Chapter 12

Slight Complication

“Now that everyone’s here let’s begin the meeting.” I slowly lift my head to see Athena was guiding her siblings towards a large wooden round table in the middle of the garden.

Two fairies grab my hand and guide me to a seat next to Athena. I awkwardly stood near my chair and watched the other gods sit down.

A group of immortal beings is meeting around a fancy table in a different world. No matter how you look at it, I don’t belong here. The more I think about the situation I’m in, the faster my heart beats

“Claire.” Athena gently call my name snapping me back into reality. Everyone eyes were now on me. Even the kid is looking at me weirdly like this entire situation is just another day for him.

“Is something wrong?” Athena looks at me with concern.

“This seems like an important meeting, so I was wondering if I should leave.”

“That’s why I brought you here. If something happens to me, I want you to take over and help my siblings in any way you can.”

What exactly can happen to her? Not only is she incredibly strong, but she’s also immortal. Yet despite her overwhelming power, she still brought me as a bodyguard. I guess that caution side of hers is the reason the Entities remain the uncontested rulers of the world.

I nervously sat down next to Athena. She pats my head probably hoping it’ll calm me down, but it only embarrasses me more. I was about to lift my hand to stop her, but before I could, a stern voice jumps into the mix.

“I don’t mean to interrupt you two, but are you going to tell us why you call us here?”

Athena lets go of my head and frown at Atlas who remains expressionless. I remember her telling me that she hasn’t seen her family for hundreds of years. I’m sure she wanted to know what they’ve been up to before getting into the main discussion.

“Right.” Athena takes a deep breath and lets out a sigh. “Our brother, the Demon King, is dead.”

“Again Athena?” Venus lets out an annoyed sigh. “Why is it every time we get together you always bring him up?”

“Seriously, do we need to know everything he does?” Loki added. “Honestly, if I was him I’ll probably kill myself too. Being trapped in that castle for thousands year can’t be good for anyone’s sanity.

Wow, how cold. I know he’s the Demon King and all, but still, I thought they would care about him at least a little since their siblings. I guess Athena is the odd one in the family.

“He didn’t kill himself he was murdered.” Anger leak into Athena’s voice.

“What? Who killed him?” Atlas asked, nearly jumping out his seat.

“Everything you need to know is right in front of you.” Athena lightly taps the table. A stack of paper suddenly materializes in front of everyone. In the center of the piles of paper was a picture of a handsome man with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

This is all the research I painstakingly gathered. Thank goodness Athena is a summoner since I completely forgot about them. Although to be fair, she didn’t warn me the meeting would be held in a different world.

“Ahem.” Athena loudly clears her throat. I look over at her to see she was gesturing me to stand up.

She wants me to present? No way I can do that, but Athena doesn’t seem to be in any shape to do it either. Her body is still shaking with anger. Perhaps this is the real reason why she brought me. She knew she couldn’t stop herself from getting angry at her siblings. If that’s the case, then I have to live up to her expectation and take her place.

I cleared my throat and stood up in front of everyone

“The man on the front of your document name is Alexander, and he’s the one that killed the Demon King. We don't know much about this man except for his name and motivation.”

“Let me guess; he wants to kill us all right?” Venus said with a look of uninterested in her eyes.

“Um, correct. To him, you guys are dictators that need to be eliminated for humanity to flourish.”

“Dictators huh. How, ignorant.” Venus flicks her document away clearly annoyed, but understandably so.

The Entities spent their entire lives protecting this world, yet there are still people that believe they are oppressing them. I guess that’s the curse of possessing great power. No matter what you do, someone will always see you as a threat.

“I still don’t understand why you call all of us out here, Athena.” Atlas dropped his document on the table and stared intensely at Athena.

“I…” Athena opens her mouth to speak, but I quickly cut her off before she could say anything.

“Um, if there’s anything you don’t understand, then please, ask me.” Atlas’ gaze fell on me. His amber eyes seemed to burn with anger. I unflinchingly stare back into his eyes. Realizing I wasn’t going to back down, he leans back in his chair.

