Chapter 24: Iris and Freya

The cloud shattered into a thin mist. On the ground, people watched in awe as a piercing light—shining even brighter than the sun—dyed the entire world in pure white. Water rippled violently and tree leaves fluttered in the heavy wind.

“Just... a little more...” Aria muttered to herself.

She accelerated even faster, her speed causing the blinding light to vanish from sight. Moments later, a black portal tore open in midair, and Aria plunged directly into it.

In the Divine Realm, a grand castle stood surrounded by a cluster of small houses. The entire area was rich with breathtaking scenery: crystal-clear water, chirping birds, fresh air, and a perfectly warm sun.

Inside the castle, two figures were playing a game of chess. One of them, a woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, wore a warm smile and chuckled as she watched her younger companion—who had long red hair—struggle to make her move.

The blonde goddess wore a pristine white silk dress fit for a divine being, while the red-haired girl was dressed casually in a black-and-red hoodie.

“Hmm...” the red-haired girl hummed, thinking hard.

“Hehehe...” the blonde chuckled at her struggle.

“Hmmm...”

“Hehehehe...”

“Hmmmmmm...”

“HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE!”

The red-haired one finally snapped. Pointing an accusing finger at the blonde, she raised her voice in frustration. “Could you shut your big mouth up?! I’m trying to think about my next move!”

“Ah... sorry,” the blonde replied, waving her hands in a soothing gesture. “I was just thinking about how cute you look when you struggle.”

“Geez! This is why I didn't want to be the next goddess! If I get assigned to Iris-senpai, my career as a goddess will end before it even starts,” she muttered under her breath.

“Aww... don’t be like that. I’m happy you were assigned as my partner,” Iris giggled again. “Working with someone I know is way better than working with a stranger. Anyway... Freya, what about that person... what was his name again? Leno... Leo? I heard he’ll be fighting against Aria soon.”

“Who cares...” Freya muttered without looking up, reviewing the board once more. “We all know defeating that white-haired, blindfolded monster is impossible for anyone. Besides, I only summoned him to fulfill my monthly quota.”

“Freya...” Iris narrowed her eyes, watching her with a troubled expression.

“Finally!” Freya’s eyes lit up as a sharp, smug smile spread across her face. “Hehehe... Iris, you still have time to surrender. Because if you don’t, I’m going to—”

She lifted her knight from the board, but before she could set it down, a black portal opened directly above them.

Aria was thrown out at top speed, crashing violently into the board. The chess set shattered into pieces as Aria skidded along the floor for several meters before finally coming to a stop.

Iris barely managed to dodge the impact, while Freya floated away to a safe distance.

Aria stood up, dusted herself off, and turned to give them a thumbs-up. “Safe...”

A sudden fountain of blood sprayed from her head.

“You are not safe at all!” Freya complained, floating back down. “Also, you ruined my winning move!”

“Game...?” Aria tilted her head in confusion. Golden light erupted around her, instantly healing her injuries as she walked toward them. “Anyway... I’m here to...”

Iris immediately took a battle stance and summoned her divine staff. Her voice shook, her expression tense as she sensed an insane amount of aura surrounding Aria—an aura that was not divine, but pitch-black.

“I won’t let you harm Freya!” Iris cried out, trying to protect her. “She only summoned a Hero because—”

“You’re jumping to conclusions again,” Aria sighed. She drew her sword, Infinity, and tossed it at Iris’s feet. “See? I’m not here to fight. I just want to ask a few questions, then I’ll leave quietly. So... where is Vael, your boss?”

“Vael-sama isn’t here right now,” Iris said, grinding her teeth. “Besides, why would we answer questions from the very person who once tried to eradicate our entire race?”

“I’m sorry about that. How many times do I need to apologize? Back then, I was blindly following my father’s orders. I just did what he asked. And look—just as you gods asked, I’ve never stepped foot in here again until now. I’ve kept our deal.”

“But...” Iris hesitated.

Freya stepped past Iris and stood directly in front of Aria. “You’re way too tense, Iris-senpai. Though she isn't entirely wrong... but we can't talk in such a messy place, can we? Let me clean this up.”

Freya snapped her fingers. Time seemed to rewind—the broken table and shattered pieces restored themselves to their original state.

“So, we’ll treat you as our guest today,” Freya continued. “What would you like? Tea, or something like co—”

“Wine,” Aria interrupted bluntly.

“Well, I was going to suggest—”

“Wine!”

“Sigh... This is why I always struggle dealing with you,” Freya muttered. “This is a divine realm. We can’t serve alcoholic beverages here.”

“I see. Then tea will be fine,” Aria said after a moment’s thought.

Freya clapped her hands, summoning a servant from outside to prepare tea. A few moments later, the servant served them, and the three sat around the restored table.

Iris, still uneasy about Aria's presence, asked, “So... why did you really come here?”

“Right! I saw something I need to confirm.”

“Confirm what?” Freya pressed.

“I saw someone using a cursed relic. The very same relic you gods supposedly destroyed in the past—the one that consumes its opponent's mana and divine energy.”

Iris looked alarmed. “Are you implying we’re behind it?”

“Nah. That relic is extremely dangerous to gods like you, so it's unlikely a god would hide it and hand it to a mortal.”

“Then why come all the way here just to confirm that?” Freya asked. “Couldn't you have used telepathy or something?”

“I could, but then I wouldn't be able to tell if you were lying. Face-to-face, I can read the fluctuations in your mana when I ask.”

“Clever as always...” Freya muttered under her breath.

“Anyway, there’s one more thing,” Aria continued. “Freya, could you lend some of your mana to Leo? While fighting the person holding that relic, his mana nervous system was damaged beyond repair. If left like that, he’ll eventually die.”

“Wait... he did what?” Freya blinked. “Someone managed to defeat the one I summoned?”

“Yep. After your lent mana was sucked away by that relic, he went back to being a normal human just like he was on Earth. It was easy to finish off that kid.”

“I see. Well, that’s concerning...” Iris said, looking over at Aria before turning to Freya. “Freya... go meet him by opening a Dream Gate. Meanwhile, I’ll search for clues on how someone got their hands on such a relic. And until then...”

“I’ll go clean up the mess you created, as always,” Aria said with a slight smile as she leaned down, picked up Infinity, and prepared to leave.

Iris stopped her, her voice trembling slightly. “You... you really won't start another war like last time, right?”

Aria paused. “Why would I? Besides, there are plenty of people worshipping you down on the surface. I have no desire to become the person who destroys their faith.”

With that, Aria stepped back into the black portal, leaving Freya and Iris alone in the quiet castle.