VOLUME 1 : CHAPTER -3 : AN ETERNAL VOW (PART 1)

CHAPTER -3

AN ETERNAL VOW

Most of them couldn’t believe their eyes and what they were witnessing was beyond common sense for them.

A non-combat Goddess and a shut-in weak girl teaming up to save the world!

Don’t make me laugh.

The more you think about it the more ridiculous it sounds. Yet again this controversy was going out of hand and Almighty World God was losing his patience. He made a threatening smile and concluded the meeting. Everyone could feel the life threatening pressure or force whatever you call it. I was suffocating under it, as if life was slowly zapped out through me.

“Since all the gods and goddesses had chosen their partner, they have to work well together and know each other better till the next week before the reincarnation ceremony to avoid future frictions between these sacred relations. I announce this meeting of General Assembly has come to its end. I hope you all will join the feast tonight in the pantheon.”

At these words all the gods and goddesses as audience left in a blink of an eye by vanishing into thin air. Can I do it too? Maybe I will try it later.

Most of us were still talking to our god and goddess and introductions were in order first. Most of them had already become over friendly with each other and were talking casually like old buddies. Some were pumped up to demonstrate their prowess in weapon wielding and martial arts.

But in our case things had gotten a little awkward. The touching union scene and that pure lustrous way of introducing ourselves were just out of our domain. Social interaction, talking to friends, etiquettes, manners and way of expressing ourselves while talking were just out of our league. We both knew of our limitations without saying a word and so were looking in opposite direction afraid to approach each other out of embarrassment. I didn’t know what to do and my mind was ringing with Christmas jingle bell songs for some reason.

When all the other pairs had left the Assembly grounds, Lady Athena broke the silence and said,” For now let’s go to my room.”

“Okay.” But this trick did not work either, and we still stood standing like fools on display.

Lady Athena felt two ghastly gazes upon her and she started moving quickly towards the exit arch gate and I followed her. But this time I won’t lose my way because all this time I had been holding the hands of my goddess Athena.

The huge sacred hall where Gods assembled to make decisions to rule and govern the world was now completely empty except for the two supreme beings – the Almighty World God and Lady Gaea.

“Was that really a surge in soul power World God?”

“It seems so that way.”

“But such tremendous amount of soul power how can a human even hold this tremendous power in one place. Could you identify the person who released this power?”

“Since I was caught by surprise I could not pin point the person, but it was certainly one of the children. Its unbelievable that someone possesses soul power equal to the upper echelon gods at such a young age. But this batch of children, almost all of them possesses incredible powers too.”

“I agree. Though there could be some disappointment. For example the little girl who paired with Lady Athena had such weak soul power as if she could vanish into thin air anytime nowhere to be found. How she was able to live this long on earth is still a mystery to me. All her life force should have been drained at a much younger age. I am afraid that they do not sound much promising in this endeavour to save the world.”

“Mysteries do intrigue this old man. But sometimes these mysteries may open door to possibilities which even the brightest minds cannot perceive. For now we will wait and observe the children. I hope the future we had been waiting for all this time will bloom itself in the most beautiful way.”

The two of them then too disappeared in thin air. When will I get used to these stupid teleportation freaks, just install some lifts or escalators instead of stairs.

***

GODDESS ATHENA’S ROOM

I and Lady Athena directly teleported through the archway into Her room. It was five times the size of the room I was allotted with. The same source-less light as usual was hanging around in the room. I did not bother myself with it anymore. Sometimes maybe you should just give up on logic and start counting backwards in number system starting from the very end.

Sounds ridiculous, right. HAAAAAHHA, caught you. HAA...HA

While a family frame photo hung above a double-decker bed whose wood work was maxed out to its very details while the silk bed sheets were just so smooth that you wanted to rub your cheeks with it all day and never got bored. The other three sides of the wall were covered with gigantic bookshelves laid in with books, using every little corner of this equipment to its maximum.

