Chapter 5

1099—

Heaven, Rivens—

Moritra, the goddess of war of Rivens, watched Grantora and her champion summoning ritual from the height of their heavenly realm.

Like the other deities, she was partially intrigued by who she is going to summon to their mortal world now.

Grantora always followed the same pattern every time—those with hearts of protector, unbreakable will of a wall, and determination that earned them respect even from the deities themselves.

But her champion this time seemed to deviate from her usual pattern. She wanted a champion that can rival the new most powerful Demon Lord yet.

They are all pulled to their interest when she hinted about needing a champion that can go toe to toe with the moral level Caligo is currently sitting on.

Someone with a heart as dark as his, as cruel as his, as analytical yet prefer logic over feeling like him—her new requirement piqued them unlike anything else.

Gellud, the god of wisdom, took a seat beside Moritra. Their legs dangling on the edge of heaven, looking down at the mortal world.

He exhaled audibly. “So what of her choice of champion this time?” He asked Moritra, turning at her.

“I was wondering the same thing myself.” Moritra smirked. Her heart was pounding impatiently as she waited for the champion to be summoned. “I am particularly intrigued by this mortal she is going to summon.”

“You and everyone else, I see…” He smiled at the similar interest. “Do you have any knowledge of the mortal?”

“Only what she does and where she comes from,” Moritra said. “Apparently she is a mortal from some world called… Earth.”

Gellud raised his brows. “Earth?” He repeated. “The world where Yahweh is from?”

“The one and only…” Moritra’s eyes narrowed as her mind traced to a particular subject. “The new champion Grantora chooses is unlike those preceding her, Gell.” She darted down in worry. “She is a sinner… A vile creature.”

“How come?”

“She is what the mortal of her world called an organ harvester. Her profession seemed to revolve around taking innocent lives and cutting their corpses up. In her world, the mortals have no magic, only knowledge and science.”

“Fascinating.” Gellud tilted his head in intrigue. “Did her world have advanced understanding of knowledge in general?”

“It appears so. This new champion… took her victims’ internals and sold them for money.” Moritra slowly turned disgusted. “Gell, I have led tens of thousands of conquests against the demons, blessed mortals and empowered them to defend their fellow man—I have seen a lot of deaths around me yet I found this champion beyond the word repulsive. She has no honor. She has no desire to be a hero. She would not repent if she was threatened to be placed on the hottest stone slab in the underworld for eternity…”

“Moritra…” Gellud turned to her slowly, gauging her reaction. “I have a feeling that you would never support someone like her. Is that how you truly feel?”

“Call it a hunch—Grantora is making a terrible terrible mistake by summoning her. She is the type of soldier that justifies the ends through whatever means necessary. The kind of general who will leave his men behind if it means that his enemies will be stalled even for a second without a second thought. A deity as she is now… she is playing god with a fire not native to her. No chains will ever put a hold on such a chaotic soul like this champion. One day—If the champion finds no more sentiment for our mortals—She would definitely brush her face against Grantora’s.”

Gellud narrowed his eyes even more. His mind raced to only one thing and one thing only. “You are thinking of something else,” He said as he asses Moritra’s eyes, “What are your thoughts, sister?”

“You are as perceptive as always, brother dearest…” Moritra stood up and walked away from the edge, pacing back and forth. “I’m thinking that this new champion is a bad omen… A really really bad omen waiting to happen.”

“What are you saying…”

“As the mortals put it, They who have nothing, fear nothing. I think that Grantora will take someone dearest to the champion as a collateral. One does not simply fear a mortal with qualities befitting those of demons, one does however fear a mortal who can find justification to have said qualities and worries not of their own conscience. The most dangerous people are those who have lost everything. When one has nothing left to fight for, to care for, to live for—one is no longer just one.”

“Hmm…” Gellud pondered her words for a moment. His eyes darted back to Moritra. “The color in life. Purity white, evil black—vengeful red. Is that what you’re trying to imply, dear sister?”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“Grantora is a fool if she thinks she can control someone who doesn’t even care about herself.”

Gellud narrowed his eyes, a smile slowly formed on his face. “Hmm… I have a feeling that you know something more, sister. Care to share?”

Moritra turned towards him, her eyes showing worries. “The mortal champion has a younger sister… She's useless but she's the only one holding this Krita mortal.”

“Ahh, I see,” Gellud giggled. “So she has prepared her own collateral—something to push or… enforce the mortal to do her bidding and actually drove her to pick up arms against this Caligo filth.”

“Which is why it worries me, brother. Something that doesn't come from one's own heart will never be a solid foundation of drive.” Moritra snickered. “This Krista mortal is only as good as her sister is alive. If she is taken out of the picture, the mortal will have no more anchor holding her from going all out. Rage is a drive but not the good ones.”

“You're right.” Gellud nodded in agreement. “Her only allegiance is to her sister. How ironic… the thing that provides her strength is also her own weakness.”

