Hermes’s Energy flared. He didn’t know who it was, but they interfered. He missed the chance to kill the Devil King. They were clearly an enemy.
“Do you want to die, devil?”
“I, I, I’m human.”
The man finally got up. His voice trembled with fear.
“……Human? State your name.”
Hermes was a high-ranking God of Greece. He couldn't just kill any human.
The man said,
“I am, Aias.”
“……Aias?”
Hermes’s face crumpled at that. His grip on his sword tightened.
“Are you Aias of the Achaean House?”
“Y-Yes.”
Aias of the Achaean House.
He had been hiding near the fallen people all this time and had now stepped forward.
‘This boy, could he be the one in the Moirai’s prophecy…?’
Hermes withdrew his Demonic Energy for now.
He didn’t want to kill Aias, unlike other humans.
“Get out of my way. I’m here to kill the devil.”
“…….”
Aias didn’t answer, nor did he move.
Hermes asked,
“Why would a human protect a devil?”
“……Master is not a devil.”
Master? Is he talking about Frondier? Is he his student?
Hermes looked at Aias’s fearful eyes.
His face, his gaze, his posture, all showed signs of youth. He didn’t have the face of a warrior who had made a firm resolve.
‘He’s empty-handed.’
Moreover, he had no weapon. Well, if he had anything, he wouldn’t have thrown himself like that.
A completely unarmed body. He could have at least picked up a weapon lying around, couldn’t he make such a simple judgment?
“He’s the one who dared call himself the Devil King. What does it matter if he was originally human?”
“B-But…”
“Aias, have you never heard of the devil’s whisper?”
The one who overcomes it is a hero, the one who is tempted is human, and the one who leaves sin to the devil is also a devil.
Hermes cast a cold gaze.
“Do you want to die as a devil too?”
“Ugh…!”
Aias flinched and hesitated, but he didn't back down.
He was truly defenseless. He had made no preparations.
No weapon, no shield, and his power was no match for Hermes. He couldn't even react to Pielott's casual counterattack. There was almost no chance he could block Hermes’s attack.
Why did he step forward, Aias?
“It’s not too late. Get out of my way. I’ll spare you.”
“…….”
Why won’t you move, Aias?
“Sigh.”
Hermes let out a sigh.
“I’ll give you three seconds. Make up your mind.”
“!”
Aias’s whole body trembled.
If he stepped back now, he would live. Hermes truly intended to spare him.
If only he would just move.
“Three.”
Within these three seconds.
“Two.”
Make your choice.
“One.”
Aias.
Why won’t you decide?
—You have to choose to become a hero. You won’t become one just by endlessly putting it off.
“……Fine. Die, Aias of the Achaean House.”
Thud!
Without hesitation, Hermes kicked off the ground.
His sword soared into the sky, drawing a single line as he leaped and struck.
Aias watched the scene unfold.
‘……Decide.’
He wanted to be a hero.
He thought he would become a hero.
Everyone thought so. He was clearly on that natural stage.
That’s how it was supposed to be.
He was on the sturdy and safe iron path to becoming a hero.
Until Frondier and Pielott appeared, he was going to be a hero.
What happened?
Why am I standing here trying to protect that hateful Frondier?
I was destined to be a hero!
Why am I protecting the one who trampled on that destiny?!
‘You fool.’
Aias reached out.
It was only natural, yet strangely, he finally realized what everyone else didn’t know.
‘There’s no such destiny.’
Clack.
And in his hand, a spear appeared.
“!”
Clang!
Once again, Hermes’s sword was blocked.
But this time, Hermes’s expression changed.
‘This spear!’
Enkephalos. Ares’s spear.
Hermes instinctively turned his gaze to Aster.
Aster had thrown the spear to Aias.
‘What was he thinking?!’
What kind of judgment call was that, Aster?
Wasn’t that guy Frondier’s enemy?
“Is that what makes you a hero? Aster. You couldn’t bear to watch a human die, could you?”
Is that why you threw a spear that you may or may not catch, Aster?
Aster tilted his head and said,
“It’s not fair. Empty-handed.”
Whoosh—
And to top it off, this time he threw a shield towards Aias.
Hermes couldn’t let that slide either. He moved to deflect the shield.
Whoosh!
And this time, he came to an abrupt halt as a spear grazed past his eyes.
‘Damn it!’
This spear was Enkephalos.
If it missed, the spear would return to Aias.
It would have been better to catch it even if it was a bit risky.
No, it felt like Aias had deliberately missed the throw.
‘No, he couldn’t have known the ability of this spear. It’s just a coincidence.’
Clack.
Meanwhile, the shield Lynotoros also landed in Aias’s hand.
Aias, now armed with spear and shield.
He had a completely different aura than when he was empty-handed.
‘This isn’t just because he’s holding a God’s weapon.’
Hermes, with a tense expression, asked Aias,
“……Have you ever wielded a spear, Aias?”
Aias adjusted his grip on the spear a few times and replied,
“No.”
Contrary to his words, Aias’s demeanor made even Hermes nervous.
Aias, wielding spear and shield.
Only a handful of Gods knew the meaning of this one sentence, and
‘Tsk. So this is what the prophecy meant.’
Hermes was one of them.
“You’re going to become a devil too, Aias. You, who were destined to be a hero.”
Hermes’s sharp words. Aias listened quietly.
He wasn’t ignoring him. Those words clearly reached his ears.
Because Aias himself felt it.
Destined to be a hero, the sturdy and comfortable path, the stage.
He felt everything that had barely maintained its form crumble away.
“……That’s right, that was my destiny.”
Hearing Hermes’s words, Aias nodded.
Aias had walked a comfortable path.
His talent that set him apart from others, everyone's expectations and support, his family name that guaranteed his future.
And he had this feeling, for no reason and without any basis, that a golden opportunity to make him a hero would soon come knocking.
It was funny, really.
He didn’t even find it strange that the path to becoming a hero was so comfortable.
“But I’d rather be a hero than a devil.”
“……What did you say?”
—Because you don’t become a hero just by chance.
Aias looked at Hermes and said,
“I just decided.”
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