
'............'
Hmm.
'...Will once do?'
"Yeah! Just once is enough!"
'............'
Rhea squeezed her eyes tightly shut.
They were already closed, but she squeezed them shut.
'...Chrono. I... love you.'
"..........."
The green cluster of light froze still.
"..............."
'...What now.'
Somehow it felt reproachful.
"Right. Because you can start from here."
As if it had given something up.
The green cluster of light lightly circled Rhea's body once.
"───Eut...!"
Simultaneously, she felt a certain power rising within Rhea's body from the inside.
Divinity. A god's power. It naturally transformed within her into 'time.'
"With...this..."
She moved.
For the first time, she could move her body.
Rhea slowly clenched and unclenched her fist, nodding her head.
"To give that insolent bastard a re-education──"
Then, just as she tried to escape from the gap of time.
'....Shif. What is the meaning of this?'
Her body wouldn't move.
To be precise, that certain power had vanished.
Could it be betrayal? As she glared at Shif with cold eyes(?), Shif blinked its light and answered.
"How far were you expecting to get just by saying 'I love you' once?"
'..............'
The green cluster of light repeated brightening and darkening.
"Now, next is 'Chrono, I really like you!' Let's try saying it twice this time!"
'Keut...!'
Just what on earth was this situation.
Rhea cursed her own circumstances, yet obediently followed Shif's words.
"Right... If you keep doing that..."
Shif, too, was desperate in its own way as Shif (thief).