Chapter 9: Rejection

Who decides what is just?
Who defines what must be feared… and what deserves a chance?

Since time immemorial, the gods have judged the world from above, believing themselves guardians of balance.
But even among them, doubt seeps in like a crack in marble:
What happens when chaos takes human form?

There are moments when the world halts—
not by the roar of war,
but by the weight of a choice.
No clash of swords, no thunder of colossal powers,
but every word, every vote, every silence…
has the power to change destinies.

This chapter is not about strength, but about gaze.
That gaze the mighty cast upon those who have yet to prove their worth.
That gaze which decides whether someone will be destroyed… or accepted.

Because beyond power or lineage, what truly defines a person…
is what they choose to do when the entire world turns its back on them.

And today, at the center of that gaze, stands a single name:
Eden Yomi.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

The chamber was bathed in dim light. At its center, the sphere containing Eden floated like a dark heart suspended in the air, pulsing with erratic energy. Around it, the gods stood in complete silence… until Zeus’s voice shattered the stillness with restrained fury.

“What in the hell were you thinking, bringing that boy here?”

Shun didn’t even blink.
“You can’t deny it was interesting.”

“Interesting…” Zeus echoed, dripping with contempt. “You’ve just broken one of the oldest rules. No demons are allowed among the candidates.”

“Come on, old man. Don’t be a hypocrite. You know very well all of you have broken that rule before. The difference is… they had influence.”

“That does not concern you.”

An invisible pressure filled the room. The air vibrated as Shun released a fraction of his aura without warning. The floor cracked. The walls trembled.

“Are you sure about that?”

Heracles clenched his fists. He took a step forward.
“You’d better stop, or we’ll act.”

“Do you really think someone as weak as you worries me?”

His words were blades. Heracles nearly launched himself forward—until a firm voice cut in.

“Stop.”

“Now you defend him?”

“No, idiot. I’m saving you from certain death.”

A barely visible smile crossed Shun’s face.
“Well thought.”

Zeus hadn’t moved, but his presence swelled like a mountain collapsing over them all.
“The Olympian Council will decide his fate. In the meantime, make sure that demon doesn’t lose control.”

“As you wish, sir.”

Zeus turned to leave. Hermes followed him in silence. Afrodita, however, did not move.

“I’m staying.”

“Why?”

“Because right now, I’m the only one who can heal his wounds if something goes wrong.”

“We need all twelve.”

“I’ve already cast my vote. And it was in the boy’s favor.”

A murmur rippled through the air, but no one objected. Afrodita stepped closer to the sphere.

“Today I witnessed something I hadn’t seen in thousands of years… the gods standing, not out of fear, nor out of anger, but out of admiration. Perhaps… he’s the one who will break the written history of GODS.”

Shun, still with arms crossed, let out a sigh.
“Believe me, old man. He’s different.”

Zeus gave the faintest nod, never turning.
“Heracles. Stay and watch them.”

“Understood.”

As the gods filed out of the chamber one by one, a shadow of uncertainty lingered.
And at the center of it all, trapped within the sphere, pulsed the silence… of someone whose voice had yet to be heard.

The echo of footsteps slowly faded through the corridors, but the tension refused to dissipate. In another chamber nearby, the atmosphere was different—more youthful, more human… yet just as heavy.

Eyes met in uneasy silence. No one spoke at first. The air was thick with questions that had yet to find words.

“What the hell was that?”

Yuki shattered the quiet, her tone sharp and direct. Shu lifted his gaze, feigning ignorance.

“What are you talking about?”

“In the arena. That aura I felt… it wasn’t yours.”

His denial was immediate, though far from convincing.
“I don’t know what you mean. I’m the one who fought Eden.”

“No. The one who fought… wasn’t you.”

Her words weren’t an accusation. They carried the weight of fact. Of certainty.

Naz nodded, calm yet firm.
“She’s right. The aura I saw in there and the one I see now… they’re not the same.”

Shu swallowed hard. For an instant, it seemed as though he might say something more… but he remained silent.

And then, without warning, something exploded.

The nearest wall shattered into fragments. A body shot across the chamber like a ragdoll, slamming into the far side with a thunderous crack.

