Though the gods had never witnessed Alice's Illusion before, they knew full well that if they unleashed their divine power, they could easily create something similar.
But being able to produce the same illusion didn't mean that placing a god inside it would change them—let alone a being as stubborn as a deity.
It was because gods never changed that they yearned for transformation.
The change in Apollo at this moment stirred a wave of envy in the hearts of all the watching gods. For beings whose personalities had long been fixed, nothing ever provoked too drastic a shift in their emotions.
Infinite lifespans had rendered them detached toward almost everything.
For the gods, their principles of action weren't split between good and evil—everything was driven by their own whims. They acted solely according to their interests.
Gods were capricious; they longed for change, yet they absolutely refused to change.
But now, every god present saw the transformation in Apollo with their own eyes.
To willingly change, to grow within an illusion—just how precious was such a thing for a deity?
A god, who should have been incapable of growth, had actually grown.
In the eyes of the gods—especially Freya's—none of Apollo's past actions could be called love. Everything he did was driven by his desire for possession.
Now, Apollo had changed. The principle guiding his actions had become love.
Love for the one he cherished.
With this shift in his motives, Apollo's entire aura transformed. His once-greasy smile now seemed refreshing and radiant.
Goddesses who had previously looked down on Apollo couldn't help but show tender smiles as they watched him interact with Hyakinthos.
The scene of Apollo and Hyakinthos playing together appeared perfectly harmonious.
But...
"Good times never last long."
Alice's voice suddenly filled the hearts of all the gods present with an inexplicable sorrow, as if something terrible was about to happen.
On the screen, Apollo held a discus and hurled it into the distance.
Hyakinthos, beaming with joy, laughed heartily and ran after the thrown discus.
Everything seemed so perfect.
Yet in the very next moment—blood entered Apollo's field of vision, and the eyes of every god as well.
"Hyakinthos!!!"
On the plain, Apollo went mad, screaming as he rushed toward Hyakinthos.
The gods outside the screen were frozen in shock.
They had seen clearly why Hyakinthos was struck by the discus.
Even at its most powerful, Apollo's throw shouldn't have caused such severe harm to Hyakinthos.
But now, Hyakinthos was hit by that very discus—his head split open, hovering at death's door.
Such a thing should never have happened.
Yet in that split second, every god witnessed it: the moment Apollo threw the discus, a trace of his divine power emerged.
The discus had been infused with Apollo's divinity, turning it into an unstoppable object.
Not just Hyakinthos, a Level 3, but even Ottar, Level 7 and at Freya's side, would have been unable to catch a discus imbued with divine power.
But why? Why would Apollo—who had sealed his own power in the mortal world—infuse the discus with divinity?
The reason was simple.
Just as magic power is born from one's spirit and soul, so too is divine power born from the soul of a god.
Though the gods had sealed their power, it wasn't something easily undone. Apollo, who had already let go of his desire to possess Alice, would never intentionally release his divinity inside the illusion.
So there was only one explanation:
This outcome was orchestrated by Alice.
By some unknown means, Alice had drawn out the divine power within Apollo—without him noticing in the slightest. Such a method was truly terrifying.
Witnessing this, all the gods were stunned, their hearts filled with apprehension toward Alice.
Imagine—someone who could draw out a god's divine power, making them violate the rules Uranus had set for the mortal realm—how could that not frighten the gods?
That said, some more cunning gods weren't too worried. In fact, they saw it as a future excuse to secretly use their divine power. They'd done so before, but now they could do it more frequently.
Still, these gods were only entertaining the thought.
Recalling how Alice had referred to herself at the banquet, they couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
"A witch… truly a witch. A witch who toys with hearts."
"Alice's puppet show… Apollo really is like a puppet, being manipulated by the witch."
--+--
Divine power, like magic, is a force born from the soul and spirit.
If magic can be drawn out by external forces, so can divine power.
However, a god's spirit is immensely powerful, making it extremely difficult to draw out their divinity. Even Alice hadn't been completely sure she could succeed with Apollo.
Of course, even if she had failed, Alice had backup plans.
Hyakinthos's physical body was strong, but under the influence of her realm ability, it became as fragile as a freshly fried prawn cracker.
Even an ordinary discus falling from the sky could kill him.
But the effect might have been less dramatic, and more easily detected by Apollo.
As for whether the other gods would see through it, Alice didn't mind.
She was already prepared to send Apollo back to the heavens.
For now, it was enough that Apollo believed it was his own mistake.
After all the earlier foreshadowing—a reformed god experiencing growth—wouldn't it be natural for his spirit and soul to undergo change as well?
And if his soul and spirit changed, wouldn't it be reasonable for his power to fluctuate as well?
So, losing control for a moment and letting a sliver of divinity slip out… wasn't that only to be expected?
Of course, things clearly wouldn't go exactly as Alice imagined.
If the other gods could detect that Alice had used some method, then Apollo himself, as the one involved, would also sense it clearly.
But what did it matter if he realized?
It wouldn't change the fact that Hyakinthos was now on the brink of death.
--+--
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