Chapter 26

Amaterasu POV——

Tranquil

Thats how I would describe the past 50 years. The slight annoyances over the years could not faze me on such a day.

"Empress Amaterasu."

'Ughh'

Wrong.

I recognized the voice of Ares anywhere. He who prowls through the room like a panther in slow motion. His voice is like bottled thunder, a sign of his vigor.

A Goliath's body, supported by cast iron muscles. The most terrifying thing about him? His eyes….his eyes were as algid as an Arctic wind, two passionless pools of soul-sinking, abyssal black orbs.

"Hello Ares." I answer him back…..barely.

"I've come to inform you about my departure. I leave today." He tells me.

I cant stop the look that comes upon my face. Pure shock, how could he leave so suddenly. "W-wha?"

Of course no emotion even passes his face. How...sad.

"You're leaving…so soon? What about Hachiman?"

"…He is thousands of years old? I reckon he will live on without me. "

'What is happening?'

I shake off the surprise easily enough.

3rd POV———

"I will to return to Egypt and then Greece." Ares says to the woman that has been trying to gleam information on him since he first got there.

"…I cannot keep you here, why didn't you just leave."

"…" Ares doesn't answer because he has no answer.

"W-well, will I- Hachiman every see you again?"

"…Yes." He responds.

"I-I see." The duo stand in awkward silence for a moment as Amaterasu figures out what to say.

——

"You cannot stay any longer, my friend?" Hachiman asks solemnly.

"…No, i will not. I will see you again sometime in the future?" Ares asks him.

"..Yes…of course."

Ares nods at his words. Walking away from his friend, onto the beautiful beach of Japan, Ruin emerges from the ground in a blaze of hellish glory.

"Come on boy, to Egypt." He says to his mount.

Looking back, he sees the gathered acquaintances he made in Japan.

"Go." Ruin takes off at supersonic speeds, his hoofs leave trails of melted rock and hellish flames.

"And off he goes.." Hachiman mutters to himself.

——

Ruin galloped brilliantly over all forms of terrain, even the water, any mortal that could've seen him would have described it as a star of magnificent light.

'Time to return.'

——

??? POV

The fuscous-brown desert was infuriating. I had seen neither man nor beast for three days and my water was gone. It was the most desolate and lonesome environment I had ever been in, in my long life. I felt like a castaway on a sea of sand. The scratching sounds outside the light of the campfire last night were the only signs of life.

The only thing I could think off was that this is those 'Christians' hell. It was if it had scorched away all the evidence of nature this place had. I had thought I had seen a desert foxes foot prints, but I was mistaken. Maybe it was my insanity of my life,…or the desert.

The monotony of this parched wilderness was difficult to explain. It was crucible of death, a bone-dry basin of vastness and death. The immensity of it burned my brain, my only visual relief being spiny cactus of jumping cholla bush.

As far as the eye could see, everything was being roasted and sautéed with the same intensity…Just then I thought I saw a second sun. Another hallucination. It became instantly brighter, one second it was over in yonder, then it was right next to me.

"Name?" It spoke to me? A god? A true god?

"Adg v-vanda, my lord." I had to play this extremely cautiously. In all my days, I have never encountered such a thing.

"You can see me. Interesting." It tells me.

"W-well y-y…yes. Perhaps…some help, my lord. Please." I asked it using the most submissive tone I could use.

Some time passed since I asked, I think he's contemplating my question, will he agree?.

"…..No."

The light instantly disappears, leaving me in this damn desert!

'DAMN YOU, ILL KILL ALL OF YOUR DESCENDANTS!!!!!' The desert had taken my physical strength but eventually I will make it out of here and eradicate that MONGREL!

——

Ares POV

Very interesting I met you like this. At first I thought I had stumbled upon Jesus in all his glory. Maybe even Moses or Muhammad. My limited knowledge of Judaism and Islam had prevented me from recalling upon the stories of their respective prophets.

But that was dispelled the moment I actually payed attention to the lost person and when he told me of his name.

'Adg Vanda. Aka future Vandal Savage. Lost in the desert dressed like an Israelite. Perhaps lost on the 40 years wandering Moses did in the desert. Obviously trying to do something with the Moses and his congregation of Israelites.

Too bad that story should've long since passed. Dont tell me he's been lost in the desert for hundreds maybe even thousands of years?'

I felt a smile come to my face at the news.

"Hehe" a small chuckle escaped my mouth.

He'll find someone eventually, no need to help him.

——

Neith POV

The sky was juniper-purple. The sound of bees filled the air. The stars were glowing like beacons for the lost souls of the world. On my strings..I feathered a medley that echoed through the wind. Smells of ramsons drifted towards my nose and the clouds were bracketed to the seemingly eternal, summer sky. Like a dome of solar blue.

I once again played my threads, this time with some violent intent. The wind had carried a force of deadly sound, that slashed anything in its path, severing them all completely. Tree, grass, insects and even the sand dunes hundreds of miles away.

I had began to practice again, for…Ares. I awaited his return loyally and patiently. He promised his return and I believed him wholeheartedly.

Thanks to my practice and involvement in more matters, my name gad become more popular. They named me 'Neith, goddess of War, Wisdom and Weaving.' I welcomed the title fully. Perhaps Ares would recognize me as worthy of standing by his side in matrimony.

'They even named me mother of Sobek, Lord Ra and…and.....A-Apep.' Foolish mortals may get me punished.

A flash of light entered my senses, along with the sound of hooves beating against melting sand awakened my memories.

'ARES!'

Never had I reached such a velocity, the air itself contorted at my speed.

I then saw him. He wasn't a god of beauty but he should've been. The lush mother lode-cream white hair flowed from behind his hood. His aquiline nose complemented his prominent cheekbones. Handsome in an understated way, his basalt jaw and colossus shoulder spoke of unbridled strength. He possessed a special talent, leonine power and walked with purpose and authority.

"Neith." He spoke to me…after so long.

"Ares..finally."

Awe had drowned me when I saw it, a small smile upon his lips.

"Yes, I've come to take you with me, will you go?"

My face would absent a jaw if I didn't barely pull my self back together, "o-of course, from now until the end."

"..hehe, good, come with me. You're mine now…for forever."

Ares-

Neith-

Vandal Savage-