I was just amazed to see these many books. A goddess of knowledge is sure to have her own personal library. Could she even be the librarian of the library in this divine realm?

As usual there was an awkward silence lurking all over the room now. Since Lady Athena was a goddess and she had to guide me towards saving a world, she thought to take the initiative and start a conversation.

“We gods had been given the task to select the children from the mortal realm from whichever place we saw fit. This week we had to monitor your class and select those whom we believed would fit perfectly for this job.”

“What do you mean?” This piece of information came as a surprise to me.

“We had been keeping an eye on all of your activities at school.”

‘Isn’t this privacy invasion?’ I thought to myself. Maybe in this modern era people are always being watched, if not on earth then either from heaven or hell. Maybe the god’s are not aware of laws and the personal rights of human beings or they just don’t care.

“We had to keep an eye on your class for a whole week and select children who are capable of wielding unique powers. Now when I see you up close, I remember I saw you then in the girl’s school washroom where three children splashed water all over you and ran away. At that time I got so confused about what to do after seeing that you were all wet. So I used my divine powers and being the goddess of knowledge, I efficiently placed an information command on the lady warden to carry a pair of sports uniform to the washroom at that point of time and give it to you after seeing your condition. Sorry, for telling you this and my inability to prevent that felony from happening. That was all I could do at that time. Please forgive me from my incompetence.”

All of my brain cells were disrupted at these words and I brain-stormed to restore my previous memories. After she narrated me this incident, it did really happen in a strange way. Just at the end of recess the three delinquents splashed water from the other side of door all over me. I was reduced to a state where I could not go to class or even ask someone for help. I had to wait till dismissal or someone comes barging in. but in a very peculiar way I heard a knock.

“Yesss... What’s the matter?”

“I am the school warden. Here is your physical education uniform.”

Wait how did she know I was even here and what about my conditions. Did the delinquents tell her! I ruled out this possibility since they won’t be so kind to me ever in my life. Maybe she saw them committing the deed and wanted to help me somehow.

But now I realized that the one who came to the rescue was my goddess Athena. My heart had started beating faster than ever because this was the first time ever, someone helped me out of my necessity and not made fun of my situation and instead took action.

“Um..U.. Thank you. My Lady. But it hurts me that you call yourself incompetent. What you did means a lot to me?”

“Why do you say so?”

“It’s just as you described, while many gods and goddesses were monitoring us but out of all those you understood my situation, and helped me out by resolving the problem with the most delicate and proper way without hurting anyone. I will never forget your kindness.”

“HAHAHAAAHAHHA. Listen Sachi you don’t have to talk to me in such a formal manner. We are partners who are going to be reincarnated together. So we should treat each other as equals and be friends.”

“Wait! What a god and human equal?”

‘By looking at other Gods and angels it didn’t appeared to be the case. So, why?’

At this Lady Athena with her left hand lifted the front part of my hair which covered my face and for some time after staring at my face, with her right hand she pinched my nose lightly.

“It’s not fair. You are so beautiful and have such a pretty face. You even look more adorable than most of the goddesses I know. Even your skin is so white and soft like silk. Why do you even hide it in the first place? And yes from now onwards we will be friends.”

This was totally a new experience for me. I did hear it quite a lot from stranger and from my classmates or far-off relative that I am quite pretty. But hearing from a goddess made me feel that she genuinely felt that way. The most important part was that she really wanted to become my FRIEND. I was really in heaven. It felt like a huge burden had been lifted from my chest.

“The reason I hide my face is because I think I look prettier than others and would stand out a lot. When the school had began and I was a transfer students, all the girls avoided talking to me in whatever way I tried. No one seems to have wanted to be my friend. Then I read somewhere that other classmates feel insecure when they are around someone who wanted to attract attention to only oneself. So out of desperation I considered concealing my face with my long hairs. But it had a totally adverse affect. My classmates started considering me a freak and even avoided me more as if I had never existed. As for your second question, I actually never had someone to call a friend before nor there is a family member who cared about me after my parent’s death. So…so… I… will be your friend Lady Athena.”

