Apostle of the Goddess of War

Chapter 180

Ch.180 Apostle of the Goddess of War

"So according to you, we are merely meant to wear ourselves down and delay our own extinction—only to vanish in the end?"

Menesia's gaze pierced straight into Sion's heart.

"Saying 'there is no hope, so leap in like moths to a flame to seek it'... is no different from telling us Goddesses to die."

Several Goddesses murmured again. Menesia had struck the core of their fears.

"Yes—that's exactly what it means. We must sacrifice ourselves to somehow prevent annihilation and realize the dream of a human world, isn't that right?"

"Typical of the Goddess of War's Apostle. Is your solution really just 'fight and die'?"

"Imposing human logic onto gods is arrogance. Just because you've gained a little power, do you now think you can stand above the Goddesses, Apostle?"

Mockery came from one side; furious indignation rose from another. Tension crackled through the temple air as if it might split apart at any moment.

Yet Sion didn't waver—not even slightly. He had no intention of denying their words.

Because their worries were true.

Someone had to offer their life in sacrifice.

"Yes. That's correct."

Sion answered in his signature low, calm voice. The Goddesses' eyes narrowed like blades.

Even those who had been favorable toward Sion felt differently this time. His words sounded almost like betrayal.

"You… you demand that we Goddesses sacrifice ourselves?"

"……!"

"You brat!"

"See? This proves humans shouldn't be shown kindness. Annihilation was the right answer all along."

Crack!

A massive fissure split the temple pillar. No one needed to ask who caused it—finding a Goddess who wasn't furious would have been harder.

"Sacrilege… against the Divine!"

"Sion—even if you are Achille's apostle—"

Chaos erupted. Even Emily, who had never spoken ill of Sion until now, joined in.

The scent of wildflowers was momentarily drowned out.

"This… this is Eru's will."

Sion's voice overpowered the clamor among the confused Goddesses. With just his tone, he seized everyone's attention.

"Don't spout such nonsense, lowly human."

"What proof do you have that you aren't fabricating Eru's message?"

"Exactly. That's a fair point."

"How could we know if you twisted or altered her words to suit your own ends?"

"……Indeed."

Distrust grew among the Goddesses. Sion sighed inwardly. This wouldn't be easy to convince them.

Yet the more complicated things became, the more certain he grew.

Eru truly wanted this.

And…

'She clearly foresaw this situation.'

The future where the God of Destruction—born through the Creator God and Serine—sought to erase the world. Endless division. Irreparable fractures.

'Even her careless remark of "I leave it to you"… Haa.'

From start to finish, she was utterly Goddess-like.

The Goddess of these childish Goddesses. Even her act of abandoning responsibility and fleeing mirrored theirs.

Her indifference was the same. Her "help" always came in inconvenient ways. Fundamentally, empathy and consideration for the weak simply didn't exist in them.

'But…'

He could clearly feel their affection for humanity. Crude and unrefined as it was, the Goddesses loved humans with their very souls. To them, humans were no different from their own children.

After all, hadn't Eru herself set the ultimate example by sacrificing first?

'She was the first to relinquish her divine authority and divinity as a Goddess—and disappeared.'

She certainly existed somewhere, but that place was no longer connected to the human realm.

It might be a distant paradise, or some other part of heaven.

What was certain was that Eru had laid down everything and gone there.

'Eru didn't abandon the Goddesses.'

His realization finally crystallized—the true intent that had scattered like fragments now coalesced into a single point.

'She went ahead first.'

By making one final sacrifice for humanity and proving her love, she brought closure.

Sion opened his eyes, which he'd briefly closed. Amidst the chaos and accusations, his mind felt clearer than ever.

The answer became obvious.

Though light had returned to the world, it remained dark and murky. True light had only just returned—in this very moment.

What the Goddesses would do next wasn't sacrifice.

"Ascension."

"……?"

At Sion's sudden, unexpected declaration, the Goddesses fell silent. They glared at him, waiting to see what absurdity he'd say next.

Their intense gazes felt hot enough to burn holes in his cheeks.

Sion stated flatly, without emotion:

"Let me correct myself. It's not sacrifice—it's ascension."

Menesia, who had been watching with arms crossed, finally spoke up.

"I saw a ray of Truth's Light graze your head, Sion, Apostle of the Goddess of War. Speak plainly."

At the Goddess of Wisdom's words, the Goddesses quieted and watched intently.

Sion took a deep breath, then swept his gaze across the assembly. Eyes filled with equal parts hope and fear met his own.

Even these imperfect Goddesses ultimately needed hope—a light promising that everything would get better.

"I met Lady Eru… somewhere deeper than my inner self, and we spoke."

"And?"

The Goddess of Abundance, who had been silently listening until now, murmured softly.

It was her first sign of genuine interest.

"It was a conversation—long if you count the moments, short if you count the words. At the time, I thought it trivial. But looking back, I believe she was showing me who she truly is."

Sion paused to catch his breath. The Goddesses' gazes still burned—but within them flickered faint hesitation and hope.

"Lady Eru… didn't choose her own end. She advanced to the next stage."

His voice was like forget-me-nots—soft yet clear. After a brief silence, some Goddesses scoffed.

"The 'next stage'? Are you trying to deceive us with such vague wordplay?"

