A few moments later, they landed on the nearest scrap of land facing Aquaria.

  “...It’s inside the sea,” Arlen muttered.

  Aquaria towered above the waves like a glittering blue fortress, water cascading in spirals around its walls. The nearest landmass was five kilometres away, connected only by a narrow bridge barely wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side. And from what Dryas explained, no one crosses unless Tethys allows it

  Cornea clicked her tongue. “Well, I’m out. I’ll rot if I step into a god’s domain,” she said, waving as she dissolved into shadows.

  Dryas puffed her chest a little — an adorable attempt at authority.

  “Follow me. I know Tethys. She’ll let me in.”

  Arlen raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue. He stepped onto the bridge expecting the worst — the sea to swallow him, an army of fishmen, a tidal wave — anything.

  Nothing happened.

  “…So the water goddess thinks I’m no threat at all.” A vein twitched on his forehead. “She must be strong. Maybe even on Chronos’ level… Alright, whoever you are, goddess of water, bring it on.”

  Grom, Aura, and Nyx followed behind. Strangely, the guards at Aquaria’s gate didn’t move to stop them — not even when the three

  demons approached.

  “Our goddess permits your entry,” one guard said politely.

  Arlen leaned toward Nyx.

  “Stay ready. Anyone that relaxed is either incredibly confident… or incredibly stupid.”

  Nyx nodded nervously.

  They approached the massive doors of the throne room. Arlen shifted his grip, ready to whip out Raikiri the moment the doors opened.

  A powerful goddess — maybe even on Caelus’ level.

  The doors swung wide.

  Arlen tensed—

  —and then nearly fell over.

  A tiny girl — no more than eight by appearance — sprinted out of the room and tackled Dryas with all the force of an excited puppy

  “BIG SISTER DRYAAAS!!! I MISSED YOUUU!! I couldn’t sense your divinity anywhere! I was so worried!!!”

  Dryas laughed and hugged her back.

  Arlen… Grom… Aura… Nyx…

  All four of them stood frozen like idiots.

  Arlen blinked hard.

  “You’re telling me… is the water goddess?”

  Dryas nodded with a gentle smile.

  “Yes. This is Tethys.”

  They all entered the throne room, though Arlen still wore the expression of a man trying to solve a math problem beyond human comprehension.

  “This has to be a trick,” he muttered. “Some kind of shapeshifting illusion? A decoy?”

  Dryas sat casually at one end of the room, and Tethys immediately plopped herself onto Dryas’ lap like a spoiled cat claiming her rightful throne. Dryas only smiled and patted her head.

  “This is Tethys,” Dryas explained warmly. “The youngest goddess in heaven. Back when I still had my divinity, she used to come visit me all the time. We’d play with animals, sleep inside trees, explore forests… she was always glued to me.”

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Arlen’s eye twitched.

  “Yeah sure, sure… hey, , what’s your age?”

  Tethys glared at him — not with fear, but with the jealous fury of a child seeing her big sister make new friends.

  “I am eight thousand, two hundred and forty-two

  “Wha—”

  Before the shock could fully settle into his skull,

  Nyx smacked him on the head.

  “You idiot. Never ask a lady her age. Have you no manners?”

  Arlen rubbed the growing bump on his head. “S-sorry…”

  Grom, curious, chimed in, “What’s your age, my rival?”

  Arlen sighed. “…Nineteen.”

  The room with laughter.

  Tethys pointed at him, kicking her tiny legs.

  “You’re such a , mister!”

  Even Dryas giggled silently. Nyx snorted. Aura leaned on the wall, gasping for air from laughing too hard. Arlen wanted Raikiri to strike him down — at least Raikiri didn’t laugh at him.

  He grumbled, cheeks faintly red,

  “Enough joking around. Let’s discuss the real problem.”

  He turned to Tethys, expression sharpening.

  “Goddess of Water — I need an answer. Has Mortis contacted you recently? Or tried to enter Aquaria?”

  Tethys scratched her head innocently.