Tears were about to roll down through my eyes, but I stopped them from overflowing by looking upwards and also avoided facing Lady Athena for a while. But it was useless. The dam was already broken and the waves were set free.

At this point Lady Athena hugged me tightly near her chest and I could hear her heartbeat clearly. It felt so warm. I really wanted the time to stop there or flow continuously in that state. I was never alone, someone did really care about me in this world, and it doesn’t matter if I meet them after dying.

“Don’t worry Sachi; there is no need to hold back. Because I feel the same way. I too had been waiting for a friend for a very long time.”

At the end of these words tiny droplets of water fell on my cheek. We remained in that position for quite a long time even though we had stopped crying a while ago. We broke from our everlasting hug when we heard a knock at our door. Lady Athena opened the door and found an angel who came here to remind us about tonight’s banquet and feat.

“Sachi I think we should leave after getting ready for the banquet.”

“Okay then. I will be taking my leave and go and get ready in my room.”

“No, wait you can get ready here. I think I have a dress that will fit you well.”

“But is it really okay, for me to…”

“It will be fine after all you are my beneficiary from now on.”

I accepted her invitation and sat back.

For some reason we again ended in a peculiar situation because there was only one bathroom in that room to be used and if we took turns then we would be late for the feast.

We were taking a bath together. We sat across each other face to face at the ends of the bathtub but were just staring at its bottom. There was no tap in the washroom and neither a shower unlike my room which was missing the taps and knobs of the shower to control water. But just by thinking of taking a bath I could bring forth water from the shower. But here it was different Lady Athena could summon water out of thin air and also control its temperature and any amount of water could be summoned at any time.

But out of nowhere Lady Athena jumped at me and started poking at my abdomen and the ticklish feeling overtook my body and I couldn’t stop laughing.

“Stop that. Please..anything but stop…”

“What are you talking about? The fun had just begun. After feeling your soft skin when I hugged you how could I stop myself now from touching you or snuggle you tightly in my arms.”

I don’t know whether she really felt that way or was just her way of teasing me. But I enjoyed it a lot. Maybe these are the things and moments you enjoy with your best friends.

After coming from the bath, Lady Athena moved her index finger in a circle and hot air started flowing around our body, in a helical locus which completely dried us unlike my non electric usage dryer which was damn too slow. I don’t know whether I will be able to do the same thing as Lady Athena does. Maybe I will ask her to teach me next time or even try it myself.

When I wore the outfit Lady Athena gave me, she started staring at me.

“What’s the matter?”

“I had no idea the dress will fit you this well. Also you look like a princess from a foreign land. It’s a waste having such a beautiful face if you keep covering it with your hairs.”

I started blushing and the only thing I could muster up to say was, “Thank you!”

But then I stopped and took a proper look at Lady Athena herself and made an attempt to compliment her.

“Lady Athena but you are quite a beauty yourself. I bet any God would be captivated by your alluring charm.” I wasn’t trying to deceive her or anything. I truly meant that what I said. But truthfully speaking I had used this line from a novel I read a long time back.

Goddess Athena was wearing a white gown with intricate fabric designs at several places. It was quite similar to my own gown which she had offered me to wear.

“Let’s go.”

Lady Athena took my left hand and started walking in the hallway leading the way to the banquet hall.

***

THE BANQUET HALL

Nineteen gods and their beneficiaries had already assembled in the banquet hall to enjoy the feast. Most of them had become close comrades and started making their own plan of action to save the world. Some combat gods with weapons were trying to draw a training plan while some wanted to goof off and enjoy their stay at heavens and indulge in all the luxuries it had to offer.

