The Goddess Is Obsessed With Me

"Um..."

"Did you wake up, Harold?"

As I regained consciousness, the first figure I saw was Marika.

"I'm glad you're safe."

Despite looking pitiful with ash-covered wounds, she was smiling, showing a hint of happiness.

"Marika... How long was I out?"

She gently stroked my hair and gave a small smile.

"About 10 minutes? It wasn't long, so don't worry."

Her calm demeanor was oddly peaceful, considering the circumstances.

"I'm not sure if he's alive or dead... but you definitely saved me, Harold."

Glancing up, I saw the scene just as I remembered. The golden armor, which once seemed indestructible under the intense heat, now lay collapsed and melted.

"To think you'd overcome the God of Gold, Harold is incredible..."

Was the opponent really a god? He must have been, considering he tried to withstand my Electro spell. That spell had the power to subdue the mightiest dragon, Mir, and even the ancient god, Luceria...

"Yeah... but because of that, I can't use my arm―"

Wait...?

Expecting to see my arm charred like ash, I found it perfectly intact, back to its normal skin tone and fully functional.

"Hehe..."

Confused by the inexplicable sight, I looked to Marika, who covered her mouth with her fist, suppressing a laugh.

"Marika... did you heal me?"

She nodded happily in response to my question.

"Yeah, I had a good potion with me... It worked so quickly, I'm relieved."

How luxurious must that potion have been to fully restore me from my magic-exhausted, unconscious state so quickly? My arm was completely healed, without a trace of injury.

"What did you give me... How did you even administer it when I was unconscious?"

"Hmm... secret?"

Suddenly, she blushed, showing a mischievous expression as she playfully refused to answer. "Forget the potion for now, it must've been a normal method, right?"

Marika's mysterious smile only made me feel uneasy. And now I realized... I was lying on Marika's lap again.

But maybe because I had exerted myself too much from the start? I was so tired that, unlike last time, I didn't feel the urgency to get up. Instead, I just wanted to rest.

"We can't stay like this... Right now, no place in this kingdom is safe... We need to join up with those we can trust."

I tried to get up, feeling my body creaking here and there, but I fought the urge to lie down again and managed to stand.

"Right, that's a good idea. First, let's move Elbert to a safer place, then head outside the castle. My siblings will handle things here."

Marika pointed to the debris, indicating where Elbert was. Had he been the first to confront that god?

"Got it."

Following her lead, I stepped forward, but a sudden thought struck me. It felt like we hadn't even started, yet I was already facing such difficulties. The upcoming challenges filled me with unease.

We arrived at the front of Abne's temple...

"Tch...!"

Abne was fending off a wave of uneasy energy directed at her, clearly annoyed.

"Abne! If it weren't for you, all the benefits you enjoyed would have been ours!"

Other gods, who had been overshadowed by her and lived comparatively miserable existences, were unleashing their newfound powers in a frenzy.

Yet, as if she knew all along, she looked a bit strained but still managed to dodge or block their attacks.

"Are you venting your incompetence and emptiness on me?!"

Despite the already dire situation, she provocatively taunted her opponents, worsening the situation.

"This is...!!"

Their resentment-filled spears, not magic but sheer hatred, still couldn't reach Abne.

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"Seems like splitting numerically was a bit troublesome..."

Stepping back, she brushed off the bitterness she felt and murmured to herself. Although Abne could handle a single adversary with ease, being alone was a fatal disadvantage. She was currently facing two gods, down from the initial four, as Erina was somehow managing to hold off the other two.

Clang!

"The strength of a human is beyond imagination!"

The clashing of steel resonated sharply, intensifying the dire situation with sparks flying.

"To withstand two gods at once, you're too valuable to be killed!"

Erina was facing twin goddesses, eerily similar in appearance.

Despite their taunts, she remained steadfast, waiting for any possible opportunity.

"So, here's our proposal..."

"How about you join us instead?"

One of them sheathed her sword, while the other dissipated the magic in her hand, signaling no intention of hostility towards Erina.

"We, the twin goddesses of destiny, think it would be a waste to lose a talent like you."

