The late afternoon on Greta Island was a spectacle that defied any mortal to look away.
In Heraklion, the capital of Crete, the sky, painted in layers of soft gold and deep purple, reflected on the calm sea like a liquid mirror, while the warm breeze carried the scent of tropical flowers and sea salt. The ancient stone streets, lined with colonial-style buildings mixed with modern touches, glowed warmly under the sunset's light. Local food stalls wafted sweet and spicy aromas, and the sound of laughter, chatter, and music spread like a summer song.
Amid this vibrant scene, three goddesses walked together, drawing eyes wherever they passed, though most humans didn't realize who they truly were...
Ishtar led the way, hands in the pockets of her denim shorts, her face slightly flushed and her expression closed off, with her usual air of wounded pride. Her long black hair swayed in the wind, delicate jewelry jingling softly. She seemed sulky, as always, wearing short, provocative clothing—a pair of tiny denim shorts and a top that barely covered her chest...
Ereshkigal followed close behind, her posture upright and her gaze alert to the bustling streets. Unlike her sister, her expression mixed seriousness and exhaustion—not from the walk, but from the challenge of keeping Ishtar under control during their recent operations. She wore black sweatpants and a cropped black top that showed her midriff.
Skadi walked beside Ereshkigal, calm and elegant as always, the evening breeze making her long purple hair dance around her. She was dressed in leggings and a hoodie...
"According to the latest information from the Master…" Ereshkigal began, her voice calm but firm, casting a sidelong glance at Ishtar, "the target entered the city about two hours ago. He's hiding somewhere near the market... We've already wasted too much time."
She sighed, not hiding her irritation. "And this time, Ishtar… no causing trouble, understood?"
Skadi nodded without taking her eyes off the streets ahead.
"I agree. We've lost two important opportunities because of your impulsiveness."
Ishtar stopped walking, spinning on her heels, hands now on her hips, her face red with frustration.
"You two keep acting like everything's my fault!" she snapped, huffing. "That mess at the port only happened because someone summoned those sea serpents, not because I hit that stupid barrier…!"
"That magic barrier was meant to keep the sea serpents contained, Ishtar," Ereshkigal retorted, narrowing her eyes.
"And the ancient temple? Who was it that decided to 'check if that shiny artifact could be an accessory' and made us waste two hours escaping a trap, losing time and failing to catch the boy the Master asked us to capture?" Skadi added, still impassive, though with a faint, tired sigh.
Ishtar pointed a finger at both of them, her eyes blazing with fury and embarrassment. "Okay! I admit that… some things might have been my fault… but that fiasco with Nyx and Erebus had nothing to do with me!"
At the mention of that incident, the mood shifted slightly.
The three remembered it well.
Out of nowhere, in the middle of an attempt at a discreet ambush, the two Primordials, Nyx, the Goddess of Night, and Erebus, the Lord of Primordial Darkness, had appeared, like shadows dragged by the twilight, protecting the human and helping him escape their pursuit.
"I still don't understand why the hell they'd protect the human," Ereshkigal muttered, running a hand through her golden hair. "It only made things more complicated."
Skadi nodded slightly in agreement.
Ishtar huffed, turning her gaze to the sky where the first stars were already shining. "It just proves that no matter what I do, you'll blame me anyway."
"If you stop causing explosions every time you feel slighted, we can talk," Ereshkigal quipped, her tone more exasperated than aggressive.
Skadi let out a sigh.
"You're a walking storm, Ishtar. But… we need to work together, unfortunately."
The goddess of war and wealth grumbled something incomprehensible, but the stubborn flush on her face didn't fade. Ishtar hated to admit it, but she knew she was causing more trouble than help.
Ereshkigal then sighed, softening her tone as she noticed her sister's shift in mood.
"Just… let's focus, okay? If we can catch the boy today, we'll finish this before another primordial god shows up."
Skadi's eyes drifted to the sky.