It was Heracles.

The three of them leapt to their feet, stunned, disbelieving.

“What… was that?”

The answer arrived before any of them could guess.

Through the haze of dust, someone walked forward. Step by step. Slowly.

He wore no clothing. The dark energy spilling from his body wrapped him in a shadow-like armor, barely covering him. It was no shield… it was a scream.

Naz and Yuki blushed instantly, turning their eyes away. Shu, however, stood frozen—not out of shame, but from sheer shock.

What stood before them… wasn’t exactly Eden.

And yet… it was him.

His steps did not falter. He did not tremble. He did not speak.
He simply advanced.

And for a single moment, the air itself grew heavier than ever.

Far from the chaos and shock, within a sacred marble chamber, words became weapons far sharper than any technique.

Twelve stone-carved thrones formed a perfect circle. One remained empty—Poseidon’s. The rest were filled by the gods of Olympus, gathered in an extraordinary council.

Zeus stood at the center, hands clasped behind his back. His tone was solemn, yet taut with tension.

“Thank you for coming on such short notice. What we must decide today… is no trivial matter.”

Most remained silent. Only Apollo scoffed with irritation.
“And what about that idiot Poseidon?”

“He had other matters to attend,” Zeus replied coldly. “He will not be present.”

Athena, elegant as ever, crossed her legs.
“If you’ve summoned us all, Father… then I suppose the matter carries enough weight.”

“It does,” he confirmed. “It concerns a young man. Eden Yomi. Candidate for the trials. Apprentice of Shun.”

A ripple of discomfort passed through the chamber.

“During his battle, he released a demonic power.”

The silence thickened. Apollo rose to his feet without hesitation.
“Then there’s nothing left to discuss. You know perfectly well what must be done.”

Zeus did not answer immediately. His gaze drifted upward, as if peering beyond the marble ceiling itself.
“I still have doubts.”

“You’re interested in his power, aren’t you?” Dionysus asked, smiling as if he already knew.

Zeus nodded without shame.
“Yes. I am. Because without realizing it… I stood to applaud him. And I wasn’t the only one. Everyone present did the same.”

The confession dropped like a stone in still water. For several seconds, no one spoke.

“So he’s special…” Dionysus murmured, more intrigued than worried. “Now I want to meet him myself.”

“Special or not,” Apollo cut in sharply, “we must protect GODS. That is our duty. Period.”

“Since when are you so boring?” Dionysus sneered.

“I’m not boring. I’m responsible.”

“Boring,” Dionysus repeated flatly.

The clash of glares sparked instantly. The atmosphere grew rough. Hephaestus tried to mediate, but was shoved aside as insults turned to shoves… and shoves to blows.

Athena, still seated, sighed.
“Monkeys…”

Thunder cracked. A lightning bolt split the center of the chamber, freezing everyone in place. Zeus had struck the ground with his scepter. He did not repeat himself.

“Enough. Each of you will cast a vote. And with that, we will decide the boy’s fate.”

One by one, the verdict took shape.

“Against,” said Apollo, without blinking.
“Against,” Athena confirmed.
“In favor,” Ares shrugged.
“In favor,” Artemis whispered.
“I don’t care,” muttered Demeter—her abstention counted as “against.”
“In favor,” Dionysus grinned slyly.
“Against,” Hera decreed.
“In favor,” Hermes added after a long, thoughtful pause.
“In favor,” Hephaestus declared. “Even if it means disobeying you, old man.”
“Afrodita cast her vote earlier,” Zeus announced, glancing at the empty throne. “In favor of the boy.”

Five votes in favor. Five against.

All eyes turned to Zeus. All but Ares, who smiled with mocking complicity.
“Looks like the responsibility falls on you, old man…”

Zeus did not respond. He closed his eyes. Drew in a deep breath.
“I…”

A crash shattered the solemnity.

One of the stone walls crumbled into rubble.

Through the dust, standing tall and alone, was Eden.

The silence was absolute. No one spoke. No one breathed.

Apollo was the first to react, furious.
“You insolent brat! Do you have any idea what you’ve just done?!”

“This… I didn’t expect,” Dionysus murmured with a grin. “Hey, Zeus, can I fight him?”