The four gods had come together with the sole purpose of hunting other divine beings. They wanted to preserve as many followers as possible, turning them to their side. Now, they were introducing themselves to Erina, trying to persuade her.

"Sorry, but the god you serve stands no chance. No matter how skilled, facing four of us is impossible."

While Abne was still desperately trying to overcome her numerical disadvantage, Erina's side, albeit briefly, seemed to have found a moment of peace.

Erina, receiving a seemingly logical offer to switch sides, shook her head without hesitation.

"I refuse."

Her voice was firm, reflecting her clear intent. The atmosphere once again shifted back to chaos.

"Then, there's no other choice..."

"We'll have to take you down here!"

The twin goddesses readied themselves again, gathering magic to threaten Erina. One wielded a sword, the other magic. With their perfect synergy and the added strength of being gods, the situation was increasingly turning against Erina.

"With the light of the stars...!"

Meanwhile, Abne also began her counterattack. Abne attempted to break free from her purely defensive stance by casting a spell infused with the vast, dreamlike light of the cosmos.

"Infused with the power of moonlight."

One of her opponents countered with a similar yet different force, neutralizing Abne's power.

"Pierce through...."

The other seized the briefest of openings to thrust their spear.

"These beings, who haven't fought in so long, are surprisingly adept," Abne noted, but as much as her attack failed to connect, she received no harm in return, deflecting the spear with her bare hands.

"The Moon Queen and the God of Justice, right?"

She recalled their identities from faint memories.

"Isn't it a bit ironic that you, having lost your glory, come here instead of seeking it from yourselves?"

According to the lore, Abne, like the Moon Queen, had aspects of ethereal and judicial authority, often ruling over mortals with a sense of grandeur. Perhaps it was Abne's superior abilities that had stripped them of their identity, leading to the current situation.

Unable to withstand the taunting, the god who believed in justice impulsively lunged forward, taking advantage of the Moon Queen's unpreparedness.

"Wait a moment!"

The Moon Queen tried to intervene in the impulsive act of the God of Justice, but it was too late.

"This is why I prefer opponents who harp on about justice."

Abne uttered a line that could sound slightly malevolent, depending on the listener.

"Reversing Light."

Her solemn voice echoed clearly, briefly silencing everything except for herself.

Boom!

A cosmic phenomenon pierced the sky, reaching out into the universe.

"Ahh!!!"

The world darkened momentarily as the God of Justice, struck head-on by her attack, was illuminated.

"Falling for cheap provocations and not considering the situation before rushing in."

The reason behind Abne's continuous belittlement of her opponents, even in unfavorable situations...

Knowing the traits of your enemy makes them the easiest to handle. Thump! Boom!

As the light faded and the world brightened again, the God of Justice, like a massive rock tumbling down, was flung to the ground.

"Ah... Ah...."

He was still alive but clearly in no condition to continue the fight.

"Phew... Just one left now?"

Abne, having swiftly turned the tide, exhaled a bit easier and turned to face her next opponent.

"Ugh...!"

The Moon Queen, witnessing the sudden reversal, looked apprehensive.

"I'll make you regret this day."

Abne, now halfway confident of her victory, allowed herself a relaxed smile.

However, the situation was starkly different for Erina, almost running parallel in its severity. While Abne's situation was brightening, Erina's was deteriorating rapidly.

"Phew..."

Trying to catch her breath and maintain her strength...

"Just give up, it's enough, isn't it?"

The sword-wielding sister tried to persuade Erina again.

"I refuse, with Goddess Abne gaining the upper hand, it would be disadvantageous for you if I hold out!"

Erina showed unwavering resolve, gripping her sword even tighter.

"It's a false argument, but we can always escape if things get too tough. We're just collaborators, after all."

Erina remained unshaken, no matter how plausible the scenario.

So, the twin sisters chose a different approach...

"We'll target the one you love."

"?! "

They provocatively taunted her, aiming to unnerve Erina.

"As goddesses of destiny, we know who has your heart, and where that man is right now."

"We also have magic for escaping, so we can leave this situation anytime."

Erina thought of the only man she loved, not knowing his current whereabouts but certain he was making his mark somewhere.

