Of course, Ares's arrival was exactly what Rovi hoped for—but certainly not what Athens desired.
Had this remained merely a war between mortals, the conflict between Athens and Sparta would already be concluded, with Athens's victory assured.
But if Ares intervened, Athena naturally couldn't remain uninvolved either.
The war would escalate from one between humans to a "divine war" between gods themselves.
The scales of victory would shift toward an unknowable outcome.
Just then, Rovi's voice rang out clearly:
"So you're Ares, the God of War? Pretty arrogant, aren't you?"
"Feeling afraid now, mortal who only knows petty tricks?" Ares sneered down disdainfully.
"Actually, I do feel a little scared," Rovi rubbed his chin, a smirk forming at his lips. "Considering you've been beaten by the Titans, strung up by Hephaestus, and defeated countless times by Athena—yet still maintain this kind of attitude—that's terrifying on a whole new level."
"…"
With every sentence Rovi spoke, Ares's face grew darker.
Every single word cut openly into old wounds.
This was true psychological warfare—utterly ruthless.
"Come to think of it, Lord Ares, have you ever even won a fight?"
"What's that? You lose more than you win?"
"Then what're you bragging for!?"
The three goddesses: "…"
Athena: "…"
Provoking a god like this…was simply outrageous on multiple levels.
Crack—
Ares's grip on his spear tightened audibly.
"A mere mortal dares defy me, the very God of War!?" Just as expected, Ares's fury erupted explosively the very next moment.
Though both were gods of war, Athena and Ares differed greatly. Athena represented wisdom and warfare; Victory itself was one of her subordinate divinities. She presided over arts, navigation, agriculture, medicine, courts, and order. Even though her morality wasn't flawless in human eyes, she undoubtedly belonged firmly within the camp of order and goodness.
Yet Ares was purely a god of slaughter, representing death, bloodshed, destruction—war for war's sake, a god aligned wholly with chaos.
His existence was only to wage war, only to kill.
At this very moment, the wrath of the God of Slaughter unfurled completely. Ares's Authority stained the skies around him scarlet; even the air itself reeked of blood.
Standing atop his bronze chariot drawn by four horses, the god's horrifying presence weighed oppressively upon everyone's hearts.
This divine pressure wasn't something mere humans could endure.
"No need to wait for Athena—she won't be coming!" Ares sneered. Despite his anger, he hadn't lost his rationality yet; his arrogant face twisted into a mocking grin. "Athena, goddess of war and victory, would never set foot on the battlefield of defeat."
"Hahahaha…"
In the distance, Athena's expression darkened. Indeed, she wouldn't enter the battlefield herself—but not for the reason Ares stated. Rather, this had been the condition of the conflict all along.
Athena had grown weary of her endless disputes with Ares.
She had used her refusal to intervene personally as leverage to secure a promise from Ares that, for the next century, the Authority over war would be governed by whoever won this very battle.
If not for that, Athena wouldn't have invited Rovi.
Whether the initially planned Heracles or now Rovi, both were heroes capable of confronting gods directly.
I hope he can hold out, Athena thought silently.
He didn't need to defeat Ares—just delay him for long enough.
For the sage who had once masterminded the exile of an entire pantheon, this should pose no real difficulty.
Despite thinking so, Athena still felt uncertain deep down.
Even the goddess of victory couldn't guarantee victory would always favor her side.
"Ares!" Rovi spoke again, immediately drawing attention from all three sides—Athena's people, the three goddesses, and Ares himself.
"So you haven't fled yet..."
"Arrogant human, thinking of begging for mercy before your death? Don't worry, I shall grant you the best possible end—impaled by my spear!"
Ares spoke with bloodlust, spinning his spear through the air, summoning an icy, violent wind.
Rovi was about to speak again, but footsteps behind interrupted him.
"Oh dear, since you're invited by Lady Athena herself, now that Lord Ares is personally acting, we can't just stand by, can we?" A crisp, childish voice sounded as three petite figures with purple hair appeared around Rovi.