"The Supreme Goddess lost her divinity and died. In human terms, her lifespan ended. We no longer sense Eru's presence at all. Yet you speak of a 'next stage'? Ascension? What nonsense is this?"

"Yes. If her existence is gone, how can there be 'stages'?"

Sion accepted all their accusations without flinching. Then he faced them directly.

"Lady Eru didn't choose death. She certainly exists elsewhere. The scenery was ordinary—but it wasn't any place I know."

"So you mean she's waiting for us there?"

Menesia asked calmly, tilting her head. Sion nodded.

"Yes. Having fulfilled her duty in both the heavens and the human realm, she finally laid down all burdens and found peace."

The mood among the Goddesses shifted subtly—from anger to confusion, then to agitation.

Sion continued:

"Divinity is duty and responsibility. It's the chains binding you, the definition confining you. But don't you Goddesses also wish to live freely? Don't you desire playing more than governing heavy, difficult concepts?"

Sion had observed the Goddesses' lives, however briefly.

He couldn't claim to understand everything, but one thing was certain: they resembled humans.

Since humans were born from them, the order of perspective had to change. The Goddesses were human-like.

"You want ease. You want to play. You want freedom."

"So you're saying we should lay down everything and go to where Eru is, Sion?"

"Yes. Because even you Goddesses are ultimately imperfect."

The Goddesses' eyes turned cold once more.

With every word, Sion seemed to blaspheme against divinity as naturally as breathing. They wondered how long they should tolerate this. Their heads boiled like soup over a pyre.

Then—

"That's absolutely correct."

For the first time, a Goddess agreed with Sion.

When the others identified the speaker, they were stunned—not just because it wasn't Achille, but because of who it actually was.

"Goldina?"

Menesia was the one who spoke. All eyes, shimmering with various hues, turned to the golden-glowing Goddess.

She was quiet, yet her presence radiated like a crown of gold—dazzling, mesmerizing. Even Magoth or Achille hesitated to challenge Goldina lightly. An aura of untouchable antiquity flowed from her very being.

"The age of Goddesses has ended. Isn't that simple? Simple."

"What?"

"If that's what Eru wished for, then we should follow."

"That's not something to say so easily!"

Menesia objected. But her words meant nothing to Goldina.

"Do you really think I'd say that lightly in this situation, Menesia?"

"Ugh…"

"You're still thinking too simply…"

"No!"

"Hmm."

Menesia shrank back. Goldina was the only Goddess who could rival Menesia in logical rigor—and often surpassed her in pure rationality, frequently reining her in.

"That apostle is right. If Eru hasn't fully vanished but exists somewhere, then going there is the end of it. No need to overcomplicate."

Menesia, feeling as if she'd been struck, spoke timidly:

"How?"

Goldina glanced briefly at Achille before answering.

"The Grand War. Through battle."

"What?"

Amidst the sea of puzzled expressions, Goldina turned her eyes to Achille—waiting for permission to speak further, adhering strictly to hierarchy. Sion inwardly admired her discipline.

Truly fitting for the Goddess of Gold—her judgment commanded respect.

"Lady Achille—you've always emphasized this: dying on the battlefield is the greatest glory, the most sublime death, and the true path to heaven."

Achille's jaw dropped slightly. Her face practically screamed, 'I'm flustered!'

"Eh? Th-that was just something I said…"

"Maybe not literally—but your belief hasn't changed, has it?"

"W-well, no."

Sion smiled faintly.

'So my Goddess made such claims without evidence… She just loved war.'

And the warlike humans took the Goddess of War's words as gospel truth, firmly believing Achille would lead warriors to her hall.

There was no more irresponsible Goddess.

'But could it really be…?'

Sion focused intently on Goldina's words. She spoke with absolute conviction:

"Now I understand. That's what it was all along."

"What is?"

Even Achille asked, curious.

"I've always wondered—why Lady Achille of all beings? Why did Eru entrust the position of next Supreme Goddess to a Goddess so foolish and obsessed with fighting?"

"Oh? O-oh."

Though she'd insulted Achille effortlessly, no one—including Achille herself—bothered to refute it. It was that natural a statement.

"The key is ascension through the Grand War."

"What?"

"When Achille becomes Supreme Goddess and realizes that power and ideal, a path opens to the true heaven governed by the Goddess of War."

Menesia was the first to grasp Goldina's meaning.

"I see! Since Eru had the power to manifest her visions…"

"What are you talking about? Explain so I can understand!"

Achille demanded clarification from both Goldina and Menesia.

Sion intercepted the reply:

"It's simple, My Lady."

"Hm? Sion, explain."

"This war is both an end and a beginning. At the apocalypse's conclusion, the Goddess of War leads everyone to the Hall of Warriors."

Achille drew a small, sharp breath. Her chest swelled; her heart surged. Her eyes sparkled like stars in the night sky.

"War… and ascension."

"Yes. Lady Achille's duty is to guide Goddesses who meet sublime deaths on the battlefield to the stars beyond."

"That's… my…?"

"Yes. That's why Lady Eru entrusted everything to you and me."

Menesia added, her voice trembling with revelation:

"Exactly! Among us all, only Achille dreamed of that world beyond!"

Menesia raised her fist high—an uncharacteristic gesture, but no one cared.

Because the person most excited was Achille herself.

"Eru saw that ideal—the one everyone mocked as foolish and despised—as her final hope!"