Provoke Zeus

"I can't wait to go live here! It's going to be so worth it!" I heard from the people attending the auction.

Soul and I walked out of the building and waited around to see the people participating walking out while shouting out their victories. Eventually, Hex, Dex, and Zeus were the last ones out. And of course, right behind Hex was Ruby.

"Thanks for coming guys. Zeus, it was an honor to meet you and I'm glad you chipped into our effort to give back to the community." Dex told him. Zeus nodded with his large smile.

"Of course Rich Mortal! It's the least I can do for the people of New Olympia! Now, I have to return to my temple, tomorrow morning I have class to conduct. Potion Mortal, get ready to be worked to death!" Zeus said with his signature smile yet again. He tried to pat me on the back, but I dodged his hit and walked off.

"Sheesh, must've been something I said. Take care you guys!" Zeus said, leaving the premises.

"Why did you dodge it? Does it hurt when he does it? I figured, considering he was such a big guy." Dex commented, but Hex and I shook our heads at the same time.

"Anima!" I heard from above me. Ipa jumped down and took off his black cloak, storing it in his inventory. Sometimes, I forgot he was also a Hero and had one of those.

"You seen it too then?" I asked him. Ipa nodded.

"I saw both. You and that Patriarch, and that symbol on his shoulder." Ipa explained.

"Oh, were you watching from afar or something?" Dex said. He was oblivious, but Hex wasn't.

"No, I was spying on you to see if you had any other ulterior motives, but you seem clean. Zeus, on the other hand, seems to have another plan. That mark on his shoulder, the one that exemplifies a mana buildup. He's definitely thinking of using it for a bad purpose, it's just a matter of what he wants to use it for. Destruction? Class? I think the first is more likely." Ipa commented. He then turned to me.

"And that Patriarch, she knew who you were Anima. What happened after you first started talking? She realized the skill wasn't blocking me out and changed the way it moved so I only caught a glimpse of her. She had some fiery hair, didn't she?" Ipa asked me. I nodded.

"You talked with a Patriarch?! Why didn't you tell us! When did this happen?" Soul and Ruby both asked at the same time.

"In a millionth of a second during the Auction. She used a skill called [Illusion] and it stopped time and caused us to hide behind the veil of reality, I guess. Time didn't pass and nobody could see us." I told them.

"Anima... which Patriarch was it?" Soul asked me with a look of concern.

"She told me to call her Ama, but her real name was Amaterasu," I explained to them.

Just as I did, Zeus turned the corner around a nearby pillar with that same smile he had before.

"So, you did talk to her? I sensed her presence was nearby... but knowing that she was here for you, Potion Mortal, I feel a lot happier than before. Do us all a favor and forget to show up to class tomorrow. And... get out of my city and do not attend the festival." Zeus told me.

"It seems you and Amaterasu don't have a good relationship. I wonder why that is... does it have to do with that mana mark on your shoulder?" I asked Zeus with a straight face.

As I did, the voice in my head was screaming at me to run, wondering why I was talking to Zeus the way I was, wondering what my last words would be, but Zeus only shook his head with a smile.

"I figured somebody would notice. No matter. Listen to my advice and don't be stupid about it." Zeus said, walking off without provoking me any further.

"Anima! What are you doing?!" Soul shook my shoulder as quietly as possible, but I didn't break my eye contact with the back of Zeus's head.

"You wiped your student's memories! Why did you do that?! Why do none of them know their actual names and only go by what you call them?!" I asked him.

This wasn't good... I couldn't stop. I had so much irritation built up that I was uncontrollably letting it go.

"Apostles only have one true motivation and one master to serve, and that is me. Apostles will always worry about their lives outside if somebody can convince them to do so, so I make sure they can't. They willingly agreed to wiping their memories, so I don't see how that concerns you." Zeus told me. Now, he turned toward me with a frown on his face.

If this broke out into a fight, I would be eviscerated before I could even think about something to do... but maybe I had a chance now that I knew [Dismanip].

"I don't see how it wouldn't concern me. I'm one of your students, and you let me go without wiping my memory, so what gives?! Why didn't you hit me with that same spell?!" I yelled at him, attracting some of the attention of the patrons of the auction.

"Why didn't I? I wonder if you can piece that together." Zeus asked me. I looked all around, thinking of the answer, but as soon as I saw a blue beam head straight for my forehead, I understood.

That was it.

He was building mana to wipe my memory.

That's why he had that mark.

I closed my eyes to prepare for the worst, but in that split second I was able to understand what was actually happening, I heard another thundering voice come from above me.

"[ETHER SPARK]" Ken's usually quiet demeanor had shattered like glass as I heard it roar from the back of his throat.

The skill was dispersed almost instantly as Ken landed in front of me with his sword unsheathed. Around the sword was an outline of blue smoke that clarified he was using the Ether Element to destroy Zeus's attempt at ruining my memory.

"Next time, don't let me oversleep. So, what's this guy's deal? What attack was that?" Ken asked me. He was awfully... talkative.

"It was a memory wiping skill. You saved me... you saved everything that makes me... myself..." I panted behind Ken and he nodded.

"I'm afraid you won't be touching my comrade, God of Air. I need him, so I won't let him fall to your antics. I suggest you leave this area before things get unnecessarily bloody." Ken told Zeus. He had a fire in him I never thought I'd see... it was kind of creepy to hear Ken get serious like this, especially with all of this talking.

"We'll see about that. Why don't you kids run on home..." Zeus said. With no effort at all, Zeus vanished into absolute nothingness with a gust of wind.

"Is everybody okay?" I asked, using [Blessing 3] on anybody standing around. I figured nobody was hurt, but I had to make sure.

"Ken, that was amazing! Where was that skill before? I was impressed to see you appear like that..." I told him.

"Call it luck. It's my job to use my ability to keep you alive until we arrive in Pretoria, don't forget," Ken reminded me.

"I couldn't forget, no matter how much I wanted to. Anyway, let's head back and plan to leave... Dex, I hear you were planning to go to the cliffsides. Can we tag along? We can work for hospitality and food and whatever we need to." I asked him.

"You're always welcome to join us, but I don't think Zeus would let you get away that easily now that you messed with him... by the way, that was absolutely insane! I never thought I'd see just a regular man mess with a God like Zeus..." Dex said in amazement.