"According to the Master, everything that's happening must be because of the boy's Longinus, Telos Karma, which has the terrifying power to impose choices on everything around it, manipulating probabilities. That's probably what he used to make Erebus and Nyx confront us when he was about to be captured, allowing him to escape. But even the Master found it surprising, the level of control that boy has achieved over his Longinus…"
Obviously, before their Master sent them on this mission, he provided all the relevant details about the target.
In the past, a series of sudden incidents and inexplicable phenomena, deemed impossible to understand by common historians or scholars, had occurred in various parts of the world, especially in Japan and Europe. These events subtly altered the human timeline, and they all had one thing in common: the involvement of a particular Longinus.
This Longinus came to be known as Telos Karma, the "History Breaker."
Its ability was terrifyingly unique: it allowed the user to force the existence of options and events that would normally be impossible. In other words, Telos Karma had the power to bend reality and insert new probabilities, manipulating cause and effect.
For example, its wielder could, on a whim or out of necessity, "create" a chance encounter with two gods who, unknowingly, would help them escape a siege, and it would all happen naturally, as if fate had always intended that outcome.
This was why it was said that Telos Karma could interfere with the very course of the world's history.
Four years ago, the Longinus was in the hands of Momiji Nakiri, a young woman from one of Japan's Five Principal Clans and the younger sister of Nakagami Nakiri, the original heir to the legendary Yellow Dragon, hailed as the "strongest Ouryuu in history." However, an incident involving Tobio Ikuse and Vali Lucifer in Kyoto led to a massive crisis, and afterward, Momiji mysteriously disappeared.
Since then, Telos Karma had fallen into the hands of Mitsuya Kanzaki, who became its new user. His mastery over the Longinus only grew over the years.
As a direct consequence, he attracted the hatred of Ouryuu Nakiri, born as Ryuuta Nakiri, the current heir of the clan and Momiji's cousin, who had vanished…
From what their Master had discovered, in recent years, Mitsuya Kanzaki had been traveling the world to escape the suffocating influence of Japan's Five Principal Clans.
During this time, he initially worked with the Egyptian gods, helping Horus contain Seth in Egypt. Then, he moved to China, where he deepened his knowledge of Taoist Arts and even faced Sun Wukong in combat. After that, he disappeared for a while, later being spotted in Mexico, where, according to records, he achieved the feat of killing an Aztec god before vanishing completely for the last two years.
Currently, he was no weaker than one of the Ten Strongest Beings in the World. He was just one small step… a spark away from reaching that level.
Unfortunately, their Master only discovered this too late, after the boy had slipped through their fingers.
Now, it was clear: he was right to say this mission would be far more complicated than anticipated, and he was right to send the three of them for it. Not that they were weak by any means, but someone who could manipulate the world's cause and effect was tricky to deal with…
Skadi's comment landed like a stone in the middle of the conversation.
For a few seconds, Ereshkigal and Ishtar just stared at the Norse goddess in silence. The warm island breeze blew between them, carrying the scent of ripe fruits and sea salt, but none of them paid attention to it. It was the kind of silence only those who've lived together for a long time could decipher.
Ishtar was the first to react.
"Wait, wait, wait—what do you mean the Master told you these things? Usually, when I try to talk to him through our mental connection, he just assumes I caused trouble and goes, 'What happened now, Ishtar…?' or 'What did you do this time?'" Ishtar exclaimed, her eyes wide and her expression torn between shock and pure jealousy. "Since when does he tell you these things and not me?!"
Ereshkigal, who looked like she'd just been hit with a bucket of cold water, turned to Skadi.
"Skadi… you knew about this the whole time?"
Her tone was sharp—not the angry 'you messed up' kind, but the bittersweet kind of someone realizing they missed an important conversation with someone they care about.
Skadi gave a slight smirk, closing her eyes for a moment with a vaguely smug air.
"He told me earlier today… I thought he'd told you two as well."
Ishtar nearly had a meltdown.
"But of course he didn't tell us!" she huffed, throwing her hands in the air. "Typical Kazuya! Always saying we're 'too important to him,' that he 'can't hide anything from us,' and then pulls this?"
