Divine Ascension: Reborn as a God of Power-Chapter 50: The Schism of Olympus (Part 10)

Once I returned to the Garden, I went to where the Hesperides were gathered, my goal being to communicate my decision.

I would join Nemesis.

(A while ago...)

"And... wouldn’t you want to see her again?"

She looked at me in surprise, her eyes wide open. However, as soon as I saw her gaze, it disappeared in a few seconds.

"Maybe... but why are you asking me this?" she asked.

I didn’t answer, just looked at her seriously.

Her expression changed in a matter of seconds: first surprise, then suspicion... and finally a laugh.

"Hahahaha...? Gods." Her laughter died as quickly as it had begun. "So that’s what this is about, isn’t it? All this... was it for them?"

She held my gaze, and although her tone was mocking, there was a shadow behind her eyes. "To be honest, I don’t understand your fascination with those three or the kind of relationship you have, but it’s none of my business. Okay. I accept. I’ll talk to the leader, negotiate a guarantee, and let you know as soon as—"

"No."

I interrupted her firmly. I didn’t raise my voice; I didn’t need to. I just let the weight of the word sink in.

"You’re not going to ’negotiate.’ This isn’t a suggestion. Either you guarantee me right now that they’ll be safe under Nemesis’s wing... or not only will you never see your daughter again, but I’ll join Zeus."

That shook her. I could feel the change in the atmosphere before I even saw it in her eyes. Her power level rose, barely perceptible at first, but growing like a current beneath the surface. The seductive calm that used to envelop her disappeared, like a veil being torn away, and in its place appeared the real goddess. It seemed that her pride was wounded, and that made her dangerous.

"Excuse me?"

She stood up abruptly, her gaze piercing, her pupils dilated with contained fury.

"After everything we shared? After everything we went through? Are you threatening me?"

I shook my head slowly, not taking my eyes off hers.

"Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not threatening you. I’m just telling you what’s going to happen. It’s a simple equation: either you accept the deal... or I leave with Zeus. And I’m sure no one in Nemesis will be happy about that, especially your boss. Isn’t that right?"

For a moment, she said nothing. She just looked at me. No longer with lust or cynicism. She looked at me as if she were seeing me for the first time. As if she finally realized something she had ignored since our first encounter: my determination.

Her face said it all. She had underestimated me, and she knew it.

Her power slowly waned, and her expression changed from anger to calculation. Her shoulders relaxed slightly, and her voice was lower, more measured when she spoke.

"You play better than I thought, Akhon."

"I learned from the best."

"I’m flattered... and concerned."

She stepped back a little, as if she needed space to think, to breathe, to avoid saying something she would regret. She looked toward the city of Kaeron, now awake, with the first light filtering through the newly constructed buildings.

"You care more about the safety of your people than your own ambition," she said, not addressing me directly. "That makes you dangerous."

"And that’s a bad thing?"

"No. It’s just unusual."

She looked at me again. "And in the gods, unusual is unpredictable. Nemesis doesn’t trust the unpredictable."

"Then they’ll have to learn."

I stood up too, without covering myself, without shame. There was no room for masks between us at that moment.

"So, what do you decide, Aphrodite?"

She sighed. Not in defeat, but with an ancient weariness. As if she were yielding not only to me, but to something greater, something inevitable.

"All right," she said finally. "You’ll have your guarantee. The Hesperides will be safe. They will be untouchable. Even if you fall, even if Nemesis falls, they will still be protected."

And I believed her. Not because I trusted her completely, but because, for the first time, she spoke to me without embellishment and with the truth. Besides, it wasn’t in her best interest to lie to me; she had nothing to gain from it except making me angry.

"Thank you." I said simply.

She nodded, but didn’t respond immediately. There was something new in her gaze. A mixture of respect, frustration, and resignation.

And maybe... maybe a little affection.

"Now go," she whispered. "Before I change my mind."

(End of Flashback...)

Once I returned to the Garden, I headed to where the Hesperides were gathered. I found them under one of the oldest fruit trees, sitting on the grass as if the world around them wasn’t changing.

My goal was clear: I had to tell them my decision.

I would join Nemesis.

Aegle was the first to notice me. She smiled immediately, although there was a shadow of concern in her eyes. She always perceived more than she said.

"You’re back," she said, her tone a mixture of relief and caution. "Have you made up your mind?"

The other two—Erytheia and Hesperia—also looked at me intently, putting aside any distractions. They weren’t just waiting for an answer. They were waiting for certainty.

I nodded slowly. "Yes. I’m joining Nemesis."

There was a brief silence, as if the very leaves of the Garden had stopped moving for a second.

"And that means...?" Erytheia asked, not finishing her sentence.