A long wooden table stood at the center of hall, but it was shining as if it had been polished to its maximum lustrous state by the most skilled artisans. At the other end of the hall stood another table with lots of large golden utensils laden with lavish and mouth-watering dishes and plates were arranged in piles. It was a buffet system where one had to adhere to self service and choose whatever amount of food the person wanted to. The menu presented variety of dishes from sour wafers to spicy stew and sweet confectionaries.

But the special attraction of today’s feast was the heavenly wild boar which Lady Artemis hunted in the Eleanora Woods on the other side of Mount Olympus. While she was the center of attraction of all the present attendees, everyone also commended goddess Hestia who turned it into a delicacy.

All the nineteen gods and children present in the hall took their seats on the dining table everyone sitting in front of each of their gods in horizontal pairs.

Homura noticed something was wrong and asked his Goddess Freya, to clear his doubt.

“Lady Freya if you may, but why are there only 38 seats in the dining hall if 20 gods were selected for the reincarnation ceremony. Aren’t the others going to attend the feast?”

“Haahahaha…. Its just as you suspect my child, you have quite the observation skill. But there has been no mistake. It’s actually for entertainment purpose. A special surprise for our little goddess who will appear soon.”

“I see Freya you have succumbed to your old tactics. But it will be quite fun to see the Black Sheep try to escape from this situation.” Lady Artemis was pointing her fork in the sky and imagining the look on everyone’s faces to see Athena’ miserable state.

“I still don’t get it. Why a non-combat goddess would try to challenge us. Just because of her families glorious past and because of her beautiful charms, doesn’t mean that she can defy us.”

“That’s why we are going to teach her a lesson today!”

“Hermes you did well in making the arrangement of their late arrival.”

“Never mind. But I feel sad for the human child who has to suffer humiliation due to her goddess. As far as I remember she had the weakest soul power in the whole class, almost none at all. How was she even alive, wouldn’t her life force had extinguished at an early age. It’s a quite a funny duo of weaklings.” Lord Hermes looked in the direction of other children as if to extract information about that girl.

“The name of the girl is Sachi. My Grace.” As usual Kenta was showing off his communication skills and playing the role of class leader.

“I don’t remember a girl with that name in the class.”

“Ah! She is the freak who never talks to anyone and cover her face with her hairs.”

“Oh! You mean the girl who always got bullied.”

“Sakura can you tell me more about this girl.” Astarea the Goddess of justice made an unusual request as if she was taking a special interest in that girl.

“Lady Astarea. You have nothing to worry about. The girl in question is really weak and fragile.” Sakura behaved as if she was presenting her statement in front of a judge in a court of justice.

“Lady Ova and Lady Astarea as a matter of fact even at the time of dying in the bus she was being bullied and beaten by us.” Tama had already started making fun of me.

“She just keeps reading book all day and has a beautiful appearance. Except for that she is nothing in our eyes. I bet she would die on the first day she is born in Isleguard. Hahahaa.” Saki had already started banging the dining table in front of her and laughing loudly while the other present in attendance couldn’t hold themselves back seeing her explosive behavior and followed her example.

Goddess Aphrodite sensing the presence of two unwelcomed guests for whom everyone had been waiting for quite a while, were going to make an entry.

“Everyone get ready. The show is going to begin. Let’s enjoy it to the fullest.”

ALL ATTENTIONS AND ANTICIPATION WERE DIRECTED TOWARDS THE ENTRANCE.

But everyone’s jaw dropped when two beautiful maidens in white gown made an entrance. Everyone had the same question ‘Just who they were?’

‘Wait! Is that girl really in our class?’

‘I don’t remember someone this beautiful in our class.’

‘Was that the reason she always hid her face. Maybe I should have tried to talk to her after all.’

‘I never expected Sachi was this beautiful.’

‘Its not just her. Even her goddess is so beautiful. Should we go and talk to her.’

All the Gods and boys were making the same type of comments which brought frustration and angered all the Goddesses and girls.

‘Her goddess is even more beautiful than Lady Aphrodite.’

