"What an awe-inspiring display! Is this the strength of an entity beyond our world? Before such power, gods have no chance to resist. In their eyes, we're nothing but ants." A trembling voice broke the silence, echoing the thoughts of every god present!"
Their divine powers had returned, yet many of the gods were drenched in cold sweat. To have their divine power stripped away so effortlessly and then restored, it was an experience that shattered their sense of invincibility.
If their power could be taken so easily, what about their lives? Before such an overwhelming force, their godhood seemed meaningless.
Since divine power can be deprived so easily, what about life? The gods are like ants in front of the other party.
"Loki, you've really given us a surprise!" Ouranos admitted with a strained smile, though his hands trembled faintly.
The terror of an existence capable of obliterating all the gods with a mere gesture was beyond his comprehension.
Even with their divine power restored, the gods knew it was futile. If this entity could take their power once, they could do so again, or worse.
"I warned you not to provoke him." Loki sighed, clapping her hands in dismissal, "Alright, we're done here. Just remember, don't mess with him!"
A group of gods immediately fled, their faces pale. Despite their divine status, the prospect of death at the hands of such a being left them quaking in fear.
While they were gods, they were not above the instinctive fear of extinction.
However, not all the gods left. Among those who stayed were the shrewd ones: Freya, Ishtar, Hestia, and a few others. These were gods who understood the value of forging ties with someone like Asahi.
Ishtar stayed in hopes of currying favor with Asahi, seeking to use his power to suppress Freya. Freya herself lingered out of curiosity and caution, trying to grasp Asahi's motivations and capabilities. Hestia remained for a simpler reason, which is her friendship with Asahi.
Others, too, saw potential benefits. If this being from another world could elevate their power, it might help prepare them for future threats. After all, while they might currently reign supreme in this world, who could say when another powerful being from beyond might appear?
Though billions of years had passed before encountering Asahi, time was meaningless to gods. Who's to say another such entity wouldn't emerge tomorrow?
So, in order to improve, to survive, and to prevent problems before they happen, they stayed.
"You're clever to stick around." Asahi remarked with a knowing smile, "I can guess your reasons, but what can you offer me in return? If you're hoping for a taste of what I can do, what will you bring to the table?"
Asahi naturally knows what these people want. Except for Hestia, the other gods have a purpose. Hestia can be called a strange one among gods. She is obviously hundreds of millions of years old, but she is still a simple little girl.
Hestia, true to herself, reacted with her characteristic warmth, "Ah, Asahi, you're so amazing! You should've told me sooner… I could've clung to your leg right away!"
Her innocent enthusiasm contrasted sharply with the cautious deference of the others. Hestia wasn't frightened, as Asahi hadn't touched her divine power, and she trusted him implicitly.
"That's not really something to brag about." Asahi replied with a chuckle, "Besides, isn't the place you live something I provided for you? Honestly, how did you survive billions of years and still end up so... naïve?"
Asahi found himself at a loss for words, 'This blue-ribboned goddess truly lives up to her title as the 'Foolish Goddess'. Despite being the Goddess of the Hearth, she couldn't even cook.'
Freya could see souls, Hephaestus could craft divine artifacts, Soma mastered godly wines, and Miach was skilled with potions. But Hestia? She lived in a dilapidated mansion, and her supposed talent as a hearth goddess was embarrassingly absent.
"Wait, Asahi, you know this shorty?" Loki asked, visibly surprised. The situation had clearly taken a turn she didn't expect. Her rivalry with Hestia was infamous, as every meeting between the two typically descended into chaos.
Asahi explained with a laugh, "I met her when I first arrived in Orario. She seemed interesting, so we spent some time together, and eventually, we became friends!"
"Flat-chested Loki, who are you calling a shorty?!"
Hestia's temper flared immediately. She didn't expect this flat-chested troublemaker had dared to call her a shorty.
"Tch, I'm calling the person who's clearly short a shorty. Just admit it already!"
Though clearly irritated, Loki refrained from escalating the argument into a full-on fight.
"You…you're nothing but a runway, plank, prairie!"
Hestia snapped back, unfiltered.
To be fair, Loki's androgynous style didn't help matters. With her flat chest, some people might genuinely struggle to determine her gender, especially with her perpetually squinting eyes.
And this guy is still squinting.
"Excuse me?! You pint-sized pest! You dare insult me like that? You lazy, useless, freeloading goddess!"
Loki finally lost her temper, lunging at Hestia to settle their score.
"Can't you two calm down for a moment?"
The other gods, including Hephaestus, couldn't help but groan at the spectacle. A being as powerful as Asahi had just demonstrated his terrifying capabilities, yet here were Loki and Hestia, bickering as if nothing else mattered.
This kind of behavior wasn't just embarrassing, it was reckless. What if someone, particularly Asahi, got annoyed and decided to squash them like bugs?
Asahi sighed, visibly unimpressed, "Ais."
With a nod, Ais stepped forward. Grabbing Loki by the collar like a misbehaving child, she effortlessly dragged her away. Meanwhile, Asahi reached out and snagged Hestia himself.
"Can't you two read the room? I know neither of you would actually hurt the other, but if you're going to fight, save it for later!"
Hestia squirmed in his grasp, her expression a mix of irritation and embarrassment, "Fine, fine, I get it! Now put me down already!"
Asahi raised an eyebrow but complied, setting her down gently. Despite her fiery temper, Hestia seemed more than a little relieved, especially since she'd been on the losing end of the scuffle.