“I understand what’s going on, but still find this meeting unnecessary.”

“But he killed your brother, a god.”

“Yes, I’m aware of that. And I do find it strange a human managed to kill one of us, but that doesn’t change the fact that the target is a human. If you want this problem dealt with, then all you needed to do was call me, Athena.” With a cocky grin, Atlas proudly points at himself.

I can’t tell if he’s stubborn or stupid either way it doesn’t seem he fully understands the situation. Regardless if he wins or lose, the fact that Atlas, a god went after a mortal will only cause people to lose their faith in the Entities.

“Claire,” Athena gently places her hand on my shoulder. “I’ll take over from here.” She said with a bright smile.

Her smile wasn’t enough to convince me she was okay, but talking to Atlas drain my will to argue. I sat back down in my chair exhausted. A former shut-in like me just isn’t cut out for conferences.

“Atlas, I’m afraid it’s not that simple.”

“It can be simple if we let it. All you have to do is find where he’s hiding, teleport me there and I’ll kill him, plain and simple.”

“Atlas, I knew you were slow, but this is just…” Loki shook his head in disbelief. “Tell me Atlas, why do you think Alexander went for the Demon King first?”

“Probably because he isn’t allied with us, which makes him an easier target.”

“That and he’s trying to get the people on his side. People see him as a hero now. If we kill him…”

“…. He’ll become a martyr.” Atlas gritted his teeth in anger. “If he dies then the humans we so desperately protected might turn against us, believing we’re evil.”

“Exactly, see I knew you could do it.” Loki sarcastically claps his hands, which seemed to only anger Atlas more.

“But there’s just one thing I don’t understand. How did he kill the Demon King?”

“…..” Everyone fell silent. The answer to Atlas’ question was simple. The only way a mortal can go toe to toe with an Entity is if they manage to ascend, but thanks to Athena, the knowledge of ascension and how to reach it has been erased from history. At least, it should’ve been.

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“The only logical answer is that he manages to ascend,” Athena spoke up breaking the silence. “While I do find it unsettling that someone outside our countries discovers this power, I'm not surprised. Mortals, especially humans have always been curious creatures. It was only a matter of time before they discover it.”

“That isn’t good enough.” Atlas grinded his teeth impatiently. Perhaps unsatisfied with Athena’s answer, he began to flip through the document rapidly.

“Um, what isn’t good enough Atlas?” Noticing Athena concern stare, Atlas close the document and lets out a sigh.

“I’m not trying to sound cocky, but our little brother and me are built differently then you guys. When it comes to combat, we’re naturally good at it.

Indeed, out of all the Entities, the Demon King and Atlas were the ones that participated in most conflict throughout history earning them the titles “Gods of war.”

“Defeating us isn’t a simple task. Even if someone manages to ascend and gain a power that could conveniently kill us it still wouldn’t be enough. Which means either two things happen. One, the Demon King fake his death, so he could escape the castle, or two he’s working alongside Alexander.

I highly doubt number one happen since our little brother has an easily recognizable appearance he would be found instantly if he’s working alone, which only leaves option 2.”

“….” For some reason, everyone stared at Atlas in shock.

“Atlas are you okay?” Loki suddenly appeared behind Atlas. He placed his hand on Atlas’ head like he was checking his temperature.

“What? Of course, I’m fine.”

“Doesn’t seem like it. This is the first time I ever seen you use your brain. Like this” Venus join in and begin rubbing Atlas' bald head.

“Will you guys stop treating me like I’m an idiot.”

“But it’s hard to do that when you act like one,” Venus said coldly.

“When have I ever act like an idiot?”

“….” Venus and Loki quietly looked at each other. Slowly, a sadistic smile formed on their face. Sensing they were up to no good, Atlas try to scoot away from them, but they quickly grab his chair stopping him from moving.