But Eden did not flinch. He bowed deeply. His voice was steady.
“Please… allow me to enter GODS!”

Apollo already prepared a retort, but Zeus raised his hand.

“Why should we take that risk?”

“I know I don’t yet understand your world. I know I am unworthy. But what I can promise is that I will give everything I have. I’ll fight with all I am. And if I fail… then I will accept the sentence.”

“Do you understand what that means?” Zeus asked. “You’ve been possessed by a demon. In this world… that crime is punishable by death. Do you still accept it?”

“Yes. I accept.”

Silence. Then… a laugh.

Slow. Followed by clapping.

Shun had arrived—as always, without anyone noticing.

“Touching, don’t you think, Zeus?”

Hermes paled.
“When… when did he get in here…?”

“So?” Shun pressed, still smiling. “What’s the verdict?”

Zeus did not answer at once. He lowered his head, then nodded slightly.
“I haven’t decided yet. I need time.”

“You’re really going to leave me in suspense?”

“Be grateful I gathered all the gods,” Zeus replied dryly.

“You’re right. I’ll take him. He needs training.”

Shun patted Eden’s shoulder. The boy, still standing firm before the gods, simply nodded.

And together, they left.

When the doors closed behind them, the weight of Olympus lingered in the air.

Zeus watched them go in silence.
“You remind me so much of him…”

Apollo folded his arms, displeased.
“You’re too soft.”

“Breaking the rules isn’t always wrong,” Zeus answered. “Sometimes… it’s the only right thing to do.”

The wind howled over the mountains surrounding the city. From that height, the lights of the GODS Institute looked insignificant. Small, distant… almost unreal.

Eden drew in a deep breath. The cold air burned his throat. Beside him, Shun stood in silence, arms crossed, gazing at the landscape as if he wanted to carve it into memory.

“Why did you bring me here?” Eden asked, his voice still raw from everything he had endured.

Shun didn’t answer right away. He took his time.
“Did you forget already? You caused quite a stir not long ago. Best to keep away from the crowd. Besides… I wanted to talk to you.”

Eden turned his face toward him.
“Talk about what?”

The pink-haired warrior glanced at him from the corner of his eye, with a smile that—for once—wasn’t arrogant. It was… sad.
“Tomorrow, I leave the city. First thing in the morning.”

Silence settled between them again. Only the wind’s whistle filled the void.

“So soon…? What if they don’t accept me?”

“They will,” Shun said firmly. “That old man Zeus may look harsh, but deep down… he’s soft. After your little stunt today, I’m sure you convinced him. Besides, I’ve been skipping work for months. My boss is ready to hang me. I have to go back.”

Eden forced a smile.
“So… this is the end, huh?”

Shun shook his head.
“This isn’t goodbye. It’s just… see you later. We’ll meet again. I’ll be watching you from the shadows. You’ll always have someone covering your back.”

Eden lowered his gaze, his hair tousled by the wind.
“Thanks… pinkie.”

“You don’t have to thank me. In the end, I’m also doing this for my own reasons.”

“You always say that,” Eden chuckled. “But you’ve never told me what those reasons are.”

Shun finally turned fully toward him.
“To witness the birth of the strongest warrior in the universe.”

“And you think that warrior… is me?”

“I don’t think so,” Shun replied, unwavering. “I know it. I don’t know why… but I have that feeling.”

“Don’t tell me you can see the future.”

“Of course not. That would be boring.”

The two of them laughed. A soft laugh, tinged with exhaustion—but real.

“I hope that one day we can face each other,” Shun said, without turning.

“And I hope to defeat you,” Eden replied.

For a moment, they locked eyes. Then, wordlessly, they clasped hands. A gesture sincere, strong, almost fraternal.

“I’ll become stronger,” Eden promised, eyes fixed on the horizon. “I’ll find those bastards who took my grandfather. And I’ll defeat them.”

“And I’ll do everything I can to catch them before you get there,” Shun answered.

Their auras manifested without either noticing. They weren’t hostile. They didn’t clash. They simply recognized each other.

As if, for a brief second, the universe itself accepted that these two paths were destined to cross again and again.