Ereshkigal crossed her arms and took a deep breath.
"Of course, of course… he tells Skadi. Not me or you. At least when I talk to him through our mental connection, I'm not treated like a troublemaker like you, sister…" She shot a sidelong glance at Skadi, who shrugged, completely serene, before looking at Ishtar with relief.
That left the Mesopotamian goddess absolutely livid.
"What's with that look?! That damn Kazuya is just worried about me, okay?! I misspoke earlier—he never said that to me, alright? It's natural for my worshiper to worry about me…" Ishtar sounded nervous as she spoke…
"Sure…"
"You…!"
"You know how he is," Skadi murmured, interrupting them both. "Sometimes he's an idiot, or maybe it was just a slip-up, who knows. He's always exhausted."
Ishtar made a face and looked away.
"Idiot. I bet he just forgot." But her tone sounded less angry and more… sulky.
Ereshkigal sighed.
"Yeah… in the end, we always end up forgiving that airhead."
For a moment, they just kept walking.
Ishtar broke the silence.
"Speaking of which… have you noticed he's been acting weird lately? Not the 'I'm about to get into trouble' kind of weird, but… I don't know. Like he's… distant…"
"I noticed," Ereshkigal said immediately. "Honestly, I've felt it since we were summoned. He keeps pretending everything's fine, but you can tell something's bothering him…"
Skadi nodded, more discreetly.
"He's been avoiding talking about what he's planning too. When I asked, he just told me to trust him and that everything would make sense soon. Typical Kazuya."
Ishtar clicked her tongue.
"I hate when he does that. Makes us worry and then shows up like, 'Look, I survived,' as if it's nothing." She crossed her arms. "Next time, I'm making him sleep on the couch—no sex for a week either!"
"Pervert…" Ereshkigal looked at her blankly.
"You're just too prudish!" Ishtar rolled her eyes.
"Prostitute…"
"I'm the Divine Prostitute, little sister… Your insults mean nothing, okay?!"
"…"
"…"
"…What's that look?!" Ishtar felt uncomfortable under their gazes…
"You know threatening Kazuya never works…" Ereshkigal changed the subject, rolling her eyes and saying, "We threaten him, and in the end, he just flashes that stupid smile, and everyone forgets why they were mad."
"Ugh, that's so true…" Skadi admitted with a sigh…
"…Hey! Don't ignore me! I feel like you were looking at me with disdain earlier! How dare you look at a goddess like me that way?!"
"It's all in your head, sister…"
"Yeah, Ishtar. We were just a bit awkward about your shamelessness… You're truly incredible!" Skadi said with an ironic expression.
"I don't want to hear that from you! You, talking about shame? The goddess who married some random god because she mistook his feet for Baldur's… and then hopped from bed to bed across the nine worlds. You're basically Asgard's official escort!"
Skadi blinked, her smile faltering for a second before returning with her usual smugness.
"Still better than being the Babylonian prostitute who slept with anyone!" she retorted, her voice sweet and sharp as a dagger.
Ereshkigal just sighed.
"You two are impossible. Let's stop this…"
She then shot a look at both of them and said.
"You've both marked your territory, measured egos, and traded barbs. Can we focus on what matters, or are you going to start comparing who has more offerings at their shrine?"
A silence hung for two seconds before Ishtar huffed.
"Tch. Fine. You ruin all the fun, Eresh."
"It's my job," the underworld goddess replied, impassive.
Skadi just smirked.
"I'd win over both of you anyway…"
Ishtar rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.
"Let's just get this over with before I change my mind and bury you alive in ice…"
And so, the topic died there. For now.
The three fell silent again, but this time it wasn't awkward. It was the kind of silence shared by those with too many memories, who know they don't need to say everything out loud.
Ereshkigal broke the mood after a while.
"…You know what I could go for right now? One of those strawberry shaved ices with condensed milk they sell at the corner near the dessert shop."
Ishtar's eyes widened.