“You remember that time you tried to sink an entire island just to stop a monster infestation?” Venus leans closer to Atlas who was beginning to blush.

“Or that time you threw a mountain at a volcano thinking it would stop the eruption?” Loki follows Venus’ lead and lean closer to him.

“Or….” Atlas sank in his chair as the duo continue to list all his misadventures. Slowly, his tense expression melted into an embarrass one.

Watching the three gods goof off, I could feel the tension in my body fade and a grin forming on my face.

“See, they’re not bad, are they?” Athena said as she watches the three with a warm smile.

“Yea, they almost looked like a family.”

“We are a family. Even though we’re not related by blood, we have a bond much thicker than it.”

Bond huh? Now that I think about it, it’s only natural they would have a strong bond, since they’re the only ones of their species. And their large lifespan means they’ll outlive all their friends, lovers, even children. The only people they can rely on is themselves. Now I understand why Athena is so upset that the others don’t care for the Demon King. It must be heartbreaking seeing one of her own ostracized.

“Or that time you…”

“Ok, I get it!” Atlas sprung out of his seat, easily flinging the two gods away from him. “I’ll admit, I hate wasting time creating a strategy when I can easily deal with the problem head-on. But this way of thinking is how I got killed. I won’t make that mistake again.” Atlas pound his fists together, the impact causes the ground to shake a little. “I promise, whatever the Demon King is scheming, I will put an end to it.”

“Ok big guy just make sure you don’t get killed again.” Loki slaps Atlas back hard enough to make me flinch, although it doesn’t seem to bother him at all.

“Atlas, I’m happy to hear you plan on contributing to the meeting, but what makes you think the Demon King is behind all of this?” Athena glare at Atlas who smirk at her.

“You really are too kind, Athena. Just look at history. Almost every tragedy this world suffer links back to him. What makes you think he’s isn’t behind this?”

“Because he’s kept his promise. For these past thousands of years, he remained in his prison just like he said he would.”

“And he should be commended for that!” Loki shouted, barging into the conversation. “But Athena, even for us a thousand years is a long time. Perhaps during one of those long lonely years, he started to slip back to his old ways.”

“If that’s the case then we’re the ones at fault. All we ever done is treat him like he’s a monster, so it’s only natural he’ll act like one!” Athena's voice rose higher as she spoke. Tears begin to well in her eyes as she desperately tried to prove her brother’s innocence.

“Athena,” Atlas spoke softly hoping to calm her down. “I understand how you feel. He is our little brother, and that will never change, but don’t forget our duty is to protect this world, and he will always be a threat to it.”

“Atlas- “

“Enough!” Venus slams her hand on the table, silencing everyone. “To think there’ll be a day, where I would be the voice of reason.” Venus let’s out loud sigh. “Anyway, we can argue if the Demon King betrayed us or not all day, but we won’t get anywhere. Right now, we should confirm his death with our own eyes. What do you think, Athena?”

“I think that’s a great idea Venus, but-“

“Really, you think it’s a good idea?!” Venus jumps on the table; her wings extend from her back creating a huge gust of wind. “Can I get a reward for coming with up this plan?”

“A reward?” Athena tries to back away from Venus who was crawling towards her.

“Yes, it’s been so long since I saw you. So, I like to spend some alone time together with you. Or, if you want we can have everyone join in on the fun.” Venus turns her gaze towards me. Her violent color eyes glow beautifully, perfectly matching her skin color. My heart begins to beat rapidly as she waves her at me, beckoning me to come closer with a seductive smile. I walk towards the goddess. The only thing going through my head was touching her voluptuous body.

“Venus…” Athena grabs my hand, the fog inside my head vanishes and I find myself standing once again awkwardly standing in front of everyone. “I’ll gladly spend some time with you after the meeting, but only if you don’t use charm on anyone else.”

“Fine.” With a look of dissatisfaction, Venus returns to her seat.

So that was a charm? How terrifying. I knew Venus had an ability that could make people fall in love with her, but I thought it only worked on men. I guess only the Entities are immune to her power.

