Apostle of the Goddess of War

Chapter 179

Ch.179 Apostle of the Goddess of War

Sion walked into the temple. The pillars had collapsed and were scratched, lacking their former imposing presence.

The atmosphere made the myths of the Goddesses feel like fairy tales from a very distant past.

Future humans who see this place will be surprised.

'They worshipped Goddesses here? They believed Goddesses actually existed? What a funny story.'

Someone will surely get angry at this, refute it, and try to prove the actual existence of Goddesses. Thus, they will exchange further conflicts, fights, and philosophical discourses.

Of course, this pointless debate is a time that will only come if the future is guaranteed.

If we cannot stop the God of destruction and apocalypse who decided to erase the world, nothing has meaning.

The epic poems and myths of Goddesses and holy knights left for posterity will not exist; they will remain as dust that no one will remember.

Sion walked the path destined to turn into dust. To leave behind relics, the Apostle of the Goddess of War advanced through a thorny road.

'……'

Suffocating air pressed down from Sion's lungs. An indescribable atmosphere stirred the air. Gazes never felt before touched Sion's cheeks.

Every Goddess in the world had gathered here.

Here were Goddesses who disliked Sion, liked him, or were neutral. Some had no interest, some held affection, and some were curious.

If Achille, who was half-acknowledged as the current Supreme Goddess, had not been here, Sion's appearance alone would have turned the Goddess assembly into chaos.

Stomp, stomp.

Sion walked among the Goddesses toward the center.

With Achille at the center, Menesia and Magoth stood on the left and right, and beside them, Goddesses familiar to Sion and those meeting him for the first time stood in rows.

Sion's left cheek stung. On the left stood Goddesses once called Evil Gods. Though some had converted, many still held ill feelings.

A conquering monarch rules by fear; it is hard to truly win hearts in a short time.

Sion stood in the exact center. Facing Achille, he nodded lightly.

"Sion."

The Goddess of War's jade voice rang out. Now that the Divine Power of the Goddesses had greatly diminished, conveying their will through spoken words placed less burden on the human body.

"I greet you, My Lady."

Sion knelt and paid his respects. It was a truly devout attitude. The Goddesses quietly admired his noble loyalty.

"My child. Have you rested enough?"

"Not really."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. I want to sleep in a bit more, and spend a little more time with my family."

Murmur, murmur.

At Sion's nonchalant remark, the Goddesses whispered. Covering their mouths, they looked at Sion and chattered among themselves.

Now that they spoke with voices, Sion could understand all the Goddesses' words. It was possible because he had ultra-senses that perceived every moth flying around.

'Seven out of ten Goddesses dislike me….'

Sion gauged public opinion internally. It was not a good situation.

'Well, having rested comfortably in this situation, they wouldn't like it.'

Goddesses are always resentful, arrogant, and ungrateful. Sion had also learned to accept this by now. After all, they are all ones who kissed the Goddess of War's boots.

"You are an Apostle of War. Yet you wish to rest more?"

Achille asked. She would respect Sion's wishes however she could.

It was just that there were external eyes to consider, so she was acting stiffly for now.

Since they knew each other's hearts anyway, it was close to an act they performed together. Despite not having a proper conversation for quite some time, their hearts remained connected.

Sion and Achille exchanged glances. Sion paused for a moment before opening his mouth.

"I want to rest, but I have returned because there is still work to be done."

The Goddesses murmured again. Achille raised her hand, and the assembly fell silent. It was Sion's turn to speak.

"My apostle, state your reason."

No long explanation or excuse was needed.

Achille had given Sion time to rest without words, conditions, or deadlines.

Even if he had put everything down just like that, Achille would not have added a single word. Sion decided to repay the Goddess's trust.

It was a relationship between Goddess and apostle built on steel-like trust. All Goddesses envied these two. It was the ideal form itself.

Sion regulated his breathing and opened his mouth again.

"I… spent some time putting everything down."

Sion recalled the happy moments of the past few days.

"It was so comfortable, to the point where I wondered when I had ever been without any worries or anxieties."

Sion caught his breath.

"But gradually, I became anxious. Because I knew this peace would not last long. Even if I tried to look away, on the other side, a spectacle unfolded where the land itself was lifted up and turned into powder."

The Goddesses also listened intently. Not a single one made a noise.

"This anxious peace was too good, yet I hated it."

Sion quietly clenched his fist tightly.

"……I admit there is no hope."

One sentence shook the entire collapsed temple.

The gazes of the Goddesses, wavering like candle flames, all fixed on Sion at once.

"The God of Destruction has already reached a level where neither humans nor Goddesses can do anything even if they join forces."

Sion continued to appeal as if giving a speech.

"The immortal Divine Power we humans believed in is collapsing, and the cracks grow larger every day. The Goddesses are also letting go. You know this well. You know that the history and legacy you Goddesses have built up are now disappearing."

A subtle tremor spread among the Goddesses. Some avoided eye contact, while others hardened their faces, refusing to admit it.

After confirming that reaction, Sion quietly continued.

"But I have returned. Not because there is hope, but because there is no hope."

Silence fell.

Only a tiny minority realized Sion's words. Achille held a smile invisible to anyone.