"You read my mind! I've been craving something sweet since this afternoon."
Skadi raised an eyebrow.
"For me, only if it's matcha."
Ishtar pointed.
"Of course you'd pick the most bitter flavor."
"It's refreshing," Skadi defended.
"Bitter."
"Traditional."
Ereshkigal sighed, but this time with a small smile.
"Let's just grab them before another primordial shows up to ruin our night."
And so, as if the dramas and troubles of the world were fleeting, as they always had been for goddesses carrying centuries of age, the three headed toward the dessert stall lit by lanterns, grabbing something for each of them before moving on.
"By the way," Ishtar started, already licking her strawberry shaved ice. "When this is all over… I'm demanding Kazuya take me to an onsen. Just me and him. No missions, no you two, no primordials butting in. Got it?"
"Oh, sure," Ereshkigal gave a dry chuckle. "You and your weird idea of exclusivity. As if he'd ever say 'no' to any of us."
"At least I don't act all saintly like you," Ishtar shot back, pointing her little plastic spoon. "All sweet and proper in front of him… but I know what you did that one Valentine's Day in Chaldea in our old world, Eresh."
The underworld goddess nearly choked on her shaved ice.
"You promised you'd never mention that!"
"I never promised anything," Ishtar replied, triumphant.
Skadi watched the scene with her usual superior half-smile, savoring her matcha shaved ice without interfering, but she couldn't resist.
"Honestly, you two are so predictable. While you're fighting over who gets to drag Kazuya to a hot spring, I already secured a dinner for two with him next week."
Silence.
"You what?!" Ishtar and Ereshkigal said in unison.
"Oh, yeah," Skadi gave a smug little smile. "He owed me a favor, and I called it in."
"But… but… he didn't mention anything to me!" Ereshkigal protested.
"Or to me!" Ishtar nearly dropped her shaved ice.
"You've both been too distracted, busy arguing over who's more important to him," Skadi shrugged. "I just went and asked."
Ishtar huffed, her face slightly flushed.
"This isn't over. I'm demanding two favors… and a bath."
"You can't go ten minutes without thinking about dragging Kazuya into a hot spring, can you?" Ereshkigal raised an eyebrow.
"With that face and that body? Nope."
"Pervert."
"Prude."
"I just have more self-control."
Skadi interrupted.
"I highly doubt that. The last time Kazuya got hurt, who was the one crying and clinging to his shirt, Ereshkigal?"
The goddess opened her mouth, closed it, crossed her arms, and looked away.
"I was just worried, that's all."
"Hmm," Ishtar teased. "Very worried, clinging and saying, 'Don't die, you reckless idiot, if you die, I'll kill you.' Though that was a while ago. He's way stronger now and barely gets hurt…"
"Shut up, Ishtar!"
Their chatter drew the attention of some locals and tourists, but none of them cared.
Despite all the tension, jealousy, and teasing—and there was plenty of it—at the end of the day, they were the kind of dysfunctional family only those who survive battles and magical disasters could understand.
And as much as each one had plans to steal Kazuya for themselves as soon as possible… they knew it was impossible to live without these silly arguments, traded barbs, and the eternal competition for attention.
Deep down, way deep down, none of them truly wanted the others to disappear.
Ishtar sighed, smiling as she watched the last golden hues fade from the sky.
"Okay, okay… enough fighting. After we catch that kid, we each call in our favor with the Master. And whoever gets him to the bath first wins."
Ereshkigal let out a tired laugh.
"You're hopeless."
"I'm irresistible, just accept it."
"An eternal problem," Skadi murmured, but with a faint, genuine smile.
And without further drama, they headed toward the market together, as three goddesses, three jealous wives, and three old friends who, deep down, knew that if it weren't for that idiot human, they might not have put up with each other for so long.
The three kept walking.
The night market of Greta Island was an organized chaos of sounds, smells, and lights. Stalls covered in colorful fabrics sold everything from exotic fruits to esoteric trinkets, and gas-lit street lamps cast an amber glow over the lively crowd.