“Anyway….” Athena let’s out a loud cough. For some reason, her face was flush red. Atlas and Loki who were awkwardly looking away return their attention to the table. Their face was also red.

Hey, don’t tell me everyone was affected by Venus’ charm.

“…. I agree with Venus. We can’t do anything until we confirm if the Demon King is dead or not. The problem is the country where the Demon king lies, wants nothing to do with us Entities. We can’t simply stroll there unless we want to start a war.”

“Then why don’t you-”

“Teleportation won’t work.” Athena quickly interrupted Atlas. “If the man Alexander truly manage to ascend then he’ll detect me if I use my powers.”

“So, what do we do then?”

“….” We all fell silent trying to find an answer to Atlas’ question.

“I guess we have no choice but to infiltrate,” Loki said letting out a sigh

Wait, what did he say?

“Indeed, it seems that’s our only option.” Atlas nodded his head in agreement.

I’m sure there’s another way if we think a little bit longer! Right Venus? Athena?!

“Athena, what should I wear for our little get-together?” Venus leans closer to Athena; her eyes were filled with nothing but lust.

She isn’t even paying attention. Please, Athena, it’s all up to you now.

“Claire, do you think you can prepare a team that can infiltrate New Eden?”

The last bit of my hope faded away. Not only are they taking action that could lead to war, but they want me to lead it too! How did it come to this?! Just a few years ago I was shut-in, now I’m about to potentially become a war criminal. Mom, are you still proud of me?

“Claire?” Athena’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. Seeing her worried expression, I begin to realize just how grim the situation is. A simple war is the least of our concern. If the Entities perish or lose control over mortals, then the world will fall into complete disarray.

“Fine, I’ll do it.”

Cain’s P.O.V

“I’m going to fucking kill her!” Enraged, Abel slams his fist into a tree nearly snapping it in half.

“How annoying. Someone shut him up already.” A couple of goblins rush after the rampaging idiot. I doubt they’ll be able to stop him, but hopefully, they can at least shut him up for a bit.

I turn my attention back towards the cliff. A large crack ran straight down to the bottom where a group of men circles around a large hand made of vines. They repeatedly struck the hand with shovels and other various tools until they finally manage to pry it open. I breathe a sigh of relief when I saw the beautiful woman with jet black hair resting inside the hand.

Good, you’re still alive, now how am I going to retrieve her from those humans?

“I’m going to rip her apart!!”

I guess the first thing I should do is deal with the loud mouth.

I take one last look at my darling before turning my attention back to the rampaging idiot. The two goblins that tried to calm him down were now nothing more than blood spatters on a tree. The idiot bloodshot eyes darted around the area looking for another victim to unleash his rage on until it fell on me.

“This is all your fault!” He screamed furiously. “We should’ve killed her! But no, you have captured her! Now she’s in the hands of the humans! If she tells them about us, then we’re- “

“Shut. Up.” I grab Abel’s throat, forcefully squeezing his words out of him. he tried to pry my hand from his throat, but it seems his battle with my darling, rob him of most of his strength.

“You made two mistakes. One, blaming me for your failure. And two, forgetting who you are.” I proudly point at the red bird painted on my chest. “We’re the Phoenix. We don’t let a simple mistake consume us. We rise above it and improve ourselves. Do you understand?”

Abel vigorously shook his head. It wasn’t enough to convince me, but his skin was starting to turn pale. If hold him any longer he’ll probably pass out. I toss him on the ground, allowing him to catch his breath.

“W-What do we do now?” Abel asked, gasping for air.

“I guess we should inform the doctor. If I tell him I found the perfect mate, he’ll gladly help us.”

“Mate? You seriously still plan on capturing her?

“Of course.” I look up at the sky, sticking out above the trees was a tower covered in moss.

I finally manage to obtain my castle, but that isn’t enough. After all, what’s a king without a queen?

Next Arc…

Queen of Monsters