Someone had just misspoke the taboo words by comparing the goddess of beauty and goddess of knowledge. Lady Aphrodite was totally riled up by that statement which totally challenged her own existence. The students present in the hall and all the other Gods could feel the divine power radiating from her body so strong that it could destroy the whole banquet hall in a blink of an eye.

Lady Freya took the hand of Aphrodite and comforted her.

“Tccch... I won’t let it end like this. How dare she ruin my fun!”

***

SACHI KONDO

We were greeted by an angel at the outside perimeter of the banquet hall and he informed us that all the guests had already arrived. For some reason Lady Athena looked worried on receiving this piece of information. Was she afraid of something and if yes then what?

As soon as we entered the Hall the room fell in complete silence and small gossips could be heard but I couldn’t make them out since we were too far. For me the only person that mattered was Lady Athena. All this time I just kept looking at her face and smiled all the time while we chatted among ourselves.

For some reason all the Gods and boys were confused and exasperated, while all the girls and Goddess had a look of dismay and rage. Jealousy was written all over their faces, after all Lady Athena looked so glamorous in her outfit and even the gods couldn’t deny it. We started moving towards the part of the hall where the plates were kept.

Suddenly a goddess stood from her seat and asked, “Athena, why are you late? We were all missing you.” It was the goddess of lust Freya.

At this lady Athena stopped her feet and her body started shaking, but she did not look back to reply and stayed silent. All this time I never saw her behave like this.

To me she looked like a cheerful person who took joy and gave her best in everything she tried. Even though she might have been isolated by others I never suspected that even gods get bullied if they are weak.

“Why don’t you take a seat and have a talk first. We would really like to know about the new friend you made.” This time it was goddess Astarea who too wanted to be a part of this drama.

I looked back and was furious to see that all the chairs had been occupied and two chairs were less than the number of guests. It was not an organizational mistake but was all planned. These Gods are trying to pick up on Lady Athena and no one is objecting.

But then I too was terrified at the thought that was it because of me. Were they trying to make fun of my goddess so that they could bully me? Was this done by the delinquents?

At this point all the goddesses and girls were smiling as there plan was in full action. The gods and the boys still for some reason were making some complex comments and promises.

“Let me add some fun too.” Sakura stood from her seat and started walking towards me.

She came and stood in front of me and gave an evil smile. She grabbed my right hand and started squeezing it with her herculean strength.

“AAAhhhhahhah…..” Something sharp just now pricked in the middle of my hand and blood started to flow from my hand and some drops of this red fluid started dripping on the floor. It was a major cut. She must have hid something sharp under her palm, maybe a small knife or blade.

“Do as the other Goddesses asked you to do, it would be in best of your interest not to make me angry.”

Everyone started laughing in the hall.

‘Athena you should take proper care of your partner and explain her how things work here.’

‘Don’t forget your place as a non-combat goddess or try to stand in our way.’

‘Don’t go all high and mighty or someone might get hurt.’

At these words Athena who was obviously still shaking with fear looked at me and was shocked to see the blood in my hand and another girl trying to twist and sprain my wrist.

All her emotions vanished from her face. She slapped Sakura on her face tightly and broke me free from her tight grasp. She held my hurt hand gently as if to stop the bleeding and started moving towards the gate through which we just entered.

“Sachi, we are leaving.”

***

GODDESS ASTAREA

“How dare she hurt my child?”

Sakura stomped on the floor and came back and took her seat.

“That slap was really tight. I won’t forget this Sachi just you wait.” She still held her hand where she was slapped and searched for ice on the dining table.

“She really thinks that she can challenge us.”

“Let’s not let it end here.”

“I do have a plan. Artemis get your beast ready by day after tomorrow. We might as well see some wandering girls getting hunted.”

It was Lady Freya who spoke about such a devious tragedy, while Lady Artemis complimented it, “Wild game always sounds fun to me.”