Ishtar was distracted, nibbling on the last of her shaved ice, when she spotted their target.
Her red eyes gleamed.
"There!" she pointed without thinking.
And there he was.
A boy.
He looked about seventeen, with pale skin, slightly messy black hair, and eyes so deep blue they seemed to reflect a night sky of their own. Despite wearing an odd outfit, no one seemed to notice—a blue suit that looked straight out of a sci-fi movie, snug on his lean but sturdy frame, with subtle metallic accents in the seams and faint technological runes glowing in pale blue. Black gloves covered his hands. He was casually observing the crowd.
Ishtar forgot everything else.
"That… bastard…" she growled.
Without warning, she surged forward.
In a snap, her body glowed with golden light and shot into the sky. Beside her materialized [Maanna], her ship, spinning in a radiant arc as she prepared to deliver what, in her mind, would be a swift and elegant strike.
Her movement, however, drew even more attention, especially with the explosion of light and someone suddenly flying out of nowhere.
Chaos erupted immediately.
"WHAT THE—?!"
"OH MY GOD, IS IT AN ATTACK?!"
"RUN!!!"
People screamed, cups of juice and skewers flew through the air, children were grabbed by the arms and pulled away, and the once-festive atmosphere turned to pure panic in seconds. Stalls toppled, fruits rolled across the ground, lanterns fell, and amid the general pandemonium, stall owners shouted in despair.
"My mangoes! My mangoes, damn it!!!"
"I TOLD YOU THIS CITY WAS CURSED!!!"
In the midst of the chaos, the blue-eyed boy, Mitsuya Kanzaki, remained still.
Naturally, the three goddesses didn't care about the general panic.
"YOU'RE COMING WITH ME, YOU TROUBLEMAKING KID—"
Ishtar pointed at him and fired a powerful beam of light.
The boy, who had already noticed the attack, didn't panic. His eyes glowed, and at the last second, before the strike could hit, the attack veered off as if an invisible wall had tilted the world. He extended his hand toward the flying goddess and made a gesture, sending Ishtar careening to the side like an out-of-control cannon shot, crashing into a fruit stall's awning.
"WHAT THE—?!"
Ereshkigal was already moving.
The underworld goddess raised her [Kur Kigal Irkalla], the Spear of the Underworld, and launched three spectral projectiles—serpents of funereal energy that zigzagged through the air.
The boy turned his head.
As if the attacks had decided to change course on their own, the spectral serpents veered upward, crossed each other, and dissipated before reaching him.
"Causality manipulation again!" Ereshkigal gritted her teeth.
Skadi appeared beside him in an almost imperceptible movement, her [Primordial Rune] activated. A Norse seal glowed beneath her feet, and chains of pure ice erupted around, attempting to seal the space and possibilities.
"Let's see you dodge this."
This time, the boy moved. But not in a hurry.
The tip of his index finger glowed.
The "probabilities" around the ice shifted. The frozen chains began to dissolve into ice petals before touching him, as if the world had decided the attack had no reason to exist.
Skadi furrowed her brows.
"Enough."
Kanzaki looked at her, sighed… and spoke for the first time.
"If you keep insisting, I'll have to fight back."
It was obviously a bluff. The truth was, he had no idea what to do. For days, he'd been followed by these three lunatics.
And the worst part? He didn't stand a chance against them.
Even now, with his Balance Breaker activated, he could barely buy time. The activation only gave him full control over his Longinus's powers, but it was enough, at best, to stall them for a few minutes… until his magical energy burned out completely.
His Balance Breaker was a subspecies known as "Forbidden Tome."
Its ability was to create a closed space of five hundred meters around him, where he could impose choices and alter the course of events with almost no restrictions. He could, for example, conjure an "impenetrable barrier" to block an attack or force an enemy's strikes to veer off at the last moment. He could also manipulate the invisible space around targets and use it as a weapon to land impossible blows.
It wasn't exactly about imposing options on the world… It was more like directly manipulating the relationship of cause and effect within that domain.