Stheno, Euryale, and…
Medusa.
The three goddesses serving Athena.
"So it's you—" Rovi understood the moment he saw Medusa.
"Don't mind us, mortal." The one who had spoken first was Stheno, standing to his left; now Euryale on the right addressed Rovi directly: "The might of a god isn't something you can endure. Though we don't know why Lady Athena specifically summoned you, given that little girl is so concerned about you, we won't simply watch you get bullied."
"Uuu… I-it's not like that…" Behind Rovi, Medusa lowered her head further, desperately hoping to fade into invisibility.
"If your voice gets any quieter, you'll definitely face punishment when we get back!" Euryale deliberately wore a fierce look, causing Medusa to tremble even harder.
"Three mere subordinate goddesses of Athena dare show such arrogance?" Ares finally spoke again, scoffing openly, "Just the four of you think you can oppose me, the ruler of war, Lord Ares himself!?"
Standing atop his bronze chariot, the God of War's divine aura flared intensely, dyeing the sky like the blazing glow of a dying sun.
Athena's soldiers were trembling, barely able to stand upright, let alone speak.
Stheno and Euryale exchanged a hesitant glance. Yet when confronted by Medusa's earnest, resolute expression, both suddenly froze again.
"Sister, sister—looks like that girl's serious?"
"She's that desperate to save someone? This guy does seem rather interesting, though…"
The two whispered, but made no attempt to conceal their conversation.
Medusa's face flushed deeper again.
The young girl's feelings were simple and pure; just as her two sisters had guessed, she truly wanted to "save" Rovi.
Not because of anything complicated, but simply because…
He had smiled at her.
A smile devoid of malice—something no one other than Athena, Stheno, and Euryale had ever shown her before.
"You know… I'm an adult, after all." Rovi glanced at the two little girls flanking him, then behind at the bashful Medusa, somewhat helplessly amused.
Then he leaned down slightly to face them at eye level—
"Are you trying to thank us? No need; the gratitude of a mortal is worthless to us," Euryale replied pridefully.
"Indeed, it's unnecessary. We act purely according to our own wishes," added Stheno.
Medusa remained silent, but her beautiful eyes clearly conveyed her feelings.
But Rovi just shook his head gently. "You've misunderstood. I have no intention of thanking you."
"What I wanted to say is: This battle, I alone am enough."
"You can't be serious?" Euryale's eyes widened incredulously as she shouted. "You can't defeat a god!"
"I never thought of defeating a god." Even though he had already done it once successfully before.
Rovi pointed toward the Spartans lying on the ground, then toward the trembling Athenians nearby.
"But these people still need your protection, don't they?"
"Isn't protecting them the very duty of gods?"
"So—this fight is mine alone."
Rovi gently rubbed each of the girls' heads.
Then straightened.
Facing the God of War alone.
"Hahaha! For a mortal, your bravery is truly admirable—even earning praise from Ares himself!" Ares swung his spear broadly, roaring, "As tribute, I shall ensure you die by my own spear!"
Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa stood frozen.
He…had rubbed their heads.
He had treated them like children.
"Protecting others…what an idiot!" Euryale complained.
"Is he not afraid of death?" Stheno voiced her confusion openly.
Medusa simply blushed quietly.
Even gods feared death. To anyone else, death was undoubtedly terrifying.
Yet not to Rovi.
"So, this war requires only me alone."
Rovi flicked his wrist, stepping forward.
The wind gently blew, carrying melodies like Hermes's lyre—softly, quietly—playing the song of a journey homeward.
Rovi, too, yearned to set foot upon his road home.
"Come, Ares, God of War." He smiled lightly.
"Let's begin!"
---
T/N: OOOOOHHHHHH ROVI???? WHY MUST U AURA FARM!!!! oh right he needs to beall heroic tsk tsk tsk i see you i see you
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