“Such irony…”

Promini, the goddess of arts and craftsmanship, approached gracefully, her flowing robes adorned with intricate patterns that seemed to shift and dance with every step. Her presence brought a softer, lighter air to the tension between her siblings.

“Still debating Grantora’s choice, are we?” Promini said with a knowing smile, her voice melodic and teasing. “You two have been at this for days.”

Moritra turned to her younger sister with a sharp gaze. “It’s not a debate—it’s a warning. This mortal champion Grantora has chosen will bring nothing but ruin.”

“Ah, Krista Morrigan,” Promini said, her tone contemplative as she joined them on the balcony. “The harvester of organs. The pragmatic survivor. An interesting choice indeed.”

“Interesting is one word for it,” Gellud replied, smirking. “Necessary is another.”

Promini arched an elegant eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. “You seem unusually calm about this, Gellud. Even Moritra’s concerns haven’t swayed you?”

“They are valid concerns,” Gellud admitted, glancing at Moritra, “but I trust Grantora has her reasons. What intrigues me now is what she plans to give the mortal. Have you heard anything, dear sister?” His question was directed at Promini, his tone patient but expectant.

Promini’s expression brightened, her lips curling into a mischievous smile. “As a matter of fact, I have. I’ve... overheard a few things.”

Moritra leaned forward slightly, her curiosity outweighing her irritation. “And?”

Promini’s smile widened. “It seems that Grantora, ever the observant one, took note of something Krista said recently. Apparently, a few days ago, Krista mocked her sister Olivia’s favorite shows—those... what do mortals call them? Ah, yes, isekai tales—mortals of that world sure do find enjoyment in that kind of piece of entertainment… such escapism. During this, Krista mentioned that the most broken power in such stories is summoning. She called it by far the most versatile and unstoppable ability—well, she also mentioned something called… command console? I don’t really understand it, but seeing how intelligent that mortal is, I won’t be surprised that this… command console is arguably the more powerful power.”

Gellud chuckled softly. “And Grantora would take her word for it, I presume?”

Promini nodded, amusement twinkling in her eyes. “Indeed. She plans to grant Krista the power of summoning.”

Moritra scoffed, crossing her arms. “Of course she would. Summoning is the ultimate wildcard. To place such a versatile and potent ability in the hands of a mortal with the mental capacity to think beyond her years and circumstances is to invite disaster. This will backfire immediately—on all of us.”

Promini chuckled at Moritra’s indignation, brushing a lock of radiant hair behind her ear. “Perhaps, but Grantora is not without caution. She intends to place a limiter on Krista’s power.”

“Oh?” Gellud said, leaning forward slightly. “Do elaborate.”

Promini raised a finger, emphasizing her point. “Krista will only be able to summon items available through Earth’s online marketplaces—things that are readily accessible to the general populace. No summoning things that the general populace couldn’t possess.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad,” Gellud said thoughtfully. “What about smaller arms?”

“There’s some leniency,” Promini admitted. “She will be able to summon legal and common weapons sold through online firearm retailers in her world—things like Daniel Defense rifles, Kimber pistols, or Springfield handguns. But,” she added with a sly smile, “she will only be able to summon ten items per day.”

Moritra rolled her eyes, her frustration evident. “Oh, yes, what a limiter.” Her tone dripped with sarcasm. “As if such a rule would be anything more than a minor inconvenience to her.”

“And why do you say that, my dear pessimistic, war-loving sister?” Promini asked, her amusement growing.

Moritra stood, her crimson cape billowing slightly as she turned to face her siblings.

“Because Krista’s sister, Olivia, is a prodigy in human computer science. Pair that knowledge with Krista’s analytical mind, and they’ll find a way to game the system. Krista will summon precisely what she needs, when she needs it, and Olivia will ensure that nothing gets in their way. Mark my words—Grantora’s idea will be the end of us all.”

Gellud and Promini exchanged glances before Gellud asked with a raised brow, “Are you joking, dear sister? Or are you... phrasing?”

Moritra smirked darkly. “A bit of both.”

Promini laughed, a melodious sound that echoed through the heavens. “You always were the dramatic one, Moritra. But let’s not forget—Krista may be unpredictable, but that’s precisely why Grantora chose her. Caligo thrives on chaos, and only someone like Krista can match him blow for blow.”

“Or exceed him,” Gellud added, his tone thoughtful.

Moritra sighed, shaking her head. “You’re both far too trusting. I’ll reserve my judgment until I see how this plays out. But don’t say I didn’t warn you when everything falls apart.”

Promini smiled as she gazed down at the mortal plane, where Grantora’s ritual continued to glow with divine light.

“Oh, Moritra,” she said lightly, “sometimes chaos is the only way to restore order. Let’s see how this champion of ours fares.”

Gellud nodded, his eyes alight with curiosity. “Indeed. Let the game begin.”

Moritra turned back to the horizon, her gaze hard and unyielding. “This isn’t a game, you buffoons,” she muttered under her breath. “This is war.”