And there was a second effect, the most dangerous and desperate.
He could trade all his magical energy for one "impossible possibility" once a day.
That's what he'd done before. He used this ability to make the slim chance of Nyx and Erebus appearing to defend him a reality. It was only possible because they were in Greek territory, where the influence of the gods still lingered. Even so, the manifestation would only last an hour before the two stopped fulfilling that possibility and returned to normal, but it had been enough time to escape on that occasion.
But it wasn't an unlimited miracle.
He couldn't revive the dead or manipulate causality to become invincible. Even though he could summon "impossibilities," everything was limited by his magical energy, physical stamina, and sanity. Creating too much would lead to collapse.
In the end, he wasn't a god.
All he could do now was try to create a possibility to escape…
His attention was drawn to the woman he'd sent flying earlier…
Ishtar emerged from the side, disheveled and furious, with pieces of fruit stuck in her hair.
"NOW YOU'LL SEE—"
"Enough, Ishtar," Ereshkigal snapped. "We need to take him alive!"
"He threw me into a mango stall! I have divine dignity to uphold!"
Kanzaki raised his hands, placating.
"I don't want to fight. Just… stop following me."
Skadi narrowed her eyes.
"Surrender. Our Master wants to keep you from getting hurt. But if you keep this up, we won't have a choice…"
Mitsuya gave a crooked smile.
"Sorry, lady… I don't trust your words. You must be working for that guy, right? I never thought he'd have monsters like you as subordinates, never—"
Before he could finish, Ishtar was already in the air again.
"This time you won't escape…"
[Maanna] spun in the sky, unleashing a sequence of golden energy projectiles. Mitsuya raised his hand, and the causality around him warped. The beams of light that should have hit him curved, passing by and exploding into poles and debris.
Ishtar huffed.
"I HATE THAT DAMN POWER!"
He darted forward, sliding to the side and looking for an opening to escape down an alley, but Ereshkigal was already there. Spectral serpents emerged, and again causality was twisted… but he felt the strain growing. His Balance Breaker was pushing its limit.
"Damn it…"
Skadi, ever observant, narrowed her eyes, analyzing the pattern.
She raised her hand.
Primordial Runes lit up around her.
Ishtar, out of patience, shouted:
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!"
And charged, not giving him time.
The boy tried to manipulate probability again… and succeeded, dodging the first punch. But a second blast of light came from behind, and he only managed to partially block it. The impact threw him against a house's wall.
"ARGH!"
He tried to raise his hand, but Ishtar was on him in half a second, slamming her fist into his stomach. The ground cracked. Mitsuya coughed up blood.
He used his remaining energy to make the walls collapse on her, dodging to the side. Ishtar shouted as the debris fell, but it only made her angrier.
Skadi seized the opportunity.
She summoned three ice runes. And before he could react, she recited:
"Verdandi's Seal."
One of the streets glowed and sank, cutting through space.
The world decided, by inevitable choice, that Mitsuya's right leg no longer existed there.
In an instant, his leg was torn off.
The boy screamed, staggered, and fell.
Ishtar, covered in dust and furious, was already on him.
"NOW IT'S MY TURN, YOU DAMN KID!"
She delivered a kick that sent him crashing into the opposite wall. Before he could fall, Ereshkigal appeared, her spear spinning, and drove the shaft into his shoulder, pinning him against the cracked wall.
Skadi approached, ice spreading across the ground.
The boy tried to raise his bloodied hand, but Ishtar slammed her foot into his chest, making him spit blood.
"Give up, playboy," she spat.
Ereshkigal murmured:
"Move again, and I'll take your head."
Skadi kept the runes active around them.
The boy was panting, blood dripping from his mouth, but his blue eyes still burned with that infuriating defiance.
"You… won't succeed…" he muttered.
Ishtar raised an eyebrow.
"Succeed at what? Beating you? Because we've already done that."
Ereshkigal twisted the spear, causing a wave of pain but not killing him.
