Chapter 81
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: Ares: One-Strike Ironclad Instructor
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Ares, the One-Strike Ironclad Instructor.
Let's gloss over the pitiful love story of that handsome boy.
This wasn't some random romance fantasy world where I could make a fuss about him eyeing my girl.
Besides, if that punk tried hitting on Atalanta, he'd get something broken, and Theseus—the budding little hero—was sharp enough to spot it in an instant.
And above all, I didn't have the time to worry about that these days anyway.
Theseus left with a face that clearly showed he was pissed off just by looking at him, making it awkward for the rest of us to keep hanging out, so we just called it a night.
Having pulled an all-nighter on an external mission, tomorrow was our day off.
We'd chugged plenty of wine, so everyone scattered, talking about sleeping in late.
My real routine was just getting started.
"...Eris?"
"Heh? You noticed without even using that weird aura anymore?"
Pretending to head back to the dorms, I casually called out her name, and under the hazy brightening dawn sky, a vividly poisonous pink filled my vision.
The goddess of strife and discord... no, the goddess herself.
And Eris, my blood-related older sister.
Her alluringly shimmering long pink hair and ruby-red eyes that, despite matching Atalanta's, evoked blood rather than jewels—a venomously alluring crimson gaze.
Beneath her strangely glowing Greek-style dress, her voluptuous feminine curves were plainly visible, and her mischievous yet sadistic beauty was tempting enough to make even me waver for a moment.
But seeing how that sinister aura cloaking her and her sadistic eyes chilled it all away, it really hit home how important first impressions are.
"Hmph... You hold up pretty well. Tougher than you look, huh? Ares and Sis don't usually go easy like that."
"Well, I'm not the type to drop after one slash like someone else."
Not as fragile as certain people.
I deliberately smiled softly as I shot back, and Eris's smirking face, which had been gearing up for a finishing blow, froze solid.
"What? Got a problem?"
The goddess of strife and discord—someone who made you want to smack her just looking at her—was casually trading barbs with me like this. To explain that, we'd have to go back a few days.
As my so-called adaptation period neared its end after a full month, Chiron had summoned me for the first time in a while.
I'd been looking forward to sparring with the half-human, half-horse master of the ultimate spear art called the Mad Wind Shredding Horn Spear.
But the brutal schedule crammed with 18-hour days during adaptation—plus nearly a week of straight skipping that I had to make up for—left me with no time to breathe.
So when I got official time off to slack around, I cheered inwardly and bolted to his office.
But...
"It's been a while, young brother."
"Heh... Tch, not even one bone broken?"
Completely unexpected figures greeted me beside the centaur.
I ignored Eris, who glared at me like she wanted to spit. Instead, I grinned brightly at the black angel welcoming me with a smile as warm as her ample heart.
"Nemesis Sis!"
"S-Sis..."
"Sis?!"
"Coughcoughcough!"
"Ahem! Kkhurk?!"
Oh, the "Sis" that slipped out slipped out caused a massive ripple among these mythical beings.
The stern-faced Nemesis flapped her wings and turned away.
Eris grimaced like she'd bitten into a bitter pill and shot me a death glare.
Chiron and the mystery hunk coughed nonstop like something was lodged in their throats.
"Man, even Dad gets all fidgety around the goddess of retribution, and here you casually call her Sis? Chiron, where'd you pick up this monster?"
"Ahem, it's the reason I never get bored in this forest."
To describe him in one word: battle maniac.
A refreshing handsome guy with thick golden hair mixed with an oddly familiar oak-brown hue, falling to his shoulders.
But facing his fiercely upturned smirking lips and gleaming red eyes sizing me up like prey sent chills down my spine, like confronting a wild beast.
And from how he bantered freely with Chiron—who treated him with respect—it was clear he was a god too.
One with considerable power, at that.
"Hmm... Well, now."
The male god locked eyes with me briefly before raising the corner of his mouth in interest and approaching.
"...Oho."
Strong.
Strong, strong, and strong again.
Each step he took, his slowly moving arms and hands.
His scrutinizing gaze and the intrigued tilt of his head.
Every motion was a combat stance geared to crush and tear the opponent.
I knew someone exactly like this.
The unparalleled demonic genius in Demonic Cult history who single-handedly pioneered a new realm, eyeing the Heavenly Demon realm without the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
Too mighty for the mere label of "demon," he was called the Demonic Path's Sovereign— the Demon Sovereign.
His merciless hands and blood-soaked exploits earned him the title Asura's Devotee.
He was the First of the Twelve Demon Sovereigns, the unprecedented great demon hailed as the Asura Demon Sovereign.
'To encounter such a being again.'
One difference: the Asura Demon Sovereign had been human, tempered by time to control his ferocity.
But this god before me bared his killing intent and battle lust openly, as if restraint was beneath him, towering over me.
"Ares! I told you about him!"
"Nemesis Sis, calm down. Isn't this just a chat with an old friend who helped me land a hit on that annoying Athena?"
"...Ah!"
At Nemesis's urgent call, the male god raised a hand to soothe her, and I couldn't hide my admiration at his name.