  “Mortis? Why would he break in? No one can enter Aquaria unless allow it. But now that you mention it… umm…”

  She fidgeted, twirling her hair around her finger.

  “An angel came as a heavenly messenger. She brought a letter from Mortis. It said that Caelus wants me to become the divine consort

  Dryas froze. Arlen’s jaw clenched.

  Tethys continued cluelessly,

  “I don’t really like Mortis… he’s creepy… but if Caelus said it, then maybe it’s fine? I mean— I’m too young for this kind of thing!”

  Dryas’ voice trembled with rage.

  “Tethys… Caelus is dead.”

  Tethys blinked. “Eh?”

  Arlen’s eyes narrowed, shadows coiling behind him.

  “So Mortis already made his move…”

  Tethys’ voice cracked like shattering glass.

  “How can Caelus be dead?!

  Her little hands balled into fists, water trembling violently around her — droplets lifting into the air like floating tears turning into blades.

  Arlen answered with a cold bluntness that sliced deeper than any sword:

  “Because I killed him.

  The room froze.

  Then—

  WHOOSH!

  Water erupted from the marble floor, spiralling upward into a massive serpentine shape — a dragon formed of pure raging ocean. Its eyes glowed a murderous blue as it coiled protectively around the throne, fangs bared at Arlen.

  Tethys screamed with a grief too large for her tiny body:

  “You MONSTER! HE RAISED ME! I’LL KILL YOU!

  Nyx, Aura, and Grom instantly stepped forward — claws out, wings spread, sword lifted — every muscle ready for war.

  Arlen didn’t even blink.

  He didn’t reach for Raikiri.

  He didn’t raise Soul Eater.

  He simply stood there

  Before Tethys could unleash it, Dryas lunged forward and wrapped her arms tight around the trembling water goddess from behind.

  “Tethys, calm down— please.

  Dryas’ voice shook. “I’m sad too… but Caelus had to be killed. He was being controlled by Ianthe, Chronos, and Mortis. He wasn’t… himself anymore.”

  Tethys’ rage shattered.

  The dragon collapsed into a spray of falling droplets as she broke down crying — messy, loud, heartbreaking sobs of a child who just lost her parent.

  Even the demon generals lowered their guard for a moment.

  Arlen… didn’t.

  “Blame me all you want,” he said flatly. “Cry, hate, rage — all fine. But it doesn’t change the truth: I kill gods who need to be killed.

  His crimson eye flickered, sharp and merciless.

  “But right now, the important thing isn’t your grief — it’s Mortis.”

  Tethys sniffled, looking up at him through wet lashes.

  Arlen continued, voice unwavering:

  “Mortis already had a child with Ianthe. He didn’t care for either of them. He wants to create a new God of Wisdom, and he wants to use you

  for it. He brainwashed Chronos using his relic — Silent Weaver. And I don’t know how many other gods are already his puppets.”

  Tethys staggered backward.

  “W-What…? I-Ianthe’s child… wasn’t Chronos’…? And Mortis… brainwashed Chronos…?”

  Her tiny voice carried the sound of a world collapsing.

  Yet she straightened her back — a shaky, fragile, but genuine resolve forming within her.

  “…I will trust you,” she whispered. “Not because you’re demons. I don’t trust demons. But if Dryas trusts you… I will trust her trust.”

  Just as Dryas smiled in relief—

  BOOM!!!

  The wall behind the throne exploded into fragments.

  Dust. Water. Broken stone.

  A dark figure stepped through the debris with leisurely disappointment etched all over his face.

  A tall skeletal frame draped in black robes, fingers long and corpse-pale, a grin sharper than a guillotine.

  “Honestly, Tethys… trusting demons over a true god?”

  Mortis tilted his head. “That hurts. Truly.”

  Tethys staggered back in horror.

  “H-How did you get in?! I didn’t sense anything— my barrier— NO ONE can enter unless I allow it!”

  Mortis chuckled, tapping his temple with a bony finger.

  His grin widened, eyes glowing like dead stars.

  “Did you really think your domain could keep out?”