"The Master will decide what to do with you, don't worry, we won't kill you. He'll also reattach your leg and heal you…" said the underworld goddess.
Skadi sighed.
"This could've been easier. But no… you had to resist… and Ishtar had to destroy half the city first."
"SHUT UP, SKADI!" Ishtar shot back, but with a half-smile.
Mitsuya tried to say something else, but he was too weak. His Balance Breaker had deactivated some time ago, and he'd lost all his magical energy. With exhaustion and the pain of his injuries overwhelming him, he lost consciousness. His blue eyes, once sparking with stubborn defiance, dulled, and his head slumped to the side, blood trickling from his mouth as his body relaxed against the wall.
Ishtar let out a long, satisfied sigh.
"Finally."
Ereshkigal withdrew her spear, letting the body collapse, and took two steps back.
"It's over."
Skadi approached calmly, the runes glowing in her hand. With a gesture, they formed around the unconscious boy, enveloping him in a bluish mist. His visible wounds began to close, and the fractures in his shoulder and chest realigned, though not fully healed—just enough to keep him alive and unconscious.
"Done. I don't want him dying before we reach the Master," Skadi said, pleased with her work.
Ishtar crouched beside the unconscious body and poked his cheek with a finger.
"He's still breathing, so it's all good. Now… who's carrying him?"
The three exchanged glances for a moment.
Ishtar stood up and stretched her shoulders.
"I already did most of the work. And I got thrown into mango, apple, and pineapple stalls. It's not fair for me to carry him."
Ereshkigal raised an eyebrow.
"You caused all the chaos and still want to skip this part?"
Ishtar pointed to her fruitഗ
System: fruit-stained and dusty clothes.
"Battle outfit compromised. Divine dignity damaged. Special circumstances."
Skadi rolled her eyes.
"You two are insufferable."
She then raised a hand and conjured a small floating rune above Mitsuya's body, gently lifting him into the air with magic.
"Done. I'll carry him."
Ishtar gave a satisfied half-smile.
"I knew you were the most responsible one here."
"Or just less lazy," Ereshkigal added with a resigned sigh.
Skadi didn't respond, simply keeping the boy floating as she started walking back down the half-destroyed street, with cracked pavement, toppled stalls, crushed fruits, and people long gone, with the island's emergency sirens and alarms sounding in the distance.
Ishtar walked beside her, still irritated but starting to relax.
"Just so we're clear, if this kid wakes up again, I swear I'll bury him in a fifteen-meter crater."
"You say that every time," Ereshkigal commented, following behind.
"This time I'll do it."
Skadi gave a faint smirk.
"If you do, you're explaining it to Kazuya."
Ishtar hesitated.
"Fine… maybe just up to his ankles."
Ereshkigal let out a soft laugh, and so the three goddesses vanished down the ruined alley, carrying the unconscious boy to the only certain destination he had that night: the hands of their Master.
___________________
(A/N: Author's Note
Good afternoon or good evening to you all, depending on what time you're reading this!
Just dropping by quickly to let you know that this chapter turned out a bit longer than usual — a total of 6,000 words! I hope the read was worth it.
And while I'm here, I wanted to comment on Mitsuya Kanzaki. Technically, he's kind of an [OC] (Original Character). In the original light novel, he doesn't have the abilities I showed here. The Balance Breaker he used is also something I created, completely different from the canonical concept in the series. In the light novel, his Balance Breaker isn't anything like this, and what he showed here was entirely something I made up to fit my storyline. Also, from what I was reading in the light novel, it seems like he has some kind of connection with Melvazoa… Yep, looks like they know each other. It gave me an idea for a possible plotline — but that's a story for another time.
Even so, I think you got a good sense of the character's level. Too bad he ended up facing three Goddesses: Ishtar, Skadi, and Ereshkigal. Against a team like that… honestly, there wasn't much mystery about his fate, right? His capture was just a matter of time.
Anyway, thank you to everyone who read this far! Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments, and see you in the next chapter!
_____
💬 And hey — want to just read ahead a bit?
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