While some of the Goddesses and delinquents discussed about their plan, the others just eavesdropped. Some laughed, some made sad face to think about the looming tragedy, some still maintained their cool but no one objected to their devious plot.

No one questioned that how did those two girls anger them or why are they so fixated over them.

I wonder why no one ever questions the actions of the strongest. Why it is THE WEAKEST ONE has to only suffer?

***

SOMEWHERE IN MOUNT OLYMPUS

Both I and my goddess left the inner perimeter of the banquet and Lady Athena muttered [TELEPORT] and both of us vanished into thin air.

For some reason the blood in my brain had shifted to one side, but it was soon getting settled. While I still felt a bit nauseated I opened my eyes and saw that we were walking across a meadow. The grass was Eden-green and thigh-high to a thrush. A neon-blue ribbon of river ran through the centre of the meadow.

After taking a few steps along the stream we came across an inhumanly quiet and solitary dilapidated small wooden bridge. It was a graceful pedestrian with a medieval fifteenth century, old fashioned lattice metal plated architecture style. We crossed the bridge under a silent sky, which was to my surprise dark. At last, for the first time I was glad to see darkness because a source-less light just didn’t add up.

The bridge landed us on a higher elevation than the surrounding and what stood before me was a tall ancestral, unfamiliar yet a majestic tall tree with mint green leaves and antler shaped branches. This was our final destination.

“Whenever I am sad or angry I come to this place. It is the only spot where I can feel like myself.” For the first time I got to see this cheerless side of Lady Athena. She then lifted my hurt hand in which the bleeding had stopped.

“Does it hurt?”

Before I could speak anything, Lady Athena started speaking in a bit different tone as if she was chanting.

“OH GODDESS OF LIGHT, I BESEECH THEE, HEAL THY WOUNDS AND BESTOW UPON US YOUR DIVINE PROTECTION.”

Lady Athena’s body started shining brightly, surrounded by a golden mist, even in the dark the light it radiated was more than enough to even out-shadow a full moon. The light then siphoned through all her body and collected on our hands and just like that the wound closed up on itself and was healed to the extent that no mark was left. As if the cut had never existed. (Living in heavens has its own perks after all.)

Lady Athena clutched my hands more tightly, and yet the touch was gentle and warm. Tears fell on our curled up hands, but for some reason I felt as the happiest person alive on earth. For the first time someone had got angry for me and was worried about me getting hurt.

“Sorry, my classmates usually try to bully me and you got so worried because of me.”

“Sorry the goddesses tried to hurt you in an attempt to humiliate me.”

Both of our voices overlapped as we spoke at the same time. A complete silence followed these bizarre contradicting statements which were complimented by the wind which was shaking the trees with a whizzz sound.

We sprang into an outburst of laughter, laughing at our sealed and intertwined fate of being played out in the hands of strong up till now.

We both looked up in the sky while both of our long hairs fluttered in the cool breeze which had made us to forget the tiredness and stress of the recent events. According to the goddess this was the only place on the Mount Olympus where you could see stars.

A shooting star shot down in the sky followed by a rain of falling stars leaving behind a trail of golden dust in their trail, while I and my goddess could just look up high in the sky and chisel down this epic view in our memory.

‘I PROMISE, I WILL PROTECT MY GODDESS WITH MY LIFE.’

‘I PROMISE, I WILL PROTECT SACHI WITH MY LIFE.’

AND AN ETERNAL VOW WAS MADE WHICH WAS ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE DIVINE REALM ITSELF.

***

THE BALCONY OF THE HIGHEST BUILDING IN THE PANTHEON

The World God and Lady Gaea were taking a night stroll in the large balcony of the Pantheon. Creepers as tall as thirty meter were growing on the side walls of the balcony which continued to twirl around itself in the small bars of the balcony and grow further.

“Tomorrow is a big day after all.”

