Lead-colored clouds brood in the sky.

Right now, Allen was in a world that can be described as a Utopia or rather Heaven for mortals.

Mt. Olympus.

A magical mountain that was floating a few dozen meters on the ground. With its extremely tall, probably twice or even three times taller than Mount Everest, Allen guesses. The entire mountain was not just a simple mountain but tall buildings, primeval Greek style buildings can be seen aligning in the wall of the mountain, making it a sight to be seen.

After meeting Lucy, or should be called Athena instead, Allen and Asmodeus were picked up by a flying golden chariot. After a few minutes of waiting, the chariot arrived at the peak of Mt. Olympus.

There, a huge castle could be seen.

Athena led Allen and Asmodeus in one of the rooms inside the castle –Though this place was certainly, the famous Parthenon!

Just like the classic Parthenon, the place is like a temple of the Doric order with eight columns at the façade, and seventeen columns at the flanks. Its massive foundations were made of limestone, and the columns were made of Pentelic marble.

Outside the temple, one can see the beautiful blue sky stretches as far as the eyes can see. Near the temple, there are waterfalls spilling mist into the air and forming clouds.

It was a magnificent sight.

Within the temple was a huge statue of Athena, though the appearance looked completely different than the one she has as Lucy, probably the one in the statue was the real appearance of Athena and Lucy was just one of her incarnation!

The statue of Athena was made completely of Gold, standing upright, with a tunic reaching to the feet. Unlike the statue in Earth’s Parthenon, here, she was holding a long sword in her right hand and a shield with medusa’s head on its center. She was wearing a classic Greek helmet; a Corinthian helmet with a horsehair crest.

The helmet covered the entire head and neck, with slits for the eyes and mouth. A large curved projection protected the nape of the neck.

She looks extremely valiant and heroic.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been here,” Athena muttered while wearing a faint nostalgic smile. “I think you should have known this already but this is my temple… anyway, let’s sit,”

In front of the Statue was a table and chairs made up of marbles.

Allen sat down without any care. For him, although she was indeed Athena but she was at the same time, Lucy. A friend.

Besides, he indeed has some debt he wanted to repay.

“Ever since I had come into this world, you are the first High God I had seen… why?” Allen asked curiously. “It can’t be that demons had managed to defeat all the High Gods, right?”

Although had read the declined state of the different Clans from the records in the Norse Clan but it was still a very unbelievable fact for him. After all, Demons are just Demons, no matter how many they are, they would never be able to defeat even one High God. Obviously, it would be a different matter if the High Gods were to fight against the High Ranking Devils such as the Demon Princes or Virgil. The outcome would then be a bit uncertain.

Still, even if they managed to defeat a High God, defeating them all was completely absurd. Even unthinkable!

Athena smiled wryly. She then raised her head and looked at Asmodeus who in response averted her eyes. “The Demons are not the only enemy,” She then sighed as she stared at Allen. “The Primordial Gods too…”

“What!?” Allen’s eyes widened in shock. The Primordial Gods?

The first race of beings and deities that came into existence in all worlds. It meant that they were none other than, the first Gods!

In the Norse Clan, Allen had focused his attention on the Demon records, the time they first appeared and the actions they had made. Thus, he had only learned that the God Clan had started its decline… not knowing the full reason. He had always assumed that it was Demons who had started this war… or probably Virgil.

But, for the Primordial Gods to be…

“That had happened before the Demons appeared…” Athena spoke with a soft voice as if she was sighing. “… The Primordials such as Chronus, Gaia, Ouranos, Erebus and Thanatos and still many Primordial Gods in different mythologies appeared one after another. This had caused quite a stir in the Celestial Realm once. Thus, we had realized that Ragnarok was already close…”

“At that time we dubbed it as [ War of Myth ]…”

“War of Myth…?”

“Yeah, the first war in the Celestial Realm in a thousand years.” Athena waved her hand and three cups with saucers, sandwiches and a kettle appeared one after another on the marble table. She raised the kettle and poured tea into the cups. “In the first [ War of Myth ], we have somehow won with the sacrifice of many gods…”

!!?

“Many Gods have fallen such as Zeus, Ares, Hera, Odin, Ra, Osiris and many more. There were even Gods who have gone missing like Poseidon, Thoth, Hestia, Hermes, Thor etc…” Athena patiently explained. Her expression was filled with grief.

“Fallen? You mean died right? Even those who are immortals?”

“…Gods are indeed immortals…” Athena answered. “…Unlike the other Godkins and High Humans who had managed to ascend into God realm, High Gods such as me and the others are known as Ancient Ones. We can be reborn no matter how many times we died… the reason is…”

“Myth… wasn’t it? As long as your myth and legends existed, you will never disappear. Your soul itself was the myth,” Allen spoke with certainty. “…right?”

