Chapter 93 - Crisis Averted

The group once again found themselves between a rock and a hard place. The earlier battle against Urusla had drastically drained both their physical and spiritual stamina, it would be wishful thinking to even try to defend against this attack.

As for Misao and Shi, their state was horrific. Their eyes constantly released tears, they rolled over the ground clutching their heads; alternating between ghastly mutters and piercing screams.

"Please.... wake up.... don't die..."

"No... I don't want this... don't kill my baby! NOOOOO!"

Whatever Gaia did to them, it was obviously trauma related. Luna, being a pure dragon host therefore having additional energy reserves, ran to their aid. Casting [Fire Dragon | Sixth Scale: Phoenix Flame], she tried to assist only to fail miserably, with Shi and Misao clawing their ways away from her in fear.

"It's no use." Gaia spoke, "I injected dark energy right into their minds, they are now going through all the trauma over the course of their lives this instant. And as created psychopaths, it seems to be quite a lot."

As Gaia taunted, the ball of shadow on his finger grew in size, now beginning to release ominous whispers. Their fate seemed to be set in stone.

That was until Takumi growled, "Screw this! If you think I'll just sit back and let you destroy this world, THE WORLD I WORKED SO HARD TO SAVE?!"

A primal scream came after. Takumi clenched his fists and looked to the sky, veins popped in his neck and face.

His dragon force, the moon element, began to refuel!

The reason for this? Takumi had activated [Moon Dragon | Eighth Scale: Internal Infinity]. Like Misao's [Astrophysical Absorption], this scale was apart of Kage's and Haruka's innate abilities.

This scale drew in Takumi's willpower, and as a full fledged narcissist, it was limitless. Takumi's body radiated a bright purple aura as his moon dragon force reached it's maximum capacity.

"Huhuhu. I'll let you land this one attack." Gaia laughed, "Let's see how the dragon force I created bites."

All eyes were on Takumi, everyone bet their lives on this attack. Of course, no one expected it to kill this Deity but at least damage or impress him enough so he'd leave them be.

But Takumi had other plans. He threw his hands to the sky, causing a sheet of purple energy to form a dome above the group. The protection scale, [Luminous Resistance] showed that Takumi desired to protect the world, rather than fight for it.

"HUHUHU!" Gaia was impressed, "You intend to defend? I must say, I admire the tenacity in Athena's model... it's refreshing."

With energy swirling in the barrier, a ray of hope shined down. Gaia decided to pay respect by destroying the world with a physical attack, he wrapped the dark energy around his palm, before floating towards the group.

"Goodbye, Endolis."

With that sentence, Gaia placed his hand on the barrier, which immediately began to corrode. The group gasped as the dark corrosion spread across the barrier, blotting out their vision.

The hope that had blossomed before was quickly dispelled. Takumi's barrier was barely holding on as it began to crack, putting great strain on his spirit.

Ichika, who was in an even worse state of despair, held onto Takumi. Something compelled her into screaming for help, as if yelling across the cosmos for a way out of this.

Then... as if her desperate screams were heard loud and clear, another spacial rift appeared, and out from it came a woman. Although Athena's cute demeanor made her seem like a pushover, she showed utmost strength as she pointed her palm at Gaia's shadowy hand.

Another gasp came from the group as a purely white ball of light enclosed his hand. That gasp increased in volume as the energy ball sucked up all the corrosive darkness on the barrier, pulsing and quivering until it vanished in a flash, reducing itself and the dark energy to nothingness.

"Haaaaa..." Gaia sighed, not caring about his hand that had gotten itself in that clash of light and dark, "Athena... this is the second time you've interfered with matters concerning my realm. What do yo-"

Gaia's words were cut short by Athena's palm, which was still pointed at him, clenching into a fist. As response to that gesture, countless chains of light energy appeared out of nowhere, coiling around Gaia at such a speed that his entire body was covered by them in seconds. Athena finished off this incapacitating move with a swish of the finger, creating five light spikes that plunged into his body.

Takumi, who was now breathing heavily after dispeling the barrier, looked upon this godlike cutie in awe; as did the other members of the group.

"T-thank you!" Ichika was the first to express her thanks.

Athena simply nodded with a smile before walking over to the still writhing Misao and Shi. Luna promptly stepped aside as she knelt down, casting a light over them with open palms which calmed them down, putting them to sleep.

"They should be fine now, they'll wake up soon. Now stand back, I'll handle this." Athena said, causing the group to breath a sigh of relief.

A muffled laugh brought their attention back to the bound Gaia. Their hearts sank when they saw the chains and spikes beginning to corrode, but Athena just watched with a serious expression, as if she expected this.

"Huhuhu." As the last chain corroded into ash, Gaia smiled, "73 seconds. 12 seconds more than what it used to take me to break out of your Prison of Light. Did you get stronger, Athena?"

Gaia's taunting greatly annoyed the cute diety. But although Athena's eyebrows twitched in anger, she kept her cool, settling her feelings with a self depreciating laugh.

"You know, Gaia, I originally came here to fight you. The fact that you don't care what happens to the souls that will be released when you destroy this world really annoys me. We created them! They're our responsibility, dammit!"

Athena began shedding tears once more. Even those in the group were greatly surprised by compassion, but they gladly accepted it, as she seemed to be their last hope.

Gaia groaned, "That may be what you think, but I see it as because I created them... I have the right to destroy them as well. And as for that fight, I'm up for it but you do know that you'll take this world with us... right?"

It was then that Athena smiled. But this wasn't really a cute smile that could make babies laugh for hours, but a sinister smile that incited fear in the group.

"Heh, I thought about that and my solution is simple. I'll just remain here, canceling out every one of your world ending attacks, preserving this world and it's inhabitants. My realm proved that they can survive without my aid... so, Gaia, are you ready for the longest stalemate of your life?"

These words shocked Gaia to the core. He allowed his anger to get out of control for a single second, resulting in a bolt of lightning striking Athena, reducing her clothes to cinders. Takumi only had a few moments to marvel this Deity's body as her clothing regenerated.

"Very well."

After Gaia calmed down, he sat cross legged in front of Athena before turning to the group, raising his palm at them.

"Until we sort out this problem, you all can go. We'll call for you when a solution presents itself."

He then flicked his hand, teleporting the group away in a flash of light. And just like that, crisis averted... for now.