"It means," I continued, taking a step closer to them, "that wherever they are, whoever they are with, whatever happens... they will be protected. No one will be able to touch them. That is the condition. It was part of the deal. Not only will they be under my care, but they will be under the official protection of Nemesis."

Hesperia covered her mouth, barely containing an exclamation. Erytheia frowned, seeming to process the implications. But it was Aegle who stood up, approaching with a slight frown.

"What did you do, Akhon?" she asked firmly. "Don’t just tell us the result. Tell us what you gave in exchange."

I remained silent for a moment. I wanted to avoid it. I wanted them to simply accept safety as a gift. But Aegle wouldn’t allow it. Not when there was a truth behind it.

I sighed.

"I offered her something she couldn’t refuse. The chance to see her daughter again."

Aegle blinked, clearly not expecting that. "Aphrodite has a daughter?"

I nodded. "I found her in the mortal world one day, and we talked. Where she is now, it was clear that this was something that marked her. That it still hurts her, even if she doesn’t show it. I promised her that I would make this reunion possible. In exchange, I asked for absolute protection for the three of you. This will be unconditional, so even if I fall in the war, I know you will be safe."

At this, the three of them looked at me with their mouths open, probably thinking I had lost my mind, but I wasn’t finished yet.

"But that’s not all," I muttered. "That wasn’t enough to convince her."

I swallowed hard, knowing what was coming. "I also made it clear to her that if she didn’t accept... if she didn’t give me that guarantee right now, I would join Zeus."

Erytheia let out a hiss. "Gods... you blackmailed her?"

"I negotiated," I replied, looking at Aegle sincerely. "I backed her into a corner, yes. But not because I wanted to play dirty. I did it because you are worth it. Because I will not walk onto this battlefield without ensuring that you will be safe, no matter who wins or loses."

For a moment, no one said anything. Only the faint rustling of leaves and the murmur of the wind interrupted the tense silence that had formed between us.

"You’re crazy," Hesperia finally said, breaking the spell like glass crashing to the ground. "You’ve completely lost your mind."

"Did you hear that? He offered Aphrodite to see her daughter! Do you know what that means!?" exclaimed Erytheia, taking a step toward me with her arms raised in disbelief. "Do you have any idea of the emotional turmoil that can cause in a goddess like her?"

"And you blackmailed her," Hesperia muttered, still incredulous, bringing her hand to her forehead as if her head hurt. "You? Aphrodite? What kind of confidence did you wake up with today?"

"What if she turns against you when all this is over? What if she decides she no longer needs to keep her word?" insisted Erytheia. "What if she breaks the deal?"

"She won’t," I replied firmly. ’It’s not in her best interest. She has much more to lose, and she knows it."

Aegle, who had been silent until then, took a step forward. Her eyes were not angry, but they had an intensity I rarely saw in her. ’And you... you think that makes you brave?"

"I thought you would understand," I murmured.

"I understand!" she raised her voice for the first time. "That’s the worst part. I understand why you did it. But that doesn’t mean it’s right. You can’t go around blackmailing people and making secret deals for our safety. Besides, we can take care of ourselves, you idiot."

Her words hit me hard. Direct, unfiltered. Like only she knew how to do.

"Especially with someone like Aphrodite," she added in a whisper. "She’s not just a figurehead. She has influence, power, allies... and volatile feelings. You gave her what she wanted most. You showed her her greatest weakness. What if she decides that makes her vulnerable and wants to cover it up?"

"I forced her to show her human side," I said, without regret. "Because I showed mine a long time ago. Because you... are my human side."

That silenced them again. Aegle held my gaze for several seconds. While she did, I breathed quickly, as if fighting a knot in my chest.

"And was it really worth it?" she finally asked, almost in a whisper. ’Was it worth angering half the faction and risking your relationship with Aphrodite for us?"

"I don’t care what happens to her," I replied. "But if anything happens to the three of you... I couldn’t forgive myself. Not even if we won the war."

Aegle looked down, trembling. Hesperia crossed her arms, muttering something under her breath that I couldn’t hear. And Erytheia, for the first time in all the time I’d known her, seemed unsure of what to say.

Then Aegle took another step closer, so close I could almost hear her heart beating.

"I hate you when you’re such an idiot," she said in a broken voice, and hugged me tightly.

I didn’t say anything. I just wrapped my arms around her too, holding her as if she were my anchor in the chaos.

After a second, I felt Erytheia join the embrace from the side, grunting something like, "This doesn’t mean I approve of your decisions." Hesperia was the last to join, sighing, surrendering to the warmth of the moment.

And for an instant, just an instant, the world seemed calm.

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