"I can hear you. The connection is stable, and the basic functions are working as expected." Riku's voice traveled across the cosmos, reaching Alice's ears.
Alice's voice came through again, full of excitement: "Darling, this universe is just too interesting! It has completely gone off the rails. It seems like they tried to force human evolution, but it backfired. It turned everyone into 'zombie-like' creatures."
"And so?" Riku didn't bother guessing. They were an 'old married couple' by now. He knew better than to get dragged into Alice's games. If he wasn't careful, he would just be feeding her amusement.
"Hmph, hmph!"
Alice let out a playful hum and began to explain her 'super bold' plan.
Riku felt his eyebrows twitch as he listened.
"Darling, what do you think?" Alice rattled on, explaining everything in a rush.
Riku replied naturally, "Do whatever you like, just stay safe."
"I knew my darling was the best! Mwah~" Alice cut the connection.
Riku shook his head with a small smile, muttering to himself, "That Alice... well, whatever. Let her play; it's not like she'll cause any real trouble."
As for whether that 'zombie' universe was from some movie, anime, or a world he simply didn't recognize?
Riku didn't pay it much mind.
Because.
Alice would handle it.
Don't let her bubbly, energetic personality fool you. She is the kind of person who would take her own daughter out to go 'fishing' with explosives.
In reality.
When it came to getting things done, Alice was never a problem.
The results were always guaranteed. As for the process? Well, it is better not to ask.
Just as the call ended.
The door to the nursery creaked open. A group of maids surrounded a precious, doll-like infant as if she were the moon among stars, and carried her inside.
Only after confirming the baby was sound asleep did they retreat.
They were tasked with guarding the room, keeping a watchful eye on one another as well.
Throughout the entire process, no one noticed Riku. He sat with his legs crossed, chin resting on one hand, watching the scene with a faint smile.
Under the veil of night.
Everything seemed to fall into a deep silence.
Riku's lips curled upward. He didn't stand up, but instead gazed at the crib and spoke suddenly, "Don't you plan on having a chat? Normally, if I leak even a sliver of my aura, you should be able to sense it, Athena? Or, if you don't care for that name, I could call you Saori Kido!"
"..."
Silence. Absolute stillness.
But only for a moment.
A streak of golden light began to emerge from the infant's body. It took the form of a tall, mature woman with flowing purple hair.
Hmm.
In Riku's memory, Saori Kido had always seemed a bit more youthful. This phantom, however, appeared far more mature and statuesque. The fragility he remembered was nowhere to be found.
The Goddess of War, Victory, and Wisdom.
Surely, no one actually believed...
That she was the type to be kidnapped every other day, only capable of screaming for help?
Surely not?
Hardly.
In the age of myth, she was the one who had beaten Ares, the God of War, until he was 'wailing like a child.'
"Who are you?" The phantom—or rather, Athena, Saori Kido—asked in a ghostly, hollow voice.
No interrogation.
No emotional change.
It was as if.
Riku's presence was merely a curiosity regarding his identity, holding no further significance to her.
"Someone who wants to cooperate with you. Or, perhaps, a God? That title works too," Riku mused, speaking quite casually.
A human?
A god?
Truth be told, for Riku, classifying himself as an 'Innate Divine' was far more accurate. Simple labels like 'human' or 'god' couldn't truly define his race.
"Cooperation?" Saori Kido's delicate brows furrowed. "I don't understand what you're talking about, and I have no interest."
Riku didn't mind the rejection. Instead, he smiled even more gently. "Zeus handed the throne of the God-King to Apollo and vanished from the universe..."
"What exactly are you trying to say?" Saori Kido interrupted sharply.
Riku remained calm, continuing, "However, I discovered Zeus in the cosmos. He seems to be preparing something. And! In his mind, I found a peculiar divine aura—one very similar to yours."
"Impossible!" Saori Kido's tone shifted, becoming piercingly sharp.
"The fact is, she isn't dead. That primordial Goddess of Wisdom, your mother: Metis." Riku shifted his legs, his smile deepening.
"What is your proposal?" Saori Kido asked, saying every word clearly. Her beautiful eyes burned as if trying to see through him.
Riku didn't answer. He stood up and walked to the window, gazing out into the distance.
The nursery fell into a heavy silence.
Neither of them broke it.
After a long while.
Framed by the moonlight, Riku turned his head and smiled. "Once you have secured control of the Sanctuary, that is when our cooperation shall begin."
As his words faded, Riku's phantom disappeared like a dream.
The nursery returned to silence.
Only a single glimmer of light remained, transforming into a crystal ball that hovered beside Saori Kido's crib.
Saori Kido naturally understood what this meant.
"Owl, what do you think?" Saori asked after a long silence.
A phantom emerged—another tall, beautiful woman. She parted her lips slightly and said, "Lady Athena, his identity is not important. What matters is whether the news he brought regarding Lady Metis is true, and whether he is capable of fulfilling his promise."
Is the news true?
Is he capable of doing it?
Saori Kido couldn't be certain of either.
Why had she allowed herself to be drawn into the vortex of the Holy War? Managing the Earth? Was it truly her desire for the throne of the God-King?
It could not be denied.
As a main deity of the fourth generation of gods with a claim to the throne, she had harbored such thoughts. But more than that, it was for the lingering hope in her heart.
Mother!
Saori Kido hoped that her sealed mother could be freed, but was she even still alive?
She was no longer sure.
The endless cycle of Holy Wars had gradually turned her into a walking corpse, simply wasting away through the long passage of time.
Now.
This man had brought news that her mother was still alive, along with a possibility. Should she grasp it?
"Owl, go." After a brief silence, Saori Kido issued the command to her subordinate deity, her beautiful eyes filled with newfound resolve.
"As you command, Lady Athena!"
The Owl bowed as a phantom before vanishing into nothingness.
She would be reborn once more, to stand guard by Lady Athena's side.
PS: If you enjoyed the chapter, please support with some Power Stones it helps a lot with engagement and faster releases! For advanced chapters, visit: pḁtreon.com/muffinya