"We'll find him before you do."

"And what if we seduce him~?"

With a mischievous expression, they threw taunts that Erina couldn't just ignore and let slide. Unaware of the consequences their actions would bring, the twin goddesses spoke.

"What did you say?!"

Provoked by their severe words, Erina finally reacted vehemently.

"We've seen countless connections... We know the true agony of humans is when they lose a precious bond..."

"Perhaps even more painful than death, isn't it?"

Erina, increasingly shaken by the goddesses of destiny, seemed to fall prey to their manipulation. The sisters mistakenly believed they had finally seized the opportunity to persuade her.

"But if you join our side now, we can forget all this."

Something inside her snapped, her eyes darkening with rage. The goddesses, misinterpreting her anger as an opportunity, thought they had her cornered.

"So, how about ending this fight?"

The gods, misjudging the situation, would soon face the consequences of their ignorance.

"Our side would welcome you..."

Before they could finish, their fate was sealed.

"What...?"

Cut off mid-sentence...

Crack!

In less than a second, a thunderous noise erupted.

Boom!

The ground split open, a storm raged...

"Sisters?! "

The magic-wielding goddess, previously behind her sword-wielding sister, was suddenly slammed to the ground.

"Oh..."

And above her stood Erina, exuding an entirely different aura than before.

"You... you...! Where did you get that power...!!"

"What?!"

Again, before she could finish, her voice was cut off by surprise.

The same scenario as before unfolded. The remaining goddess of the twin pair, now alone, was caught off-guard by Erina's sudden disappearance. When she regained her senses, it was already too late.

Erina had moved too fast for even a god to perceive.

"Wait... behind?!"

Using that transcendent speed again, Erina approached the sword-wielding goddess of destiny.

"Ah-"

She couldn't even utter her last words as the air split around her.

Swoosh!

As Erina unleashed her full strength, the remaining goddess vanished into thin air. "And so the gods and their structures were simply collateral damage..."

With a single strike, whether it was a god, a follower, or a structure, everything was equally split apart, leaving only a plain in its wake.

"O...!"

Erina's battle had ended even quicker than Abne's. Still consumed by unresolved anger, she cried out to the sky like a wild beast.

"How dare you, who should know better than anyone, play with the bonds of others?!!!"

Her scream of unresolved anger echoed to the heavens.

"Stealing from others is a sin!! Remember this well!!!"

It was unclear if her words reached anyone as the battle ended abruptly.

"Calm down, Erina...!"

Someone tried to soothe the still enraged Erina.

"Ugh!!"

"Wait, it's me!"

As she turned around, still filled with killing intent, someone hastily tried to calm her down.

"I've just finished as well, it seems there are no more enemies... Calm yourself."

Abne spoke, calming Erina's mind, and the situation quickly resolved.

"Ah... Goddess..."

"Yes, it's me... I finished a bit later than you, but just now."

Pointing behind her, Abne indicated where the Moon Queen and the God of Justice lay defeated. The fight had ended quickly once the situation of being outnumbered was resolved.

"Abne, Erina? We're here."

Morione's group arrived, coincidentally just as everything was settled.

"We just saw a massive slash cutting through part of the city... Was that you?"

Luceria asked Erina, who was still simmering with anger, while looking around the ruined streets.

"I merely purged those with distasteful tastes... Even if they were gods, such actions couldn't be tolerated."

Erina sheathed her sword, taking a deep breath. Despite not a drop of blood on her, the irony was that countless beings had been erased by her today.

"It feels a bit odd to say this right after arriving, but we need to move now. I briefly used my powers outside to check... We should join Harold immediately."

Morione spoke as if she knew Harold's location.

At her words, a bad memory flashed in Erina's mind, causing her to flinch momentarily. "Oo..."

However, realizing it was unrelated and simply her own sentiment, she quickly suppressed her feelings.

"Really... just thinking about it makes me sick..."

To her, the idea of someone playing with the bonds of others was an utterly unacceptable notion. Muttering to herself about her distaste, she then pondered...

"Harold... where are you...?"

Longing for him more than ever, she yearned to quickly move to the next location, eager to find Harold.