"War God Ares. All-God Ares, King of Warriors!"
The Olympian War God, overseer of war.
The big spender from Pasos who'd generously rewarded my drunken poem with the wild boar!
No matter how turbulent my life had been, I'd spent over a hundred years as a pilgrim forging my martial path and high priest of a massive War God cult.
From my perspective, meeting the living War God was incredibly inspiring.
And this overwhelming battle lust and will to fight—how could any warrior not feel awe?
As a martial artist, a mythical pilgrim, and a War God priest, I offered my respects with a proper greeting.
"An honor to meet you."
"Ho, didn't click from stories alone... This'll be fun, eh?"
Ares nodded appreciatively, staring at me before slapping my shoulder and pulling me to sit beside him, humming casually.
"Now I get why Dad and Mom are so worked up. Even that prig and the wild beast growl whenever your name comes up. And your lover wrecked Uncle's boy too, right?"
Grinning ferociously like a lion scenting blood, Ares looked at me with pride.
"That's right—born with bells on, you gotta stir up a proper brawl."
"Oh? Prig and wild beast mean Apollo and Artemis?"
Sensing juicy drama, Eris flapped her wings, floated up, and shoved her face between Ares and me.
"What? Eris didn't know? Word is Apollo went scouting for his sister's revenge, saw my young devotee go wild, and bolted back scared."
"What?! For real?"
Eris eyed me sparklingly like she'd discovered treasure, but I was still lost on the situation.
I come because the principal calls, and three heavyweight gods are here to greet me...
"Ahem, Dianes. I called you here because..."
"No need to explain. By order of Zeus and Queen Hera, the daughters of old night and the God of War descend to guide the newly born young god."
Ares cut in boldly on Chiron's words, slapping my back heartily.
"Yeah, just like Hermes said. For a talent like this, I had to step up. Who else could handle a monster like you?"
I knew exactly what Ares meant without him saying it.
The instinct for struggle that only lifelong warriors rolling in battlefields, pursuing some strange aesthetic in those moments, could understand.
"So, what this is about is..."
"Sis, hold up. Gotta test him out first before we start, right?"
Ares interrupted Nemesis mid-explanation.
I spotted a vein bulging on Nemesis's pale forehead, but like a rampaging boar, Ares dragged me to a nearby plain.
In the infinite arena forged by Ares's authority, the War God and I clashed wildly, blurring sky and earth.
And that's when I truly began learning about gods.
Bickering with Eris as we walked, we reached the barrier created by Ares's authority outside the forest.
"Hmph... Fine, I'll go watch from above~"
"Do whatever."
"Grr!"
At my indifferent farewell, Eris huffed irritably and vanished.
I entered the barrier in full combat readiness.
The moment I stepped in, a brilliant sun blazed in the sky's center, greeting me alongside endless vast wasteland and the enclosing arena.
And at the arena's heart, the god who'd spotted me laughed savagely, unleashing massive divine power instead of a hello.
"Πόλεμος ρομφαία!! σώμα προέλαση!!"
⟨ War Romphaia! Body Advance! ⟩
No grand air currents or divine explosions.
Without warning, a massive sword manifested in the distant War God's hand and swung horizontally at me.
Then, filling the greatsword's gaps perfectly, thousands of flaming spears charged me.
It was like a vast legion advancing—the War God's assault.
And those weren't just big swords or sharp spears.
Each packed destructive power rivaling peak realm masters from the Demonic Purge War, trajectories pinpointing my openings and vitals.
Utterly unreasonable, absurd scenario.
Two choices: deflect or counter.
"Figures from a battle maniac. No hello, straight for the preemptive strike."
If this were a game, it'd be 'what a bullshit trash game, 15 deaths already.'
But this was my reality now, and exactly what I'd done countless times in my past life.
Experiencing it firsthand, I got why the Martial Alliance screamed and retreated at the mere sight of my robes.
"Making me sweat again right after running all day!"
-Shaaaa!
Channeling through my meridians, my inner energy and demonic divine power merged, igniting my body in pitch-black haze.
In an instant, two demonic arts manifested in my hands via authority.
Cattle Cart Sword - Black Rope Myriad Membranes
Shura Reverse Heaven Spear - Thunder Roar Boom
The abyss of Black Victory Hell that devours all.
The enraged asura's thunderous roar.
The mid-sized black sword bit into the mountain-like greatsword, and my pure-force inner energy and demonic divine power bellowed like thunder, ripping earth and air.
-!!
A colossal clash of power against power.
The instant so fierce even air forgot to scream and earth its resilience passed.
As the massive disturbance—too grand for a mere opening clash—subsided.
-Boom! Boom! Boom!
"Can't slack off!"
Ares closed the distance in earth-shaking strides.
"Never slacked!"
Normally the timing for 'Impressive technique...' or 'You're no pushover,' but Ares narrowed in for close-quarters brawl.
-Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Fist met fist, divine power clashed divine power, shaking the ground like falling bombs.
"You've grown a lot—a ton!"
"Puberty's the prime time, right?"
-Kwaang!
My advancing punch collided head-on with Ares's straight.
We leaped back, catching our breath for a moment.