“Yes my Lord, the TREE OF LIFE bears its fruit after every 10,000 year and that auspicious day is tomorrow.”

“The fruit of the tree of life is an apple which has an extraordinarily high amount of life force stored in it. Even if a god of lower echelon eats it they might die by the sudden outburst of energy. Only the stronger Gods of upper echelons and gods with sub administrative rights are able to properly assimilate this fruit and control its power. So only very few gods knows about the existence of such a powerful fruit. It is also said that sometimes the fruit chooses the bearer itself by falling in front of the person it thinks is worthy of its power.”

“I will be looking forward to tomorrow and will witness the glory of this divine tree myself.”

After circling around the balcony once, World God turned towards Gaea to inquire about something.

“I heard the gods and goddesses caused quite a conundrum for Athena and her beneficiary.” The Almighty World God spoke with a sour taste in his mouth.

“It’s as you suspect, my lord. I was informed that the girl even got hurt in the banquet hall.” Lady Gaea quickly responded to World God’s enquiry to lift up his spirits in this unfortunate series of events. After all a goddess being harassed by other gods could destroy the order in the divine realm.

But now something special has caught World God’s attention. Lady Gaea looked up in the sky in the direction which He was looking.

Her face totally went blank by the sight she was witnessing and unable to keep her curiosity hidden directly asked the World God.

“How could there be a star fall in divine realm?”

The World God lifted up his scepter and pointed towards the multitude of stars which were barely hanging and were about to become the part of the fall.

“In the ‘Traditions of the Divine System’, star falls is a sign that two people make secret promises which continues for a whole eternity. I wonder who those brave fellows are. We might as well be witnessing the beginning of a new legend.”

***

OUTSIDE ATHENA’S ROOM

I spent a lot of time with Sachi near the ‘Tree of Life’. Wait did I tell her that the tree under which we were watching the star fall is the tree of life. Next time when I take her there, I will make sure to tell her.

Wait what are Lady Hera and Sir Apollo doing outside my room. They are the gods of the upper echelon of the divine realm and were one of the strongest gods out there.

“Sir Apollo and Lady Hera, what bring you here this late at night?”

“Nothing dear, we were just worried to hear about what happened at the banquet hall.”

“Are the both of you doing fine?”

“There is nothing to worry for you, Sachi is fine and I have already asked someone to properly escort her to her room.”

For some time Lady Hera hesitated but finally she asked.

“Athena, you do realize that you are a non-combat goddess and so will be your beneficiary. The world you will be reincarnated will be ravaged in war by powerful beings. You might as well be throwing your life without gaining anything.”

Apollo followed in the footsteps of Hera and interrupted.

“Remember you are not risking only your life but your beneficiary’s life too. She later might blame you for her unfortunate conditions.”

“Sachi is not like others. She would never blame anyone.”

“Even so don’t forget that your parents too died in a war in the same world.”

“Will you be able to overcome the difficulties and hardships if you can’t even punch someone, let alone defeat a monster? You will make a life of hell and fear for that girl if it still continues. Don’t worry there will be more other opportunities to become powerful in divine realm.”

“So let this one just slide. Don’t worry you don’t have to decide now. Think it out properly within three days and make a proper decision.”

The two Gods then took their leave.

After my family died in the war two hundred years ago, they have been looking after me from time to time and giving me advice. They were one of the closest friends of my mother and father. Even still they were usually busy and couldn’t always be there for me. If I want to make my own place among the god’s then I have to take this risk.

But remembering the innocent face of Sachi, I can never dream in my life to hurt her feelings. What if I really make her life miserable? Does she really even want me to be her goddess? Will she still accept me as her partner if she knew I was weak and cannot provide her with a good unique skill? Will she blame me for her misfortune?

All these bad thoughts kept on popping in my mind, but I concluded to talk things out with Sachi and then let her make the decision.

The tiredness of all those uncanny events had exhausted her and she went to deep slumber free from all the worries of the world.

***