Lucy, no, Athena smiled brilliantly. “I really like your intelligence. I won’t be having a hard time in explaining things as you catch on fast~”

“… …”

“That’s right. Our aspects, our divinities, all of them depended on the myths weaved by mortals and passed on generations to generations in every world. Thus, just like you say, even if we are killed, we would still be reborn bearing the same souls, powers, aspects, and divinities. Primordials are also the same…” Athena smiled faintly.

“However, normally when a God died, it’s not instantaneous. When a God died, it would take several millennia for him to be reborn again. And most of all, when they successfully reborn, they will lose all their powers and memories for a short time with only a bit [ Divinity ] remaining.”

“… …”

Gods were indestructible. Even if life and body were lost, their own existence would continue to persist.

Even if they died, as long as their souls continue to exist, they would never disappear and will only return and be reborn once again. That is why they are called Immortals!

Still, although they were indeed immortal, unable to age or die from natural causes or mortal weapons. Divine weaponry, like Zeus’ Bolt and other Godly artifacts as well as fellow Gods, Titans or Primordials could harm and kill them, however.

“But this time it was different. The Gods who fell in battle was cast out deep into the abyss… sealed in that place. Never to be reborn or reincarnated again…” While speaking, Athena’s eyes narrowed while staring at Asmodeus. Her tone implying something…

Allen noticed Athena’s gaze and his eyes subconsciously looked towards Asmodeus who was acting as if she didn’t notice anything.

“What happened…?”

“When there were High Gods that had successfully reborn throughout the passing years, they were then one by one assassinated and thrown into the Abyss. Due to lacking in power, they couldn’t fight back and was defeated… when we realized what was happening, it was already too late. Most reincarnated Gods were already done in…”

“And the culprit of this was… the Demons…” Allen smiled wryly.

Athena sighed and nodded. “When we were about to react, the Demons started their invasion. The Demons appeared just in front of every Clan’s door, knocking. And thus, we were caught off guard. All the High Gods and Guardians were nowhere and we were easily defeated…”

“This can’t possibly be Virgil’s work… at that time, Virgil’s power and mental status should be still a bit unstable… Mammon?” Allen looked up at Asmodeus who then in response nodded her head.

“It was indeed, Mammon’s play,” Asmodeus answered honestly. The Demon Prince of Greed!

He was even more insatiable than Beelzebub who was known as the Prince of Gluttony. His desire to possess everything; money, wealth, power, influence, all of the world has to offer was extremely endless! But the worst aspect of that terrifying Demon Prince was that he was extremely smart and cunning.

Unlike Beelzebub who prefers using force to conquer everything, he uses his brain to snatch everything!

So that is the reason why all the High Gods seemed to be extinct and most of all… why the Demons had managed to almost conquer the Celestial Realm. They had taken advantage of the Primordial Gods rampage and use it to their advantage!

What a witty demon…

“Anyway, let’s set those things aside…” Athena’s voice sounds both like an adult woman and a young girl. It was still the familiar yet unfamiliar feeling as the last time they had met. What a nostalgic feeling.

“It has been a long time. Old friend,”

The reason why Allen feels nostalgia now probably has something to do with meeting her again. When he was still a nobody in the world, without any memories or specialness, he had met her and had taken great help from her, in both timelines.

“Certainly. How many months has it been since we last met, Lucy, or should I call you, Athena? Either way, I am happy that you still look young and healthy.”

Athena smiles. Allen wonders if he had said something funny?

“Just call me Lucy… After all these years of acting like the mysterious Lucy, I had taken a liking to that name.”

“Certainly, I never thought that you would be the infamous Athena… I hope I didn’t show anything embarrassing that might jeopardize my graceful character~” Allen chuckled.

Athena laughs like a little girl and shakes her head, “No, that is not the case. Though there were some interesting parts but what can say? This had also been one of the reasons why I like taking another character. It has its fun that would always save me from utter boredom…”

Allen and Athena laugh together. Asmodeus who was looking at them find it somewhat difficult to comprehend what they were talking and could only act like she didn’t exist.

“Even still, compared to when I saw you last, you look much livelier, and I am glad that you are so. However, indeed, never did I think that the one I had taken a liking to, to be actually none other than… the infamous, Mortal King that was even said to have been favored by the Gods!” Athena smiled meaningfully as she cast Allen a piercing gaze that seemed to want to dissect him alive and study, giving the latter a chill crawling on his spine.

“… …”