She did not miss the flame of hope blazing inside her apostle's eyes.

"You keep talking nonsense about vague things from earlier."

On the left, one Goddess stepped forward from the crowd. It was Magoth, the Evil God of Darkness.

Though she had converted, her true nature had never completely disappeared.

She still stood in opposition to Achille and Sion. Also, there was a role an Evil God had to play.

It was opposition for the sake of opposition. Magoth took on the villainous role to diversify thinking and perspective.

"If there is no hope, you should give up. Why fight? Do you mistake recklessness for a virtue of the Goddess of War, Apostle? Your arrogance is excessive."

Magoth twisted the corner of her mouth upward. The mockery that would have felt scary and mean in the past now felt like a warm heart.

Sion understood Magoth's intention. Looking at it now, it seemed Achille and the Goddesses in charge of key roles had already reached an agreement.

All that remained was for Sion to act appropriately to persuade all Goddesses and humans to start fighting.

"Quietly accept death and extinction."

At those words, several Goddesses nodded. Especially the Goddesses who were once Evil Gods looked down on Sion coldly.

"The true end we desired and a world set right will unfold."

"That's right. It's already over."

"No matter how much you struggle, the result won't change."

Seizing the moment, cold words riding the wave of public opinion dampened the atmosphere. Magoth spoke as if teaching Sion.

"Apostle of the Goddess of War. I know you have tried hard enough. However, this is something neither Achille nor everyone combined can achieve. So give up. Do not hasten your own death unnecessarily; enjoy the last peace with your family."

Magoth glared at Sion coldly, chillingly so.

"This is advice given as a Goddess, apart from my personal likes or dislikes toward you. Weak human, rest now."

"Hmm—"

Sion looked at her for a moment. No emotion, anger, or rage was mixed in.

It was just a face showing refusal.

That expression irritated Magoth's nerves.

"You seem not to understand."

Magoth laughed cynically.

"If there is no hope, it is right to collapse. How do you escape a pitch-black maze?"

"……No."

Sion's voice was low and firm. It was a voice drawn from deep within his bones.

"Because there is no hope, we collapse. Because there is no hope, we give up. Because there is no hope… we die."

Sion lifted his head and faced Magoth directly.

"That may be a path a Goddess can take, but it is not a path a human can take."

Magoth narrowed her eyes. This time, she was genuinely flustered by Sion's answer.

"What do you mean?"

"Hope is a luxury for humans."

Sion slowly looked around at the Goddesses. They were all beauties resembling humans, but their souls were not entirely human.

They were slightly different.

It was a weakness.

"If living requires hope, then the moment hope disappears, all humans must die."

Sion recalled the history of humanity.

Commoners who lived without hope, plagues, wars, poverty… People who had to live despite it all passed through his mind. Including Sion himself, he sought the answer.

Why do we live in pain?

"I have never fought believing in hope on the battlefield."

Sion spoke slowly, and with each word, the Goddesses' gazes wavered.

"We had to live without hope, we had to protect without hope, and someone had to endure until the end without hope."

Standing in the middle of the temple, Sion declared without emotion.

"Hope is not a condition for fighting. Nor is it the purpose of fighting."

Magoth lost for words. Although it was an opposing stance agreed upon to some extent, now she simply wanted to hear the conclusion this human named Sion presented.

Sion added one last thing.

"We fight because there is no hope. Because there is no hope, we must protect at least the time we existed. Both the existence of you Goddesses and the history of weak humans. It is merely a journey to find hope."

Heavy breaths flowed from among the Goddesses.

Some lowered their heads, while others bit their lips.

Achille closed her eyes and did not speak for a long time. Then, very quietly and slowly, she opened her eyes and looked at Sion.

"State what you wish to do, Sion."

"Yes, My Lady."

Sion stepped forward. He glanced at Magoth once. Magoth stared at Sion silently.

The Evil God who admitted defeat was gentler than anyone else here.

Magoth decided to believe in the human trusted by Eru, who had abandoned her.

Just as Sion was about to open his mouth, another Goddess could not hold back and stepped forward.

"Then. What do we become, Apostle of the Goddess of War?"

Surprisingly, it was Menesia.

Though positioned closest to Achille, regarding this issue, she was the coldest Goddess of all.

Even Achille was surprised by Menesia's remark and lifted her head. Menesia did not mind.

True to the Goddess of Wisdom, it was a sight of craving wisdom. Though there was no chance of obtaining the wisdom she desired from a human, Menesia was curious.

"What do you mean, Goddess of Wisdom?"

Menesia parted her lips.

"You called fighting without hope the human way. Then, for what should we Goddesses fight? We have declared surrender. Achille argues for fighting, but I still cannot agree."

Her voice trembled, but it was a tremor born from anger, not emotion.

Menesia glanced slightly at Achille. In a small voice, she said, 'I'm sorry, Achille. I still cannot be convinced.'

Achille closed her mouth.

Persuading and making everyone understand was Sion's role. It was also a matter Achille had failed to resolve during the past time.

To step into battle, the strength of everyone is needed. Yet Achille had not persuaded everyone.

'Sion….'

Achille's last hope was also her Apostle.